Mary Ward Planet - Vol.14, Issue 2, Spring 2008-09

volume 14 | issue 2 | spring edition 2009

S c h o o l S p i r i t | Fa r e w e l l G i a r d i n i a n d We t z e l | S e m i - Fo r m a l

Our second issue of 2009 focuses on what really goes on in our fabulous school community. Every day we hear morning announcements about Express Yourself, Thinkfast, Greenquest, the 5 for 5 campaign and DECA. Now you can find out what they are really all about, straight from the club leaders themselves. Check out Eileen Posada’s review of the glamourous Oscar themed semi-formal and the stunning pictures from the Planet’s ‘Best Dressed List’. Don’t miss Jose Solorzano’s insightful Oscar worthy movie reviews. This issue of the Planet would not be complete without a touching farewell tribute to Mrs Giardini and Mr. Wetzel. Our school newspaper has a lot to offer, so this March break, make sure to spend some quality time with the Planet!

Obama must have been thinking of Mary Ward when he suggested that it was time for change. In the last 2 months, we have seen monumental change with the departure of Mrs. Giardini and Mr. Wetzel and the addition of Mrs. Coburn as our new principal. In honour of our two former leaders, Grade 9 Planet Editor Inggrid Wibowo created the elegant portrait that you see on the cover. During the March Break, enjoy the rest of the paper and take the time to recoup from this rollercoaster of change and recharge for the Final 40.

“Lesplusbellesâmessontcellesquiontplusdevariétéetdesouplesse.”MicheldeMONTAIGNE,EssaisIII,3 Nous avons perdu deux amis, Mme Giardini et M. Wetzel, nous gagons un autre; Mme. Coburn.

Emilynne Agomaa Christian Arab Michael Ruiz Chen Jessica Da Silva Reeza Enverga Jessica Lee Cindy Liang Roxanne Melliza Agatha Mycek

Charlene Pan Denise Perez Marc Phen Jovita Pinto Sarah Quinto Danielle Roche Rowena Rollon Justine Tan

Cover Designer: Inggrid Wibowo

Editor-In-Chief: Diana Vecchiarelli Section Editor: World Issues: Joanna Concessao Section Editor: WACT/Lifestyles: Roxanne Melliza Section Editor: Community: Michael Ruiz Chen Section Editor: Creative Spaces: Jovita Pinto Section Editor: Sports: Adrian Kania Section Editor: French: Ashley Rostamian Junior Editors: Alex De Pompa, Inggrid Wibowo Art Director: Danielle Roche Photo Editors: Amy Fernandes, Justin Reid PR Manager: Raven Kaur Webmaster: Naomi Reyes

All content ©2008-2009 Mary Ward Catholic Secondary School. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this newspaper, in part or whole, is prohibited without the approval of The Planet executive members.

The Mary Ward Planet is the official student newspaper of Mary Ward C.S.S. All members of the Mary Ward community may voluntarily contribute to the Planet.

Everyone exhibits professionalism and respects one another in all exchange while keeping Christian values and practices. All submitted articles, layouts, and photography are subject to moderation. Approval of material submitted is subject to restraint of space and obtainable placement. All material must positively support the ideas and spirit of Mary Ward Catholic Secondary School.

Mary Ward Catholic Secondary School is a self-directed learning centre located at 3200 Kennedy Road that was founded in 1985. It became a member of the CCSDL (Canadian Coalition of Self-Directed Learning Schools) in 1995.

04 05 14 16 19 22 24

Tension in Gaza Follow-up on Mumbai Crisis

TTC- LR Interview with MW’s Founder He Said, She Said York University Op-Ed 5 For 5 and Earth Hour Adrenalyn Performance Aladdin Progress Giardini’s and Wetzel’s Leave Semi Formal Best Dressed List

La fête de Mary Ward Un rêve un désir Élitisme Cache, cache Les feuilles dans la neige

Winter Sports Overview Winter Athlete Hall of Fame Winter Activity Day Sr. Boys V-Ball OFSAA NBA All-Stars NHL All-Stars

Facebook + Parents The Curse of Power Curious Case of Benjamin Button Slumdog Millionaire Confessions of a Shopaholic Watchmen

Black History Month Hallway Elements of Nature My Safety Net An Ode to a Math Test

MW Comic Riddles Aladdin Wordsearch

community COMMUNITY

a

Because we Believe In this one life that we're given In this crazy word that we live in At this one school where we Get our education There's this constant strength And form of motivation That Because we believe Anything is possible Because I believe that I can grow Bcause I believe that we should know That we are not bound by our limitations Though they try to hunder us From achieving our true potential So there's no need to fuss Because we believe that stereotypes can be broken Because I believe in the power of spoken Words that communicate peace and love Because we believe there's a God up above Looking down on us telling us to make a difference Because I believe what we're saing makes sense Because we believe that racism can end Because I believe that everyone just needs a friend (or two, or three) Because I believe that life should be fun!

Because I believe eventually I'll get these units done.

Because we believe in love, not hate Because we believe that we will graduate Cause who likes a hater?

Because I believe I can make things right Even after I’ve done wrong Because we believe in forgiveness Because I believe believing makes us strong Or stronger than who we are Because I believe that we’re all destined to be stars Because we believe in unity Because we believe in freedom Because we believe in diversity Because we believe in everyone Because we believe in life Because we believe in each other Because you believe that I’m your sister Because I believe that you’re my brother Because we believe our faith takes us higher Because we believein lending a hand!

Because I believe that test won’t expire Because we believe that ‘yes we can’!

Because we believe in this community Because I believe in you Because you believe inme Through these beliefs There’s nothing we can’t achieve Anything and everything is possible Because I, you, he, she, we Believe

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARY WARD

By Sarah Wilmont & Brandi Hing

VOLUME 14 / ISSUE 2 mwplanet 03

world issues ISSUES WORLD On December 21st 2008, the city of Mumbai witnessed the reopening of the Taj Hotel, one of several heritage landmarks targeted by ten terrorists on November 26, 2008.

The chairman and managing director of Tata Group of Companies and the owner of the hotel, Ratan Tata addressed the public in a hopeful tone. ‘’Reopening of the hotel will send a message to the terrorists that they can hurt us but we cannot be knocked down.’’(wn.com). His call for the people was to stand united in these times of trauma and hardship.

On the day of its reopening, guests poured in through the front doors and were greeted by the hotel’s hospitable staff members. This is one of many efforts undertaken by the people ai of Mumbai to get back on b track. m Even though the hisMu o 6 t torical element of the Taj /2 ta Pin nto 1 Hotel cannot be complete1 Jovi ta Pi ly restored, this masterpiece t

By Jovi s o will remain close to the hearts By p of many. Students at Ward have felt the sting of this atrocity. Roseanne Fernandes, a grade 12 student shares her opinion, “It shocked me to see to what extent terrorism was growing and what the government was doing to control it. We need to salute the spirit of the Mumbaikars (local name for Mumbai residents) who stood together at the time of crisis and did not accept defeat.”

The city of Mumbai has risen from its ashes, yet again.

Children board their school buses, the people catch taxis and auto rickshaws to work, and the local vendor spreads his elaborate array of tropical fruits– life has progressed back to normality.

But, there is something different this time. Unlike past incidents such as the train bomb blasts in July 2005, the scars from these attacks have inculcated an unparallel sense of patriotism among the Mumbaikars. In the wake of these latest terror attacks, the people of the city are not afraid to voice their opinion. They are angry, frustrated and want answers.

Many citizen groups have protested and condemned these attacks. The Gateway of India, another prestigious monument near the Taj Hotel, has become the gathering site for thousands of demonstrators, local activists and orators. These demonstrations have raised key issues regarding these attacks such as national security and corruption. Some groups plan to nominate representatives for upcoming state elections, while others want to start from scratch and educate people about change from within before blaming the current system.

One citizen group, ‘Bombay united’ seeks to address the crisis differently. This group, consisting of four to five core members, intends to make the local community self sufficient by making people aware of emergency numbers, their rights and responsibilities. They intend to promote the development of a vigilant society.

Renowned Indian writer and columnist Shoba De has consistently voiced her contempt, regarding the security issues at the time of the attacks. In one of her interviews with the NDTV, a reputed news channel, she commented, “Enough is enough, the city of Mumbai has had it”. Since the attacks, Shobha De has addressed this issue in her column for the Times of India, a national newspaper.

While some people are still playing the ‘blame-game’, others have started to work towards involving the youth in the process of achieving change. One important aspect that has changed is the people’s perception of their politicians. There is a sense of involvement of the youth, in particular- they want to know more. A site www. mumbaivotes.com was created to provide more information about the political hopefuls. Terror has being inflicted upon Indians through the means of war violent attacks for decades.

However, this time around, the attack has stirred up every Indian, forcing him or her to wake up from a state of slumber and indifference. Such strong reactions have put immense pressure on both the Maharashtrian (State) and the Union (Central) government to take immediate actions to counteract terrorism.

The 11/26 attacks were cowardly in nature. Instead of terrorising the nation, they have instigated people to speak up, manifesting

t s du e d: h t le er ett t Af s s ha

04 mwplanet VOLUME 14 / ISSUE 2

GAZA: AN ATTACK UNJUSTIFIED

By Gabriella Richichi-Fried As the dust is slowly beginning to settle on the bomb-struck streets of Gaza, both Israel and Hamas continue to toil with any hope for peace left. Among the political turmoil, violence and lack of negotiations are the victims of Israel’s offensive on Hamas, the Palestinian people. With the increasingly unstable state of the cease fire, the fate of the citizens of Gaza is unenviable and begs a significant question: has Israel gone too far?

Operation Cast Lead began on December 27th, 2008 and according to the United Nations’ estimates, over 1000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 5000 others are injured. This death toll continues to rise. Both Israel and Hamas have made it almost impossible for any aid to reach the people of the area. Israel refuses to lift their blockades at Gaza’s borders and Hamas continues to confiscate aid that does get into the territory; greatly hindering the task of rebuilding Gaza.

Even before this latest offensive began, tensions between Israel and Hamas were growing at alarming rates. I believe that this attack was a long time in the making; I will even go so far as to say that Israel was provoked.

Since Hamas was elected to power in 2003, thousands of rockets have hit southern Israel, causing disruption and minor destruction in the area. On his last trip to Israel in July, President Barack Obama remarked: “If somebody was sending rockets into my house where my two daughters sleep at night, I’m going to do everything in my power to stop that. And I would expect Israelis to do the same.” (The Economist, July 3 2009).

Lurking into the dark w a t e r s of provocation is extremely dangerous though. The history of Gaza and Israel is far too complex to address, but it is certainly one that has been defined by violence induced by this so called provocation. Hamas claims that it was provoked

by Israel’s system of blockades to fire rockets into the state; the very reason for Israel’s attack. I ask then, who is to blame for the bloodshed in the Gaza territory?

The Gaza strip is barely 62 km from end to end and is home to at least 1 500 202 people according to the last census. Gaza in its entirety is not even as large as the GTA. Consider the devastation that would occur if this area was bombed continuously for over 20 days. This is the problem that I have with Israel’s mission.

The territory is already struggling with deep poverty and swelling refugee camps; greatly due to Israeli influence in the area. The narrow, dusty streets of Gaza cannot withstand further destruction. While attempting to demolish Hamas, Israel is inflicting severe damage on a people that have borne the burden of violent conflict for decades.

This latest violence in the Middle East has ignited much tension here in our own city. Since the violence began, Israeli and Palestinian supporters have been protesting with full force on the streets of Toronto. The world is watching and I am not the only one who questions Israel’s justification. One of our Grade 12 students who has visited Israel on numerous occasions shared her concerns with me.“It is a shame to know that a powerful country like Israel is not willing to negotiate and come to peaceful terms with another country. It is troubling that a country with so much military power is so severely attacking a country that cannot fight back.”

As a person with strong anti-military beliefs, I cannot help but feel that this attack is one that is in dire need of legitimate justification. I have spent hours searching for this validation and I have yet to find it. An article published in a recent issue of the Economist addresses this question. There are three tests that an offensive must pass to be justified. “A country must first have exhausted all other means of defending itself. The attack should be proportionate to the objective.

And it must stand a reasonable chance of achieving its goal.” Israel has not passed this test.

Though an uneasy quiet has fallen over Gaza, it is clear that Israel is not finished with Hamas. Fighting among both sides continues and again, it is the Palestinian people bearing the brunt of political strife in a conflict-struck area. It is time that both Hamas and Israel are forced to recognize the true victims in this war, the people of the Gaza territory. Their lives have been shaken by bombs, annihilation and ultimately death. As a brief rest in this fight lingers, I wait in anticipation of peace and an end to the devastation of a people that cannot endure any longer.

world issues ISSUES WORLD

by Saara Clifford Soon, for the average Mary Ward student, places as far away

would include going through 35 stops. The Eglinton Crosstown, reaching

as Mississauga will be a lot closer than before. Back on March 16, 2007,

Kennedy Station to Pearson Airport and possibly Mississauga, would be the

Mayor David Miller announced funding for Transit City, the proposed con-

longest line with 76 stops. Etobicoke-Finch West, connecting Finch Station

struction of Toronto’s Light Rail Transit (LRT) System, and pamphlets have

with northern Etobicoke, with direct service to Humber College, and pos-

been distributed on TTC vehicles since October of 2008. The TTC says that

sibly Mississauga, Woodbine racetrack, or Pearson Airport, would include

the LRT is updated and improved from the streetcars, and will be a reliable

45 stops. The Don Mills route, connecting the Bloor/Danforth subway to

and comfortable transit service to Toronto’s busiest transit routes. There

Steeles, would also have 45 stops. Jane, also connecting with the Bloor

will be 7 routes (Sheppard East, Eglinton Crosstown, Etobicoke-Finch West,

subway to the potential Steeles West Subway Station, and possibly into

Don Mills, Jane, Scarborough Malvern, and Waterfront West) that will con-

Vaughn, would have an estimate of 43 stops. The Scarborough Malvern

nect with the TTC subways, GO Rail lines, and other transit city routes. There

line, from Kennedy Station to northern Scarborough, with direct service to

are even planned transit lines to be built in Durham, York, and Peel regions.

UofT Scarborough and Centennial College, would probably have 38 stops.

Last but with the least number of stops would be the Waterfront West,

The Light Rail Vehicles (LRVs) would carry passengers on re-

extending the Harbourfront streetcar line from Union Station to southern

served lanes that are likely to be in the middle of the roads, so they would

Etobicoke, and possibly Mississauga, would have 28 stops. It is hoped that

not get mixed up in traffic. For transit commuters, there will be traffic

these far stretching lines will spur economic growth and provide cleaner air.

lights on the streets that would give priority to transit riders. Inside the vehicles, there would be a bright contemporary feel with air condition-

Lendl Lampa, a grade 12 student, is a daily transit user and

ing, large windows, comfortable seats, and lots of standing space with

likes the sound of this new plan. “I think it [the LRT plan] is smart be-

hand rails. The vehicles are expected to be easily accessed on wide, shel-

cause a lot of people need to get to places. It’s really useful”, says Lampa.

tered boarding platforms for people of all mobility levels. Commuters can enter through any door so wait times could be reduced.

Julien San Jose, grade 12, also uses transit regularly and has not heard of this plan prior to his inter-

With routes created like subway lines, they

view. “The reserved lanes that these vehicles will have

would be far reaching with stops that are approximately

are smart. It is very convenient.” Even though he is

400 metres apart. Based on this fact, it can be estimated

not fully familiar with the TTC, he sounds eager to

that riding on the Sheppard East line, from Don Mills Station

learn. “With this, I would want to learn how to use the

to northern Scarborough, and potentially Durham region,

TTC. I could work downtown and shop there more.”

VOLUME 14 / ISSUE 2 mwplanet 05

community ISSUES WORLD COMMUNITY

During the 400th anniversary of the Loretto Sisters, Mary Anne O’ Leary - Mary Ward’s very first principal - visited our school to take part in the celebration. She was kind enough to do an interview with the Mary Ward Planet shortly after the assembly, where we discover who she is, what the school was like in the beginning, and what she thinks of the school today.

So, first off, describe your role.

Well, I’m the founding principal of this school. The Board appointed me principal of this school when it started in 1985. The school was named after Mary Ward in order to honour her 400th birthday, January 23, 1985.

I started out as a teacher - I’ve taught for a number of Boards across the province. At Toronto Catholic, I taught at Senator O’Connor, Brother Edmund Rice, and then I became the founding principal at Mary Ward. After that, I was appointed as Superintendent of Education and then Chief Information Officer at the TCDSB. Today, I’m teaching at the Faculty of Education at University Of Ontario Institute Of Technology. I’ve come full circle; I started as a teacher, now I’m teaching future teachers.

So, was the principal’s office yours?

Oh no, I was in the portables.

Portables?

When we started out, Mary Ward was actually in two locations: the South Campus at Yonge and Sheppard (on the site where Cardinal Carter was later built) and the North Campus in a field on Canongate Trail, just north of here, which we quickly filled with portables. Mary Ward came about as a result of overcrowding at Senator O’ Connor and Francis Libermann. We received about 200 students in the first year (47 at the South Campus and 102 at the North Campus). In the second year, with 400 students, we moved all of our students into the Canongate site. By our third year, with more than 600 students, we had to open yet another campus, this time on the space where the parking lot is today. We had about 70 portables in total.

So when was the actual building built?

Everyone moved into the school - this building - during its seventh year. By then, I wasn’t the principal anymore, but I was the superintendent for the school.

This building didn’t exist until the seventh year? Whoa…

Part of the problem during the first few years was finding a site. Some places weren’t big enough, one site was near a senior’s residence and building a secondary school near it wasn’t feasible at the time. The irony is that there’s now a senior’s residence across the street from the school today. Another difference about this school is that it is one of the few schools that’s located on parkland, so we have a Shared Use Agreement with the city.

What was it like when you were principal during the first few years?

When we were starting out, we were a traditional secondary school, albeit without the expected facilities and movable campuses.

I was extremely fortunate in being able to hire staff that had the energy and commitment to work together to develop a brand new school community. There was ‘everything to do’ in a short 5 months - hiring, budgeting, ordering of texts and supplies, planning curriculum, retrofitting an elementary school at Yonge and Sheppard, locating and outfitting portables on Canongate, the list goes on…

The new students were also involved. We visited them all in their elementary schools, answered their questions about the new school and let them decide on uniform colours - they had a choice between a burgundy option and a blue one - as

06 mwplanet VOLUME 14 / ISSUE 2

you can see, blue ruled.

Because it took such a long time to obtain a permanent site, we were able to explore program possibilities to see what kind of program best suited the needs of our students.

As a staff, we jointly decided on our self-directed approach, which, in the 80’s, we called Direction 2000. Because it took such a long time to get our permanent facility we were able to work directly with the architect to design the building to meet our program needs. While the school was being built, the original department heads were able to decide what they needed and how they wanted the rooms to be built. In addition to the hard work of the school staff, we were able to build a different kind of school because the Board and the Mary Ward community supported our program.

Has “Because we Believe” always been the motto of our school?

It was just like the uniforms. We voted on a motto. We made several mottos; some were in Latin, and there were others, but “Because we Believe” was the most popular one.

I’m assuming that this isn’t your first visit to Mary Ward.

No, I visit all the time. I’ve been here for almost all of the graduations, the Christmas concerts, every time there’s a big event. I like to keep an ongoing connection with the school.

What do you think about the changes in this school over the years?

Any changes made have been from listening to students, staff, and parents.

These changes still honour the principles of self-directed learning and have come about from ongoing review of the programme.

Overall, are you pleased about the way this school has come?

Yes. You have a committed staff that works hard to ensure the self-directed approach is benefiting all students. One of the big differences about this school is the Teacher Advisor role of staff that fosters genuine student-teacher relationships.

I think it is more personal than traditional home rooms. I also think it may be one of the reasons that teachers who come to this school generally stay for a long period of time. Community is the most important quality at Mary Ward.

I’m really pleased at what I see when I visit the school and talk to students, teachers and administrators. The numbers of requests for admission to the school is, I think, an indicator of the favourable reputation of the school, it’s program and its learning environment.

What was your favourite part of today, coming back for Mary Ward’s 400th birthday?

Seeing who won the cake contest! It’s always nice to be here to experience the feeling of community. In this case, a community united in prayer, the student council on stage, the variety of MW cakes, or teacher bowling - although I think there should be water in the ‘bowling balloons’.

Overall, it’s always rewarding to come back to see whatever’s going on at Christmas concerts, art shows, sports events and graduation. Look at what happened today. I’m very proud of Mary Ward.

I think I’m keeping you from the cake in the office.

Oh, ok. I think we’ll do one more question.

When you were principal, what dreams did you have for this school, and have they come true?

Every principal wants their school to excel, whether in academics, in the arts, in sports, in all areas…to be the best that it can be for students, staff, parents, and the community. Mary Ward has done that and continues to do that year after year.

Mary Ward started as two separate temporary campuses, one which later became an elementary school and a demolished portoble. The origin of our school’s very own Tin Can store comes from the portables which were affectionately named “tin cans” back in the day.

?

community COMMUNITY

FIX THE WAY

By Roxanne Melliza

I

felt a little queaszy during the whopping 85 days when York University students were held back from the classroom. From November 6th of last year to January 29th, as I’m sure most high school students would know, CUPE Local 3903 felt it was time to take action for their worker’s rights. Compared to the 3,400 people that felt they had to walk off the job, 50,000 students from the university were left helpless.

This strike is the third one York has had in the past 12 years, and happened within four year intervals. The university now holds the top two spots for longest strikes in Canadian universities. Speaking of which, York reported a 10.8 percent drop in its applications over 2008. On the same note, this year’s graduating class of 2009 will be in their 4th year of post-secondary studies at the next projected time of CUPE Local 3903’s contract expiration.

Hey, seniors. Should we all risk our convocations in exchange for what York has to offer? There’s probably a lot of interesting and unique things about this university that just doesn’t meet the eye right away. I’m sure our plethora of Ward alumni can tell you something about

York that would make you consider it again.

Some York U students themselves supported the strike, apparently. According to CUPE Local 3903’s website, students defended the union’s actions and condemned the Back-to-Work legislation saying it was “an attack on basic labour rights” and even blamed the students for their need to strike. “If undergrad students had supported the strike from the beginning,” the site explains, “it would have ended a lot sooner.” I don’t quite agree with the mildly totalitarian perspective of the union, nor do I support (what seems to be) the use of students as pawns in a chess game between the University and the Union.

Tentanda via, or “the way must be tried,” is the University’s motto. Students past have tried, York. Maybe you should try next time.

he said,

she said

My boyfriend’s friends don’t like me, and my friends’ don’t like my boyfriend, yet we like each other.

What should I do?

B

- Star-crossed lover

oyfriend or friends – a question that has always been a tough one in relationships, as it is very rare for everybody to get along.

I think the most important question that one needs to ask themselves, when figuring out what to do if they’re placed in this type of situation, should always be who cares about me the most? As if your friends truly care about you, all they should want is for you to be happy; and if your boyfriend really likes (or loves) you, then his friends’ opinions shouldn’t change the way he feels.

As stated in some of our Religion units, our friends and family are usually happy when we are happy, and sad when we are sad. A true friend would not hate the boy who is constantly putting a smile on your face, no matter how much they disapprove. The only time I think a friend has the right to tell you to get out of your relationship is when they have solid facts to back up their hatred. If you have told your friends about past things that your boyfriend has done or rude comments he’s made to you, then I believe that they have a right to be concerned about your wellbeing. If my friend was dating someone who made her cry, just as often as he made her smile, I would definitely want her to get out, and find a better relationship. Yet, sometimes your friends just might not be able to see all the good you see in him, which is why you should never let anyone make your relationship decisions for you.

Truthfully, if your friends don’t like your boyfriend, I don’t really think it’s fair for you to be upset that his friends don’t like you either. While I know that it isn’t

By Amy Fernandes and John Austin Ng Lee

that grand of a feeling to seem unwelcomed, if your friends aren’t letting your guy in with open arms, then you can’t be mad at him when his pals do the same. Until his friends begin to affect the amount of time your boyfriend wants to spend with you, you shouldn’t hate them with the fire of a thousand suns; maybe they are just trying to look out for him – like your friends are doing for you.

All in all, nobody but you and your boyfriend should be able to decide what to do in, and with, your relationship. If either of you are not willing to deal with a tad bit of cut-eye from some of your other half’s group of friends, well then, you must not be all that into your relationship.

- Amy Dear star-crossed, he first thing you need to do is to be honest with yourself and ask: “Do I value him/her more than I value my friendships?”

The most important thing to realize is that you need to understand that even though relationships are valuable, friendship is the one thing that is heavily depended on. Although the opinions of a friend shouldn’t decide for you, they should be regarded carefully as they are there to support you. Sometimes, it’s better to get an opinion from others that have a different perspective. Your own perspective can sometimes be influenced by the fact that you are caught up in the situation. They may see something in that person that you don’t.

It’s also important to consider why they don’t like him/her as they might have a legitimate reason. Try and be honest with yourself and consider why. Is the

T

person abusive? Does the person value you less? The reason can be very important to what you should decide on the situation. If it’s something that disregards your own value as a human being then you need to consider your friends’ opinion.

We’re all familiar with High School Musical. Troy (Zac Efron) and Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens) met and sang together. They did what they loved but their friends felt that their relationship was getting in the way of what they thought was important, Troy with his basketball and Gabriella with her Decathalon.

Their friends were unhappy. In the end their friends saw how important the musical was for them and the school so they all got along. The lesson we can learn from this is that by getting along, things will turn out for the better. If by any reason that your friends cannot get along then you may have to consider choosing between your friends and your significant other.

Another important issue is time. Let’s say it’s your birthday and your friends want to have a party for you, but your boyfriend wants you solo. Situations like these will definitely change your relationship with either your boyfriend or your group of friends. In this situation, they need to respect your decision.

If you believe that this relationship is built on strong devotion, then you should talk to him about it. You also need to have a sit-down with your friends.

Your friends may or may not approve of him, but it’s important for everyone to respect your position. Talk with your friends, try to get them to understand you.

If they still don’t agree, then prepare to make some sacrifices.

- Austin

VOLUME 14 / ISSUE 2 mwplanet 07

community COMMUNITY

French Exchange Students Take on Ward M

By Joanna Decc elancholy filled the air on the day of February 21st , as all the French exchange students and their Mary Ward partners gathered at Pearson International Airport, but in between the tears, the hugs, and the everlasting goodbyes, lay the perpetual memories of all the students. No one could forget these two weeks; it seemed like only yesterday the Mary Ward extended French class waited with sweaty palms, scanning every person that came through the double doors at the arrivals lobby, posing for never-ending photos, followed by that awkward ride home.

Once settled, the French exchange students prepared for two weeks of vigorous activities planned by both the French Department teachers ( Mme. Morgan, Mme. Wisniowski and Ms.McAndrew) and the Mary Ward extended French class.

To start out the week the students were welcomed at Mary Ward with a prepared breakfast buffet in the library and time for the partners socialize. Next, an orientation seminar was held, where they were introduced to the school’s system and were even given 2 week Mary Ward agendas to plan their upcoming days at Mary Ward. The rest of the day was spent hall walking and being constantly introduced to new faces.

At 2:00pm the students departed to Sherbourne Station to have their pictures taken for their TTC student ID cards. This was followed by a memorable day spent at Toronto’s well known Eaton Centre. Some shopped, others spent their time taking pictures at the “Apple Store” and even some (on the whole the French boys) spent their time running down escalators that were going up, and singing/ dancing for money in the middle of the Eaton Centre, before getting talked to by mall security. All in all it was a well spent day.

The next two days were spent at school shadowing the Mary ward students as they demonstrated the working habits of an average student. After school, some students accompanied their partners at various sports practices while others participated in planned group activities, such as bowling and the movies.

February 12th was “Downtown Day” for the exchange students. The students made their way along the waterfront and into one of Toronto’s most famous neighborhoods; Kensington Market and Chinatown, where they had a taste of some authentic ethnic culture, they also didn’t forget to stop by the famous AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario). Straight off the bus the students made their way to the teacher’s lounge where a potluck had been prepared for them. Along with their partners, all feasted, and later made their way to the cafeteria for Mary Ward’s very own Valentine’s Dance, where of course the French students were the centre of attention.

The following day was a PA day for all Mary Ward students, so naturally all the French exchange students and their partners, took this opportunity to make their way down to the Ontario Science Centre, which is conveniently located in the middle of Scarborough. The day was spent wandering around this vast piece of property, learning about the laws of physics and how babies are born, which if you were part of the exchange, knew how fun that was. The day came to an end with the viewing of “Friday the thirteenth” at the Fairview mall.

Family Day Holiday Weekend was filled with various activities, ranging from

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trips to the Niagara Falls, Kleinburg and the Toronto Zoo all the way to Blue Mountain and overnight trips in Ottawa! To sum it all up, all could agree that it was an activity-packed weekend worth remembering.

And so the trip was slowly coming to an end, with a short week up ahead, no one had a doubt that this week would pass by just as fast as it had come. After spending another two days at Mary Ward “working” to the bone, the students were ready to take a break, and so made their way to “Laser Quest” for the ultimate battle of French against Canadian. As if anyone had had a doubt, the French came out on top, owning the Canadian students by an utterly embarrassing (I’ll be generous) 200 some points.

The following day was another “Downtown Day” for the French exchange students where they had the chance to ride up the prominent CN tower, visit the ROM, the Ontario government Legislature and see the upbeat and ever popular “We Will Rock You” which all undoubtfully enjoyed very much.

And so the last day had finally arrived without notice, putting all the students into temporary depression. Nevertheless students had to continue on with their day, which was planned to be spent at Crawford Lake in Milton; students learned about the history of the Huron tribe, tried home made corn-bread dipped in fresh Canadian maple syrup, and visited the preserved land where it was believed, the tribe lived long ago. Heading back, the bus was filled with French tunes, led of course by the French students themselves. For the final night a small party was held for the students and their partners, where everyone enjoyed each others company and stocked up on good food.

In conclusion the French exchange students will be greatly missed, not only by the Mary Ward extended French class but also by the entire Mary ward community. Those who had the chance to meet, and get to know each partner individually know how entertaining and enjoyable they were, and to those who didn’t; you missed out. This may be the end of visiting exchange students this year, but the Mary Ward extended French class has yet to depart on their own two week journey shortly. We send them with greetings towards the French students and wish them a safe trip!

PHOTOS BY JUSTIN REID AND ERIC WONG

community COMMUNITY

By Karizza Sanchez “Attention all DECA Members: a reminder of your training session today at lunch in the DECA Den…see you there…”

You’ve probably heard this announcement several times over the PA system.

But do you really know what goes on behind the scenes? Do you have ANY idea what DECA is all about? DECA is an association of marketing students. It is a business club where delegates choose one of many different categories, including Restaurant Marketing, Accounting Applications, Business Law and Ethics, Retail Merchandising, and even Fashion and Accessories to compete in. Delegates also have the choice of whether to compete in the Individual Competition, Team Competition, Quiz Bowl, or various written events. Based on the category of their choice, the delegate begins practising various case studies where a problem is presented and the delegate presents their solution to the problem in a role-play scenario. In addition to the case study, each delegate must write a 75-minute 100 question multiple-choice exam. For months, at lunch and after school, Mary Ward delegates have been investing their time and energy in preparing for this event. The DECA Year starts off with the Regional Competitions in November. Any delegate who won Top 10 in the Oral and/or written portion of the Competition qualifies for the Provincial Competition. About 75% of Mary Ward delegates qualified for the Provincials, of which half were first-timers.

After months of anticipation and hard work, 34 Mary Ward DECA hopefuls competed in the annual 2009 DECA Provincial Competition at the Sheraton Centre downtown on Friday February 6th and Saturday February 7th. Competition was fierce as over 1000 students from across the country strutted their business attire and business lingo in an event that they will never forget. Each of the 1000 DECA delegates were vying for a chance to compete in the International Career and Development Conference (ICDC) in Anaheim, California. 11 Mary Ward students competed in the Individual Competition, 12 in the Team Competition, 4 in the Quiz Bowl Competition, and 11 in various written events including the University of Guelph, University of Waterloo and Advertising Campaign Events. The “Quiz Bowlers” rose to the occasion in the first round of competition but just fell short in the semi-finals. By the end of it, their minds were filled with business terms. However, it was the Individual Competitors who carried home the hardware. Special mention goes out to Alfred Chen, Ann De Sequira, Jeffrey Fung, and Albert Ng who won in the Top 20 Category, and Sele Akioyamen who cleaned up and came home with a stunning three medals for winning the Top 20 in Oral 1 and Oral 2 and Top 20 Overall!

Great job to all Mary Ward DECA members! Despite the end of Provincials, Mary Ward DECA is NOT over. We still have fundraising initiatives underway including SWIRL slushies which will be starting before March Break as well as the DECA Symposium. But in reality, no one will ever know what is really behind the DECA Den unless you experience DECA for yourself…So come out and join DECA!

Self-expression is one of the most regarded and cherished traits in human nature.

The act of one expressing themselves, their feelings and beliefs, is an act that can always be appreciated and applauded. Through poetry, music, comedy or dancing, one is able to express, and connect with others on a different level.

“Express Yourself’ is an open mic group with a goal in self-expression. It is done through ESP, in an effort to get people using their talents to convey their expressions. When ‘EY’ first started, it was just an idea of Sarah Wilmot and myself, a thought that maybe we could get a few people together to read poems weekly. At first it was just a small group of people, reading and laughing together. No one thought that ‘EY’ would become a meeting place for so many different Mary Ward students and teachers.

After a few announcements and successful planning, ‘Express Yourself’ has become a place for budding talent in the Mary Ward community. Every week, we have new students, from grades nine to ten. Even some teachers come and bare their soul out to an audience of fellow students and teachers. They express through poems, songs, monologues, and so much more, reaching their student body in a way that no one could expect. Not everyone who comes performs. Some just appreciate, soak in, and support

During this recent outburst of cold weather, it is only fitting that we be given some hot blazing entertainment to warm us up – and quite frankly, to keep us alive. On Sunday, February 1st 2009, Adrenalyn accomplished just that at this year’s WinterCity.

Even amidst the numerous outdoor and indoor entertainments that were present at the festival, Mary Ward’s own dance team managed to become one of the apparent headliners. Parents, friends, and strangers alike stood in the crowd cheering and hollering for more heat (and talent) Adrenalyn brought to Nathan Phillips Square.

WinterCity is a festival annually held on a number of cold February afternoons.

Presented by RBC, it offers a 14-day city-wide celebration of culture, creativity, and cuisine. In the return of this award-winning event, the top three winners from each category from the STOMP Urban Dance Competition were asked to perform two routines at the festival’s WOW! Series. For the sixth consecutive year, the event yet again never failed to please the attendees and the success is largely due to these performances. In fact, much of the credit can be given to Anton Sanchez, John Abanilla, Stephen Diego, Stephanie Clar, Alyssa Bautista, Kaycee Alfonso, John Victorino, Cassie Peralta, Michelle Gimena, Mallorie Tam, Michael Sunga, and Angela Wanigasekera. They performed on the heated stage entertaining all familiar and new faces. Dancing to the musical styling’s of Santogold, Estelle, the Pussycat Dolls, E-40, Ne-Yo, and Mary J. Blige, they demonstrated their precision and intricate movements through two routines tailored for the Showcase.

“The first routine, I choreographed it as a high-paced ‘Adrenalyn’ sort of feel because it was my first year choreographing for the team and I wanted to set a new atmosphere at STOMP. While the second routine was inspired by the Nightmare Before Christmas,” revealed choreographer John Victorino. Both routines were focused heavily on hand and arm movements and featured transitions that separated the boys from the girls – to emphasize the song and each one’s particular strengths. It was a showing of many isolations, emphasizing their ability to hit every little sound and beat of the song.

Adrenalyn was the largest group of all the teams present at the festival, yet despite their size, they were the cleanest team. Their innovative pop locking and tutting moves were sharp and in sync. Naturally, the audience gravitated to them, cheering and screaming louder and louder as the performance continued. “I know this team; I like them,” one audience member even proclaimed. It was evident that Adrenalyn was no longer just a school dance team. Quite the contrary, they were an acknowledged compilation of talented dancers around the GTA. The team has come a long way since the beginning of the “Adrenalyn-craze” in 2007 when they first spear-headed the world of dance, winning a silver-medal in the STOMP Urban Dance Competition. These current and previous Mary Ward students worked diligently to attain the level of success they are now proud owners of. Extra hours of practice (together and individually at home) were put in by the dancers because “practices were hard to come by,” explains Anton Sanchez. Even on the day of the performance for the WinterCity Festival, these dancers arrived two hours earlier than allotted time for the dress-rehearsal to perfect their routine in City Hall. Needless to say, they have evolved as dancers, both individually and collectively, intensifying their arsenal with an array of dance skills, tricks, and concepts.

Adrenalyn delivered a compelling performance on February 1, 2009, showing a promising future for the team. In an apparent cold front, the fierce weather that had all of us bundled up in countless layers, wearing Thinsulate gloves and scarves covering everything but our eyes, the deadly wintry weather was no where to be found (or felt).

The day of Adrenalyn’s performance was rather warm and sunny. What was the reason for the sudden rise in the temperature? One word: Adrenalyn. Their hard hitting, yet intricate movements were filled with passion and love for the profession; all of which certainly oozed out on stage. They gave the audience chills – the kind you’d get from an entertaining performance and not from the rather recent fierce weather. Way to heat up the stage, Adrenalyn! their fellow students and teachers. The beauty of ‘EY’ is that it is truly an open mic expression. There are no rules other than respect. You are asked to respect the performer’s beliefs and applaud them on their actions. ‘Express Yourself’ is truly a place of freedom and gratitude.

Thanks to ‘Express Yourself’, there is now a place in the Mary Ward community, for one to be open, to let out emotions and be who they truly want to be. Wednesdays at Mary Ward, will never be the same, they are now viewed as a day of expression and appreciation. If you haven’t checked it out yet, check out an Express Yourself open mic, this week in your school library.

community COMMUNITY

By Katrina Balon Throughout the school year, the Mary Ward community has contributed to women’s issues in Africa first with our Advent project helping the women in Kenya, and now with the 5 For 5 Campaign.

Ms. Arturi, Mary Ward’s very own yoga extraordinaire, came up with an idea to contribute to the efforts being made to improve women’s issues in Africa. With the help of the Women’s Issues Committee, Ms. Arturi’s idea materialized and the 5 For 5 Campaign was launched.

5 For 5, what exactly does that mean? It simply means donating $5 and receiving 5 sessions in yoga, pilates, or martial arts classes held in the school. All money raised in the campaign goes towards the Stephen Lewis Foundation, an organization founded by the namesake, which funds community-based initiatives in Africa helping women and children. Through the Stephen Lewis Foundation, participants and donators are contributing to the funding of the Panzi Hospital in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The Panzi Hospital was established to treat women who are victims of sexual violence. In the DRC, the main tactics of war is rape and as the sustainers of the community, attacks on women destroy the state of the community while providing rebels with more power. The Panzi Hospital provides women with medical, psychological, and spiritual treatment, as well as socioeconomic assistance and daycare for children conceived by sexual violence.

March 8th, 2009 marks the celebration of International Women’s Day and this school year, Mary Ward has certainly contributed to the lives of women in Africa with a simple donation of $5.

www.pilatesplusnorthwest.com

By Jovita Pinto Last Year, Earth Hour- a global ‘lights hour’ movement saw the participation of thirtyfive major cities. The lights were dimmed on several monuments like the our local CN Tower, the Empire State Building in New York, Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and the Sydney Opera House. This year, this movement aims to reach out to a billion people and seeks the participation of over thousand cities around the globe.

The Earth Hour, a global movement started by the WWF (World Wildlife Fund), took centre stage on March 31st 2007 when about 2 million Sydney residents switched their lights off from 7:30 to 8:30 P.M. According to earthhour.org, the energy saving during Earth Hour is equivalent to taking 48,613 cars off the road for one hour, or 200,000 standard televisions turned off for one hour.

This represents a saving of 24.86 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

This year, the event will be conducted in form of an election: the people will be asked to ‘Vote Earth’. The results of this election will be presented at Global Climate Change Conference at Copenhagen 2009.

This event is globally renowned as a form of making people aware about the changing environment. Even though this event doesn’t promise immediate action, it does provide hope for change.

The Green Quest Club at Ward istaking this opportunity to further promote its green cause. It will be conducting activities during the last week of March in order to sign up students for this event.

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It’s up to us, as a community to tackle the issue of global warming through supporting events like Earth Hour that have potential to enlist this issue on the table for global political discussion.

JOHN AUSTIN NG LEE

By Tara Azadeh On January 29th 2009, after stressful months of planning and organizing, Mary Ward’s Business Department kicked off its 7th Annual Business Day Conference. This year’s theme, Fast4Ward, reminded students that although the future seems light-years away, in reality, it is approaching quicker than the speed of light.

Mary Ward’s 7th Annual Business Day was truly one that will be remembered for its tear-jerking and motivational keynote speaker, Mr. James Cunningham. This year’s Business Day was successful only with the efforts and initiatives of the many Business teachers, as well as with the help of the BOH4M1, Management students.

Students were treated to a presentation by Mr. James Cunningham, a professional comedian and public speaker, who has made numerous appearances on Comedy Now!, Howie Do It, and Just For Laughs. He stunned the students with information about teenagers’ spending habits, revealing that teenagers make $5.6 billion but spend $200 billion annually on consumer products. He shared personal anecdotes about life and its little trials as he exposed the truth about hidden expenses to students.

Students raved about his performance. An enthused student, Rosa, said about business day in retrospect, “Business day was amazing. Funny Money and James Cunningham were great, it was interesting seeing him use comedy to get useful and business related information across to students. It was an eye opening experience to learn about the hidden expenses that will come our way in the future as we try to live on our own. Also, I enjoyed learning about the investment opportunities for students!”

Mr. Cunningham graciously agreed to perform his highly entertaining and uproarious stand-up comedy. Mr Cunningham epitomized a true businessperson. He uncovered the truth and exposed stereotypes, that business people are not simply ties, suit and meetings, but also jokes and wild unpredictable people. In addition to his energetic and innovative performance, James Cunningham created his own little game. He raised the spirit and motivation in each student by offering the one thing we all as teenagers are in desperate need of: money! Mr. Cunningham offered one dollar to five dollar prizes for answers, raising the students’ attention to a level that has yet to be reached in schools. Motivated, students began to answer questions they had no knowledge of, in simple hopes of gaining that dollar to buy cookies at lunch. Desperate, students resorted to waving and almost taking flight with the thrashing of their arms from side to side, hoping he would choose them. Mr. Cunningham’s approach to grabbing the students’ attention was successful, proving indeed that a business sense lies within each person, even a comedian. Although the students may not be fully aware, they learned about the opportunities of financial investment and the benefits that emerge when thinking ahead without ever having to open a book. From tuition, to school supplies to entertainment, Mr. Cunningham illustrated the numerous ways to budget money. He introduced students to swift and speedy investment opportunities, giving projections of potential profit if they began investing at the age of 18. His approach to educating high school students about spending habits, allocating financial resources, and maintaining a budget was fun, motivating and easy to follow. Using slides and simple icons that students can relate to, he ensured that every student understood the complex world of budgeting, credit cards and of course, financial hazards. Mr. Cunningham, a representative from Funny Money also encouraged students to plan ahead, but especially, prepare financially for their future.

After the presentation, students proceeded to their preselected workshops.

Students were able to choose two of seven workshops; Accounting, Management, Marketing, International Business, Computer Science, Information Technology and Entrepreneurship. The guest speakers kindly took time out of their busy schedules to help students understand the benefits and difficulties in the corporate world. Many of the guest speakers graciously agreed to appear in Mary Ward’s Business Day through the invitation of business teachers, who contacted entrepreneurs and business people in their network of associates.

At each workshop, students had the opportunity to listen to exciting and informative guest speakers as they gave a sneak peak into the lives of business people.

Students had the opportunity to interact with the guest speakers who need jobs in their respective fields. Students were given the opportunity to learn about careers in each field, and discover the obstacles guest speakers had to overcome in order to achieve their successful status in the corporate world. In addition, guest speakers informed students about the benefits of networking, the corporate world and the dynamic approach to decision-making.

community COMMUNITY

By Laura Galloway

This year’s Mary Ward Drama production is The Magical Lamp of Aladdin, set to debut on April 23rd and 24th. Here is a little update on the progress and some star profiles to try and alleviate some of the torture that you are without a doubt going through from having to wait so long for the debut!

The Drama Department “shakes it up” every Tuesday when the ten Aladdin belly dancers (yes, belly dancers!) meet up after school. Under the guidance of Ms. Tsang, the team of dancers have been working on music selection and choreographing two dances for different scenes in the production. Mr. Gassi has already successfully composed a piece of music for one dance. The dancers are now working on perfecting the first dance while simultaneously learning the second one.

Thursdays after school are the big days for Aladdin. All the cast members come together in the cafetorium and run through scenes that involve most of the characters and extras. With the direction of Mr. Dalton and Ms. Tsang, the cast scampers across the stage memorizing cues, lines, and marks. It can all seem like a mess of people, but really it is rehearsed actions executed perfectly on time. The belly dancers practise their moves safely hidden in Drama, occasionally making an appearance or two.

With the theatre and production class designing and tech building, the set of Aladdin is under way. Most of the sets have already been designed and a few merchant booths are built and ready for a coat of paint. Most of the costumes for the production are being sewn and/or altered by Ms. La Cavera and her fashion students. Much of the fabric and costumes have in fact been purchased from thrift stores. Due to the large amount of peasant pants (a.k.a. “Hammerman pants”) that need to be sewn for the cast, forty-three to be exact, Ms. Largo and a group of volunteers have kindly come to Ms. La Cavera’s rescue and have taken over so she can focus on the more elaborate costumes. Ms. Tsang is also taking care of purchasing some of the trickier costumes such as the belly dancers’ outfits. As for props, currently the production has baskets for the ladies to carry on their heads, scarves for a merchant to sell and a cane for the antagonist Jammal to use.

Jammal, the evil magician and villain, is played by grade twelve student Adrian Muir. Jammal is plotting with his sister Halima to steal the magic lamp and use it for their own power-hungry ambitions. Currently, Adrian runs each individual scene three times a week and all characters have been asked by Mr. Dalton to have their dialogue memorised by the end of March Break. When asked what role Adrian had in mind while auditioning he responded, “I definitely didn’t have this role in mind. I think I’m as genuinely unevil as I can get. And I’m pretty small and not-so-intimidating.” Originally, Adrian was auditioning with the role of Aladdin in mind, but agrees with Mr. Dalton’s choice of casting Brian Postalion. “He fills the role abundantly”, says Dalton. At first, Adrian was confused as to why Mr. Dalton would pick him for Jammal as it is such a powerful role, but trusting in Mr. Dalton’s judgment, Adrian is doing the best that he can. The only thing Adrian does to get into character is change his wording, placing powerful emphasis on certain words in his speech. To memorize his lines, Adrian simply reads his script when time is normally wasted, such as on the bus. He also rehearses his lines without directly following the script, finding it easier and more natural to learn from his mistakes than trying to memorize the lines by constantly studying them.

Halima, Jammal’s sister, is played by Angela De Ciantis in Grade 12. She is currently learning lines and understanding her character by knowing how Halima thinks, speaks, moves and reacts in certain scenes. When first auditioning, Angela had no role in mind and was just curious to see what she would get. With the news that she had been casted as Halima, Angela was surprised and immediately started thinking of ways to portray a character that is completely different from her – a challenge she enjoys. To get into character, Angela thinks of the experiences in her life that have made her feel angry or desperate in order to better express these emotions on stage. Angela gets some reluctant help with memorizing her lines:“My sister helps me memorize my lines. It’s getting harder to convince her to help me because she’s tired of repeating the same lines over again,” shares Angela.

Grade twelve student Danielle White is one of four belly dance captains. Danielle enjoys every minute of her role, allowing her to dance on stage in amazing costumes. Currently Danielle and the belly dancers are rehearsing harder and longer in order to achieve belly dancing perfection. Before auditioning, Danielle had requested to be cast as a belly dancer. Danielle offers a word of advice for all those interested in next year’s production: “If you really want a certain role, ask EVERY day.” Persistence is the key; Danielle goes over her dance steps repeatedly until they are engraved into her mind. She did the same thing in Footloose last year and still remembers everything – proof her technique works.

Each workshop also included an exciting activity, based on popular TV shows such as Dragons Den, Don’t Forget the Lyrics, and Survivor, shedding the stereotype that business is dull and boring.

Mary Ward’s 7th Annual Business Day Conference quickly turned into a success as students showed their exuberance for each activity and guest speaker. As close to 400 students remember Business Day, they are left with the images of laughter, excitement and joy, and of course, it doesn’t hurt that they gained a unit for their participation.

VOLUME 14 / ISSUE 2 mwplanet 11

community COMMUNITY

By Michael Ruiz Chen The sounds of the office are loud and quite busy while people come in and out in haste, requesting equipment, signing in or out. However, behind the front door, in the last room on your left, the friendly and outspoken principal, Mrs. Giardini continues to manage the school. She provides a welcoming environment for everyone to learn or teach, despite the fact, it’s her last day at Mary Ward.

Since coming to Mary Ward as a first-time principal in 2006, she has acquired a lot of experience. Prior to this position, she taught in schools such as St. Joseph’s College School, Madonna Catholic Secondary School and was a vice-principal at St. Basil-the-Great College School. With experience from teaching Italian and French or as a guidance counselor, Mrs. Giardini believes that every school revolves around guiding and “teaching students first, understanding their needs and then helping them reach points in the curriculum”.

Mrs. Giardini will always hold a soft spot in her heart. “The people; students, staff and the premise that every child belongs to a TA and that strength or energy of belonging and community. It’s a very cool thing to me,” states the future Student Success leader. She is looking forward to discussing and promoting the TA system to others in her future endeavours. Briefly, she also discussed that she will be accompanying the Music students on their trip to Australia and attending future Mary Ward events, such as graduation ceremonies.

Throughout her three-year term at Mary Ward, Mrs. Giardini has contributed to the foundation and collaboration which is the self-directed learning model. Focusing on students and their learning needs, she has worked with staff to ensure accountability and improvement of the program. She has been an active administrator who has been very involved as a caring principal and a studentfocused success leader.

Her firm belief that students come first as young adults, Mrs. Giardini wants them to continue achieving and being self-sufficient, life-long learners.

Through her contributions and collaborative efforts, she now joins a long legacy of Mary Ward principals who have moved up to the school board.

Mrs. Giardini is now a Programme Coordinator at the Toronto Catholic District School Board for K-12 Student Success.

Eleven years ago, it would have been impossible to even imagine that this opinionated, yet friendly teacher started out as a quiet person who barely spoke a word to anyone.

Mr. Wetzel began his career as a substitute teacher at Blessed Mother Teresa Catholic Secondary School. His subject: teaching senior Science as an English major, nonetheless. Despite his lack of experience teaching Science, Mr. Wetzel relied on his leadership and management skills to teach his students. After his first year, he was offered a teaching position at Mary Ward. However, this time around, he was actually teaching English.

Fast forward to the present. He has extended his role as a teacher-advisor to teaching and writing courses for Gifted, Interdisciplinary Studies, Civics and also, an avid advocate for Self-Directed Learning. Over the years, Mr. Wetzel has served as Wolverine Athletic Council supervisor and a dedicated golf coach. One of his proud achievements is having never missed an athletic banquet in 11 years and he does not plan to miss the next few to come. He has also facilitated as the principal for Mary Ward summer school and more recently, as an interim vice-principal. For an introverted person who started out at Mother Teresa, Mr. Wetzel has certainly come a long way to becoming an extroverted man with a unique personality.

Behind the intimidating and sarcastic façade, is a kind-hearted and motivational teacher-advisor. The TA31 year starts with bowling, followed by a multicultural Christmas potluck, concluding with an end-of-year luncheon. Every morning TA period, his satirical jokes kept the InsPirE room bursting with laughter and everyone loved his strict uniform rants and how he always “never cares” about our excuses. He has celebrated every person’s birthday with ice cream cakes and Mars Bars and he has never missed one. It is obviously evident that his students will miss a role model who not only exemplified the self-directed vision of a TA community, but also embraced the value of a family. “TA31 4 Life”.

Currently, Mr. Wetzel is one of the vice-principals of Pope John Paul II Catholic Secondary School in Toronto.

In a time of change for the administration, we wish Mr. Wetzel and Mrs. Giardini, all the best in their future endeavours. We congratulate them on their success in attaining well-deserved positions within our Catholic community in education. The Mary Ward community shall always remember what these two individuals have done for us and we hope that they will bring the same contributions that they have brought to our school and beyond. Take care and God bless.

12 mwplanet VOLUME 14 / ISSUE 2

community COMMUNITY

By Eileen Posadas

It was a cold winter night on January 23rd when the heat from flashing paparazzi filled the Paradise Banquet Hall. Celebrities came dressed to impress, creating an atmosphere of Hollywood flare. The red carpet was at its very best as Hollywood’s hottest icons, from fresh ‘junior’ faces, to ‘senior” legends strutted their stuff. All thoughts of conditional zeros and incomplete units were put aside. It was a time to celebrate.

This year’s SAC chose the Academy Awards as its theme for the 2009 semi-formal event. It successfully mounted the extravagant night, which was named An Oscar Affair.

“Students work hard all year, trying to accomplish their unit goals, so we wanted to give them an opportunity to feel like stars, and what better way to accomplish this than by creating one of Hollywood’s hottest awards night!” explains Krisel Abulencia, the Student Council President. With that, Mary Ward students and their guests were able to really get a feel of what it was like to live like a multi-millionaire starlet.

The venue, with its golden touches from floor to ceiling, exuded elegance and helped to create a Hollywood vibe. The roasted chicken dinner was succulent and was worthy of a five star restaurant. A clever touch was the involvement of Mary Ward’s photo students who played the role of bustling paparazzi. They captured the evening’s best dressed in all their glamour. .

Over 300 students attended the event, making the dance floor a tight squeeze. Nonetheless partygoers, even teachers, were having a blast, packing the dance floor the entire night. DJ Tilt provided the tracks for the head-banging, the hip-shaking, and the two-stepping. Many liked his talent of mixing mainstream and old school tunes together. He graced the crowd with his energy, hyping everyone to the party highpoint.

The theme, venue, and party were perfect in conveying the Oscar theme. It was clear that all the celebrities received V.I.P treatment as they ended the night looking dazzled and satisfied.

To the stars in attendance at the spectacular 2009 Semi Formal Oscar Affair, the award goes to…YOU!

By Danielle Roche and Ms. Largo

A) With matching heels and a red-carpet ready up-do, Julia keeps it simple in a halter dress made out of light and airy charcoal grey chiffon. The intricate silver designs of her jewelry bring attention to her sophisticated dress, making Julia look absolutely glamorous.

B) The rich colour and simple design of Gabriella’s dress really brings out the uniqueness of her patterned tights. In combination with her killer black peep-toes, this stylish ensemble is sleek and totally party ready!

C) He seems to like his suspenders, and quite frankly, who wouldn’t? The vibrant hue of Adrian’s shirt works in perfect contrast with the harsh black of the rest of his outfit - not to mention the striped tie adds visual interest and ties the outfit together very nicely.

D) He might look puzzled, but there is no doubt about it - Raphael is dressed to impress! chic has never looked better!

Complete with specs and a bow tie, nerdy

E) Meghan and Karizza are BCBG beauties with their “crumb-catcher” bodices. Coupled with cute black sandals and T-strap heels, these ladies are the epitome of sartorial splendor from head to toe.

F) Not many people can wear their sunglasses at night, but Michael can! Looking very sharp in grey, his patterned blazer and textured pants are the perfect companions to his quirky orange tie.

G) Looking absolutely radiant, Krisel is the epitome of red carpet glamour in this pretty bandage dress. The uniformity between the rich colours and lines of her dress are perfectly offset by her bold, studded heels.

H) Contrasting colours worked through the purple in his shirt, white of his tie and shoes, and black of his pants are brought together through Kevin’s sharp argyle vest.

VOLUME 14 / ISSUE 2 mwplanet 13

LA PETITE PLANETE

la petite planète

L’anniversaire de Mary Ward

By Jean Gonzales

JUSTIN REID

C’est un jour typique à l’École secondaire catholique Mary Ward. Le matin, les étudiants entrent les portes principales, mettent leurs vestons dans leurs casiers, et disent bonjour à leurs amis.

Ils vont à leur TA, puis s’assoient dans les classes pour finir leur travail, et passent le temps avec leurs amis pendant le déjeuner. Ils marchent dans les couloirs chaque jour et ce processus est une routine, qu’ils ne sont jamais arrêtés à penser de l’histoire de Mary Ward. Le 23 janvier, 2009, la

population de Mary Ward a marqué le 400 anniversaire de Mary Ward avec une fête.

C’était une de ces occasions rares où l’école entière se rassemble pour la célébration. Ceci n’était pas une fête typique. Au lieu de célébrer seulement avec les amis, nous avons célébré avec les profs, les membres de TA, et les autres camarades d’école. Au lieu de jouer “Truth or Dare”, nous avons joué «Teacher Bowling». Au lieu de célébrer à la maison, nous avons célébré au gymnase d’école.

On a commencé la célébration avec une biographie courte de Mary Ward, puis une pièce d’art dramatique de sa vie et une présentation dramatique de Mme. Schwan avec la musique pour ajouter à l’essence de la présentation.

Les professeurs ont allumé les bougies pour représenter l’année de leur arrivée et pour symboliser les années passées. Certains d’eux sont ar-

rivés à Mary Ward avant que les étudiants soient même nés. La poésie est capturé ingénieusement l’essence de leur slogan d’école « Because We Believe,» qui a été appliqué à leurs vies. Les gâteaux créatifs, décoratifs et délicieux ont été créés par chaque groupe de TA et chacun d’eux ont espéré obtenir l’applaudissement le plus bruyant pour indiquer que leur-chef-d’oeuvre a gagné le concours. Et bien sûr, qui pourrait oublier le jeu de “5 Pin Teacher Bowling » ? Non, ce n’était pas un jeu typique de bowling. Au lieu de bowling à cinq quilles, cinq de nos chers profs ont été utilisés comme les quilles de bowling, avec leurs visages couverts. Puis, les profs ont obtenu leur vengeance en exécutant les étudiants.

Mary Ward était une femme courageuse qui a lutté pour l’éducation des filles. Cette dame était si remarquable, que les écoles ont pris son nom dans son souvenir. Notre bâtiment d’école a commencé à faire son histoire dans 1985. Si ces murs pouvaient parler, ils diraient beaucoup d’histoires des étudiants, professeurs et d’événements passés. Aujourd’hui, elle continue à fournir éducation aux jeunes hommes et femmes et chaque jour, elle continue à tenir beaucoup plus de mémoires.

 Cache, cache Par Gareh Johnson-Murray

JUSTIN REID

JUSTIN REID

14 mwplanet VOLUME 14 / ISSUE 2

Ma vie était prise par ces hommes dehors Mon père a été pris par ces voleurs blancs Ils nous mènent du malheur Et une abondance du temps Maintenant nous sommes des animaux noirs Je peux dire aux cochons, « je suis comme toi. » C’est impossible de voir On crie d’une seule voix Ils ne jettent jamais les costumes bizarres Leur chef vit seul avec le maïs partout Je m’échappe mais pour mon père c’est trop tard Ma nouvelle vie libre grâce à vous Tu m’as sauvé de ma vie torturée J’existe pour ceux qui n’ont pas échappé Le froid est un ami qui m’a visité Je ne me rappelle plus de ma vie avant Les cauchemars sont oubliés Ma joie est avec mes enfants Ma vie, bien sur, n’a pas été facile Mais, je peux finalement rester tranquille

Un Rêve, Un Désir

Un rêve est une simple inspiration Un souhait d’enfant, mais pourtant La vie est faite de mystères Découverts à chaque occasion Car chacun rêve des rêves seconds Vécus avec des êtres chers Préparez-vous, certains s’en vont couchés Préparez-vous, certains restent éveillés Les voila qui commencent, qui arrivent Les rêves rêvés, désirs désirés Nombreux en demande, mais qui contenter?

Tous entendus, mais qui satisfaire?

Alors pour ce soir, comme tous les soirs Regardez en-bas, écoutez cette fable Que tous chérissent, au fond d’un oubli Que tous répètent, intentionnels Juste sans avoir une once d’espoir De chaque crépuscule à chaque aurore ; Oh Céleste, la nuit tombée Il est tard, il fait noir La lune oscille, les étoiles brillent Oh Déesse, la nuit tombée Les vois-tu? Les sens-tu?

Rêves qui planent, Rêves qui volent Rêver à jamais, tel est le désir Que chacun porte, car la vie attend La vie continue, prête à mener Des voies non-voulues, loin des joies des rêves, Distante des réalités non-réelles, Par Suzanne Pritchard Car un rêve n’est qu’une simple inspiration C’est partout! Il fait partie de notre société – les média, l’académie, et la musique – pour en nommer quelques exemples.

L’élitisme est la reconnaissance de quelques membres d’un groupe qui attirent beaucoup d’attention sur leurs talents – et les démontrent dans une façon vantarde. Ce n’est pas nécessairement quelque chose de mauvais, mais il y a toujours deux côtés à chaque histoire. Dans les média de l’Ouest, il y a une définition particulière pour l’élitisme; Politique (de formation, de gestion) visant à favoriser et à sélectionner une élite, au détriment du plus grand nombre. Les élitistes peuvent bien être considérés positifs ou négatifs.

Il y a plusieurs instances d’élitisme dans notre système scolaire. Si tu fais attention, tu pourrais voir que certains étudiants ont la chance de faire des tâches supplémentaires. Par exemple, le département de Inspire.

C’est un programme pour ceux qui ont une intelligence plus haute que d’habitude. Le gouvernement a laissé une petite somme d’argent pour le système d’éducation afin qu’il puisse enseigner ces derniers. C’est de l’élitisme!

Quelques étudiants ont des meilleures chances que des autres dans le système de Mary Ward. Ils ont plus d’opportunités! Par exemple, le programme à Waterloo – E= MC2 est seulement offert dans le département de Inspire. Ce n’est pas restreint à notre école seule, mais partout dans la vie.

Tu as entendu parler au sujet de Harvard, Yale, et de nombreuses autres écoles prestiges. Les gradués de ces dernières sont considérés les élites – Ensemble des personnes considérées comme les meilleures, les plus remarquables d’un groupe, d’une communauté! Dans la religion Catholique, nous sommes tous égaux, mais la vérité est qu’on reconnaissait les différences entre les uns les autres. Dans notre société, on n’est pas tous « égaux », on a des problèmes personnels et

la petite planéte PLANETE LA PETITE

Par Mercedes Villanueva

Je me promène sans but toute seule.

Même maintenant, je peux voir ton reflet dans l’eau.

Deux doigts, j’atteins au-delà des royaumes.

Le reflet ne le retourne pas.

Les saisons changent, j’étais partie toute seule.

Pourquoi m’as-tu quitté ? Je ne vois que toi. Éteindre les lumières, les globes blancs qui t’ont dévisagé.

Réunir nos globes, voir les différences.

Sache, que je m’en fou des différences.

Nous ne sommes qu’une partie de la terre, deux coeurs de danse.

Nous sommes coincés, deux feuilles dans la neige.

Si je disparais, tiens ma feuille de près – change à une saison plus chaude.

Je ne peux pas effacer le passé, mais je peux fondre les flocons glacés d’aujourd’hui.

des autres aspirations. Reconnus par le gouvernement ou des autres institutions, des élites reçoivent plus de chances et d’opportunités pour réussir dans la vie.

Au département de musique, il y a des élites partout. Les joueurs avec une habileté moyenne aiment l’idée d’un orchestre; tout le monde reçoit la même reconnaissance que les autres. Mais, il y a toujours ceux qui jouent mieux que d’habitude. Celui-ci ne reçoit pas la reconnaissance unique qu’il mérite parce qu’il fait partie d’un ensemble musical. Tu penses, « C’était pour cette raison qu’on a créé des solos. » C’est correct! Avec les solos, on peut reconnaître les uniques talents de quelques-uns.

L’idée d’élitisme grandit à ce point! Ces joueurs en solo sont les élitistes, ils sont supérieurs et la plupart du temps, ils le pensent aussi.

Récemment, les États-Unis ont élu un nouveau président, M. Barack Obama. Son opposition, Sen. Clinton et Sen. McCain l’ont accusé d’être élitiste. Malheureusement, une partie de la population américaine a commencé à changer leurs opinions sur leur nouveau président. M. Obama est en train d’éviter l’hostilité de ses supporteurs. Pourquoi est-ce que son potentiel et son ambition doivent être compromis par son titre d’élitiste?

- OUI! Il est un élitiste, mais il mérite son titre du 44ième président des États-Unis. Il est intelligent, il a travaillé fort, et il a eu de nombreuses opportunités de s’améliorer. Il est le chef élu pour diriger un pays – il doit être reconnu.

Donc, on sait qu’il y a de l’élitisme à Mary Ward et dans le monde, mais la question n’est pas résolue. Est-ce que cet élitisme est une bonne ou mauvaise chose pour notre communauté? Peut-être il n’existe pas de réponse absolue, mais à mon avis, l’élitisme reconnaît ceux qui ont travaillé fort, mais en même temps, glorifie l’inégalité entre chaque individu.

VOLUME 14 / ISSUE 2 mwplanet 15

sports SPORTS

By Adrian Kania

Justin Reid

Coaches: Mrs. Powell and Ms. Saran Captain: Kristen Lin Record: 1 win – 7 losses. Placed eighth in the East Division. Qualified for consolation play-offs.

JUNIOR BOYS’ BASKETBALL

Emily Cabios

JUNIOR GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL

SENIOR GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL John Austin Ng Lee

Chantel Kwok

VARSITY CURLING Coaches: Ms. Ste. Croix and Mrs. Zidar Captain: N/A Record: Boys B Division won the Championships.

Justin Reid Justin Reid

Justin Reid

VARSITY SKIING/SNOWBOARDING Coaches: Mr. Kennedy and Ms. Saran Captain: N/A Record: Best result was the girl’s level 1 snowboarders that placed 4th overall as a team.

Coach Mr. Dever Captain Giulia Rossi Record: 5 wins – 3 losses. Placed third in the East Division and qualified for playoffs.

VARSITY BOYS’ HOCKEY

Justin Reid

VARSITY SWIMMING Coach: Mr. Candiotto Captain: Felix Pang Record: Girl’s 200m Medley Relay placed first to qualify for OFSAA. There were other notable individual finishes as well.

Coach: Mr. Valvo Captain: Daniel Galang Record: 4 wins – 9 losses. Lost in the first round of play-offs.

Coaches: Mr. Emer and Mr. Spatafora Captain: Dante Niro Record: 1 win – 9 losses. Placed fourth in the East Division.

VARSITY GIRLS’ HOCKEY Coaches: Mrs. Dalgarno, Mrs. Dever and Mrs. Ventura Captain: N/A Record: 0 wins – 9 losses. Placed fifth in the East Division.

Photos by Justin Reid

A grade 11 student and an honourable mention of the Varsity Swim team. Like a fish, she swam her way through the TDCAA swim meet as the anchor of the 200m girl’s medley relay event. They placed first to qualify for OFSAA. She also raced in the 50m girl’s butterfly event where she placed a surprising second and missed OFSAA qualification by a mere 0.13 seconds. Another notable finish would be in the 50m girls’ freestyle where she placed a tight third. From her quiet spirit at Mary Ward you wouldn’t know that she’s a ferocious fish in the pool.

Congratulations Quinlan on your fair accomplishments.

A grade 10 student and member of the junior boys’ basketball team. Although Sele did not lead the team with point scoring, he was recognized by his coach for the most spirited athlete this season. Sele showcases extraordinary learning talents in all sports that he does and I’m positive that coaches can’t wait to see how he progresses. Sele’s cheerful tactics have proven to be effective and should be an example to the Mary Ward spirit that should enthrone every athlete. We look forward to see more of Sele in future sport’s games.

A grade 11 student and small setter on the Senior Girls’mam Volleyball team with big talents. Cynthia has been on the team since grade 9 with the support of all of her teammates, who are also very close friends of hers. When speaking to Mr. Dever, he said “It’s hard for me to choose a notable girl only because there’s so much talent on the team. However, Cynthia really comes out on top in terms of determination and commitment. She loves volleyball and I can see it when she plays.” Cynthia exemplifies elite sportsmanship attitude and practice.

I’m sure she is a role model for all her teammates as well as all athletes in the school.

16 mwplanet VOLUME 14 / ISSUE 2

sports SPORTS

Winners at heart

By John Austin Ng Lee

H

ow often does a high school team come first place within their division, win second overall in the TDCAA, play for a provincial championship, and win the sportsmanship award, all in one season? Bear witness to one team that is going to go down in the history of Mary Ward Athletics, the Senior Boys Volleyball team.

speaks of the character.” said Mrs. Giardini, Principal of Mary Ward. “I felt like a proud mama!” she added.

Mrs. Giardini accepted the award on the team’s behalf, full of pride and joy.

perience. They had fought hard to earn the position they gained this year.

“It was definitely something that we earned through hard work and dedication,” stated Mr. Wong, coach of the team, “OFSAA was a great learning experience and the team truly represented our school proudly.”

“We weren’t in it to win it. We were out there playing our best and the coaches recognized it.

Best of all, the team was able to have fun in This year’s season was definitely one of the And I guess that’s how we got the award,” stated their stay at Kingston, Ontario. They stayed for Adrian Kania, one of the members of the team. best I have ever seen in high school sports histothree days and competed in OFSAA for the last “We’re honoured to be noticed signifi cantly by ry. The team played their heart out, the fans were two days of their stay. On their first day, they were them!” full of spirit. Best of all, the team didn’t come out able to join the other 19 teams in a banquet held empty handed.

The team felt a greater accomplishment than by OFSAA and enjoyed themselves.

The team was qualified to play in the Ontario just having a great season. They felt that this year “The overall experience was overwhelming.

Federation of School Athletics Associations (OF- had taught them a lot as a team to play better For the most part, the games were nerve wreckfor next year in terms of what challenges may lie SAA) after playing a marvellous season in Toronto. ing.

We were facing the best of the province here!” ahead.

Although the team placed last, this also means they expressed Adrian.

“But the greatest part was the finished 20th in Ontario out of over 300 schools.

“It was a rewarding experience for us. Being food. I never had so many chicken cutlets in my Their efforts were recognized by the coaches and able to participate in OFSAA gives us the experi- life!” were granted the sportsmanship award. ence we’ll need for next year. Until then, we con“It was very fun, at the same time competiWhat does the sportsmanship award mean? tinue to develop further as individuals and as a tive,” Added Arthur. “Although we didn’t come out team,” said Arthur Kurek, captain of the team.

It not only showed their ability to play but also deas winners in the tournament, we were recognized fined who they are as a team. “To me it was better The coaches believed it was a well earned ex- for what we really were; winners at heart.” than bringing back the gold. The sportsmanship PHOTOS BY JOHN AUSTIN NG LEE

18 mwplanet VOLUME 14 / ISSUE 2

SPORTS sports

THREE-POINT SHOOTOUT Participants: Mike Bibby, Daequan Cook, Danny Granger, Jason Kapono, Rashard Lewis & Roger Mason, Jr.

By Justin Alvarado This time around, the NBA undergoes some of the biggest changes of the season.

Some examples of the big news are the Toronto Raptors sending Jermaine O’Neal [Center] and Jamario Moon [Forward] to the Miami Heat for Shawn Marion [Forward] and Marcus Banks [Guard].

There are also the trade rumours that include possibilities of Amare Stoudemire [Phoenix Suns Forward/Center] and Vince Carter [New Jersey Nets Guard] being shipped to new places. Amidst all of these league modifications, the association comes together to plan the most anticipated excitement of the season, the “All-Star Weekend.” The festivities include: The Rookie Challenge and The All-Star Celebrity Game (which featured the likes of Terrell Owens [Dallas Cowbows receiver], Chris Tucker [actor/comedian] and a couple of NBA legends such as Clyde “The Glide” Drexler and Dominique “The Human Highlight Film” Wilkins). The All-Star Weekend also features the Shooting Stars Challenge; a Skills Challenge; a Three-point shootout; a dunk contest; and the All-Star game (where the best players of each conference face off in one of the most exciting games of the year). The All-Star Weekend is definitely an enjoyable sight to see and this weekend was no exception.

ROOKIE CHALLENGE: where first year players [Rookies] face off in a game against the second year [Sophomore] players. ● Kevin Durant (Seattle Thunder Guard/Forward) led all scorers with a Rookie Challenge record of 46. ● Michael Beasley (Miami Heat Forward) led the Rookie team with 29 points. ● Sophomores beat the Rookies 122-116.

SHOOTING STARS: where a team consisting of an NBA legend and a WNBA player become one team to score the fastest.

Participants: Detroit, San Antonio, Los Angeles & Phoenix ● Team Detroit (Piston Aaron Afflalo, legend Bill Laimbeer and Shock Katie Smith) won their 2nd Shooting Stars title in the last

●Jason Kapono (Toronto Raptors Forward) was favoured to repeat as the Shootout champion, but was eliminated in the 1st round. ●Daequan Cook (Miami Heat Guard) showed he was a skilled marksman and was able to win the Shootout after forcing a tiebreaker with Rashard Lewis (Orlando Magic Forward).

DUNK COMPETITION Participants: Rudy Fernandez, Dwight Howard, Nate Robinson & J.R. Smith ●Dwight “Superman” Howard received a perfect 100 score in the first round. ●J.R. Smith (Denver Nuggets Guard) and Rudy Fernandez (Portland Trailblazers Guard) were eliminated in the first round. ●Nate Robinson (New York Knicks Guard) became the Kryptonite to Howard’s Superman and trumped him with a dunk which involved jumping

Many believed this All-Star Weekend (specifically the All-Star game) would be special because of the reunion of Shaquille O’Neal (Phoenix Suns Center) and his former teammate, Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers Guard).

Many people viewed this reunion as memorable because before O’Neal was traded, the tandem had won 3 NBA Championships together. There was also controversy between the two, which they seemed to throw out once they had a televised interview together.

A huge highlight of the night was Shaquille’s performance with the Jabbawockeez dance crew during the player introductions.

This performance set the hype of the all star game that followed the singing of “Star-Spangled Banner” and “O Canada.” The game was basically a back and forth raw offensive talent from both teams. AllStar games are well known for their lack of defensive demonstration and abundance of offensive display (which is shown by the 265 total points scored by both teams). Kobe Bryant on the Western conference led all scorers with 27 points and was on-fire for much of the game. That garnered him the title of co-MVP along with former teammate Shaquille O’Neal (who had 17 points on 88% shooting).

On the other side, LeBron James had 20 points to lead his Eastern Conference team. Although the East lost 119-146, no hard feelings were shared because this game was merely an exhibition. The AllStar Weekend allowed these players to just relax and have fun during a busy season while giving the fans something to cheer about. It definitely had me applauding.

By Kayla Mundy Kovalev’s goal. Inspired by his goal, Kovalev was awarded as the MVP for his outstanding performance in the game.

This two day All-Star event is the highlight of the NHL season because everyone can see potentially all of their favourite players participate in the same game and on the same ice in a friendly competition. Montreal, as the host city, was ideal mainly because of the support it received from the fans. They braved the cold to attend these festivities and their energy positively affected the game as it motivated the players to amaze these devoted fans. The skills competition was very compelling because as the rounds progressed, the competition increased as each player fought to show off their best talents. But even with the skills competition and overall All-Star game, this year’s best memory was when Alexander Ovechkin shot in the shoot-out. His hat and sunglasses really sold the crowd but unfortunately he couldn’t put the puck to the back of the net. The YoungStars game was very amusing to watch because we could observe and note this season’s best-of-thebest rookies, especially Toronto Maple Leafs rookie defenseman, Luke Schenn. The fact that the East won was the greatest part for me because I do believe the Eastern conference produces the greatest all-stars.

In the end, all the fans walked out grinning from the game mainly because they could see all the all- stars at once. The players were pleased too because they did not feel the pressure of a regular season game but instead got to play some fun, good ol’ fashioned hockey alongside many of the best players in the league.

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In the world of a hockey fan, there is nothing more exciting than seeing all the stars of the game come together and play to see who is the best-of-the-best.

This happens once a year in the NHL All-Star Game, which took place on Saturday January 24th and Sunday January 25th in Montreal, Quebec at the Bell Centre.

Before the event can take stage, the NHL stars have to be elected. On nhl. com, the fans take responsibility in participating in an online voting system where they select their favourite players. After the votes are tallied, the National Hockey League (NHL) announces the tribune of players that will perform in this event. The league tries their best to include a player from every team. After all this has been decided, the festivities are ready to begin.

The weekend is fired up with the entertaining skills game, where various stars are put to the test in different elements of the game.

After all the excitement of the All-Star SuperSkills, the NHL celebrities played a full game the following day. Within each period of the game, the Eastern and Western conference rotated different goalies. The east starred Carey Price, Henrik Lundqvist and Tim Thomas in net while the west had Niklas Backstrom, Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Roberto Luongo.

Overall, the game was a high scoring one. There were six goals scored in the first period alone, where the East took charge with a score of 4 -2. In the second period, the East added another four goals to have a tohtal of eight, but unfortunately for them, the West rallied up six goals to tie the unforeseen game at eight goals in a piece. Both teams remained even in the third period, with both conferences scoring an additional three goals only to lengthen the tie at 11 – 11.

This is the second highest number of goals scored in an all-star game (22) merely losing to the 26 goals scored in Colorado when North America took on the world in 2001. To determine the all-star winners this year, the game went into sudden death overtime. This solved nothing and forced the game to go into a decisive shootout. After a succession of goals, the East finally prevailed thanks to Alexei 18 mwplanet VOLUME 14 / ISSUE 2

wact WACT When Facebook, the widely used social-networking website, became open to everyone with a valid e-mail on September 26, 2006, it allowed not only kids but also a large number of parents to join, creating much controversy amongst high school and college students.

A group was created recently when students became uncomfortable, titled “For the love of god – don’t let parents join Facebook”. The group has over 6000 members. “I don’t want my parents looking at my stuff!” says Eileen Posadas, a Mary Ward senior student.

The number of parents using Facebook is growing. A survey was conducted in a grade ten technology class. Out of 20 students, all but two had signed up for the social networking website. Of the 18 students who had a Facebook account, five students said that at least one of their parents had also signed up.

These students made it clear that they would not accept their parents as “friends,” or Facebook contacts who would have access to profile information, photographs, and messages amongst friends. Raymond Bince, a grade 10 student, denies the very people that gave him life. “My parents have been trying to add me for six months!” says an exasperated Bince.

“No, it’s too personal. If people posted a picture of you, you wouldn’t want your parents to see it,” says Erika Tenorio, a grade 12 student. She is uncomfortable with the idea of her parents joining the site, but believes they have the right to.

“If my parents had Facebook, I wouldn’t have Facebook,” claims Tenorio.

Calvin Pudjowargono, a senior student, commented on whether parents should be allowed on Facebook, “No, once they reach parenthood they should disable their accounts.”

The issue of privacy was his main concern. “To respect privacy, parents shouldn’t attempt to use Facebook, because the only r e a - son they would is because they don’t trust you,” Pudjowargono reasons.

“If you have trustworthy parents it’s okay, but if you have parents like mine it’s a problem. They either want to be cool or they want to spy on their kids. They don’t even really know how to use computers,” proclaims Eileen Posadas. A possible solution to help teenagers prevent parents from viewing their profiles is the limited profile option. This allows you to control what can and can’t be viewed by certain people.

During adolescent years it is important for teenagers to find their own identity. They often feel threatened or uncomfortable when their parent(s) participate in the same activities and engagements. Most teens want to separate from their parents, as a part of growing up. So when your mother writes on your wall, it is equivalent to having your friends over and having your mom come in and talk while you and your peers try to hang out. That’s when my “homies” would sign off. TTYL.

By Michael Chiu and Eric Wong Does anyone remember the blackout that Mary Ward had several weeks back?

For those of you who do, you should all be able to remember the silence and the confused faces of those in the surroundings. Honestly, just what could you do without wireless internet, a computer, or something entertaining? Mrs. Giardini notified students of the problem (via the P.A. system) and asked them to perform a simple task: to just pull out a sheet of lined paper and start writing out units by hand. At that moment, someone, somewhere, would have thought: “What is this? Blasphemy! Who could possibly work without electricity?”

Well, believe it or not, it is actually possible. As radical as it may seem, electricity is a relatively recent development; the most commonly used applications are even more recent. Cellphones were the size of a really large brick 30 years ago. Computers as we know them today, with graphical user interfaces (such as Mac, Windows, Linux, etc.) are even newer, being some 25 years old. Both of these are metaphorical chicks compared to the mother hen that is human civilization, which have existed for at least 7000 years. What happened to the good old days when people weren’t always lugging around some form of technology and abusing its potential? What happened to meeting up at the store for some good, old-fashioned fun? Now, it’s all about online gaming, or some other form of technology dependent entertainment.

“Oh, did you see that picture of Lena on Facebook? I’ll link you! Oh, and what about that interview of Tuck on MSNBC? I’ll post it on YouTube for you”.

For those of us who occasionally venture outside of our homes, hearing these types of conversations are not new. Sitting in a major community hub, overhearing people talking about their cellphone plans or the latest episode of their favourite soap opera is not an uncommon occurrence. This technological dependence has become second-nature for the new generation; it is as if technology is using us instead of vice versa.

To confirm all this nonsense on “technological addiction”, one of the writers decided to experience first hand what it would be like to have one aspect of their life removed from them for a week. It just so happened to be the use of MSN Messenger, an instant messaging protocol. One week without instant messaging; how hard could it be? Very, apparently.

The urge to chat with others increases the longer you stay away from it, and before long, he had to do something. He resorted to his cellphone. For three days out of a seven day week, he racked up more than 5 hours of talk time. That’s 300 minutes each day! Talk about out of the frying pan and into the fire, eh? If this were to be analyzed from an observer’s point of view, that is 900 minutes of speaking to a small machine that relays sound back and forth. The worst part is, cellphone usage is still a technological advancement. This whole experiment proved two things: firstly, that if we are kept from one form of technology, we will find an alternative, and secondly, that we are an extremely social species who just cannot manage to shut ourselves up.

A question worth asking at this time and age is how the world would be without technology. Imagine a boy playing with a ball and a stick for hours without any form of online entertainment.

Whereas the majority of society who were brought up amidst technological use would find it depre-

ciating and immensely boring, the opinions of someone from before the current era would be different.

One of the major effects that technology has had on the human race is lower the average attention span of each person. People everywhere complain of how it is “so boring!” in their lives and how they have nothing to do, whereas it is obviously quite the opposite. As a concluding thought, here is a question that all of us humans can ask ourselves: When was the last time we slowed down from our everyday lives and enjoyed the nothingness?

WACT WACT

Who Wants To Be A Slumdog Millionaire?

Ever since Slumdog Millionaire was screened at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 2008, it has become the first widely acknowledged success of the festival. It went on to be screened at numerous film festivals around the world and received the same praise from critics and movie-goers. Slumdog Millionaire is a film that has many different elements that makes it interesting to movie-goers. Slumdog burst on to the scene with humor, heartbreak, betrayal, action, high stakes drama and a fairytale love story.

The rags-to-riches story is set in the dirty backstreets of Mumbai. Not many fairytales stories open with a mysterious and intense torture scene. A police inspector in Mumbai, India, tortures Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) a former street child from the slums. Jamal is a contestant on the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire who has made it to the final question, but the police are accusing him of cheating. The question on the mind of the police is “What the hell can a slum boy possibly know?” Little do they know that the intentions of Jamal are not to win the 20 million rupees. His reason is much more important to him. His goal is to reunite with his long lost childhood love, named Latika, played by the beautiful Freida Pinto.

British film director Danny Boyle and Loveleen Tandan direct this marvelous piece of work. Writer Simon Beaufoy adapts the film from an award winning novel by Indian author Vikas Swarup, Q and A. The essence of the film is Danny Boyle’s ability to capture the evolution of the city through the eyes of a child. We learn the history of Jamal and the other principal characters through flashbacks, as Jamal answers questions on the TV show solely from the knowledge he has gained from his own life experiences. Danny Boyle worked closely with cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle to capture the essence of India and it’s wonders.

A good example of this is when a young Jamal and his friends are being chased by the police and in order to escape, they run through the complicated infrastructure of the slums. The scene was carefully edited which made you feel apart of the chase, while still capturing the beauty and lifestyles of the people living in the slums. There was intensity, beauty and humor in this scene.

The music that was used in Slumdog Millionaire was truly effective. The

Reviews by Jose Raul Solorzano

music gave the stunning cinematography an extra boost. Indian film composer, record producer and musician, A.R Rahman, composed pieces to fit the images in a very effective way. Director Danny Boyle commented that he liked the way Rahman made “edgy, upfront” music that did not sound suppressed. The Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack is a Golden Globe winning soundtrack that includes catchy tunes by British singer M.I.A and of course A.R Rahman. Two songs have been nominated for an Academy Award, “Jai Ho” by A. R. Rahman which features Indian singers Sukhwinder Singh, Tanvi Shah, Mahalakshmi Iyer and “O... Saya” performed by A. R. Rahman and M.I.A. With many awards won and receiving great reviews from critics and movie-goers, Slumdog Millionaire is without a doubt a film that everyone must watch. The movie’s stunning cinematography, excellent directing, deep plot and fairytale love story are the reasons why it is a major contender to win best picture at the prestigious Academy Awards. The only thing that may stop Slumdog from sweeping this category are the movie’s exaggerated Bollywood-isms, Dev Patel’s monotone reactions and the predictible ending. However, due to the hype generated by the movie and enthusiastic response from viewers who are calling it a “masterpiece” and “one in a million”, my bet is that Slumdog Millionaire will take Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

www.citylife.co.uk

Born Under Unusual Circumstances The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a drama film inspired by the short story that F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote in 1921. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a film that includes many historical events in American History, symbolism, stunning visual effects, remarkable make-up effects and well-written character developments. It is an incredible story directed by David Fincher and stars Brad Pitt (Fight Club), Cate Blanchett (Babel) and Taraji P. Henson (Hustle & Flow).

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a movie that will make you think about life. As I sat through the film, many questions were running through my mind. Imagine, if you were forced to live life backwards, starting with old age and ending with infancy. Imagine, if you had to deal with the death of loved ones around you at the start of your life. The film also grabs your attention with stunning visual effects and special make-up effects. The visual effects really stand out in a scene where Benjamin and the crew of a boat crash and sink a German boat in the Atlantic Ocean. Make-up artist Greg Cannom stated that it took five hours each day to complete the make-up required for the role. The transition of old Benjamin to young Benjamin is truly amazing and was done effectively and gradually throughout the film. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button did have its flaws.

Since the film was loosely based on the short story, it should have focused or included key historical events of North American history. The Great Depression and segregation of Blacks and White were not included. It focused on historical events that caused Americans to fight, not the events that the Americans initiated. The writers Eric Roth and Robin Swicord added a line segment throughout the movie that was meant to be used as comedic relief but was not done effectively. The line 20 mwplanet VOLUME 14 / ISSUE 2

www.channel4.com “Did I ever tell you I was struck by lightning seven times?” did not have anything to do with the storyline. It seemed as if director David Fincher was adding more non-irrelevant content to the film. This brings me to the biggest flaw of the film; it ran on for too long. The film lasted for nearly three hours. Therewww.channel4.com were some events and encounters with other characters in the life of Benjamin Button that were not important. Some of those events could have been saved for the deleted scenes feature on the DVD. If one can look beyond The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’s flaws you can admire and appreciate its beautiful visual effects, make-up effects, plot and powerful character portrayals by Pitt and Blanchett. It’s no surprise that a film like this would be nominated for 13 Academy Awards

WACT WACT

What is Watchmen? Who are the Watchmen?

Watchmen is a twelve-issue comic book written during 1986 and 1987 by Alan Moore. The story takes place in an alternate history of the United States Cold War era where the Soviet Union is edging closer to a nuclear war with the U.S. However, this is an alternate history is due to the presence of superheroes. The story revolves around seven superheroes known as The Watchmen: The Comedian, Dr. Manhattan, Ozhmandias, Nite Owl, Silk Spectre and Rorschach. The series attempted to create a believable alternate reality and therefore the crime fighters of Watchmen, commonly referred to as “superheroes”, have no powers with the exception of Dr. Manhattan. If you’re wondering which power he has, he has all of them.

Essentially he has power over atoms, which is basically the entire planet.

You may notice the recurring phrase “Who Watches the Watchmen?”This phrase can be seen in the background in many panels of the comic as graffiti or something alike. This symbolizes a critical analysis of all superheroes because it is trying to imply that the existence of Dr. Manhattan in this alternate universe has given the U.S an advantage over the Soviet Union, which only increases the tensions between the two nations. Also, superheroes have become unpopular among the general public within this universe. This led to the eventual legislation to outlaw them. As a result, many of the heroes retired, with the exception of Dr. Manhattan, The Comedian and Rorschach. The Comedian and Dr. Manhattan

became agents for the American government and Rorschach chose to continue his vigilante ways even though he is labelled as an outlaw. The plot is set in motion with The Comedian’s death (don’t worry that wasn’t a spoiler) which occurs at the beginning of the story. Rorschach believes he has uncovered a plot against all costume heroes and sets off to warn the rest of the Watchmen and the story begins.

The actual making of the movie has a pretty interesting storyline. It has been in production since 1986. That’s right, 23 years of production! The reason for this is because it was continually abandoned because of the complex storyline and lack of funding. The most recent delay was because Fox sued Warner Bros, the company currently producing the film, on the grounds of copyright violation (a technical issue where one of the producers failed to pay Fox in 1991 for rights to the story). The movie appeared to be stalled yet again, but luckily enough thestudios came to an agreement where Fox is entitled to around 25% of the movie’s earnings. So through impossible odds, Watchmen is coming to theatres near you March 6th, 2009.

In my opinion, if you’re a fan of any superhero movie, this will be a good movie to see. Not only is it an original story, but it has a deeper meaning that is still relevant in today’s world. I would also recommend picking up the graphic novel. Don’t worry if you think that by buying it you’re jumping on the bandwagon, I don’t judge! It’ll be worth every penny if you can appreciate a good story with some good art. There is a reason why it’s one the best graphic novels out there and that there is a movie made based on it. Happy watching and reading!

From computers the size of barnyards to laptops and then more userfriendly PDA’s; from VHS to DVD and the less tedious Blu-ray; from old record players to the Walkman to iPods, it seems like convenience has come a long way from being completely subjective to a more tangible piece of criteria: that is, the smaller the better.

Shoe after shoe appears on screen. You hear Becky Bloomwood begin to talk about her childhood. You’re introduced into her world, all about shop windows, fashion, and those magic cards that will get you anything you want. This is how the long awaited movie adaptation of the “Confessions of a Shopaholic” book series by Sophie Kinsella begins.

And in other media: from a 30-foot-tall, bikini-clad Jessica Alba or what have you looming up on your windshield endorsing some brand of shampoo or whatever, to a more enticing shot of some anime chick in a few pixels on a popup window. If advertisers, corporations--and arguably--political parties, can’t get to our heads, they can get on our nerves and/or grab us where it hurts to be grabbed the most. The three R’s of advertising and propaganda in general is repetition, repetition, repetition. The point is, basically, the target audience has to be and is being TOUCHED. Everything you say and do can, has been, and is being used against you.

Being a fan of the book series for quite a while, I was really looking forward to seeing Becky Bloomwood’s story up on screen. On Friday the 13thin February, the day of the release, a fellow Shopaholic fanatic and I used our PA day to go see the movie. After seeing the one hundred and four minute long film, both of us came out with mixed feelings.

Overt fascism is a thing of the past and any blatant attempt at imposing your own viewpoints on somebody else of another opinion is just plain simplemindedness. Say you were Michael Jackson or R. Kelly; to go up to a little kid and demand that they get into your car and submit themselves is just way too blunt. Announcing your intent prompts aggression from the target audience when passive is what you’re aiming for. A more rational world doesn’t mean you just make sure not to get caught when you’re being irrational, only that there’s more rational ways to get what you want faster. The trick is to SEDUCE the target audience.

Compared to book, “Confessions of a Shopaholic” was not very good.

A lot of the movie geared away from the novel, completely changing many great parts of the series. Obviously, changes are to be expected. One major difference was the setting; the movie took place in New York, while the novel was set in London, England. I, however, was not expecting the changes to be quite so great. Still, the essence of the novel was there. I found myself sympathizing with Becky Bloomwood, shopping addiction and all, as I did while reading the books.

Judged as a movie alone,“Confessions of a Shopaholic” was enjoyable.

With many comedic laugh out loud scenes such as the ridiculous dance between Becky and her boss, Luke Brandon. It had magical moments, like mannequins in shop windows which come to life and tempt Becky to make her next purchase. It is a light, easy movie to watch so I recommend it for a good laugh and fun time.

The increasing user-friendliness of products, the more frequent use of viral marketing techniques, in conjunction with the political correctness of the times is scary, if you think about it.

A word to the wise guy.

VOLUME 14 / ISSUE 2 mwplanet 21

Ward

Black History Month

22 mwplanet VOLUME 14 / ISSUE 2

creative spaces SPACES CREATIVE

By Christine Daniel Watching the sky, watching the flames As time goes by, the trees are tamed.

No longer does the wild green grow; Leaves become like fire, and move like snow.

Time is fading, the sky grows dark; In comes the owl, out goes the lark.

Stars, when seen, shine with all their might; But their gleam is covered by the cold street light.

As I watch the earth grow cold, I ask my brother when the leaves unfold.

He smiled tenderly and his reply Was to watch the snow swirl by.

So now I wait for the flames to burn, Become like ashes, and in return.

The snow will come, and every flake, I count until spring awakes.

By Kristin Alphonso I need to know someone is there To lean back on and trust To fall back on no matter where That saving me is a must To close my eyes Breaking all those ties And know that when it’s all done We will still be as one

By Alex De Pompa Math test, oh math test, How I detest thee!

Math teacher, oh math teacher, Why must you fail me?

Slope-intercept shan’t help me Become a zebra or a chimpanzee Zebras, oh zebras! Striped and lovely Math teacher, why must you fail me?

Off to an asylum, I shall go My math teacher failed me, and so…

Now I’m a zebra! He-ha-ho!

Math teacher, why did you fail me?

By Arnetia Bishop She’s walking down the blue hallway one day She turns to her friends as they laugh and play She wonders if they know what happened to her How her relationships take her for what she’s worth She passes by him and lends him a smile He looks at her like she’s not worth his while She smiles out the outside, while holding it in She wishes he would smile back because she was so grim Then she walked outside of school all sad She wishes she could just get along with her dad She cries herself better but no one knows She holds a flower in her hand and she’s so alone She turns around and stares into clear blue eyes He’s standing right there, oh what a surprise!

He smiles at her and she suddenly sees How beautiful he looks with a background of trees He walks up to her and looks her in the face He grabs her chin and she feels her heart race He opens his mouth and no words come out But the look in his eyes, there is no doubt Finally she hears “Stop looking so grim, Stop hiding all the feelings you have deep within.

I miss the girl who had a bright big smile I always pretended she wasn’t worth my while.”

She laughs silently and then she pretends, That this moment would never end He grabs her hand and pulls her by his side He says “Let’s go in and you’ll decide, Whether to talk about your feeling in side of your head Do you wish you could live while you feel so dead?”

She looks into his clear blue eyes, And all of a sudden her vision subsides She’s back in the hallway, sitting with her friends They’re laughing non stop and she laughs to pretend.

She see’s him pass by as she looks up He looks confused, like he ran out of luck She catches his eyes and sends him and a smile And he smiles back like she’s worth his while.

He sits down beside her and her friends And this is how the story ends Maybe just a hallway to the world But a smile helped this one lonely girl.

If only we could all be like that So smile in the hallway and see who smiles back.

VOLUME 14 / ISSUE 2 mwplanet 23

fun and AND games GAMES FUN

By Rhea Tan

By Alex De Pompa NUMERO UNO. My fur is golden. I have a mane. I have sharp claw-like nails. I have a tail. I am not a lion, though the word ‘lion’ is in my name.

What am I? DEUX!! If you take off my skin, I won’t cry, but you will. What am I? THREEEEEEEE! What comes once a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years?

QUATRO No sooner spoken than broken. What is it?

To find out the answers to these mind-boggling riddles, check out planet. maryward.ca

By NIcole Caguiat

By Gabriel Bautista, Rakhavan Keetswaran, Chesca Miranda, & Edmond Lai

Jewels Lamp Neela Prince Princess Ring Shammar Scheherazade Sultan Sultana

A R E K D D I F A E O H S S E C N I R P G

D L I L A I J O S J D O N U S E S S E Y W

H O A R S H A M M A R A E L A R I U A E A

O N L D E A S E U M A Y Z T L A T S L L D

I A E R D M M S D M L W L A T K H H L R D

G T E A D I I O K A L E O N R I S I Y E E

U R N I L L N O I L I H L D N E R S R B E

Y A E V R A E L P X R C R A H S H R R M L

D P L A O H A T O D O A X R E L J E A I G

R S A X W N E O M F G W H Y H L E C H K N

A C H O P C H O P O G E P X D O D N R C A

W M T O N I X F N X N A M S N D I A E I S

Y E S S X A B B U B I L A Y A X E D T M T

R N I L E R O F T X R X L U L A I Y T E A

A I T E I A D N A R I M L G I N N L O C C

M M U W B O A A M A Z A K A L A E L P N I

L M A E M B M B E R U S A E R T G E P I S

H E B J O I S L A N D L M A O L E B A R S

D A R K Z E B R A S A L M O N U B U R P E

Hint: The words are hidden forward, backwards, upwards, downwards and diagonally.

24 mwplanet VOLUME 14 / ISSUE 2

R R B U H C A K I P E C R O F S E H T X J

Aladdin Alakazam Ali Bubba Belly Dancers Chop-Chop Dragon Genie Halima Jammal Jasmine