Mary Ward Planet - Vol.15, Issue 3, Summer 2009-10

volume 15 | issue 3 | summer edition

MA

PLA N E T

planet.maryward.ca

Buried Life | Shredded Units | Gulo Gulo

f o e ts l b en a T nt 05 o c 03

Petite Planete 14 La - Au Revoir Mme. Wisniowski

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Community - The Shredded Units - Hip Hop Immunity - Leader of the Pack - University Anxieties - Uniform Usage World Issues - Skills Canada - Earth Hour - Camp Olympia - U.S. Health Care - Mary Ward’s Tempest Art - Haiti and Chile Show - Polish Tragedy - Documentary: The Cove - Pacific Mall Creative Spaces Editor’s Note - The East (Short - Farewell/Toronto Star Awards Story) Editorial

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- Gender Justice Course - TTC

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S B R

Fun and Games - Comics - Sudoku - Summer List

This issue marks the end of the Vecchiarelli Dynasty. Diana leaves us to pursue English, French, and Education at York University. Our graduating staff also includes the Future Ryerson J-Schooler Samantha Lui, Text Wrap Master Cindy Liang, our Wacky WACT Editor Ashley Rostamian, Adrian “The Business Man” Kania, Adrian “The Attitude” Amado, and McCaul Street Artitsts Naomi Reyes, Justin Buenaflor and Jessica Lee. We bid adieu to J-Squaders Tatiana Ng Ping Cheung, Katrina Po, Adolf Toral, Dorica Manuel and Arthur Kurek. We will miss you....Bold, Underline, Italics forever...

Ms. Largo Bien une autre année est sur - et nos vacances d’été sont juste dans notre portée.

Que puis-je dire de notre équipe de réussite de prix ? Je peux dire que nous Rock! Il y avait de grand travail fait par tous et vous tous méritez des vacances remplies d’amusement. Bien que nous soyons tristes de voir beaucoup de nos diplômés chéris aller - en septembre nous accueillerons une nouvelle équipe de réussite de prix entière et le fait de diriger que l’équipe sera Michael Chen et Alex De Pompa! J’attends déjà beaucoup de grandes éditions impatiemment qui me garderont diverti pendant les heures.

Nous devons aussi remercier Mme Wisnowski de son assistance avec editting les articles français. Comme elle part pour ses vacances nous espérons que vos vacances vous apportent beaucoup de reste!

Salut mes amies! A Bientôt!

- Religious Tensions - Parents and Facebook

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Sports - Profile on Dever - Wolverine Mascot - Intramurals - Dragon Boat - Turf Field - Spring Sports Overview

mary ward

PLANET

volume 15 | issue 3 | summer ‘10

As the rest of the school basked in the sweltering sun at the end-of-the year mass, 20 members of the Mary Ward Planet staff ventured to the Toronto Star Awards in Vaughn to collect our record-breaking 9 awards! Congrats to the entire staff! We are so proud of all of you :) P.S: The Planet would like to bid a fond farewell to our beloved retirees, Wendy Cassibault and Paul Cerre. Mr. Cerre, you are, and always will be the greatest TA ever. Mary Ward will never be the same without you!!! xoxo

AWARD WINNERS

Editor-in-Chief: Art Editor: Photo Editor: World Issues Editor: Community Editor: Redactricé: Sports Editor: WACT/Media Editor: Creative Spaces Editor: Junior Editors:

Sr. Planet Relations: Jr. Planet Relations: Planet Webmaster:

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.

LAYOUT ARTISTS

Diana Vecchiarelli Naomi Reyes Michael Chiu Alex De Pompa Cindy Liang Samantha Lui Adrian Kania Ashley Rostamian Michael Chen Nairy Khodabakhshian Samantha Tjong Samantha Lui Arevik Vardanyan Hazel Llanes

Jan Cruz Naomi Reyes Hazel Llanes Michael Chen Jessica Lee Jed de los Reyes Justin Buenaflor Arthur Kurek Cindy Liang Marian Kelly Nicolle White Samantha Lui Adrian Amado Tatiana Ng Ping Cheung

Ms. albert

- Column/Opinion Writing, 2nd place: Nairy Khodabakhshian - Comics, 1st Place: Mariah Llanes - Comics, 2nd Place: Adrian Amado - Feature Writing Long, 1st Place: Tara Azadeh - Illustration, 1st Place: Jan Cruz - Illustration, 2nd Place: Danielle Roche - Sports Photography, 1st Place: John Austin Ng Lee - Sports Writing, Feature, 2nd Place: Adrian Kania - Sports Writing, Reporting, 2nd Place: Samantha Lui

mme. powell executive staff

WACT/Lifestyles - Buried Life - Film Forecast - 3D Glasses - iPad - Nappy Hair - Anime Convention - Pokemon

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 exchanges while keeping Christian values and practices. All submitted articles, layouts, and photography are subject to moderation. Material submitted is subject to approval by the Executive, staff moderators, and administration. All material must positively support the ideas and spirit of Mary Ward Catholic Secondary School.

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Mary Ward Catholic Secondary School is a selfdirected 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.

editor’s section EDITOR’S SECTION

Seven issues later, and now, it is my time to pass on the torch as Editor-in-Chief. Working with the newspaper throughout my entire high school career has been a very rewarding and incredible experience. The quantity of work that I have seen published still manages to amaze me, and for this, I am truly grateful to have taken part in all twelve of the publications Mary Ward’s award-winning newspaper has produced within the past four years.

The dedication that I have witnessed from the members of the Planet proves that Mary Ward’s tri-annual publication is one to credit and respect. I have never encountered a group of people so committed to ensuring that the success of the paper improves within the distribution of our publications. The long and late nights spent in Comm. Tech demonstrate the dedication and devotion of the Planet members who volunteer their personal time to contribute to their school community. It was a privilege and an honour to work with individuals of such high talent and commitment to an extra-curricular activity of this sort. And of course, the prestigious results from the Toronto Star High School Newspaper Awards were rewarding as well.

The newspaper has definitely helped me in more ways than one. Surely, my writing and editing skills have improved. However, it is my skills gained from this leadership experience that have helped me to become a better person and most importantly, impact others on their journey of becoming leaders as well. I will take the knowledge I have attained from this spectacular publication, and use it during the next chapter of my life throughout my future endeavours.

I have a great deal of confidence that the newspaper staff will continue to produce exceptional articles, creative layouts, intriguing graphic designs, and high quality photographs. I am honoured to pass on the responsibilities of the Planet to Future Editor-in-Chief, Alex De Pompa, and Future Co-Editor, Michael Chen. I am positive that these two individuals will steer the Mary Ward Planet in the right direction and continue the legacy this publication is known for.

Readers, it is your job to contribute to this newspaper to allow for great success in the future. Publish your work and continue to make an impact on others through your talents. Provide your opinions on the newspaper and express suggestions for improvement for future publications.

Without your work, the Mary Ward Planet would not have been as successful as it is today.

Thank you Mary Ward Planet for an unforgettable and memorable experience. I wish you the best of luck in the future, and don’t worry, I will be the first to tackle those “impossible” Sudokus.

Editor-in-Chief

VOLUME 15 / ISSUE 3 mwplanet 03

THE FIGHT FOR EQUAL RIGHTS VEERS OFF-TRACK In September of the upcoming school year, students in secondary schools across Ontario can expect a course dealing with concepts exploring gender identity, representations of gender roles within the media and society, and other related topics. The course is named ‘Gender Studies’ and will be offered to Grade 11s with a university/college designation. It will be available in all high schools as early as next year—except our Catholic secondary schools.

Consequently, high schools within school boards in Toronto, Dufferin-Peel, Ottawa, Halton and Windsor have decided not to introduce the course upon the recommendation of the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario.

After looking at the curriculum expectations of the proposed Gender Studies course, it is hard to understand why the Bishops would reject it. Would not a course focusing on analyzing “representations of different gender roles found in media and popular culture” be beneficial to the misguided youth of today?

Would not a course that studies “instances of gender-based violence which acted as catalysts for positive change” actually help teenagers form better choices in relationships? Even a course that analyzes “issues underlying men’s movements and organizations which seek to change the male gender role, improve men’s rights in child rearing and child access after divorce or separation” would be helpful in today’s modern society. After looking at a sample of topics covered in this course, it makes no sense as to why the course was denied. Should we not be allowed to study what we want and not have an authority censor it?

So why have we hit a roadblock when it comes to our access to knowledge?

In a world full of vulgar phrases that disrespect female and male genitalia, a course which defines the line between understanding and respecting would allow students opportunities to discuss in a greater and formal context.

In a world where many teens treat terms such as “abortion”, “rape”, or “sex” as light topics, this course would help remove the ignorance and stigma attached to these issues. While we understand that secular views on abortion and conception conflict with our Catholic beliefs, we should not be misinformed and denied the chance to learn about these sensitive issues.

What is lacking in youth culture today is a formal context where teens can learn and talk about topics specific to gender. While diversity has been given importance in recent years, education has neglected gender studies. The rights of men and women (and anyone in between), have been lost in the discussions.

For education’s sake, we should not lose an opportunity to teach students about gender-based violence or stereotypes in the media. Such examples in the media can include Chris Brown’s gruesome attack on Rihanna, how males are represented as lazy beer-consuming couch potatoes, how typecasted portrayals of homosexuals, and how dangerously thin women are accepted as “sexy”. We NEED this course tailored to a Canadian-Catholic perspective, making it acceptable to young Christians facing the challenges of today’s world.

What do YOU think? Voice your opinion @ http://planet.maryward.ca 04 mwplanet VOLUME 15/ ISSUE 3

THE BITTER WAY

By Tracy Ampofoh

Is Mayor David Miller under the impression that environmentalists are idiots? In the Earth issue of Toronto’s Now Weekly (April 15th- 22nd), Miller calls on the support of green activist to help in the promotion of his LRT system. The system, which up until recently was supported by the province’s budget, is about to collapse as it has little funding to support it. Throughout the article, Miller sustains the claim that through the LRT, Toronto’s green goals will be met. However, what Miller fails to do is inform the reader how. Instead, Miller’s article is filled with fluff about how great the LRT will be, with almost no factual information about the detailed toll it would take on our city.

The LRT system, although great in concept, is something for which Toronto transportation is not ready for. Miller’s plea comes at the wrong time as he asking for rider support while forgetting to support them. For months now, riders have been demanding support also explanations from their transit, begging them to explain the infrequency of buses, the rudeness of workers and the frequent breakdowns.

Slowly, the better way is becoming the bitter way, as these complaints are often ignored, only recently responded to in discussions and town hall meetings. The bitter battle between the TTC and its passengers has been brewing for a while now, as riders are getting fed up with the service provided. Not only do buses come infrequently and are rarely on schedule, but they also often sit idle and sometimes come in large conveys, sending toxic fumes into our already damaged environment. These issues with the TTC send the clear message that we do not need more transit, but rather we need to fix the transit we have.

Miller’s idea for a Transit City is ridiculous. How exactly did Miller plan to build a larger transit system on the cracked foundation that is the current TTC? By trying to appeal to environmentalists, Miller is just grasping for dear life. The truth is that the LRT, though earth friendly in concept, is not going to make the green difference Miller claims it will. Granted the opportunity to take the TTC will lower the use of automobile dependency throughout the various areas of Toronto. However, the construction and money that will go into building the LRT is enough to scare any green activist away. The amounts of fumes, fossil fuels and electricity that will go into building just one of the eight planned LRT lines is monstrous. Not only this but the LRT lines only mean more transfers, maps and ads which will go on the TTC, just raising the use of paper in our already cluttered filled city. Miller’s idea for Transit City may sound eco-friendly and great, but the fact is the little details, such as the amount of fuel and paper that would be used, add up.

Getting the city’s transit back on track is something that must be done. Our transit system must be re-evaluated, modified and altered to fit the needs of the city. However, this cannot be done by adding more transit to the system. Adding more transit means adding more junk, which consequently affects the city’s green goals. If more people are driving and saying no to the TTC, the more damage is being done to our environment. What Miller needs to do, instead of trying to promote the LRT, is get back to the basics. By fixing the current issues with the TTC, he can appeal to riders, respond to their complaints to gain their support.

The truth is, we do not need more transit, we just have to fix and manage what we’ve got.

By Adolf Benedick Toral

In their efforts to confront climate change, the World Wide Fund for Nature, formerly known as the World Wildlife Fund, organized Earth Hour in Sydney, Australia in 2007.

Earth Hour calls upon both individuals and groups to turn their lights off for an entire hour on the last Saturday of March annually. In 2007, 2.2 million residences participated in the event, marking the beginning of a successful endeavour and an increasing number of participants each year globally.

This year, Earth Hour took place on March 27, 2010 from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time and garnered support from 126 countries and over 4,000 cities, including Toronto.

Global landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House, Niagara Falls, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the Big Ben in London, the Forbidden City in China, Rome’s Coliseum, and Toronto’s CN Tower were united in darkness.

Earth Hour has grown to be one of the largest events that publically declare and demonstrate global concern for climate change. While the event originated on the other side of the world, its call to take action against climate change pervaded the planet and reached out to many communities. Mary Ward, in particular, has become host to many supporters of Earth Hour.

Grade 12 student Patricia Benavidez rationalizes the importance of such an event. “I'm already aware of how we can make a difference in the world environmentally. Thanks to clubs like Green Quest, I do feel that it is important to participate in Earth Hour. It's an event that students in the school are aware of and we can gather as a community to make a difference in the world, so why not participate?”

Advocating for the importance of Earth Hour, grade 12 student Peter Palanca says, “I support the objective of Earth Hour as it helps reduce pollution and it betters the environment for those who dwell in it. If we could do so much in as little as one hour, I think promoting Earth Hour by extending it to new levels and campaigning contiguous events would definitely ease the stress off the Earth as the population continues to grow.” The event symbolizes both unity under a cause, and speaks for the possibilities within an hour.

By Amanda Kennedy On March 30, 2010, President Barack Obama signed the Healthcare and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010; a major battle won by the United States president. He has done what many presidents before him have failed at: The United States has joined the rest of the civilized world in providing health coverage for its citizens. Though he made significant compromises to his original health plan, it is still a major improvement on the previous status quo.

To put things into perspective, the United States spends the most money per capita on healthcare, yet 245 million Americans have no health insurance. 62 percent of personal bankruptcies in the United States were partly due to medical debt. In short, the American healthcare system was unhealthy. When asked her opinion on

the new American healthcare system, Grade 10 student Fionna Chui said, “It is good because of the economy and everybody losing their jobs, they probably need that support from the government. Health is crucial. It [the American healthcare system] was bad because people needed to choose between going to see a doctor or something just as important, such as food.”

The passage of the bill had a polarizhing effect on American society. All 178 Republicans and 33 Democrats voted against the bill, which will provide health coverage to 32 million more Americans. It aims to make health delivery more efficient by putting emphasis on disease prevention and giving more money to healthcare providers to practice preventive medicine. It will forbid insurance

companies from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions.

Hence, patients who have cancer or heart disease and those who are in need can no longer be turned down. By 2014, most Americans will be required to get health insurance either through their employers or by buying their own private plan. Failing to do so will result in a penalty. The government will subsidize those who make up to 400 percent of the poverty line.

Although the healthcare system of the United States has been updated, it is still not up to par with other advanced countries, such as Canada, Britain and the Scandinavian countries. In spite of all of President Obama’s efforts,

the healthcare reforms will not lead to a universal healthcare system. The middle class and those who do not qualify for government subsidies may choose to pay the penalty instead of buying the insurance, which may be more expensive. An important failure of these new reforms is that healthcare is still not a constitutional right for American citizens.

The health care reforms of the Healthcare and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 is an important step forward for the American Healthcare system. It still leaves many problems, however, that will have to be addressed by future generations.

VOLUME 15 / ISSUE 3 mwplanet 05

world issues ISSUES WORLD

Devastations in Haiti and Chile

By Amanda Kennedy

TORONTO STAR ARCHIVES The winter of 2010 will be remembered as a devastating time period for the countries of Haiti and Chile. Both were struck by massive earthquakes within weeks of each other.

On January 12, 2010, the Caribbean nation of Haiti was devastated by an earthquake with a catastrophic magnitude of 7.0 on the Mw scale. The epicentre was near the town of Leogane, approximately 25 km west of the capital city, Port-au-Prince.

During the next two weeks, at least 52 aftershocks measuring 4.5 or greater had been recorded, further damaging the impoverished nation and killing more civilians. The Haitian government reported that an estimated 230,000 people had died, 300,000 had been injured and 1,000,000 had been made homeless. It was estimated that hundreds of thousands of buildings across the nation had collapsed or were severely damaged. Many hospitals were destroyed by the quake including the three Medecins Sans Frontieres facilities in Port au Prince, a hospital in Petionville and the St. Michel District Hospital in the town of Jacmel.The morgues of Port au Prince were quickly overwhelmed and many thousands of bodies had to be buried in mass graves.

Communication systems, air, land and sea travel facilities, hospitals and electrical networks had been destroyed or damaged by the earthquake. This greatly hampered rescue and aid efforts.

Many countries dispatched rescue and medical teams, engineers and volunteers.

Dwindling supplies, lack of medical care and the worsening sanitation situation became top priorities. Delays in aid distribution led to violence amongst survivors, with many resorting to looting.

Many foreign governments have pledged their financial support to help Haiti for emergency and long-term aid, including the European Union, Brazil, the United States, France, England and many others. Italy announced that it would waive repayment of the $55.7 million US it had loaned to Haiti previously. In addition to this, the World Bank waived the country’s debt repayments for five years.

The government of Canada announced that it would match the donations of Canadians up to a total of CAD $50 million. After a UN call for help for the people affected by the earthquake, Canada pledged an additional CAD $400 million in aid and debt relief for Haiti over the next two years. Grade 9 student Shannon Cabrio shared her opinions on Mary Ward’s efforts in helping to raise money for Haiti. “I am proud that our school took part in it, and I hope that Haiti takes comfort knowing that there are people in different countries who are there for them if they need help.”

The people of Haiti are rallying and trying to help themselves. The UN Development Programme has employed hundreds of Haitians to clear roads and make fuel pellets further aiding in the recovery of the nation.

In the words of the United Kingdom’s Secretary of State for International Development, Douglas Alexander, the 2010 Haitian earthquake will be remembered as an “almost unprecedented level of devastation”.

The earthquake triggered a tsunami which devastated several coastal towns in Chile, and damaged many ports, including one at Talcahuano. Tsunami warnings were issued in 53 countries. Damage from these subsequent tsunamis was reported from as far away as San Diego, California and in the Tohoku region of Japan.

President Michelle Bachelet declared a “state of catastrophe”, and sent military troops to take control of the most devastated areas. The earthquake also caused a blackout that affected 93 percent of the country’s population and for lasted several days, interfering with rescue efforts.

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Extensive damage was reported all across Chile especially in the Maule Region. Subsequent tsunamis furthered the devastation to Chile’s port cities. In Valparaiso, a tsunami wave of 1.29 m was reported. In Concepcion, a fifteen-story residential building, “Alto Rio”, fell over backwards and trapped many of the residents. It has been estimated that the Chilean quake will cost the insurance industry between four and seven billion dollars.

Initially, President Michelle Bachelet stated that Chile did not need international aid. The leaders of many countries and intergovernmental organizations responded and sent messages of condolence to the people of Chile. A television host famous in Chile, Don Francisco, led a telethon called, “Chile Helps Chile”, with the goal to raise 15 billion pesos (about $29 million US), and the intention to build 30,000 emergency homes. His goal was reached and doubled as 30.2 billion pesos were raised.

Soon after the quake, curfews were imposed in some areas due to looting and public disorder. To control vandalism, a special police force was sent to disperse rioters and looters with tear gas and water cannons.

On March 4, President Bachelet said that Chile would need international loans and three to four years to rebuild. At least 500,000 homes are estimated to be damaged. The latest death toll as of April 7, 2010 is 486 victims, down from earlier reports of 802 victims.

Chileans living all over the world grieved as they sought to learn more regarding family and friends affected by the earthquake. For many days, there was no communication with the outside world because of destruction of telephone lines and electrical failure.

This was the strongest earthquake to affect Chile since the magnitude 9.5 1960 Valdivia earthquake, which was the most powerful earthquake ever measured in the world.

In Poland, Hope Through Grief

By Arthur Kurek

On April 10, 2010, the Polish community took a shattering blow when Polish Air Force Flight Tu-154 crashed in Smolensk, Russia. On board were dozens of Polish dignitaries, including the Polish President Lech Kaczynski and his wife, and many prominent figures who played integral roles in the Polish Government, Military and Banks. They were traveling to Katyn, Russia for the 70th anniversary of the Katyn Massacre when the crash happened.

The impact it had on Poland as a country was felt immediately. Tens of thousands of Polish people made their way to the Presidential Palace only hours after the crash to pay their respects for the late President and all those who had passed away in the crash. On April 18, the President and his wife were laid to rest at the Wawel Cathedral in Krakow, Poland.

Thousands of people lined the streets of Krakow as the caskets made their way through the city before being put in their final resting place.

It is hard to say how or when Poland will rebound from this terrible catastrophe however when can speculate that it will take several months, perhaps even years before everything returns to normal.

On an international scale, the Smolensk crash has affected people all over the world. Even here in Canada, hundreds of thousands of Poles were heartbroken when they heard the news. On April 15, over five thousand people gathered at St. Maximilian Kolbe in Mississauga to honor the late Polish President. Among those in attendance were Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, Liberal Leader, Michael Ignatieff and NDP Leader, Jack Layton.

Adrian Kania, grade 12 Polish Mary Ward student, expresses how the Smolensk crash had affected him and his family: “It’s one of those things that didn’t really affect me on a personal level but seeing my parents’ reaction to it made me realize how serious it was.

Fuørthermore, seeing the thousands of people, including the Prime Minister that came to the mass in Mississauga reemphasized the impact that the crash had on people all over the world. It was a terrible day for the Polish community and I’m sure that it will take time before things are back to normal but Poland will definitely return to what it was.”

The Smolensk crash has impacted the Polish community all over the world. It may take months, even years, to rebuild what was broken, but Poland will return strong once again.

TORONTO STAR ARCHIVES TORONTO STAR ARCHIVES

On February 27, 2010 an earthquake occurred off the coast of the Maule Region of Chile rating a magnitude of 8.8 on the moment magnitude scale. It lasted 90 seconds. This quake affected most of Chile, from Valparaiso in the north to Araucania in the south. The area includes almost 80 percent of the population of Chile. The cities that were most affected by the tremors were Arauco and Coronel, Chile. The capital of Santiago felt the earthquake at a Mercalli intensity scale of VII (Very Strong). Tremors were felt in many cities throughout South America---Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Mendoza in Argentina and as far north as the city of Ica in southern Peru.

Another strong earthquake occurred on March 4 in Antofagasta in northern Chile with a magnitude of 6.3. This caused buildings to collapse and power outages in the nearby sity of Santiago.

Where can a person get Asian soap operas, delightful bubble tea, funky jewellery, cheap games for your PS3, the newest cell phones, and delectable food, all on a statutory holiday such as Christmas? Definitely not at the local corner. That is, unless one happens to live around the vicinity of Pacific Mall, or ‘P-Mall’ as it is known among locals. Located within the Greater Toronto Area, specifically, within the Town of Markham on Steeles Avenue and Kennedy Road, this Hong Kong-themed shopping centre appeals to both residents within the GTA and abroad. It is undoubtedly the most popular Asian shopping mall outside of Asia and the largest ethnic mall within North America. Pacific Mall opened its doors in 1997 after its construction led

by Eli Swirsky and Sam Cohen of the Torgan Group. Originally, the land, which the mall currently sits upon, was occupied by Cullen Country Barns, a popular retail space selling antiques, rare toys and family-oriented items. In contrast, Pacific Mall proves to be an innovative commercial mall, representing the changing face of multiculturalism and demographics within the GTA. Pacific Mall is not only a centre of affordable Asian-themed goods, but is also a well-known monument highlighting the achievements of the Chinese community’s contribution to Canada.

Pacific Mall is an internal community of vendors and retailers offering a variety of businesses. In addition to the Pacific Mall Heritage Town located on the second floor, the first floor amasses 263 000 square feet and houses four hundred different retail stores offering various goods and services, a bank, a restaurant, an arcade, a medical office, and a food court. It operates on a “commercial-condominium” basis.

Like a newly built condominium where potential residents bid and lease for a space to live in, vendors act as tenants where they would choose a retail unit to conduct and control their own business. Similarly, storeowners elect people to represent their opinions and concerns to a management board within the mall. According to a book written by Ho Hon Leung and Raymond Lau, Pacific Mall reached out to investors in Hong Kong and all were sold in two weeks. According to BuzzBuzzHome Corporation’s blog, resale space within Pacific Mall starts selling at $1, 900 per square foot - the highest price within the GTA and thus, can be considered the most popular and in demand.

Exempt from the Retail Businesses Holiday Act, Pacific Mall (and adjacent Market Village) remains open 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Since the majority of Pacific Mall’s target audience does not observe statutory holidays, the management board applied to be exempt from this Act to conduct business. The reasoning behind this was that since the Chinese community, both local and abroad (e.g., from the US), frequent the ethnically-themed mall during holidays, Pacific Mall was designated as an official tourist attraction (one of the requirements necessary to be considered exempt). In the mindset of both vendors and consumers alike, they wanted to be able to shop and generate business on a holiday. The only other malls located within the GTA, designated as tourist sites and exempt from the RBHA include Vaughan Mills and the Eaton Centre.

Market Village will soon become a new ethnic mall destination. Designed by Kohn Architects, the proposed Remington Centre is described as “an Asian-Canadian Times Square” and will feature a food court, retail space divided into multiple sections based on customer needs, a twenty storey hotel and condominium, including outdoor installations with water fountains, and ample parking. The Pacific Mall Condominium Corporation recently announced that it will include the $200 million construction of a second “Pacific Mall” aptly named, “Pacific Mall II”. As of April 2010, units were made available for reservations. For current employees of Market Village, this new building presents some challenges. For Peggy Lee, an employee of ‘Memories’ floral shop, a shop based for fifteen years, it causes some discontent. More importantly, Lee is not excited about the new centre as she argues that the new mall would require the store to relocate, causing her to look for another job closer to home. Even for some local TCDSB students, replacing Market Village becomes a sentimental issue. Jenny Yeung, a grade 11 student, who frequently spent her childhood days within Market Village, stands against the new shopping centre. ”When I was younger, my parents would take me to the grocery stores and buy me stuff. I like how it’s [Remington Centre] going to be bigger and there are more stores but I’m against it because it was a childhood place to go. A lot of memories would disappear, but then again, there’s going to be a lot of newer stores.”

“From a business point-of-view, all that matters is that it’ll bring in more people, and the new Remington Centre will definitely do that, which is good and I agree.

But I’ve been going to Market ViIlage for my entire life,” adds Mary Chiu, a grade 10 student.

Denzel Huang, a grade 11 student, foresees what might happen to the new shopping mall. “I think most of the shops will actually close down because there would be too many stores competing against each other.”

A senior student, Ashley Rostamian, however, is excited about the new centre to be built within the next few years. “I think the Remington Centre will be a huge benefit towards the local residents of the GTA for a multitude of reasons. The area in which the Remington Centre will be built is located in the heart of the Chinese community.

By expanding, the Remington will be more than just a mall for Chinese people - it will be the cultural and commercial core of the northern GTA. The Remington Centre, which includes residency, will undoubtedly be a huge step forward.”

She continues to argue that, “Personally, I’m very excited to see the Remington Centre come to life. Living in that area, not only will my estate shoot up in value, I will be offered great services, such as community space, which I’m very appreciative about. Although there will obviously be disadvantages of such intense urbanisation such as traffic, I’m still very eager to see the Remington Centre become an important landmark in the GTA.” For many, Market Village will become a nostalgic memory, facing the same fate as the former and defunct Cullen Country Barns demolished for the present-day standing Pacific Mall. However, while the Greater Toronto Area will have lost a small community, it will have a newer shopping centre to look forward to. The story of Pacific Mall can be considered a success and now, it is redefining to meet the diverse needs of a growing and changing demographic.

Former National Geographic photographer, Louie Psihoyos, now the leader of the Oceanic Preservation Society (OPS), teams up with activists, specialists, filmmakers, and free-divers to produce a documentary about dolphin slaughtering. The OPS team spent a great deal of time researching and planning to be completely successful in their mission. They wanted to show something that would move people to take action.

The 92-minute documentary opens the viewer’s eyes to the reality of illegal dolphin captivity and slaughtering. The documentary reveals that about 23 000 dolphins and porpoises are killed in Japan each year. Most are killed in Taiji, a small town on the east coast of Japan. In Taiji, dolphins and porpoises are driven towards the shore, and ultimately into a cove.

Due to the strict security of Japanese fishermen and the local authorities, underwater microphones and high-definition cameras disguised as rocks were used in order to record and to reveal what occurs in the cove. The devices were placed by world class champion free-drivers, Mandy-Rae Cruickshank and Kirk Krack, around the area and underwater without the use of bulky air tanks that would have blown their cover.

“A dolphin’s smile is nature’s greatest deception. It creates the illusion that they’re always happy,” explains former dolphin trainer and now dolphin activist, Ric O’Barry. The movie reveals that dolphins are not always happy and like humans they can die from stress, especially noise pollution. Knowing their weakness, Taiji fishermen board their fishing boats early in the morning and submerge metal pipes into the water, which they hit several times to make the dolphins panic and drive them towards the shore. A net is then put up around the cove to secure them. Dolphin trainers arrive at the shore in the morning to choose which dolphin they want to put into their aquariums. The chosen ones are shipped to different parts of the world, making Taiji the largest supplier of dolphins to marine parks in the world. Each dolphin can sell for up to $150 000 US. The dolphin driving hunt lasts for six months, from September to March.

Dolphins that are not selected are taken to an isolated cove to be slaughtered. This cove is a part of a National Park which has been fenced off by the government to prohibit the public from entering. It hides the gruesome truth that dolphins are stabbed repeatedly with spears, and fishermen’s hooks and knives as they swim in their own blood and hear each other cry to death. Their meat is sold and shipped all over Japan for human consumption (some are labelled as other whale meat).

In the Taiji Whale Museum, marine mammals star not only on shows, but also on the menu. “You can watch a dolphin show and eat a dolphin at the same time,” O’Barry discloses in the movie. Little do people know that dolphin meat is rich in mercury –the most toxic, non-radioactive element on Earth. It has twenty times more mercury than the World Health Organization (WHO) standards.

Most people in Japan, let alone in Taiji, are not aware of the dolphin slaughtering and captivity going on in their homeland. In The Cove, O’Barry interviews people on the streets of Tokyo. Some of the responses are: “It’s hard to imagine that people eat dolphins,”; “We don’t regard dolphin as food,”; “Dolphins are rather something we enjoy to watch.” Some Taiji fishermen claim that it is their tradition and their culture, while some in the movie claim that, “It’s not about the money. It’s about pest control.” The documentary uncovers that the fishermen have been told by the Japanese government that the dolphins eat too many fish in the ocean. “Since 2003, Japan has cited scientific data blaming the decline in global fisheries on dolphins and whales.”

They do not realize that it is the result of human action.

O’Barry feels that he is responsible for initiating dolphin captivity because of his work during the Flipper 1960s TV series. He states in the film, “I spent ten years building that industry up, and I spent the last thirty-five years trying to tear it down.”

He continues to educate people about the dolphin problem, and because of that he has been seen as a public enemy by those who participate in the dolphin driving hunt.

Justin Buenaflor, a grade 12 Mary Ward student, feels strongly about this issue after watching the film. He says, “The Cove is an eye-opening documentary. I have never felt so compassionate and sympathetic about these causes! Due to its heartbreaking subject and strong message, I’ve decided to do my best to try and help these dolphins. Even if all I do is open people’s eyes to this madness, I believe that I can make a great impact about this issue.”

The Cove informs its viewers and makes them aware of the issue. It can bring tears to one’s eyes as they realize its impact to both humans and to dolphins. An aerial view is shown and exposes the hidden cove and its shore filled with blood after a senseless killing of dolphins. To remember the process vividly is both devastating and moving. The Cove continues to achieve its goal as more people are informed of this issue. The documentary has received over thirty awards, including the 2010 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

What can you do?

If you want to watch it...

- Educate yourself - Spread the word - Donate to OPS (Oceanic Preservation Society)

Title: The Cove Director: Louie Psihoyos Writer: Mark Monroe Duration: 92 minutes

- Visit the following websites: http://www.takepart.com/thecove http://savejapandolphins.org

For more information, visit: http://thecovemovie.com VOLUME 15 / ISSUE 3 mwplanet 07

community COMMUNITY

THE

shredded units

fionna chui • rowena rollon • sarah quinto

June 7th, the last day to hand in units and write tests. The minute that final bell rings, the whole school will release a collective sigh (whether of relief or of frustration remains uncertain). A bundle of stress will be lifted off everyone’s shoulders—at least, until the thought of exams sets in. Before getting neurotic about that, let’s talk units: What exactly happens to our units after final exams? Have you ever wondered where all your hard work, panicking, and all-nighters go after you surrender them?

If this is not your first year at Mary Ward, then you are probably familiar with the process of returning units to your teachers after studying for exams. You might have even seen them throw the masses of paper into recycling bins or through paper shredders, if they were feeling a bit more sadistic. Of course, there are exceptions in some departments such as Math that allow you to keep your glorious unit work after the exam. This is an absolute necessity—who would be crazy enough to want to part with those perky parabolas, twiggy tangents and daring derivatives anyway? Nevertheless, the whole process of discarding units is treated with a great amount of security and diligence.

Thankfully, in the end, all of the units get recycled, but the question is: When? In the confines of the Religion department’s four spiritual walls, Mr. Candiotto, was happy to reveal a secret. When asked what happened to the religion units at the end of the year, he said, “All the units go to a magical room located on Platform 9 and 3/4s!

We don’t have to keep any of the units, just the exams. The units are stored for a year and then when the units for the next year are handed in, the units from the year before are given to someone who has a shredding truck. That is a fun day. I never get to see the shredding, but I think someone just shreds it on-site in the truck. Students can ask for their units back at the end of the year after exams if they want.” Wait… so if this was the case, then why would they collect units for the exams? “ To make sure that no one brings them in to the exam room and cheats, though that really isn’t possible. Maybe it’s an attendance thing.” How interesting...

In the Family department, the unit storage situation is much like Religion. Mrs. Bailey was quick to point out that, “keeping units for more than a year would take up too much unnecessary space.” And so, content as the proverbial cat with the cream, Mrs. Boteller told us that the procedure in the English department is also similar to that of Religion. As well, the Business department uses a shredding truck at the end of the year, because, as Mrs. Scarano puts it, “the volume is too high to shred at school.” All of the units in the Business department, except for those belonging in the BTT 101 course, get shredded – and you can only imagine the amount of paper that is accumulated from our sleepless nights of typing!

Next, Mrs. Schwan, in Canadian World Studies, was ready to answer the burning question. There, most of the units are recycled, like the other departments. However, this department differs from the rest in one aspect. “For

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each course in Canadian and World Studies,” Mrs. Schwan mused, “we take four to five students’ works as exemplary units. These exemplary units range from units one through seventeen, and are kept as examples for the next generation of students.” Mrs. Schwan was quick to add, “That way, we also have some sample units for those who forget their own right before the exam.” Nonetheless, the Canadian and World Studies department is not advocating such irresponsible behaviour. While standing in the area, curiosity took over, prompting the question: “What exactly is the oldest thing here?” Mrs. Schwan mused, “I think the oldest work we’ve kept in the department are these paintings. They’re around four to five years old. We keep them because they’re aesthetically pleasing.”

Speaking of paintings, if you are an Art student, most of the time, your units consist of art projects instead of the actual learning guides. Except, exactly how long have the paintings (units) you see in the Art department been around? “You know that painting we have hanging over Art, the one with Mother Teresa and Muhammad Ali and Bob Marley? Well, that painting has been there since 1990-something; the person who painted it has gone on to become a professional artist. So that would make it around 10 years old,” said Mr. Notten, with that Art Show aura. Speaking of the Art Show, Mr. Notten could not resist mentioning: “Someone actually wanted to buy one of the works, which I thought was pretty cool.” Proof that doing your units well definitely pays off.

Onto a new subject, the Science department has their own method to unit organizing madness. Science units are kept in a special room where students have access to them to look over whenever their subject teacher is on the floor. There, both the units and the exams are kept for about one year. Here is an interesting tidbit; if you are not satisfied with your final mark, you can go back to your subject teacher and look back at the exam paper to see what you have done incorrectly the next year. (However, it is definitely too late to ask for last year’s exam and change your final grade for that course) In fact, many other resource areas go through this same procedure, which is always helpful to students, especially high achievers.

Evidently, the staff members of Mary Ward, including the hardworking custodians, are vigilant and considerate when it comes to handling the units that students have slaved away many hours on (well, at least we like the teachers to think so). As Mr. Frair noted with one of his trademark pensive looks, “The custodianss take great care in shredding the units, especially because there are some sensitive materials mixed in, including tests and exams.” It is much appreciated that they do. Copying your way through school will not get you anywhere. Who would want to dumpster dive for old units and tests anyway?

COMMUNITY

By Brian Postalian Through song and dance, Leader of the Pack recounts the true life story of singer/songwriter Ellie Greenwich. It recalls her constant optimism and confidence, her heartbreaking depression and her uplifting come back, bolstered with love and passion for music. The show is a tribute to her top-charting hits such as: “Be My Baby”, “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”, “Da Doo Ron Ron” and “Do Wah Diddy”, among others. Needless to say, the title of the show, “The Leader of the Pack”, aptly reflects the presence she had in the music industry.

Staged by the Mary Ward Drama Department, directed by Leonard Dalton and Amy Tsang, and choreographed by Eileen Posadas and yours truly (Brian Postalian), the experience feels so long ago, it is as if it had never happened. Nevertheless, the show ran from April 13th-17th and was performed to a packed and eager audience nearly every night. Almost six months in the making, with over twenty songs and seven substantial dance numbers, Leader of the Pack became one of Mary Ward’s most vocally demanding and largely choreographed shows. The cast of sixty students–ranging from grade nines to fifth years–were called almost every Thursday from three to five o’clock, while another select fifteen had an additional dance rehearsal on Tuesdays for two hours. This schedule did not include the countless rehearsals the cast members were called for, whether in drama or band, to practice scenes and singing.

Eileen Posadas, who played Ellie Greenwich, held the audience’s focus with her confident and spectacular stage presence, capturing their attention when she began to sing. Raymond Bince’s debut, playing Jeffrey Barry, showed everyone what he’s got as he brought everything to the stage with his bold choices and unique rockstyle singing. Amalka De Silva, who played Darlene Love, wowed not only the audience, but also the cast with her never-before-heard fantastic singing chops! Erika Bautista (Annie Golden) and Victoria Greco (Pattie), set everyone spinning when they each had their moment to shine, and night after night, Greco received booming applause after belting out her solo song “Look of Love”, even bringing her mother to tears. Fortunately, from what I heard, the audience even loved the quirky-butbrash Gus Sharkey (played by myself ), who gave them a dash of comic relief whenever he would stretch out lying on the piano.

It is true that I was not able to watch the show in its entirety because I was in it, but I received an experience that no audience member can ever experience.

Participating in a school show is more than the opportunity to perform on stage. It is a chance to create bonds with new people while learning to become more extroverted and to develop socially. Personally speaking, if any of my acquaintances can remember me from grade nine, I was a particularly quiet individual who did not talk to many, if any, strangers. Throughout the time spent in both the drama course and dramatic arts productions, I have (among many others) gained confidence in myself. However corny or cheesy this message may be, participating in shows, like the ones put on at Mary Ward, provide a unique experience that benefit and positively affect the students who are involved, while creating marvelous shows such as 2010’s musical Leader of the Pack. This play will be my fondest memory of the dramatic arts program at Mary Ward and I suggest anyone who is willing to pull through a long six-month haul of stress, as well as joy, to please audition for the next play in the fall, and reap the rapture I have had over the last four years.

By Armie Ann Rivera On March 26, 2010, Mary Ward’s finest talents showcased their gifts alongside members of UNITY Charity. The UNITY Charity is a youth-led and artist-driven antiviolence charity that teaches teenagers to use positive artistic expression to make better life choices, helping to make our communities stronger and safer. Through the performance focused programs and events, they display how self-expression can improve the self-esteem of youth, while helping them to stand up to the many problems that teenagers face in today’s society, ranging from racism to violence. They show how hip hop, a subculture often portrayed negatively, is actually one of the most positive outlets available to youth. The UNITY charity focuses on turning downbeat situations into opportunities for artistic expression through different mediums of hip hop such as break dancing, popping, urban street art, rapping, spoken word poetry, and many more.

Their feature program, “Hip Hop Away From Violence,” which came to Mary Ward through administrative supervisors and members Mr. Wong, Mr. Candiotto, and Ms. Tsang, reaches over 20,000 youth per year in and around the city of Toronto. Hip Hop Away From Violence is UNITY Charity’s high school outreach program. Through their inspirational performance assemblies and follow-up artistic development workshops, UNITY provides positive outlets for youth to communicate artistically instead of expressing themselves through violence, drug use, stereotyping, bullying and other negative forms of self-expression. They use positive hip hop as well as related creative outlets to engage youth and tell stories that their peers can relate to. Hip Hop Immunity has found that hip hop has created a widespread language that has elements of mainstream culture, in addition to its own subculture that speaks directly to youth. The duality and popularity of hip hop makes it the perfect platform for youth to be inspired and engaged with Hip Hop Immunity and their own community.

Hip hop was made relevant in our Mary Ward community through the talented performances we saw on that day. The first act showcased Mary Ward’s own dance crew, “Adrenalyn”. Grade 12 student Mallorie Tam, also a member of Adrenalyn, explains that dance is their form of expression. “Not all of us have the ability to write in order to get our point across so we dance.What we want to do is to inspire other people to find their own way to articulate themselves. A lot of us started dancing through inspiration and we want to do the same.” Our talented spoken word artists displayed their poetic flow in their performances. One of them included Grade 12 student, Sarah Wilmot, a co-founder of the school’s open mic group, ExpressYourself. She believes that Hip Hop ImmUNITY at Mary Ward was a huge success. “I think we reached a lot of people in our school and showed them that hip hop isn’t just what society brands it to be. It can be a very positive, inspiring, powerful, and poetic movement.” The next feature combined the talents of the self proclaimed, “Revelation Brass Band” and B-Boys Justin Kang, J.R. Arellano, and Dan Gonzales. The show concluded with a final performance by grade 12 students Alyssa Manuel, Brandon Garcia, Chesca Miranda, and Shawn Venerayan, “The ABC’S” alongside Grade 9 student, Jacob Agustin. Judging by the crowd’s upbeat energy and enthusiasm, the showcase was a huge success. Hip Hop Immunity greatly impacted the Mary Ward community, displayed through the overwhelming response to the workshops that focused on breaking, beat-boxing, spoken word poetry, and graffiti art.

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community COMMUNITY

By Katrina Po Your mind races and your first instinct is to doubt yourself. Questions rush through your brain as you blankly stare at the screen. Your hands are sweaty and your knees are trembling with anxiety. You begin to ask yourself, “What if I didn’t make it?

Where will I go? What will my parents say?” Then you return to your senses because you have been waiting for this your whole life. Therefore, you wait restlessly as the page begins to load, the fate of your future lying before you.

University acceptances are always a hot topic amongst graduating students.

From the moment deadlines are met, in February until the end of May, students anxiously await an offer from the University they dream of attending. Some are lucky enough to receive offers early in the year, while most wait impatiently until May for the final verdict.

Fifth year Shawn Venerayan says, “It’s quite torturous having to wait so long for offers of admission while classmates constantly update their Facebook status, twitter and MSN usernames, gloating about their university acceptances.”

Dealing with the anxieties of university acceptances is difficult, especially when one has to deal with the stress of finishing courses. It is even more agitating when many peers are receiving acceptances into the same competitive programs.

“Waiting for an acceptance is almost like waiting for a doctor’s diagnosis at a hospital.

It’s scary, full of suspense and nerve-racking. But once you get the acceptance, it’s a huge relief! Almost like a weight has been lifted off your chest! It’s a great feeling that comes after a pretty bad one.” Says twelfth grade student Beverly Gamuso.

In the end, nothing feels better than receiving a letter that writes “Congratulations Max! We are pleased to offer you an admission to the ________ program at ________ University.” Working hard on units all year long should result in university acceptances. However, if that is not the case and universities have not responded, there still might be hope. Perhaps you have forgotten to: 1. Check your university file Some people do not realize that offers of admission are posted on the university application file before they are posted on OUAC. 2. Call the office of registrar or admissions office Reviewing university applications is a long process. It does not hurt to pick up the phone to call and find out what the delay is regarding your application.

3. Find out about late acceptances Some university programs provide offers of admission late in the year after everyone has accepted their offers. Another possibility is that you have been put on the waiting list. Make sure to call the admissions office of your university or check online to find out.

By Adolf Benedick Toral Uniforms are normal pieces of clothing and the number of things one can do to clothes is virtually limitless – wear it every day with pride, cut it up, burn it, use it as a napkin, make it into beach wear, use it as pyjamas, etc., but what if it is a Mary Ward uniform? Nonetheless, they are still articles of clothing, so the possibilities are endless in terms of their treatment after graduation. Therefore, it is only appropriate to discuss the five most effective ways of making use of your school uniform once you graduate.

Be creative: Remember, that kilt was $75, so use it wisely. Your uniform may come in handy as a halloween costume. However, if that doesn’t interest you, try dressing up your stuffed animals or torture your little siblings by converting them into mini Mary Ward students.

Sell it: This option involves waiting a few years. Later on, the uniform we have now may become vintage collectibles for future students who are interested in extending their fashion choices to include various uniform selections.

PHOTO CREDIT: CHRISTOPHER SEGUIN Donate it: If you are a charitable person who is feeling generous, donating the uniform to a younger student will make their lives a lot less stressful financially. Uniforms are expensive and not everyone has the luxury of having more than one type of outfit to choose from.

Store it for memories: Keep it hidden away in storage. Years later, you may come across your uniform and come face to face with a flood of memories from your old high school. Such surprises are usually heart warming, unless your experiences at Mary Ward were a nightmare for the majority of your high school life.

All of the mentioned choices: It is actually very simple to do everything on this short list. First, find an opportunity to go and visit Ward with your old school uniform and donate it to someone in need. Then, steal it back after a few days and store it in a safe place for the next few years. Finally, when you come across the uniform again, go out and sell it to a student who is interested in owning uniforms from “back in the day”.

By Arthur Kurek On Monday, May 17, a bus carrying Team TCDSB headed to Waterloo, Ontario for the Ontario Technological Skills Competition held at RIM Park. On that bus were six Mary Ward students participating in five very different competitions, all determined to do well for their school board, their school and of course, themselves. Kyan D’Angelo was the youngest from Mary Ward, only in grade 10, he was competing in the IT Office Software Application competition. Hazel Llanes and Sasha Soraine, both grade 11 students, competed in the Website Development and Job Interview competitions respectively. Raymond Fung, Filip Kapera and Arthur Kurek rounded out Mary Ward’s competitors with Raymond competing in Cabinetmaking and Filip and Arthur in Team Carpentry. Making it to the provincial level was already an accomplishment in itself as everyone had to win within the TCDSB before moving on.

Tuesday, May 18 was an eventful day for all as students participated in over 60 different skilled trades competitions. Thousands of spectators PHOTO CREDIT: MRS. POWELL watched as competitors performed a variety of different tasks from cooking to woodworking, 3D animation to landscaping. By days end, everyone looked back at what they had accomplished, anxiously awaiting the results that wouldn’t come until the next day.

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Wednesday, May 19 saw competitors, teachers and parents alike file into the Waterloo Memorial Sports Complex for the closing ceremonies and awards presentations. Team TCDSB racked up a total of nine medals; three Gold, three Silver and three Bronze. From Mary Ward, Filip Kapera and Arthur Kurek won Gold in Team carpentry and Kyan D’Angelo won Silver in IT Office Software Application. Hazel and Sasha both finished in the Top 10 in their competitions and Raymond Fung finished in the Top 20 in Cabinetmaking. All in all it was a very successful year for the TCDSB as well as for Mary Ward.

In an email sent to everyone in the TCDSB, Luciano Di Loreto, OYAP Project Leader, congratulated all the teachers and competitors saying, “I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the TCDSB Skills Canada participants for their outstanding achievement in this year's Skills Canada Competitions at RIM Park in Kitchener/Waterloo, Ontario. With three Gold Medal winners, three Silver Medal winners, and three Bronze Medal winners, one could say that the TCDSB "owned the podium"! All students in all the competitions excelled with grace and dignity and represented the TCDSB in a fashion that every educator in our Board would have been extremely proud of.”

His words couldn’t be more accurate as Team TCDSB stole the show in Waterloo.

community COMMUNITY

Ovations for Camp O!

By Diana Vecchiarelli Twenty-nine Mary Ward student leaders experienced the weekend of a lifetime at Camp Olympia in Huntsville, Ontario from April 30 to May 2. The honourable event, hosted by thirteen Mary Ward executive leaders, revolved around the theme of ‘The Olympics’ and accommodated more than 400 student leaders amongst the fifteen Toronto Catholic District School Boards schools that participated.

for us and vice versa.” The second day concluded with a reflective mass held by Father Hansoo Park. Afterwards, students attended a dance or headed to their café dubbed the “chill house”.

While the leaders packed up their bags and awaited a lengthy bus ride back to their schools, memories of the weekend were conversed as students expressed After several months of planning and preparation, the weekend commenced their goodbyes. Many leaders, who had lost their voices over the course of the with an exciting two-hour opening ceremony, highlighting the participating event, were saddened to leave, but grateful for the friendships they had made countries associated with each of the schools. Schools proudly displayed their and the opportunities they were able to experience. Adrian Kania, Grade 12 flags in the procession and immediately witnessed their fellow hosts, the thirteen Executive Leader, explains, “The incredible aspect of Camp Olympia is that every Mary Ward executive leaders sporting the red Olympic sweaters, present a mirage leader has been chosen to participate for one reason or another and among many, of cultures to songs such as “Jai Ho” and “Dutty Whine”. Grade 12 Executive Leader, their spirit and optimistic attitude has influenced this reason. Making friends and Tracy Ampofoh reminisces, “Honestly, the feeling of the opening ceremony was networking at this event occurs naturally since everyone is so approachable and electric. It was like after months of planning, we had all come together as one.” welcoming. The various activities planned for the Camp Olympia experience have Following team ice breakers in the afternoon, each school presented a lip sync allowed its participants to mingle with one another and bond through leadership, based on their country’s cultural aspects. Mary Ward’s grade 11 leaders presented communication, and team work.” an amusing and humorous lip sync for their assigned country of Spain. Grade 11 Camp Olympia provided a leadership opportunity for all to cherish. Mary Core Leader, Sheereen Harris explains, “We tried to keep our lip sync as entertaining as possible. We were able to do this by following a storyline that revolved around Ward students, and even teacher moderators, personally benefited from this experience. Camp Olympia moderator Ms. Zidar explains “Half of the high schools Spanish culture with a bullfight and Spanish themed music.” in our school board benefited from the leadership program and professionalism of The following day, the company Soul Drums brought the leaders together Mary Ward’s Executive Team at Camp Olympia. And as a result of this experience, through music generated by boom-whackers (hollow plastic tubes tuned to and working so closely together for six months, these leaders will be friends for musical pitches). The importance of teamwork was demonstrated through the life.” The Mary Ward community were commended and honoured for their impact production of the boom-whackers’ harmonies. Olivia Giammarioli, grade 11 Core on the experiences of all who attended. Vice Principal Mr Chen asserts, “During Leader, expresses, “It was a fun and moving experience. The presentation was a and after Camp Olympia, all that I have heard from principals, vice principals, and great way to teach people the concept of listening to one another and how to teachers from other schools was absolute praise, noting the maturity and sense of work together for excellent results.” Motivational speaker, Andy Thibodeau, also responsibility they saw in all of the Executive leaders”. Grade 12 Executive Leader provided words of encouragement to the participants of the weekend through Melvin Roxas makes clear that “Leadership is such a misunderstood concept. Many repeating his motto “care must be contagious” during his speech. of us think of leaders as those who boss others around. Leadership is so much more than cracking the whip. Yes, we have to guide and direct, but we must do so The Camp Olympia leadership weekend evidently displayed a true sense with compassion.” One’s efforts can make a difference on the impact leadership of unity amongst the schools. Energetic leaders cheered for each other, often can have on others. It requires dedication, motivation, and the willingness to help combining the names of their schools to join as one. “Mary Pats” was commonly others grow and learn. The Camp Olympia experience has proven that anyone heard around Camp Olympia grounds as Mary Ward Grade 11 Core Leaders and has the potential to be a leader. However, it is the initial step of taking ownership St. Patrick’s joined as one during school-versus-school competitions. The lively and responsibility that defines a leader from a follower. Melvin continues, “Love cheer-off from each of the schools reflected upon the impact of unity. Schools to lead, but lead to love. Don’t take people to where you want to take even integrated the cheers of other schools within their own cheers. Grade 11 them, but where they ought to be.”

Core Leader, Jan Nigel Santos, recalls, “The energy was insane! It was really cool to have other schools cheer

PHOTO CREDITS: BEN TABUCAN

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community COMMUNITY

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community COMMUNITY

By Jessica Lee

Mary Ward’s Annual Art Show 2010 – Tempest, came to a tempestuous end. Starting on May 3rd, the students in the art, communications, design, and tech departments displayed their talents and artworks. However, the squall only lasted a week, ending on May 7th. The show was a great success, with the help of the very talented performers, artists, the art admin students, and most importantly, the teachers.

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la petite planète PLANETE LA PETITE

Bonnes Vacances Madame Wisniowski!

Par Samantha Lui

Madame Wisniowski est une prof très admirée parmi les étudiants qui apprennent le français à Mary Ward. Beaucoup d’élèves sont attristés de voir qu’elle sera en congé l’année prochaine. Non seulement elle aide et encourage l’éducation française pour les étudiants, Madame Wisniowski est un membre de valeur dans la communauté de Mary Ward. En tant que professeur de français, elle a organisé beaucoup d’excursions innovatives comme le forum français, et les pièces diverses de théâtre. Madame est aussi le prof derrière beaucoup d’autres événements comme le Pavillon français pour la Journée Internationale. Sans sa direction, le pavillon n’aurait pas été un succès. Avec l’aide de tous les membres du département français, les étudiants ont exécuté beaucoup de performances et aussi ont fourni de nourriture française.

Ses contributions pour l’école ne sont pas seulement pour le département de français. Madame Wisniowski est aussi l’instructrice de Pilates pour les élèves et les autres professeurs de Mary Ward. Avec sa direction, elle encourage l’exercice parmi la communauté de l’école. Chaque jeudi, ce club se rencontre dans la bibliothèque pour une classe d’exercice rapide et amusante. Les membres de ce club aiment beaucoup faire cette forme d’exercice et le club continue à se développer. Avec la création de ce club, Madame encourage non seulement l’activité physique mais aussi la participation aux activités.

PHOTO PAR: ERIC WONG

Tout cela ressemble à un adieu, mais Madame Wisniowski ne part pas pour toujours! Elle va seulement faire une année sabbatique et elle planifie de retourner l’année d’après. Elle va passer plus de temps avec sa famille et aussi elle va continuer d’enseigner le Pilates au Collège Glendon. Aussi, elle peut faire d’autres petits voyages avec ses enfants.

Bien qu’elle sera absente l’année prochaine, Madame Wisniowski souligne l’importance de continuer l’étude des langues, en particulier le français parce que le Canada est bilingue. Avec le français, les étudiants auraient plus d’opportunités de travail. Madame Wisniowski va bien sûr nous manquer.

Mais avant de partir, elle nous a laissé un conseil final très utile: Révisez les verbes!

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Pourquoi la tension religieuse?

Par Alfred Chen Autour du monde, beaucoup de gens pratiquent une religion – mais tout le monde ne pratique pas la même. Il y a un grand nombre de religions comme le catholicisme, l’islam, l’hindouisme et le judaïsme. En plus, chaque foi est divisée en des sectes et des factions qui sont très différents. Avec plus de vingt religions principales et ses variations, c’est difficile de ne pas avoir des conflits et des disputes entre elles. À travers l’histoire, les croyants du monde se battaient pour établir leur religion comme la religion suprême. Alors, comme beaucoup de gens, je me demande quelle serait la raison sous-jacente les conflits.

Avant de continuer, on doit contempler une question : qu’est-ce qu’on considère une religion? Est-elle une croyance dans des textes sacrés, ou des êtres spirituels? Ou est-elle la conviction qu’il y a une force constante comme un dieu qu’on ne peut pas expliquer ou décrire? De plus, quelqu’un peut dire qu’on fait quelque chose religieusement – est-ce que ça veut dire qu’on pratique une religion? Beaucoup de gens ont essayé de définir le concept de religion, mais en réalité, il n’y a pas une idée largement acceptée. Pour ce discours, on va utiliser la plus simple définition de la religion: des croyances, des rituels et des dogmes qui peuvent être associés avec un dieu ou des dieux.

Maintenant, j’adresse le sujet principal de mon discours : pourquoi la tension religieuse existe-elle? La raison est que chaque religion a une perspective de la vie qui est unique. Cependant, il y a des gens qui pensent que leur méthode est la seule; ils croisent que d’autres façons sont inférieures ou incorrectes. À cause de ça, c’est très difficile pour les religions de communiquer avec une et l’autre parce qu’elles ne peuvent pas trouver un terrain d’entente.

Cependant, on doit considérer qu’en réalité beaucoup de religions ont de petites ressemblances. Par exemple, le catholicisme, l’islam et le judaïsme ont des racines dans le prophète Abraham. Chaque religion est considérée une religion abrahamique à cause de cette relation. En plus, il y a des similarités entre leurs enseignements et leurs préceptes. Ils adorent un seul et divin Dieu; ils parlent et discutent du choix entre le bien et le mal; et ils croient qu’il y a une vie après la mort. À mon avis, les conflits des religions sont comme une grande dispute entre des enfants qui font le jeu « mon père est meilleur que le sien ». Tout le monde n’a pas le même « père » ou image de Dieu, alors de comparer les religions est comme l’expression « de comparer des choux et des carottes ».Pour l’expliquer, je cite un très célèbre roman par un auteur canadien.

Dans l’Histoire de Pi par Yann Martel, le jeune personnage principal, Pi, en train de pratiquer involontairement trois religions. Alors un jour, un prêtre, un imam et un pandit s’en rendent compte que Pi est simultanément un catholique, un musulman et un hindou. Ils lui questionnent quelle religion qu’il préfère et demandent qu’il en choisit une. Cependant, Pi ne peut pas le faire parce qu’il aime chacun. Cet enfant pense qu’il n’y a pas de problème et il exprime simplement « Je veux seulement aimer Dieu », une phrase qui rend les trois silencieux. Avec ces mots, Yann Martel veut dire que chaque religion équivaut à la même chose : l’amour pour Dieu.

En fin de compte, je crois que des conflits entre les religions sont absurdes. Les croyants d’aujourd’hui qui disputent la présence d’une « vraie » religion ont oublié l’objectif de la religion; ils font des justifications de la religion plus qu’ils la pratiquent. Pour conclure ce discours, je vous laisse avec un principe primordial de l’hindouisme que je pense devrait être considéré par tout le monde : Une seule méthode correcte d’aimer Dieu n’existe pas. Il y a beaucoup de façons qui sont égales, sans avoir une plus convenable que l’autre.

la petite planéte PLANETE LA PETITE

Les Parents sur Facebook?

Par Samantha Lui

Avec la hausse de technologie, la communication est devenue plus simple.

Aujourd’hui, beaucoup de jeunes utilisent les sites de réseau sociaux tels que Twitter, Myspace, et bien sûr, Facebook. Facebook est très populaire parmi les ados pour partager des photos, rebrancher avec ses amis, rencontrer les nouveaux amis, et parler avec autres. Mais, quoiqu’il arrive quand les parents joignent les tendances de ses enfants? Aujourd’hui, les parents se joignent sur le site très populaire, et beaucoup des ados ne sont pas très heureux.

Il y a beaucoup de raisons pour quoi les adultes se joignent au Facebook. Ils pourraient l’utiliser pour les affaires, se rencontrer avec leurs amis, et bien sûr, et prendre des renseignements sur ses enfants. Selon MediaWeek, l’âge moyen pour beaucoup de sites de réseau sociaux populaires est 20 ans et plus. 41% d’utilisateurs sur Facebook et 26-44 ans pendant que 35% est 25 ans ou moins. Avec ces statistiques, les femmes au-dessus de l’âge de 55 ans sont la démographique qu’ont qui le s’avancer le plus. Peut-être les mères s’y joignent pour aller aussi vite que ses enfants.

De plus en plus de parents deviennent très curieux à propos du site réseau social. Mais quelles mesures sont nécessaires pour les parents pour protéger et être conforme aux ados? Dernièrement, beaucoup d’ados ont ouvert une session pour trouver que leurs parents demandent de devenir les amis connectés. Un grand nombre de jeunes questionnent s’ils doivent accepter leur demande. Quand les ados deviennent les amis avec leurs parents sur Facebook, les parents entrent dans un monde qui complètement inconnu à eux.

Beaucoup d’une vie sociale d’adolescent est documenté sur Facebook.

Les jeunes peuvent communiquer avec leurs amis, voir les photos des événements, et discuter les sujets très importants pour la sous-culture.

Quelquefois, les choses publiés sur le web peut-être impropres pour les yeux des parents. Maintenant, les ados trouvent très difficiles de garder leur intimité sur Facebook. Avec leurs parents comme leurs amis connectés, les jeunes croient qu’il y a plus de restrictions imposées à eux.

C’est tres gênant pour les parents de lire les conversations des enfants.

Les jeunes sont frustrés souvent parce qu’ils veulent garder leurs expériences à eux. Mais, les parents sont tenaces pour protéger leurs enfants.

Peut-être, ils veulent établier une amitié plus profonde leurs ados. Que soit la raison, beaucoup de parents ne savent pas qu’ils ont croisé la ligne en termes d’intimité.

Mais, il est important de savoir les raisons des parents. Ils veulent le meilleur pour leurs enfants et pour eux à être sans risques. C’est leur nature de protéger ses ados des individus dangereux. Oui, on ne peut pas arrêter les adultes de se joigner à Facebook. Mais, il est nécessaire pour les parents de respecter les vies sociales des jeunes. Il faut que les adultes aient confiance en leurs enfants. Tellement, si vos enfants n’acceptent pas vôtre demande de devenir amis sur Facebook, ce n’est pas qu’ils ne vous aiment pas. Ils veulent juste leur propre vie sociale.

VOLUME 15 / ISSUE 3 mwplanet 15

sports SPORTS

EnDEVERing Coach

By Mindy Chang

“Hey you, he likes you” sound familiar? Well, if you know Mr. Dever, then you have definitely heard this line, followed by his signature laugh. Although you see him all the time, either in the gym or wandering around on the upper or main floor, do any of us know who our joke-cracking Physical Education teacher really is?

As a graduate from Victoria Park Collegiate Institute, Mr. Dever’s high school lifestyle was incredibly active. Although he was an all around athlete – playing both basketball and rugby – Mr. Dever excelled in football. At the age of sixteen, he began to play semi-professional football. His involvement in athletics allowed him to travel and gain new experiences. “The highlight of high school would have to be traveling to Wales to play rugby for three weeks” he explains. His athletic career carried on into University, where he played Varsity Rugby and Football for the University of Toronto. Athletics have always been an important part of Mr. Dever’s life. “Sports are my life.” he claims. Mr. Dever’s passion for athletics led him to a career in Physical Education. By grade seven and eight, Mr. Dever already had a plan for his career. “I knew early, like in grade seven and eight because I loved playing sports. And I played a high level of sports myself.”

Eventually, his Physical Education knowledge led him to become one of our wonderful Physical Education teachers at Mary Ward. But what is so special about Mary Ward?

Mr. Dever explains that: “Mary Ward is such a special place because the students are so multi-talented. So many great things happen, and everything is done ‘first class’ such as the Art Show, Music Department Productions, and our athletes. It amazes me to see students in many different ways through their art, music, and athletics.” However, Mr. Dever is not just a Physical Education teacher; he is also an excellent and very dedicated coach. During the 2009-2010 school year, he has coached various sports such as the Senior Girls’ Basketball, Senior Girls’ Volleyball, and Varsity Girls’ Flag Football teams. “I enjoy coaching because it allows me to feel young and still have fun, and I can still feel like I’m part of a team. It also allows me to give back – to pass on my expertise and experience that I have gained through my coaches and role models. I like to see people work to their potential, and to help bring out the best in people. That’s why I enjoy coaching.” Mr. Dever explains.

However, his coaching career does not end once the school year is over. He coaches his children in their out-of-school sport teams, such as basketball, baseball, and hockey. But there is much more to Mr. Dever than coaching.

His hobbies outside of school include his cottage life. “I definitely enjoy the cottage life; boating, fishing, seadooing, playing with my dogs ... and dirtbiking.”Dirt-biking is a family hobby for Mr. Dever and his children. “I race dirt-bikes, not as often as my sons, but I still race from time-to-time” Through his coaching and teaching, Mr. Dever has given back to the Mary Ward community in a large way. His passion for athletics, a willingness to motivate people to work towards realizing their full potential, and a want to give back to his students and athletes are just some of the many aspects that make Mr. Dever such an inspirational coach.

16 mwplanet VOLUME 15 / ISSUE 3

GULO GULO

By Nicole Lee

Mary Ward’s Wolverine

“Deep in the heart of the Mary Ward jungle, you can hear the – wait, what are we again?”

It’s sad to say that after a long year at Mary Ward, maybe a long four or five years, some students are oblivious of the existence of our school mascot. Next time say to these people, “gulo gulo” – and no, you won’t be telling them off.

Then perhaps take a second to reminisce on your grade 9 year and emphasize on the ‘Wolverine’ Run; it’s not called that for no good reason. Gulo is the Latin name for wolverine, meaning glutton, which aside from referring to the mammal, also refers to a person who eats and drinks excessively or voraciously.

Many people are unfamiliar with wolverines, due to their uncommon nature and declining numbers, and as a result many interpretations arise about what exactly this animal is. Some people think of the X-Men character, most people will think of a wolf or bear. In fact, the wolverine is not related to either; it is the largest member of the weasel family, also comprising the weasel, polecat, mink, otter, and badger. However, in size, colour, shape, and smell, the wolverine suggests a cross between a skunk and a black bear – often called “skunk bear”. The wolverine is believed to be the strongest animal among mammals, relative to its size, with the ability to kill prey many times its size. Although it is small, with its reputation for ferocity and strength, no other animal picks a fight with a wolverine.

The wolverine came to be Mary Ward’s mascot back when Mary Ward was established, and Mr. Paul McAlpine had the opportunity to choose the mascot’s name. It came down to a decision between the Mary Ward Gators, the Mary Ward Saints, or the Mary Ward Wolverines.

The final decision felt most suitable since there are few teams named Wolverines in contrast to the many Gators and Saints teams. This choice was also made under the influence of the Michigan Wolverines (also abbreviated MW), mascot of the University of Michigan. And so the journey of the Mary Ward Wolverines began.

The gym was soon adopted as the ‘Wolverine Den.’ In 1997, former student Romel Cruz painted a mural on the wall of the gym of three wolverines that still look down upon us to this day. Mr. McAlpine also introduced the annual Wolverine Run for all grade 9 students, putting the skills of a wolverine to the test. About ten years ago, Mr. D’Agostino and Mr. Dever knew of a trapper up north who was willing to sell them a life-size stuffed wolverine. It was to be placed in a glass case in the foyer and was a great opportunity to showcase our mascot and keep the wolverine spirit alive. Due to some complications they were not able to proceed with this endeavour. However, the Phys. Ed. Department is still trying to pursue something similar – perhaps a smaller figure to be placed in the cases on the main floor of the school.

Symbolically, the wolverine can best represent Mary Ward’s athletes. Mr. D’Agostino remarks the Wolverine’s track team, “They are spirited gluttons for punishment. Although they might complain about the workouts and training, they always find a way to overcome it in the end. They endure the weather, the poor conditions, the competition, and always step up to the plate.” For future athletic banquets, it would be interesting to see an award given out to the athlete that best represents Mary Ward’s mascot, the wolverine – one who may not be the most valuable or most improved player, but full of courage and fury that ultimately translates into incredible activity. Then we could nickname this athlete Gulo Gulo.

sports SPORTS

By Adrian Pardinas Closing in on yet another school year, the first thing most students would be thinking of are: UNITS. With units remaining, report cards and for some, graduation to worry about, it is evident to see why students are stressing out.

The best way to relieve this stress is to preoccupy ourselves. Everyday of the school year at lunch, many of the students came down to the Den to watch intramural basketball games. For those who do not know, an intramural sport is co-ed and any grade can participate. Friends come together and compete against other students and sometimes, even the teachers. Participating during the course of the year give students the opportunity to finally catch a break from all those units, essays and ISPs, simply by playing some recreational basketball. Intramurals are hosted and organized by students enrolled in the PAF fitness class. These students are also responsible for refereeing the games and keeping track of the statistics.

There have been many surprises throughout the season so far such as the Boston Celtics (formerly the Teacher Titans) led by Mr. Harrison with veterans Emer, McAlpine, Candiotto and Wong who formed an alliance with new teachers Davies and Weathers. “It’s been a well fought season. It’s a pleasure playing with the Celtics and playing with students is a fun way to get along with them,” stated Mr. Harrison.

Led by Flavian Emmanuel and Vithushian Namasivayasivam, The Toronto Raptors, aka. Brown Ballers have also been underestimated by quite a few teams.

During one game in the season for the Raptors, Vithushian had a stat-sheet-stuffer game, with an outrageous 50 points and 24 rebounds. Nelson Barcenas-Maltez and his LA Lakers had a terrific game-winning buzzer beater over D’Andre Benois’ Sacramento Kings. “I was very excited and quite happy; the pressure was on when I had the ball at the dying seconds. I didn’t want to let my teammates down. We both played a well contested game.” All of the buzzer beaters, new teams, halfcourt shots, and fancy moves gott the crowd really excited and gave students and teachers something to look forward to every lunch.

Intramurals are also a great idea to help the students feel comfortable with each other as making friends and getting along with others can be difficult, especially for Grade Nines. “As a grade nine, intramurals are so much fun and it has not only improved my game, but it has helped me get close with my friends and the competition is great!” states Hornets’ shooter Raphael Pardinas. Chicago Bulls senior Sev Libramonte expressed his thoughts on the game throughout his four years at Mary Ward, “The competition since I was in grade nine has changed. It went from tough to easy and intramural has enhanced my basketball game. It is great to see different grades and students come out and participate.”

Intramurals at Mary Ward has changed throughout the years. Based on the experiences of many students, it continues to improve and the competition keeps getting better. The school year might be close to over, but the 2010-2011 season is another year to look forward to. If you are interested in participating next year, make sure you get some friends together now. Even if you just want to experience the excitement, feel free to support your friends and schoolmates while watching the games whenever you can.

By Annie Passmore Mary Ward’s dragon boaters have hit the boats once again for another season of hard work, determination and most importantly, fun. The team consists of over eighty students who meet twice a week to participate in vigorous workouts put together by their coach, Mr. Wong. Since the portion of dry land training has finished, the team has begun in-boat practices at the dragon boat club in Pickering. The team has trained for six months, which began in January and ended in June. Each year, the team participates in two separate regattas. This year, they are hoping to bring home the gold.

Each dragon boat consists of a sweep, paddler and drummer. The sweep is the person who controls the dragon boat or steers it. The boat is controlled by a sweep ore at the rear of the boat. The paddlers sit facing forward. They paddle with a canoe-type style in unison. The drummer leads the team throughout the race with rhythmic beating of a drum. This helps to indicate the timing and frequency of the paddle strokes. Having a drummer is key to every dragon boat team. Mary Ward will enter at least four separate boats, each containing a paddler, sweep and drummer, into every race.

Dragon boating is a physically demanding sport and in order to be a successful dragon boat team, one must be dedicated, hardworking and physically capable. While Mary Ward’s team has all of these attributes, Mr. Wong ensures this for everyone through rigorous workouts. “Mr. Wong is a great coach because he makes sure we don’t stop,” Grade 11 paddler Kevin Padilla says of Mr. Wong’s coaching.

A typical dry land practice consists of a 20 to 30 minute run followed by an hour or more of circuit conditioning. Often Mr. Wong will instruct students to pair up. Once the students are in pairs, they are instructed to follow the given workouts.

An example of a circuit conditioning would be one partner doing push ups at the bottom of a hill while the other partner bear-walks up the hill and runs back down.

Once the partner returns to the bottom of the hill the roles are reversed. This goes

on for a couple minutes or until the next exercise. Once paddling begins the team will have an hour of in-boat paddling twice a week to prepare them for the regattas.

Many would agree that the boat practices are the best. The team practices rowing drills and most would rather be in the water during hot days, than to run outside for land training. “Boat practices are my favourite. Being in the water is fun and I like how we are actually working together as a team, rather than working out by ourselves when we do dry land training. There’s also more team spirit.” Padilla expresses.

If the workouts are so difficult, how come so many students decide to join the dragon boat team year after year? “It seemed like a really fun experience at first, and it is. Since everyone was doing it, it seemed like something I wanted to get involved in” Padilla said.

Dragon boat has many rewards to it. The workouts will build stamina and strength, teaches team work and cooperation, and is a fun way to get involved in school activities. Dragonboat is a fun way to make friends and learn a new sport. Good luck to the team for their upcoming races!

VOLUME 15 / ISSUE 3 mwplanet 17

sports SPORTS

By Arthur Kurek

By Cormac McGee As many of you have heard by now, our beloved Mary Ward field is being dug up and replaced with a turf surface. People are questioning: “Why are we choosing to tear up our field?” However, this is not the case. The field we use for almost all of our spring sports is owned by the city, not Mary Ward. They call the shots and we just have to co-operate. The Physical Education Department has requested for a Mary Ward logo to be placed in the centre circle, but there is no confirmation either way yet.

You may have noticed that the field is already being dug up because there is no time like the present. The plan is to have the turf in and ready to go by December 2010, and the city is hoping to have the spring teams playing on it when the time comes. Contrary to popular belief, there will not be a bubble placed over the field during the winter because there just is not enough money in the budget.

So what are the pros and cons of having a turf field? The city obviously likes the fact that they do not have to worry too much about maintenance. Nobody needs to cut and water the grass- an average grass playing field uses about 50,000 gallons of water per week during the growing season- it stays the same year round.

As students, we do not have to worry about our field’s condition and whether or not we will be able to play on it. Although our field is usually in pretty good shape, after visiting some other schools’ sad excuses for fields, turf seems to be a good exchange. The constant even field and durability decreases the chances for injuries like sprained ankles. The disadvantage of a turf field means that there will be numerous lines and boundaries for different sports painted across it, so it can become confusing. Hopefully, the city will paint the lines with different colours, just as they are at Birchmount High School Stadium. It has also been said that the new field will be too long for field hockey. Turf is also hard on the legs, specifically the knees, because there is cement under the rubber. Real grass is a lot softer than a turf field, therefore, rugby players must beware. According to Rugby coach Ms. Peets, “Turf is hard on the knees, and it hurts more to get tackled onto.”

A lot of students are ecstatic to have the chance to play on our very own turf field.

“It will be so professional” is the common phrase heard from fellow Mary Ward students. Stepping on to a perfectly groomed field, turf or not, always feels good before a big game.

There are others, though, that are a bit more wary, like grade 11 student, Raven Mason.

“They just took out the turf at BMO field and replaced it with real grass, and we are doing the opposite. I mean, there’s nothing like real grass. It’s the best surface to play anything on” says Mason.

Another question that has been raised is should we really be replacing the natural grass in our city with plastic? We are slowly losing a good portion of the grass, and is that a wise decision on the city’s part? It is not necessarily a bad thing though: because really, what is the big deal about one patch of grass? It is growing everywhere. Well, maybe not anymore if we continue this trend.

18 mwplanet VOLUME 15 / ISSUE 3

Track & Field Team Coaches: Mr. D’Agostino Results: Five athletes advanced to OFSAA. Evander Cobbold for 200m and 400m. Sheereen Harris and Sophie Angoh for Sr. Girls 4 x 100m, Claudine Palmer for 4 x 100m, 100m & 100mH. Ketura Mason for 4 x 100m, 100m & 200m

Varsity Girls’ Soccer Team Coaches: Mr. Emer, Mr. Rossi, Mrs. Zabana Results: 1-4-2 season record. Finished seventh in TDCAA East division. Lost in playoffs to O’Connor

Sr. Boys’ Soccer Team Coaches: Mr. Morra, Mr. Vecchiarelli Results: 1-5 season record. Finished sixth in TDCAA East division.

Did not advance to the playoffs

Table Tennis Team Coaches: Mr. Notten, Mr. Hathway, Aus Baraam Results: Fionna Chiu and Judy Tan won Gold in Jr. Girls’ Doubles. Carolina Vecchiarelli won Bronze in Jr. Girls’ Singles. Sr. Boys’ Doubles Team Adrian Kania and Alex Gyimothy came fourth along with Sr. Girls’ Doubles Team Diana Vecchiarelli and Cindy Liang.

Jr. Boys’ Volleyball Team Coach: Mr. Simone Results: 4-3 season record. Finished third in the TDCAA East division. Lost in the second round of the playoffs to Michael Power/St. Joseph’s.

Girls’ Softball Team Coaches: Mr. McAlpine, Ms. Ireland Results: 1-5 season record. Finished

Boys’ Rugby Team Coaches: Ms. Peets, Kevin Bryant Results: 1-5 season record. Fin-

Girls’ Rugby Team Coaches: Ms. Peets, Kevin Bryant Results: 1-6 season record. Finished

ished fourth in the TDCAA “B” division. Did not advance to playoffs.

sixth in the TDCAA East division. Advanced to “B” division playoffs and placed second.

seventh in the TDCAA. Lost in the first round of playoffs to Pope John Paul II.

Varsity Badminton Coaches: Ms. Largo, Ms. Albert, Ms. Valiulis, Aaron Vaz, Daryl Lee Results: TDCAA Team Champions. Raymond Fung and Eric Wong advanced to OFSAA for Senior Boys’ Doubles. Iris Fok and Judy Tan advanced to OFSAA for Senior Girls’ Doubles. Jodi Zhang achieved the Bronze in Jr. Girl’s Singles. Jamie Ching and Dora Lam won Gold for Jr. Girls’ Doubles.

Henry Yu and Anthony Duen earned Bronze for Jr. Boys’ Doubles.

By Ashley Rostamian and Arevik Vardanyan The upcoming days of freedom hints at a start of new adventures – and as cheesy as that may sound – that is what The Buried Life is all about. Wanting to truly enjoy life, four guys, Ben Nemtin, Dave Lingwood, Duncan Penn and Jonnie Penn, set out to accomplish 100 things they wish to do before they die.

From heart-warming goals like delivering a baby, to more absurd wishes like standing under a plane while it lands, this group of go-getters is striving to live life to the fullest.

However, from reading the ‘About’ section of theburiedlife.com, it is clear to see that Ben, Dave, Duncan and Jonnie are more than four goofs trying to cause a commotion. Although their goal is to have fun, their philosophy behind it is inspirational. By simply asking themselves one question: “What do you want to do before you die?” they have collectively compiled a list of 100 things to do and have acted upon it. But more importantly, for every item they cross off on their list, they help someone else accomplish one of their own wishes. Their initiative to actually complete The List – and help others along the way – is what makes them so remarkable. They are not wishing for happiness; they are pursuing it.

As summer approaches, the potential for endless possibilities grow. Drawing motivation from Ben, Dave, Duncan and Jonnie, we asked Ward students and staff what they wanted to do before they die.

Through the comical, ambitious and even frightening answers, we learned that Ward students also have big dreams, and sometimes we just need to look within ourselves to.

1. Eat ice-cream while sitting by a penguin in the South Pole – Vicky Papuga 2. Get a plane license – Maggie Keenan 3. Walk up the CN tower – Alex Kassis 4. Throw a party that lasts 72 hours – Richard Kennedy 5. Interupt a live news broadcast and introduce myself to the world – Keith Diaz 6. Have my own business – Stephanie Pinto 7. Climb Mt. Everest - Aswathy Ann Thomas 8. Go underwater in a submarine - Caitlin Cosgrove 9. Jam with Slash – Narbeh Nersisian 10. Complete a successful heart surgery – Brook Semoff 11. Meet my soul mate – Nairy Khodabakhshian 12. Be the first Asian prime minister – Jao Canlas 13. Survive 2012 – Lauren Phillips 14. Shave my head – Rhea Rebello 15. Memorize and recite pi to 10, 000 decimal places – Samantha Tjong 16. Meet the boys from “The Buried Life” – Emily Cabios 17. Ride a motorcycle on the highway – Mike Sililiane 18. Buy an expensive pair of jeans – Faith Reyes 19. Find a cure for cancer – Evelyn Phen 20. Find a cure for cancer before this person ^ - Vera Kovacevic 21. Invent a time machine – Mandy Chan 22. Create my own business - Darlin Veloso 23. Bungee jump off the CN Tower – Tyheriah Philbert 24. Swim with sharks – Nicole Duffy 25. Save someone’s life – Joby Quiambao 26. Build my own house – Lucy Abikian 27. Own every color of converse – Emily Tseng 28. Be the next 15 min. Hollywood actress – Louise Lagman 29. Live 2 years in Tahiti - Meda Balint 30. Visit Vermont – Rebecca Titus 31. Shoot with a paintball gun while driving – Paul McLaughlin 32. Create an inspirational film – Arudz Goudsouzian 33. Eat ice-cream with whipped cream chug – Alyssa Ferrer 34. Study abroad in England – Taylor Lecours 35. Meet Taylor Lautner – Rosie Guarnaschelli 36. Win a gold medal at the 2020 Olympic games for curling – Sevag Boghossian 37. Sail away into the air, just like the movie “UP” – Grace Marzo 38. Open my own pizza place – Karley Strongoli 39. Play in the NBA – Kevin Soosaipillai 40. Become a Pokémon master – Mark Pelayo 41. Travel in Spain with Jessica Alba – Jalen James 42. Attend a Paul McCartney concert, before HE dies – Arevik Vardanyan 43. Work with Bill Gates – Senai Woldai 44. Fly with birds – Amanda Yeretsian 45. Meet Barack Obama – Nick Abrams 46. Win a lottery – Stephanie Plastino 47. Sit through a surgery without fainting – Asanka De Silva 48. Eat a live scorpion – Bea Mungcal 49. Jump off a plane – Joan Ohizua 50. Meet Brad Pitt – Rim Tarzi 51. Try every flavor of ice cream – Kitty Chen

Photo Credits to MTV and Connect.in.com

52. Crash a wedding – Carolina Vecchiarelli 53. Experience my 100th Birthday – Sarkis Hannaian 54. Meet Ellen Degeneres – Melissa Bhukhan 55. Have my own television show to find the perfect wife – Jan Cruz 56. Go to Hawaii to surf and crowd surf – Alena Russo 57. Fly a plane – Flavien Emmanuel 58. Make my parents grand-parents – Mrs. Zabana 59. Go to Greece – Nairy Pourian 60. Compete in a boxing match – Grace Prem 61. Visit Australia and ride a kangaroo - Justin Montes 62. Climb Mount Kilimanjaro - Rose Pidgeon 63. Go to Victoria Falls to witness endangered species – Joyce Ohizua 64. Drink Diet Pepsi - Michael Chen 65. Start my own firm – Jordan Munoz 66. Publish a book – Suzanne Pritchard 67. Eat the best pie ever - Anderson Albert 68. Tell everyone how I really feel – Christine Nerces 69. Drive an ice cream truck – Janice Gomes 70. Become a National Geographic photographer – Justin Buenaflor 71. Go on a safari in Africa – Natasha Richichi- Fried 72. Find the deeper meaning in God – Alysa Perez 73. Explore Paris – Pamela Paige 74. Dance with Quest Crew and Poreotix – Allison Tam 75. Make an impact on every single person I meet – Samantha Lui 76. Walk from Queen St. East to Queen St. West, in one day – James Plaza 77. Face my fear of the ocean and scuba dive – Lindsay Dawson 78. Be interviewed on live T.V. – Tracy Ampofoh 79. Get rich – Liam D’Souza 80. Eat a large pizza all by myself – Ashley James 81. Receive the last sacrament – Hazel Dawn Modina 82. Discover the real God – Kim Angelo Santos 83. Spend quality-time with family and friends – Roshanie Lawrence 84. Do something adventurous with family – Cynthia Tseng 85. Get married – Shannon Miller 86. Be on The Price Is Right – Megan Jover 87. Swim in a pool of money – Vithushan Namasivayasivam 88. Ride a helicopter – Lucksson Namasivayasivam 89. Tell everyone who is important to me what they mean to me – D’Andre Benois 90. Witness the Maple Leafs and Raptors win it all – Jerry Ng 91. Do muay thai at a k-1 level – Mark Uma Diryas 92. Be on the cover of a magazine – Shandra Shanmugam 93. Experience true love – Arooj Yaqub 94. Travel to a developing country and do humanitarian work – Naomi Reyes 95. Go on tour with Celine Dion and Drake – Khrestin Abd El Malak 96. Help an old lady cross the street – Ashley Rostamian 97. Save a person’s life – Cinthia Tam 98. Visit every wonder of the world – Diana Vecchiarelli 99. Buy a pair of Christian Loubotin heels – Sabrina Andrenacci 100. Make ice cream from scratch – Tamara Coutinho VOLUME 15 / ISSUE 3 mwplanet 19

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Film Forecast

By Arevik Vardanyan

You surely are going to want to go to the movie theaters this summer. There are an impressive amount of movies that will take your movie watching experience to a whole new level of excitement with 3D films. This summer, your favourite dance movies will be featured in 3D, and new scary movies will take a new level of fright. To make your movie selections easier for you, here are the top seven picks of the must-see movies of Summer 2010.

Eclipse: The awe-inspiring novel series by Stephanie Meyer is hitting the big screen once again. This June, the third sequel of Twilight, Eclipse, will be released in theaters. After reuniting with her loved one, Bella continues her perilous habits and finds herself in danger. The mysterious killings in Seattle leave Bella with the chance to choose between her love with Edward, the vampire, or her treasured friendship with Jacob, the werewolf.

The Last Airbender: Follow the adventures of young descendant Aang from the long line of Ava tars. Aang must put his childhood aside to help stop the Fire Nation from en chaining the Water, Earth and Air nations. Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. If you enjoyed the anime series Avatar, this adventure will make your summer far more enthralling.

Grown Ups: Boys will be boys. Your favorite comedians will star in this new blockbuster comedy. After their high school basketball coach passes away, the boys have a reunion. The five good friends reminisce on the past and realize that adult hood is a big step. They make a difference in their lives on this fourth of July holiday weekend The Kids are All Right: One family: two kids with two moms. Growing up in a household with two moms is not the common American family, and teen siblings venture out to find their real father, the sperm donor. Once found, their father is asked to join their family life. Join the heartfelt comedy which explores the household that will never be the same.

Predators: Predators are a merciless alien race who are being hunted by a group of influ ential warriors. This sci-fi thriller will keep you glued to your seat about the gang of fighters struggling to survive against warriors who are hunting.

Inception: Starring the beloved heartthrob, Leonardo DiCaprio, this movie will make you realize that the crime scene is in your mind. Trapped in a world of “dreams”, technology existing in a human brain, invasion can be the most dangerous weapon or the most valuable asset. The mystery of the “dreams” will keep you guessing ‘til the end.

Eat, Pray, Love: Pretty Woman actress Julia Roberts stars in the bestseller memoir by Eliza beth Gilbert. Liz Gilbert (Julia Roberts) had everything anyone could ever dream for: a husband, a house, and a successful career. After feeling lost and perplexed, she risks everything to search for what she really wants in life and begins a journey around the world in the pursuit of self-discovery. Liz discov ers the true pleasure of nourishment by eating in Italy; the power of prayer in India, and unpredictably, the inner peace and balance of true love in Bali. The dramatic and romance-filled movie will make you discover about life and the quest of self- fulfillment.

By Jed de los Reyes Black-and-white, then colour, on-demand services, and high-definition. Now that television has come a long way, what’s next?

Apparently, making 3-D glasses a household item.

Following up on Avatar’s success, television companies are beginning to release the future; high-definition televisions that can play shows, movies, and games in 3-D. It only makes sense, seeing as Avatar’s success seems to have triggered a 3-D trend: Clash of the Titans and Alice in Wonderland and Toy Story 3 and Shrek Forever After following suit this summer.

Although there isn’t much content available at the moment, there is a lot to look forward to. Monsters vs. Aliens and My Bloody Valentine are two 3D Blu-Ray films out of a tiny handful available at the moment, although the Shrek franchise and various other films are due to be released in the near future. The 2010 Masters Golf Tournament was aired in 3D, and the World Cup will receive the same treatment. IMAX, Sony, and Discovery Communications are cooperating to release a 3D channel in 2011. Gamers can look forward to Sony’s free Playstation 3 upgrade for PS3D games and Nintendo has recently announced the 3D capable DS replacement; the 3DS. So now the question: would you buy a 3-D television?

Some students expressed some interest, like grade 11 student Nicholas Prabaharan, who cannot wait for 3D video games, and a grade 12 student Kenelm Wong, who says that “it depends on how much it costs.”

Prices will range around $2500 to $4000 for a television, a 3D BluRay Disc Player, additional hardware, and about $150 for every pair of glasses, which will easily add up among the average family.

Yes. You have to wear the glasses. Otherwise, 3D shows will be virtually impossible to watch.

Kenelm – and many other students – lost their interest upon learning of the heavy price tag and the necessity of the glasses. Grade 10 student Rowena Rollon says: “For that price, I wouldn’t buy it.

But it sounds like a great experience.”

So another question: Is 3D television really worth it? Would you not get headaches after a while? What if you lose the glasses? And what about parties; wouldn’t everyone need a pair of glasses?

In the final analysis, 3D was always just a gimmick. The only real difference between 2D and 3D films is that the latter has a tendency of launching snowflakes, ping-pong paddles, magic spells, and maniacal madmen towards the audience. Just look at Monsters vs. Aliens, which opened with a baseball scene with the sole purpose of launching a baseball towards the audience to declare “This is 3D!” Visuals are very important for the television medium, but amazing visuals are only one component in shows with storylines, characters, and music.

It does not make a difference whether it is flat or popping out at you. No matter how much smarter televisions have become, it is still the idiot box.

.C OM

Step Up 3D: New dance groups from the streets of New York join for the biggest dance battle against the world's best hip-hop dancers with a high-stakes showdown that will change their lives forever. The “Step Up” movies have been released around the world to positive reviews, and the series will continue to the third sequel in 3D. The new dancers and cool choreography will not fail to enter tain.

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iPad:

THE TABLET OF HOPE

By Tatiana Ng Ping Cheung

By Tracy Ampofoh For decades and decades, black women have conformed to the Euro-centric ideas of beautiful hair-straightening and damaging their hair all to be accepted. Although it may seem natural for women to crave what they believe is beautiful, the process through which many black women put their hair through is not natural, and is, in fact, damaging not only to their hair but also to their psyche. It has reached a point in time that black women must learn to love their natural curls, and learn to let go of the beauty ideals of the past, and stop conforming to those of the present.

The idea of nappy hair for many black women is scary. It is coarse, thick, and quite unruly at some points. It is not straight, nor is it silky PHOTO CREDIT: CHRISTOPHER SEGUIN or loose, making it not beautiful to many individuals, especially black females. However, the truth is that natural hair is beautiful in its own right. The coils and twist of natural hair are captivating and awe-inspiring.

The two stranded twist, dreadlocks and playful cornrows that can be designed with natural hair are unique and enchanting. Nappy hair is the only hair texture that grows up, defying gravity and defying the standards of beauty. Why not rock it? Not only this, but even on their worst days, afros are roaring and fierce, stunning and fearless.

The magic of natural hair is that it holds no boundaries, and that although it may not be conventionally beautiful, it is stunning on its own.

The beauty of natural hair not only lies in its styling and texture, but in its cost and protection. Whereas a weave or perm can cost the average black woman a hundred dollars and upwards, every four to six weeks, natural hair is pretty cost efficient.

Ashante Infantry reveals this idea in her 2009 article for the Toronto Star, “Good hair starts at the roots”, “It’s [hair] weatherproof, takes two minutes to style and is maintained by a $30 haircut every six or so weeks.” Granted not all natural hair styles are as manageable as Infantry’s. There are more extravagant and detailed natural hair styles than Infantry’s one-inch cut, but these styles cost less to keep intact because they are natural. They do not require chemical processing or altering, cutting down the cost of hair management a great deal. So not only is being a natural diva physically stunning, but also financially stimulating.

After much anticipation of nearly a decade, Apple’s CEO, Steve Jobs, finally unveiled his newest creation on January 27 - the iPad. Steve Jobs gave a live demonstration of the iPad and explained every positive aspect of Apple’s new creation. According to Mr. Jobs, the iPad is much more intimate than a regular laptop and is much more capable than a smartphone. Apple also claims that their latest invention could be the most significant product launch in the history of the computing world.

The iPad is a portable device, a cross between an iPod touch and a laptop. The touch screen product is designed for Internet browsing, watching movies, listening to music, and even reading books.

10 interesting factors about the iPad: 1. The name – For lighter days and heavier days. Always, your iPad. 2. The design - The size of a brick but much slimmer, cleaner, and lighter. Ideal for the legally blind and the over-65 tech-savvy crowd.

3. No Adobe Flash support – Gamers are going to be pissed off... Watch out, Apple!

4. No multitasking - The iPad is incapable of multitasking. It can only run one application at a time. You can’t have your Twitter app open and listen to your music at the same time. Or video chat and have your Internet browser open. I mean what video chatting?! There’s no camera.

5. No additional essential functions - The iPad has no USB ports and SD card slots. Who needs those, anyway?

6. No HDMI output – I bet you would love to watch HD movies you purchased from iTunes on your gigantic HDTV. But you can’t.

7. The screen - The sleek 9.7 inch screen’s resolution is not standard. This means the iPad does not support widescreen videos. Mr. Jobs, are those two black bars over and under the video supposed to enhance the video viewing experience? I think it’s working!

8. The touch keyboard – Mr. Jobs, how do you type on this thing in a normal typing position without it falling off your lap? Oh, by propping your knees up.

Got it!

9. The price - For the greatest, out-of-this-world web browsing experience, buy the iPad starting at only US$499! Mr. Jobs, how reasonable of you.

10. The “cool” factor – It’s Apple. That’s self-explanatory. You’ll blend in just fine at a local Starbucks near you. All eyes will be on your pad.

Unprocessed, chemically free hair is not only beautiful, but truthful. In a day and age in which many women hide behind the superficial glamour of makeup, hair and clothing, natural hair builds an oasis for those women wanting to break free. It is not about being radical or starting a revolution, but rather accepting oneself for who they are. Granted, one does not need to be an afro queen to be real, self acceptance can come from underneath a weave. But the difference is learning to love oneself without the weave or the perm, and learning to love oneself without the safety blanket of society’s rules. Having “kinky, real black girl hair” is the truth because it is the texture that comes up on its own. It’s time for black women to own up and respect what is naturally their own hair.

Natural hair is truthful. It is free. It is cheap, and it is real. After years of black women conforming to negative beauty standards, it is time for us to stand up and take back our roots. Nappy hair is not just about appearance, but the identity of a black woman.

By accepting our true curl pattern we accept ourselves, and by accepting ourselves we allow society to accept us. Not only is it cost efficient and beautiful, but it is natural.

It is time for black females to not only be bhlack and proud, but to also be nappy and happy.

PHOTO CREDIT: MASHABLE.CA

The official Canadian release for the iPad occurred on May 28, 2010. Although iPad has received mixed reactions after their January 27 announcement, critics believe the product will nevertheless be a success. After all, Apple fanatics will buy absolutely anything with an Apple logo on it and new age technology is notably sought-after.

VOLUME 15 / ISSUE 3 mwplanet 21

Gotta Catch ‘Em All!

By Samantha Tjong

As a young boy living in the rural areas of Japan, Satoshi Tajiri’s interest in video games and insects led him to the creation of Pokémon, an idea which later captured the hearts of children, teens, and adults alike. In the world of Pokémon, humans live alongside fictional creatures of different shapes and sizes, treating them as pets and battling partners.

February of 1996 marked the beginning of the highly successful franchise as its first two games, Pocket Red and Pocket Green, were released for the Nintendo Game Boy. Known as Pocket Monsters, the games allowed players to role-play as a blooming Pokémon trainer and embark on their journey to become ‘the very best’. Wild Pokémon were caught and trained to battle with other trainers. Players traveled across the land and defeated Gym leaders, where they gained badges for proof of victory.

Once eight badges were earned, the trainer and their team of Pokémon are then physically and mentally prepared to challenge the Elite 4, who are considered to be the most powerful of Pokémon trainers.

After garnering wonderful responses from the public, it was decided that Pokémon should be made into a T.V. show. The first episode of the Pokémon anime was broadcast on April 1997. The series featured a young trainer, Ash Ketchum, and his journey with his Pikachu and friends to become the greatest Pokémon trainer of all time.

Soon after, Nintendo developed a trading card game for players to battle it out in a different style. Movies encompassing the adventures of Ash and rare, legendary Pokémon had also been released. By this time, every kid in Japan knew of Pokémon and the ‘Pokécraze’ had only begun. In 1998, the franchise hit western shores with the release of Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue, which were slightly upgraded ver-

sions of Pocket Red and Pocket Green.

More than two dozen games have now been developed, most of them following the same storyline as Red and Green with newer regions to explore, newer Pokémon to catch, and newer challenges to face. As technology advances, newer games offer enhanced graphics and better connectivity features. The most recent games were Pokémon HeartGold and Pokémon SoulSilver released for North America this past March, which achieved sales of over 1.7 million units in their first month. It was also announced that Pokémon’s upcoming games with an all-new generation of Pokémon are titled Pokémon Black and Pokémon White, to be released in Japan during the Fall of 2010.

Now, what do long-time faithfuls of Pokémon have to say about their favourite franchise? We have a few avid Pokéfans right here in the Mary Ward community. Although it is nice to see Nintendo continually developing games, some feel that the newer generation of games will never surpass the older ones. “I miss Gary as my rival,” comments grade 9 student Shavaughn Soraine. However, some wish the arrival of the ultimate Pokémon game, to relive the moments of the good old days and experience a whole new adventure. “I’m still waiting for the game that will let us get all 32 badges,” says grade 12 student John Adame. Also, competition in the gaming industry is getting tougher, and some question the health of the franchise in the future. “I don’t want Pokémon to die out,” exclaims grade 10 student Jeremy Ragucos. Now is not the time to worry, though, just as grade 12 student Alynna Alzate states, “I have a feeling it’s going to go on for another while.”

In the beginning, there were 151 Pokémon to catch and train. As the years go by, more and more Pocket Monsters are being discovered, with a grand number of 493 as of this moment. How many Pokémon exist? Even Professor Oak does not know, but we will just have to wait and see. Are you gonna catch ‘em all?

ILLUSTRATION BY: JAN CRUZ

Mad Madness!

By Alyanna Alzate

At least once around this time of the year, they are seen: costume-clad people—from teenagers to adults alike, all heading towards one place. That place is the Toronto Congress Centre for the annual Anime North Convention.

For those who are keen on going, pre-registration, as mentioned on the Anime North website, dictates a discounted price for the whole weekend during the convention.

There are two options: single payment or group payment. Single payment costs more, but is more convenient than gathering ten or more people needed as a pre-requisite for the group payment. There are usually two dates for the pre-registration, but afterwards payments can only be done at the door, either for one of the days or for the full weekend. Prices can be conveniently found on the website, AnimeNorth.com, but it is good to keep checking the price in case they change.

What is there to look forward to at Canada’s premier, fan-run, convention at Toronto Congress Center and the Doubletree Hotel Plaza? Perhaps it is the cosplays— costume roleplay—worn by the convention attendants, reflecting their love for their favourite characters, or it could be the multiple events held at the Doubletree Hotel Plaza throughout the jam-packed weekend. A common favourite is also the special guests attending and/or performing at Anime North. Commonly, they are voice actors, sometimes at a panel (although not a common method at Anime North), but mostly just meeting with their fans. Some of these guests are invited all the way from Japan with different appearances each year.

Adding to the excitement are the events that take place all weekend. From skit contest to video game tournaments, not always related to anime, there is always a great source of entertainment. Events include a Rock Band competition, taking place on the first day, Brawl tournaments, with prizes in store, and even a human chess game, where audience members either volunteer or are picked at random to play

22 mwplanet VOLUME 15 / ISSUE 3

as themed chess pieces (costumes are a must, so sorry, chaps, no Muggles allowed).

This year there is even going to be a fashion show where the models are any brave volunteers who would like to showcase their outfits!

Do not forget about the Dealer’s Room—the place where anime goods can be purchased. Trinkets, life-sized models (made with real metal) of famous anime swords, old copies of video games that would cost you a pretty penny on eBay, and even large collections of manga (sometimes for as cheap as five bucks a volume) can be found. Once finished, head to the Artist Alley, just outside of the Dealer’s Room, artists, well-known and unknown, put up booths to showcase their artwork—ranging from fan-works to original works.

With a third year in attendance to the convention, fifth year student, Rhea Tan says, “It’s a great place to go to if you’re into anime. You’ll find many people there with common interests.” Let’s face it, what anime convention doesn’t serve as a breeding ground for self-proclaimed nerds alike? Interestingly enough it has been common knowledge that people not only dress as anime and video game characters, but also as classic North American-bred characters like Darth Vader and even Batman.

It is a tough bargain to go as a student at Mary Ward because of the May rush timing.

However, Anime North is not just available for wasting time, but can be for the good, hard-earned volunteer hours they have to offer. A staff shirt will be given after signing up (after buying a ticket) and even Crash Space (hotel rooms booked for overnight) provided. This experience is a good chance to get hours of Volunteer Service hours before graduation.

Anime North is a great event to check out no matter where one’s interests lie. Even if this year’s has already passed, next year is always a possibility. One will not gain a similar experience anywhere else!

creative spaces SPACES CREATIVE

By Jed de los Reyes Lots of crazy stuff on the other side. Not exactly what I expected, but I can get used to it.

See you in a few years.

Wilson It was nice enough in the dreary little town that I lived in, mind you. The single-floor houses were comfortable enough if you didn’t mind the broken walls, the forest was interesting if you didn’t like leaves, and the neighbours were friendly. But I kept obsessing over the postcard that Wilson had sent from the East after his departure three years ago.

The postcard was in my hand as I crossed the East Bridge. My feet ached, having shuffled along the ancient wood that so many others had crossed.

If you looked past the rope railing, you would see thick fog that obscured the ravine’s unreachable bottom. I looked to the other side of the Bridge – my destination – but the fog kept me from seeing if I was near or far.

I wasn’t supposed to be here yet. I would be old enough to make the crossing in six months, after the Wise Men of the East had finished preparing me.

But I just wanted to see the East. A one day journey wouldn’t hurt.

As I walked, I saw the first red lights shine through the fog. I walked faster, and the lights became brighter and colourful. I heard the noises of animals and water, first soft, but getting louder and louder, and I started running…

“Whoa.”

Buildings towered all around me with a million flashing windows. People onboard red flying whales and walking eight-legged dogs. Gorgeous gardens with flowers, colour-changing flowers, becoming steadily more metallic, and then rainbow-coloured. Colossal trees with water flowing from the base, forming a pool in which people were splashing each other…

I ran throughout the city. I took in every detail; the smells from the exotic bakeries on every corner, the sounds of the engines and the electric guitar resonating from a nearby building, the sights of the flying lizards and birds above me, the tiny purple weeds growing through the metallic sidewalk below me…

“AGH!” Suddenly, I was on the floor, having crashed into a rather tall, young man.

“Sorry…”

As I helped him get up, I looked at his brown eyes…

“Wilson? Is that…”

I couldn’t believe it. Those were definitely Wilson’s brown eyes, and his shoulder-length black hair that we teased him about...

“Sorry…who are you?” Wilson asked, somewhat annoyed.

This wasn’t the same Wilson that I remembered. The beard and his deep voice weren’t important. It was that his brown eyes were bloodshot red and that his smiling face from ages ago was gone. We may have played tag together, but he didn’t recognise me. He didn’t know me anymore.

“Sorry. Thought you were someone I know.”

The setting sun burned through the fog that normally obscured the East from my hometown on the other side of the ravine. I ran to the East Bridge and saw the tiny, humble houses where I would continue my studies. I wasn’t ready for this strange new world just yet. Besides, my sister was waiting for me, so that we could finish the sculpture we had worked on for years.

I was about to set foot on the ancient wood when a man in black robes stepped in front of me.

“Where are you going?” he asked in a gruff tone.

“Back to the other side,” I replied.

“You cannot go back.”

“But…that’s my hometown over there. I’m only here to visit, you see…”

“You cannot go back.”

“But…” “Cannot go back.”

I looked at this man. I couldn’t convince him to let me pass. I looked to the other side of the ravine, where the setting sun was teasing me, letting me see my hometown, to which I would never return. And I looked at the strange world that I had entered too early, but that I was now a citizen of.

I was home, whether I liked it or not.

ILLUSTRATION BY: JAN CRUZ

VOLUME 15 / ISSUE 3 mwplanet 23

fun andAND gamesGAMES FUN 1

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By Mariah Llanes

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By Jed de los Reyes

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By Jan Cruz

ACROSS

DOWN:

1: Synonym for “storm”

2: This department converted a seminar room into a “Reward Zone”

4: It has schedules and target dates, and we all have it. Not an agenda 8: The “D” in W.A.R.D. 10: The main character of Leader of the Pack 12: Given for free by Free the Children during their week. Spread the love!

13: Stop the Stigma: One in ___ has a mood disorder 16: One of the Planet’s Junior Editors Samantha

3: One of this year’s dances, and a movie (3 words) 5: Designer of the Opening BBQ’s dunk tank 6: Gender Justice hung 500 newspaper women, representing 500 real __ women 7: Spirit Week Tuesday: Bright and…

9: Mr. Dever parodied this website during the Christmas Assembly 11: 6th Habit of a Highly Effective Teen

18: This senior girls’ team went on to the OFSAA “AAA” Championships

14: Just outside the school; Green Quest’s contribution towards greener transportation

20: OKOF focused on this African country

15: Raise the Roof: The “F” in GTFO

21: From the Opening Mass Banner: Be ___ as your Father is ___

17: Four forms of hip-hop: B-boying, emceeing, deejaying, and…

22: Mehndi was one thing that this International Day Pavilion demonstrated

19: Tests you on anxiety, communication, concentration, motivation, study skills, etc.

23: We contributed $5,000…or was it $10,000?

By Mariah Llanes

Summer is fast approaching. As much as we love to have fun in the sun, sometimes we feel lethargic. Well, here is a list created to give you ideas on how to keep yourself occupied during the summer. Try doing one of them (or several) and be assured that you will have a very interesting summer vacation.

1. BE A YOUTUBE STAR: Get your script, webcam and yourself ready to face the World Wide Web community and create your own video blog. Talk about any kind of topic you are interested in as well as topics you don’t even like! Advertise yourself to your friends through Twitter, Facebook, Myspace or any other social networking sites and find the support you need. Just remember to be yourself and find your inner rock star.

2. GO TO THE BEACH AND CREATE AN AWARD-WINNING SANDCASTLE: Get your pails and shovels ready and start to relive your childhood memories with your friends or family. But this time, go big. What I mean is spend your time on the beach creating a gigantic sandcastle. Ask the people around you to help if you need it. Who knows? You might make a kid’s childhood dream come true!

3. HAVE A MOVIE OR TELEVISION SHOW INSPIRED MARATHON: Spend time with your friends or family by having a themed movie or television show marathon. If you and the people with you know the dialogue, re-enact the characters by lowering the volume and make up what they’re saying. Choose your dress code according to the theme and dress up as the actual characters of the show.

4. ACT LIKE SOMEONE YOU’RE NOT FOR A DAY: Fake an accent, dress up differently and visit local tourist attractions by acting like a tourist. Meet new people and talk about the country you supposedly live in. Make sure you practice what you’re going to do to make it more realistic.

5. GET YOURSELF READY FOR THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR: Just because it is summer doesn’t mean it’s a lame idea to build up yourself for the next school year. Throughout the summer, read books or do something that will sharpen your mind. Do some community service and finish those 40 hours required for your high school diploma. …If all else fails, go to summer school Either new credit summer school or our very own Mary Ward summer school, who doesn’t like being in school? Learning something new every day is a thrilling experience. Plus, you get to meet new people in your class.

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