By Nicole Soroka
As he rushes to class, Mason Cohen, a fourth-year business management student at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), isn’t particularly on the hunt for a new friendship. Already running late, he finally arrives in his classroom—a Cineplex auditorium that the school rents out for lectures—and sits next to a classmate whom he had previously met in a different course. It’s the first semester of his third year and thankfully, Cohen is taking a history elective—a subject he particularly enjoys. His interest is the only factor keeping him awake, with the dim lighting and comfortably upholstered movie theatre seats slowly lulling him to sleep. He begins discussing World War II with his friend when suddenly, someone sitting behind them jumps into the conversation.
“I think we were just being a bit loud or something,” says Cohen. “So, a woman behind me decides to chime in and be like, ‘Oh yeah, isn’t this moment in history kind of cool?’”
As the newly formed group of three continue their conversation, Cohen finds she’s making a lot of great points. Her sudden interest in their discussion grabs his attention.
As the week passes by and Cohen once again attends his history class, she sits with him and his friend in their row instead of behind them.
While reflecting on this memory, Cohen emphasizes that friendships may form in quite random ways. He says you’ll never be able to anticipate when you’re going to meet someone you instantly connect with. This moment in time is one he specifically thinks back to when recalling his favourite memories from his university experience thus far.
“I wish I could have been like, ‘Let’s take a photo to remember this moment,’ because I have since gone on so many adventures,” says Cohen.
Click here to view transcript
Soroka: Thank you for calling The Eyeopener’s advice hotline. To share a memory or piece of advice with your younger self, please leave a message after the tone.
Cohen: I’d have to say the first time meeting a couple friends honestly, because how it happens is brilliant. You just turn around in class and you’re like, ‘Hi my name’s Mason’ and they introduce themselves. Those moments are just like, man, I wish I could’ve been like, ‘Let’s take a photo to remember this moment,’ because I’ve since gone on so many adventures.
Everyone experiences life differently. There is no one-size-fits-all manual for how to navigate new chapters and challenges. Throughout our lives, we face instances that help us grow into the next version of ourselves—we are in a constant state of learning. Since we can’t turn the clocks back on our past, we can reflect and share our experiences with others, helping us grow into someone our younger selves would be proud of.
It’s important, however, to recognize that we can’t grow solely on our own. It’s the people we surround ourselves with who help hold us up and move forward together.
According to Mayo Clinic, “friends prevent isolation and loneliness and give you a chance to offer needed companionship, too.” Thus, building strong connections with our peers can prevent negative repercussions that come from lacking community.
The connections we make during our young adult years can be crucial even if we don’t recognize their importance right away. We all have experiences to share and moments to learn from as, after all, we are all experiencing life for the first time together.
It’s a sunny summer day in downtown Toronto. People fill the sidewalks of the bustling city. Adiya Poonoosamy, a fourth-year fashion student, is busy preparing for a classmate’s photoshoot for the new vintage clothing collection she created. One top is made from recycled floral pillowcase fabric, in beautiful hues of green, pink, white and yellow. Another sub-collection, “White Lilies,” is delicate and carefully crafted from thrifted corduroy, denim and lace doilies. The goal of the classmate’s collection is to convey womanhood being passed down to younger generations.
Poonoosamy and a handful of other students are joined together to promote this project. “Some of them I knew, some of them I didn’t,” she says. As the group gets ready for their shoot, they do each other’s makeup and dress in the clothes that the designer made. From there, the classmates head to Riverdale Park West and take their photos.
This was one of the first memories that came to Poonoosamy’s mind when reflecting on her past three years at TMU. “It was just so fun to get to know new people in your program and just be around creative minded people too,” she says.
A study published in Cureus: Journal of Medical Science explains that friendships are “fundamental support systems” and help students build important life skills—such as teamwork, ambition and problem solving, as well as boosting their overall scholarly performance.
Within her program, Poonoosamy is surrounded by classmates who share her ambition and goals, making it easy to support one another. “It’s great because when you’re in the fashion program, if you need a makeup artist, if you need a stylist, if you need a photographer, you have everything you need,” she says. “So it’s just nice to have that community.”
Having lived in four different places throughout her life—Mauritius, Abu Dhabi, Singapore and most recently, Toronto—Poonoosamy is no stranger to meeting new people. She explains that living in a variety of places and experiencing different cultures has helped shape the person she is today. She’s learned the importance of having an open mind and not being afraid to try new styles.
In terms of her education, Poonoosamy says working in fashion requires “digging into your own experiences” and creating clothing that is unique and speaks to a range of styles. Being exposed to various cultures and types of art created around the world has allowed her to develop a broad range of tastes and artistic abilities.
“I have lots of different areas I can dig in if I want to,” she says.
While reflecting on her past and the lessons she has learned both within and outside of the classroom, Poonoosamy shares that she has learned many lessons along the way. She believes that everyone grows at their own pace and trusting in your own capabilities is one of the most important pieces of advice she can give.
“Comparison is a thief of joy,” says Poonoosamy. “You should really focus on your own path and not compare your square one to someone’s square 10.”
She recalls a quote that has stuck with her since her high school ceramics class. Hung on the classroom wall was a motivational poster—the typical, colourful, bold-lettered print that many may recognize from their younger days in school. “You are stronger than you seem, you’re smarter than you think and you’re tougher than you look,” it read. She admits the saying is “cheesy” but is now a powerful reminder that she looks back upon.
Click here to view transcript
Soroka: Thank you for calling The Eyeopener’s advice hotline. To share a memory or piece of advice with your younger self, please leave a message after the tone.
Poonoosamy: There are so many different students in the class and everyone’s gonna have really great ideas, and it’s so easy when you hear another idea to be like ‘Dang, mine’s not good, like I shouldn’t even do it,’ but I think it’s important to trust your own ideas and believe in your own capabilities. And obviously, comparison is the thief of joy, like you should really focus on your own path and not compare your square one to someone’s square 10.
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and online school, then grade 11 student Thomas Ellinidis, now a third-year RTA media production student, turns his hobby into a passion. After starting his own “throwaway” Reddit and X accounts, he begins gaining attention online for his thoughts and speculations about upcoming films. As time progresses and a few of his theories turn out to be true, he starts receiving inside information from actors and filmmakers who have read his thoughts online.
This, paired with a few viral posts, helps Ellinidis come to a realization that in order for his business to take off, “everyone just needs that one moment where it kind of just builds.” A few months later, he expands his outlet, One Take News, by forming his own website and publishing movie reviews, interviews with filmmakers, theories about upcoming releases and breaking news from the entertainment industry. Ellinidis promptly begins applying for press access to events, interviews and screenings.
Since 2021, he has turned his business into a multi-platform success, with over 55,000 followers on X. Beyond this, he has been granted many opportunities and covered his third Toronto International Film Festival this September. However, having to fulfill his responsibilities as the editor-in-chief of an independent media outlet, holding down a part-time job and attending university full-time is no easy feat. “The balance is still a learning curve,” says Ellinidis.
He is thankful the RTA media production program teaches and exposes students to the realities of working in the entertainment industry. From hearing professors who have years of experience under their belt speak to being surrounded by like-minded peers, Ellinidis has gained a better understanding of the field he currently works in. He is immersed in an environment that encourages and teaches him and his classmates to pursue a career in the industry they have come to love. “It’s just been very helpful, very grounded,” says Ellinidis.
He believes what he is currently pursuing through One Take News is always what he saw himself working towards, in some form or another. While he would not go back and tell his younger self anything about what the future holds, to avoid overthinking or taking a misstep, he would emphasize the importance of perseverance and working until achieving the outcome he wanted.
His appreciation for his flourishing business and the entertainment industry helps ensure that his job never truly feels like work. After three years with One Take News, he says “I still love it, maybe even more than I did when I started this. Just never give up and make sure you love what you do.”
Click here to view transcript
Soroka: Thank you for calling The Eyeopener’s advice hotline. To share a memory or piece of advice with your younger self, please leave a message after the tone.
Ellinidis: Network, network, network, it’s going to be the best skill you learn. Just make friends with everybody, get an Instagram, get a phone number, get an email, get something. The media production industry also gives you a massive reality check on how the entertainment industry works, it’s not like star-studded like Hollywood like everyone thinks it is, and I’m thankful that media production has made it easier but it’s still really tough. But again, they make it really easy and it’s just been very helpful, very grounded.
After a few weeks of sitting together in class, Cohen and his new friend decide to get together outside of the classroom. Their shared interest in history instantly bonds the pair, cementing an important foundation for their friendship.
They head to TNL Zone, a pool hall on the west end of Dundas Street. As they descend down the basement stairs and head into the entrance of the lounge, Cohen is greeted by a tinge of green lighting, illuminating nine pool tables spread across the floor and a bar in the building’s back corner. The pair head over to a table of their own to begin a game.
“I always seem to end up at [a pool table] in the right corner at the front of the bar, which is a little cramped, but I enjoy the place,” says Cohen.
The hall is filled with customers—everyone from couples to groups of friends—playing intense games of pool. A warm atmosphere surrounds Cohen, partially due to the stuffy environment in the packed crowd but also thanks to the manager’s friendly demeanour. After their game, his friend reveals a pack of cards she carries with her.
“In between games, we would play go-fish or a game she would introduce me to on the pool table, something I would not recommend because we found out you pay [for the pool table] by the hour. That was a fun surprise and dinner was skipped afterwards,” says Cohen.
Cohen says their friendship is meaningful to him for a number of reasons, as their unexpected bond was formed out of the blue. Even though their shared interests began with world history, they quickly realized they had much more in common.
“We kind of just talk about everything and then go on small adventures without planning stuff,” says Cohen. “That’s important to me.”
We all change over time, so while it’s great to be independent and learn who you are on your own, it’s equally key to share these moments with those around you too. Cohen’s experiences meeting new people and welcoming new friendships is an important reminder to keep an open mind and welcome new connections with your peers. “The people, the people here, are fantastic,” he says.
Leave a Reply