Mary Ward Planet - Vol.16, Issue 2, Spring 2010-11

volume 16 | issue 2 | spring edition 2011

MARY ARY W WARD ARD M planet.maryward.ca

AN NEETT PPL LA information | art | style | leisure

Supplementary Section “Health & Wellness”

R o y a l We d d i n g | M S E R T | I n t e r v i e w w i t h M s . L e s n i a k

Mary Ward Planet Volume 16 ~ Issue 2 ~ Spring 2011 www.planet.maryward.ca

This epic issue of the Planet contains the big topics that make the world turn: love and revolution. As millions around the world anticipate Will and Kate tying the knot, as chronicled in Terrance Santhakumar’s article Royal Engagement, closer to home, Mary Ward students like Yulenka Rebello, orchestrate elaborate plans for prom and run into snags. Corrado Caruso’s biographical piece about relationships shows the delicate nature of the teenage heart.

Not only is love in the spring air, but so too is revolution. The pro-democracy protests sweeping Tunisia, Egypt and Libya demonstrate that immense power of social media to mobilize freedom-loving individuals into social movements that result in regime change. The Planet Executive editorial discusses a revolution of the heart: the Safe Schools initiative to support all students, including homosexuals who are so often the subject of bullying.

Mrs. Powell, Ms. Albert, and I are honoured to work with the artists, photographers, writers and editors whose labour of love make the Planet the limit-pushing publication it is.

Ms. Largo

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Code of Conduct

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Editorial

Promoting Safe and Inclusive Schools

World issues

Public Breastfeeding Uprise in the Middle East “Through My Eyes” The Royal Engagement

health & wellness

Weighing in on Obesity I “Like Like” You. What Now? On Call and Always Alert

12 13

sports

Cavs: Victorious No More?

FIFA at Ward

la petite planÈte Un Nouveau Amour... le Rap Française La Vie et Ses Surpris “Liberté” “Le Succès C’est Quoi?”

Le Commencement du Café Française

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wact/lifestyles

Community

Home VS. Residence Exam Anxiety Take Me Out to the Prom!

A Flat Tire In the... Road to Prom Mrs. Lesniak: Principal, Mother & Donut Thief Around the World in One Day

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layout artists Kristine Buerano Shannon Cabrio Michael Chen Jan Cruz

Jed de los Reyes Hazel Llanes Mariah Llanes Dorothy Manuel

Amanda Navai Samantha Tjong Christian Perez Inggrid Wibowo Sarah Quinto Rowena Rollon

All content © 2010-2011 Mary Ward Catholic Secondary School. All rights reserved.

Reproduction of this newspaper, in part or whole, is prohibited without the approval of The Planet executive members.

The Mary Ward Planet is the official student newspaper of Mary Ward C.S.S. All members of the Mary Ward community may voluntarily contribute to the Planet. Everyone exhibits professionalism and respects one another in all 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.

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

Local Restaurant Review: Nikada Back to Basics Going Gaga for Polaroid The Next Dimension of Gaming Who is ‘A’ Pretty Girl with an Ugly Secret Pretty Little Books Down to Four Three Cheers for the Man in Suspenders Hip Hop Course Hits Ward

creative spaces

“To the Father of the Wounded Soul” “May I Enlighten You?” “To P or Not to P”

Executive Team Co-Editor-in-Chief: Michael Chen Co-Editor-in-Chief: Alex De Pompa Art Editor: Jan Cruz Photo Editor: Agatha Choy World Issues Editor: Carmelina Robino Community Editor: Nairy Khodabakhshian Redacteur: Jed de los Reyes Sports Editor: Cormac McGee WACT/Lifestyles Editor: Inggrid Wibowo Creative Spaces Editor: Sarah Quinto Junior Editors: Lydia He & Carolina Vecchiarelli Planet Relations: Arevik Vardaryan Planet Webmaster: Hazel Llanes

Cover Artist: Dorothy Manuel

editorial EDITORIAL

Society should be accepting when it comes to people of different sexual orientation, much like how it has progressed with race and gender.

When it comes to changing the social stigma of homosexuality, schools should be no different and reflect the signs of the times. The two best methods are through education and policy. A full education can help remove the associated social taboo, as well as demystify the misconceptions about orientation. With the help of legislation, students of all sexual orientations can be assured safe learning environments free from harassment.

Before 1973, homosexuality was classified as a mental disorder by the American Psychological Association (APA). Society has progressed and it is common knowledge that homosexuality is not a decision made freely, a disease, or disorder. Furthermore, the Catholic Church has fostered tolerance for homosexual persons, and condemns hurtful behaviour towards them. Christians are called to promote human dignity and tolerance to all people, regardless of sexual orientation.

Ontario’s Ministry of Education addressed the issues of discrimination and harassment in its schools with the introduction of the Safe Schools Strategy and Bill 157: Education Amendment Act. This legislation addresses bullying from students by having school employees intervene and stop the abusive actions, as well as supporting victims. It is the first step in ensuring that all students are treated fairly and with respect.

However, promoting positive behaviour and attempting to stop bullying through legislation may not be sufficient to eliminate the issue.

Hate crimes include violent or property attacks against a person or group, targeted on the basis of ethnicity, religion, sex or orientation.

According to Statistics Canada, in 2007, one in ten hate crimes were motivated by hatred towards sexual orientation. Among Canadian youth aged 12-17, one-third were previously accused by police of committing a hate-motivated crime involving, but not limited to, sexual orientation.

Teaching students about sexual identity could promote acceptance of people of all orientations and prevent hate crimes. In addition to religion courses, this can be incorporated into physical education, humanities or social justice programs of study.

In a recent survey conducted by the Ontario Student Trustees’ Association, 82% of participating students voted in favour of learning more about “all sexualities” in high schools. According to the Toronto Star, student leaders in the Toronto Catholic District School Board wanted to know more about implementing anti-homophobia policies in their own schools to promote a safer and more inclusive school for LGBTQ community members.

The goal of ensuring a safe and inclusive learning environment is to support and care for adolescents regardless of race, religion, gender or sexual orientation. This is especially important in an age where these individuals are at a higher risk of dropping out of school and being banished from their homes due to bullying, stigma, and isolation. By creating an inclusive atmosphere free of prejudice and misunderstanding, students will be able to learn without fear of harassment.

Only with education and policy will students be able to understand the stigma behind homosexuality and become sensitive to the pastoral needs of homosexual students within school and parish communities.

VOLUME 16 / ISSUE 2 mwplanet 03

world issues ISSUES WORLD

By Mercedes Villanueva

In Western society there is controversy over what is considered to be “modest dress” for a female. Females are constantly reminded not to over-expose their chests, legs, or any other body part that apparently needs to be concealed. While most of the time it is understandable, sometimes the reasoning is just plain ridiculous.

According to an article in The Canadian Press posted on January 8, 2011 by Benjamin Shingler entitled, “‘Nurse-in’ planned after mother stopped from breastfeeding in kids’ store”, a Montreal mother named Shannon Smith is described to have been approached by a store clerk after she was seen breastfeeding her five-month old baby in the play area of a downtown children’s store called Orchestra in the Complexe Les Ailes shopping centre on Ste-Catherine Street. She and another nearby breastfeeding mother were told to desist. Claiming she had the right to breastfeed in the store she asked to see the supervisor only to receive the same answer. At first she complied and left the store, but after some reflection on the incident, she grew more and more angry. In an interview Smith stated, “It’s shocking to me that in 2011, people still have an attitude that women shouldn’t breastfeed in public. I think it’s absurd, especially in a children’s clothing store.” After her blog post on the incident circulated, a staged nurse-in was planned for January 12 with approximately 100 mothers planning to attend.

However, before the nurse-in took place, an apologetic letter was issued to Smith from Jean-Claude Yana, the owner of Orchestra.

Breastfeeding is defined as feeding an infant or young child with breast milk directly from the female human breasts via lactation rather than using a baby bottle or other container. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), exclusive breastfeeding is recommended until a baby is six months old, after which supplemented breastfeeding should occur until the baby is one to two years old.

WHO also states, “Breast milk is the ideal food for newborns and infants. It gives infants all the nutrients they need for healthy development,” and, “it is safe and contains antibodies that help protect infants from common childhood illnesses such as diarrhea and pneumonia, the two primary causes of child mortality worldwide.” Breastfeeding has proven to be beneficial for the baby and for the mother because it reduces the risk of ovarian cancer and helps mothers return to their pre-pregnancy weight much faster. Yet many Westerners still believe that breastfeeding should be done behind closed doors.

In Canada, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms offers some protection to nursing mothers under sex equality. There is no law explicitly protecting mothers against discrimination from breastfeeding in public in Canadian provinces aside from Ontario and British Columbia. Due to this, many nursing mothers are ostracized and even called “unethical” or “obscene” for exposing themselves to breastfeed. Many Canadians fail to realize is that breastfeeding is a normal practice. Though there is the option of going to “family rooms” to breastfeed a child, many infants and children require on-demand breastfeeding in which they cannot wait to be transported to a family room.

Although this issue is often overlooked, it should be properly addressed and dealt with. Human life is a sacred thing, and breastfeeding one’s child is necessary. The belief that this is “obscene” or “vulgar” is undignified and immature.

Canada is a nation that supports diversity in religion, race, and practices – and it is our job as Canadians to protect these things.

By Camille Galindez Turn on your television, look at your Twitter feed and scroll through your dashboard as one country captures the attention of the whole world. The news of bloodshed, fighting and a looming civil war in Libya flashes across our screens as pro and anti-government protesters as well as the Libyan military clash in the streets of Libya’s capital. Inspired by the pro-democracy movements in other Arab countries, Libya planned for a “day of rage” on February 17. Police began shooting at protesters and the battle began. People continue to be killed every day as the fighting continues on as their leader Gaddafi refuses to step down.

Libyans had been unhappy living in their country. They’d been ruled for 42 years by a cunning, repressive, eccentric dictator. Corruption stands tall in this country and citizens are very repressed.

Citizens live in fear in even mentioning their leader’s name to who they refer to as, “the leader”. If one discusses their national policy with a foreigner they can be charged with a sentence of three years. Even as a country rich in oils, unemployment is rampant. As it stands at 30 percent, even the employed often only work part-time. Basic foods are also heavily subsidized by the government. Looking for freedom, the dissidents of Libya look for change and a better life in democracy.

Since February 17, the fighting continues on as the death tolls increase. The Libyan ambassador to the US broke with the Libyan government over the use of force with the protesters. Videos of fighting in Libya have gone viral online as people all over the world watch as peaceful protesters are shot.

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Though media has been controlled by Libyan government, Libyan citizens continue to post information, such as the violent fighting, online in hopes of getting the attention of the world to step in and save them.

In spite of international efforts, Qaddafi refuses to step down. The Libyan ambassador to the US, Ali Suleiman Aujali, has asked for the world to step in or stop encouraging the uprising because his people were being “slaughtered like sheep”. The UN has even suspended Libya’s membership as well has putting a travel ban on Qaddafi, his family and associates, freezing his assets and an arms embargo as the Security Council continues to talk about the issue. As much as possible, the UN is not authorizing the use of armed force against the Qaddafi regime.

The fights continue on in Libya between the people as Qaddafi holds onto his power. People around to world continue to hope for change in country. Diana Gruning, a junior student, says, “I think that it’s wrong what the President is doing and that he should step down before his country self-destructs.” She feels that if Qaddafi isn’t stopped, Libya will end up destroyed. Fights have become more brutal and each day the deaths have continued to increase. International foreign workers in Libya have been left with no choice but to escape the country.

According to the Inquirer.ph, a Filipino news network, many foreign workers have had to walk to the Egyptian border to escape, a dangerous task for anyone. Information has been hard to access as communication ties continue to get cut.

As the days continue on, Libya still remains in turmoil.

PHOTO FROM DIGITIALPRODUCTIONME

world issues ISSUES WORLD

By Terrence Santhakumar The wait is over: Prince William and Kate Middleton are finally engaged. Britons have been awaiting the royal wedding for years.

On November 16 2010, Prince Charles’ Clarence House declared that the second in line to the throne plans to tie the knot with longtime girlfriend Kate this spring.

The wedding is the biggest royal event since the marriage of Prince Charles and Diana in 1981.

te ring in his rucksack for three weeks before proposing. The ring is a stunning 18-carat blue sapphire and diamond. It had originally been given to Princess Diana by Prince Charles, but was then passed down to Princes William and Harry. The princes agreed that the first to be engaged would be the first to inherit the ring. Several critics have claimed that this usage of the same ring may lead to comparisons between Kate and Diana.

The couple will marry on April 29 2011 in Westminster Abbey, a historical London landmark. Though the wedding will increase national pride, its cost may negatively affect Britain’s economy.

The two appeared in front of the media in St. James Palace following the royal announcement: “The time is right now.

We’re both very, very happy and I’m very glad that I have done it,” said William.

Grade 11 Mary Ward Student Anderson Albert said, “It’s going to be hard for them. Keeping tradition and being traditional is harder for any royal couple now than it has been before because society is becoming more modern. ”

“We have been going out a long time.

We had spoken about our future and it just seemed the natural step for both of us,” added Middleton.

The couple has been dating for eight years, during which time William also served in the army. William, 28, and Kate, 29, met at St. Andrews University, Fife. They studied art history together before William switched majors to geography. Middleton has stated that Prince William struggled in the first year of university life, and that she had to persuade him to continue his education.

Grade 11 Melissa Bhukan said, “The two look really cute together! I can’t wait to see the wedding, it’s the modern, yet traditional love story.”

Though history dictates a low chance of having a successful marriage, Kate and William have already been together for eight years and seem to be in love.

Prince William has faced scrutiny from the general British public for making Kate wait eight years before proposing.

Prince William and Kate Middleton were on a ten-day private holiday in Kenya in October 2010 when he decided to pop the question. Prince William stated that he had carried

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The event will attract millions as Britons and the world watch as Prince William weds Kate Middleton.

It will no doubt be a historical event. to c redit : natio

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By Carmelina Robino

What does it mean to know?

It means to be fully aware and comprehensive of a specific topic or event. Did you know that? I ask –why is it important to know? Well, the answer is simple: the more we know, the more inclined we are to take action and do something about what we know and make a difference in the world. One always hears that one should “make a difference”. It sounds like such a grand demand. But in fact, it is not.

Making a difference could simply mean informing oneself and others about what is going on in the world. Get in the know, and I guarantee you that the world will be a better place. As clichéas this may sound, education truly is the key to success. If we were all committed to educating ourselves about one thing in the world and spreading the word, even if we cannot physically do something about it, our education might reach somebody who can do something about it.

I am not asking everyone to be a hero – I am asking everyone to be open-minded. Maybe your New Year’s resolution could be learning something new. So please, the next time you log-on to Facebook, be sure to support my page called Through My Eyes, and learn about the injustices going on in the world today. It is your choice.

You could choose to stand up for what is right and start by learning, or you could choose to sit back and do nothing about it. My name is Carmelina Robino, and I have chosen to stand up! Stand up with me and support my Facebook page so you can see, Through My Eyes!

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health & wellness HEALTH & WELLNESS

By Shankri Fabian Everyone eats appetizing food if it is sold at a low price. Even if one is not hungry, one’s eyes may deceive one into eating. Binge eaters, picturesque eaters, and huge portioned eaters have quickly become the norm.

Obesity has finally caught up with Canada and its youth. It has become a growing epidemic, which will continue to increase if it is not acknowledged, accounted for, and monitored according to the Federal Government and supported by individual personnel.

In 2005, a statistic report released

by Parliamentary Information and Research Service, Economics Division states.

“Approximately 6.8 million Canadian adults ages 20 to 64 were overweight, and an additional 4.5 million were obese.” Today these variations are being calculated in teenagers, and the numbers that result leave some perplexed. According to nutritionist, Sofia Segounis 35% of teenage boys are overweight, and 17 % are obese. Statistics are similar for females. 29% of teenage girls are overweight, and15 % are obese. Many people mistake obesity for being overweight. Though obesity is increasingly found in overweight individuals, one can be moderately thin and still be obese due to poor eating and exercise habits.

The Government of Canada has made several outreach efforts to raise awareness and provide motivational tactics to help Canadians get back in shape.

I “Like Like” You

What Now?

By Corrado Caruso

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In 2001 alone, they have spent about 4.3 million dollars on obesity awareness and programs. From tax rebate options for living a healthy lifestyle and advertising, the Federal Government continues to make great efforts towards the disaster we call obesity. Sofia Segounis explains that there are several things that lead to teen obesity: poor diet, inactivity, and sometimes genetics. Obesity is calculated through Body Mass Index (BMI). It compares body composition, height and weight. If an individual exceeds 95 %, he or she is obese.

Obesity and the attempts to prevent it are evident in youth culture. Unhealthy vendors intentionally target young customers with desirable prices. In turn, youth may use their influential nature to convince other youth, parents and guardians to purchase the product. It is because youth are so influential that prevention tactics are also presented to them. Not so long ago, Mary Ward’s cafeteria and vending machines faced a renovation of its own, which involved the abolishment of several former favourites.

Students also discovered healthier food options and methods of cooking.

These transformations are not a result of mandatory requirement. It is the alarming increase of obesity rates over the course of 25 years have led to such a change.

If one is in a teenage relationship for the right reasons, one can reap the benefits. I will be the first to admit that I am not a ladies’ man. I fall into the nice guy category. But instead of finishing last, I took a chance, and now I am happier than I have been in a long time. Best of all, I have someone to share it with.

Between my freshman year and late grade 11, I have struggled with relationships. I started to believe that I was going to be forever alone. Now I realize that I was making myself miserable by chasing a girl who had no feelings for me. I have learned many things since then. For one, letting go is probably the hardest thing to do. In this article, I have decided to share what I have learned.

I was not my true self before my current girlfriend. Of course, I had friends, but I chose to focus on the negative. I reasoned that having friends could never compare to having someone who loved you. It was not until prom, when I asked a girl to be mine, that I got into a relationship. The night went so well that we just hit it off. It has been eight months now, and I can honestly say I feel good. Not only did my past mistakes become clear to me, but my motivation and my grades soared. My outlook and overall quality of life improved.

I am not implying that every relationship will be wonderful. The key is to find someone that makes you a better person. If you bring out the best in each other, the foundation for a successful relationship may be there. However, if a relationship is created for all the wrong reasons, it will probably do more harm than good in the long run.

It is important to realize that your partner is not a possession to be shown off. Men and women are human, and we have feelings that must be respected. Healthy relationships are started because of mutual attraction, not for the sake of appearances or pride. Along the same line, public displays of affection should be tasteful – perhaps a peck on the cheek or the lips, but not an open-mouthed kiss for everyone to see.

The key is to enjoy the moment. If you cannot enjoy the present, what makes you think you will enjoy the future? You will have bad days and good days, days when you fight over the stupidest things and days when you do nothing but talk to each other. Both are normal parts of being in a relationship and both are important for your bond to grow and develop.

If your feelings change, it is only fair to let your partner know. A moment of pain during a breakup is less hurt then drawn-out weeks of regret, and you both deserve honesty.

Lastly, do not beat yourself up if your search for a relationship has not been successful; things will happen when they are meant to. Patience is a virtue! There is no reason to rush relationships (or rush to find one). We have the rest of our lives ahead of us. It is important to keep in mind that starting a relationship for the right reasons is the only way to ensure that both of you will have a lasting, loving and enjoyable experience.

health & wellness HEALTH & WELLNESS

In the hallways of Mary Ward, a sea of burgundy, navy and white shirts flow. Sudden bursts of bright red appear. While the bearers of red may seem like any other student, they are highly trained in the skills of Emergency First Aid and CPR Level A — not to mention, how to use an AED (automated external defibrillator). Not exactly what you would expect from an average high school student.

The team is collectively known as ‘MSERT’, which stands for the Mary Ward Student Emergency Response Team. Their purpose is to swiftly respond to any emergency affecting anyone while on school property.

Mr. Cuschieri was interested in creating this new team based on his experiences as a university student. Back at McMaster University, he himself was on the volunteer emergency response team.

With the approval of Ms. Coburn, he was able to start taking applications from interested students in November 2010. A successful candidate, not only showed maturity and was on track with schoolwork, but also had previous lifeguarding or lifesaving experience. In order to receive funds for this project, he approached the parent council who helped subsidize the cost of training, uniform and equipment for the students. The cost of all this amounted to $450. Team members are expected to serve during their grade 11 and 12 years.

Mr. Cuschieri found the need for an in-school student-led first response team. In the past, only certified teachers had the responsibility of responding to an emergency. He mentions, on average, that an emergency happens every 2-3 days within the school.

“Usually the typical emergencies involve nose bleeds, slipping, cutting accidents, allergies to chemicals and also anxiety attacks or hyperventilating,” says Mr. Cuschieri.

situations they encountered. Being the inaugural year of this unique program, there are challenges.

Funding for additional training and certification is needed, but is costly.

The team works on a rotation basis. Daily, two students, a male and a female, will be on call. Mr. Cuschieri explains that this two-person system works well. If an emergency happens, for example, in the girl’s washroom, the female would administer the situation and the male would get the equipment or vice-versa.

To keep their skills intact and to add to their experience, a specialist comes in and provides a workshop every two months. Past workshops have touched on topics such as advanced splinting, proper documenting, and bandaging.

On occasion, a mock emergency takes place.

“Sometimes, I ask a student to pretend that they are ill or have a broken leg. Then, I dispatch the emergency to the MSERT team.

Once they arrive, I let them know that it is a mock situation, but I let them respond as if it were a real emergency.”

Not only is the real life program enriching, the The emergency pouch includes: a cold pack, mask, gloves, tiny scissors, bandage cloths, students greatly benefit as well. moist towelette and a sterile gauze bandage.

In the event of an emergency situation, the teacher in the subject area alerts the office, which is then dispatched to Mr. Cuschieri. Then, the call is made on the walkie-talkie to alert the students scheduled on the particular day.

“It is geared towards students entering the medical, paramedical, and nursing fields because universities will see that they took an early interest in saving lives,” says Mr. Cuschieri. “It provides real life experience because the members can work under pressure and respond confidently.”

“With the student team, I must respond, but I also act as a supervisor for liability reasons while the MSERT students assess and administer the correct procedure. They will sample the situation, choose and administer treatment while another person will inform their teacher-advisor and get the correct equipment if necessary.”

Fionna Chui says being on MSERT has been beneficial for her career choices. “I’m thinking of going into kinesiology so it gives me a sense of what I want to get into.” Veronica Ng is excited for next year but wants more scenarios to practise her skills.

If paramedics arrive on the scene, MSERT can give details relating to the victim’s symptoms and health, saving valuable time in a real life situation.

Mr. Cuschieri explains the importance of quickly responding to an emergency. “As soon as they put on the uniform and radio, responding becomes a special priority.” Even if an MSERT member were writing a test, they immediately stop to respond. Staff in the Test Centre understand the need for prompt intervention. However, as soon as the situation is resolved, they must return to continue their test.

Every two weeks, the team meets for a confidential debriefing to discuss issues and emergency

So far, the Mary Ward Student Emergency Response Team is the only one of its kind in the school board within Scarborough.

Mr. Cuschieri would like to see this implemented in other schools. “I think that if it is properly maintained, it can work effectively.”

Out of the fifteen who applied, only ten students (five males and five females) were selected. This team includes: Fionna Chui, Daniel Djayakarsana, Albert Gevorkian, Tharajan Gunendran, Veronica Ng, Peterboyd Nueve, Ampee Panaligan, Rowena Rollon, Terence Santhakumar and Larissa Sequeira.

community COMMUNITY

By Christina Arayata Hey seniors! It’s that time of the year again: applying for university. There are a lot of important choices for where you want to go, what career you want, and what undergraduate courses or graduate courses you need. In one word - stress. What most people have trouble with is the cost.

On average, a university tuition fee for the University of Toronto is $4,991 and up (depending on course and campus), $956 and up for incidental and ancillary fees, and $1,000 and up for books and supplies.

In total, that is $ 6,947! Now many might consider living in residence which is $4,596 to $14,148 or more, depending on where you choose to live, whether one purchases a meal plan, or buys and prepares one’s own food. Depending on the price, if you live in residence, one must now pay about $11,093 to $21,095 (or more). The meal plan may save time for study and leisure, but it will obviously cost more. Without the meal plan, one must shop for groceries. It also depends on where one’s dorm is located, because the higher the quality, the larger the price. The bright side is one does not have to worry about commuting late at night or being late for school, not to mention being caught in the rush hour.

Staying at home is much cheaper. One’s parents may pay for everything and even do the cooking and shopping. Depending on your parents, they may just think about kicking you out if you take advantage of them or not giving them the grades they want. It is important to remember that commuting to classes from home can be a pain, especially during rush hour. Though a car may seem ideal, one will still have to deal with traffic and pay for gas.

Overall, it seems prudent for students to remain at home to go to university if possible because of the large price tag. However, far-away universities may have the ideal program for a student, and so the student will have to live in residence.

By Christina Arayata Anxiety can be defined as: 1) Distress or uneasiness of mind caused by fear of danger or misfortune: She felt anxiety about failing her exam.

2) Earnest but tense desire; eagerness: He had a keen anxiety to get an A on his exam.

From units to tests, from tests to exams, and sometimes during TA interviews, everyone experiences anxiety. Although some students study for many, many hours and other skim through their units the night before, we never feel ready; all the cramming never helps..

Anxiety can get worse if one does not know how to handle it and take control. It also affects how well one performs on an exam. The worse you think, the worse you might do on the exam. Without even knowing it, some people give themselves pressure by saying that they will not get less than perfect. By doing this, you pressure yourself, without meaning to.

There are many ways to cope with anxiety. Here are some tips: Before the exam:

During the exam:

Prepare and study well before your exam date. Keep a positive attitude and do not give up studying.

Think positively before and when going into the room to do the exam room. Negative thoughts will not help.

Schedule studying time. Skimming through units the evening before and the morning of one’s exam will not cut it.

Look at all the questions before beginning the exam, it will help see what you know and where the exam is heading.

Get a good night sleep and wake up earlier for the exam. Waking up fifteen minutes before the exam starts only adds stress, and will only increase one’s anxiety. Also, it is a good idea to eat a good breakfast before one leaves. By arriving early for an exam, one has time to relax. Avoid long book return lines and long washroom lines.

Breathe during the exam and stay calm.

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Between exams, take a short nap or eat some food.

After the exam, do not worry about how bad you did or what you got wrong. Focus on the next exam.

community COMMUNITY

PART:TWO

By Yulenka Rebello

Status update: dressless, shoeless, dateless. At this rate I will be going to prom naked!

I did predict that this would happen though. I had not planned on buying my dress this early, meaning that the shoes would have to wait as well, and I knew I was not getting promposed to. So, I decided to join the prom committee. It went like this: Went to the first meeting Got told what we had to do Chickened out Did not go back for another meeting

The prom committee has a big job, and is doing pretty well from what I hear. But as someone who was a little hesitant for prom in the first place, I guess I would not have been that much of a great addition.

Instead, I figured that I might as well tell you why I do not like dress shopping. I did not really explain why in the last article, so here it goes. Every time I have gone dress shopping, I have had an embarrassing experience.

When I was shopping for my grade eight grad dress, the change room door opened before I finished putting my dress on, and several people saw me. Even worse, I knew the kids. Then, the numerous semi/athletic banquet dresses for school. I had either walked into a wall (in my defense, it was a glass wall, so it was hard to see), leave my fly open, wear a shirt and think it was a dress, and, most recently, I leaned on the change room door to get my pants back on, and did not realize that it was in fact, a curtain. I have my reasons to not want to go shopping for my “best dress”, but I promise part three will have some interesting stories in it.

I want to congratulate all the promposers for having the guts to get things done. Congrats to the promposees too!

Look out for Road to Prom: Part Three in the next issue of MW Planet!

Did you miss part one? Get caught up on the Mary Ward Planet’s website: planet.maryward.ca

By Cormac McGee

Prom is a magical time in a teen’s life. It is the maraschino cherry on top of the sundae that is high school. There is no doubt that prom is fun, but there is enough stress to match it. One needs to buy clothes, rent a ride, and find a good place to take pictures. Arguably, the biggest challenge for some people is finding a date, which is hard enough to do at one’s own school—imagine asking a professional athlete. Raven Mason and Christina Chong, two grade twelve students here at Mary Ward, are trying to do just that by asking Major League Baseball players Vernon Wells, an outfielder, and Ricky Romero, a pitcher, of the Toronto Blue Jays.

But the girls never lost hope. They obtained Romero’s girlfriend’s, Rima Fakih, aka @TheRealMissUSA, blessing over the social networking site.

The two came up with this idea in September while trying to think of prom dates. They made a Twitter hashtag for it, #TakeUsToProm. They started by tweeting the Blue Jays official account and after a few weeks of being ignored, both players miraculously made their own account.

That’s when the real mission began. The girls started tweeting furiously hoping for responses, and finally got one from Wells on December 1st:

“It was gut-wrenching,” describes Christina. “I thought it was dead.”

Wells and Fakih also wished Christina a happy birthday on December 7th, with Fakih also asking for a prom date for herself.

“She can come, but she has to keep her distance,” exclaims Raven.

All was going according to plan until Wells was traded to the Los Angeles Angels.

The girls refuse to give up, even though both teams are playing the night of Mary Ward’s prom. They plan to attend a Jays game on April 7th with #TakeUsToProm banners, possibly wearing dresses. The Blue Jays will be flying out to Los Angeles to play Well’s Angels, so Raven hopes to write a heartfelt letter and give it to Romero to deliver it to him. Hopefully it will persuade Wells to fly in for prom along with Romero.

“I think they have put so much time into it, that it has a good chance. I’m rooting for you and hope it happens,” says Samantha Barillaro.

Romero also replied a few days later after Christina gave the Direct Marketing Manager for the Blue Jays, Holly Purdon, a letter to give to her favourite Blue Jay. His response was not any more encouraging:

No matter what happens, these two determined students have managed to create a stir with two famous baseball players, and have taken promposing to a new level.

If you want to help with the quest, be sure to join the twitter campaign!

VOLUME 16 / ISSUE 2 mwplanet 09

COMMUNITY community

Having been principal of Mary Ward for less than a quarter of a year, Mrs. Lesniak is already adapting to our system and leading our school well. We congratulate Mrs. Coburn for the birth of her child and we welcome Mrs. Lesniak with open arms.

She began teaching in Scotland, and in Toronto she has taught in schools including Notre Dame, Francis Libermann, Pope John Paul II and Madonna. She has also held positions as Vice Principal of Francis Libermann and Madonna. After taking the role of Principal of Madonna for a semester, she now finds herself here at Mary Ward. Despite being busy, Mrs. Lesniak still manages to be full of energy and smiles. We have recently had the opportunity to interview Mrs. Lesniak in order to get to know more about her.

Mrs. Lesniak: Principal, Mother and Donut Thief

By Andrea Carandang and Samantha Tjong

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I don’t have a lot of spare time because I have three teenage children and they’re all busy doing sports and part-time jobs, so a lot of my life is driving them to here, there, and everywhere. Plus, I’m here late a lot, so if I do have spare time, I like to relax, read magazines, walk, and ski. Family time for sure, but honestly, I don’t have a lot of that because I’ll go on my emails at night, and weekends are full of laundry, housework, shopping, running errands. So I honestly don’t have a lot of spare time. Summertime, though, I do have a cottage and I do like to be in my cottage...and that’s family time and relaxing time.

What is an interesting fact about yourself?

I was born in Scotland and I moved to Canada when I was a small child. When I was 17, we moved back to Scotland. I had to go back to high school, and that was really hard because the education systems are really different, and then I went to University there. I found that really hard going back, but I think it was really good to be able to have both experiences.

What about your love for donuts?

My love for donuts? Yes, keep an eye on your donuts because I might steal them. Yeah, you should write, “Please refer to the picture in her office for the story if you want to know more.”

[Inside Mrs. Lesniak’s office sits a framed picture of her with a donut in her mouth; around the picture, in bolded type, writes, “WANTED: DONUT THIEF.” The amusing story behind the picture took place during her time at Libermann... ask her about it if you are curious!]

What kind of donuts do you like?

Really?! You’re going to buy me donuts? Okay, I don’t like chocolate, so I don’t like Boston Cream, and I don’t like anything with cream in it; I’m not a big chocolate fan. Sugar twist or Dutchies, Hawaiian... I like Hawaiian. You know the one with the white icing with the sprinkles and stuff? Yeah I like those. So, every once in a while, I’ll try and steal one from somewhere.

So how do you like your experience here as a principal at Mary Ward?

I love it! It’s a great school! I really like it. The very first kind of feeling I got here about Ward is that the students here are amazing. They’re so friendly and nice and very polite and I thought, I will not have any issues with students at all. It’s a nice community; it’s nice to be here.

PHOTO CREDIT: SAMANTHA TJONG

What do you think about our school’s self-directed system?

All of my schools have been traditional, so I’ve been in a full-year school, and I’ve also been in semestered systems. The ‘rumour’ out there is that the students all wander the halls and they get to do whatever they want, when they want. The thing that struck me the most when I started at Mary Ward is that there is a lot of structure here. There is a lot of structure built into the school and how the school day works. I think TA is phenomenal, the use of the teachers and being a TA to students, and I think, what a wonderful thing that is, because traditional schools don’t have that. So to be able to have that connection for four years with one teacher is great. I also like the idea that there are ways for students to talk to their teachers or go to their TA to get some help. And the other side of that, students who are excelling can work ahead and finish earlier. So for both ends of the spectrum, it really is a great school to be able to service all of the students.

10 mwplanet VOLUME 16 / ISSUE 2

So, we’ve touched on this earlier, but how do you feel about our school’s community?

Oh, the community is just so warm and welcoming. The staff here has been very helpful and I’ve had a lot of questions to ask and they have been really great. The community in general is just a really nice community because I didn’t know much about Mary Ward and to know that I can ask and people are helpful, it’s really comforting to be here, with that kind of community.

What is a single word you would use to describe Mary Ward?

Hmm… “different.” “Unique!” Yeah, “great.” “Wonderful.” It really is. It’s hard to put one word... how about “wonderfully unique!” How’s that?

Is there anything you would like to say to our students?

I would just like to say “Congratulations” to all of the students who chose Mary Ward because it is a ‘different’ school, and I think it does take some courage to say, “Yeah, I want to try that. I want to do it a little bit differently than all of the other schools, I want to go there and try it.” I want to congratulate all of the students who are doing well here and working really hard because you really do have to have some motivation that comes from within, and that’s great for students to be able to do that.

And for all the students who are perhaps, not on track, or falling a little bit behind, we’re only halfway through, so work hard to get back on track and do the absolute best you can for the rest of the school year.

community COMMUNITY

By Rowena Rollon

What goes around the world, but stays in one place? No, it is not a stamp - well, at least not here at Mary Ward. Last year, after a three-year hiatus, the longawaited International Day was brought back, and with good reason. When else in the year would one be able to wear clothing from their cultural heritage, sample foods from other countries, and travel around the world without paying for those costly airplane tickets? This year, the journey begins on March 11, so get your passports ready because the trip will be worth it.

First stop: the Carribean/West Indies pavilion.

Expect to see different flags depicted throughout your visit. Remember to eat the delicious food.

After all, “Many people come to this pavilion for the food,” teacher supervisor, Ms. Rayman says. “Based on past International Day experiences, I’d have to say that this pavilion has the best food.” Though this year’s menu has not yet been revealed, it is sure to be scrumptious.

Of course, one can always eat more familiar food. This year, the French Canadian pavilion is offering Canadian poutine. “I’m pretty sure that a poutine station hasn’t been done before,” replied M. Démoré, who is in charge of the pavilion. The poutine, however, should not distract from the main focus of this pavilion. “This pavilion will aim to show the traditional French take of French Canada, and to deviate from the stereotypes since it’s more of a culture, rather than a country.”

The Filipino pavilion has been plotting for weeks now to develop a theme and the best possible idea. “This year, we hope to have our theme revolve around Filipino street culture and a mash-up of tradition and modern times.” says teacher supervisor, Ms. Largo. “We want to break out from the norm, so we’re going to be fusing the traditional Filipino culture with popular culture. We’re planning to have more traditional, not-so-familiar Filipino foods. Our performance will also revolve around this theme.”

To the northwest of the Philippines is the magnificent country of India—a country which, according to Ms. Albert, “pops”. “We hope to have a dance with music and representative outfits that incorporate traditional elements of different parts of India,” says Ms. Albert. “We also plan to have a Powerpoint as our educational component, and it should be interesting since India has many different regions. It’s a very colourful culture with a lot of traditions, and yes, everything will just POP!” It sounds like this pavilion will turn out to be a smash.

Next, is the Korean pavilion. Mr. Titus, supervisor of this pavilion, plans to bring back the dance performance and games to make it more interactive. “They seemed to enjoy it last year,” he observed. “The visitors got the chance to dance, so we’d like to bring it back.” Who does not love a good Korean dance?

Staying true to her culture, Mlle. Malijan tells us to expect some entertainment, an educational presentation, and food for the Armenian pavilion. “There will definitely be a lot of food. As for the rest, we’ll see,” said Mlle.

Malijan.

Similarly, the Latin American pavilion, led by Mr. Marzewski, the Chinese pavilion, led by Ms. Tsang, Mr. Chen, and Ms. Chan, and the Italian pavilion led by Ms. Giantoli aim to emphasize these three cultures by bringing performance, food, and education into the mix.

With all these exciting pavilions, it is a shame that International Day is only celebrated for one day. As Ms. Largo remarked, “The day’s a good opportunity to validate experiences, cultures, and backgrounds of students that are not always reflected in the curriculum.” Take the time to experience International Day for what it is: an exciting opportunity to learn about and celebrate our multicultural heritage.

VOLUME 16 / ISSUE 2 mwplanet 11

sports SPORTS

By Calvin Chen Last year, the Cleveland Cavaliers led the NBA with a 61-21 win/loss season record, before losing to the Boston Celtics in the second round of the playoffs in six games. This season, without the help of two-time All-Star LeBron James, the team has a current record of 1049, the lowest of all the NBA teams.

During the off-season, the Cavaliers lost their team captain LeBron James and veteran Shaquille O’Neal. They have changed their head coach, their General Manager, and most of their coaching staff in hopes of rebuilding. As for the players, Ramon Sessions, Joey Graham, Alonzo Gee, and Manny Harris were added to their roster during the off-season.

With their dramatic change in staff, new offensive/ defensive strategies were to be used. They changed their offensive game to be heavily based using all the players and teamwork instead of their isolated superstar strategy with LeBron James. This hasn’t been very successful however.

The starting line-up for the Cleveland Cavaliers is currently J. J. Hickson, Antawn Jamison, Christian Eyenga, Daniel Gibson, and Ramon Sessions.

It is fair to say that the Cavaliers are the worst team in the NBA right now.

The only players that are above average are Ramon Sessions, Antawn Jamison and Mo Williams. Their line up is the weakest in the NBA and their bench isn’t much better. None of their players on the roster even slightly resemble a superstar. The team’s best player in terms of consistency is Anderson Varejao who is out the entire season with a torn tendon in his right ankle.

Recently, the Cavaliers broke a record for most consecutive losses. The Dallas Mavericks handed them their 25th straight loss to break the record while the Detroit Pistons extended it to 26. On February 11th, Cleveland pulled together and defeated the Los Angeles Clippers to gain their first win ever since December the 18th.

To add to their infamy, the Los Angeles Lakers crushed the Cleveland Cavaliers by 55 points at 112-57; the lowest point total in Cavaliers’ Franchise history. On February the 16th, they avenged this embarrassing loss. What’s more important was that they were playing how a NBA team should play like. The Cavaliers were lit up; they were playing with energy and at their best of the season.

The question is now is if they can continue playing like this or if this was just a one time victory.

By Davit Arootunian Mary Ward held its first ever indoor soccer intramural tournament this year.

The event was organized by members of the Senior Boys Soccer Team, and it proved to be a big success.

Students and teachers of every age and skill level were encouraged to participate and form their own teams of approximately five to ten members, and to name their group after a national team.

Four players and a goalie would play on the court for each team , and unlimited substitutions were allowed for any extra players. The rules were based on standard indoor soccer rules and of course, common sense (luckily, no players were seriously hurt!)

The entire tournament turned out to be very entertaining, with eye-popping goals, skillful ball control, impressive teamwork, and excellent individual effort.

The bleachers were occupied every game with students cheering for and encouraging their peers and favourite teams.

Many games included intense last-minute scoring attempts which were very exciting for the crowds to watch.

Matches were held at lunch with the presence of a referee and spectators; students were allowed to sit on the bleachers and eat their lunch while watching the games.

A Facebook group was created and all members were invited to join the page, where game & player statistics, weekly schedules and announcements were posted, as well as answers to any given questions or concerns.

The lists were finally set and divided into two ‘conferences’, each holding seven to eight teams. Each team would face every other team in the conference once, and points were tallied according to the results of the teams - a win would count as 3, a tie as 1, and none for a loss.

Overall, the entire tournament was very enjoyable for both players and their supporters. Thanks to all the dedicated organizers, players, and spectators for their time and effort in making this such a successful Mary Ward event! We look forward to seeing you all next year.

in each to the playoffs, way up by eliminating In the end, team USA went on a flawless teachers’ team, in the final. effort and results with great

12 mwplanet VOLUME 16 / ISSUE 2

At the end of the games, the top six teams conference advanced where they moved their their opponents. became the champions as they streak and defeated team Italy, the Other teams also showed tremendous performances.

la petite planète PLANÈ LA PETITE PLANÈTE Par Carmelina Robino « Comment s’appelle-t-elle? » « Elle s’appelle Diam’s, quelques fois, elle est Diam, sans ‘s’, mais dis-le comme tu veux; elle est la même artiste extraordinaire. » Mlle Reid a dit à sa classe de douzième année.

Née Mélanie Georgiades, Diam’s est une des plus grandes chanteuses de musique rap en France; elle brille dans une catégorie dominée par des hommes.

Diam’s est née d’une mère française, et d’un père grec-chypriote. Ses parents sont séparés, donc elle est soulevée seulement par sa mère en France, et ses sentiments vers ce malheur résonnent fortement par son rap. Grâce à ses chansons qui identifient avec tout le monde, elle lègue sa passion profusément à son audience.

Diam’s s’adresse à plusieurs issues globales dans ses chansons riches et variées, et elle est connue pour son activisme public. Elle critique, et attaque verbalement, le Président de la France Nicholas Sarkozy, les capitalistes, et d’autres personnages publics dont elle pense sont corrompus. Ses autres chansons visent également des histoires très personnelles, et pour cette raison, Diam’s avait un tel impact sur ses auditeurs qui identifient avec lui et ses émotions. Diam’s chante pour des aspects réels dans notre société d’aujourd’hui; des troubles dans la famille, jusqu’aux politiques, elle ne laisse rien hors de sa musique.

Par Clodia Kassis

Je me réveille au son de la sirène En pensant d’où elle vient, je m’apporte une grande peine.

Elle choisit le pseudonyme Diam’s à quinze ans, un choix qu’elle explique Mais je sens aussi un autre sentiment, ainsi : « Je tombe sur la définition du mot diamant et j’apprends qu’un diamant Qui ne fait pas de sens si je l’expose si soudainement. ne peut être brisé que par un autre diamant et qu’il n’est fait que d’éléments naturels. » Cette interprétation veut dire qu’elle avait dû surmonter beaucoup de problèmes dans sa vie, et c’est pourquoi elle est devenue forte, et pourquoi elle est devenue Diam’s.

Cette grande peine arritve, Mais elle part dans un instant.

Ma mémoire est vive Donc, pourquoi est-ce que tout le monde doit écouter la musique de Je ne me trompe pas sûrement.

Diam’s ? Parce que c’est le seul moyen… Diam’s est une étoile brillante, une personne réelle et sa musique est le nouveau fétiche, surtout pour Mlle Reid qui avait nous introduit à lui et au rap français ! Mlle Reid avait choisi de nous introduire la chanson, «Car tu portes mon nom… » parce qu’elle a dit qu’elle s’identifie avec cette chanson le plus. Prends un aperçu aux paroles ci-dessus et essayez de deviner le sens profond de ces chansons…

Car tu Portes mon Nom… Ni le ciel ni les étoiles ne m’éloignent de toi, Je te donnerais un père et une voix, Je le jure, je serais là du berceau à la tombe, Je serais le monde car tu porteras mon nom.

Alors, essayez une nouvelle chose et écoutez la musique spectaculaire de Diam’s ! Cette musique va couper le souffle !

PHOTO DE HTBACKDROPS.COM

Je regarde autour de moi, Il n’y a rien qui m’apporte le plaisir.

Lentement, je perds toute ma foi, Ce monde est dans un état pire.

Les homicides, les génocides, et le mal partout.

Ils ne sont que des hypocrites surtout.

Ils commencent les guerres pour atteindre la paix, Ils sanctifient la vie humaine mais la détruire sans hésiter.

La sirène m’approche dans une grande rapidité, Je regarde dehors de ma fenêtre et je découvre ce qu’elle est.

Je vois une ambulance qui arrête là, Et puis un homme, avec une femme dans ses bras.

Je regarde ceux qui essayent de lui sauver, En priant que la vie de cette femme va continuer.

Ce n’est pas à cause de l’altruisme ni l’amour Que je veux que cette personne soit sauvée ce jour.

L’égoïsme et l’amertume, ils sont les raisons de mon espoir.

Cette personne est chanceuse, chanceuse d’avoir L’occasion d’échapper ce monde méchant, L’occasion d’être libéré de ce monde violent.

Au même instant, j’entends un cri.

Je regarde à l’ambulance et vois la plus belle chose de ma vie.

Elle est si petite et si mignonne Que c’est impossible de ne pas sourire.

Ce miracle, c’est le miracle de la vie.

Au lieu de mourir, elle donne le monde un trésor aujourd’hui.

Je regarde pour longtemps, c’est impossible d’arrêter, Tout que je vois est ce beau bébé.

PHOTO DE CHILDRENS-DRAWINGS.COM VOLUME 16 / ISSUE 2 mwplanet 13

la petite planète PLANETE LA PETITE Par Claudia Luk Je regarde dans le miroir Je réfléchis sur ce qui s’est passé dans ma vie et qui arrivera plus tard

Par Anthony Vu Tous que je fasse, tous que je dise C’est tout pour toi, quelle bonne surprise?

Chaque soir je te vois, dans mes rêves T’es là sans faute, parfois un peu brève Tu me demandes des questions, je n’ai pas des réponses Tu cries et tu hurles, tu ne fais pas du sens.

Mais si tu veux le meilleur pour moi, Pourquoi es-tu le centre de l’univers, toi?

Je n’ai pas besoin de faire tout que tu veuilles Tes volontés dispersent dans le vent comme des feuilles Il y a de douleur de te faire plaisir C’est trop difficile de toujours réussir.

Tu me complimentes et une allumette se brille, Ce n’est pas longtemps avant le chariot devient une citrouille Parfois, je veux monter au sommet d’une montagne Parfois, je veux cacher dans une grande compagne Mais je ne peux pas m’enfuir de votre puissance Qui décore les murs avec une grande présence Avec la pression, je ne peux pas rester dispos Éventuellement, j’aurai besoin de repos.

La vie continue, comme notre relation Mais peu à peu, j’arrête de faire attention Tes mots, tes phrases, ils tombent sur la terre En parlant un peu, je commence une guerre C’est évident que mes opinions ne comptent jamais Tu ne le dis pas, mais tu le penses, je sais.

Alors, j’essaye de dire aux moins que possible Mais le silence me tue, elle est si nuisible.

Je ne sais quoi faire, je ne sais comment agir.

J’ai peur du futur, j’ai peur de l’avenir.

Maintenant c’est mon tour à tout choisir Les décisions sont là, je peux les saisir Tu n’auras plus si grandes influences Je n’ai pas peur des conséquences C’est ma vie, et je ne changerai pas d’avis C’est le temps de réparer tous mes soucis Je ne veux pas semble comme un ingrat Mais je n’ai pas besoin d’un avocat Je m’excuse, mais tu n’es pas le roi T’as besoin de confiance, t’as besoin de la foi Pendant que je me plains si beaucoup Je n’efface pas nos liens tout à coup Car dans mon cœur, sous une couche Plein des arbres, il y a une ouche Et toi, tu es comme un bon fermier Qui a aidé à me faire beaucoup pousser Tu ne peux pas me laisser, je ne peux pas te perdre Si ça se passe, le monde sera en désordre La seule chose dont j’ai besoin est que t’aies de fierté L’auras-tu si je continue de chercher ma liberté?

14 mwplanet VOLUME 16 / ISSUE 2

Est-ce que mes parents vont être fiers de moi?

Est-ce que je vais faire n’importe quoi?

J’ai des rêves et j’espère que je vais réussir.

Mais je connais que la vie est dure Parfois je ris, parfois je pleure, parfois je ne comprends pas Tout dépend sur la chose dont je pense dans cet état J’imagine comment la vie est belle pour les gens qui obtiennent le succès Après je considérais les personnes… qui ont raté Maintenant je me pose la question Comment est-ce que vous définissez le bon?

Est-ce que je dois avoir une éducation?

Parce que c’est ce que mes grands parents me répètent tout le temps Je travaille

constamment

à l’école Et parfois je pense que c’est drôle Est-ce que

le bonheur n’est - il pas plus important?

Est-ce que vous pensez que l’école est votre première priorité maintenant?

que de bonnes notes

J’ai appris qu’il y a plus dans la vie

la petite planète PLANÈ LA PETITE PLANÈTE

Par Veronica Ng et Rowena Rollon

PHOTO: AGATHA CHOY

Aimez-vous le Français? Envisagez-vous explorer la langue et la culture du Français au-delà des unités? Nous parions que la majorité entre vous dirait « non » à cause des difficultés avec des devoirs et des présentations. Eh bien, est-ce que tu le dis si nous jetons des crêpes, des jeux, et des films dans le mélange? C’est la raison pour le nouveau café Français! C’est la première de la sorte à Mary Ward, et il tient beaucoup de promesse. « Le but du café Français est à donner aux gens qui veulent s’immerger en Français l’occasion de le faire » dit M. Démoré, un des superviseurs du club. « Même s’ils apprennent le français dans la classe, le club encourage les étudiants à continuer le français. C’est une chance à pratiquer la communication et à découvrir de nouveaux aspects du Français. » Avec les professeurs du Français, M. Démoré, Mlle. Malijan, Mlle. Reid, et Mlle. Parise, le café français a l’intention de rendre le français intéressant. Bien qu’il y a eu que sur quatre réunions jusqu’à date, les étudiants avaient la chance à jouer le Pictionnary et d’autres jeux en Français, à regarder des films comme Amélie, à écouter du rap en français, et oui, même à faire des crêpes. « J’aime que tous les gens parlent en Français dans ce club, » a commenté Yulenka Rebello, un membre du club et une étudiante en 12e année. « Des gens auraient fait beaucoup de présentations aux séminaires, mais dans ce club, nous conversions en Français, alors, c’est cool. Nous parlons en Français beaucoup, et les profs nous corrigent parce qu’ils nous parlent aussi, alors, c’est amusant. » Cependant, même si c’est « cool », il y a aussi des inconvénients. Un autre étudiant de 12e année, Anthony Vu, qui est allé aux deux premières réunions, a déclaré : « Je n’aime pas que je n’aille pas au club parce que j’ai d’autres activités en dehors de l’école. C’est triste; ils peuvent changer le temps des réunions parce qu’ils ne se passent pas souvent. »

Aussi, il n’aide pas qu’il y n’avait pas des réunions en janvier parce que c’était difficile à trouver un temps convenable pour les professeurs. Pendant que les superviseurs tentent de résoudre ces conflits, M. Démoré exprime l’intention d’en faire plus. Chaque club a ses projets, et le café Français n’est pas, sans aucun doute, une exception. « Nous avons des plans à donner le département de Français une rénovation, » M. Démoré a dit. « Aussi, nous voulons organiser un voyage à regarder une pièce de Molière. » Une rénovation pour le département de Français est surtout quelque chose qui excite les membres. « Une grande raison pour laquelle j’ai joint est parce que les chambres sont...grises, » remarque Yulenka. « Et cela indique quelque chose au sujet de Français! Oui! Le club améliorera… parce que la chambre améliorera! » Comme tous nouveaux clubs, le café Français peut beaucoup développer. Des activités qui sont interactives peuvent être amusantes parce que maintenant, il y aurait un groupe sur un côté, et un autre sur le côté opposé. « [Le café Français] se trouve que dans son enfance, et nous voulons élargir, » dit M. Démoré.

Le café Français rencontre du temps à temps après l’école de 15h à 16h30 dans le département de Français, la salle 308.

VOLUME 16 / ISSUE 2 mwplanet 15

wact / lifestyles WACT / LIFESTYLES

Local Restaurant Review: Nikada Sushi Robata I have been at Ward now for 5 years, and I have sampled my share of local cuisine.

I first went to Nikada, the Japanese restaurant across the street, shortly after it opened. The experience was enjoyable, but after several more visits some flaws became apparent.

Nikada is an all-you-can-eat buffet that serves sushi and Robatayaki food.

Robatayaki is a Japanese style of grilling, and is gaining in popularity. While a regular buffet consists of the patrons serving themselves by going up and getting the food, in Japanese style buffet restaurants, one orders the food on forms and the food is then brought to the customer.

In this review, I will examine aspects of the restaurant while giving a grade out of 10 for each aspect. I will end off by giving the overall grade:

8/10

The atmosphere hits you as soon as you enter. Upon entering, one is greeted in Japanese by chefs wearing traditional sushi chef robes. The decor has an interesting East Asian flair, most notably in the typical shogun style sliding wall panels. The serving trays are big and welcoming, and the calligraphy on some of the dishware is authentic and inviting. In the background, one can hear classical music to contemporary jazz, which adds a western flair to the eastern themes.

The patrons affirm this, as they are wide in range. I have seen businessmen, fellow students, and families eat at Nikada. The restaurant has the atmosphere of a contemporary, high-end lounge.

7/10

There is an astonishingly large selection of food available. Hand-rolls and sushi come in massive servings, and it is fun to share with a big group. I have tried most of the items on the sushi menu, and never have I been let down. The sushi looks like edible art, the hand-rolls are massive and appetizing, and that one can see the chefs making it adds to the anticipation. Some of the items, however, are lackluster and come in much smaller portions. Examples of some of the items that are not sushi are yakiniku and tonkatsu, which is grilled beef and deep fried pork chop respectively. Pronouncing these items and finding out what they are adds to the diversity and excitement of the restaurant.

By Corrado Caruso

9/10

The restaurant is clean. The bathrooms are clean, and they have a flowery aroma.

The servers and chefs are all kept and have their hair tied back. The dishware and the serving trays are spotless. When the serving staff is not serving, they are cleaning something. There are hard water stains that appear on the silverware and the glassware, however.

4/10

The service is the Achilles heel of the restaurant. The waitresses will sometimes ignore their customers if they become too bust. The next issue is with the order system of using papers. The quirk of not serving oneself runs out quickly when one realizes that not all of the food comes at once, and not in a specified order.

During peak hours, one can often expect to not get an item at all. This is slightly aggravating, as one is then forced to consult a waitress with your problem, only to be apologized to. If it is any consolation, it is usually when you have a huge order list and it is usually the smallest item to be forgotten. Still, being busy is no excuse to cut corners. The biggest problem is the service charge. A service charge is a cost applied for the manual service, taking the place of the tip. Thus, none is forced to tip 10% of the cost. Suddenly the $12 lunch trip has turned into a $14 one. Though a tip is normally 14% or higher, I would like the option to tip less if the service is poor.

7/10

The varying service should not hold Mary Ward students back from trying this restaurant at least once. My experiences for the most part have been good, and I recommend this place if you like Japanese cuisine. The food is good, the atmosphere is inviting, and it is very clean. During the lunch hours, they offer a student special which consists of free drinks and 10% off. If you do not eat what you order, you will be charged for each item you leave behind. The food is delicious enough so that is rarely a problem. However, if you do not like sushi, I would not recommend going there. The selection for non sushi items is much smaller, and you will be missing out on the entire experience. I recommend ordering the dynamite rolls: sushi, with a crunch. I can only define it as epic.

By Shannon Cabrio As part of their religion course, the Grade 10s of Mary Ward all participated at some point in a day of service. Half of us spent our day at the Good Shepherd Centre, half of us at The Scott Mission.

On Monday, January 17, 2011, and Friday, January 21, 2011, Carolina Vecchiarelli and Erica John Rajanayagm (respectively), with the company of approximately 50 other sophomores, spent their day of service at the Good Shepherd Centre. When they arrived, they were given a tour of the Centre. Then it was onto the making of the clients’ beds. After the group made the beds inviting, the Centre decided to do the same with the lunch they served. The group was tired, they had food in their bellies, so after making all of those inviting beds...they made more! Then they had the folded laundry. Soon after, it was off to the kitchen to sort food and helped out with some of the clean-up. Lastly, they mopped the floors.

On Thursday, January 20, Josephine Chung, along with 50 or so of her peers, spent the day at The Scott Mission. After the briefing on the centre’s work, they were immediately immersed in it upon arrival. As soon as you walk in, you can see the mess hall, a room filled with the less fortunate being given a smile to their faces and a warm, hearty meal to their tummies. Before they knew it, everyone was grouped up to help out in different areas. Some groups sorted food, while others served the less fortunate and cleaned up afterwards. Some groups hung clothes, others worked in the daycare. They were shown a short movie about the centre after their time was up, and then given treats!

Regardless of where we went, the day of service was a remarkable experience. Our eyes opened to how many people actually live in poverty in our own city.

Perhaps we almost felt guilty looking around to see everything we take for granted on a daily basis, and then seeing what these people have to live on. These people have to scavenge to satisfy their basic needs of survival. Perhaps the most amazing part of the day was seeing the smiles on their faces when the food was served to them, the genuineness of the exchange of “Good morning!”s and “Thank you!”s, and how sweet and friendly these people really are-despite the prejudices and the adversity they are facing. Throughout the day, we were drenched in compassion. No one really cared how much ‘work’ they did; we knew we were helping people in need. We just rolled up our sleeves, and got back to basics.

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.

The

Next Dimension of Gaming

wact / lifestyles WACT / LIFESTYLES

By Jed de los Reyes Video gaming has come a long way from black and white screens. In previous years, the Nintendo DS was a worthy step-up from the Game Boy line, being a more powerful system and holding two screens, one touch-sensitive. This month, the Nintendo 3DS takes gaming into yet another dimension.

Obviously, the 3DS' main feature is its 3-D display. The bottom touch screen – already familiar to DS users – remaining the same, while the top screen provides the much talked about display. Yet it does not stop there: special glasses are not required to view and the intensity of the effects can be adjusted or even turned off altogether. While public demonstrations show that the 3-D effect works, many are still sceptical about it. Ericka Borja says, “It’s a peculiar idea. I’ll find out more when it’s out.”

Still, the 3DS has already made its way onto several wishlists. “The first thing I’m going to do is buy Super Street Fighter IV and play with other people online,” says Arthur Buerano.

Previous DS models could wirelessly exchange information when near each other. The 3DS introduces an online network allowing one to see which friends are online and what they are playing; a feature similar to those of Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network. It also features modes such as StreetPass, which automatically shares information such as high scores and game data between 3DS consoles simply by being in close proximity to each other. A mode called SpotPass allows the 3DS to regularly download content and updates from public

By Alex Sadowski Already known for her odd sense of fashion, Lady Gaga is really thinking outside of the box this time. She is Polaroid’s new creative director and is working on new and fashionable Lady Gaga inspired products.

In early 2008, there were talks that Polaroid, known for their iconic instant film cameras, was going to shut down because of reduced sales due to the popularity of the digital camera. However, they managed to stay in business for another year.

In late 2009, Gaga spoke with Polaroid about becoming their new creative director.

Polaroid was quick to accept her offer. They figured that Gaga’s fame and creativity would help their company restore its standing in the world of photography.

The collaboration quickly got the ball rolling. Gaga is known for her wacky glasses, while Polaroid is known for instant photography, so it was natural to combine the two. Gaga thought to combine the two. They created a pair of sunglasses that almost instantly takes photos. Photos are then stored onto a USB device, which is actually the left earpiece, and can then be printed instantly

hotspots and home Internet connections.

Wii users will already be familiar with Virtual Console – an online store containing games from the original Game Boy and Game Boy Color, as well as the Mii online avatar. In fact, Wii users will be able to transfer their Miis to the 3DS. It also contains many other features, such as a camera capable of 3-D photography, a motion sensor, and the ability to play 3-D movies.

Games in its line-up include Mario Kart, Resident Evil: Revelations, Dead or Alive:Dimensions and remakes of popular Nintendo 64 games Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Starfox, as well as Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater for the Playstation 2.

Yet many remain wary. Paul Bursu says: “They make products sillier and sillier, but more flashy and for more money.”

Once again, we come to the 3-D argument: does it really matter? Graphics may be improving, but gameplay may still remain the same. Is it possible to create games wherein 3-D is not just simply a gimmick? Are 3-D cameras or movies really necessary for a gaming device?

When the Wii was released in 2006, jokes about its controller – a motion sensor-based remote control – ran wild, yet it became this generation's most successful home console. Nintendo may yet have several tricks up their sleeves.

The Nintendo 3DS will be released on March 27 with an estimated price tag of $250. Gaming has entered the third dimension; who knows what will happen?

using Polaroid’s Bluetooth printer. As well, the lenses have an LCD display.

This allows others besides the photographer to see the pictures taken.

Though this may seem like a creative new way to solve a company’s plummeting sales figures, it has been done before. Collaborations among consumer electronics companies and celebrities is becoming a prevalent trend. Rapper Dr. Dre worked with Monster to create the line of much-admired headphones and loudspeakers—‘Beats by Dr. Dre’—and is now working with HP on a ‘Beats Envy HP’ laptop. In January 2011, Intel announced that Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas would become their new ‘Director of Creative Innovation’, helping the company to design new smartphones, laptops and tablets.

Lady Gaga fans Amanda Yeretsian, Amanda Kennedy, and Michelle Flynn all say they can see themselves buying Gaga’s Polaroid sunglasses.

They would wear the wacky pair of eyewear to parties, but think that the price would be the biggest factor in deciding whether to make the purchase. Other than looking fashionable at a party, they find no other use for the glasses.

Will Lady Gaga’s Polaroid sunglasses be a hit, or just the lovechild of a Bad Romance?

VOLUME 16 / ISSUE 2 mwplanet 17

wact / lifestyles WACT / LIFESTYLES

By Amanda Navai The girls of Rosewood are back for season two, and this time things are much more intense. As season one finished by Hannah getting hit by a car. Yet no one knows who hit Hannah. Perhaps it was “A,” who did not want to be revealed while sending text messages to Aria, Emily, Spencer and Hanna about conflicts and secrets that no one knows about. Usually “A” creates bigger problems, but the characters sense a good side of “A” too, when their conflicts are handled.

Now that season two has arrived, after days of waiting for a new episodes, things are getting more interesting. Aria, Emily, Spencer and Hanna find out who A truly is. I believe there is more than one “A” involved. Some say “A” is Jenna, others think its Maya. The girls ( Aria, Emily, Spencer and Hanna) believe Noel On is “A” because Hanna claims she saw Noel running through the forest and writing “ I see you” on the back of the girls English teacher’s, Mr. Fitz, car. After much reasearch and questioning others many think “A” is Mona, one of Hanna’s best friends. I asked my friend, Amela Cormehmedovic, about her opinion . She thinks “A” is Jenna and that she teamed up with another character to obtain more power over the girls. Another friend of mine, Christina Joseph, really thinks “A” is either Spencer’s older sister, Melissa, or Maya, Emilys new friend and ex-girlfriend.

Many people have different opinions about “A,” but to me, I feel that most of the characters who end with the letter A ( e.g. MonA, JennA, EzrA, MelissA, MayA) is “A.” All I know right now is everyone really wants to find out “A”’s true identity.

school started. They were all at Spencer’s barn house , it was getting late, so they all fell asleep. Suddenly, Spencer noticed Alison ( they mainly know as “Ali “ ) had disappeared and that was the last they had seen of her. Many assume Toby Cavanaugh killed Alison because on the night she disappeared, Ali was wearing Toby’s sweater. Others believe Ian Thomas, Melissa’s new husband, killed Alison that night because of the video anonymously sent from “A” to Spencer’s laptop.

The video showed Alison on the night she disappeared wearing Toby’s sweater.

She was with Ian and he had murdered her as the video “shows.” I think Melissa was also involved with Alison’s murder because she was jealous that Alison and Ian were spending time together, so she just had to get rid of her.

Alison was very popular in her small town of Rosewood. Many people knew her because of her supportive, characteristics, that soon were found to be pretend. In reality Alison brought her friends down with lies, problems, and more lies. Ali just gave people phony pep talks to make them feel happy and special. It just shows to never trust a pretty girl with an ugly secret.

Each episode creates attitudes, people and problems that change the audience’s perspective of everything. Things become more mysterious and intriguing as Aria, Emily, Spencer and Hanna put the pieces together by receiving and finding clues from A. Sometimes “A” helps the girls but it’s always ends with consequence. “A” usually causes a lot of problems, lies and drama. Aria, Emily, Spencer and Hanna are doing as much as they can to find out who killed Alison Dilaurentis. Their best friend, who was murdered one summer night, before PHOTO FROM TVSETNEWS.ORG

Pretty Little Liars is back for its second season, offering more mystery, intrigue and compelling story lines. Adapted from a series of young adult novels by Sara Shepard, the series was picked up by ABC Family for ten episodes, premiered June 2010.

The series tells the story of Hannah, Aria, Spencer, Emily and Alison: beautiful teenage girls who are the best of friends... or at least up until the night Alison mysteriously disappears. The girls’ perfect world begins to unravel for the worse. A year after Alison’s disappearance, they begin receiving text messages from a mysterious figure referred to as “A”. “A” threatens to expose the girls’ deeply buried secrets, secrets that they had only told Alison.

In modern society, when novels are adapted into a television series, fans of the original books notice that important details have been changed or disappeared. In this case, the main difference between the books and the show is the friendship between the titular liars. Hannah, Aria, Spencer and Emily are best friends on the show, but in the novels, the girls all have separate social lives and do not talk to one another unless banding together for yet another attempt at finding out who “A” is. It makes sense; the first novel’s main plot starts three years after Alison’s disappearance, but on the show it only happened after a year.

The TV series and novels both have their advantages and disadvantages. The original book series, spanning eight novels and counting (the ninth and newest one is slated for a July 2011 release), gives one detailed information so that one can get a better understanding of the characters. The novels also include more secrets, more fights, and a lot more characters that all come together to help determine who “A” really is. Yet the TV series’ popularity is not without reason. Its mysterious edge, phenomenal acting, numerous cliffhangers and refusal to take cliché routes have succeeded in keeping audiences intrigued.

Pretty Little Liars is one of the best drama series on the air right now. Tune in every Monday at 8:00 pm on Much Music to find out who “A” really is.

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The infamous reality show perpetuating Italian stereotypes, Jersey Shore, has been one of MTV’s greatest television hits in terms of ratings. The show is about tanned, toned and laundry-loving Italians—self-professed ‘guidos’ and ‘guidettes’--that eat, sleep and party together. The lightly scripted, yet hugely obnoxious situations depicted in the show may not be the best influence on the youth of today, but the show’s exaggerated, embellished portrayal of the ‘guido’ lifestyle is amusing and entertaining.

At the beginning of season three, MTV reported and confirmed that the production will relocate to Italy for a fourth season. The studio is planning to find a location just as they did in Miami, with clubs and lodging for the cast.

In addition, MTV is arranging for visas for the reality stars. Unfortunately for one tiny, animated guidette, the much-beloved Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi, her July 2010 charge for public intoxication and disturbing the peace might prevent her from acquiring a visa.

I think Jersey Shore is an overrated show that has had a great, but worrisome impact on North America. It has become a negative influence on younger audiences who want to receive attention the wrong way, like the show’s highly adored stars Mike ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino, Paul ‘Pauly D’ DelVecchio, Vinny Guadagnino, Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, Sammi ‘Sweetheart’ Giancola, Deena Nicole Cortese, Jenni ‘J-woww’ Farley and the aforementioned Snooki. It has also introduced many to a new and distinct lifestyle incorporating the three cornerstones of guido conduct. Abbreviated, it is called ‘GTL’: Gym, Tan, and Laundry. I hope that the fourth season with educate the reality stars about the real culture of Italy.

The cast of Jersey Shore expressed their excitement at their prospective new season in Italy. Hopefully this drastic change in location will bring some class to both the show and its audiences.

wact / lifestyles WACT / LIFESTYLES Al Gore, Tony Blair, Jamie Oliver, Dr. Phil, Kate Gosselin, Kathy Griffin, Mel Gibson, Matthew McConaughey, LeBron James, Mike Tyson, Britney Spears, Snoop Dogg… these are only a few of the prominent politicians, celebrities and professional athletes Larry King has interviewed. Since his first interview in 1985 with Mario Cuomo, New York’s Governor at the time, Larry King has been at the helm of a legacy that will never be forgotten. After 6,120 episodes spanning twenty-five years and shot in three separate cities (Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and New York City), his beloved program came to an end in December 2010.

Larry King Live has aired on CNN for the past quarter of a century, and has become CNN’s most viewed program. Before working for CNN, King worked as a radio-broadcaster on national radio for seven years. He came from a poor Jewish family, but he built his success and fame.

His unique interviewing style is considered to be the key to his success. His questions were open-ended and simple, yet sensible. King gave his interviewees not only a chance to answer his intended question, but also to freely communicate with the public. This type of interviewing style not only increased viewership, but also encouraged more politicians, celebrities, and other eminent figures to appear on the show. Larry King’s humble character was another reason as to why he was respected and looked up to. King would never interrupt his guests, and did not offend nor ridicule them.

He was confident, but never cocky. The ingenious interviewer knew exactly what to say and how to say it, which led to his success, as well as that of CNN. Twenty-five years later, Larry King announced the end of his show. This announcement disappointed many; however, every cloud has a silver lining. In this case, it came in the form of Piers Morgan, who was to replace Larry King Live’s time slot on CNN. The distinguished British personality, known for his role as a judge in America’s Got Talent as well as its British counterpart, aired the first episode of his show, Piers Morgan Tonight, on January 17th, 2011. Morgan’s first interview was with Oprah Winfrey, who claimed it was the most challenging interview she has ever experienced in years. It is clear that Piers Morgan is nothing like Larry King, from his interviewing style to his lack of suspenders, but nevertheless, his show seems promising. Among the many he has already interviewed, some notable guests include George Clooney, Ricky Gervais, and Rudy Giuliani.

Larry King’s legacy has not come to an end but has simply changed paths, while another legacy has just begun. As Larry King said, it was time to hang up his nightly suspenders as one chapter closes and another commences. Watch Piers Morgan Tonight every weeknight on CNN, 9pm ET/ PT. PHOTO CREDIT: SEAL.COM

Run-D.M.C., Grandmaster Flash and Lauryn Hill are just some of the names in which students can look forward to learning about. This September 2011, students can expect to jump out of their seats and start learning about graffiti and analyzing songs as part of their homework.

The new interdisciplinary course is called “Taking Up the Cause: Hip Hop’s Cultural and Political Voice”. It is offered at the grade eleven level and will explore the culture of hip hop as a means of expression for the “voiceless who needed a voice”, according to Mr. Candiotto.

The course is the result of Mr. Candiotto’s two-year brainchild for teaching the history and culture behind hip-hop. After informal discussions with his own brother and Mr. Wong, he decided to create it within the Family Studies department.

Mr. Candiotto mentions the contents of a potential unit. “It will include tracing the musical roots to Jamaica, to the movements in the 90s to the youth back in the Bronx. It will show how hip-hop has changed throughout the ages.

Was hip-hop originally created for fun and partying? Yes, but it was most importantly, a voice to people who had no voice.”

The course will use popular online office suite, Google Docs, to submit work. It will also be completely interactive with online content songs, photos and movies to analyse in addition to regular course work. Mr. Candiotto hopes to invite guest speakers including local artists who live out the hip-hop lifestyle.

However, the course was met with mixed criticism from grade ten students. Alex Kassis says the course sounds interesting but had no space for it. Robel Tesfai also added that the course could relieve some stress from his other business courses but did not choose it because he had no space.

On the contrary, Mr. Candiotto says that this course is for students who are genuinely interested. He says that “you would still learn and use the skills needed for university, college or the workplace.”

Grade ten student, Karel La Guardia, did select the course to study the history behind the eclectic culture. “I want to learn how it affects so many people because hiphop is influential. It intrigued me and I’ve always wanted to learn the four pillars [of hip-hop] and express myself.”

The course will be offered at the grade eleven open level but students in grade ten, eleven and twelve can take it as there is no prerequisite.

VOLUME 16 / ISSUE 2 mwplanet 19

creative spaces SPACES CREATIVE To P or Not to P By Mariah Llanes HUGE DILEMMA

In Issue One

By Shankri Fabian It’s all in the perfection, The way you love-Desire, lust, satisfy.

You either quench a thirst, (Or die forgotten).

Often now, a fraction, a fraction of a second; There isn’t time to write, (Or be re-written).

It’s a whole new manuscript— You either fit the part (or depart).

No room for acceptance— Replaceable, erasable, disgusting…

Pathetic.

People try to deceive; achieve your compulsion You don’t need to be easy (as long as you’re decaying).

It’s about the graceless angel, Made of human flesh, Body, hair— its own detest— As they reject, She protests.

There is not an ounce of a genuine entity; Rather, the will of false perceptions.

She has fallen Among the rest.

From her you learn to disperse, Or test the mess.

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I love you, and you love me.

‘Cuz I am in you and you are in me.

Blood is thicker than water, they say.

I’ve waited so long for you, day by day.

Love is natural.

Love is true.

You are still in me, no matter what is new.

I trusted you ‘cuz I loved you.

Now I don’t know if that’s still true.

I am hurt.

My wounds are deep.

But you don’t know that soon, I’ll rip.

I know it’s hard for you, as well.

But I’m so tired, I must tell.

I cry so hard a thousand seas.

Happiness in life, I’ll always miss.

I’m so sorry.

I can’t go back.

‘Cuz you make me carry such a heavy sack.

But don’t worry, I’ll always love you.

‘Cuz you’re my father, forever true.

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