RSJ Besties: A spotlight on friend groups still sticking together

For June 8, National Best Friends Day, we video-called some RSJ grads who are still going strong in their friend groups from school. From being protective of each other to downright sassy, these besties’ connections were clear through the pixels.

Amanda Buckiewicz (CBC Radio associate producer), Andrea Bellemare (CBC reporter on disinformation), Heather Durante (senior director, Integrated Marketing Vena Solutions) and Jaclyn Mika (RSJ departmental assistant).

One of this RSJ ‘07/08 group’s memories during j-school was an April Fool’s joke show exposing the alleged insanity of famed journalism professor Suanne Kelman. They combined out-of-context quotes from her and interviews from others (including her husband) about how she was losing it (if anyone has a recording, Jaclyn is looking for it). They also remember getting Heather’s Italian grandmother’s delicious food and epic Halloween parties.

Outside of the pandemic state, this group can be seen belting out their karaoke tunes and doing another bicycle wine tour of the Niagara. They are plenty capable of hosting killer events, from Heather’s brunches to Amanda’s pizza parties.

What are your favourite things about one another?

Amanda: Because we are all journalists, we all have very good conversational skills. I feel like any conversation we get in, it's a good sharing of information… we all tend to have really intense conversations, whether we're tipsy after karaoke or whether we're just having a regular dinner.

Heather: Jaclyn and I once had such an intense debate that we walked out on a bill at a restaurant because we didn't realize that we hadn't paid. And the poor lady chased us down the street we were like, “oh my God, we're so sorry.”

Jaclyn: It was about what was going to end the world first, the AI revolution or climate change. I feel that sometimes we have a level of honesty that I don't always have with other people. Because we've known each other for so long and we always know what questions to ask each other.

Heather: Even when we disagree, it's all respectful. I love that I learn so much from them.

What does the future look like for you?

Heather: We'll be crazy old ladies together.

Andrea: If we're all lucky enough to survive COVID-19, we’ll be 80 years old biking around Niagara, having wine.

Heather: Oh, lots of wine. There's lots of wine. 

Any advice for current journalism students?

Andrea: There are people that we went to Ryerson with who will contact me for something for a story or for help with a job or because they wanted to put me on TV or whatever. So stay kind, even if you're not friends with everyone.

Jaclyn: If you have a friend group you want to keep, maintain it. You have to actually put the work in, keep in touch and get together. There was a while where we were not getting together very often in the year, and I feel like it's really in recent years that it has picked up a little. Particularly right after j-school, everyone's hustling, everyone's really busy. So you have to send the message and you have to say, “do you want to hang out?” “Hey, I love that article you did.” If you want to keep a friendship, you have to maintain the ties...

Heather: It's forgiveness too. Not everyone's going to be there for you, but it's not out of malice or disinterest. Sometimes the older you get, the crazier life gets and the busier you are, so just keep your heart open to your friends… You ever need a shoulder to cry on? We're all here.

Adrian Cheung (Toronto Star podcast co-host and producer), Daniel Viola (The Walrus features editor), Matthew Braga (freelance business and technology reporter) and Scaachi Koul (BuzzFeed culture writer).

This group of RSJ ’12 grads became solid friends by their third year of j-school. They would visit Matt during his shift at the Equipment Distribution Centre, sometimes to eat the KFC Double Down sandwich. In class, they produced a ripoff of The Daily Show and participated in their classmates’ film shoot of a fake party — which, to their disappointment, did not turn into a real party.

They also have a fifth counterpart from work, writer Seb Fox Allen, who went to Carleton University (“We are trying to beat that education out of him,” said Scaachi.) For a while, they all worked closeby in downtown Toronto, but now Scaachi lives in New York. In the pandemic world, they are gathering on Zoom and each other’s Animal Crossing islands.

What are some of your fun moments together?

Scaachi: When I lived in Toronto, I would tell them to meet me at Hooters, and then I would be late on purpose because it would be four guys sitting by themselves looking so stressed out because none of them wanted to be there. And then I'd show up 20 minutes later and just sort of enjoy it. But Adrian and I also really like the wings at Hooters...

I got married a year-and-a-half ago and had a big dumb Indian wedding. So they came to all the events, which I didn't invite a lot of friends to. Adrian and Braga were in my bridal party. Seb and Danny are (like) my children.

Matt: We all still stay in touch. We have a group chat going that is quite lively — for most of us.

Scaachi: Danny pops in once a week and says something annoying and then leaves. The best part is when he pops in, he'll reply about something that was said five days earlier and none of us remember. And then he leaves again.

Matt: Danny's contribution this week was asking whether he should shave his head in isolation. And we suggested that would be a bad idea. 

Have you been able to help each other in your careers?

Matt: At various points like we've all looked over resumes, pitches and story drafts. I read an early copy of Scaachi’s book. Adrian's been working on his podcast and I've worked on stuff where I've bounced off ideas.

Adrian: We have to do an audio test for the podcast... Matt was actually my guest for that section. It was like a real fake interview… in a lot of ways it's been a really great support system, bouncing our story ideas off one another, or our frustrations with the industry.

Any advice for current journalism students?

Daniel: Be yourself.

Scaachi: I’m kicking you out from the group chat right now.

Adrian: I’d say don't be so quick to write people off. The first couple of times that I met Scaachi, we weren’t friendly. 

Scaachi: Laying it real thick there.

Adrian: I’m just saying, I think the fact that we gave each other time and found good qualities in each other… it's really easy, especially maybe in first-year, to see a group of people and say “oh, those people aren't for me.” Who you are in first-year and who you end up being when you graduate can oftentimes be very different people. So don't write people off because they can end up being some of your best friends.

Samantha Sobolewski (Ryerson recruitment officer and admissions assistant), Alexis Allison (CBC Sports associate producer), Steven Tzemis (CBC Sports writer) and Dominik Luszczyszyn (The Athletic NHL reporter).

Within their first month of school, this group of RSJ ’15 grads became fast friends by getting partnered up for class projects and tweeting at one another. All of them took the broadcast stream and from wearing all denim together to a party, crushing RTA at the annual karaoke showdown, playing The Settlers of Catan and working together in the Ryersonian newsroom, this group is close-knit. Alexis (Lexi) and Steve are deskmates at CBC, Lexi has lived with Dom and Sam at different points and Dom and Sam are now neighbours. 

When there isn’t a pandemic going on, they talk about sports and pop culture, have a fantasy hockey league pool and Steve’s terrible movie takes.

What are some of your fun moments together?

Sam: Lexi and I lived together for many years during and after school. One time the boys came over for like a pre-drink and they were both wearing denim. So Alex and I were like, “why don't we wear denim too?” So all four of us were in denim to a party, which wasn't a good idea.

Dom: For me and Steve, ours was an accident, because it was very frequent that we’d just both show up to school and be wearing the same thing

Did you help each other out on any j-school assignments? 

Sam: Don and I are both pretty shy. For streeters in first year, you're supposed to go out and talk to three people. He and I would go out together and talk to six people, but do it together, so that way we wouldn’t have to individually talk to strangers by ourselves.

What are your favourite things about one another?

Steve: Lexi and I are generally the same person, and Sam and Dom are generally the same person. Lexi and I showed up to work (at CBC) two days before the quarantine both wearing green olive joggers, black shoes and a black beanie, and then she had a black sweater on and I had the exact same sweater but in white. It was yin and yang, but identical.

Lexi: Steve bought it and I had wanted one, so I literally went out and bought a matching sweater.

What does the future look like for your friendship?

Lexi: We’re still in the same fantasy hockey group and the same group chat. It has never been a high maintenance friendship. Everything is easy and that helps.

Any advice for today’s journalism students?

Lexi: The people were absolutely worth way more than anything I learned in any of the classes… that stuff helps way more after school than like, remembering how to edit on Premiere Pro.

Dom: Making new friends is hard and you’ve just got to get over the awkwardness at the beginning. I sent a tweet to Steve because he was one of the only guys in the program and he was talking about hockey. I was like, “OK. this is how to make friends right now, with this tweet.” So just get past being lame. Don't even think about that. And eventually, you'll have a cool friend.

Interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity.