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MARY WARD PLANET
volume 20 || issue 1 || winter edition 2014
# s a v e w a r d | Fe r g u s o n | N e w Yo r k
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A NEW UNIVERSAL THREAT THE UMBRELLA REVOLUTION SHOOTINGS AT PARLIAMENT HILL I DON’T HAVE A GUN, STOP SHOOTING RETURN OF THE MAHATTAN EMPIRE WHY JIAN GHOMESHI CHANGED EVERYTHING
POURQUOI APPRENDRE LE FRANÇAIS EN ONZIÉME ANNÉE ET EN RECHERCHE D’UNE EXPÉRIENCE ENRICHISSANTE... EN FRANÇAIS LES HAÏKUS
COMMUNITY WRAP UP ROOM 306: THEIR HOME AWAY FROM HOME YOU TO ME TO WE BRINGING AWARENESS ONE STEP AT A TIME MARY WARD TAKES MANHATTAN
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Welcome to the first issue of the Mary Ward Planet for the 2014-2015 school year. Once again the Mary Ward Planet executives are one amazing team of talented students; you can meet each one of them on the first page of this issue. I am truly humbled to be able to work with this great group of students this year, and after reading this first issue, I’m sure that you will agree with me saying that this year promises to be another strong one. Don’t forget to also check out our website, http://mwplanet.tumblr.com, where you can continue to read informative and interesting articles on a weekly basis! I hope that you can find time over the holidays to soak up each page of this issue, from learning about the issues of the Trustee Matter or learning how to handle stress. Perhaps you’ll be in awe over the poems in the Creative Spaces section or convinced to join a club after the Christmas Break. Whatever catches your eye, I’m sure you will enjoy - because the Planet continues to be “For the people, about the people”. The Mary Ward Planet executives and myself would like to thank our administrative staff, Mrs. Magee, Ms. Keenan, and Mr. DiMillo for their on-going support and guidance. Thanks to my amazing newspaper staff who always produce an amazing newspaper. To all our dedicated readers, old and new, thank you, Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year!
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS A FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE OF THE MARY WARD CAMPING TRIP
SPORTS WRAP-UP THE MECHANICS OF TENNIS MUSCLE SPASMS THE SOUNDS OF STUDYING RIGHT NOW VS THE FUTURE HIGH SCHOOL HILARITY STRESS TURNING SENIORS INTO SENIORS CREATING SUCCESS OVER STRESS 6 STEPS TO HAPPY SHOPPING HONEY BYE-BYE DID THEY GET AWAY WITH MURDER? BOY MEETS WORLD TURNS INTO GIRL MEETS WORLD MOCKINGJAY PART I: THE REBELLION BEGINS BIG LOVE FOR BIG HERO 6 THRILLING CONCLUSION TO PERCY JACKSON SERIES THE RISING FAME OF THE YOUTUBE CULTURE 2014: THE YEAR OF T. SWIFT BASTILLE IN ‘VS’
WORKLOAD NIAGARA FALLS (ANGRY EMOJI) YONGE STREET CANADA’S WONDERLAND CHINA BEIJING
CHRISTMAS HUSTLE, CHRISTMAS BUSTLE COMICS VOLUME 20 / ISSUE 1 mwplanet 02
All content © 2013-2014 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-direted 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) in 1995.
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aiting Ferguson, w Issues. n o le ic rt a an orld about in W to be read reative Spaces for a C Flip over to poems written by f o just a whole set ents. This is for d u st L S E e th ing what’s wait snippet of sue! is you in this ck sure to che Also, make Ward Planet ry out the Ma wplanet. m t a Website ! m o tumblr.c ll writers, Thanks to a ers, and gn layout desi pervisor, ly e our lov su nd of A Ms. Powell! rs. e d a re ld r new and o veryone! u o ll a , e rs cou days, e Happy Holi
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Imagine pulling on your winter boots just at the end of second period, reciting the parts of an animal and plant cell in your head. Intent on writing a test, you begin your 20-minute walk to the Test Centre, snow crunching beneath your feet as you cut through the forest as a shortcut. You finally arrive at the Test Centre, breathless and freezing from the tiring walk, cursing winter silently before you finally take a seat to write that dreaded Bio test. While this may sound like a nightmare, such a scenario may become a reality if the ‘Trustee Matter Regarding Mary Ward CSS Admissions and Capacity” is put into place. The Trustee Matter was initially proposed by former TCDSB Trustee, John Del Grande and it is now a matter for the newly elected group of Trustees to investigate. The newly elected Trustee for Ward 7 and Chair of the Board of Trustees, as of December 1st, is father of John Del Grande, Trustee Mike Del Grande. The Trustee Matter proposes that the Trustees consider “reclassifying Mary Ward’s Self Directed Learning program as a specialty program/school in the TCDSB while ensuring sufficient capacity for high school placements for Scarborough elementary schools historically linked with Mary Ward.” It is also considering “programming options to expand Mary Ward’s capacity facility at the former St. Maximillian Kolbe consistent with previously approved Board motion.” Mary Ward being classified as a specialty school, and Kolbe becoming a secondary campus are two issues that are separate from one another, as the implementation of one does not necessarily mean the implementation of the other. Nonetheless, the implementation of either proposal can cause drastic changes to Mary Ward’s unique system. Although the Trustee Matter was proposed prior to the Board finding about the “new” debt, Trustee M. Del Grande’s possible interest to see this plan through may stem from the massive debt that the TCDSB is currently in. The TCDSB is approximately $9 million in debt. Kolbe was an elementary school that was closed in 2011 due to low enrollment. The building is currently housing Board curriculum support staff and was recently renovated to make the building serviceable for other purposes. $572,201 was spent VOLUME 20 / ISSUE 1 mwplanet 04
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on renovations. However, Kolbe still lacks the proper facilities to accommodate high school students, so further costs would be incurred in order to make it work for Mary Ward. The Trustee Matter was first presented in 2012, as was reported in an article published in the Scarborough Mirror. At the time, the TCSDB was only set to consider the expansion of Mary Ward to include Kolbe as a satellite campus to ease Ward’s over-enrollment issues. At the time, Ward was operating “at 136% of its maximum capacity” according to the article in the Scarborough Mirror, which no longer applies for this school year. In the article from the Mirror published in 2012, former Trustee J. Del Grande states that, “Mary Ward was never meant to be a local school, it was meant to be a magnet school because it has a very unique program—one of only a few in Canada.” Turning Mary Ward into a specialty school would take advantage of this fact, allowing students from all over Toronto to have an equal opportunity to attend. However, after this initial proposal, the TCDSB shelved the idea until Trustee J. Del Grande re-presented the idea in 2014. At the start of November 2014, a CSAC letter was sent out to all parents regarding a CSAC (Catholic School Advisory Council) meeting about the Trustee Matter. A few days before the CSAC meeting was to take place, an urgent town hall meeting was held for TA representatives to discuss what the Trustee Matter entailed, as students were worried about what it would mean for them. From here, previously regarded as just a fleeting proposal, the gravity of the Trustee Matter was realized. The Trustee Matter caught parents, students, and many staff members off guard, as the letter sent out to parents at the beginning of November by the Board was the first time most of the Mary Ward community was ever informed about the proposal. Word spread quickly about the Trustee Matter, with social media playing a major role in raising awareness. A few days before the CSAC meeting, Mary Ward alumni came forward and started a website, mwsupporters. tumblr.com, in order to further inform former students about the potential changes that could be implemented at Ward. Along with the website, a campaign was started that encouraged anyone against the
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Trustee Matter to write to the trustees in order to express their disagreement. Given the seriousness and how quickly the situation seemed to be escalating, students also responded with their own campaign on Twitter called “#SaveWard” on the night of the CSAC meeting. The first tweet was sent just minutes before the beginning of the CSAC meeting. The #SaveWard tweets consisted of students expressing their displeasure with the ideas presented in the Trustee Matter. The #SaveWard movement and the campaign started by alumni continued on throughout the CSAC meeting and the following weeks. Going into the CSAC meeting, students were concerned that the Trustee Matter was going to be implemented, the only question being when. Over 150 parents showed up for the meeting that night and voiced their opinions. Ideally, the preference of the parents is that the idea of St. Maximillian Kolbe being used as Mary Ward’s secondary campus would be scrapped altogether. Parents recognized that using Kolbe could have a severe impact on the TA system, and would hinder the ability of the students to effectively manage their time. Without the TA system, Mary Ward’s sense of community would be lost. TAs create the welcoming community that Mary Ward is known for. Using Kolbe as a second campus would also force students to find a way to travel the 1.9 kilometers to the second campus, which translates into a 20-minute walk outside. This will severely impact the ability of students to manage their time. As a specialty school, would Mary Ward require a testing or evaluation process to determine enrollment? This goes against Ward’s goal of being a school for everyone. The testing or evaluation process is also questionable, as there is no sure criteria that could determine whether a student “would be best served by a self directed learning environment”, as proposed by former Trustee J. Del Grande. The effects of these proposed changes were discussed at length at the November 26th CSAC meeting. About half way through the CSAC meeting, Trustee J. Del Grande made a surprise appearance. Trustee J. Del Grande spoke briefly about the Trustee Matter and took some questions afterwards.
By the end of the meeting, the situation regarding the Trustee Matter seemed less dire, as parents were confident that Trustee J. Del Grande heard their concerns. Following the CSAC meeting was the highly anticipated Board Meeting. Taking place the following Tuesday after the CSAC meeting, staff, parents and student-alike were nervous about the potential outcome as it was previously discussed that the Board may implement changes as early as May or June of 2015. From here, there were three possible verdicts for the Trustee Matter: the Board would either shelve it, accept it, or refer it for further study. On December 2, 2014, the Board Meeting took place at the CEC, the head office of the TCDSB. In support of the community’s concerns regarding the Trustee Matter, several alumni, parents, and current and former staff members attended the meeting. At the meeting, three members of Mary Ward’s Student Council, Sean Tengco, Dave Kalombola, and Samantha Kuo, presented on behalf of the student body. The trio utilized the #SaveWard campaign in order to communicate the student body’s opinion towards the Trustee Matter, and emphasized how the changes would negatively affect Mary Ward’s community. “[The Trustees] got how students are against it,” said Sean Tengco, President of the Student Council. Mr. David Rodriguez, a Mary Ward parent and CSAC Chair, also presented on behalf of CSAC. After these two presentations, Trustees were asked if they had any questions for the presenters. Instead of asking either presenter about what they spoke about, Trustee M. Del Grande focused in on the fact that the Trustee at the time had not been invited to the November 26 CSAC meeting that took place the week before. He continued to argue this point for the next 40 minutes, eventually putting forward a motion to ensure that in the future, Trustees must be invited to all public meetings. All Trustees voted in favour of the motion presented by Trustee M. Del Grande. At this point, it has only been established that the Trustees have chosen to refer the Trustee Matter back to the appropriate Board senior staff to determine the feasibility of the Trustee Matter.
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By Teresa Li
In 2014, the Ebola virus has spread to Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Senegal, the United States, Spain, Mali, and for the first time beyond the remote villages, it has also spread to densely populated cities. The Ebola virus is a human disease with initial symptoms including fever, sore throat, headaches, but is then usually followed by more serious symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea. The disease then decreases liver and kidney functionality, and patients begin to bleed both internally and externally. Though it sounds like an ordinary flu, it has an incredibly high risk of death. Since the HIV outbreak from the
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spread of HIV, AIDS and H1N1 are all examples of previous serious outbreaks that have occurred in the past. Yet, the Ebola outbreak is intriguing due to the extreme difficulty that has been encountered in containing it. Although hospitals have tried to isolate patients affected by Ebola, the virus is still difficult to manage: it has proven itself so contagious that several health care staff have also been affected. Results from experiments have shown that as long as the virus enters the blood, it is able to cause fatal infections. This can perhaps attribute as to why several healthcare workers have been infected. A common way of transmission is through the eyelids: when contaminated fingertips touch the lining of eyelids,
PHOTO BY THE GUARDIAN By Jeffrey Wignarajah
PHOTO BY NBCNEWS early 1980s, the spread of the Ebola virus has been the most dangerous outbreak of a new infectious disease. The spread of Ebola viruses was first discovered on December 6, 2013. In a village named Meliandou in Guinea in West Africa, a 2-year-old boy died after severe diarrhea and fever. He was then diagnosed with the Ebola infection, which was discovered to be a tropical parasite. The virus then reached Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. At that crucial point, there was no vaccine against the Ebola virus—the only way to prevent others from catching the virus was to cut off the chain of infection. Nevertheless, doing so did not stop Ebola’s rapid dissemination. On March 22, 2014, the Guinean Ministry of Health announced that the Ebola disease has caused 80 people to become infected, a number that included 59 deaths. The Ebola outbreak is not the first outbreak of a severe disease—the
the virus can be transmitted. It has also been discovered that Ebola viruses spread through contact with sweat and blood. Both body fluids have been found to contain high concentrations of Ebola virus particles in individuals affected with Ebola. In response to the Ebola outbreak, the Liberian government has closed all schools to avoid the Ebola spread. Sadly though, for developing countries that live with poor facilities, this disease has brought serious risks and crises. In these countries, residents lack clean water and the resources for proper sanitation. With limited resources to start with, residents have also been forced to hardly wash their hands as the disease can contaminate water as well. Indeed, the deadly nature of the Ebola virus has caused it to become a global issue that continues to develop today.
Tensions in Hong Kong rise as police and protesters clashed on Monday December 1 outside Central Government Offices. Protesters fought police armed with pepper spray and water hoses overnight, causing the shutdown of offices on Monday. An injunction to clear an area west of the protest site was also granted, and Hong Kong’s Chief Executive CY Leung warned protesters not to return, saying that police will now take “resolute action”. Protests began in late September when two student groups – the Hong Kong Federation of Students and Scholarism protested outside government headquarters. These protests are in response to the 2014 Electoral Reform that will determine how the Chief Executive elections will be done. Ever since Hong Kong’s handover to China in 1997, Hong Kong’s Chief Executive was elected by a 1200-member election committee made up of selected people and special interest groups – not the general population. In August 2014, China’s Standing Committee decided that the 2017 Chief Executive election will be done through universal suffrage, but people will have to choose between three pre-chosen candidates. The elected candidate will still need approval from the central
government in Beijing before taking up the position. Since the decision, the Hong Kong Federation of Students and Scholarism began protesting with the demand for civil nomination and the withdrawal of the Standing Committee’s decision. The umbrella – used to protect demonstrators from rain and tear gas – has become the symbol of the movement for democratic reform. Student leaders and government representatives met in October 2014 to discuss the issue. Representatives suggested the possibility of writing a report on the students’ concerns to Beijing but emphasized that civil nomination violates Hong Kong’s Basic Law and the Standing Committee’s decision, which cannot be withdrawn. Though the movement initially gained a lot of momentum in September, support is weaning as the public grows tired of the disruption caused by the protests. In November, injunctions previously in place were extended and Hong Kong’s Chief Secretary for Administration, Carrie Lam declared there would be no further discussions with protesters and on Nov. 28, a major protest site in the Mong Kok area was dismantled by police. Scholarism leader Joshua Wong and two other members began a hunger strike. Though the outcome of Hong Kong’s prodemocracy movement is uncertain, protesters have vowed to remain on the streets until their concerns are well addressed. VOLUME 20 / ISSUE 1 mwplanet 05
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By Vivian Tseng On October 22, 2014, at Parliament Hill, Michael Zehaf-Bibeau fatally shot a Canadian soldier, Nathan Cirillo, who was on duty at the Canadian National War Memorial. While bystanders attended to the soldier’s wounds, ZehafBibeau entered the Parliament where members were holding caucuses. The
By Mary-Anne Buerano Three months following the shooting of unarmed Ferguson high-school student, Michael Brown, protestors continue to demand justice as press confirm the exoneration of Officer Darren Wilson. On August 9th, 2014, black resident, Michael Brown was shot dead six times by Ferguson police officer, Darren Wilson. Wilson reports that Brown had been jaywalking at the time of their first encounter, and his following actions were performed in self-defense. In Wilson’s testimony, Brown had supposedly closed the door of the police car, and thrown the first punch, which collided with the left side of the officer’s jaw. Holding Brown’s left forearm in attempt to exit the vehicle, Brown punched Wilson in the right side of the jaw. Brown had continued to punch Wilson as the officer reached for his gun and pointed the weapon at his head, threatening to shoot the teenager if he chose not to retreat. Brown grabbed the top of the gun, and Wilson pulled the trigger. However, due to the pressure of Brown’s hand on the gun, the gun did not fire. Wilson made several attempts to open fire, to no avail. Brown had fled 40 feet from the officer’s vehicle, to which Wilson had began to follow the teenager. “When he stopped, he turned, looked at me, made like a grunting noise and had the most intense, aggressive face I've ever seen on a person,” Wilson recounted at the testimony. The officer fired multiple shots as, “...he started running at me. During his first stride, he took his right hand and put it under his shirt into his waistband.” Wilson continued to shoot at the unarmed victim, despite the multiple shots to Michael Brown’s 6’5” body. The final shot fired point blank into the top VOLUME 20 / ISSUE 1 mwplanet 06
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RCMP and security officers managed to corner Zehaf-Bibeau and shoot him. He was reported dead later at the hospital. In addition to Nathan Cirillo, another officer was injured in the shooting. In a video Zehaf-Bibeau recorded prior to the incident, he attributed Canada’s foreign policy and his religious beliefs as influences for his crime. The perpetrator had trouble receiving a passport to leave Canada to travel
of Brown’s head, Officer Wilson had abandoned the deceased body of Michael Brown on the road. Although two patrol vehicles had secured the scene, the body was untouched for four hours. Numerous witnesses testified otherwise, however. Witness, Tiffany Mitchell recounts the situation from her position, as “Michael jerks his body as if he was hit, and then he turns around, faces the officer and puts his hands up, and the officer continues to shoot him until he goes down to the ground”. Contractors who stood 50 feet from the shooting reported to CNN reporter Randi Kaye, “He had his f*****g hands up”, and “The cop didn’t say get on the ground. He just kept shooting”. Such statements had resulted in the various protests spanning from August 9th onwards. Protests grew violent, as hundreds of Missouri citizens took to the streets of Ferguson, demanding justice for the unmerited murder of Michael Brown. Darren Wilson’s paid administrative leave from Ferguson’s Police Department had fueled enraged protesters, as various stores, including the convenience store from which Michael Brown had stolen cigarillos prior to the altercation with Darren Wilson, were defaced and robbed. The Ferguson Police Department retaliated to the raging protests with higher brutality, however. Tear-gas was employed on the streets of Ferguson, and peaceful and violent protestors fell victim to the department’s unethical method of crowd-control. Although protesters resorted to throwing pebbles at police officers, Ferguson citizens and journalists claim to have been shot with wooden and rubber bullets by police. Amid the barbarity of tear-gas, rubber bullets, and robberies, members of the community took it upon themselves to defend stores
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to Saudi Arabia. He told officials he wished to receive a passport to travel to Liberia in order to visit family and friends. His motives were confirmed by RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson, who declared the passport issue as the main reason for his shooting. Earlier that week, an attack on another soldier, Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent, occurred in which the officer was fatally run over by a vehicle. Coupled with the shooting at Parliament Hill, there has
against looters. “Men are trying to stop others from looting the liquor store. ‘Man you’re better than that’”, tweeted Amanda M. Sakuma (@iamsakuma), who had been a key reporter in regards to the protests in Ferguson. The local McDonald’s was reformed into a safe haven for protesters. Victims of tear gas were treated with complimentary milk to soothe their eyes. The police, those whose career is to protect the town and its people, had contributed to the irreparable physical and reputable damage to the town of Ferguson. Despite the overwhelming support and coverage social media websites such as Tumblr and Twitter had contributed in the protests updates, when interviewed, numerous students of the Mary Ward Community were minimally aware about the information in regards to the shooting of Michael Brown and the protesting in Ferguson and globally. “Some cop shot an unarmed kid for no reason”¸ states Erik, a grade ten student, when asked of his knowledge behind the recent protests in Ferguson, Missouri. Others, such as ninth graders, Joshua and Aila replied “No”, when asked “Do the names Darren Wilson and Michael
been an overwhelming reaction from Canadians. Canadians have paid their respects condolences to the soldiers at a memorial mass and over social media. Government officials who were in the building at the time of the shooting have also expressed concern for Canada over security threats. Stephen Harper condemned both acts as terrorism and assures Canada will not be fazed by any threats. The government intends to strengthen Canada’s security law, in light of the shooting. Investigation on the shooting remains ongoing.
Brown mean anything to you?” The situation was significantly popular in the first week of August as social media assisted in promoting the case of Michael Brown, yet as the case faded from media’s attention, teenagers specifically, became uninformed. The majority of the students interviewed believe that the shooting of Michael Brown is a case of racial profiling. “Out of instinct he shot him, because he was scared”, said tenth grader, Jason. “Michael Brown was killed needlessly, well, because of the colour of his skin”, stated tenth grader Angeli. The facts remain that 31. 17 per million Black youth were killed by police from 2010 to 2012, whereas 1.47 per million White youth were killed by police. Within the past year AfricanAmericans such as, Ramarley Graham, Victor White, Darien Hunt, Cameron Tillman, Dontre Hamilton, Pearlie Golden, Christopher Maurice Jones, Azell Ford, Oscar Grant, Kaldrick Donald, Eric Garner, Yvette Smith, Tanesha Anderson, John Crawford, Vonderrit Myers, Kajieme Powell, Michael Brown, and most recently, Tamir Rice, have fallen victim to the American police. The case of Michael Brown is an example of the racial stigma. This is not the first scenario in which a police officer has felt threatened by a Black citizen. Three months following the death of Michael Brown, police officer Darren Wilson remains unapologetic for his actions. On November 25th, 2014, Darren Wilson stated in an interview with George Stephanopoulos, “The reason why I have a clean conscience is because I know I did my job right,” A day prior, the grand jury had decided not to indict Officer Wilson. Michael Brown’s final words “I don’t have a gun. Stop Shooting,” will reiterate throughout history as a step forward in eliminating racial profiling.
PHOTO BY NBC
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By Teresa Li On November 3rd, 2014, the One World Trade Centre finally opened in Manhattan, New York City, and welcomed its first tenant after thirteen years. It has also been named America’s tallest skyscraper. On September 11, 2001, New York City and all of the United States was devastated by the terrorism attack that destroyed the Twin Towers. The World Trade Center was not only the pride of New York City, but was also a workspace for many bright Americans. When the U.S. fell silent in grief over this gigantic loss, it was not just for the buildings, but also for the jeopardized future of America. After 9/11, the Port Authority of New York began planning the World Trade Centre’s reconstruction. However, this onerous process seemed endless. The World Trade Centre seemed to be forgotten by the people, and was
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finished off its complex construction, regaining its status as the pride of New York City. Needless to say, New Yorkers are ecstatic to see the newly constructed One World Trade Centre rise amongst all the other skyscrapers on the New York City skyline. During construction, the height of the One World Trade Centre reached 1271 feet, surpassing The Empire State Building and becoming the tallest building in New York. In fact, the One World Trade Centre successfully installed its last silver antenna, giving it the total height of 1776 feet and making it the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. The height of the building is a sign of the revival and resurgence of downtown Manhattan and the city of New York. In terms of its construction, One World Trade Center sets new standards of design and sustainability. It has strong survival staircases, the core of the building is multi-layered, and it is thicker than any other office building in the world. Pat Foye, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey says, “It will be the most secure building in the world.”
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By Cathy Nguyen While Jian Ghomeshi was a relatively unknown name until approximately one month ago, his case has brought sexual assault to the forefront of Canadian media. On October 24, 2014, Ghomeshi announced he was taking an indefinite leave of absence from his job as the host of the radio show, “Q,” to deal with “personal matters” (The Globe and Mail). Two days later, Ghomeshi was fired. Allegations of sexual assault arose against Ghomeshi. In response, Ghomeshi filed a $55 million lawsuit against the CBC for the release of personal information given under confidence and wrongful termination and defamation. Thus, the lengthy legal battle began. Ghomeshi refused to back down from the lawsuit, despite the fact that at least three women had come forward to say that they
counts of sexual assault and one count of choking, almost a month after the investigation started on October 30th. On the same day, Ghomeshi appeared in court for his bail hearing. Bail was set at $100,000 which his family paid. Ghomeshi was then released under the terms that he surrenders his passport, stay within Ontario borders, and live with his mother. Ghomeshi is scheduled to appear in court on January 8, 2015. Marie Henein, Ghomeshi’s lawyer, has said that he will not plead guilty. Since the case still dominates headlines, many people have begun to question the timing of it all. Why did all those people choose to come forward now? Are the allegations legitimate? How is it determined whether an allegation is legitimate or not? These questions opened up a very important discussion on sexual abuse and assault, which historically has been danced around. People were afraid of discussing the topic openly, but with Ghomeshi being talked about in very public places, the
This missing puzzle piece marks an emotional milestone and completes the New York City skyline. “We did come back,” Dave Checketts, the tower’s first visitor said at tower’s top. “We brought it back, we built it, even higher than it was before.” One World Trade Center is both a symbol of perseverance and ambition and an icon to commemorate what was lost during 9/11. It is also an encouraging monument for the future. New York City did come back better than ever. PHOTO BY APRIL ALFORQUE After thirteen years of waiting the One World rarely mentioned in the media over Trade Centre has fulfilled the dreams the past years. Thirteen years later, of many Americans. More than just a One World Trade Center—a 104-story, building, the tower truly represents $3.9 billion skyscraper that dominates the empire state of mind. the Manhattan skyline—has finally
PHOTO BY DARREN CALABRESE experienced non-consensual violence by Ghomeshi. These three women had their stories published in the Toronto Star, taking over the headlines for the day. As time went on, the Ghomeshi case continued to dominate media headlines, with the conversation of sexual assault becoming the hot topic in Canada. By November 7, many more women and men approached media with their allegations of sexual abuse against Ghomeshi. These allegations are dated as far back as the 1990s. On November 26, Toronto Police arrested Ghomeshi and charged him with four
doorway to the discussion has been opened. While it is difficult to ascertain the legitimacy of a sexual assault allegation, survivors often do not even report them to authorities in the first place. In Canada, of 100 incidents of sexual assault, only 6 are ever reported to police (Stats Canada). With this statistic in mind, the assumption could be made that “safety in numbers” is what compelled survivors to come forward now. Sexual assault is a weighty topic, one that needs to be discussed more openly and compassionately. VOLUME 20 / ISSUE 1 mwplanet 07
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Par Marla Miranda et Julia D’Silva L’apprentissage d’une nouvelle langue peut être un grand défi. C’est difficile d’apprendre une langue qui n’est pas votre langue maternelle et que vous n’utilisez pas beaucoup dans vos vies. Mais, tout le monde est capable d’apprendre une nouvelle langue. Peut-être vous n’êtes pas certains pourquoi tout le monde vous encourage à apprendre le français. Est-ce qu’il y a des vrais avantages? Certainement! La connaissance obtenue par l’apprentissage d’une autre langue peut être utilisé pas seulement à l’école, mais dans le monde du commerce et du voyage aussi. Sans doute, la capacité d’être bilingue a beaucoup d’avantages. Des gens bilingues sont plus intelligents que les gens qui parlent seulement une langue. Le bilinguisme est lié à votre capacité à faire plusieurs choses à la fois comme la mémorisation, la prise de décision et l’analyse critique. Le bilinguisme peut aussi arrêter le début d’Alzheimer et la démence. Votre estime de soi et votre performance académique peuvent bénéficier aussi en apprenant une nouvelle langue. Alors, avec toutes les langues que vous pouvez en apprendre, pourquoi le français? Il y a plusieurs raisons pour apprendre le français. Voici quelques raisons : 1. Il y a plus des débouchés pour les francophones! • Des universités canadiennes offrent beaucoup des cours en français, alors les francophones auront plus des choix pour leurs études.
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Au Canada, le français est notre deuxième langue officielle, alors des employeurs veulent des gens qui peuvent communiquer effectivement en anglais et en français. Savez-vous que les employés francophones reçoivent plus d’argent que les anglophones?
2. Gratuit maintenant, bénéfique plus tard! • En école secondaire, c’est mandataire que vous prenez un cours de français. La chance d’apprendre une langue gratuitement est une bonne opportunité que vous n’aurez pas aux autres pays. • Après l’école secondaire, des cours de français peuvent couter $50 pour une leçon! 3. Une langue mondiale! • Le français est la langue primaire d’environ 114 million personnes, y compris des pays comme l’Haïti, le Cameroun, et le Burkina-Faso, des pays importants pour le commerce. C’est aussi essentiel pour la lecture des menus aux restaurants français! • C’est estimé que le français va devenir la langue dominante du monde par 2025. 4. La liberté à voyager et communiquer avec des nouvelles personnes! • La capacité à communiquer en français peut vous permettre à voyager autour d’Europe sans difficulté, car le français est la langue la plus utilisée en Europe. • Cette capacité vous permettre aussi de vous immerger dans la culture française. Ça vous donne plus de sagesse et plus d’expériences.
IMAGE PAR BEA SERDON
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Par Amanda Tanner Alors vous lisez cet article parce que le français ou peut-être le bilinguisme vous intéresse, suis-je correcte? Je dirais que « Je dis, Jeudi! » est le meilleur club pour partager votre passion pour la langue avec vos amis dans la communauté locale! Mais, voulez vous avoir l’occasion de voyager à quelque part au Canada avec des étudiants de partout du Canada? Voudriez-vous honorablement être nommé l’ambassadeur ou l’ambassadrice pour le français pour l’avenir de 2015 dans votre province? Est-ce que j’ai mentionné que cette opportunité est tout complètement gratuit? Si vous êtes en onzième année, je vous encourage de sortir dans le monde et d’explorer vos intérêts d’une
oublier. Le FNJA est une opportunité d’établir des liens avec des gens tout partout au Canada qui ont quelque chose en commun avec vous. C’est une célébration pour le bilinguisme qui existe entre nous. Et, c’est tellement inspirant et éduquant pour votre bénéfice. Le FNJA m’a inspiré à même établir un club chez nous! Le club français ici à Mary Ward était inspiré par mon expérience au FNJA. Je crois maintenant qu’on peut avoir un impact sur notre propre communauté ici. On ne doit pas être timide de nous exprimer en français à Mary Ward; nous devrons être fiers d’avoir pouvoir communiquer dans une deuxième langue, qui est loin de notre langue maternelle. Vous n’avez pas besoin d’être vraiment savant dans la culture française ni être capable de communiquer parfaitement
Les 30 ambassadeurs et les ambassadrices de 2014 façon plus approfondie le IMAGE PAR ELODIE LI - LE FRANCAIS POUR L’AVENIR prochain été en explorant en français pour participer au FNJA. ce que le FNJA peut vous offrir. Ça compte si vous essayez et si vous montrez que vous voulez améliorer Ma passion pour la langue et la vos compétences linguistiques en culture française m’a poussé de faire la français. Le FNJA est une semaine demande en Avril pour aller au Forum pleine d’amusement, des activités, et national des jeunes ambassadeurs des nouvelles expériences. Je vous (FNJA), organisé par Le Français pour conseille de faire la demande en 2015 l’avenir. Passionné pas seulement pour pour participer au Forum pendant le français, mais pour le bilinguisme, l’été. Ça va prendre place au Nouveau30 ambassadeurs et ambassadrices Brunswick le prochain été, quel fun! La ont étaient choisi pour participer aux demande sera ouvert au commencent activités et ateliers à Sudbury pour une de Février jusqu’au fin d’Avril. Montrez semaine. De le 7 août jusqu’au 12 août, votre passion pour le bilinguisme et le ces anglophones et francophones français et montrez votre passion pour ont parlé, ont joué, ont mangé, et ils avoir un impact dans le monde. Je crois ont même crié, touts ensemble en que chaqu’un de vous qui lit cet article partageant leurs expériences avec le ont le potentiel d’être ambassadeur bilinguisme et les effets du bilinguisme or ambassadrice pour le français pour chez eux. Au forum, j’ai découvert l’avenir en 2015. Bonne chance et allez plus au sujet de notre pays et de explorer le monde du bilinguisme pour l’importance du bilinguisme, et c’était vous-mêmes! une expérience que je ne vais jamais
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Les Haïkus Par Leigh Rollins
Par Melissa Mathieu
Nous comptons nos doigts Et nous changeons nos ‘tits mots – « Écris un haïku ! »
La chaleur du feu Amène les gens ensemble – Les esprits sont hauts.
IMAGE PAR FATIMA CASTILLO
IMAGE PAR ANNA SERSANTI
\ Par Michelle Li La neige sur la terre Fait table rase du passé – La gomme pour la vie.
Par Raynard Seng Je regarde une fille. Elle a des yeux qui son-gris, Mais elle est avec lui.
IMAGE PAR APRIL ALFORQUE
IMAGE PAR DENISE VELASCO
Par Abbygail Silva-Porras
Par Rebecca Hsiung
Sous les vagues magiques, Dans la mer si infinie, Les vies inconnues.
Des penderies pleines – Je veux acheter de plus Mais la poche est vide.
IMAGE PAR APRIL ALFORQUE IMAGE PAR FATIMA CASTILLO
Par Kyle Maglalang
Par Daniel Lysak
Tout ce que tu veux Est derrière les portes fermées, Bloqué par tes peurs.
Un grand aigle s’envole Dans l’air, très majestueux. Vole ! Ne tombe jamais !
IMAGE PAR FATIMA CASTILLO
IMAGE PAR BEA SERDON
VOLUME 20 / ISSUE 1 mwplanet 09
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By Joselyn Wong With the first half of the school year come and gone, numerous events have happened in the Mary Ward community. The upcoming Christmas break will end off the 2014 year. The school community has always been bustling with activities and this year is no exception. Angel Foundation On November 11th, members of the Angel Foundation started the Breakfast Club. On Tuesdays and Thursdays before morning TA, they offer a balanced breakfast to students who haven’t eaten yet. They have offered food such as chocolate milk, granola bars, bananas, apples, oranges and various cereal. The Breakfast Club is very popular with students, as they run out of food each time.
Mary Ward students earning honorable mentions. Mary Ward is proud to have many DECA members who all did a wonderful job. Je dis, Jeudi! The new Je dis, Jeudi! French club gathers students from all grades who share a passion for French to come meet up every Thursday in the French department. In Je dis, Jeudi, students have the opportunity to participate in a wide range of funfilled activites where all can practice and improve their french, but most of all, share their love of the language. New members are always welcomed! Drama/Music Department The drama and music departments have been busy at work with the Remembrance Day Assembly in November, the Christmas Concert, and with the planning of the Christmas Assembly in December. Students and teachers worked hard to make each event the best they could and they did a spectacular job. This year, the Christmas Concert was held on December 10th and 11th, which were well attended. The Drama department is busy with rehearsals for this year’s play, Tom Sawyer. Photo Club This year, the Photo Club was started and already boasts several members.
GreenQuest PHOTO BY PATRISHA RANIN DECA Regionals From October 20th to the 24th, waste On Friday, November 14, reduction week was held where each Mary Ward hosted their first ever DECA regionals, day, a different activity on how to reduce waste was welcoming more than 1000 students from various done. Waste reduction week ended off with the schools into Ward. Individual and team events metro pass draw. The first prize was the Metro pass, occurred over the course of the day as students the second prize being speakers, and the third prize performed case studies in front of judges. The day were earphones. Moreover, members of GreenQuest, was concluded with the awards ceremony with many accompanied by Mrs. Bozek and Mrs. Poole, went on
VOLUME 20 / ISSUE 1 mwplanet 10
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PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER CHIU
PHOTO BY KATHY BOZEK a trip to Mrs. Poole’s cottage in Muskoka where they helped to cut plants so that they could regrow in the next season, and categorize waste. Students and the teachers had the chance to explore the true beauty of nature and had a wonderful time. Debate Club The Debate club, run by Mr. Waud, went to St. Michael’s Power on October 25 where all members competed in the debates. They gave it their best and did an awesome job. SAC The Student Activity Council has started off the school year with the school’s opening BBQ as well as, have sold SPC cards (Student Pricing Cards) for $10, offering discounts on selected stores. SAC also introduced Battle of the TAs during the opening BBQ. Everyone had fun and almost all the TAs had participated. Activities included Tug-of-war and dodgeball. The winner of the Battle of the TA’s was the French Department. This new event was met with great success with students and teachers having an outrageously funfilled time. The Battle of the TAs would be a great tradition in Mary Ward from now on and who knows what next year’s battle may bring.
PHOTO BY BEA SERDON
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community community
Room 306: Their home away from home a similar experience when arriving in Canada. It’s tough to go somewhere you’ve never been before and learn Imagine this: everything in a language you’re not you’ve just arrived familiar with. For these reasons, we in a new country decided to create an International and you don’t Students Club (ISC). The club’s purpose know anyone…except maybe the lady is to make the transition to a new holding a piece of paper with your country easier for these students. The name written across it. She’s the aunt club will include activities such as you’ve never met, but talked to a total tutoring sessions, how to write a proper of 3 times over the phone. You walk essay, finding a job, and how to get over and she gives you an awkward 40 community service hours. As well, hug before guiding you to the car some fun-filled activities like Christmas where she’ll take you to the place you parties, potluck meals, skating, rock will be staying for the next few years. climbing, skiing, and outings to the You feel out of place, bothersome … an mall could be arranged. We will also inconvenience. offer the option for students in the Mary Ward You meet your community cousins and they to sign up as try to speak to tutors. These you in English, students will but you don’t be paired catch most up with an of the words. international Embarrassed, student during you nod and lunch and smile. In school, help them you struggle with whatever with communicating with your PHOTO BY MARLA MIRANDA assignment teachers and peers. You don’t they need (essay writing, poetry, understand the assignments and the grammar, ISP, etc.). This will also serve only course that seems familiar is math. as an opportunity for them to get to You struggle with speaking, answering know the other students. Volunteer questions in broken sentences hours will be offered to those who wish and phrases, praying that they’ll to help out. understand. When they do, you say a little prayer thanking God. You only Moving to a new country is difficult, know the route from home to school and we want to try to make this an and back, but have no clue where to easier transition. This club will serve as buy a coat or a phone. Your parents call a chance to meet new people, as well you a few days later and ask you how as reaching to another part of the Mary you are and you tell them you’re doing Ward community. Meetings will be fine. held every Thursday in the ESL room starting December 11, 2014. Come and This may not be every international join us! student’s story, but most go through
you to me to we
By Kimberly Ng
By Bianca Gomba The demand for equality was high during a bright afternoon on October 30th when Gender Justice held their annual Walk to End Male Violence Against
Women. The afternoon started off with a presentation by the Red Door shelter on abuse against women and ended with a peaceful march around the school neighbourhood. As soon as lunch finished, students of the justice-seeking club gathered in the library to
community
By Yanelle Bardhan Mendonca
From November 17th to November 21st, the club, Free the Children, held their annual FTC Week in which they organized an event every day and focused on Healthcare in India. Ms. A. Lenardon, one of the two teacher representatives of the club, said, “This week reminded students of the importance of taking time to stop, pause and reflect.” The club itself was co-founded by former Mary Ward student Craig Kielburger in 1995. It is both an international charity and an educational society striving to put change into the hands of youths today. FTC Week is basically one keynote event focusing on helping students to get started on how they can change the world. The focus of this week was mainly about India and the health of its people. The opening event was on Monday, November 17th, where henna tattoos were given for 75 cents in the school foyer. Henna is believed to bring good fortune, happiness, and something called “benevolence of the Universe”. This benevolence is considered to give unlimited or infinite inspiration to commit kind acts. On Tuesday, the spotlight shone on mindfulness with Madame Wisniowski, who led a meditation group at lunchtime. Meditation is traditionally a Hindu practice. It relieves stress and brings inner peace. Stress can have impacts academically – units are stressful and stress is not good. It increases the risk of heart attacks, and it speeds up the aging process. People
listen to a speaker of the Red Door talk about the reality of abuse. She explained the purpose of their organization, which is to shelter families with abused mothers, and elaborated on the injustice that occurs toward women. A generous donation was given to the organization
typically don’t want to look 55 when they’re 35, and then die of stroke half a year after someone misjudges their age. Wednesday’s event was Civvies Day, a great break from burgundy polo shirts and Scottish bagpipe clothing. Of course, this Civvies Day had a topic and a purpose — to wear the colours of the Indian flag: green, orange, white, and navy blue. This brought attention to the ongoing crisis relating to India’s healthcare each time someone wearing these colours passed through a hall. After school on Thursday, FTC hosted a bake sale. This was the major fundraiser of the week, adding on to the money already raised from Monday’s henna and Wednesday’s Civvies. Along with the great snacks, it would be satisfying to put any spare change and potential bus fare towards a terrific cause. Finally, to end off a highly victorious November week was Friday’s Twitter Contest Raffle. Throughout the week, there was a “Free the Children Red Cross” where students could take a picture and tweet it with #FTCweek and @FTCatWard in order to be entered in Friday’s Raffle. Every time someone retweeted a student’s tweet, they were entered again into the raffle, giving them more chances of winning! Free the Children Week was incredibly successful, raising over $1700, although Mary Ward only teaches around 1100 students. FTC Week is changing the lives of those around the world with the money raised—continuously working with Me to We on its initiative to encourage youth to change the world.
after the presentation, from the students who collected money throughout the week. Subsequently, the club members began their walk around the neighbourhood to spread awareness of male violence toward women. Many held handmade signs
and flashed them to those who walked by while they continuously chanted words that truly brought out their message, “No more silence, end male violence!” It might have been a tiring walk, but their goal to bring attention to a hushed issue was achieved. Fantastic job, Gender Justice!
VOLUME 20 / ISSUE 1 mwplanet 11
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FIFTH AVE.
By Patrisha Ranin The first week of November was a busy one for many senior Art and Tech students as they traveled to New York, one of the cities with the most culture and art in its 5 boroughs. During the 5-day trip, students visited some famous art museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art, tourist sites like the top of the Rockefeller Center, Times Square and Central Park, and villages like SoHo and Chinatown. Aside from authentic New York food, the group was treated to two Broadway shows, Here Lies Love and Fuerza Bruta Wayra, unique in the way that they interact and include the audience into the play. No doubt, Ward Takes Manhattan 2014 was an unforgettable experience for everyone who went.
EA SERDON
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PHOTO BY NICOLE POWELL VOLUME 20 / ISSUE 1 mwplanet 12
PHOTO BY BIANCA GOMBA
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SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
PHOTOS BY BEA SERDON
VOLUME 20 / ISSUE 1 mwplanet 13
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By Andrea Nijmeh
By Sara Ventura Every year, the Mary Ward seniors go on a camping trip for a couple of days as a part of our physical education course. This year the grade 12’s camping trip took place from September 22nd to the 25th at the Sandbanks campgrounds; it took us about 3 hours by bus to get there. The camping trip was very successful in benefitting our physical, sociological and psychological health. Out in the wilderness with limited resources, we were forced to eat, keep warm, shelter ourselves and keep busy with whatever we had. Almost everything we were required to do involved physical activity. Some examples of physical activity that we participated in occurred when we pitched our tents, cooked, washed our dishes and unloaded our belongings off the bus. Since we didn’t have our cell phones to entertain us, we had to find other ways of occupying ourselves. Thus, even during our down time, we would keep active by playing games such as football, volleyball, catch, and Frisbee. The teachers also led us on a two hour night hike as well as a three hour hike through massive sand dunes that was very physically draining. It is evident that camping trips have a positive impact on our physical health as everything we did or anywhere we went required us to move. Camping is very beneficial towards our sociological health as well. In today’s society, people are often antisocial because they are occupied by an electronic device. Camping is a great activity that prohibits all electronics which allows us to spend quality time with our friends and family. As we were camping, everyone enjoyed a unique experience with one another as we had to undergo some obstacles together. Interacting with my friends in a camping setting, I learned more about my friends as well as myself. At night, we shared interesting stories and discussed opinions on various topics. Camping is an important bonding experience that strengthens relationships. It was a healthy change to be parted from our electronics that often make us much more introverted and limit our ability to interact socially with others. VOLUME 20 / ISSUE 1 mwplanet 14
Camping also benefits our psychological health. Our everyday lives in the city are very hectic and stressful. Sometimes we get caught up in our busy lives that we forget to take a breath and spend some quality time with people while relaxing. Camping offers the perfect opportunity for relaxing our bodies physically and mentally. Camping relieves our stress and improves our moods. Breathing in the fresh air in the wilderness not only helps improve our physical health but also decreases stress levels. Spending more time in the sunshine evens out the levels of melatonin, a chemical that can make us feel tired and can induce feelings of depression, thus improving our moods. Overall, camping is
PHOTO BY ANNA SERSANTI
an experience that improves our psychological health because it is a natural, calming environment that makes most people happy and stress free. From my experience camping this year, I can honestly say that everyone on the trip benefitted by going not only physically, but sociologically and psychologically as well. Mary Ward can be very stressful and it is necessary to take a break every once in a while; this trip offered the perfect opportunity. Not only were we able to increase our fitness levels, but we also improved our social relationships with our friends, and created new friendships with people we may otherwise not have interacted with. This trip taught us how to be responsible with our activities, improve our problem solving skills and to keep a positive outlook on all of our activities, especially team activities which were a welcome change compared to Mary Ward’s independent work style. Overall, I am very thankful to have gone on this trip and recommend it to future gym students and other students who need that extra break to take time to relax, have fun and improve health.
Grade 9 Boys Flag Football Coach: Adourian Record: 2 wins, 2 losses The Grade 9 Boys flag football team had a great season, ending with two wins, two losses, and an overall standing of 3rd place. Despite their short season, the boys grew as a team and were able to improve their skills during their one day tournament. Special thanks go out to assistant coaches Adrian Dy, Steve Maliackal, and Jason Samocino. Grade 9 Girls Flag Football Coaches: Kennedy, Sersanti Record: 1 win, 2 losses The Grade 9 Girls flag football team practiced hard, rain or shine, and improved significantly throughout the season. The team had a lot of fun and did well at their tournament. Special thanks go out to assistant coaches Alexis Bonnay, Abigail Dispo, Sophia Evardome, Jennifer Ferrer, and Kimberly Pallarca. Senior Girls Basketball Coaches: Rossi, Dever Record: 5 wins, 4 losses The Senior Girls basketball team has had an incredible season, slam-dunking their way to the TDCAA finals. Despite their best efforts, the girls lost in their final game versus Father Henry Carr, falling just short of OFSAA. Coaches Rossi and Dever would like to congratulate the girls on their “magical” season. Senior Boys Volleyball Coaches: Harrison, Toth, Wong Record: 4 wins, 6 losses The Senior Boys Volleyball team bump, set, and hit their way to the OFSAA Qualifier Finals where they lost to Libermann. However, the team played many intense games and improved over the course of the season. The boys’ hard work and commit ment showed in every game, and coaches Harrison, Wong, and Toth are very proud of the team’s skill and character. Junior Girls Basketball Coaches: Evangelista, Peets, Santola Record: 5 wins, 5 losses The Junior Girls basketball team had an
PHOTO BY BEA SERDON
excellent season, making it to the TDCAA semi finals. The girls became very close over the length of the season, always helping each other both on and off the court. The team showed 110% at every practice and game, picking up 5 wins. Coaches Evangelista, Peets, and Santola are very proud of the girls’ accomplishments, sportsmanship, and love for the game. Varsity Girls Field Hockey Coaches: Bozek, Langlais, Fleishacker Record: 0 wins, 1 tie The Varsity Girls Field Hockey team tried their best this season but unfortunately did not make it to playoffs. Although most of the girls were new to the sport, the team tried their best and managed to tie a game with Cardinal Newman. Coaches Bozek, Langlais, and Fleishacker would like to thank the girls for a great season.
PHOTO BY BEA SERDON
Tennis Coach: Simone The tennis team had their preliminary tournament at The National Tennis Centre at York University in October. Senior Boys Singles player Christopher Li won each of his two matches by a score of eight games to zero, qualifying him for the TDCAA championships. Placing third at TDCAAs, Christopher will be competing at OFSAA this spring. Junior Boys Soccer Coaches: Vecchiarelli, Carabine, Derose Record: 1 win, 4 losses The Junior Boys soccer team played five games and despite losing four, the boys were able to win against their rival team, Libermann. The team did not make it to playoffs although they worked hard and played their best. Coaches Vecchiarelli, Carabine and De Rose are extremely proud of the boys’ skill and commitment. Cross Country Coaches: Carabine, Davies, Hayes, McAndrew, The Varsity Cross Country team competed in four meets within their two month season, including the TDCAA championships at the end of October. Athletes Jerome Jude and Joseph Serrentino qualified for the OFSAA Championships where they competed on November 1st. The coaches would like to thank the team for another great season.
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By Kathreena Tejada muscles working together to form Ever watched professional tennis players on television, moving smoothly on the court as they serve and return hits? Admired the way they hit the ball reflexively, almost without a thought? There’s an art to playing tennis. While hitting a ball with a racket seems simple enough, tennis actually involves a complex chain of
one smooth motion. Playing tennis involves a series of body segments known as the kinetic chain. Tennis players’ feet push against the court to run or jump which creates energy in the feet. This energy is transmitted to the muscles of the lower legs, upper legs, hips, trunk, shoulders, upper arms and finally, the hand. The gastrocnemius and soleus muscles in the lower legs are one of the first
By Samantha Quinto unlinking actin and myosin, the muscle fiber is then able to relax. Ever gone for a run and felt your leg A muscle spasm occurs when any seem to freeze up abnormal activity occurs in any stage without your control; in the aforementioned process. your muscles Mechanisms within the brain, as well as locked in a tight contraction, and the rest of the central nervous system, you become paralyzed with pain? Or help regulate contraction. When these did you ever experience a stomach mechanisms are interrupted in any cramp that left you with your arms way, they can cause a muscle spasm to hugging tight against your abdomen, occur. leaving you praying for the pain to go away? These occurrences are both Causes examples of common muscle spasms, Muscle spasms can occur due to a a phenomenon of the human body variety of reasons. Dehydration, muscle that almost everyone experiences at strain, overuse of a muscle or holding a least once in their life. position for a prolonged period of time may result in a muscle cramp. Mineral What exactly are Muscle Spasms? depletion can also cause muscle Muscles alternately contract and relax cramps—too little potassium, calcium as they are used, and are controlled and magnesium can cause cramps, as voluntarily—therefore, as you move these are all minerals that contribute to your limbs back and forth; you are healthy muscle function. The depletion consciously choosing to move your of electrolytes can also cause cramps, muscles. When a muscle involuntarily as muscles require energy in order contracts without conscious will, it to alternately contract and relax. is then known as a muscle spasm. Muscle cells require enough water, Spontaneous in nature, these muscle glucose, sodium, potassium, calcium spasms come suddenly, and can occur and magnesium to allow the proteins in various muscles of the body. within them to function properly. If any of these resources are low, muscles can How Do They Happen? become irritable and spasm. When you choose to a move a limb, your nervous system and muscle Other possible causes include not system interact. Muscle contraction enough blood getting to the muscles, begins with your brain sending a signal insufficient stretching before exercise, through the spinal cord along nerve muscle fatigue, and malfunctioning cells called motor neutrons, signaling nerves, which can be caused by the request for muscle movement. At problems such as a spinal cord injury the muscle, the motor neutron releases or a pinched nerve in the neck or back. chemicals that stimulate the internal Medical conditions such as alcoholism, release of calcium ions from stores pregnancy, and kidney failure and the within the muscle cell. Muscle proteins taking of certain medication which then interact with these calcium ions, have side effects can also cause muscle which causes the proteins within, cramps. Sometimes, the cause of called actin and myosin, to slide past muscle cramps can also be unknown. one another in order to facilitate muscle movement. Also known as the Symptoms sliding filament theory, this motion The pain of a muscle cramp is localized shortens (contracts) the muscle— on the affected muscle, and is very which is how muscle movement is intense. As the arrival of a muscle done. By recapturing calcium ions and spasm is very sudden, it has the power
major group muscles engaged. The energy created by the feet is transferred to these muscles which get passed on to the quadriceps. Afterwards, the gluteus maximus and medius come into play as they hand over the energy to the abdominals, obliques, latissimusdorsi and erector spinae. The next group of muscles that are part of the kinetic chain include the pectorals, deltoids, rhomboids, and trapezius. These muscles move the energy towards the biceps and triceps and eventually to to debilitate a person temporarily. When the muscle spasm turns into a muscle cramp, the cramp can last from a few seconds to 15 minutes. Muscle cramps can also be accompanied with a hard lump of muscle tissue beneath the skin that can be visible, or can be felt. Muscle cramps are seldom serious enough to require medical care, and usually disappear on their own. Treatments There are several methods to easing the pain sustained from muscle spasms and cramps. The goal of treating muscle spasms is to relax the affected muscle, which can be done by gently stretching or massaging the affected muscle. A hot or cold compress applied to sore muscles can also help ease the pain associated with the muscle spasm: hot cloths, heating pads, cold cloths or
ice can all be used. Walking or using the affected muscle can also provide relief. Usually, self-care measures such as these are sufficient in treating muscle cramps, which typically fade within minutes. If muscle cramps persist for an extended period of time or are being experienced frequently without any palpable cause, it is important to consult a doctor for medical advice. Such symptoms may be signaling towards a medical problem that requires more intensive treatment.
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PHOTOS BY CLKER the flexor and extensor muscles in the forearms, ending the kinetic chain. Tennis provides plenty of benefits. As can be seen, playing tennis involves the implementation of several muscles, all working together to do one motion. Tennis promotes a healthy lifestyle— when combined with proper eating and rest, tennis can help the human body to be in excellent physical shape.
Prevention Methods Prevention methods are the key to avoiding muscle spasms from occurring in the first place. Several prevention tactics can be undertaken to minimize the risk of having muscle spasms. It is important to keep the body wellhydrated, as muscle spasms are often associated with dehydration and electrolyte disturbances. Especially before and during exercise and before doing activities in a warm environment, it is important to drink enough fluids in order to avoid becoming dehydrated. It is also important to maintain proper levels of calcium, magnesium potassium in the body, as these minerals contribute to healthy muscle function.
PHOTO BY BEA SERDON Muscles should also be well-prepared before doing an exercise or any type of heavy labor. Warming up with stretches before the activity and cooling down afterwards can prevent muscle cramps. On the other hand, avoid overusing tired muscles as these can lead to muscle spasms. In general, stretching is recommended before and after for cramps caused by vigorous physical activity, and are also recommended for those who experience cramps before bedtime. VOLUME 20 / ISSUE 1 mwplanet 15
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By Allegra Fiorino If you’re a student, many might be willing to bet that you have music playing right now. Maybe it’s Drake, maybe it’s Fall Out Boy or maybe it’s The Beatles. Whatever the preference, people love listening to their favourite artists every chance they get— maybe even while they study. But is playing your favourite song an easy way to make that homework bearable, or are you hurting your performance? Previous research has found numerous benefits to listening to music before performing a task– it improves attention, memory, and even mental math ability. It has also been found to alleviate depression and anxiety. The more realistic scenario, however, is that students will study or do homework while playing “background music.” A recent study at the University of Wales looked at how background music affects students’ ability to complete a serial recall (remembering items in a specific order) test. Students were given a serial recall test in five different scenarios– 1. A quiet environment 2. With “steady state” speech. This means a single word (in this case, “three”) was repeated for the duration of the test 3. With “changing state” speech. This means a variety of words (in this case, random digits from 1-9) were played during the test 4. With “liked” music, meaning a song of the student’s choice. Students brought in their own music, the only requirement being it had to have vocals 5. With “disliked” music, which in this case was a metal song called “Thrashers” by Death Angel (all students in the study disliked metal) The researchers expected that the changing state speech would have the most detrimental effect on the students’ performance. Think about it like this– changing state is like having to do your homework while someone else is talking. Steady state is more like repetitive background noise (a noisy heater, for example), which is easier to tune out. VOLUME 20 / ISSUE 1 mwplanet 16
Surprisingly, the results actually found no significant difference between test scores with liked music, disliked music, and changing state speech. In other words, whether students enjoyed the music or not, having it on while they worked was just as distracting as hearing someone talk. Scores were significantly higher for tests taken in a quiet environment or with steadystate speech. But before you sadly put your iPod away, feeling that you’ve lost your only way of making homework bearable, consider this: another similar study that tested liked music’s effect on attention found similar results, but the researchers also noticed something intriguing. The students who took a test with music did have a lower average score than those who didn’t have music, but the researchers
PHOTO BY JUSTYNE BENICO noted that there was a lot of variation in the scores. This could imply that the effect of music can vary a lot from person to person, and they believe that more research needs to be done on how factors such as tempo, genre, or whether students are used to having music on, make any difference. Furthermore, it should also be noted that these studies only looked at music with vocals, and not music that was purely instrumental. Research from the University of Dayton found that students performed better at spatial and linguistic processing if Mozart was playing in the background. Perhaps having instrumental music can help performance, since it doesn’t have any distracting vocals. Conclusion: So should you listen to music while you study or do homework? Unfortunately, the answer is “it depends.” It seems like in general, music with vocals is distracting, while instrumental music might actually help your performance.
By Kieona George In today’s day and age, inspirational social media accounts, parents, teachers and posters in the guidance councillor’s office encourage people to either live in ‘the now’ or to think about their future. From my perspective as a student that is currently dealing with this dilemma, it is safe to say that it’s hard to do both, or even think about one for that matter. Living in ‘the now’, and working towards the future each carry hardhitting questions and intimidating risks. If a person only thinks about what’s going on in their immediate present (assignments due in the next week, or what they plan to do next weekend), they will be blindsided by the amount of planning and goals the future requires. If a person only thinks about their future they will miss out on the fun, happy, and unexpected moments that exist in the present. How does one decide where to put their attention? The answer is you don’t. You do not choose between ‘the now’ and the future; you think about them both. Right now, those that like to live in ‘the now’ are probably thinking, “I could die at any moment, now is all I have. I’m not guaranteed tomorrow so why should I use my time to plan for it”. Living to the fullest does not mean only living for today; it means enjoying today to the best of your ability and planning that tomorrow—if it should come—is able to continue on the same frequency as today, if not higher. To those that only look forward, know that it is not worth reaching your destination unless your journey molds you into a better person with your experiences and memories. It is very hard to enjoy what is going on in the present, while simultaneously taking time to prepare for the future. However, it is possible. To make things
easier: • Improve time management skills. Whether that means buying a day planner or working on tasks in order of importance and urgency, DO IT. • Dedicate school days to finishing units and dealing with immediate tasks, then sit down on weekends and plan out how you can accomplish your goals. Without the distractions that school provides, you will have space to focus and reflect. • Play on a sports team for one half of the school year, then use the rest of the time to apply for a job or a volunteer position. By not doing things at the same time, you can be certain that you are giving your all, instead of only investing bits of your time and energy. • Participate in programs and attend events that occur in present time that will help in the long run. Many mentors and companies host workshops or seminars that are beneficial learning experiences. • Organize your ‘everyday’ thoughts. Immediately erase any thoughts of negativity, self-doubt, or worry. Questions like: “Am I doing what I should be doing? What if I’m not thinking about the right things? What opportunities am I missing out on? Should I work on something else?Am I accomplishing things too slowly?” are dangerous. • Do not compare yourself to underachievers or overachievers. Do not think that because a certain celebrity that is the same age as you is accomplishing great things, that you are not doing enough. They have more resources and contacts that can help them. As well, do not think that because you don’t have the next few years planned out that you are doomed. Balancing one’s plans for the present and the future is a life-long practice. You will not know everything in a day. There are many challenges but do not underestimate your abilities. You already took the right step by coming to Mary Ward.
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By Kieona George In elementary, the only source of information about high school came from TV, so it is more than likely that the real thing was quite a letdown compared to the TV’s colourful portrayal of high school. Numerous false representations of high school and high school students are broadcasted in the media. Some of the differences between the depictions on TV and high school in reality are actually very contrasting, surprising, and hilarious:
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nothing like High School Musical. If a person sits with one group one day, and moves somewhere else the next day, the whole cafeteria will not start singing, dancing, and jumping off furniture to talk about the status quo. It is okay to have friends that are interested in different things and that are a part of different groups. Shout out to all TA families! • Talent shows - I was so let down by this one in grade nine. TV high schools lead me to believe that talent shows were some Hollywood style, lightscamera-action kind of event. Tech Crew does hook you up with great sound quality and lighting but it will not look like the talent show in Bratz. However, the Christmas concert in Mean Girls was almost spot-on to the real thing.
• Cafeteria Food - Characters in TV high school usually insult their school’s cafeteria food for being inedible, gross, toxic, and disgusting. Most depictions show scoops of mushy, • Drama o a t m e a l In reality, mixed-withMary Ward m a s h e d does have potato-kindits fair of-blobs being share of dumped on high school student ’s d r a m a . plates. In There are reality, all of the gossip, cafeteria foods f ights, PHOTO BY ROTTEN TOMATOES relationship are delicious things that we’d see in mall food courts. drama, and things teachers don’t I’d be happy with chicken burgers and know about, but it will never get to the cookies plopped in front of me, any day. Degrassi standard. I’m certain that Mary Ward will not have to repeatedly deal • The actual cafeteria - In TV high school, with suicide, fist fights, drugs, guns, and every student has a lunch tray with every other extreme situation Degrassi them, as if no ever heard of a homemade tries to cram in each of its seasons. lunch (saves money people!) .The actual cafeteria is about half the size • Individuals - In reality, there are no of the food court at Scarborough Town Sharpays or Gabriellas in high school. Centre and the whole school can fit No one is so special that they have a into the sitting area. Our reality is that customized double locker or reserved the kitchen area of the cafeteria is the seating in the school. As well, there is size of a seminar room—where the not one person that can transfer to Mary line-up stretches out the door—and Ward and suddenly have everyone be the cafeteria would only fit the whole friends and get along. For all the grade school if everyone was standing up. nines that memorized the lyrics to Fabulous, do as Elsa says and“LET IT GO”! • Clothes and uniform - Can someone please tell me what actual high school • Relationships - I’m sorry, ladies, but you provides uniforms that look as good as will not meet an Augustus Waters, Troy the ones Blair Waldorf and Serena Van Bolton, Chuck Bass, or Stefan Salvatore Der Woodsen had at Constance? The at Mary Ward. They don’t even exist short, short kilts and heels you see on (rest in peace, to all the dreams I’ve just Gossip Girl do not exist at Mary Ward. killed). That kind of romance belongs in TV high school even present “regular Twilight or a John Greene novel. To all clothes” that aren’t actually regular students, not just girls, you are here for clothes. On Civvies Day you will not see an education, not to meet your first love. anyone that is trying as hard as the cast of Pretty Little Liars to look their best In my opinion, our reality is better than for their friends and random students. the media’s version. Our actions and abilities are unexpected, our greatness • Cliques - It is obvious that the Mary is not cut off at the end of an episode, Ward student body is made up of and our lives stretch beyond a script. smaller groups of friends, but we are
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By Kaitlyn Pontanilla It’s Sunday night. There’s a pile of units and textbooks stacked in front of you, an overheated laptop to your left, and your lukewarm cup of coffee to your right. Even though it’s only 11:30pm, there are still three units that need to be finished...that haven’t even been started yet. Now, why are you doing this to yourself? It’s obvious - tomorrow is the next target date. Mary Ward seniors have plenty to worry about. They have units, tests, deadlines, sports, extracurricular, jobs; the list goes on and on. In the most essential year of one’s high school career, it’s almost inevitable that students are going to get stressed. But what EXACTLY is the cause? 32 seniors and 5 teachers were asked why they believe the grade 12s are so stressed. Here’s what they had to say. 4. Procrastination – Have you ever gotten a unit, looked at it, and instantly thought “Hmm…this looks pretty short, I can do it later”? Some may have just started; others may have already mastered ‘the art of procrastination’ long before even entering high school. Overall, it seems almost inevitable at our school. However, sr’s don’t have as much time as they think they do.
PHOTOS BY KAITLYN PONTANILLA Put off your units and the work becomes sloppy, test marks aren’t as good as they could be, and the May-June rush becomes more hectic than ever. 3. Teachers – At a regular school, students always face their teachers and are in constant contact with them. Here at Ward, it can be harder for some to find time to consult or be given encouragement. Sometimes it is the polar opposite – maybe you don’t have time when they need you. It can be a little scary having to talk to your teachers for any reason, and that just makes you more stressed. Just remember that even though they may
stress you out, you have to get over your fear sometime and after all, they only want to help and watch you succeed. 2. Courses/Units – All students have taken courses that make them cry just a little bit, some they take because of post-secondary requirements, a few which are required for graduation, and courses that they take because they enjoy it. Units are the core of why so many students stress. Coursework can be an awful lot of work, but doing units at an unsteady pace can cause us to fall further behind. Although
PHOTOS BY KAITLYN PONTANILLA we want the units to be the best that they can be, it’s hard to hand them all in on time! Units = stress. 1. University/College – The future is finally in sight. It seems like the days of relaxing are over and it’s time to think about what they want to do for the rest of their lives. University and college application seminars have come and gone, and students are faced with many tough decisions. Making decisions about what they want to take postsecondary are not the most stressful things. Meeting the dreaded university deadlines, course requirements, and having solid report card marks add a whole ton of stress on their shoulders. As 2014 comes to an end, a fresh new start can be made in 2015. Christmas break is around the corner, and you’ll be faced with holiday cheer and two weeks of free time. Even if it’s 11:30pm and you’ve still got the stack of units by your bed, the next target date is at least three weeks away. You can do it, seniors! This is your chance to ease some of that stress—you can sleep in, relax, and still have time to finish off that long-overdue unit. Before your final year of high school ends, make sure to make these last few months of the school year count. Interested in seeing what more students had to say? The few selected students and teachers, and their answers can be found on mwplanet.tumblr.com today! VOLUME 20 / ISSUE 1 mwplanet 17
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By Adrienne Dacoco There is no doubt that life at Ward can be a stressful mess. All year round, students are overwhelmed with endless units, conflict-free seminars, and tests. If that isn’t enough, students also have extracurricular activities, clubs, and sports to participate in. With so many tasks to complete, it’s easy for students to take a step back and run away with no intention of looking back. But that’s not really an option. Instead, most students procrastinate. In turn, they become stressed, causing them to procrastinate even more. Think of it as the samsara (endless cycle) that most students have to endure.
units that are due soon, take a long time to complete, and require a lot of effort. Once your priorities are set, you can begin working and crossing of the items on your list. Being organized is another key factor that contributes to staying on track. Students need to be aware of all the units they have to complete, all the meetings they have to attend and all the seminars they have to go to. The simplest way to organize all of these tasks is to write them down in the Mary Ward Bible aka, the agenda. The agenda contains all the necessary tools needed to keep you on the path of organization and efficiency.
Another important skill is time management. Time is one of the things that students at Ward But that’s not the only are constantly battling; approach people can take therefore learning to at Ward. There’s a world manage it where students are on wisely can track, less stressed, greatly help and have healthy students sleeping patterns. to stay on A large part track. First, of being students need successful to set time in Ward is to complete the ability s p e c i f i c to balance tasks, so they all of the don’t overwhelm units, as themselves or neglect well as clubs other things. Second, and sports. leisure activities shouldn’t This can only be the first thing be achieved ILLUSTRATION BY MARY-ANNE BUERANO on their list, and it through proper prioritization, shouldn’t take up the most time. Third, organization, and time management even though it’s difficult to completely skills. stop procrastinating, students should at least make an effort to get things Being in a school like Ward where the done on time. It is best to get work students set their own due dates and done so you have time to watch Netflix complete their units on their own without having to worry about that schedule, it can be difficult to set English unit you need to finish. priorities. But there are several factors to consider that may give a clearer It is surely easier said than done, order of priorities. First, students have but students need to try to develop to decide an ideal due date for the these habits because it will lead to a assignment. Second, they have to less stressful life at high school. Even consider how much time a unit would if it’s impossible for you to give up take to complete; just because the procrastination, lessening it can give unit says it will take around two hours, you an extra pocket of time each does not always mean you’ll finish it day. There are constant reminders in two. Third, they have to estimate to prioritize, organize, and manage which units will take the most effort. time, but it’s really your own decision Then the next step is to compile these whether you want to procrastinate tasks with the top priority being the and become stressed or develop these VOLUME 20 / ISSUE 1 mwplanet 18
habits and succeed.
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By Julia D’Silva Going to the mall around Christmas time can be a battlefield of temptations, especially if you’re not buying anything for yourself. It can be difficult to restrain yourself from buying everything in sight. To help you on this seemingly impossible journey, here are six simple rules for productive Christmas shopping. 1. SET A BUDGET- AND STICK TO IT Let’s be honest, we all know the saying goes “it’s better to give than to receive,” but nobody wants to spend a ton of money on gifts for other people. Make a plan, think about how much you want to spend on each person and walk into the story with a goal on your mind. Whether your budget is $10 or $100, you will be able to find something for everyone on your list. 2. MAKE A LIST You should already have a general idea of what you’re looking for. Going into a store with no gifts in mind is a bad idea that will probably end with a massive receipt and a few tears. Get some ideas and go from there: Cousin Jane likes coffee? Get her a travel mug. Simple, thoughtful presents are more meaningful than extravagant and impersonal things. 3. START EARLY Christmas will be here before you know it! This doesn’t mean that you have to
start shopping in July, but don’t leave it to the last minute. Get some ideas and try to have your list complete by mid-November. This will help you avoid long lines and cranky employees. 4. DO YOUR RESEARCH Don’t just run into the first store you see, buy everything, and consider yourself done. Take some time to check out a few different stores and compare prices. You don’t want to end up paying $30 for something you could’ve gotten for $25. It all adds up in the end! 5. STAY FOCUSED Once you get to the mall, remain calm. Make sure you have your list and enough money only for what you are buying (and maybe a snack). Try not to wander around the mall. Go right to the stores you have to go to and don’t get distracted by the pretty window displays and cheerful music. You don’t want to make four trips to the mall when you could’ve been finished in one. 6. ONCE YOU HAVE WHAT YOU NEED, LEAVE The best way to avoid spending too much time and money at the mall? Leave. Collect everything you need and then get out of there! You’re going to need some time to wrap all your presents anyway. The most important thing to remember is that Christmas shopping should be fun. Spend wisely, stay hydrated, and enjoy your Christmas shopping!
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By Joyce Gialagon On October 24, 2014, the popular TLC program “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo” was cancelled due to accusations of “Mama” June Shannon dating her ex-boyfriend who is a registered sex offender. This case happens to involve June’s very own daughter, Anna Cardwell, who claims that she was sexually assaulted in 2004 at only 8 years of age. The man in question is Mark McDaniel who was convicted on May 20, 2004 for child molestation. McDaniel, however, has been recently admitted out of prison after serving his 10year sentence for his crime.
WACT WACT Thompson. Anna has clearly stated that if the worst case scenario occurs and Alana is taken from June, she will live under Mike’s care. Lee, who insists that June said Mark was “gay” when he was first introduced, found June, Alana, and Mark cuddled up together in bed during their vacation. “She’s smiling and giggling when he’s around,” continues Anna. “You know, he’s a child molester, Mama. He did this to me. Why would you let him come around the girls knowing what he did? And reportedly done it to another girl? And Mama was like, ‘Oh, he never done it to another girl.’”
“Here Comes Honey Boo Boo” first aired in August of 2012. The show focused on a young girl named Alana who became famous for her pageantry on another “It’s Mama’s fault,” Anna show named “Toddlers Cardwell reports on an & Tiaras.” Their article by New York ratings have Daily News. “She has d r o p p e d to live with it. She has drastically brung the past back over the past few and now she can’t get seasons, bringing in it away. I’m mad. I’m only 1.7 million viewers upset. I feel betrayed. rather than their highest PHOTO BY APARTMENTLIST I feel very hurt. That’s the of 3.2 million. main thing that I am — I feel very hurt that Mama let him come around.” “We just want to thank, from the bottom of our hearts, the support we’ve had June claims that these accusations are from our fans… This experience has false; in September, however, Honey been awesome to us,” states June, “The Boo Boo’s father Mike “Sugar Bear” girls have been able to do things that Thompson and June split up. Although they would not normally be able to do.” they were not legally married, the Although the show has confirmed its former couple exchanged vows in cancellation, TMZ has released that the front of their children. TMZ has a fifth season of the show has already photograph of June and Mark together been filmed and will premiere near the which proves otherwise. end of this year. TLC’s main priority is to support the health and welfare of these Lee Thompson, better known as “Uncle children so that they may continue to Poodle,” is fighting for temporary live comfortably. custody over Alana “Honey Boo Boo”
By Kieona George The popular 90’s sitcom Boy Meets World has been brought back to television screens as 2014’s Girl Meets World. For those that are not knowledgeable of Boy Meets World, what needs to be pointed out was that it was a famous 90’s sitcom starring Ben Savage as Cory Matthews, a boy going through the coming-ofage trials of adolescence. Each episode delivered everyday life lessons about self, friends, and family for seven seasons, starting in 1993 and ending in 2000. Fast forward to 2014 and
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By Edy Tatomir
“I’m Professor Annalise Keating and this is Criminal Law 100 or, as I prefer to call it, How To Get Away With Murder.” Anyone who watches the groundbreaking new show, How To Get Away With Murder, knows those words by heart. Annalise Keating (Viola Davis) is everything you wish for in a criminal law professor - passionate, brilliant, fascinating - but she’s also everything you don’t expect - seductive, dangerous, maybe even a killer. She selects five of her top first-year law students to work for her criminal defense firm and they end up entangled in a murder plot that not only shakes the entire university to the core, but also changes the course of their lives for the worst.
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This show has easily become an obsession to anyone who watched the pilot. If you’re a fan of Harry Potter, Dean Thomas (Alfred Enoch) has transferred from Hogwarts to Middleton University as Wesley Gibbons and has somehow managed to go from Community College graduate to top of the class, helping Annalise’s clients, guilty or innocent. Viola Davis also makes her mark on this show week after week with an outstanding performance. Davis can make you feel the emotions she
now you have Girl Meets World. Girl by her rebellious best friend, Maya Meets World airs every week on Family Hart (played by Sabrina Carpenter), her channel starring—once again—Ben good friend and love interest Lucas Friar (played by Peyton Meyer), and her Savage as Cory Matthews. However, the series weird, intelligent, friend Farkle (played by Corey follows the comingFogelmanis). of-age problems and situations that The show still has Cory’s daughter, Riley Matthews (played by the old school 90’s vibe within the heartRowan Blanchard), PHOTO BY WINGWIRE warming family life has to deal with in middle school. The show allows Boy lessons it presents, but it also has Meets World fans to see what Cory’s a modern touch with the colourful life is like after he married Topanga classrooms, stylish outfits, and pop(played by Danielle Fishel). The couple culture behaviour of the students. lives in New York with their 5-year-old Some say that the quality of shows son Auggie (played by August Maturo), on Family Channel is deteriorating to and their 12-year-old daughter, Riley. the point where you should just skip In most episodes, Riley is accompanied the channel on the guide, but the
expresses; that’s the kind of power she has on camera. If you’ve ever watched an episode, you’d know how her words give you chills. The character development of this show seems decent, having chosen an MVP for each episode to tell their back stories and get a glimpse into their lives beyond the classroom. Viewers argue that some of the main characters don’t seem to relate to one another, almost as if they’re randomly selected actors waiting for their big break. This, however, simply isn’t true. We’re used to years of shows with characters that get along like they’re family, and having students in a law school environment where everything is a competition seems odd and peculiar to us even though it’s reality. This is a Shonda Rhimes produced show, the same woman that gave you Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal. How To Get Away With Murder has grouped with Shonda’s other groundbreaking shows for one Thursday night, every week, called TGIT (Thank God It’s Thursday.) Greys at 8 PM, Scandal at 9 PM, and How To Get Away With Murder at 10 PM, making it the perfect night of any week. The winter finale passed in November, revealing what really happened the night of the murder and, if you watched it live like I did, you’d know how much the weeks of waiting was worth it. If murder isn’t really your thing, I’d suggest Scandal or even Revenge. Okay, I lied. There’s murder in both - there’s murder in practically every show nowadays so you better get used to unethical and immoral things on your TV. The premiere for the second half of the season is in January, so I suggest you catch up before someone ruins it for you.
network did make a smart decision by producing Girl Meets World. By the end of an episode you will have faith that not all television shows meant for kids and young adults are stupid representations of what marketers think happen during adolescence. Even though the episodes take place in middle school, the show presents problems and lessons that high school students can still relate to. New episodes of Girl Meets World air Friday at 7, so make sure to check out the only sitcom on Family Channel that will make you smile, laugh, and appreciate the fact that friends and family are important elements in growing up. VOLUME 20 / ISSUE 1 mwplanet 19
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or Voltes V, the same ones who prove that the power of friendship is the strongest of all. Disney’s getting much better at creating three-dimensional characters with real flaws and motivations—even the villains—and it shows in Big Hero 6. Hiro is relatable and easy to sympathize with; Tadashi is an admirable model figure for children; and GoGo, Honey Lemon, Wasabi and Fred are a quirky bunch of loyal and righteous people who use their intelligence and passion to help a friend. Most of all, Baymax is a lovable, gentle robot who develops human characteristics that endear him to the audience.
be the face of the rebellion, the Mockingjay.
By Kieona George It has arrived! The third movie installment of the Hunger Games series hit theatres November 21st shocking fans across the globe. The trailer, if you haven’t seen it, forecasts that the movie is more emotionally grave, and serious than the last. Katniss’ previous stunt of shooting an arrow at the Quarter Quell’s force field, causing the whole arena to break down, has left Peeta and Johanna Mason to be trapped and tortured in the Capitol, while Katniss, Haymitch, Gale, Finnick, Effie, Plutarch Heavensbee, and the president of District Thirteen President Coin try to keep the fire of rebellion going as they work in the PHOTO BY TREBORY6 undergrounds of District Thirteen. Before anything begins Katniss travels to the ruins of what was once District Twelve, discovering the aftermath of the firebombs. The paths and buildings are unrecognizable, with debris everywhere. Katniss even steps on a human skull as she walks through the square. Viewers see how the abduction of Peeta has damaged Katniss, emotionally and mentally. She is almost always shaking with nerves but she manages to begin to put herself back together to
By Nicole Crawford and Serena Singh Percy Jackson and his friends have to overcome their greatest obstacle yet: one must fall for the fate of the world and their friendships must survive the biggest apocalypse their two worlds have ever faced. At the beginning of this sequel series VOLUME 20 / ISSUE 1 mwplanet 20
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Katniss, however, is not the only character that has to remain stable in the confining and dull conditions that the By Patrisha Ranin atmosphere of District Thirteen creBig Hero 6 is Disney’s ates. Effie Trinket has a hard, yet comenewest animated dic time of accepting that the days in film, following huge the Capitol are over, so she might as successes like Frozen well make the best of things by styling and Monsters Unigrey scarves around her head instead versity. Admittedly, it of colorful wigs. wasn’t a smashing blockbuster hit that stayed in pop culture months and years When the team is set, the real action after its release but the question is, did starts. Katniss is put into a new hard- it match up to its predecessors storycore and fierce battle outfit for the wise? The Setting: “propos” (videos of Katniss in the field The movie takes place and shouting out powerful statements The Plot: many years into the fuof encouragement) that are meant to It’s inspirational at ture in a hybrid of San encourage the districts to keep fight- first—a boy genius, Francisco and Tokyo ing. The propos are successful in some who previously did not (aptly named San Frandistricts; the forms of rebellion that want anything to do sokyo). The city’s archicome from District Four and District with college, sees the tecture is a fascinating Seven will leave you stunned. endless wonders and mix of the eastern and possibilities it could western worlds—San As if it were possible, President Snow bring him and strives Francisco’s steep slopes seems more evil than ever. He uses for a scholarship, with and trams combined Peeta to taunt Katniss, enforces greater his future and his with Tokyo’s towers, train workloads and harsher guards onto brother as motivation. system and cherry bloscitizens, and orders the execution Then, of course, just som trees. The society’s of masses of people. White roses are like everything in life, PHOTO BY DISNEY various scientific adabundant in certain scenes as they are Murphy’s Law kicks in, and the vances are also evident throughout the the signature of President Snow and whole mood of the movie changes dra- movie, the telltale sign that this world is act as message to Katniss that Snow matically. From soft and lighthearted, decades and decades away from ours. will keep fighting as well. it goes to headbanging, action-packed It’s a nice fictional place to be lost in for goodness, but also with sprinkles of an hour and a half. Mockingjay Part 1 screens the emo- comedy and, surprisingly, a load of sadtional and artillery preparation for the ness for a kids’ movie. There’s a “plot Overall: eruption of battle that will take place twist”, the phrase in quotation marks It’s a wonderful family movie to watch. in part two. Every character is trying to because it was predictable, having As always, Disney teaches kids and parrebuild their self so they can serve as been done to death, but it doesn’t take ents alike the importance of family and their best when the actual war breaks away much of the movie’s interesting friendship and a whole slew of valuable out. Do not expect serious combat or qualities. morals while, at the same time, providextreme fighting in the movie; expect ing good entertainment. “It’s a good to feel your emotions strained and pas- The Characters: Avengers for kids,” Bea said, discussing sionate excitement for when Katniss The main ensemble is the classic Five- the parallels between the two. Truly, it’s has revenge on President Snow for Man Band (plus one) seen in a lot of sci- not as popular as Frozen, but it’s not a what he did to Peeta and Panem. fi movies and shows like Power Rangers Disney film that should be discounted. for Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Percy receives the following prophecy: “Seven half-bloods shall answer the call; to storm or fire the world must fall; an oath to keep with a final breath; and foes bear arms to the doors of death.” Fans of the first and second series have been hooked since the first chapter of this action packed adventure. After many years of waiting, the grand finale for this amazing series was finally published and released on October 7, 2014. The enthusiasm was amazing and many of the books were sold as soon as they hit the stores. This enthusiasm is, in part, credited to the fact that the books in this series have been coming out throughout our childhood and lots of people have grown up with them. Many of you may remember reading through the chapters, getting excited
over the endings, and anxiously awaiting the sequel when you realized that that was not the end. For fans who do not like to read, Percy Jackson has now become a movie series. Unfortunately for them, plenty of books are better than films, which definitely holds true for this final book. “Fans will revel in the adventures, wit, and memorable characters found in this thundering conclusion to The Heroes of Olympus series,” says Carolyn Phelan (Reviewer of Blood of Olympus.) The second series written by Rick Riordan is titled “Heroes of Olympus” and follows the main character, Percy Jackson, after “Percy Jackson & the Olympians.” In the last book, Blood of Olympus, Percy Jackson and his new friends must travel across Europe to stop an
all-powerful goddess from destroying the world. Fans of the book series will finally have their biggest questions answered: Who will win, Demigods or Titans? Which of the seven must die? What happens to Percy and Annabeth? The only real way to get these answers is to read this action-packed and heartfelt conclusion yourself. Fans will not be disappointed in anything other than the fact that Rick Riordan won’t be publishing anymore Percy Jackson books. Luckily, fans of Rick Riordan’s works won’t be disappointed for long, as he is publishing a new series about Norse Gods that you definitely won’t want to miss!
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creative spaces
By Marla Miranda Let’s face it; everyone watches YouTube, whether it is for educational purposes or for leisure. With approximately one hundred hours of video being uploaded per minute, and six billion hours of video watched per month (statistics as of April 21, 2014), there is no doubt that YouTube has become an important part of people’s lives and a prominent channel for communication all over the world. Now, YouTube is not just globally well-known and widely used, but has also gotten so big that they have established a festival for it! Yes, you read that correctly; a festival that even involves a red carpet. I personally attended the festival myself on Saturday, October 18, 2014. As some of you may already know, this festival I speak of is none other than the Buffer Festival. An exciting three By Denise Velasco The first artist to sell 1 million copies of an album in just one week, Taylor Swift claims to be the only artist to ever replace herself on the number one spot in the Billboard charts, releasing her album titled ‘1989’ this October. Since then her songs Shake it Off and Blank Space have been hitting the charts and I have to say that this album is her best one so far. We all know that most her songs are related to her exes, but ‘1989’ makes such a bold statement about her as a female artist. I admired Taylor more as I listen to her album, as she has not failed to show the world that she still have what it takes after several albums. Many became seriously attached to this album (including myself ) and frankly, I played it on repeat for more than a week. Taylor’s incredible skill in music writing and her confidence to express herself is very evident throughout this particular album which makes it such a successful hit. Here is a track-by-track By Rebekah Barona Well-known for their catchy synths and anthemic choruses, the Grammy awardnominee Bastille took the world by storm last year with their hit single ‘Pompeii’ and they are back with new songs in their third installment of mixtapes titled ‘VS. (Other People’s Heartache, Pt. III)’. Bastille toured across Europe and North America while also headlining a number of music festivals, including Coachella and iHeart Radio, performing songs from their #1 debut album ‘Bad Blood’. The next step is a new mixtape, ‘VS.’, which is the successor of their previous mixtapes ‘Other People’s Heartache’ parts I and II. These mixtapes are experimental collaboration EPs. They are a creative outlet for the band where they can experiment with different genres of music, and work
day event, first held just last year, this three former PayPal employees, Chad celebration features some of YouTube’s Hurley, Steve Chen and Jawed Karim most famous from all around the in a small headquarters situated above world as they gather and host live a pizzeria and Japanese restaurant in shows together, including exclusive San Mateo, California. From being an video clips and a meet angel-funded enterprise and greet session right from a makeshift office after the show. The best in a garage to having a part? It is held exclusively gigantic headquarters in Downtown, Toronto in San Bruno, California every year (which is (with a full-length lap awesome since it is fairly pool and large slides for close by). As I waited for stairs) the amount of the different ’YouTubers’, change and growth of along with approximately this once small enterprise over a hundred people to is phenomenal. arrive, I came to realize just how enormous the YouTube has expanded YouTube society has PHOTO BY SHORTYAWARDS greatly from being ‘just grown over the past nine a video-sharing website’ years. to being an employer of individuals who both monitor the YouTube the website, was first website and the discovery of talent. Take activated on February 14, 2005 by the example of Justin Bieber, Charice review of my top 5 tracks in 1989. Blank Space This track stands out to me the most; I immediately fell in love with it once I heard the chorus. The wonderful lyrics are accompanied by an upbeat tune and a soothing melody. It is probably the biggest indirect song to all the men she ever dated, but it truly sends a bold statement. Taylor has always showed confidence to express herself through her song, and this one is definitely one of the best one she has ever written. Style Style is one of the best tracks in the album, because of its catchy uplifting melody and meaningful lyrics. The song also has an incredibly nostalgic feel to it (not to mention that it might be about Harry styles whom Taylor Swift dated recently). It is honestly my favourite track; the catchy chorus never fails to get me to sing along.
Welcome to New York This dreamy upbeat song will really get you to sing along with its 80’s vibe melody. It may sound like an irrelevant opening song to the album, but it actually pertains to Taylor’s personal life since she recently moved to New York and transitioned to being a pop music artist. An upbeat song like this is probably the best opener for the album as the repetitive chorus lyrics surely catches everyone’s attention and encourage them to listen more. The song truly captured the city of New York that they even appointed Taylor as the official ambassador of their city. Out of the Woods An outstanding track. It has an indie eerie melody and deep meaningful lyric that make the song flow so well. It is just one of those songs that makes me admire Taylor Swift more because of her amazing lyrical skills. I would also say that this can be classified as one
with a variety of Aplin, and more. artists and Some of the producers. songs they “It’s always covered are been really the kind important you would to me to not think an constantly electronicmake new rock band music and w o u l d also to c o v e r , collaborate such as a with people, mash-up something of ‘Angels’ we don’t by The XX really do on and one of our proper the classics, albums. I love having the side lane of PHOTO BY DIY MAGAZINE ‘No Scrubs’ by our mixtapes as a place where we can TLC. Arguably make music people might not expect,” the band’s most interesting work, they said frontman Dan Smith on the band’s definitely show a talent for production website. and ideas. The first two mixtapes comprised of covers and samples from films, with collaborations with Ella Eyre, Gabrielle
In ‘VS.’, there are no covers. Instead, each song in the EP was written and recorded throughout the year,
Pempengco, and Kate Upton who all commenced their journey to fame on YouTube.com. Some of YouTube’s consistent uploaders have been able to achieve their fame without having to go outside of YouTube. Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg (Pewdiepie), Tyler Oakley, Tim Chantarangsu (Timothy Delaghetto) and Lilly Singh (Superwoman), are just some of the most prevailing ‘YouTubers’ out there. Now that YouTube’s number of videos, views and users are soaring higher and higher each day, it also continues to constantly dominate the world of media. Is it possible that YouTube will become the primary source of video media thus, once day possibly replacing television? After all, YouTube is similar to what our televisions have to offer. With channels, live streams and archived videos, YouTube is clearly capable of providing us with a sufficient load of videos and perhaps maybe even more in the future. Who knows? Only time will tell. of her best songs of all time because of the amount of emotion behind the metaphorical lyrics. Shake it Off Definitely the highlight of the album (because of its fun beat and lyrics) this song really shows Taylor’s personality. The carefree vibe of the song makes it so unique; it will literally make you get up, dance and shake it off! It is just catchy, charming and overall fun. Overall, this is an album I would totally recommend to a friend. It says so much about Taylor Swift as a music artist. It is not that easy to switch genres as a music artist, but Taylor proves to her fans and supporters through this album that she is continuously growing as an artist. It is officially my most favourite album of hers; the overall sound is catchy, upbeat and dreamy. Each track has something unique to it, whether it be the melody, lyrics or the feel and emotion to it. It extremely exceeded my expectations; I give it five stars.
in between concerts, backstage at festivals, or whenever time allowed them. ‘VS.’ features collaborations with HAIM, Angel Haze, Rag N Bone Man, and several more. The mixtape ranges from hip hop to chill electronic and everything in between, surprising the listener with a new sound as each track ends and the next begins. It shows just how fearless the band is in experimenting with other genres they do not usually associate with. Bastille’s ‘VS.’ was released on December 9, 2014. The mixtape keeps their fans satisfied with new content as they work on their anticipated second album, which is rumoured to be released in early 2015. Although ‘VS.’ may be unexpected to those accustomed to ‘Bad Blood’, it showcases Bastille’s ability to experiment fearlessly, and their talent for production. VOLUME 20 / ISSUE 1 mwplanet 21
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WACT
creative spaces
By Kieona George I try to be that person that can take on so much But my shoulders aren’t that strong They say, “put your eggs in more than one basket” So I throw pieces of myself As my control is withdrawn The model face of multitasking is supposed to be Calm, cool, and collected But the closest I can get to that Is stress and worry redirected Do I call myself a failure, If I can’t meet all the deadlines? Because there’s a fine line
Between Time management and plain “I can’t handle it” How do you stay on track, Without suffering from a relapse Of stress and anxiety? Our little society Of agendas and lanyards Hold success to unreasonable standards That say, Because We Believe: Mental breakdowns belong with every target date I want to be a student that finishes early But I’m not sure if the achievement is worthy Of the cost of my mental health You might just call me lazy
But maybe Lazy, is rushing to finish Instead of taking your time So you don’t diminish Those beautiful qualities that make you Who you are You can still go far Even if you smell the roses So my final advice to you is to Never bite off more than you can chew
PHOTO BY JUSTYNE BENICO
(ESL)
(ESL)
By Tony Zhai
By Kaden Chen Let’s have a trip To Niagara Falls – The sign of Canada. Take the boat, Go under the falls, Hear the sounds of the water, Touch the water that splashes up, Relax the tired heart, Cooled down by the water, Get into nature. Oh! Niagara Falls.
PHOTO BY KATLYN DEGAMO
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PHOTO BY FATIMA CASTILLO
By Kimberly Ng For the sake of winning arguments, We destroy relationships. For that moment of hatred that overcomes us, Making us cut the other with words, That weren’t thought out, And could never be taken aback, Wished to be unsaid, To be taken aback. Learn to hold your tongue little one For words are sharper than any sword. Use them wisely To rekindle, Not as a weapon. Then, maybe this world would be a happier place
PHOTO BY BEA SERDON Once, I walked down Yonge St., The longest street in the world. Many places to shop and eat, Different cultures, different people are mixed, I was pleased, I love this street.
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(ESL) By G.H. There’s a wonderful place in the world, “Canada’s Wonderland” I would say so, If you ask me of my favourite place in the world, I’ll bring you to that Wonderland you want to know. PHOTO BY CINDY CHEN
You will see people everywhere, They are buying tickets, They are lining up for rides, And you see their screaming faces. You will hear noises everywhere, They are screaming on the rides, They are talking to friends And you hear the babies’ loud cries. You will smell food everywhere, There is Pizza Pizza, There is Subway, And there are hot dogs which you should try. You will taste snacks everywhere, There are many ice cream stores, There are drinks if you’re thirsty, And there are funnel cakes which you can’t even miss. Canada’s Wonderland is wonderful, If you have been there, It’s going to be one of the reasons why you love summer, You will fall in love with it, I promise.
(ESL) By Shuming Zhang Let me take you to China, You will love it there. Everywhere you go, You can eat and smell some foods – Cheap and delicious. You can see some fashion buildings everywhere, Because China is rich. China has some traditions – You can never finish studying them. I love China. I’m Chinese. Now, I miss my schools, My classmates, My friends, My family, My hometown. I miss everything in China!
(ESL) By Mina Chu
PHOTO BY BEA SERDON
Hot winds blow on my back, Busy streets full of life and chatter Of people trying to Sell and buy discounted prices and bargains. Students unhappy on their way to school, School bags heavy with books and homework. A whole city running like a speed movie Going on forever and having no rest.
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creative spaces
funand and games fun games
By Andrea Nijmeh
By Joselyn Wong The white winter snow, Dances from the patches of grey sky, Swirling to the ground leisurely, Like skaters on smooth ice.
Lost in this Christmas turmoil, We lose sight of what’s important, As we focus on the glittering presents, Wrapped in gold, gleaming foil.
A serene snowy blanket, soft and silver, Reflects the rays of sunshine, In luminous bands of light, painting the ground, Glistening, glimmering, dusted in sparkling white.
We open them eagerly with anticipation, Only to discover they are not what they seem, Things that may be beautiful, big, and impressive, Can disappoint and fail our expectations.
Twinkling red and green tinsels, Strewn onto street lamps, Colourful lights decorating houses, Creating a Winter Wonderland. Oh, how beautiful Christmas is! With harmonies and melodies, serenading the air, Voices of all in joyous unison, Lifting the hearts of all. But through this jolly spirit, Stress and frustration occurs, Obliterating all sense of peace, As chaos and pandemonium prevails. Numerous big red signs, Screaming S-A-L-E in bright bold letters, Initiating people to buy in hectic frenzy, Filling stores with countless customers. Milling arms and legs, Stretching, straining, reaching for things, With lists being made and bills being paid, People are surely in disarray. But what is with the cacophony of sounds? Overwhelming and loud. Should we not be at home, Spending time with those we love?
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So what is Christmas really about, If not the gifts and bags of goods? For not all things can be bought, Some can only be given from the heart. Now tell me dear reader, What is the true meaning behind Christmas? I cannot give you the answer, For it is up to you to find out. But what I believe is Christmas, Is about giving to the less fortunate, Helping and being there to those around us, Spending time with family and those whom we love. Gathered in unity, With laughter and merriment, A wonderful gift has been given, Encompassed in happiness and delight. For truly‌ Love is the greatest gift of all. There is no better Christmas, Than one filled with warmth and love.
ILLUSTRATION BY MARY-ANNE BEURANO
By Bianca Gomba