Mary Ward Planet - Vol.15, Issue 1, Winter 2009-10

volume 15 | issue 1 | winter edition 2009

MARY ARY W WARD ARD M planet.maryward.ca

AN NEETT PPL LA information | art | style | leisure

“ T h i s i s i t ” S A C D a n c e | L a n y a r d N a m e G a m e | A t h l e t i c Po l i c y

03 EDITORS’ NOTE Introduction to Editors H1N1 Debate

05 WORLD ISSUES

Typhoon Hits Philippines AIDS Vaccine Development Health Care in the U.S. Where’s the Green Light

Top ten reasons to read this

issue of the Mary Ward Planet:

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9.

8.

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5.

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3.

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The photo of Taylor Lautner on page 19.

The absence of Comic Sans.

To find out what Ashley’s Kardashian Sims characters are up to.

You want to know where Alex’s splendiferous trees grow.

This is it! Mr. Wong’s DANCE MOVES exposed!

After the season finale of Glee,, you will need another source of entertainment.

You can get the scoop on the lanyard debate, the athletic feeasco, asco, and university application angst.

TMZ’s got nothing on us!

You will have the chance to win 2 movie passes on the Planet’s revamped official website http://planet.maryward.ca/

1.

One word: SUDOKU! Merry Christmas from your P.A.L.

--Mrs. Powell, Ms. Albert, & Ms. Largo

CODE OF ETHICS

All content © 2009-2010-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.

LAYOUT ARTISTS Jessica Lee Naomi Reyes Cindy Liang Reeza Enverga Justin Buenaflor Jan Cruz Samantha Lui Michael Chen

Hazel Llanes Rowena Rollon Sarah Quinto Mariah Llanes Samantha Tjong Adrian Amado Dorica Manuel Dorothy Manuel

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COMMUNITY

14

LA PETITE PLANÈTE

16

SPORTS

19

WACT/LIFESTYLES

22

CREATIVE SPACES

24

FUN AND GAMES

New Policy: Lanyards University Stress York University Interview with the new VPs Gender Justice DECA The 7 Habits Express Yourself Raise the Roof SAC Dance Senior Art Trip to Italy

Au Centre Des Examens Le Français dans L’Universités La Ségrégation Encore?

Le Petite Garçon

Athletic Policy Exposé Fall Sports Overview Senior Boys’ Volleyball Cross Country Vancouver 2010

New Moon Jennifer’s Body Sims 3 Wonder Girls Glee

Video Game Addictions Where the Splendiferous Trees Grow The Mistletoe

Comics Horscope Sudoku Get Reel Contest

editor’s section SECTION EDITOR’S

PHOTO CREDITS: ERIC WONG

A word that comes to mind to represent new beginnings and challenges is “change.” Our school community has experienced quite a few changes from the last school year. With new administration, new policies, and new lanyards, change is evident in the Mary Ward community. The Mary Ward Planet has changed as well, with a new executive staff, presenting our team with a great deal of incredibly talented and skilled students.

As your Editor-in-Chief for the past two years, it is evident that I have changed the Mary Ward Planet with new approaches and strategies to make this award-winning newspaper become the best of the best. The Planet team is clearly one of the most committed and talented student- run groups in the school. Overall, I am extremely honoured to be a part of this spectacular publication. I would have never imagined how many opportunities and accomplishments the Planet has allowed me to experience. I am grateful for the commitment of the hundreds of members that contribute every school year to the Mary Ward Planet. This dedication has earned recognition with the prestigious Toronto Star awards where our tri-annual publication currently holds the title of “Best Student Volunteer Newspaper in Ontario.”

As the Planet continues to own up to its legacy with the Star, the media has also recognized our school newspaper for its Diana Vecchiarelli greatest efforts. The popular high school based show, High School Rush, interviewed the Mary Ward Planet staff early last month.

Editor-in-Chief The producer of this Rogers television show was very impressed with our publication and our past achievements with the Toronto Star.

Watch your very own Mary Ward Planet featured on Rogers Channel 63 (Scarborough) or 10 (Toronto) this January 2010.

This Planet issue, along with our upcoming issues, would not be as successful without the leadership and perseverance of its executive team and teacher moderators, Mrs. Powell, Ms. Largo, and Ms. Albert. Throughout this issue alone, the executive team has immensely improved the Mary Ward Planet leading our publication to its usual triumph.

Naomi Reyes Art Editor

Michael Chiu Photography Editor

Alex De Pompa World Issues Editor

Cindy Liang Community Editor

Adrian Kania Sports Editor

Michael Chen Creative Spaces Editor

Samantha Lui Rédactrice and Sr. Planet Relations

Nairy Khodabakhshian Junior Editor

Samantha Tjong Junior Editor

Hazel Llanes Planet Webmaster

Ashley Rostamian WACT Editor

Arevik Vardanyan Jr. Planet Relations

Everyone’s contribution to the Planet this issue deserve to be congratulated. Your journalistic approaches to writing outstanding articles, creating stunning layouts, and capturing impressive photos have surely reached above and beyond our expectations.

As you flip through the pages of this issue, you will notice that several school changes and polices are addressed. Make sure to read Jan Cruz’s feature regarding our new lanyards, and Adrian Kania’s athletic policy investigation. Feeling lucky? Visit the Mary Ward Planet’s very own website (planet.maryward.ca) and enter for a chance to win two free movie tickets to a screening of your choice! Or if you just want to get your mind off units, challenge yourself to a Sudoku, read your horoscope, and enjoy the comics.

Congratulations to all for this very successful issue! I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a spectacular New Year! Enjoy!

Your Editor-in-Chief,

VOLUME 15 / ISSUE 1 mwplanet 03

world issues ISSUES WORLD

The Ontario government cannot put an end to the disagreements.

If you decided to get your license this year, start reconsidering. Ontario driver examiners are continuing the strike. More students are taking public transportation and relying on their parents for a ride. The strike, which began on August 21, 2009 affected 114 000 citizens. Ever since then, more and more Ontarians, especially students, have been upset because they cannot get their licenses.

Senior Mary Ward students have commented about the strike. Our own Samantha Lui shared, “I really don’t mind the strike; I know I am not the best driver, so I am fine with waiting until the strike is over. In fact, this strike gives me more time to practice, which is great, because I know I can perfect my weaknesses, such as parallel parking and backing in.” Samantha also added, “In the end, I can see how people are against the strike because it can be an inconvenience to some adults who actually need to drive their kids around or do errands. For teenagers, I think they're against it because they don't want to ride the bus all the time, or they want some sense of accomplishment when they have their license. They want to make sure it's legit. Also, I think teens want the strike to be over because they want to be able to drive alone without an adult around.”

The examiners are fighting to get back their original contract with Serco DES Inc. After gaining over $114 million, the company decided that the examiners should work longer hours in the summer and have more time off in the winter. This breaches the employees’ contract. Another senior student, Lara Tarzi, says, “I feel unlucky, and it is unfair. I am at a legal age to drive, and this strike is taking that advantage away from me and other youth.”

The disagreement reached a new level when the examiners on strike stopped trying to reach a compromise. They would not put their word out to help solve the situation. The strike is also affecting trade in Canada; it is a big inconvenience for the trucking industry. New truck drivers cannot get their licences, therefore, they cannot work. Drive Test Ontario has agreed to accept expired licences until the end of the dispute.

This strike is also affecting Canada’s economy. The strike prevents those who have paid good money from completing their driver’s test. Senior students who had scheduled their test dates a week before the strike had it even worse because they were ready and prepared to get their license.

Some students need a license to help their families as well.

Most teenagers are against the strike and feel that they are ready to get their licenses, though some admit that they need the extra time to practice.

However, unless the examiners’ union and Secro Des Inc. negotiate to find acceptable working conditions that both parties can agree on, it seems unlikely that the strike will end anytime soon.

04 mwplanet VOLUME 15/ ISSUE 1

ON Swine flu, Pig flu or HINI (hi-knee), call it what you want, the H1N1influenza has infected media across the world and there are no signs of it slowing down. News on TV, in print, on the radio and internet, are berating us daily about the H1N1 virus and it is beginning to take a toll on everyone. As the chief delegates of news for the Mary Ward community, the executive staff of The Mary Ward Planet would like to point out that we too are frustrated by all the hype on this seemingly “everywhere at once” virus.

All this talk about the “waves” of H1N1 and its nearly-impossible-to-detectuntil-it-is-too-late-symptoms has rendered us all incapable of handling the situation with level heads. Furthermore, the media’s current tactic in educating people seems to be attacking us as if they were the influenza themselves. This technique has been informative, but also very misleading at the same time. We have all heard about the H1N1 vaccination being offered across Canada, but we have also heard a lot more than that. Controversy riddles the H1N1 vaccination to the point where talk about it has almost become taboo. We believe that the media has overhyped the H1N1 virus, creating lots of talk and false impressions, rather than actually giving us the hard facts. Every day we hear about the growing rate of fatalities caused

by H1N1, but what are the underlying factors and conditions that we are not hearing about? Moreover, we question the fear that H1N1 has caused in people when other viruses are just as prominent and virulent. Also we wanted to point out that it should be a habitual practice to wash our hands as frequently as possible, not just because there is a flu epidemic. Perhaps H1N1 has improved everyone’s hygiene, but the media’s portrayal of the virus has brought us closer to being hypochondriacs and germaphobes. We want to know exactly whether the news is worth hearing or if all we really need is to take some precaution. Here’s the lesson everyone, avoid buying into the media’s antics, make good decisions about what you believe in and be your own health advocate!

world issues ISSUES WORLD

By Dorica Manuel

PHOTO CREDIT: PDC.ORG

In six hours, Metro Manila, Philippines, was flooded as a result of Typhoon Ondoy, internationally known as Ketsana on Saturday, September 26, 2009.

According to the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), Ketsana has resulted in 264 deaths, 44 missing, and 1,145 injured .

Ketsana is the worst flooding in the Philippines since the twenty-four hour flood that took place on June 7, 1967. Ketsana’s 341.3 millilitres of rainfall in six hours in comparison to 1967’s 344 millilitre level recorded in 24 hours, displays the intensity of the flood in the Philippines. A month’s worth of rain poured onto Manila during this time.

On September 23 about 860 km winds formed northwest of Palau. The next morning, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) named it ‘Tropical Storm Ondoy’ and issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert. Later that morning, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) classified it as a Tropical Depression.

On September 25, it was upgraded to a Tropical Storm when the JMA system noticed the tropical storm moving in vertical wind shear and high amounts of pressure over the system. It was named ‘Tropical Storm Ketsana’ when it passed over Luzon, a region in the Philippines.

On September 26, roughly before noon, Ketsana hit the border of the Aurora and Quezon provinces with rainfall. The winds were at 85 km/h near the center and gusts of up to 100 km/h. At around 2:00 p.m., Ketsana reached Metro Manila and caused extensive flooding in Quezon, Makati, Pasay, Pasig, Antipolo, Taguig, Valenzuela, Marikina, Malabon, San Juan and Muntinlupa. Provinces such as Bulacan, Rizal and Laguna were also affected by the flooding.

With flooding of up to twenty feet high, eighty percent of Manila was under water.

According to Environment Program for Southeast Asia (EEPSA), Manila is one of the provinces in Southeast Asia that is the “most vulnerable to flooding”. As the capital of the Philippines, Manila is a place that accommodates twelve million people. It is filled with wetlands and many rivers and streams. The corruption of preparation and infrastructure led to the vulnerability of the city.

Unfortunately, the government neglected the conditions of the sewers and drainage systems in Manila. When Ketsana’s rainfall hit the city, many drains were blocked by plastic bags and garbage, contributing to the flooding.

Amid the discussion, the most pressing question is who is to blame? According to the Planet Philippines, architect and urban planner, Felino Palafox Jr., says, “It’s us not following the plans and proposals. If you are an urban planner, an environmental planner, these have been planned as early as 1905. When I saw the damage caused by the floods recently, I realized that these were the same areas that had already been identified” Though preparation in case of a calamity in Metro Manila was planned many years ago by the government, long term planning was not a main concern for Philippine politicians.

However, everyone has a share of the blame. The world’s greenhouse gases, fossil fuel burning and deforestation from human activity have been the main causes of temperature increases since the mid-twentieth century. Industrialized countries are the main contributors to greenhouse emissions, and so, countries like the Philippines have to suffer the harsh awakenings of Mother Nature’s consequences.

Government officials and experts sounded the climate change alarm. They predicted that the large amount of water in the streets of Metro Manila would not be the last the country would see. They were correct.

On Saturday, October 3, a new storm typhoon, Parma, drenched the lands of Luzon. Parma and Ketsana’s casualities combined were up to 773 people killed and more than seven million affected.

From Saturday, October 17 to Sunday, October 18, Typhoon Lupit was on high alert. Lupit had winds of 140km/h and gusts at 170km/h. On Friday, October 23rd, the eye of the storm was to hit south of Aparri Town of Luzon Island’s north coast. The storm turned to the north and did not hit Philippines head on.

PHOTO CREDIT: PDC.ORG On Friday, October 30, the fourth typhoon in six weeks, Mirinae, approached the Philippines. The winds at 24km/h moved over the Philippines and towards Vietnam. In total, the storms have killed more than 850 people.

Health officials state that about 1.7 million people were exposed to floodwaters, exposing them to Leptospirosis disease. Leptospirosis is caused by water contamination mixed with the urine of infected animals entering the body through an open wound.

According to Yolanda Reyes, head of the National Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Leptospirosis has killed 96 of the 1,336 people who have been treated since October 1. She also states that The Health Department will provide antibiotics to 1.3 million people in high risk areas to help prevention.

About 122,000 people in the Philippines are in government evacuation centers in preparation for possible upcoming storms.

Today, international aid from organizations like the Red Cross, the United Nations Children’s Fund and the World Food Program are helping the people of the Philippines retrieve their homes and livelihood. Thousands of people throughout the world have donated food, money and their support to this cause.

Follow the story on page 12 about Raise the Roof, a fundraiser to support the victims of Typhoon Ketsana in the Philippines

05 mwplanet VOLUME 15 / ISSUE 1

HEALTH CARE IN THE UNITED STATES THE GREAT DEBATE

AIDS VACCINE a new development

By Adolf Benedick Toral

By Amanda Kennedy

The health care system in the United States is a frequent topic of dispute.

Critics view the U.S healthcare system as a major failure. They feel that the “greatest country in the world”, that spends billions upon billions of dollars on weaponry, has one of the poorest healthcare systems. Conversely, supporters feel that the US healthcare is the best and most advanced in the world and part and parcel of a democratic and capitalist society.

The U.S healthcare system is frequently compared to its Canadian counterpart. Many Americans, especially rightist Republicans, feel that the Canadian system is “socialized medicine”, and as such is a grand failure. They frequently quote reports of long wait lists and Canadians dying before receiving medical attention. They feel that by adopting the Canadian system, the US will be taking its first step towards becoming a socialist country. In reality, the Canadian system is far from being socialist. Even though the Canadian government subsidizes healthcare, most of the decisions that affect hospitals are made by private boards that are not controlled by the government.

According to Michael Moore’s documentary, SiCKO, 50 million Americans are uninsured. The United States does not guarantee the right of healthcare to all Americans. Through its Medicaid program, the American government only covers children, the very poor, and the disabled. This leaves a large portion of Americans without any protection. Compare this with the Canadian system, in which a Canadian has the right to proper health care; enshrined in the Canada Health Act. An American citizen can be denied life saving medical attention if he cannot come up with the money to cover these expenses.

An example of this is the plight of the ill 9/11 firefighters in the documentary. These heroes have developed respiratory illnesses from their duties in the 9/11 disaster. They were denied proper medical care in the United States. Michael Moore tried in vain to get them the help they PHOTO CREDIT GUARDIAN.CO.UK deserve in the country that they served, but ended up taking them to Cuba, a poor developing country, where they received free treatment.

Supporters of the Canadian health care system feel that it is more costeffective and humane than the US system. In 2006, the US spent 15.3 percent of its gross domestic product on healthcare while Canada spent only 10 percent of its GDP. This means the States spent $6714 USD while Canada spent only $3678 USD. Also of note, is that the average expectancy of a Canadian is 80 years, while that of an American is 78 years. Furthermore, the Canadian infant mortality rate is much lower than that of the United States. Thus, for almost half the cost, the average Canadian is more likely to survive birth and live a longer disease-free life than his American neighbour. Moreover, in 2000, the World Health Organization ranked Canada, thirtieth and the USA, thirty-seventh out of 190 countries of the world’s best health systems. The WHO also states that Canadian health outcomes are always superior to that of the USA. The Canadian health system is frequently criticized for its wait time.

Some Americans feel that Canadians wait too long for specialized tests or major surgeries, such as cataract surgery or fundamental treatments such as radiation for cancer treatment. However, Health Canada claims that these criticisms are grossly exaggerated, as the average wait time for specialized tests such as an MRI or CAT scan is two weeks. Compare that with statistics from the United States, in which patients on Medicaid can wait three months or more to see a specialist or not at all.

As the documentary, SiCKO, shows, the American health care system is a huge failure compared to its Canadian and European counterparts. Americans deserve a better and more comprehensive health care system that treats all people the same regardless of their income. The health of a population should be a right, not a privilege of the wealthy few.

Many know of AIDS as the epidemic that has taken the lives of millions over the past two decades. Even more are aware of its fatality and incurability, and most are wise to avoid contracting such a disease. However, how many people actually know what causes AIDS? How does it affect a person? How can it be treated?

AIDS stands for “Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome”, which is caused by HIV, an acronym for “Human Immunodeficiency Virus”. An HIVinfected person’s immune system will gradually decline, thus leaving him or her vulnerable to infections and other ailments. Once HIV has weakened the immune system to its most critical level, it is classified as AIDS. What is truly frightening about HIV is how easily it can PHOTO CREDIT SULEKHA.COM be transmitted from one person to another. This virus can pass to another person through direct exposure of a mucous membrane with bodily fluid that has been contaminated with HIV. The transmission can involve any form of intercourse, use of contaminated hypodermic needles, breastfeeding, pregnancy, or contact with other forms of infected bodily fluids.

This disease is a threat to everyone because of its contagious nature. It is fortunate that science advances itself to meet the needs of the world. For the first time in history, a new AIDS vaccine has made it to the shores of scientific progress; protecting a minority of victims infected with the virus. This may not be a complete cure, but it serves as a stepping stone to the eradication of HIV in the future. The new AIDS vaccine is comprised of two genetically altered vaccines that have failed to produce successful results in past treatment of the virus in humans, and is known as RV 144.

One of the vaccines that treats RV 144 is called Alvac-HIV, a canarypox virus that was developed by Sanofi-Aventis, a respected healthcare company. Alvac-HIV was designed to carry HIV genes but not harm humans; however, it does not protect humans either. The other vaccine is known as Aidsvax, made by Genentech Inc., a leading biotechnology corporation. Aidsvax contains a protein that is found on the surface of the AIDS virus and was meant to alert a significant amount of antibodies.

After testing this new vaccine on more than 16 000 volunteers in Thailand, results showed 31.2 percent of those who had been vaccinated were deemed protected from infection. Although the vaccine did not protect every volunteer, these results provide hope for victims and scientists alike in knowing that they have taken an important leap in possibly coming up with a cure.

When asked what he expects from this development in the future, senior Mary Ward student Brian Postalian says, “I wouldn’t be too hopeful for this to be a legitimate cure. History shows that throughout all the cures created, they all come with some sort of cost attached to them. I’d wait till further results are discovered before I make a judgement on whether the drug is good or bad.”

He will have to wait for the time being, considering the AIDS vaccine has only just opened previously locked doors that may or may not hold the answers scientists are looking for.

Proven to be a stubborn problem that has million, it is astonishing that a somewhat even been concocted against something the world since 1981. Although this new has yielded satisfactory results, all that it has is open untapped boulevards of research that will hopefully lead to a ‘true’ cure.

taken the lives of over 25 successful vaccine has that has devastated AIDS vaccine really done

community COMMUNITY

“What is in a name?” pondered the great English writer William Shakespeare. Here at Mary Ward, a name goes a long way. Calling someone by name usually signifies recognition, familiarity, and sometimes it can even mean someone is getting in trouble. Being a self-directed school, students come and go to different classes throughout the day, making it difficult to keep track of everyone by name. This is why lanyards were introduced to the student body for identification purposes.

Most students, especially senior students were not delighted and opposed the idea.

ago, Mary Ward has been trying to make the school a community that cares for the students’ education and well-being. “It won’t necessarily fix everything, but it is one small step to making the Ward community better,” Mr. Notten believes.

During the spring of 2009, a few teachers from Mary Ward attended the Canadian Coalition of Self-Directed Learning Conference (CCSDL). The event took place at Francis Kelsey, a self-directed school just like Mary Ward. The first thing they noticed about the school was the strong bond between teachers and students; and the way teachers are able to call their students by name. So as they returned to Mary Ward, they thought the idea of lanyards would make the school community stronger.

There are also some students who felt uncomfortable with having their first and middle names displayed. Alyanna Alzate, another grade twelve student responds.

“I feel that the lanyard as a whole is quite unnecessary. I understand the intentions, and these intentions of bringing us closer together as a community are reasonable and good, but there are certain aspects that I find a little bit extreme. I know from personal experience that having the name my parents registered into the school system displayed on a card for all to see is quite vexing. I’m uncomfortable with having my whole name displayed, having to explain to everyone with a questioning look. I know for others they may find embarrassment in their names, whether it is an odd middle name or their Chinese name - yet they use their English name in school.”

The whole proposal of lanyards was meant to make the school environment closer, friendlier and safer, since it is a great way to identify students within the community on a first name basis. “As we become closer as a community and safer as a community, we prevent future incidents from arising,” Mr. Chen, the new vice principal says.

There are over 1200 students and staff at Mary Ward, and each day teachers in subject areas see different faces, making it difficult for them to identify students by their name. Thus, it has become a challenging task for teachers to communicate with students. A lanyard with students’ names facilitates the identification and communication between students and teachers.

“In fact, calling students by their name is based on respect. We’re based on a philosophy of self-direction and we propose that we have a program that is a personalized and individualized model of education. So therefore, it behooves us to know our students as well as possible so we can provide the best education,” Mr. Notten, art teacher and CCSDL conference attendee says.

Every school year, there are a lot of changes proposed at Mary Ward to make the school community better, although, not all the changes offered are accepted by the whole community. With the introduction of “conditional zeroes” two years

In response to this, Stephanie Sarmiento, a grade twelve student says: “I know they had good intentions when they brought in the lanyards, but obviously not everybody agrees with this. He [Mr. Notten] has a good point about the personal education but I feel like this only applies with certain teachers.”

There are a lot of rumors circulating around the school community about the lanyards and how this will highlight the achievements of certain students in the school. “I hear rumors of having our progress in school on these lanyards. Are we trying to shame students into doing work, or are we creating a competitive atmosphere? I’d like to note that, as a grade twelve student, my opinion may be biased.

But I find that through my four years at Mary Ward, a little too much change can be stressful,” Alyanna states.

“There are no hidden agendas and no desire to control or take away student rights. There are no stickers that will identify if a student is behind or not,” assures Mr. Notten. “Trust us and give this a chance. Change is a process, not an event.”

On September 30, 2009, the first day lanyards were released, most of the students disregarded negative thoughts about their lanyards and went on with their day.

“When I’m relaxing, I just take off my lanyard and play with the emergency release strings.” said Eric Wong, a grade eleven student who found a way to use his lanyard as a form of entertainment.

VOLUME 15 / ISSUE 1 mwplanet 07

community COMMUNITY

When it comes to making choices on post-secondary education, students are unsure of where to start.

As the final frontier to high school, Grade 12 is a pivotal year for students.

While it is still enjoyable, many parts of the year bring on high levels of stress.

Homework, extracurriculars, jobs, marks, and the future is based on one crucial element: post-secondary education.

If post-secondary education did not seem important in Grade 11, Grade 12 is definitely the year where the idea of continuing education comes to mind.

Students are already beginning to feel the pressure to worry about marks according to what will be submitted to the universities, and it is only the beginning of the year!

With these worries, also comes confusion and many students are unsure of how the whole university system works.

“I’m confused on how to apply to universities and how the system works. How do you apply to what you want to major in? It’s like they [schools] just expect you to know all of this.” Mae Lehman, a Grade 12 student expressed.

Not only does the university system bewilder students, applying for scholarships seem to as well. ” I did not know there were so many [scholarships] out there. How do you find them? How do you apply?” Nathaniel Anderson, who plans to study life or health sciences, asks.

Students are worried about whether or not they will be able to pay for the costs of post-secondary education. Student Council President Filipe de Souza says,” I'm probably most concerned about finances and scholarships because I know that I don't have enough money to pay off my entire post secondary education. I'm already stressing about how much it's going to cost me.”

Some students are even rethinking their post-secondary choices as a result of tuition costs. Some people, like Filipe, believe that schools should be more persuasive in recruiting students.

“I think all schools SHOULD be more convincing and make their presentations more exciting. I mean, after all, we'll be the ones paying to go there so the least they can do is try and impress us.” Filipe added.

Guidance Counsellor Mr. Cerre believes that presentations might appear to be unappealing to some students because they often receive information that doesn't interest them. “It’s a little bit like being in university and finding yourself sitting in a lecture hall with a few hundred students. Compare that to sitting in a seminar with fifteen students. The material in the lecture may seem to be somewhat distant or dry, whereas in the seminar it is more personalized to the students' interests. We offer over thirty of these post secondary presentations and invariably students enjoy the sessions with fewer students attending."

It is also tricky for presenters to cover everything about the school in 45 to 60 minutes. This time limit may leave many of the students’ questions unanswered. “The difficulty university reps face is that they have very little time to explain the school in detail. The reps need to cover the College or University programs, entrance requirements for all faculties, costs, bursaries and scholarships, residence, extracurricular activities, plus any features of the institution. Students can attend any number of these presentations, but Grade 11 and 12 students are required to attend two of them." Cerre included.

Even so, Mr. Cerre advises students to attend these presentations. “By going to these lectures, it might be your first encounter with universities. Grade 11s get their first impression of postsecondary education and Gr. 12s can zero in on program decisions. It's also very important to visit the campuses and compare which one would be more suitable for you. Even as early as Grade 9, use www. electronicinfo.ca for University information and www.ontariocolleges.ca for Community College information."

Knowing that post-secondary education is a personal choice, there are many ways to get on the right track for choosing the perfect school. A good way to start would be taking the initiative to book visits and tours to universities and colleges to get a sense of what life would be like at the school. It is also important to get on a computer to be informed about scholarships and programs.

Some excellent websites for this are http://www.studentawards.com , http:// scholarshipscanada.com, http://schoolfinder.com, and looking into OSAP (the Ontario Student Assistance Program). As well, try researching scholarships and bursaries at schools of your choice. Furthermore, do not hesitate to consult your TA and guidance counselor.

Before choosing a school, it is crucial that correct research is done, leaving no questions unanswered so that you can learn as much about what schools and their programs can provide. In the end, your decision is the only thing that matters.

As if high school and university preparations aren’t perplexing enough, not knowing which schools to choose can also cause a lot of stress. Students still plan to apply to York while others are hesitant in the shadows of the 12 week job action.

This is not the first time York has been on strike. Rather, it is the third time in 12 years and last year’s strike became the longest strike ever at an Englishspeaking university in Canada. In the end, the provincial government legislated staff and students to go back to school before the matter was resolved. According to the Toronto Star, the number of Ontario high school students who applied to York as their first choice this school year dropped by 15 percent, most likely as a result of the strike. For students who wanted York as their second or third choice, the percentage has also dropped by 10.8 percent.

“Ever since the strike at York, I’ve second guessed my choices.

I have been considering U of T to see what other options are open.” stated Mae Lehman, who plans to study Psychology and Sexuality. She still thinks York is a better school for her, “York is more flexible though, whereas at U of T you have to specialize in one thing. At York, I am able to major in two things.”

Other students have always planned to attend York. Nicole Caguiat, another senior student, wants to attend the Schulich School of Business, “I want to go, because in business, reputation goes a long way. I think people who are really dedicated would go there for the program, regardless if the school went on strike.”

Despite the strike, the school is still one of the most reputable in the country. According to the prestigious Economist magazine, Schulich School of Business ranks 12th overall amongst the world’s top 100 MBA programs.

Planet Editor-in-Chief Diana Vecchiarelli, also in Grade 12, has always planned to attend York for Concurrent Education. She explains, “I feel the program at York works with what I want to pursue in my future. It is a recommended program to take according to many teachers who have graduated from York. The strike did make me think twice in applying there, however, it’s a risk I’m willing to take.” Vecchiarelli added.

In regards to whether York will be going on strike anytime soon, students had differing opinions. “I think the school might still go on strike while I’m attending. They’ll probably strike in three years because the school was legislated to go back to work.” Caguiat speculates.

Of the striking teaching assistants, graduate assistants and contract faculty who represented the Canadian Union of Public Employees 3903, 63 percent voted against a settlement offer from York. As a result, the government took action and voted for a legislation that forced the strikers to go back to work because students had lost a lot of time that was crucial to their education.

Vecchiarelli’s point of view is different. “I don’t think the university will go on strike in the near future. I think it’s too much of a risk for it to happen a second time in a span of a few years. Students are paying large amounts of tuition for their programs, and when their money is wasted over resolving settlements, they are going to sue.”

The school is building more confidence in order to interest students who apply. According to the York University website, the school is offering many scholarships, including some generous entrance bursaries and specific program scholarships.

Articles by Samantha Lui

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08 mwplanet VOLUME 15 / ISSUE 1

Thank you everyone for being so welcoming. I already feel like one of the family.

Thank you again. I am enjoying every day here and I am looking forward to what our students are going to bring to Mary Ward in the future.

community COMMUNITY This year, Mary Ward welcomed new staff members to our community including two Vice Principals- Mr. Chen and Ms. Keenan. Both entered our school with little knowledge of our unique self directed program, but were excited to begin.

Ms. Keenan and Mr. Chen went to great lengths to research about Mary Ward’s distinctive program, allowing them to understand the entire concept.

Ms. Keenan and Mr. Chen have been working in our community for over three months now, and both love the fantastic system. They like the idea of a non traditional twist and the challenges it brings to the students. We asked our vice principals, “If you had a chance to attend Mary Ward, would you actually have made it through the process?” Mr. Chen and Ms. Keenan both said that they would have loved to have the opportunity to attend our school. They admitted that it would be more challenging to adjust to, but they would enjoy every moment and hopefully succeed in the end.

PHOTO CREDIT: ERIC WONG

AN APPOINTMENT

WITH THE NEW VICE PRINCIPALS

By Arevik Vardanyan and Nairy Khodabakhshian

Furthermore, when asked, “If you had to chance to change anything about Mary Ward, what would it be?” Their replies were quite interesting. Mr. Chen stated that “I wish there was less hall-walking. Other than that, I think the system works very well. “ Ms. Keenan’s stated, “I would not want to see any new changes, but I hope that soon every student will be able to find a seat in each department, regardless of how full it is”.

Mr. Chen...

- Knows Spanish - Taught English in Panama - Would love to open another Mary Ward

Ms. Keenan...

- Played ice hockey with Mrs. Dever for the University of Toronto - Caught in a sandstorm in Morraco

By Connie Tang On Thursday, October 29, 2009, eighty-one DECA@WARD students competed against other high schools at the Toronto Regionals held at Seneca College in North York in hopes of gaining a spot for the Provincials. Student delegates from a diverse pool of schools and grades dressed to the nines flooded the already crowded halls in Seneca. Yet how did all this come about?

From late September into October, Mary Ward DECA students practiced and prepared many hours, both during lunch and after-school, before their time of reckoning on October 29. With categories ranging from retail, marketing, management, fashion, culinary arts, they chose a category and practiced case studies which consisted of solving a real-life scenario. Their training obviously paid off, as close to 95 percent of the chapter made it into Provincials—81 percent of whom were newcomers who joined this year.

“It gave me a sense of pride because I sought out to do what I needed to do. It was a bit nervous and exciting,“ exclaimed Raphiel Lezada, a grade 10 DECA newcomer on his experience at the Toronto Regionals.

Undoubtedly, these students represented Mary Ward well at the Toronto Regionals. They participated, competed and made it well into the next stage of competition, the Provincials, to be held in downtown Toronto at the Sheraton Centre Hotel where they will spend an overnight trip in February 2010.

PHOTO CREDITS: MYRA PEREIRA AND MICHAEL R. CHEN

The Gender Justice Committee is exactly as it sounds: a group dedicated to making sure that both men and women are treated and viewed equally. It is a group that believes that a person should not be judged in any way because of his or her sex. Whether you are male or female, it should have no bearing on your athletic skills, your rights, and your future.

People believe that sexism is something of the past, when women did not have the right to vote, or they believe that it only exists overseas in Afghanistan or Iraq, where it is illegal for a wife to refuse sexual intercourse. In actuality, gender prejudice has become ingrained in our modern culture without us knowing. It is the insignificant events that have the greatest impact on the mindset of people - however subtle or unintentional- that women or men are somehow better or worse than the other. Women are not the second sex, nor are men, because both genders are equal. Spreading this message is what GJC is really about; its cause, purpose and motivation.

This year, the Gender Justice Committee, led by Ms. Arturi, is going above and beyond, with members including the executives; Natasha Richichi-Fried, Angela Sweeney, Connie Tang, and general members of the group. GJC had decided to take walking out of the halls and onto the streets for a good causemale violence against women. The goal was not to raise money, but to raise awareness. On December 6, GJC held a memorial for the Montreal Massacre, and focused on International Women’s Day, for which members baked cakes and promoted awareness at Mary Ward. The Gender Justice Committee continues to remain active; it holds discussions and debates over educating others and ourselves about sexism. More plans and upcoming events are to be announced.

Gender Justice invites you to join its cause, events, and the group. The members are friendly, and they want people to know that it’s okay to scream like a girl!

VOLUME 15 / ISSUE 1 mwplanet 09

community COMMUNITY In a lifetime, you only have seven years to live as a teenager. During those years you grow physically, mentally and emotionally, and you are discovering who you really are. You realize what you want to do with your life and pave a path to determine your future. It is true that everyone wants to have a good future, but having this is no longer as easy as singing the alphabet. Paving your own road towards a bright future starts in your teenage years (the seven special years) so if that is your goal, it is best to get your act together as early as possible. Now, how can we do this? Luckily for us, we were introduced to Sean Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens. Practice these habits, practice effectiveness, and you are a teen who’s well on your way.

Let’s review the 7 habits, shall we?

Habit 1: Be Proactive Just remember this: you want to be the glass of water, not the can of soda pop. Being proactive means that you are not full of carbonation, which is what reactive people are full of. Being proactive means taking responsibility for your own actions and knowing that you have the ability to control your actions, behavior and life. Instead of exploding when something happens to you, think about what happened and try to make the best of it.

Things you can do to practice Habit 1: · Got a failing mark on a unit? Be a self-advocate and talk to your teacher about it! · Did someone flip you off during class today? Don’t start a fight! Instead, play it cool and give them the peace sign.

Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind If you went through life without knowing what you wanted to do, without knowing the end point, it would basically be the same as getting into a car and driving off to nowhere. That would be horrible! You would be confused, clueless, and going nowhere. That is why you should begin with the end in mind. Beginning with the end in mind means identifying your values and setting reasonable goals. It requires thinking beyond today and deciding which direction you will take. You must remember that you are the driver in your life, and should not let anyone else determine your destiny for you.

Things you can do to practice Habit 2: · Think about the goals in your life and write them down. Then, post your goal up where you can see it on a daily basis – a mirror, a locker, your friend’s forehead – whatever! As long as you are constantly reminded of your goal, your mind will be set to achieve it.

Habit 3: Put First Things First You have so many things to do, that is reality. After school you have basketball practice, and then you need to study for a chemistry test you’re planning to take tomorrow.

Too bad your room is a shipwreck, meaning you absolutely have to clean it, but you promised a friend that you would call tonight, and do not forget that you’re also really behind on math, as you have not submitted unit 3 yet! Your brain is about to explode!

How will you work this out? Put first things first. Learn to prioritize and make the best out of your time.

Things you can do to practice Habit 3: · You have an agenda – use it! And by using it, do not write down plans and after your TA has signed it off, forget about what you’ve written and go hall-walking for the rest of the day. That is a no-no. · To plan out what you are going to do in your agenda, use this handy-dandy planner to optimize the use of your time:

URGENT - Write what is important and urgent here.

IMPORTANT

- Example: A test expiring tomorrow.

NOT IMPORTANT

- Write what is not important but urgent here.

- Example: Your friends drop by and tell you to come with them to the mall.

NOT URGENT - Write what is important but not urgent here.

- Example: Unit 11 for Geography that you’re really ahead in.

- Write what is not urgent and not important here.

- Example: Watching a rerun of a show on T.V.

Habit 4: Think Win-Win Remember that life is an all-you-can-eat buffet. Everyone gets what they want; everyone is a winner. That is the attitude of thinking win-win. You do not want to think win-lose, where life is a big competition to you and beating the person next to you is the goal. Also, you do not want to think lose-win, where you give in so much

10 mwplanet VOLUME 15 / ISSUE 1

that your neighbour becomes the winner. Worst of all is thinking lose-lose and saying, If I’m going down, you’re going down with me.” By thinking winwin, you avoid making anyone feel inferior and you promote the success of everyone, including yourself.

Things you can do to practice Habit 4: · Be confident in yourself, but avoid competing and comparing yourself to others. · Help your friends with units that they are having trouble with, and have them help you with units that are troubling you.

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood One of the deepest needs of the human heart is to be understood. You know how it feels when someone cuts you off while you are in the middle of a sentence or when you want to go out with your friends and your parents restrict you from doing so, without even hearing your reason. It is a horrible feeling.

That is why it is important to try to see things from another person’s perspective before sharing your own. Then comes the second part of the habit, where you take up the courage to speak and be understood.

Things you can do to practice Habit 5: · Remember to listen first, speak second. · If you are talking with your friends or talking to a teacher and there is something you disagree with, make sure you hear their reason first and then say what you have to say.

Habit 6: Synergize Synergizing means having two or more people work together to achieve a better end result than either of them can achieve alone. To synergize, first define the problem. Second, listen to what the others have to say. Then, say what you have in mind. In the next step, you brainstorm together to create new ideas. The last step is to find the best solution out of the brainstormed ideas. The result you get will definitely be successful.

Things you can do to practice Habit 6: · The next time you are in a bind, gather up your friends and synergize -- you will be amazed at how awesome your solution is!

Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw Imagine yourself cutting down a tree with a dull saw. You would barely make any progress since a dull saw, in this situation, is as useless as a kitchen knife.

The solution is to sharpen the saw. The same thing applies to your life. You have to keep yourself sharp in order to do better in life. To do this, you have to renew and strengthen the four key elements in your life – your body, your mind, your heart, and your soul. The importance is to maintain balance between the four, not just focusing on one or two.

Things you can do to practice Habit 7: • Strengthen your body by: eating healthy, exercising, sleeping well • Strengthen your mind by: educating yourself, reading, doing unit work • Strengthen your heart by: laughing, building good relationships • Strengthen your soul by: keeping a journal, meditating, praying We have been given an influential assembly by Michael Consul and “Milhouse” that has given us a great understanding of these 7 Habits and the importance of applying them to our daily life. If you want to get more in-depth, the book

by Sean Covey is an amazing guide. For those of you who would rather avoid books, trust me on this one – you won’t regret putting off some of your units to spend time reading it.

Now that you have learned the 7 Habits, it is up to you to live them. After all, you are the driver in your life.

community COMMUNITY

An interview with three of the four founders of

Express Yourself

By Justin Alvarado

Express Yourself -some may know it as the song

by Charles Wright (and then sampled by N.W.A.) or the song of the same name by Madonna, but those at Mary Ward know it as a happening that occurs twice a month during the school year at lunch. You may have heard about it from friends or heard about it on the P.A. during the morning announcements. To be specific, Express Yourself can be best described as the only ‘open-mic’ event to ever happen at Mary Ward.

The ‘open-mic’ is an opportunity for any Mary Ward student to perform whatever their heart desires in front of a welcoming audience. It has attracted performances ranging from poetry to spoken word and music, which are just some methods for one to express one self.

The support that Express Yourself has gotten since their first open-mic on December 3, 2008 has grown exponentially. The Mary Ward student body has given a very positive reception to the group and the open-mic. Beginning with a core group of four students along with the mentoring of Ms. Jones, the group has gained a following so big, that they consistently fill the library or video studio each time they hold an ‘open-mic’ session.

I recently was able to chat about the group and the open-mic among other things with Tracy Ampofoh (TA), Brian Millado (BM) and Sarah Wilmot (SW) (three out of the four core members) of the Express Yourself group. Guillaume Limfat, the fourth member could not be with us at the moment, but he sent his regards.

Q: Let’s get straight to business: how did Express Yourself originate?

TA: We found out we had common interests and just met with each other and decided to share our love for poetry with the whole school.

SW: I was on Facebook and saw that Tracy wrote poetry and that was something that I never knew that we had in common. I then went to her and brought up the idea that we should do something poetry-related in the school. I also saw that Brian did poetry as well and then we came together.

BM: Four people and a dream!

Q: Express Yourself: how did you think of the name?

TA: We spent weeks just trying to find out the name for the group that you now know as Express Yourself.

BM: We spent whole meetings just talking about what we should name our group.

SW: Speak Up was the preliminary name, but we decided Express Yourself felt better.

BM: I think one of us just overheard someone in the halls singing the song, Express Yourself and realized that it would be a perfect name for the group.

Q: How important was Ms. Jones to the creation and support of Express Yourself?

TA: She helped us start up the group. She also made it easy for us to spread the word of Express Yourself to the student body, as well as the teachers..

SW: She also brought much early support for the group, which we would be nothing without.

BM: We couldn’t have made it without her. She was part of the foundation.

Q: How would you explain Express Yourself to someone that is curious to learn about the group? Express Yourself doesn’t really pertain to one specific genre or category of performance.

BM: Come here if you like good stuff. If you have a voice, come and use it.

SW: It’s definitely not a talent show. It’s also not JUST poetry. It’s an output for people to express themselves.

TA: The open mic concept is self-explanatory. You can see just about anything.

Q: What can someone expect to see by attending an Ex`press Yourself open mic?

TA: You’ll see people being real. People come and just express themselves emotionally. Not necessarily physically, though. Nothing silly either.

BM: I’d love to see juggling in EY sometime.

TA & SW: NO. TA: Just people being honest with others, but most importantly themselves.

SW: And also people demonstrating respect. Respect is everything to us.

BM: I’ve learnt that there are also surprises in EY. SW: Right! There are so many people in our school that I had never known did poetry or sang! It’s amazing what you can discover by coming to EY. Q: Can anyone just go up and “express themselves” onstage?

SW: Hell yes!

BM: As long as they feel confident with what they’re doing. Not everyone can be confident in themselves, but they should feel comfortable with their piece.

TA: As long as what they’re doing is real; they should never hold back.

BM: Everyone gives and deserves respect that goes onstage. It’s not an easy thing to do.

TA: No one is going to go, “You can’t go up there”. The only person stopping you is yourself.

BM: EY is just like doing anything new for the first time.

It’s awkward at first, but the more you do it, the more comfortable you get. It’s kind of comparable to a relationship.

Q: The turnout for each Express Yourself event has increased each time. How do you feel about reaching so many Mary Ward students with the art of spoken word, poetry, and song?

TA: It’s AMAZING! We started with four people and progressively we’ve gotten better.

SW: It’s definitely a pleasant surprise to all of us.

BM: I love how people that come go tell all of their friends after. The number increases every time.

TA: I also love how we don’t force people, but a lot of people still show because they want to see more of what Ward is offering.

SW: I think that’s the difference between us and other groups in the school. You can walk in, walk out, it doesn’t matter. No real commitments involved.

BM: There are really no rules in EY. Just respect and you will get respect.

SW: We’re the only group that’s not really a real group.

It’s a community.

TA: Even if no one came, we’d still be doing it. It doesn’t matter how many people come, it’s still amazing regardless. There are so many connections to be made.

BM: AND THERE’S NO MEMBERSHIP FEES!

Q: Compared to its beginnings, how has Express Yourself evolved in terms of participants, audience, support & material?

TA: We’re still the same group that started it, but the support has definitely increased.

BM: It’s not just four kids with a dream anymore, its eighty-plus kids with DREAMS. SW: We have so many kids now that want to spend their free lunch hour to come down, get inspired and just listen to some good stuff.

TA: Even through all of this, we still have no ego about our group. We never judge, but we still expect respect as well.

SW: It’s still the same things that have applied since we started the group in the September of 2008.

Q: Would you ever have expected such a group would become so popular among the student body?

SW: To be honest, no.

TW: I only thought it would only be us and our friends, but there are so many people of different grades that we never knew before that come on a regular basis.

BM: There are so many people that I never before that I talk to now, because of this group. After an open-mic, I would just get random compliments from people I rarely talk to.

TA: It’s not that we doubted ourselves, but we never expected it to become so big.

Q: What can we expect for the future from Express Yourself? Anything aside from the sensational openmics?

TA: I’ve been talking to a few people from other schools and there could be possibilities of a joint school openmic session.

SW: That would be amazing. I would feel so elated if we were to join with more people, outside of our school that are our age group just to slam poetry or sing or just express themselves. The people at other schools most likely have so many more things to offer.

TA: We should get guest speakers, too!

BM: We should also try and get more after-school sessions, too. The lunch hour seems short now, since there are so many people that want to come up and share.

TA: We have to set up an executive meeting sometime soon to see what’s up in the future.

SW: We just want to reach out to more people. Globalize!

TA: We have to spread the word like H1N1.

BM: We’re also trying to get the younger students involved because we’re almost done high school. We just want to pass the torch.

SW: Hopefully EY keeps on going, long after we’re gone.

Q: I’d like to thank you three for taking the period off to talk with me. So to end it off, do you have any closing remarks you wish to say?

BM: To repeat myself earlier, we just offer good stuff!

TA: Please don’t shy away from us! We accept everyone that has something to offer.

BM: If you just want to see people opening their souls, then come.

SW: Where else can you go to see that? An open-mic can definitely be an intimate moment where people break down that wall of emotional discomfort.

BM/SW/TA: JUST COME! VOLUME 15 / ISSUE 1 mwplanet 11

community COMMUNITY

By Naomi Reyes ILLUSTRATION BY MARIAH LLANES

The Mary Ward Catholic community made it happen for the Typhoon Ondoy victims in the Philippines by raising over $5,000 on October 16, 2009. The event, called Raise the Roof, was an evening of local performances, Filipino food, and other entertainment. With the help of many student and teacher volunteers and close to 500 guests, Raise the Roof was a success, and displayed the generosity, compassion, and talent of the community.

Typhoon Ondoy, internationally known as Ketsana, decimated northern Philippines in September 2009. According to NASA, Ondoy plunged 455 mm of rain in Manila in just 24 hours on September 26 –more than the 250 mm rainfall that Hurricane Katrina dumped in the United States in 2005. GMA-7, a Filipino television network, reported that the flood waters went beyond six feet in some areas, which made it even harder for rescuers to come through. The Philippine government declared a state of calamity in Metro Manila and 25 other provinces affected by the typhoon.

About 34 percent of Mary Ward’s population is made up of Filipinos, many of whom have families who have been affected by the flood. As more news came in from the local newspapers and TV, and families in the Philippines, grade 12 students (Mariah Llanes and I) were motivated to organize a fundraiser. Together with many students and the supervision of Ms. Largo, Raise the Roof was organized and planned in only two weeks.

who knows someone who’s affected.”

Nearly all hands rose, showing how we are all connected in some way to the disaster.

Raise the Roof also featured a performance

by Mary Ward Religion teacher Mr. Morra, who impressed the audience with his cover of “Feelin’ Alright” by Traffic and U2’s “One” accompanied by Brandon Garcia on the bongos.

The show started with a thrilling dance number by the Hi-HEYters. The crew built up the excitement of the audience as they popped and locked while mimicking Transformers. The night showcased the musical talents of many Mary Ward students.

Stage band members formed a side project called bbA6, in which they performed an upbeat song “Can’t Turn You Loose.” Local urban dance troop and STOMP Competition 2009 first place winner, C2 Genesys, gave a huge finale that had everyone wanting to Mariah revealed her frustration and her desire to help out. “Thinking of our get up and dance. families back home made us extremely frustrated that we couldn't just travel there and carry them here. This was when we thought of starting something at One of the highlights of the night was the MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) routine school,” explained Mariah. demonstrated by Jansen Rojas and Brandon Abas in grade nine with the use of Eskrima sticks. The cafetorium was filled with “ohs!” and “ahs!” during their act. Special Hundreds of guests lined up long before the doors opened at six p.m. The mouth- guests, Sundaloz, a local Filipino rap group composed of Bustarr, JoJo, Sliickk, Raygee, watering aroma of the barbecue and the distinctive smell of fried lumpia shanghai and JRose, challenged the audience to “Open [their] Eyes” to the reality of the world. greeted the visitors as they came in. The night began with a prayer reflection led

by Father Joe Peña about the physical and emotional damage that had been done Marcus Lomboy, Karl Nicolas and Brian Millado each performed original spoken word by the typhoon to the Filipino community. After the prayer, Councillor Raymond pieces that captured the crowd’s attention and emotion. In particular, Brian delivered Cho said a few words to acknowledge that young people are taking the initiative a very passionate piece entitled “Who Are We?” His piece included gut-wrenching to help out in a time of disaster. rhymes that left the audience with tears in their eyes and fire in their hearts: “I am the Emcees Brian Millado and Eileen Posadas kept broken soles under the broken souls and walked through the Valley of Death; and it’s ironic how they say that the underworld is filled with fire and slaughter, but this hell is flooded by brown liquid that was once water.” His performance was met with a standing ovation.

Ms. Largo expressed her gratitude: “What a great event! I am so proud of all the student organizers, volunteers, sponsors and performers who put in their blood, sweat, and tears, and answered the call to help with such speed and passion… You guys give me hope for the future. I mean that.”

One of the RTR Executive members, Beatrice De Vera said, “We never expected such enthusiasm and support from the community, so thanks to everyone that came!

Seeing those “Get the Flood Out” buttons on your bags still puts a smile on my face!”

All proceeds go to ShareLife, specifically for Typhoon Ondoy relief and the Children’s the audience’s attention and energy Rehabilitation Centre for orphans living in poverty in the affected areas in the going throughout the whole night. Philippines. Mary Ward’s flood relief efforts caught the attention of Rogers’ TV show The event was packed with various High School Rush, which was broadcast in late October 2009. performances; everything from Food Sponsors: singing, urban dance to spoken word.

JEESE JR.: (647) 430-8149 PHOTO CREDITS: JUSTIN BUENAFLOR AND ERIC WONG BARRIO FIESTA: (416) 754-4677 The emcees asked a few questions HALINA’S: (416) 332-9733 before the start of the concert. “Put your hands up if you know someone who’s REMELY’S: (416) 609-9661 been affected by Typhoon Ondoy in the Philippines...or if you know someone

12 mwplanet VOLUME 15 / ISSUE 1

community COMMUNITY

Photos Taken By Mallorie Tam, Tim Lagman, Selin Acar and Patricia Severino

VIVA ITALIA! Photos Taken By Victoria Greco

VOLUME 15 / ISSUE 1 mwplanet 13

la petite planète PLANETE LA PETITE

Une atmosphère confortable…au centre des examens? Par Jed de los Reyes

Cette année, j’ai entendu plusieurs opinions au sujet des changements à Mary Ward. Pourtant, une salle importante a fait plusieurs changements dans leur système, mais il n’y a personne (ou seulement un peu) qui les a remarqués.

Cette salle est très importante pour tous les étudiants. Chaque étudiant l’utilise environ 20-30 temps par année. Environ 150-300 étudiants l’utilisent chaque jour.

Aussi, il fournit le programme le plus flexible en Mary Ward; de 8 h 15 à 3 h.

C’est le centre d’examens.

Toutes les choses importantes sont exactement pareilles; on doit s’enregistrer avant les examens et rester en silence. Le déjeuner et l’heure avant le commencement du jour sont toujours les occasions meilleures pour faire des examens (ahem).

Pourtant, Mesdames Luciano, Bufalini, et Bomba ont fait plusieurs changements pour améliorer l’expérience des examens.

autre chose a changé; les murs sont bleus. Ce n’est pas très important, mais j’ai pensé que le centre d’examens était comme un asylie avec des murs blancs. Aussi, la chambre a reçu des décorations; un cadre avec le « Notre Père » est vraiment visible et des autres tableaux – qui étaient dans la bibliothèque aux années précédentes – améliorent l’atmosphère. Quelques personnes aiment la couleur, des autres pensent qu’elle est bizarre, mais la plupart des étudiants ne l’ont pas remarquées.

Donc, la prochaine fois qu’un examen t’inquiète, permets la nouvelle atmosphère du centre te calmer. Mais n’oublie pas que des examens ne doivent pas être trop reposants!

Un changement bizarre que tout le monde a remarqué; où on s’assoit a changé un peu. Aux années précédentes, on a reçu un pupitre au hasard avant de faire un examen. Cette année, on peut s’asseoir n’importe où. Des opinions de ce changement sont variées; qu’il soit un « bon changement » ou qu’il encourage de tricher. Pourtant, Mme. Bomba m’a assuré que « nous vous surveillons; » les pupitres font face aux superviseurs.

Un changement que j’aime beaucoup; la conception de la salle a changé pour devenir plus accueillante. J’ai dit que la position des pupitres a changé, mais une

Le Français dans Les Universités En 1969, l’Acte des Langues Officielles avait passé au Canada qui a changé la nation. À cause de cet acte, le Canada est devenu une nation bilingue; avec les deux langues officielles, l’anglais et le français. Cette année est le quarantième anniversaire de notre bilinguisme. Nous le célébrons dans tout le Canada. Un exemple est par l’éducation de français à la jeunesse. Les jeunes Canadiens commencent l’étude de français à l’école primaire. Il y a deux millions de jeunes Canadiens qui étudient le français, environ un point cinq millions qui étudient le français cadre et 300 000 qui sont dans le cours d’immersion. Et les étudiants de français à l’université alors?

Dans le passé, les universités demandaient l’étude d’une langue seconde, mais maintenant, ce n’est pas nécessaire. Il n’y a pas beaucoup d’étudiants qui choisissent de continuer l’étude de français après la neuvième année. Mais pour les élèves qui continuent, ils doivent prendre une décision difficile : continuer en français à l’université ou pas du tout. Jessica Chiu, Karim Pierre, Armie Rivera, et Diana Vecchiarelli sont des élèves de douzième année qui doivent prendre cette décision. Il y a quatre opinions différentes à propos de l’étude de français à l’université. Karim dit : << Je veux faire un majeur pour le français parce que je suis bon au sujet. J’aime le français donc j’aimerais continuer au futur. >> Il prend l’approche directe pour la continuation. En contraste, Armie ne continuera pas à l’université. Elle explique : <<J’ai entendu que nous sommes considérés d’être à un niveau supérieur donc les cours de français seront difficiles en particulier pour les étudiants qui avaient le cours-cadre au lycée parce que nous serons avec les étudiants d’immersion. >> Elle prend une approche directe aussi, mais elle a choisi de ne pas continuer. Puis, l’opinion de Jessica qui est au milieu des vues de Karim et Armie. Elle dit : <<Je veux continuer cette langue à l’université parce que j’aime apprendre le français, mais je ne sais pas si mon français est assez bon. >> Elle n’a pas encore pris sa décision. Mais si le programme de français au lycée est visé pour la préparation pour l’université, pourquoi il y a-t-il de l’hésitation dans la continuation de français ? Une bonne raison est parce qu’ils l’aiment. Bien qu’il soit peut-être difficile, mais si le français est leur passion, on devrait continuer.

Que sont les autres raisons pour la continuation de français à l’université ?

Diana veut étudier le français à l’université, mais différente de Karim, elle n’y spécialisera pas. Diana dit : <<Je veux faire un mineur parce que la capacité de communiquer en français est dans beaucoup de demandes en particulier pour les professeurs. >> On peut continuer en français, mais seulement

14 mwplanet VOLUME 15 / ISSUE 1

Par Samantha Cheung

comme un facultatif aussi. Alors, qu’est-ce que c’est une autre raison pour l’étude de français à l’université? Le français te permet de trouver un travail plus facilement et de travailler autour du monde. Aujourd’hui, dans la main-d’œuvre, c’est un atout pour les employés. L’éducation de français peut aider à trouver un travail d’enseignement, d’affaires internationales, et dans le gouvernement en particulier au Canada depuis le Canada est une nation bilingue. Le français crée plus d’options à l’avenir.

Concernant la décision pour la continuation de français, les étudiants ont beaucoup de choix. Vous ne devez pas continuer la langue si vous ne voulez pas, mais si vous n’avez encore pris une décision, considérez les avantages de la continuation de cette étude. Vous pouvez continuer l’étude de français à l’université par un majeur, un mineur ou un facultatif.

Si vous voulez continuer l’étude de français, vous pouvez faire un majeur en français. Les universités au Canada peuvent offrir les cours pour vous. Les étudiants peuvent choisir d’excellents programmes au programme d’immersion à l’Université d’Ottawa, l’Université de Carlton et la Faculté de Glendon à l’Université York et plus. Si vous voulez continuer, il y a beaucoup d’options, mais est-ce qu’il y en a assez dans une nation bilingue?

Avec espoir, cet article vous donnera à réfléchir pour vos futurs.

Célébrez le bilinguisme du Canada et ouvrez votre avenir avec l’étude de français.

la petite planéte PLANETE LA PETITE ic Par Er

Wong

L’idée des écoles afrocentriques me semble comme intéressante. Il y a un mouvement à l’Amérique du Nord qui supporte la création de ces écoles uniques. Même à Toronto, le TDSB a décidé d’essayer ce programme dans le côté nord-ouest. C’est sûr qu’il ait beaucoup d’avantages et de problèmes avec ce mouvement.

En théorie, cette façon de concentrer sur les jeunes qui abandonnent leurs études de notre société est bonne. Il y a beaucoup de statistiques qui renforcent la raison d’être des écoles afrocentriques. On aborde les 40 percente des jeunes qui abandonnent leurs études et on met l’emphase sur l’héritage et la culture africaine. Les idées centrales des écoles afrocentriques étaient d’achever leurs capacités latentes, et la rétention de l’identité africaine dans chaque individu. Ils peuvent aider les jeunes africains de nos jours d’être acceptés dans leur propre culture, et d’abaisser les sentiments de rejet. Mais est-ce qu’on vraiment besoin de ces écoles ?

Un reporteur du journal « Globe and Mail » a mentionné que les écoles afrocentriques sont un danger au progrès du multiculturalisme. La diversité et la fin de la ségrégation sociale étaient le rêve d’un orateur renommé, Martin Luther King, Jr. Ce modèle a lutté pendant plusieurs années pour le droit d’égalité. Pourquoi est-ce qu’on essaie de créer des nouvelles écoles au lieu d’aborder le problème comme une société multiculturelle?

Quand même, c’est facile de noter leur raison d’être pour ce programme des écoles afrocentriques. Il y a plusieurs écoles qui enseignent seulement les filles, ou les garçons. Comme St. Joseph’s Morrow Park, l’idée de séparer un group spécifique de la société a des avantages. Ces écoles étaient créées parce qu’il y a eu des désavantages aux filles dans l’étude des sciences et des mathématiques. Pour les écoles afrocentriques, le vrai problème est l’inconnu. Comment est-ce que ces écoles fonctionneront au Canada?

On ne sait pas, de tout.

En parlant avec les étudiants de Mary Ward, j’ai remarqué un mélange d’opinions.

Kyle-Hai Chau, un étudiant en onzième année, a dit qu’il ne croît pas que cette façon de ségrégation est la meilleure solution. Kyle comprend que la rétention des étudiants en école de toutes cultures est bénéfique. Ça va aider quelques-uns, mais est-ce que ces résultats sont le but? Les humains sont des êtres très sociaux, et ils doivent apprendre comment socialiser avec leurs paires multiculturelles. Kyle demande des questions comme, « Qu’estce qu’ils feront après avoir gradué de l’école? S’il ne sait pas communiquer avec les autres habitants d’une culture différente, il n’y aura pas beaucoup d’emplois pour eux. Il pense que les écoles afrocentriques ne réussiront pas bien à l’avenir.

Après avoir interviewé plusieurs étudiants avec des relations familiales noires, j’ai reçu presque les mêmes opinions. Sheereen Harris, en onzième année, a pensé que c’était la ségrégation encore. Sam Sutton, aussi dans l’onzième année, a peur que les étudiants de ces écoles afrocentriques s’appartiennent aux gangs. Les écoles peuvent devenir un champ de batailles pour les tensions entre ces gangs différents qui viennent des voisinages variés. Mlle Weathers, un professeur d’anglais, est contente que les statistiques soient finalement analysées et qu’il y a un plan pour l’avenir. Mais, elle ne croit pas que c’est une bonne idée de ségréger les jeunes noires des autres dans la société. Elle est sûre qu’elle ne s’inscrira pas ses enfants dans les écoles afrocentriques. Mlle Weathers veut que ce progrès se dirige vers le système scolaire qui existe aujourd’hui, pas de créer une nouvelle institution séparée. Son message final est qu’elle n’est pas certaine des buts de ces écoles afrocentriques, et que l’école même pourra être stéréotypé. Ce programme n’aide pas le multiculturalisme de la société canadienne et même internationale.

Au gouvernement, Dalton McGuinty a dit qu’il ne donnera pas trop de support financier au modèle du projet ; il ne croît pas que c’est le progrès pour notre société de Toronto. Dans un consensus d’Ontario, environ 79 percente de la population ne supportent pas cette action. Je vous ai donné les statistiques, alors qu’est-ce que vous en pensez?

En 1997, alors que j’avais cinq ans et demie, je fréquentais une toute petite école appelée La Ribambelle. Cette dernière se situe dans mon pays natal, à l’Ile Maurice. A cette époque, j’avais une apparence totalement différente. J’étais un peu plus ventrue que les autres filles de ma classe. J’avais des joues joufflues, des mains potelées et des cheveux bruns foncé très courts et droits. J’avais formé à peu près 3 ou 4 liens d’amitiés à cette éc0le.

Cependant, il y avait un ami en particulier dont je me souviens très clairement. Il était un petit garçon français qui avait des cheveux blonds clair comme la neige et un teint pâle comme un fantôme. Ses yeux bleus semblables au ciel illuminaient sa mine gaie. Ses cheveux tombaient souvent sur ses yeux. On s’est rencontrés le premier jour d’école et l’amitié s’est formée instantanément.

au milieu de la cour de récréation. Personne ne venait nous déranger là-dedans. C’était comme si on avait marqué notre territoire. Quand nous étions en train de nous cacher, les dégâts et le danger du monde n’existaient plus. Il me semble qu’on était les seuls à exister dans ce monde. Quelques fois, on s’asseyait sous ce grand vieil arbre à l’abri du soleil brillant et brûlant. Il s’allongeait et mettait sa tête sur mes jambes et me laissait jouer avec ses beaux cheveux lisses. Ensuite, je lui faisais les mêmes gestes en retour. Il y avait des jours où on restait assis plongé dans le silence, sans dire un mot. C’est surprenant que l’absence des paroles ne nous dérangerait pas. Après tout, à cet âge, c’est tout à fait naturel qu’un enfant ne puisse cesser de parler. Je suppose que c’était devenu plutôt une habitude, un rituel normal. C’est certain qu’il était mon premier meilleur ami. Il était le seul capable de me rendre heureuse et de me donner de l’espoir. Malheuresement, on ne s’est jamais revus après la maternelle. Cela fait plus que 11 ans depuis qu’on s’est vus et parlé. D’ailleurs, je ne me rappelle plus de son prénom. Néanmoins, c’était une très belle rencontre que j’ai vécue. Cela m’a énormément marquée qu’il est même resté gravé dans mon cœur. Jamais je ne l’oublierai.

VOLUME 15 / ISSUE 1 mwplanet 15

En effet, il était le seul garçon qui ne me brutalisait pas pour ma taille. Les autres garçons étaient orgueilleux et méchants. Mais lui, il était tout le contraire. Pendant les récréations, on jouait ensemble dans la cour. On se parlait des choses que maintenant sembleraient banales. Puis, on se cachait habituellement dans le fameux petit tunnel qui se trouvait

sports SPORTS

By Adrian Kania The significance of change exists outside the perimeters of its letters; as we have heard the cliché, a cause has its effect. Changes can be made, but if they are not supported then, they are rather inferior. Students at Mary Ward experience several changes on an annual basis. Upon these changes, one can question their reaction, do I support or reject? One change that ignites hostility among a few of the Mary Ward students is the new athletic fee policy. Some of the reactions include, “Garbage!” and “Unnecessary!”

In previous years, Mary Ward athletes were charged $40 as the fee which would cover their participation in any athletic activity for the year. Currently, Mary Ward athletes now need to pay $40 for their first sport’s team followed by an additional $20 for every subsequent team. Jeremy Deighan, a grade 11 athlete, mentioned that it will probably discourage many students from joining teams for the sake of learning a new sport and just having fun. Mr. Dever is the athletic director, therefore, he was interviewed to review the changes.

This brought many students to contemplate the purpose of this change. In an interview, Mr. Dever explained that the budget in previous years has been exceeded and expenses have been increased. It is quite clear that the rough economic pinch contributed to this. He clarified that increasing the fees for athletic participation is mainly to make up for exceeded budgets: “We pay so much for our athletic program to be good”. In order to better understand the need for high expenses, Mr. Dever continued by stating exactly what the athletic fees cover. Primarily, the athletic fee covers an athlete’s participation in any sport, including an athlete’s ticket to the athletic banquet. With very few exceptions, athletes are usually never asked to pay for transportation, such as school bus, taxi, or gas to carpool to games and events.

Thirdly, depending on the competitiveness of the team, sports teams are allowed to play in a maximum of two tournaments without any extra costs. Other miscellaneous expenses include officials for games, sports equipment, uniforms, and facilities for certain teams. In case some students fail to picture the distribution of expenses, Mr. Dever graphed the approximate expenses for the Senior Boys’ Volleyball Team this year:

1. ADD:

· First of all, 13 athletes paid $40 as the primary athletic fee, which equals $520. This is the money that Mr. Dever could spend on the active volleyball team.

· The team played in 2 tournaments this year, with the average tournament entry fee amounting to about $200. This produces a $400 expense; 2. SUBTRACT: · The officials are paid about $60 per game divided by two coaches, which gives the product of $240, since there are 8 games in the normal season; · In addition to this, new uniforms and equipment were purchased; including a referee stand that is priced at about $400 as a ‘rare’ item on the market; · Finally, gas is covered since the teachers and students drive automobiles to all of their away games.

3. SUM:

· A final sum of all the expenses spent on the Mary Ward Senior Boy’s Volleyball Team amounts to a figure near the quadruple digits. This means that the budget of $520 was exceeded. Keep in mind that this example does not include playoffs and the possibility of OFSAA participation. So, the expenses do not even compare to the amount of money spent in this case.

One can easily be overwhelmed by these facts. It is appropriate for anyone to question how it is even possible to afford funding athletics in general if the fees do not cover the expenses. Mr. Dever replied to the confusion by clarifying that although all athletes are subject to the same policy, the total fees go into a general pot for athletics. Some teams require greater expenses due to the nature of the sport. Therefore, since some teams do not exceed their budgets, leftover money is used to help allocate other costs, such as paying off the transactions made for the Senior Boys’ Volleyball team in the above example.

Mr. Dever concluded by stating,“ As you can see, even though fees have been increased, we still don’t profit. This is far from a quick cash grab. Other schools pay even more to participate in sports. We are honestly doing our best to accommodate our athletes and bring our athletics to the standard that it deserves to be at.” Research shows that many other schools actually do demand more for the funding of their athletics.The research was

16 mwplanet VOLUME 15 / ISSUE 1

conducted in the form of an e-mail. Below is the athletic fee and distribution of four examples from high schools in the Toronto Catholic District School Board School A – every team requires some sort of fee, which varies depending on transportation, officials and facilities.

Surprisingly, the students would actually be quite content with the policy offered at Mary Ward since some athletes pay more for one sport than a typical athlete at Mary Ward may for the whole year.

School B – every athlete pays a flat rate of $30 per team. With this cost, athletes are guaranteed a ticket to the athletic banquet, as well as coverage for facility and transportation costs, with few exceptions.

School C – every athlete pays $30 once to participate in athletics for the whole year.

However, this fee does not cover other external expenses, such as transportation and facilities’ costs.

School D – every athlete pays $25 once, which covers their participation in all sports for the year as well as the athletic banquet. Athletes pay for their own transportation and tournament fees. Note that this school is looking towards increasing the fee to $10 for every subsequent team after the first $25 payment.

However, coverage for other expenses would not change.

After comparing the coverage of the fees throughout our board, it is evident that Mary Ward athletes are a bit more fortunate than others. One Athletic Director even added that “Ward has one of the most supportive and frankly incredible administrative staff that any school could ask for. If they feel this is the amount required, then you need to trust them that they are looking out for the students.” Mr. Dever also made reference to our athletic banquet. Many schools have their athletes walk into the gym, pick-up a slice of pizza and canned pop and receive ribbons as awards. At Mary Ward, the athletes walk into a nicely decorated cafetorium, have a well put together dinner, and receive engraved plaques as awards. This is just an example of the effort and money that is put into Mary Ward to make the athletics program as enjoyable as possible.

In search to seek more executive details, Mary Ward’s principal, Mrs. Coburn, was interviewed as well. A conclusion was made that the explanations and facts given by Mr. Dever and his peer Athletic Directors are accurate. Mrs. Coburn would also like to emphasize the stern athletic policy outline in the school agenda, pages 32-33. After reading through the agenda, Mr. Dever and Mrs. Coburn encourage anyone with any issues to approach them as they do openly accept any suggestions and opinions in a friendly manner. Also, after reading this article, it may be wise to once again question oneself, do I support or do I reject? There is only hope that this article is capable of rationalizing everyone’s mind to bring this dispute to a humble rest.

sports SPORTS

By Cormac McGee Junior Boys’ Soccer Coaches: Mrs. Davies, Mr. Hathaway Captains: Daniel Rusiecki, Davit Haroutiunian (gr. 10) Record: 1 win 4 losses.

Finished sixth in the East Division and did not qualify for TDCAA Playoffs.

Senior Boys’ Volleyball Coaches: Mr. Emer, Mr. Harrison, Mr. Wong Captain: Arthur Kurek (gr. 12) Record: 7 wins 1 loss- finished second in the East Division.

Qualified but lost in the semi finals of the Playoffs.

Varsity Boys’ Golf Coach: Mr. Emer Captain: Mitchell Kennedy (gr. 12) Record: Finished sixth overall in TDCAA Finals with Arthur Kurek and Mitchell Kennedy tied for eleventh place.

Grade Nine Girls’ Flag Football Coaches: Mr. Frair, Mrs. Heisz, Ms. Sersanti, Mrs. Ventura Captain: Julia Niro (gr. 9) Record: Entered one day tournament at Jean Vanier, placed third.

Varsity Girls’ Field Hockey Coaches: Mrs. MacIsaac, Ms. Peets, Ms. Saran Captain: Christine Machado (gr. 12) Record: 0 wins, 2 ties, 2 losses- The girls finished 5th overall and did not qualify for TDCAA Playoffs. Finished second in Junior Post-Season Tournament.

Grade Nine Boys’ Flag Football Coach: Mr. Frair Captain: Team Involvement Record: Entered one day tournament and placed third.

Junior Girls’ Basketball Coach: Mr. McAlpine Captain: Abigail Lopez (gr. 10) Record: 4-4 in regular season, finished fifth overall.

Qualified and was knocked out first round in TDCAA Playoffs.

Varsity Mixed Tennis Coach: Mr. Simone Captain: Team Involvement Record: Individual Notables: Kendra Spencer Cole (gr. 10) finished second in Senior Girls TDCAA; Adrian Kania (gr. 12) made it to semi finals of Senior Boys’ Singles TDCAA

Senior Girls’ Basketball Coach: Mr. Dever, Mr. Rossi Captain: Claudine Palmer (gr. 12) Record: 4 wins 4 losses finished fifth overall in East Division. Qualified but lost in the second round of the TDCAA Playoffs.

Varsity Mixed Cross Country Coaches: Mrs. Dalgarno, Mrs. Hayes, Mrs. Poole Captain: Team Involvement Record: Team- The Senior Girls’ and Boys’ teams both placed fifth overall in the TDCAA Championships Individual Notables: Shannon Farquharson (gr. 12) finished ninth in TDCAA; Renaldo Romeral (gr. 11) finished eleventh in TDCAA

OUTSTANDING FALL ATHLETES Arthur Kurek (Grade 12) Captain of Senior Boys Volleyball Member of Varsity Boys Golf Team Arthur led the Senior Boys Volleyball team to an amazing record of 7-1 and finished eleventh overall in TDCAA Golf Championships. He has displayed great leadership and a spirit for competition, but also fair play.

Cassie Peralta (Grade 12) Senior Girl’s Basketball Cassie Peralta led the girls to an even season of 4-4 in a tough East Division. She had a great attitude towards the game no matter the score, and showed heart and drive on the court that was matched by nobody.

VANCOUVER 2010 In approximately two months, starting on February 12, Canada will be hosting the 21st Quad-Annual Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver and lighting the cauldron for the third time since the games begun in 1924.

Canada was awarded the coveted title as host of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games on July 2, 2003 and has started selling tickets since October 3, 2008. In preparation for the games the flame was lit in Greece on October 22 and the torch relay has begun and is already making its way to Vancouver. The run should take 106 days and is the longest torch relay ever planned. Vancouver has been preparing the city for the Olympics to arrive almost immediately after winning the bid to host the event. The City of Vancouver has already spent $16.6 million to upgrade the facilities that will be hosting the ski and snowboard events, $40 million on the park that will host the curling events and $600 million to repair and upgrade the highway entering Vancouver from Whistler in light of the increased traffic that is predicted. The predicted cost of running the winter Olympics this year is $1.354 billion. With the construction and preparations well underway, the only factor Canada has to focus upon is the athletes.

Being a northern country, Canada has plenty of experience with ice and snow related sports. There is an array of events that any Canadian citizen can look forward to. There will be many notable athletes rep-

resenting Canada such as the 20 year old men’s figure skater Patrick Chan. Also, one cannot miss events that entail the absolute precision of men’s and women’s curling nor the technique and stamina required for cross-country skiing. Snowboarder Maelle Ricker will finally have another chance to realize her childhood dream of winning an Olympic medal after unfortunately missing her chance in Salt Lake City due to a knee injury. Speed skating should yield more than satisfying results with the three-time Olympian Jeremy Wotherspoon representing Canada. Undoubtedly, no Canadian could possibly call-in sick for the sights and sounds of an exciting, adrenaline-pumping, classic men or women’s hockey game. Canada definitely has nothing to prove, but much to live up to when it comes to hockey and the teams will hopefully tear the ice and competition apart when the games begin.

Chris Rudge the Olympic committee’s chief executive officer has recently had an interview with CBC Sports. In this Interview CBC asked him about the Own the Podium Campaign. Rudge’s responded, “I still think it was the right goal to set, and I still think it is an achievable one.”

The “Own the Podium” Campaign started in 2005 and the goal is for Canada to become the top winter sporting nation in the world by 2010. Canada hopes to achieve this goal in 2010 by providing Canadian athletes, coaches and support personnel with additional resources and high performance programs.

This program gives Canadian supporters a reason

to anticipate better results in the games. “Own the Podium” also gives Canadian athletes a mental and physical edge in preparation for the games to come.

To win on home soil is important for Canadian pride this year more so than when Canada had hosted the Olympics before. Due to their woeful performance in previous years, Canada definitely has something to prove. This time around Canada has set high expectations for its athletes and has expensed copious amounts of dollars to spruce-up the Canadian squad.

It is time for Canada to showcase to the world that Canadians ARE a formidable force in the world of winter sports by sweeping the medal count at the upcoming Vancouver Winter Olympic Games. Go Canada!

VOLUME 15 / ISSUE 1 mwplanet 17

sports SPORTS

SR. BOYS’ VOLLEYBALL: THE DREAM CONTINUES...

By Sele Akioyamen It was no surprise when masses of hopeful players flocked to the Senior Boys’ volleyball tryouts. Last year, the team attained great success, earning a spot at the AAA Division OFSAA Championship. For this year’s team however, efforts in winning the championship once again fell short.

Beginning the season with a stretch of straight set victories at home, the Wolverines proved to be fierce competitors in the Den. During their first away game at Cardinal Newman, the team played and won an uncharacteristic fiveset match. This resulted in the boys witnessing the strength found in teammates’ support as well as their ability to battle back under pressure. These two qualities would prove integral in the team’s regular season and playoff games. In another five set match against Neil McNeil, the level of play was the undisputed highest of all East division games this season. After a lot of sweat, bruises, and fatigue, Neil handed the team their one and only regular season loss. Away games at Jean Vanier and St. Pat’s followed suit with steamrolling victories. They served as appropriate groundwork for the boys to prepare to break a long-standing habit and curse in Mary Ward volleyball.

During the elimination round of playoffs, the players faced Marshall McLuhan at home. Absolutely dominating the opposition, the team won with scores 2518, 25-9, 25-6. Though thrilled about the win, the team immediately got hard to work. From that point onward, they would have to defeat volleyball giant after giant on the road to the finals, the first of which would be Michael Power.

Days prior to the game, the team reminisced about the final minutes of last year’s semi-final game where Mary Ward supporters chanted “Season’s over!” upon Michael Power’s defeat. The team kept in mind that the very same thing could happen to them in anticipation of their away game at Power. Ward took the first set with confidence at 25 to 17. Motivated by the win, the boys took the next set with a fashionable 25 to 14. With flawless serving and defense in the third, Ward gained an early 8 to 0 lead. Power came back to take the lead from the boys who had been lulled into complacency. Drawing on experiences from past games, the team focused on getting one stop at a time. Losing 20-25 in the third, the team had the momentum and mindset necessary to play the most intense leg of the game. Both teams underwent an intense exchange of points during the fourth set with neither gaining a significant lead. Up against a team matching them in talent and skill, the boys had to dig deep inside to find the support necessary to win. They played with tremendous heart and won 25 to 23.

In the TDCAA semi-finals, the team was up against Father John Redmond in a do-or-die-winner-takes-all matchup. Redmond had recently declared their AAA status, leaving them the only thing standing between Mary Ward and the livelihood of their season at the TDCAA and OFSAA championships. This was very much a David versus Goliath-type matchup as Redmond defeated Ward at last year’s finals. During the first set, the boys battled back from a large deficit to win 25 to 22. Emotionally drained, the boys lost the second 20 to 25. The third and fourth sets were the most intense played throughout the entire season with high levels of play from both sides. Though the Ward team was near flawless, Redmond’s style of play proved too much for the boys. They lost the sets 22 to 25 and 23 to 25 respectively along with OFSAA qualification and the chance to go for the gold in the TDCAA finals.

This year’s season is summed up perfectly in two words: “Our Game!” The powerful mantra served as more than a team cheer but defined in detail, a style of play and attitude towards the game that became a code to live by. This year’s team had a remarkable amount of talent, potential and love for the sport. “Our Game” meant working together to improve as a team as well as individuals for the team. This involved asking nothing less of each other than the absolute best.

Putting up a dedicated block, ensuring that balls never dropped, and putting every serve in to allow a chance to play defense were physical traits that were symbolic in one way or another. In putting up a consistent block, the boys assured each other that they would always be there for one another. By digging up every ball, they all showed incredible dedication by making physical sacrifices in addition to others, for the sake of the team. Putting every serve in to allow defensive play required trust in the ability of each individual team member. The boys played an incredible season filled with unbelievable highs and learning experiences. Each and every one of them is testament to the greatness achieved through teamwork; greatness that can be achieved by every member of the Mary Ward student body. Facing adversity, they played with their hearts and left it all out on the court. Congratulations to this year’s players, coaches and supporters; you have made Mary Ward very proud.

18 mwplanet VOLUME 15 / ISSUE 1

PHOTO CREDIT ADOLF BENEDICK TORAL

By Alex De Pompa This year, the Mary Ward Varsity Cross Country team showed extreme dedication and perseverance throughout the entire season. Despite the horrible weather and pain, all runners did exceptionally well in their races thanks to the superb coaching skills of Mrs. Dalgarno, Mrs. Hayes, and Mrs. Poole.

Recruitment took place in mid-September, and every week since then until the end of October, members would run after school for practices Monday through Thursday. Members were also expected to run on weekends, no matter what the weather was like. In order to qualify for TDCAA, each runner had to attend sixteen practices and complete two other meets; one of them being the most favoured long-distance relay race run on the boardwalk. In order to qualify for OFSAA, runners needed to place in the top three individual positions or in the top two team positions overall for their particular race at the TDCAA meet.

After weeks of rigorous training, runners finally got to race at the TDCAA Championships on Friday, October 30 at Etobicoke Centennial Park. Despite the horrible weather, the team did not give up. They ran through rain, against the wind, and over muddy hills. Every team member ran their hardest and tried to bring pride to Mary Ward. “It was intense,” says Rowena Rollon, a grade ten student.

One of the greatest highlights of the day was when Shannon Farquharson placed 9th out of 104 girls in the Senior Women's five kilometre race. “It was a good season,” says Farquharson. “I’m really proud of the race I ran, but I really wanted to make it to OFSAA like last year.” Overall, Mary Ward’s Senior Women’s team placed fifth.

Mary Ward was well represented in the Senior Men’s race. Renaldo Romeral and Johnny Mitri placed an astounding 12th and 27th in their tough seven kilometre race.

The team truly exemplified good sportsmanship throughout their demanding races. “The team worked hard and exceeded expectations,” says coach Mrs. Hayes.

All the practicing paid off ; runners raced courageously and did amazingly well.

“We did really well as a team, and that’s all that matters. Running is about each runner doing his or her personal best,” states Debbie Lee, a grade ten Mary Ward athlete, who placed 24th in the Junior Women’s race.

All members of the Cross Country Varsity team did excellent and completed their challenging races while their teammates cheered them on to the finish line.

Runners improved greatly during the weeks of practice and can take pride knowing that they completed their tough races to the best of their ability and persisted to the end. Runners were given Mrs. Dalgarno’s delicious chocolate chip cookies as a reward. Congratulations, runners!

PHOTO CREDIT DEBBIE LEE

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By Arevik Vardanyan Stephanie Meyer’s creation, Twilight, has blown us away with its magical love story. The much anticipated New Moon hit theatres November 20th, 2009 as thousands of fans, mainly teenage girls, lined up hours earlier for showings of the phenomenon. Hitting weekend box offices with an incredible $147.8 million, the opening placed third in entertainment history for the top opening weekend. Directed by Chris Weitz, New Moon captured fans’ hearts with appealing Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), leaving Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) for her own good. Left heartbroken, Bella turns back to an old friend, Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner). As Jacob and Bella’s relationship grows, Bella learns that there is more to Forks then just vampires.

If you read New Moon, the movie was probably inevitable.

Personally, it was definitely better than Twilight. More details were covered, the romance was different, and

Planet Rating: 3.5/5 stars

the movie had more action. For the first half of the movie, I found that the relationship between the Cullens and Bella was captured well.

Throughout the movie, the characters would end up in random flashbacks from the previous saga, Twilight. It was inadequate and unnecessarybecause it did not help with the plot. Another factor that did not please me about the movie was Taylor Lautner’s acting. His physical appearance may have captured your attention, but his acting skills were not pleasant.

In certain scenes of the movie where Jacob Black had to be in a complete staid mode, he had a smirk to hide his laugh, and did not succeed.

In general, I found New Moon to be very captivating. The different artists and music genres of the movie, made the soundtrack quite unique. My favourite scene occurred at the very end of the movie, set in Italy, where Bella saves Edward. It was filled with immense action and showed the true love Bella and Edward share. I also loved the representation of the Volturi (the most gifted and powerful vampires) because of the way the actors captured their characters. They definitely exceeded my expectations. I was also amazed by the computerized werewolf transformations which I found very entrancing.

Overall, if you give this movie a chance, you will find it very interesting, especially if you enjoy the love story. Keep a positive mind and enjoy this fantasy thriller. Edward’s surprising question at the end of the movie will be sure to flock thousands of fans back to theatres for the continuation of the Twilight saga, Eclipse, proposed to be released in theatres, in June 2010.

PHOTO CREDIT: TAYLOR-LAUTNER.COM

A Mortal Perspective

By Adolf Benedick Toral Jennifer's Body is a dark comedy/horror film directed

by Karyn Kasuma (Aeon Flux) starring Megan Fox, and Amanda Seyfried. Jennifer’s Body is Diablo Cody’s first script since her Academy Award winning film, Juno.

Basically, the story is about Jennifer Check (Megan Fox), a possessed teenage serial killer who specializes in devouring the innards of libidinous teenage boys as her best friend Anita “Needy” Lesnicki (Amanda Seyfried) attempts to thwart her demonic efforts.

As a male teenager with raging hormones, I had no problem sitting through the movie that was lacking the scares and thrills of a typical horror film simply because it had elements that appealed to the said hormones. What caught my attention in the beginning of the movie was its’ opening statement, “Hell is a teenage girl”. I had a brief moment to ponder on what that meant as I imagined a young girl crying, as a result of the horror that high school life brings. That gloomy thought was quickly banished as the camera ventured onto Jeniffer, capturing every smooth curve before abruptly cutting into an extreme close-up of her chewing on strands of hair with mildew-stainedlooking teeth. This scene was unexpected because of the way it misled audiences with her first appearance.

Apart from that, most of the somewhat frightening scenes seemed a bit too forced and obvious. One aspect of this movie that did not appeal to me was

the way it tried to be gross; the vomiting and eatingflesh scenes would have been gruesome if the visual effects had not been overdone. The movie felt out of pace and did not build up the tension that powers the climax.

Planet Rating: 3/5 stars

seeing as how she had to revert every now and then from playful and kind Jennifer to a hungry demonic... thing. As for her co-star Amanda Seyfried, her performance as Needy was excellent. In fact, I would go as far to say that she even outshined Megan Fox in some scenes. In Megan’s defence, Needy was a character that was not limited to having a shallow personality and required much more emotional depth than Jennifer’s.

On the bright side, the performances of the actors were much more than I expected. I did not judge Megan Fox’s acting ability based on her role in the Transformers films simply because all she had to do was look gorgeous, sweat a lot, and dodge a few rampaging robots.

In reality, what makes this movie disappointing would be the way It was unfair that critics judged her as an you look at it. As a horror movie, actress this early in her career, even with it was pretty much a lullaby. As a the film How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, where she played a minor role that dark comedy full of inappropriate and occasionally steamy did not stray too far from her duties on the dialogue, it did its’ job. What’s my Transformers films. As the starring actress in recommendation? It’s not a mustJennifer’s Body however, I cannot see movie. But for all those who are be lenient on her acting abilities. terrified of the horror genre but seek Megan Fox portraying Jennifer to overcome their fear, Jennifer’s Check required her to be vibrant, Body is a good movie to start have a sexy sense of humour, with as it lacks most of the and be flirtatiously inviting, which she necessary elements needed to be frightening. was unsurprisingly PHOTO CREDIT :SCIFITV.COM.AU good at. The way she connected with Needy’s character was satisfyingly acceptable, VOLUME 15 / ISSUE 1 mwplanet 19

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THE SIMS TO LIVE, TO LOVE

By Ashley Rostamian

When I ordered The Sims in seventh grade from Scholastic’s, I didn’t know that half a decade later I would still be playing the third installment of the worldwide beloved game. Available in over 26 countries, The Sims 3 is clearly an international bestseller and ultimately the best-selling PC franchise ever. The Sims Phenomenon, which I can only call it, is not without reason. It is an open-ended game, meaning a game without a determined ending, The Sims is everlasting – which is perhaps why it is so addictive. In the newest installation of the series, players are now able to seamlessly take their Sims into the neighbourhood by just stepping out the front door. Moreover, all other Sims which you don’t control continue living their lives as though you were playing them. These features and more never lead to a dull game play- your imagination is the only limit.

I will assume that most of you are familiar with The Sims, either the oldest installment or the latest one, and know the fundamentals of the game. Therefore, instead of explaining to you how the game works, I will recount my own personal tale of my beloved Sims, Kim Kardashian and her daughter, Kalila. First off, let me just clarify by saying that I created a Sim that resembled Kim Kardashian, hence the name – not the other way around; I totally didn’t Google an image of Kim Kardashian and spend several hours replicating a pint-sized Sims version… Kim was my first in Sims 3; therefore it was essential that I made her just right. In the Create-A-Sim mode, I chose her to be a Young Adult as opposed to an Adult (so that I would have plenty of time!) and picked five traits; Artistic, Bookworm, Natural Cook, Angler and Daredevil. I wanted her to have an easy Lifetime Wish so that I could spend more time enjoying the process of completing it, rather than stressing about it. So, I chose Illustrious Author, which basically meant that if Kim mastered her Painting and Writing skills, she would be happy for the rest of her life. Set to start, I hit the checkmark button, and off I went with my brand-new Sim to Sunset Valley – the world of Sims.

Every Sim is granted 15,000 simoleons to start off their lives. I bought a starter home that was cost-effective and was given the choice to buy the house furnished (which cost a few thousand simoleons more) or to buy it unfurnished. The smarter choice would’ve been to buy the house furnished; however all the furniture and appliances would’ve been hideous – and I would rather have had my Sim live in desolateness than in ugliness. So I chose to buy the house unfurnished, which would leave me with a few thousand simoleons to buy the furniture I thought would be necessary. Luckily, the house came with a few very basic appliances: the most lousiest stove, toilet and bath. I spent it all on the most expensive bed, a cheap fridge and a painting easel. Even lighting and wallpaper had to be thought of as a luxury. Sure, I could’ve easily used the ‘motherlode’ cheat which would give me 50,000 simoleons, but I craved a true challenge – surviving a Sim on nothing more than a few pennies. From Sims 2, I knew that painting could earn money, so I immediately set Kim to work on the painting easel. After a few moments, which in Sim time is equivalent to hours, Kim completed her first ever painting with a total worth of two simoleons. I knew then that that challenge I wanted was exactly what I would get.

After a few days of living in a state of near-death, Kim’s painting skills started to pay off as she produced paintings that were worth a few hundred simoleons. I sold these paintings, and was now able to provide her with essentials

20 mwplanet VOLUME 15 / ISSUE 1

PHOTO CREDITS: THE SIMS™

like proper food and previously deemed “luxuries” such as flooring and a table. Slowly but surely, her paintings continued to increase in worth as her skills improved, and before I knew it, my house had become furnished with definite luxurie (essentially a computer in which she could begin her writing skills). In between producing paintings, I commanded Kim to write novels. At first, like the paintings, her books weren’t worth much (the royalties even less!), but after some time, her novels became bestsellers and her paintings became masterpieces, which caused the incoming flow of cash she was receiving to be much more than enough.

Although Kim was now financially content, she didn’t have much of a social life. More importantly, I realized that she was an Adult now and she had no offspring to pass her legacy onto. So my quest began for Kim’s mate. After striking up conversation with a few NPCs, Kim met Mortimer Goth. (On a side note, he is a character present in both Sims 1 and Sims 2, as well.) They hit it off, and soon enough, they were in a relationship. I knew that I wanted Kim to remain a single woman and not be tied down by family, so I plotted Kim to become really ‘friendly’ with Mortimer. This way they could have a baby together without having a traditional married relationship. (I know that in real life this may not be considered the ideal familial situation, but hey, that’s why it’s called Sims.) A few days later, Kim became pregnant. I wanted her to give birth to a girl, so I made her eat nothing but watermelons, a small trick I picked up. Three days later, she gave birth to a little baby girl, which I decided to name Kalila. When Kalila became a toddler, I noticed that she had red hair and green eyes – genetics that neither parents had. However, consulting her family tree, I noticed that Mortimer’s ancestors had these traits. I found this to be pretty cool- that Sims was so realistic that even the idea of genes skipping a few generations was present. Around the time that Kalila was a child, Kim mastered both the painting and writing skills, meaning her Lifetime Wish was fulfilled. Thus Kim would now be eternally happy. Kim was able to spend her free time as she wished, since she no longer had an ultimate goal, so she pursued gardening and fishing. As Kalila grew older, so did Kim, until one unfortunate day the Grim Reaper came and snatched my beloved “Kim the Sim” away from me.

After a few days, Kalila aged into a Young Adult and I decided that it was time for her to have a fresh start. Having a Lifetime Want of catching 13 perfect quality fish, I knew that she needed to live someplace that was accessible to both the beach and my favourite pond in Sunset Valley. So I decided to build her a house literally at the halfway point on a cliff. Her mother had left a hefty sum of money for her daughter, and so I was able to build my first house in the game from scratch without using any cheats. (I won’t get into details, but just to let you know, whenever Kalila is at home, she gets a ‘Beautiful Vista’ moodlet which boosts her mood +20.) Currently, Kalila is living large as she spends most of her time fishing for the best of the best sea creatures which she later adds to her own private pond in her backyard. Also, she quit her part-time job as a spa specialist and instead partially bought out the spa itself by becoming a partner for 15,000 simoleons. Overall, I would say that Kalila Kardashian is enjoying the games that life bring as I am enjoying the ultimate game of life, The Sims 3.

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By Michael Chiu and Jessica Lee If anyone had gone to the JoBros concert at the Rogers Centre earlier this year and wondered who the five distinctively Asian girls on stage were instead of Nick, Kevin and Joe, you are missing out on one of the most popular girl groups in Asia.

The Wonder Girls are a pop group consisting of five young Korean females named Sun, 20, Mimi, 17, Yubin, 21, Yenny, 20, and Sohee, 17. They quickly rose to the top of the charts in their homeland of South Korea and garnered attention across the East Asian seaboard after their debut in 2007. They released three consecutive number one hit singles in 2007 and 2008, “Tell Me”, “So Hot”, and “Nobody”, and won two “Artist of the Year” awards. Of

particular interest are the music videos and the dances stemming from them that the Wonder Girls have released. The music video for “Tell Me” has sparked considerable craze around the world, with hundreds upon thousands of fan videos mimicking the dance sparking up on online video sites such as Youtube.

North American exposure to the Wonder Girls began when they followed their producer (and singer-songwriter) J.Y. Park to the United States in February of 2008, visiting both New York City and Los Angeles. In September, celebrity blogger Perez Hilton posted the video for “Nobody” on his site, allowing many of those not exposed to Korean pop music (or K-pop) to experience what these five girls had to offer. In November of the same year, Virgin Media chose them to be in their list of top girl-groups, lining them up with the likes of the Pussycat Dolls, Girls Aloud and Danity Kane.

Their official North American debut, however, was in June of 2009 when two events occurred: they were asked by the Jonas Brothers to open for them for the North American leg of their world tour, and their first English single, “Nobody” was released. The Wonder Girls opened for a total of 45 concerts across the continent, growing close with the Jonas Brothers along the way. On the other hand, “Nobody” reached the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart. This made them the first ever Korean group to do so.

The pop quintet opened for Jordin Sparks in Pennsylvania on November 12, 2009, and their first English full-length album was anticipated with pre-orders available. Their previous singles and remixes are available on iTunes.

They studied English six hours a week and also met with their audience two hours before and after their shows.

PHOTO CREDIT: WONDERGIRLSWORLD.COM

By Priscilla Chen and Amanda Myers A minute from nine on a typical Wednesday night, hundreds of thousands pick up their T.V. remotes to watch Fox’s new, fun, quirky and hilarious comedy, Glee. Its hype has created a craze among people all over the world. This musical comedy focuses on the life of an inspiring Spanish teacher, Will Shuester, and his struggles to restore Glee Club to its former glory. Throughout the one-hour weekly program, the “Glee Kids,” from all different cliques, come together to perform current and classic hit songs, including Kanye West’s “Gold Digger”, Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’,” Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline,” and Sisqo’s “Thong Song.” Glee displays high school drama - the fight for social status and peer pressure - making it a phenomenal High School Musical twist. It is irresistible, and its “gotta-love” quality has made it bigger-thanever, making it a conversation starter for many and an hour of relaxation and humor.

When highly anticipated comedy-drama TV series Glee hit FOX TV in September, many of us were expecting a spin-off series version of High School Musical. Those of us who have watched Glee know that it is far from that. Although the series does feature a great deal of singing and dancing, it lacks the Family Channel aspect and in my opinion, it is for the better. Glee is a more reality-based setting than High School Musical, where characters would just “burst out into song”. Glee is in a much more developed context, where people sing and dance in scheduled rehearsals and in performances as they would in reality. With its added maturity, Glee is not just directed towards adolescents, it has something for everyone, which allows for a much broader audience that includes adults. What really separates FOX’s Glee from Disney’s High School Musical is that it features popular songs including Jordin Sparks’s “No Air”, Rihanna’s “Take a Bow”, Queen’s “Somebody to Love”, Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” just to name a few. With the addition of these well-known songs, non-gleeks are able to follow and sing-along.

With a splash of soda, Glee’s characters portray some stereotypical high school students and staff, from jocks and cheerleaders to those with disabilities. However, the television fresh-faced cast that plays them is far from ordinary, director Joss

It was seen that Joe Jonas was wearing a Wonder Girls shirt and the three Jonas Brothers bought a cake for Sun’s birthday.

There’s not much of a difference between a stadium full of cheering fans, and an angry crowd screaming abuse at you - they’re both just making a lot of noise. How you take it is up to you.

-Sue Sylvester

Whedeon selected talented Broadway performers. Will Shuester, played by Matthew Morrison, starred as Link in Hairspray and other Broadway productions. Lead singer for Glee Club and lead female, Rachel Berry is played by Lea Michele, born in the Bronx, and has been in Spring Awakening, and other Broadway musicals. Before Canadian Cory Monteith (who plays football and is the character Finn) became an actor, you may have encountered him while he was a roofer, cab driver or Walmart greeter. Most “Gleeks” have been won over by the hilarious Jane Lynch, who plays Sue Sylvester, the cheerleading coach. Sue’s side-splitting lines plus blunt and stern personality will make you love her! Glee also stars Dianna Argon as Quinn, Jayma Mays as Emma, Kevin McHale as Artie and Chris Colfer as Kurt.

In Glee, the idea of social stature exists within their high school. Football players cannot talk to Kurt and Quinn Fabray’s pregnancy leads to her getting booted off the cheerleading squad. The show also gets into our personal lives when we are given choices accompanied with its different consequences. In Glee, students must choose their social dignity or Glee. Finn is a specifically driven singer; however he is also the football quarterback.

These tie into our school experiPHOTO CREDIT: FOX.COM/GLEE ences at Ward. Sometimes, we are challenged between choosing a conflict-free seminar for Math or a conflict-free seminar for English. If they are both not being re-offered, what choice do we make? In FOX’s hit comedy Glee, they are challenged to choose.

It is quite clear that Glee surpasses any and all of the stereotypes we have for high school-based TV series. Between our favourite songs and gottalove actors, Glee is a delightful show for anyone, high school-aged and onwards. We give this new infectious, smart and hilarious series 4½ thumbs up! But if you’re still not totally convinced, watch Glee on Wednesday nights at 9 on FOX or Global and see for yourself! What have you got to lose?

VOLUME 15 / ISSUE 1 mwplanet 21

creative spaces SPACES CREATIVE

In a breakthrough study, a group of distinguished Asian researchers have concluded that video games have an astonishing effect on the social ability of teenagers. The ecstatic researchers announced in a press conference held in an undisclosed location, that videogames might very well be the perfect social training programs of the future.

The entire project was reported to have cost around three billion Canadian dollars.

This was a little less than their previous project, “Effects of self-inflicted head fractures on IQ”. They were given an award for their bravery by using themselves as test subjects, despite the project failure.

“I feel as if we have come across something truly spectacular here,” said Tai Yang, owner of a well-known Asian game company, which donated millions to fund the project. “I will get much more money, and now we know the students will benefit from their games as well.”

The study involved forcefully removing what experts refer to as social outcasts from their natural environments, and interviewing them. The participants were then supplied with a rich selection of free games along with free systems, with the promise of more if positive progress is evident. Each socially inept student was referred to by three peers who swore they didn’t know them, in order to prevent inaccuracies in the results.

“I felt that we should have used a wider range of students,” said Asian researcher Tee Oh Pee. “But I later realized that the effects would be the same,” noted Pee, “and we did not want to upset the natural balance by making popular kids more social.”

The results of the studies were beyond belief. Not only was there a sixty percent or higher increase in the circle of friends, but most students came back and said that they had also found their significant others. It should be noted though, that most subjects looked extremely fatigued, possibly a result of their newfound social abilities. As a second note, none of the results were confirmed, in order to preserve the ‘trust’ aspect of the study.

“We completely trust everything the kids reported back,” Yang added, “It is how we show our confidence that videogames are teaching proper values!”

The games provided included two bestsellers, Resident Evil 4 and 50 Cent: Bulletproof. Researchers felt it necessary to use popular games to better gauge the effects in the study.

“The games are exceptionally violent,” mentioned Gae Dra Gohn, another researcher, “They teach the teenagers what exactly not to do, effectively acting as preventive tools.”

The latter of the two games was also mentioned by most subjects as a great social experience. Most checked off realized future profession, and knowledge on proper use of firearms after playing the rapper-inspired game.

Researchers also mentioned that most of the now experienced-gamers had acquired rude mannerisms in their speech, possibly an unfortunate side effect of conversing with so many new people in their schools. They predict that after a few more weeks of violent and profanity- filled gaming, gamers will learn not to use profanity or force, because the characters that do so are obviously uncool and unpopular.

By Karl Nicolas

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“We are coming into a new age,” added Gohn, “We recently sent a request to the United Nations to make it necessary that each teenager attempt to play a video game at least twenty hours a week, to prevent any social problems in high school.”

The UN has not replied to the researchers yet, but it is more than likely that the mandatory video game act will be implemented. When asked if we could interview any of the gamers, they replied that most of the students had either dropped out or gone missing. Teachers and parents are not worried, informed that the teenagers probably require more social exploration in the real world on their own.

“Just last week, he brought home a large group of friends,” said the parent of a missing teenager, Jane Keller. “They weren’t very polite, in fact they seemed somewhat intoxicated and violent, but I’m so proud that he’s finally getting out there.”

In an completely unrelated study, researchers are discovering that there was recently a large spike in gang-related incidents and murders. The video game addiction research committee commented that if parents took the effort to buy and encourage these games, there would not be so many regrettable violent events in our society.

22 mwplanet VOLUME 15 / ISSUE 1

creative spaces SPACES CREATIVE

By Alex De Pompa

All Dorothy got for Christmas was a wooden box. Inside were many dolls, all no bigger than five inches tall. Dorothy was disappointed; she had wanted Photoshop CS4.

A few days later, it was a dark and stormy afternoon and Dorothy had nothing to do. Rain fell heavily outside and every few seconds the sky would light up, followed by a loud crash. Dorothy wanted the storm to end and a rainbow to appear; she wanted to follow it to the place where the splendiferous trees grow.

But the rain continued to fall, so Dorothy decided to play with her dolls.

Dorothy found the most interesting-looking dolls and pretended that she was watching a movie about the lives of the dolls. First, she found the tall and handsome, muscular young man doll. He is definitely the main character, Dorothy thought. The sensitive bad boy with a messed-up past.

Then Dorothy finds the leading lady. She’s beautiful: slender, full-lipped, busty, and voted the most popular girl in school. She is also rich.

The remaining dolls are supporting characters: the well-meaning guidance counsellor, the drug-addict, and the shy girl who loves the bad boy. She is the only character in the movie who can find the place where the splendiferous trees grow.

Dorothy had an exciting plot planned out: the bad boy and the popular girl fall in love despite the admonitions of the guidance counsellor. Eventually, they leave on his motorcycle to find the place where the splendiferous trees grow.

A few years later, the bad boy and the popular girl break up. No one could read maps and they couldn’t find the place where the splendiferous trees grew.

The bad boy finds the shy girl living in a large house in a rich neighbourhood. She has married the once-drug addict, who has managed to turn his life around. She now has kids and is reasonably happy, despite the cancer. The shy girl refuses to run away with the bad boy to the place where the splendiferous trees grow. She doesn’t go there anymore. The splendiferous trees have all been cut down.

His hopes dashed, the bad boy leaves, never to return. He walks away in the rain, and as the movie ends, a rainbow appears overhead in the distance. Is there hope? Maybe. Probably not. Most people only get one chance for a happy ending - unless there is a sequel.

Dorothy puts the dolls back in the box. She doesn’t like how bleak it seems.

She doesn’t want a sad ending; she wants a rainbow to lead her to the place where the splendiferous trees grow. Wikipedia may have an article about it, or she could search Google Maps. But she won’t watch a documentary about the destruction of the splendiferous tree forests.

She’s already depressed.

By Happuka John There it hung, so green and bright; my dream almost come true. Yes, I had been waiting ages for this one moment. And a few centimetres away he sat, the one who I had chosen.

The Christmas songs whom Melinda, my best friend, had put on, played in the background between the laughter and games. I’d never been to such a lively and cozy Christmas party before. But my one desire was still not fulfilled as I longed to stand under it; the mistletoe I mean. Melinda and her boyfriend and Shaun and his love had all gone under, as if it were some ritual for love. But how could I when the guy I loved, didn’t even know I existed?

I could see only Rob’s face as he smiled and talked with the others. Me, in my own world as I sat and daydreamed how it would all happen.

“Snap out of it, will you? Or do you want the whole world to know?” I looked up to see Charlie, childhood friend and classmate. What more can I say? That he was my first love who rejected me? Or that he still fools with my feelings, a joker beyond feelings or words? A cool-hearted fiend with a smooth face and talk? No, the words are all too soft, too buttery for reality. I sighed and walked away, following the scent to our Christmas dinner. As I walked along the hallway to the kitchen, I heard footsteps from behind.

“Where you going?” I stopped and turned, I saw him staring back.

“No where Charlie. Are you my mom or something?” He paused and then smiled as he stepped forward.

“What?” I asked as I glared at him. He stopped in front of me and then looked up. Without hesitating, so did I. Who wouldn’t? Why I did is an even better question, I’ll leave you to find the answer.

There it hung, my longing desire that was never fulfilled. And how could it be when he doesn’t even know I am alive? But now, I was there, standing just below; the mistletoe. It hung true and proud, my wish for the night.

All that I had dreamed for was now in motion. Perhaps tragic or perhaps for the best. Who knows? Not I and probably not even you. I looked back at Charlie; and him, back at me. Then he leaned forward and did just as he was supposed to do. And there I stood, my wish fulfilled, in the strangest way possible and yet the deed was done. Because what I desired had come to fruit. And there I stood until he pulled back and simply walked away. The cold hearted brute with my heart once again, as he walked away.

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Sudoku and Comic By Samantha Tjong

For the Sudoku solution, visit planet.maryward.ca

By Jed de los Reyes

TOO

By Karl Nicolas and Justin Villaspir

For your full horoscope, visit planet.maryward.ca

ARIES This month is all about one thing: Money, money, money! Make sure that you take every opportunity to make some dough. There are many important decisions coming up, but don’t stress too much. Stop being hard-headed and go with the flow!

TAURUS Your life will begin to seem harder these coming weeks. Remember to stay strong and follow through with any plans you had before. Stay disciplined and you will be rewarded immensely.

Watch out for snakes in the grass. It might be wise to check your back once in a while.

GEMINI Try something new and make new friends, don’t sit down and waste away.

Your creativity and social spirits are at their peaks, so be sure to capitalize.

There are irregular constellations meaning that your goals and priorities are subject to change. Remember to keep an open mind.

CANCER The past has been rough, but things are starting to look bright. Watch out for job opportunities that may seem to simply fall on your lap in the upcoming weeks.

However, make sure that maturity does not get in the way of your fun.

LEO Do not quit on any projects you are currently working on. It would be wise to follow through and finish everything you have started. There is a high chance that you will run into an unexpected road bump very soon, and make sure to brace for the impact.

VIRGO Your stress level will be high at this time, but you should keep your cool.

Be realistic and keep your goals and dreams down to earth. In the coming weeks, you will be gifted with amazing luck -use it to your advantage.

LIBRA There will be some talk about what you want and some people will disagree, but you’re the only one who knows what you really need. This month there will be a couple of situations where you will be confronted with an issue. All will go well if you approach them with a positive attitude.

SCORPIO This month is the month to be adventurous, so go out there and do things you have never done before.

Pretty soon you will find something that’ll become a routine. If something sounds too good to be true, just trust your instincts, you will be thankful later.

SAGITTARIUS Give in to all of those good feelings that will come in the next couple of weeks. You will be more focused on the finer details than the bigger picture that is at hand. Pay attention to your surroundings; you will discover things that you have never seen before, so keep your eyes open!

CAPRICORN Curiosity will be at an all time high for you this month, but don’t worry, as this will answer some of those questions you have been waiting to get. Take extra care as you could be side tracked in the next couple of weeks due to a series of events. You will get your work done much faster than usual.

AQUARIUS Don’t let your good mood dictate what you should do this month: follow your mind as it will steer you in the better direction. Impulses of spending sprees are about to occur so keep your money away from your hands. Important things are headed your way, so be prepared for what’s to come.

PISCES A tough choice will leave you picking between what is right and what is right for you. Make the choice that will benefit not just yourself, but everyone.

It’s never a good idea to put work over your health, so when the opportunity arises, be sure to put your health first.

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