Why we keep singing about Bruno

What Makes Encanto Music So Great?

by Zander Greco, 805

Encanto is an amazing movie. From start to finish it reminded me of other times when Disney was bold enough to embark on new creative projects. An example of this was Moana. Because of its success and size, unfortunately, Disney doesn’t need to innovate anymore. They can release uninspired remake after remake, and general audiences wouldn’t bat an eye. Disney is too big to fail. But that’s not to say that Disney can’t release beautiful masterpieces anymore because they certainly can—from Soul to Luca, to the subject of this article: Encanto. Encanto is great because of its willingness to root itself in Colombian culture through songs and visual representation. Today, I would like to examine the musical and cultural reasons why Encanto’s soundtrack became such a hit.

Our examination begins in late-19thcentury Germany. Opera was one of the main components of the upperclass society in Europe. Theatre director and composer Richard Wagner had a new approach to opera: the “light motif” or Leitmotif. A Leitmotif is a short and repeated phrase of music that is closely related to a particular person, place, or idea. Leitmotifs are extremely common in western film. Often what filmmakers will do is play certain phrases as characters appear on screen the first time, presenting them together. An example of this is in Star Wars—whenever Darth Vader enters the frame, the “Imperial March” theme will play. This makes audiences aware that this music is associated with Darth Vader. Afterwards, even without seeing Darth Vader, when we hear the theme, we are reminded of Darth Vader. But how does this tie into Encanto?

Encanto has a lot of leitmotifs. For example, “The Ultimate Vision” and “La Candela” share a leitmotif, associating Bruno’s vision with the actual moment that it comes to pass. The leitmotifs in Encanto usually represent the idea of the miracle that gives the family their unique abilities. As context for those who haven’t watched the movie, the family has supernatural gifts they get from a magical candle to protect the people who live in the village below. Mirabel (the main protagonist) gets into conflict with Abuela (the head of the family), which divides the family, but they eventually reunite.

The second reason Encanto’s music became so popular is because of western culture’s fascination with Latin pop music. This craving was amplified in 2017, after the making of “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee. As Billboard Vice-President put it, “I don’t think this song [We Don’t Talk About Bruno] could have been No. 1 six years ago, pre‘Despacito’”. The post-Despacito scene has been filled with hits such as Camillo Cabello’s “Havana” and “Pepas” by Puerto Rican pop artist Farruko. The amazing harmonies, syncopation, and tempo of Latino music combined with the touch of personality from the character’s traits add to the catchiness of this song.

The final factor in Encanto’s great music is the obligation to the source. Musical director Lin-Manuel Miranda admits that from the start of the project, he didn’t know much about Colombian music or as he put it “a layman's understanding”. His solution to this was a two-week trip to Colombia, in which we visited various regions of the country and got a taste of Colombian music. As he stated in an interview with the press, “there are things that are really similar to rhythms in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, and there are things that are totally distinct about Colombia and that part of the world.”

Lin-Manuel Miranda was also the musical director of the movie, Moana. He noted that he went through a similar process with Polynesian culture and music. In another interview with the press, he said “that was a part of the world I really knew nothing about. […] The fun is falling in love with this culture, falling in love with the rhythms, and then writing as you’re falling in love. And that was exactly what happened with Colombia too.”

In summary, what makes the Encanto soundtrack so great is the devotion to being culturally accurate while adding a flair of creativity, using traditional staples of music like leitmotifs and syncopation, all while tapping into a rapidly-growing genre of music.

Sources:

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/ music-latin/encanto-music-creativeprocess-1301928/

https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/ archive/2022/02/encanto-disneymusic/621475/

https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/ what-is-a-leitmotif-definition/

The Convoy: a Critical Look

by Zander Greco, 805

The convoy’s grip on Ottawa ended about two months ago. In case you missed it, here is a swift recap of what happened. On January 28, 2022 a large group of trucks the protestors called the “Freedom Convoy” descended upon the capital city of Canada. At the peak of the protest in February, over 500 trucks occupied the “Red Zone” of Ottawa, which is the downtown heart of the city. Several smaller but still drastic protests occurred on the Ambassador Bridge (which links Windsor, Ontario to Detroit, Michigan) and Coutts, Alberta which is another vital trade route between the United States and Canada. The main protest lasted for three weeks before police action chipped away at the convoy’s numbers after Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act.

What was the motive of the protestors? Like many protests, the goals of the truckers varied depending on who you ask. The protestors tended to be politically right-wing, having a shared dislike of governmentmandated healthcare implementations, the largest of which were the vaccination mandates. They also called for the removal of Justin Trudeau as prime minister of Canada. American political commentator Candace Owens tweeted; “STOP talking about Russia. Send American troops to Canada to deal with the tyrannical reign of Justin Trudeau Castro.” The tweet continues; “He has fundamentally declared himself dictator and is waging war on innocent Canadian protesters and those who have supported them financially.”

Were the federal government's powers during an Emergencies Act too forceful? Well, to answer that question, we have to look back in history to when Justin Trudeau’s father was in office. Pierre Elliot Trudeau enacted the Emergencies Act (at the time called the War Measures Act) in an effort to stop the increasing violence from terrorist groups in Quebec. This was met with controversy and ultimately caused a debate on the power of the War Measures Act. This power was greatly reduced and resulted in the creation of the Emergencies Act. Although this still grants heaps of power to the Federal Government, it’s not enough power to justify the use of the term “Martial Law” by the protestors in Ottawa.

The reason the protest went viral all over social media and caused Canada to have more news coverage than any time this century was because of the problems that truckers caused for local residents and businesses. Trucks blockaded an entire section of a Canada’s capital city. For the police force, there were three considerable problems to deal with while moving and clearing trucks: 1) it only takes a few trucks to clog a whole intersection, making responding very difficult; 2) trucks are almost impossible to tow without the driver's cooperation, which in this case was a significant problem—additionally, several key towing companies actually joined the convoy, leaving very few in charge of a huge issue; and 3) the sheer number of trucks filling up intersections made it difficult for the police force to act. All of these problems clearly left the Ottawa Police at a disadvantage.

In conclusion, the truckers had a massive impact on Canada. However, it was not in the way that the protestors intended. While some rules and regulations changed because of the protest, it wasn’t as drastic as the protestors had hoped. On the other hand, it made enough of an impact for the Conservative Party to question its own leadership. As you might know, it was at this time that Erin O’ Toole was ousted as the leader of the Conservatives. Now, a power vacuum has opened up for another right-wing alternative to Erin O’ Toole. Pierre Poilievre seems like the frontrunner as of now, looking to challenge Justin Trudeau in the next federal election. So stay tuned to the news. As the Russian and Ukrainian conflict continues, Canadian politicians are going to have to keep rising to new challenges.

Sources:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeaupremiers-cabinet-1.6350734

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada60281088

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a mericas

FAVOURITES

“Bee happy” by Annie Collins, 702

A Reflection on No Man’s Sky

by Zander Greco, 805

Hello Games, a small gaming company located in the United Kingdom, produced their first game in 2010. It was named Joe Danger. On release, it received fairly positive reviews from critics. Two years later, Hello Games released Joe Danger 2 and a subsequent mobile game. These sequels received mixed reviews but rake in tons of money—money that would be used for their team's biggest project yet, No Man’s Sky: an outer-space simulator that would be infinitely spanning and include new features never seen before in a video game. At E3 (the largest annual gaming convention) that year, the excitement blew up. All along the way the enthusiasm and expectation were building and building. So, how did it go wrong?

During the production of No Man’s Sky, the founder of the company, Sean Murray, complete interviews, loads of interviews. The problem with this is that Sean is not the most extroverted person. In fact, he is starkly the opposite, which is natural for a game developer. In these interviews, Sean would often make promises in the game that would be impossible for a small studio like Hello Games to replicate in a real game. For example, during a conference with IGN, he promised that the player would be able to interact in large space battles. A feature like this would be difficult for a AAA game studio with hundreds of programmers, let alone a 6-12 person team at Hello Games.

In May of 2016, it was announced that No Man’s Sky would be delayed from June 2016 to August 2016. People on Twitter were outraged, but the exceeding expectations continued to grow. However, two weeks before the official launch, the game was leaked on eBay and sold for $1250 to a user named daymeeuhn. He posted a video of him playing the game. He commented on the game's incomplete status but reassured the audience that it would probably be fixed in the Day 1 Patch. Adding to this growing storm, retailers and journalists started to get their hands on copies weeks before the official release. Sony tried to copyright strike the journalists reporting on the game, but it was far too little too late.

The game went live. It was awful. The game’s servers couldn’t handle the concurrent players, and the developers did their best to patch bugs on the fly. There were so many bugs that most users couldn’t play. Adding to the pressure on the developers, countless people on the internet watched this unfold. The biggest Twitch streamers recorded it all live. IGN and other game reviewing sites had a field day with the entire incident. After all the lies and controversy, the public forgot about everything that happened, partially because of the silence from Sean Murray’s Twitter account. It stayed in this silence for a whole month, some claiming he took the money and ran. But after all the lies and controversy, an update was released. The company added new features such as base-building and improved space travel. People on the internet were stubborn about the new update but open to change in the future. Another update, then another and another. Hello Games worked relentlessly to make the game perfect.

Today the game is amazing, and I would highly recommend it if you’re a fan of Minecraft or other survival multiplayer games. No Man’s Sky is a work of art now. It’s very fun, lighthearted, and all that the creators originally intended for the game. It feels really adventurous to explore unique planets, visit the creatively designed creatures, and interact with other people in multiplayer mode. No Man’s Sky is a story of redemption in an industry that doesn’t allow second chances. I respect and admire the designers of the game for persevering through the hateful comments and threats.

Sources: https://www.ign.com/articles/2015/06 /17/10-things-we-learned-about-nomans-sky

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/ how-to-play-no-mans-sky-a-detailedbreakdown

https://kotaku.com/the-no-mans-skyreview-copy-debacle-1784873415

Hand Tracking

Games and features of the Oculus Quest 2

by Oliver Wojciechowski, 601

Have you ever wanted to know what more you can do with Oculus? Then, I will break down some games and features of the Oculus Quest 2 for you. Hand tracking is a very cool thing to experience in VR. Hand tracking is when your headset tracks your hand motion. So, instead of using a controller, you can play with your hands and not waste batteries on your controllers. Unfortunately, most games on VR do not allow hand tracking for some reason. Still, some games allow it, like The Line, The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets, Vacation Simulator, Waltz of the Wizard, Hand Physics Lab, and so much more. Also, you can add a feature to your Oculus so that whenever you put your controllers down on the ground, it will automatically turn on hand tracking. Did you know that VR actually helps you get fit? There are types of fitness training apps on VR that are free, and some games on VR really get you sweating. First Gorilla Tag. Gorilla Tag is a game where you get chased by lava monkeys and can swing on branches, climb mountains and much more. If you get tagged, you will become a lava monkey; the cycle continues. After an hour or two, you will have the time of your life and get exercise while you are at it. The next is an exercise program that gives you specific activities for each muscle and core in your body. The exercise program is called Supernatural. There is also another fitness app called Fitxr. It is a game with everything from boxing and ping pong to dancing, and lots of other sports. Did I mention you can play with your friends and compete with each other? You can!

These were some games and features of the Oculus Quest 2. I hope to see you soon on the Oculus Quest 2!

Overbooked

Ep. 2: Six of Crows

Isuri Fernando (804) and Meera Ghelani (806)

*intro music*

Isuri: Hey bookies, welcome back to another episode of Overbooked!

Meera: We are both so glad that you guys were able to join us for yet another episode.

Isuri: This is our second book review!

Meera: Just in case you guys are new here, my name is Meera and myself and Isuri run this podcast! We upload monthly and we would love to know how we could improve or what book you would like us to review next time! You can email us to either 036440@hsc.on.ca which is Isuri’s email or 039135@hsc.on.ca which is my email. Now without further ado, enjoy!

*music*

Meera: For this episode, we will be reviewing Six of Crows.

Isuri: This book was actually Meera’s choice!

Meera: Yep! For those of you that read our little piece in @theHelm last month, you would know what book we are reviewing. Speaking of that, I certainly hope at least some of you took a look at our recommendations.

Isuri: Definitely! Now, let's get started on the questions. So… technically Meera is the only one who has read this but she pretty much spoiled the plot.

Meera: Ok… first question.

Isuri: Yep! So, what is the plot of this book? Meera: This book is about Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price— and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone. A convict with a thirst for revenge, a sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager, a runaway with a privileged past, a spy known as the Wraith, a Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums, a thief with a gift for unlikely escapes. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.

Isuri: This plot makes me want to read the book. I definitely would recommend this book to people around my age if they want to follow Kaz and his friends through a little heist. Okay! Next I am going to list the six main characters. At least I know that much. Meanwhile Meera will talk a little about them. Meera: Sounds good.

Isuri: The six main characters are Kaz, Inej, Jesper, Wylan, Nina, and Matthias.

Meera: So, I’ll start with Kaz. He was raised in Ketterdam and has built his reputation there as someone not to be disappointed. His close crew usually consists of Inej. Kaz had saved her from being enslaved, and she has been his spy ever since. Then there’s Jesper, who is an avid gambler at the club that Kaz owns. He is the sharpshooter of the group. The last three are Nina, Matthias, and Wylan. Nina is a Grisha, meaning she has powers. Hers specifically are being able to control things like someone's pulse or their internal organs. Matthias is a druskelle, which is a highly trained Grisha hunter. His job was actually how he met Nina. Wylan is from a wealthy family, but because he is illiterate, they neglected him and he ran away. He is the brains and inside information of the group.

Isuri: Wow, they seem like a good team! Btw my favourite character is Jesper! What did you like about this book?

Meera: I really liked how the author dived deep into the backstories of each character as the book progressed. It really explained the way they acted and their personalities.

Isuri: Yeah! That would make the book so much more meaningful and just really deep. Are there any other books by Leigh Bardugo that you would recommend?

Meera: Well there is obviously the sequel to Six of Crows, which is Crooked Kingdom. Then there is a trilogy in which the events are set right before Six of Crows. You may have heard of the Netflix adaptation, but I recommend reading Shadow and Bone before you watch it.

Isuri: That is definitely always a good idea.

Meera: Definitely.

“Couple” digital art by Holly Yates-Krull, 702

Isuri: You guys have reached the end of episode 2! We really hope you enjoyed it.

Meera: Yep! And don’t forget to email us any recommendations or feedback that you have.

Isuri: Thank you so much for tuning into this month’s episode.

Meera: We really hope to see you for our next episode!

Isuri: And as always, enjoy reading!

*ending music*

The Darkest Minds: Book Review

by Sabrina Kiung, 703

(NOTE: THESE BOOKS ARE RECOMMENDED FOR AGES 12+)

The Darkest Minds is a thrilling book series written by Alexandra Bracken. The series consists of four books (The Darkest Minds, Never Fade, In the Afterlight, and Through the Dark) with a connected storyline and many unexpected plot twists.

The Darkest Minds series has an exhilarating storyline about a disease called IAAN (Idiopathic Adolescent Acute Neurodegeneration) that has plagued all of the children in the U.S. Rarely any of the children survived, but the ones who did developed special abilities or as some people call it, superpowers. In the beginning of the story, President Gray makes an announcement stating that all children who have any signs of abnormal behaviours must be reported to be sent to rehabilitation camps.

The protagonist, Ruby, has accidentally wiped her parents’ minds when she was very young. Her parents didn’t recognize her so they called the police who were actually PSFs. PSF is a government created organization to control and contain Psi children (Psi is a Greek letter used to represent the study of parapsychology and Psionics). Ruby was taken away from her parents and brought to the busiest and cruelest rehabilitation camp, Thurmond.

Since all of the children have IAAN, adults, who are not affected by this, use something called Calm Control also known as the White Noise to subdue the children throughout the series. In the rehabilitation camps, the children are categorized into different colour groups depending on their abilities. The colours consist of red, orange, yellow, green, and blue. The most dangerous and powerful colours are red and orange. Reds, the strongest and most aggressive, are able to create and manipulate fire. Oranges are the most dangerous and feared colour because they have the power of mind control.

I recommend this book to students and teachers who enjoy dystopian novel series. The Darkest Minds is science fiction book with some romance that plays along well with the characters and plot. Beware, this book is incredibly dark.

Will Ruby be able to escape Thurmond and stop President Gray?

Will she be able to save all of the children suffering all over the U.S.A?

The Forest of Reading celebrates Canadian authors, publishers, and illustrators. It is the only Canadian awards program where students select the winners. Students are encouraged to read at least 5 of the 10 nominated books in a category of their choice to be eligible to vote.

Voting will take place in April.

More information about voting will come in the spring. Visit the topic page here

MATH CORNER by Mr. Cormican Grade 5 and 6 April Challenge:

Work with a partner to investigate whether these statements are always, sometimes or never true. For each investigation, show a counterexample or proof to support your answer.

Grade 7 and 8 April Challenge:

Irrational Bounds Number Theory Mathletics 8-10

Geography Corner

by James Li (704) and Jimmy Li (705)

Now the Geography Corner contains multiple choice questions to prevent searching the answers on the internet, so try your best to guess the answer!

1. Which of the following countries have a land border with China?

A. Japan B. Thailand C. South Korea D. Turkmenistan E. Afghanistan F. Iran

2. In the following options, which one is not on the Canadian Coat of Arms?

A. maple leaves B. beaver C. flag of the UK D. flag of New France E. a lion F. a crown

Easy Level

1.What is the source of the Nile River? 3.How many wars are happening right now?

A. 1 B. 2 C. 5 D. 10 E. 12 F. 17

A. Lake Victoria B. Lake Malawi C. Lake Tanganyika

2. How many countries have territories on the mainland of South America? (Including Colonial Powers!)

A. 12 B. 13 C. 14

3.Where are the Ural Mountains located?

A. Kazakhstan B. Russia C. Norway

4.What's considered the “easternmost” country of the world?

A. Japan B. New Zealand C. Kiribati

5.What’s the northernmost country in Africa?

A. Tunisia B. Algeria C. Egypt

4.What’s the distance between the northernmost and southernmost point of Canada?

A. 3677 km B. 3992 km C. 4555 km D. 4614 km E. 5500 km

F. 5514 km

5.If you go directly south from HSC campus and get to South America, which country would you get to?

A. Guyana B. Ecuador C. Brazil D. Colombia E. Suriname

F. France G. Venezuela

BONUS QUESTION of the Month!

What’s the DEEPEST lake in Ontario?

1.Lake Ontario 5. Lake Titicaca 2. Lake Superior 6. Lake Mazinaw 3.Lake Erie 7. Lake Simcoe 4.Lake Nipigon 8. Lake Huron

“A view of Pittsburgh” photo by Maria Titov, 705

by Caitlyn Green, 803

Political Cartoons

by Sarah Simek, 802

Results for the Best Month of the Year!

by Adi Katoch (803), William Wang (802), Zander Greco (805), Sophia Liu (804), Majed ElAlfy (801) & Gavin Lee (802)

Last month we released a poll about arguably the most important debate topic of all time; “What is the best month of the year?” After we received 100 votes we ended the poll, so thank you to everyone who responded on the form, as you helped voice your opinions on this very important question.

The results are….. 1. With 13% of the votes are July and January 2. With 12%, December 3. With 11% is September and June 4. With 8% it is May and October 5. With 7% is March and August 6. With 4% is November and February 7. And lastly, with 2% of the votes is April

One important takeaway from this poll is that the opinions of the Middle School are split between summer and winter, and also that barely anyone likes April; more power to you if you enjoy it.

Now we will be talking about our opinions on this debate, and they are very serious.

Adi: I personally believe that June is the best month, and I may have a bit of bias because my birthday is in June; however, it is the Friday of summer months if you think about it because it is half school, and then it leads you directly into summer, just like how Friday leads you into the weekend. Plus, we all know the famous saying: Friday is the best day of the week. In school, there is barely any work in June and at the end of the year you have a class celebration and party, and then it's summertime. This month is better than its other summer competitors because as my rock-solid argument said before, June is Friday, and Friday is the best day of the week, and therefore June is the best month of the year!

Sophia: In my professional opinion, the best month of the year is January. I am completely unbiased as my birthday is in March. My favourite season is winter because of the snow. January is the month with the best snow since the snow is actually snow rather than slush or ice.

Zander: December is the best month because daddy December punishes the naughty on Christmas day. Will: January is the best month.

Majed: I’m of the opinion that February is the best month, and while I am a little biased as my birthday is in February, even if it wasn’t, my opinion wouldn’t change. First of all, winter is the best season, and February just amplifies that. There’s lots of snow (and snow days!), it’s usually pretty cold but not too cold like in January, and the March Break is right around the corner. While yes, there aren’t many holidays in February, taking the time to just relax with a cold month where you can stay inside, or go and play in the snow is nice.

Photo by Angela Xiong, 801

Interesting (I’m

running out of adjectives) Dad Jokes

J: Why don’t we play poker in the jungle? Too many cheetahs. R: Why wouldn’t the sesame seed leave the casino? He was on a roll.

by Sophia Liu, 804

K: What did the tomato say to the other tomato during a race? Ketchup.

L: What do you call a cow with two legs? Lean beef! S: What lights up a soccer stadium? A soccer match.

A: When is a door not a door? When it’s ajar.

B: Where can you buy chicken broth in bulk? The stock market.

C: How do you stop a bull from charging? Cancel its credit card.

D: How does a duck buy lipstick? She just puts it on her bill. T: A termite walks into the bar and asks, ”Is the bar tender here?”

U: What did the unicorn say to the tomatoes growing in the field? UNO-corn!

V: How do you tell if a vampire is sick? By how much he is coffin.

W: How did the barber win the race? He knew a shortcut.

E: If athletes get athlete’s foot, what do elves get? Mistle-toes.

F: Why did the mushroom go to the party? Because he was a fungi.

G: What do horses say when they fall? “Help, I’ve fallen and I can’t giddy up”.

H: Why do bees have sticky hair? Because they use honeycombs.

I: Why are the Irish so wealthy? Because their capital is always Dublin. M: What do you call a pile of cats? A meow-ntain. X: Why can’t you eXplain puns to kleptomaniacs? They always take things, literally.

N: What kind of music do planets like? Neptunes.

O: What’s the best way to burn 1000 calories? Leave the pizza in the oven.

P: What do you get when you drop a piano down a mine shaft? A-flat minor.

Q: People used to say that you shouldn’t clean your ears with Q-tips. But I haven’t heard that for a while. Y: Why did the yogurt go to the art exhibition? Because it was cultured.

Z: I applied for the position of a keeper at the zoo but turns out I was not koala-fied.