Volume 93 Arts and Culture Editor reflects on her time at the Silhouette and the immense healing inherent storytelling
Storytelling is a skill I feel I have undervalued most of my life. It wasn’t until this year that I learned to appreciate its full potential and power. A good story can draw out our deepest emotions, forge connections and inspire us. But there is also
a side to a story that can provide healing and growth.
My curiosity, love for stories and interest in writing are what initially drew me to journalism in high school. When I later joined the Silhouette in university, my main motivation for becoming a reporter was getting to know the Hamilton community better. I mostly viewed the storytelling I practiced through journalism as a medium to understand the spaces I was part of — that was until I had a conversation with Carmen Cooper and Carl Lambert from 541 Eatery & Exchange.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Cooper and Lambert to cover a new harm reduction initiative at the eatery called Concrete Tales which focused on ex- changing stories and teaching storytelling skills to people who are unhoused or experiencing substance addiction. They shared with me the differences these workshops were making on people’s lives and how it provided healing for everyone involved.
“Because I’ve been [working at 541 Eatery & Exchange] for four years, in some ways, I have earned the privilege and hon- our of getting to know some people who have had very hard lives and because I myself found healing and growing through storytelling, I wanted to offer that opportunity to other people,” said Cooper.
Since our conversation, this is a quote from Cooper I have continuously reflected on and held close to me. It showed me that stories can enable people to understand their lives, construct meaning from trauma and cope with reality. After reflecting on it further, I realized I, too, had taken advantage of this part of storytelling to cope with my own past trauma.
It showed me that stories can enable people to understand their lives, construct meaning from trauma and cope with reality.
The most difficult event I had to endure in the last few years was the passing of my aunt. Growing up, with my mother often busy at work, it was my aunt who acted as the primary caregiver. Unfortunately, when I was in high school, she was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. The years following, and especially when she entered the palliative care home during the pandemic, were the most challenging years for us.
For a while, I couldn’t speak about her to anyone because all I would do was cry and so instead, I chose to suppress my feelings and tuck her story away. However, I finally revealed her story to the world through the Silhouette in 2021.
I found immense healing through the experience of retelling her story and her impact in my life. Recounting my memories with her washed away my sadness and brought warmth over the painful experience of watching her slowly deteriorate away. Since writing the article, I’ve also been more comfortable speaking about her to others and my family which provided further healing.
I found immense healing through the experience of retelling her story and her impact in my life. Recounting my memories with her washed away my sadness and brought warmth over the painful experience of watching her slowly deteriorate away. Since writing the article, I’ve also been more comfortable speaking about her to others and my family which provided further healing.
There is so much one can take away from stories and storytelling. I’ve continued to apply the lessons I learned by encouraging family and friends to ex- press their feelings and experiences and listening attentively to them when they are going through a difficult time. Even in conversations with strangers, I’ve had experiences where people would thank me for allowing them the space to share their story.
Storytelling can be a powerful skill to develop to help others understand their own narrative but also for you to better understand yourself. It is one of the most meaningful lessons I’ve learned through- out my time at the Silhouette and I encourage everyone to practice and hone this skills — whether it be through participating in journalism or reflection — to become a stronger advocate for others and yourself and navigate trauma and loss.
The Silhouette: Please introduce yourself.
Subin Park: My name is Subin Park. I use she/her pronouns. I am the Arts and Culture Editor.
Jovan Popovic: My name is Jovan and I’m the Sports Editor.
Ana Mamula: My name is Ana Mamula. My pronouns are she/her and I am the Opinions Editor.
Chris Osadchuk: My name is Christina. I go by Chris. I am the Multimedia Editor.
The Silhouette: What made you want to join the Silhouette?
AM: My entire life I wanted to write, but that field doesn’t really make the most money and is looked down upon. So, growing up I always wanted to do it, but I didn’t really think it was something I could just go into. But I still loved writing and I really just wanted to go into it. Now, I still love writing and that’s why it never feels like a chore.
CO: I was the Editor-in-Chief of my high school newspaper, The Bear Truth. I really enjoy student journalism. I think that it’s such a nice alleyway to pursue individual expression and to explore campus-specific issues while still being able to explore community issues in Hamilton. It’s just a great opportunity for students to be a part of something that’s bigger than themselves.
JP: I love journalism. At that point, I had been writing for eight years on some of my own websites. I always loved [The Blue Jays]. When I was just a kid watching them, I saw a commercial saying build your own website for free. I did and I’ve been writing about them ever since. That turned into writing for the Sil. Unfortunately, I stopped writing for my own website about two years ago. But, you know, I’d call this a pretty good upgrade now that people actually read my articles.
SP: I started participating in student journalism in high school. I wrote for my school’s newspaper, Graffiti. I made a lot of close friends and we had a lot of cool opportunities like going to the Toronto Star Awards for high school journalism as well. I wanted to continue that with the Sil.
The Silhouette: What's one really notable memory?
CO: Andrew is a part of a club called Absolute Pitch. He’s the band director and my best friend, Eileen, is the president. Absolute Pitch has their rehearsals after our Sil general meetings. One night, Andrew, Nisha, Eileen and I were sitting in the Sil office just going over random Pitch things and random Sil things and just chatting.
It became a jam session; there were mood lights and Andrew started playing an instrumental version of the Hamilton soundtrack. Eileen and I just started coming up with random verses and choreo and Nisha looked really worried and really disappointed. I think that made the video we took.
SP: There was a community initiative aimed at parents with cancer. At the time, I was also dealing with a family member who was diagnosed with cancer going through chemotherapy. So having that conversation while I was also coping with grief was really helpful. This year, I also covered Concrete Tales. It was about people who were experiencing homelessness and also substance abuse. They were coming to this eatery called 541 Eatery and Exchange. It showed me a side of Hamilton I didn’t really know about before.
The Silhouette: Since this is your final year at the Silhouette, is there a final message you want to give?
AM: I’m so grateful for my time here and everything that I experienced. If anyone
is reading this and debating on writing or joining our team, they really should. I’m very fricking shy and I still did it and I’m still having the time of my life. It’s such a good opportunity and it’s opened so many doors for me. I’ve grown so much as a writer.
JP: It’s really had a massive effect on my life. It’s provided a sense of community, it’s provided a place for growth, a place for new experiences and improving myself. This isn’t only in terms of journalistic skills but also learning how to communicate and work with a team, getting to know new people from interviews, establishing connections and networking, all kinds of things like that. There are so many elements to the job that ended up being significant life skills. Through and through a lot of the people I ended up meeting — whether it be friends who are co-workers or athletes who I ended up being friends with — I met them through the Sil.
