Mary Ward Planet - Vol.22, Issue 1, Spring 2016-2017

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MARY WARD PLANET

volume 21 || issue 3 || summer edition 2016

parler -e -ons -es -ez -e -ent

Te s t i n g | U S E l e c t i o n s | N YC Tr i p

tableof of contents contents table

cover

exec team

Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s 03 Executives

15 Sports

Sports Wrap Up Gold for Canada Auston Matthews Mitch Marner: The Rookie We Should Be Talking About

04 Editorial

18 La Petite Planete

05 World Issues

La Connexion Franglaise Des Madeleine Magnifiques!

Les Outils Utiles L’interdiction de Burkini La Télévision

Politicians or Morticians?

The Divided States of America He Said, She Said Great Barrier Grief A Worsening Refugee Crisis In Italy The UN’s New Secretary General Colin Kaepernick’s Silent Protest Black Lives Matter

20 Wact

Waking Up From the Manic Pixie Dream You Won’t Believe These Shocking Hidden BuzzFeed Secrets Discarding What is Useless, Like the Critics The Explosive New Samsung

09 Life

22 Creative Spaces

Try Saving for a Change Choosing a Post-Secondary Pathway Cultural Appreciation vs. Cultural Appropriation Have a Hard Time Handling Stress? Try These Easy Steps

‘She’ But Don’t Expect Us To Believe You Changing Dexterity

11

Community Community Wrap-Up The End of Honest Ed’s After 2:50 New York Trip OASIS

Cover Page Aiken Chau

Nicole Fernandes John Velasco Jamie Edghill Serena Singh Karen Tseng Julia D’silva

LAYOUT DESIGNERS Yanelle Bardhan-Mendonca Madeleine MacIsaac-Sun Nimmy Ayekun Andrea Nijmeh Anjuli Joachim Serena Singh

23 Fun & Games Comic Art Show Logo Winner Crossword

Mary-Anne Buerano Naomi Fernandes Joyce Giolagon Sabrina Percy Aiken Chau Yuki Tam

Coloured PAGES Aiken Chau & Mary-Anne Buerano

All content © 2016-2017 Mary Ward Catholic Secondary School. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this newspaper, in part of whole, is prohibited without the approval of the Planet executive members. The Mary Ward Planet is the official student newspaper of Mary Ward C.S.S. All members of the Mary Ward community may voluntarily contribute to the Planet. Everyone exhibits professionalism and respects one another in all exchanges while keeping Christian values and practices. All submitted articles, layouts, and photography are subject to moderation. Material submitted is subject to approval by the Executive, staff moderators, and administration. All material must positively support the ideas and spirit of Mary Ward Catholic Secondary School. Mary Ward Catholic Secondary School is a self-directed learning centre located at 3200 Kennedy Road that was founded in 1985. It became a member of the CCSDL (Canadian Coalition of Self-Directed Learning) in 1995.

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exec team team exec

table of contents

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editorial

Planet Executive

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MESSAGE FROM THE EDITORS

The MW Planet is back in orbit and with the new year, we’re bringing new surprises! Within your hands is hours upon hours of work and dedication put together by our wonderful exec team, skilled writers, devoted photographers, talented artists, and of course the help of Ms. Powell.

However, we also couldn’t do this without you- the readers. Your endless support and continued interest are what motivates us to keep doing what we’re doing.

So flip through the beautifully designed pages and glance through the wide selection of articles ranging from politics to life advice… but don’t confuse the two.

On behalf of the Planet exec team I hope you enjoy this issue and we wish you all a merry Christmas!

- ANDREA & MADELEINE

Letters to the Editors Now it’s your turn! Have a response to the editorial or any articles? The MW planet wants your comments, questions, and concerns.

Visit mwplanet.tumblr.com/letterstotheeditor we would love to hear your voice! All opinions are welcome.

Ms. Powell Teacher Advisor

Yanelle BardhanMendonca

World Issues Editor

Andrea Nijmeh Madeleine MacIsaacSun Editor-in-Chief

Nimmy Ayeukin

WACT Editor

Assistant Editor-in -Chief

John Velasco

WACT Editor

Serena Singh Online Editorin-Chief

Nicole Fernandes

Sports Editor

Sabrina Percy Junior Editor

Jamie Edghill Community Editor

Naomi Fernandes

Junior Editor

Julia D’Silva Redactrice

Anjuli Joachim Life Editor

Aiken Chau Art Editor

Karen Tseng Online Sports ww

Yuki Tam Webmaster

Joyce Giogalon Creative Spaces

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editorial editorial

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PUTTING TESTING TO THE TEST The word “test” is capable of inspiring nervousness in any student, and this rings true for the Mary Ward student in particular. All are familiar with the process of receiving a test authorization, the counting down of days – perhaps asking a teacher for a re-authorization – and the journey to

and the less likely they are to do well.

On top of that, students are often times unsatisfied with the work they put forth on tests, feeling that it is not the best that they can do. “When doing tests I feel like I can’t give my best potential versus assignments. I can easily take my time doing assignments and read

used talents can be put to use, as well as helping them develop their analytical and processing skills further.

However, not every test involves only memorization. For example, math and science tests are typically application based assessments

PHOTO BY NATALIE ALMOSA

the Test Centre. It can be a relatively anxiety-inducing process, which raises the question: how useful are tests?

When taking tests students may experience a great deal of stress, which can be due to factors such as the surrounding environment or time constraints. This stress can easily affect test results, even if the student is wellversed on the required material. “I tend to perform much worse on tests because of anxiety and lack of confidence,” says Kristina Soodhoo, a grade 12 student, “With assignments I have freedom of time and many resources, which make me more comfortable. I also find that when doing tests I don’t do as well than with assignments, because I’m not in a comfortable setting,”. This effect is amplified as one’s high school life progresses and tests become increasingly important - the more important the test, the more likely one is to stress out about it, VOLUME 22 / ISSUE 1 mwplanet 04

over my stuff to make sure I’m satisfied.

With tests I feel like I’m rushing and sometimes I forget the stuff I need to write,” states Elyssa Plaza, another grade 12 student. Although tests are meant to assess knowledge, they seem to negate their own purpose; even if a student truly possesses adequate knowledge, it may not translate properly onto paper.

Assignments involving critical thinking and analysis rather than reiterating the information learned offer an opportunity for students to apply their knowledge in ways that best serve their strengths. For example, audio learners may find that they can better display their knowledge through means other than a test, such as a presentation of a radio commercial or a dramatic rendition of a soliloquy. The option of applying their recently acquired knowledge in a way that makes the most sense to the student will provide them an instance where their rarely

of a student's ability to apply the formulas and equations they have learned throughout unit. These tests evaluate an individual based on their understanding of key concepts. Some other more language based subjects have a mix of rote memorization and personal reflection, for instance by writing specific information about an important researcher, and then writing an essay on how the subject has personally affected the student. Each of these examples allow the student to combine their ability to memorize with applying their knowledge in ways other than spewing back information like a human version of Google.

Almost as important as the actual test itself are the study methods students often rely on, one of the most popular ones being rote memorization. While the concept of the test seems logical and just, some tests reinforce the idea that information should simply

be memorized and regurgitated. This deviates from any kind of meaningful learning and critical thinking; many students can attest to the fact that in situations of this kind course material is forgotten more quickly than it was memorized. Rote memorization is a learning method that relies entirely on repetition, and while it is beneficial for learning the alphabet or numbers, it doesn’t allow students to develop a deeper understanding of a subject.

Regurgitating information may help a student to ace a test, but that student may not have fully understood the concepts to begin with. This method lacks creativity and appeal, and while it can be a good place to begin, a majority of the time it is not the way humans interact with the world around them.

Humans learn best by seeing how familiar concepts can be applied to challenging problems. It has even been said that there is no actual link between memorization and intelligence, in fact learning to simply repeat back facts can often conceal a student's genuine understanding of the topic. Education should not be a journey of logical discovery and thoughtful exploration, but a call- and- response game. So while rote learning does have its benefits, it should only be implemented when a student is trying to learn facts, and tests should be made in a way that encourages students to combine these memorized facts with critical thinking.

In recent years, the obsession with achievement and high marks has snowballed, balancing on the precipice of a steep cliff. When it comes to tests, students can be driven to extremes, adopting the age-old saying “desperate times call for desperate measures”.

In light of all this, tests often leave much to be desired in spite of their important function - that is, to assess a student’s knowledge and understanding of a subject. Although they often contain conceptual and applicationbased questions - which are very effective - certain kinds of questions call for improvement and further development. At a place such as Mary Ward, this should always be welcome; the system currently in place would not exist if everything were set in stone.

Students seek to avoid any tests that use a cookie-cutter or one-size-fits-all approach… after all, this is Mary Ward.

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THE DIVIDED STATES OF AMERICA

By Cian Hrabi

On November 8, 2016, Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in the most controversial and pivotal American election in recent history, receiving the title of President-elect of The United States of America. The outcome of this election was unexpected to say the least; many polling companies including BBC polls predicting a Clinton win just hours before the first voters cast their ballots.

One may wonder how Donald Trump managed to pull off such an upset, in fact entire academic papers have already been written on the subject.

The majority of assumptions and theories can be boiled down to one point: Donald Trump knew his audience. What the polls could not calculate and what academics could not predict, was the depth of emotion and loyalty that Trump supporters had towards him and his cause. His slogan, “Make America Great Again” resonated with white, male, middle class citizens the primary demographic of those who support Trump. They felt as if nobody was paying attention to their needs and that they were being taken advantage of by the societal systems within America.

A whopping 83% of voters who thought that “the most important quality in a candidate was their ability to bring about needed change,” voted for Trump. They were angry and felt hopeless, then in comes Donald Trump, listening to and understanding them, promising to fix their problems, promising to “fix America”. No amount of debate, information, or policy could distract them from a chance at their American Dream.

PHOTO BY MOVIETVGEEK

Despite Trump having an incredibly loyal core group of voters, the election was by no means a landslide victory.

In fact, the majority of Americans voted for Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump. Trump was awarded presidency

because the democratic system in America is based on the electoral votes of individual states. Larger states get more electoral votes, and all but two states use a winner-takes-all system.

This means that although Donald Trump only received 1.2% more votes than Clinton in Florida, he gets 100% of Florida’s electoral votes. In short, Donald Trump won the electoral vote and in turn the presidency, while Hillary Clinton won the popular vote.

This dichotomy caused much backlash from supporters of Clinton, leading to protests in cities all over America, and a petition demanding members of the electoral college to refuse their state's decision and to vote against Trump. Jill Stein, representative for the Green Party, has even called for a recount of votes in three key states. The combination of a close presidential race, friction and confusion following the outcome, and an incredibly polarizing figure as President, leads to a tense environment in America as of now.

The sting of defeat that many supporters of Clinton feel is in part caused by surprise of the result but also out of a feeling of preventability of the situation. Of the 54 million Americans aged 18 to 29, only 19% actually went out and voted. Young voters primarily supported Hillary Clinton, and in states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, where the difference in votes between Trump and Clinton was razor thin, the 81% of young people who decided not to go out and vote would have made a significant impact.

Young people are the future of the world, and living in a democratic society it is our right and our responsibility to make an informed choice for who we want to lead our country. By not voting, we are making a decision, we are casting a ‘vote’. By not voting we are saying that we do not value our freedom and our democracy enough to take the time to become informed and to participate in an essential aspect of our lives. Let us look at the turmoil in America as a warning of the power of emotion in politics, and of the impact not voting can have on the leadership of a country.

No matter which candidate one supports, it is safe to say that this election showcases the power of democracy, the revolutionary change that one mark on one slip of paper can bring about.

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Politicians or Morticians?

By Yanelle BardhanMendonca Corrupt politicians have been around since the idea of political leadership in general came around. From people like nefarious pharaohs of the Ancient Egyptian era to dictators such as Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler in the early 1900s, corruption in politics has almost become accepted as likely. This raises the question: are they truly politicians, whose typical purpose is to help the good of their nation - or are they morticians, preparing constituents for their own funerals?

Recent events have further called this major issue of corrupt politicians to light. Those in legislative power are continuing to abuse the rights of citizens, take advantage of their positions on the metaphorical (but much too real) social pyramid, and reintroduce hateful banter to daily life.

PHOTO BY INDIGODAILY

There are plenty of examples of this worsening issue. Chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea, Kim Jong-un, has detonated a massive nuclear bomb with plans to do so again, whilst keeping his country in check regarding simple rights.

Under his direction, race-influenced forced abortion and restricted freedom of speech are occurring.

Donald Trump, a man who is a symbol of rape culture, xenophobia, transphobia, racism, and ill intentions, among other negative ideas, has become the U.S. President elect. He has prospects to, over the next four years, destroy many relationships and deals the United States and other countries have worked so hard to achieve, such as NAFTA. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has developed a neglect for Aboriginal rights and lives that most had not predicted, mainly due to his campaign promises of helping Aboriginal issues and relations.

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte

is currently having thousands of people murdered for their connection with assumed illegal drug use and association, as well as those in certain communities surrounding these drugs. President Duterte has gone so far as to proudly compare his “war on drugs” to Hitler’s infamous antiSemitic genocide. Republicans in the United States government have been

PHOTO BY ANDREA NIJMEH

maneuvering dirty money collected from environmentally harmful companies such as Semco. These republican politicians’ actions will ruin the planet beyond belief by means of fracking for oil, killing rainforests, mining, and using non-renewable energy sources like petroleum.

Understandably, these issues are overlooked when things like the latest celebrity drama arise. While it’s important to focus on the minor and comparably enjoyable issues that take away from the horrible goings on in the world, it is much more important to work towards solving problems like the aforementioned war on drugs.

Staying aware of these matters is constantly necessary, and always has been. Listen to the news, talk about these issues, and try to make a difference. That’s all there is to do.

The relationship between corrupt politicians and their supporters is reminiscent of a cult. It’s a sort of dedication that only comes about when there is a sense of comfort.

In understanding this, it makes sense that politicians have such an influence on the state. Even relatively small corrupt politicians have an effect on the entire nation they’re in by promoting these behaviours.

Corrupt politicians are ruining lives, the planet, and reputations. While many would like to say that this is a new or recently aggravated issue, it’s really been a problem right from the beginning.

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HE SAID, SHE SAID

By Julia D’Silva Ever since—and even before—President Bill Clinton denied having sexual relations with Monica Lewinsky, women’s allegations of sexual misconduct against famous men have been silenced and ridiculed.

In recent years, women have come forward and accused scores of celebrities of sexual harassment, assault, and even rape. Yet as soon as the man involved denies the crime, it is seemingly forgotten by the media and consumers of celebrity culture. Take for instance Roman Polanski, who was accused of raping a thirteen year-old girl in 1977 and fled the United States before sentencing. Despite this being common knowledge, when he won an Academy Award in 2003 for directing The Pianist, he received an enthusiastic standing ovation. For years, our society has collectively agreed to ignore the claims of women in order to protect the reputations of our favourite celebrities.

Bill Clinton, who ended his Presidency with one of the highest public approval ratings of all time, was accused of non-consensual sexual misconduct including rape and sexual harassment by three women, and had affairs with five others, including Monica Lewinsky.

This does not include the women who accused him of similar misconduct

before or after he became president.

And yet, his approval rating peaked in 1998, the same year that the Lewinsky scandal came to light. As Bill Clinton was forgiven by the adoring public, Monica Lewinsky was blamed and vilified, called names by the media and forced to wear a metaphorical scarlet letter. This treatment make it easy to understand why Clinton accusers Juanita Broaddrick, Paula Jones and Kathleen Willey stood with Donald Trump as he used Bill Clinton's past against his wife Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.

However, Trump himself is nowhere near innocent when it comes to sexual misconduct. He has a longdocumented history of mistreating women, all of which he has vehemently denied.

Accusations of sexual wrongdoing by Donald Trump have come from Miss Universe contestants, business associates, a 13 year-old girl, and even his ex-wife Ivana Trump, who claimed under oath that Donald Trump had violently raped her during their marriage. While Donald Trump has dismissed these allegations, it was impossible for him to dismiss the now infamous video of his encounter with Billy Bush, wherein he bragged about sexually assaulting women. Trump's dismissal of his words as 'locker room talk' prove that he is a man who believes that treating women as sexual objects is

okay. And yet, this man was considered a serious presidential candidate for over a year, and proceeded to become the U.S. president elect for the next four years. Men in positions of power, like Trump, are able to continue living their privileged lives while dismissing the claims and ruining the lives of women who threaten their reputations by calling them out on their wrongdoings.

Canada is not free from celebrities who commit sexual crimes. In 2015, nine women came forward to accuse former CBC radio host Jian Ghomeshi of sexual assault. He was tried and ultimately acquitted of four counts of sexual assault and one count of choking which were alleged to have taken place between 2002 and 2003. The 2016 trial was highly publicized and could have been a turning point for the treatment of sexual assault victims in Canadian society. Unfortunately, there were many inconsistencies in the complainants’ stories, aggravated even more by the harsh questioning from Ghomeshi’s lawyer. While many believed the women’s stories, in the eyes of the law Ghomeshi was innocent.

As a result, the societal disbelief of sexual assault victims in Canada has continued and even grown, and what should have been an opportunity to change the way we discuss sexual assault became another chance for the public to discredit victims and defend

men, even if, like Ghomeshi, they have long histories of sexual misconduct.

We often discuss rape culture and the denial of it in the past tense, as something that happened ‘back then’ but does not happen anymore.

Our ignorance and unwillingness to believe that men we look up to could harass, assault, and rape women is what keeps those women from coming forward with their stories.

If Clinton, Trump and Ghomeshi are any indication, we are slowly shedding our disbelief and our tendency to invalidate the women who are brave enough to share their experiences in the hopes of preventing the mistreatment of other women. But for every man who is convicted there are hundreds others who will continue to live happy, fulfilling lives despite being sexual offenders. For every Roman Polanski there is a Woody Allen; for every Mike Tyson there is a Sean Penn.

Men in positions of power will continue to sexually abuse women, and it is up to us to decide if we will do something about it or let it be overshadowed by any potentially good things that that man may do. Because, sure, Bill Cosby may have been accused of sexual misconduct by over 50 women, but he’s also one of the funniest comedians of all time—and what’s really important?

GREAT BARRIER GRIEF

By Serena Singh Despite most claiming the death of the Great Barrier Reef, it is still hanging on – if only just barely. Outside Magazine’s Rowan Jacobsen wrote an obituary detailing the life and supposed death of Australia’s world famous Great Barrier Reef “after a long illness.”

Though this article was likely meant to highlight the dire situation facing such an iconic natural landmark, many have taken it at face value that the Great Barrier Reef is dead, using social media to spread the lie and even exaggerate the truth.

As the world’s largest coral reef system and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Great Barrier Reef covers more than 300,000 square kilometers and consists of more than 3,000 reefs, 600 islands, VOLUME 22 / ISSUE 1 mwplanet 06

and 300 coral cays. About 93% of this has been ravaged by coral bleaching; when corals are put under extreme stress by changes in conditions (like temperature, light, or nutrients) which cause them to expel symbiotic algae from their tissues, turning white.

Considering the dire situation facing the Great Barrier Reef, Outside Magazine took it upon themselves published an obituary, on October 11th, detailing the life and “death” of the reef. Though it is speculated that the controversial article itself was merely trying to provoke a response to the urgency of the situation, Russell Brainard, chief of the Coral Reef Ecosystem Program at NOAA's Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, pointed out to HuffPost that those without context "are going to take it at face value that the Great Barrier Reef is dead" – and that is exactly what many

have done. Twitter users especially have been mourning the “loss of the reef” and urging followers to think about the consequences. Others have been spreading outright lies to dramatize the event; including, but not limited to, claiming that scientists have officially declared the Great Barrier Reef is dead.

In fact, they are doing the opposite.

Scientists have been trying to get the truth of the reef out to the masses – and many have taken to social media to ensure they are heard. Environmental reporter Tony Davis tweeted, "Reports of the Great Barrier Reef's death are greatly exaggerated, say scientists, booing Outside Magazine". Others, like the Cornell Cooperative Extension at Rockland County, have also been pushing the fact that the "Great Barrier Reef is Dying NOT Dead!” Many also agree that the message to the public should not be the hopelessness of an obituary but instead“that it isn't too late”.

Despite popular belief, it is possible

for the Great Barrier Reef to bounce back and overcome its most recent “illness.” The answer lies, as Professor John Pandolfi from the ARC Centre at the University of Queensland expressed, in “bolster[ing] the resilience of the reef…to maximize its natural capacity to recover."

The Australian and Queensland governments have already taken several important steps towards this; including a $2 billion investment toward improving the reef's health for future generations, as suggested by their Reef 2050 annual report. In addition to the $2 billion investment, the report, released on September 28th, also outlines 150 other actions to be taken to help heal and protect the reef. With scientists and governments alike working so hard to fix the damage done by climate change, the Great Barrier Reef still has a long way to go before it succumbs to its “illness.”

world issues world issues A Worsening Refugee Crisis In Italy world issues

By Nimmy Ayekun With so much going on this year, it’s easy to overlook plenty of issues. A lot of people are familiar with the European Refugee crisis and the causes of such an emergency, but almost everybody is completely unaware of what is exactly going on, especially in Italy.

Historically, Italy’s location between the Middle East and northern Africa have always made it an ideal gateway passage for migration. It is also one of the only countries in the EU that offer temporary and humanitarian protection. Additionally, in Italy, there is really no system of deportation; anyone on Italian land can apply for asylum and can even appeal twice if their case is turned down, making it a very appealing country to settle in.

Since the Balkan route to Germany

before fleeing. Individuals have cited several incidences of violence often occurring in refugee camps, such as murder and even kidnapping.

Unfortunately, tolerance in Italy is thinning and the Italian Government’s ministers have begun to issue statements saying that the number of migrants entering the country is slowly become too much to handle.

Currently, more than 140,000 migrants have sought refuge in Italy only in 2016. Right now the Italian government claims that their budget for overseeing the reception centres is so overstretched that staff at many of these centres have not received their salaries for over 6 months. If this isn’t bad enough, according to the UN there are still over 235,000 refugees waiting on the coast of Libya to cross the Mediterranean Sea to get to Italy. It’s safe to say that at this point, the ongoing

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UN’S NEW SECRETARY-GENERAL

By Yasmin Tan

The United Nations, in a nutshell, addresses 21st century issues concerning various international governments, and tries to come to an agreement on how to solve said problems whilst communicating

General occurred on October 5, 2016, resulting with Mr. Guterres receiving thirteen out of fifteen encouraging votes. He was appointed to become the next Secretary-General on October 13.

The Secretary-General plays a rather striking role in the organisation: They are responsible for being the spokesperson of the United Nations, as a sort of worldwide symbol in the interests of the poor and vulnerable.

They supervise the UN Secretariat, and are responsible for keeping close tabs with the core of UN relations.

Mr. António Guterres has had a vast amount of experience in being a leader figure; from 1996 to 2002, he was the Prime Minister of Portugal, and in 2005, he was appointed as the UN’s High Commissioner for Refugees.

PHOTO BY THEHINDU.COM

with each of these governments.

You can say it’s the reason why each country’s standard of living has changed for the better: it deals with social rights, education, health, and justice for the common good; it brings about change to make the global community a better place.

His colleagues also have high hopes towards his ability for progress. Mr. Ban Ki-moon said, “He is a wonderful choice to steer this organisation as we build on the progress of the past decade, while addressing the insecurity and uncertainties of today’s world.”

Under his term, Mr. Guterres is expected to appoint a woman as the deputy Secretary-General, highlighting how

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has been shut and the EU signed a deal with Turkey to deter immigrants from reaching Greece, leaving many refugees stuck, Italy has much revived its title as the ideal place to migrate.

Today, many people from Syria, Afghanistan, Libya, Nigeria, Ghana, and Egypt flock to Italy to seek refuge due to political instabilities or war. The issue is that the trip from many of these countries is extremely unsafe. Often times, the smugglers who organise these trips overcrowd poor quality rubber boats.

This year alone over 4,200 migrants have died making the dangerous trip across the Mediterranean sea, and just recently 200 drowned in 2 shipwrecks off the coast of Libya.

Not only are there struggles with simply seeking refuge, but an exceeding number of migrants have been terribly traumatised by their experiences

crisis is becoming pretty catastrophic.

Italy is currently working to push the EU to compensate Italy for their immigration losses and is also pushing for bilateral deals with African countries, to make it easier for economic migrants and failed asylum migrants back home.

All of this does raise a tremendous amount of questions and debates.

Should immigrants who risked their lives to escape political strife and war be sent back to countries where issues such as these are still running strong?

Why are wealthier European countries running away instead of stepping in?

The only answers we have are that we must continue to move forward and endorse change as best we can.

While we are not personally influential in terms of government or politics, we can strive to help in such a time of need.

The refugee crisis is far out of hand.

PHOTO BY MANUEL ELIAS

And, with change, also comes the handing of the baton — as 2016 rolls to an end, the current Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Ban Kimoon, will step down to make way for the ninth head, Mr. António Guterres.

The straw poll for the new Secretary-

gender equality is crucial in the UN— whose male to female ratio is generally lopsided. He hopes to bring peace to society via diplomatic means, and to provide humanitarian relief to refugees and others caught in these conflicts.

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Kneeling for a Stand: Colin Kaepernick’s Silent Protest

By Katie Kennedy On August 26, 2016, Colin Kaepernick, the San Francisco 49er Quarterback, gained worldwide attention by kneeling during the American national anthem and so started a huge controversy across the United States over his “antiAmerican” behaviour. “I am not going to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of colour,” Kaepernick said. “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”

Kaepernick began kneeling for the anthem as a silent protest against the rampant police brutality towards people of colour that is occurring almost every day in the United States.

The 49ers organization released a statement respecting Kaepernick’s right to protest. Kaepernick has announced a plan to donate $1 million to charities that focus on racial issues, proving that he is serious about what he is protesting about.

By September 1, Kaepernick was not alone. His teammate, Eric Reid, joined him by expressing support and taking a knee during the anthem. Many Americans have been outraged by this behaviour, saying that it is un-American and disrespectful towards troops and veterans. By mid-September 2016, many players across the NFL were taking the knee during the anthem as a show of support for Kaepernick and the stance he had taken. Dolphins running back, Arian Foster, tweeted, “Don’t let the love for a symbol overrule the love for your fellow human.” This silent protest has spread across the NFL with many players raising their fists or linking arms during the anthem to protest the treatment and oppression of people of colour in America.

On October 3 of this year, Colin Kaepernick was featured on the cover of Time Magazine. The cover picture showed a photo of Kaepernick kneeling with the caption, “the perilous fight,” and, “a debate about privilege, pride and patriotism.” This protest has now spread to high schools, soccer leagues, and other sports across America as people realize that his stance may be an effective way to peacefully protest against oppression and discrimination.

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Many Americans have criticized Kaepernick’s position, describing his behaviour as disrespectful to the flag and everything that it represents: freedom, liberty, and justice. They also use patriotism and the military to discredit him. “There’s a lot of racism disguised as patriotism in this country,” Kaepernick said, “and people don’t like to address that and they don’t like to address what the root of this protest is.”

Other Americans have complained that an NFL game is not the proper place for a protest of this sort, that it takes away from the game. Kaepernick states that he is protesting in this manner to speak out for people who don’t have a voice.

However, Kaepernick is not the first in taking such a stance. For example, athletes such as LeBron James and Kyrie Irving wore “I Can’t Breathe” shirts in December 2014 to protest the death of Eric Garner after the police officer who killed him was not indicted. Later, that same month, five St. Louis Rams players entered the field with their arms raised in support of the protesters in Ferguson, Missouri.

Even though Kaepernick’s protest has evoked strong emotions from all sides of this issue, his actions have provoked a conversation about race, equality and justice. People all over the world have become aware of the oppression of people of colour in the USA and this publicity may make more American citizens accountable and ready to take action to even the playing field.

life

By Nimmy Ayekun In 2013, Patrisse Cullors, Opal Tometi, and Alicia Garza, created the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter following the acquittal of police officer George Zimmerman in the shooting death of 17 year old Trayvon Martin. Martin was walking back from a convenience store, when Zimmerman spotted him and called the local police to report suspicious behavior. Not soon afterwards he shot at the unarmed Martin, claiming it was self-defense despite evidence indicating otherwise.

Over the past 3 years, Black Lives Matter has grown into an international activist movement that fights against violence towards black people and systemic oppression. While the movement has gained much recognition and support, there are still many misconceptions about the intent of the cause. In an effort to debunk some of these myths and misconceptions, I’ve compiled a quick guide to what is actually true and not true about the BLM movement.

PHOTO BY THE SEATTLE TIMES

All countries should pay attention to this issue as no society is exempt from racism and injustice.

Even though Canada doesn’t have as much systemic racism as the US, we still have a long way to go and have our own social injustices to address. For instance, are the indigenous people of Canada, whose history is marked by dispossession and who have endured atrocities such as the residential school abuses, expected to stand and recite the Canadian national anthem? Should they have unconditional allegiance to a country that forces them to live in third world conditions, as continuously acknowledged by U.N. rapporteurs?

Should they be allowed to protest at all? Is standing up for their rights considered treason?

Until all of these questions are answered, we should welcome peaceful methods of protest in order to bring injustices to the forefront of our discussion and thus help resolve them.

#1: It Is A One Issue Movement?

Yes, in recent months, the focus of the movement has been about the increasing number of cases of police brutality. However, it’s critical to point out that the movement is also about affirming the rights of black men, women, trans, LGBTQ+ and disabled folk, as well as restorative justice, black empowerment and breaking down systematic racial barriers and obstacles that inhibit the black community, like mass incarceration, poor education system, poverty and more. #2: The movement does not believe that all lives matter, only black ones.

Once again, this statement is false. The belief that black lives are entitled to equal opportunity, often suggests to people that for black lives to matter, white lives cannot. This of course is entirely untrue. As one Reddit user put it, “Imagine that you’re sitting down to dinner with your family, and while everyone else gets a serving of the

meal, you don’t get any. So you say, ‘I should get my fair share.’ And as a direct response to this, your dad corrects you, saying, ‘Everyone should get their fair share.’” Everyone should get a fair share, but that was kind of your point in the first place. You should be treated just the same as everyone else. However, Dad’s comment just dismissed you and still didn’t solve the problem!

PHOTO BY NATALIE ALMOSA

#3: What About Black on Black Crime?

The answer to that is quite simple. Black Lives Matter is definitely concerned about black on black violence, but as writer, comedian and activist Franchesca Ramsey puts it, “BLM isn’t just concerned about the loss of black life, which is always terrible, it is about the lack of consequences when black lives are taken by the hands of police.”

That being said, there have been several anti-violence campaigns led by community members to reduce crime, like Violence Interrupters in Chicago. #4: Protests and Rallies Promote Violence.

In wake of the shootings at Baton Rouge and Dallas, a lot more people have considered BLM to be a terrorist group. Black Lives Matter is not a violent hate group in any way, shape or form.

The movement uses peace, solidarity and education to make statements, not violence. In addition, both records from shootings that occurred during protests show that the gunman acted alone and was not affiliated with any group, radical or not. #5: Black Lives Matter is Anti- Police.

Black Lives Matter is not anti-police.

As Ramsey says “The job of police is to protect and serve the community and if that is not happening, we need to reassess the situation.” Black Lives Matter stresses that police officers are not exempt from being part of a system that criminalizes black people and teaches society to perceive black individuals as a threat. The objective of the movement is to stop police from being a threat to persons of colour communities and to stop their power from being abused within the system.

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Try Saving for a Change

By Anjuli Joachim

A common phrase heard in the hallways of high schools across the country is, “Man, I’m broke.” At least everyone has heard, or said, these words in their lifetime, but if you haven’t, congratulations on living in a world where money isn’t an issue. For the other 99.9% of the population, here are a few tips to help you fill your wallet, by saving whatever money you have, no matter how little.

First and foremost, it’s important to automatically save whenever you receive a paycheque, or a regular old cheque from your (favourite) grandma at Christmas.

This means that when you deposit the money, 10% or more is put directly into a savings account, where you will only access it when necessary, or if it is an emergency – and no, fashion emergencies do not count.

Second, it’s important to know how to spend money correctly. To make the

most out of however much you allocate from your earnings for spending money, you have to spend it wisely. In order to do this, research is required.

This may sound like homework, but unlike units, this will actually benefit you (no shading intended).

Spending money means understanding the value of a dollar. Learn from your parents just how much things are worth, as they probably have a lot more experience with spending money than anyone else you know right now. If they say a bag of bagels is usually $3.00, avoid products that cost $5.00. Simple items like these add up in the long run, and can save you big bucks overall.

Another way to save is to use coupons and discounts. Try watching Extreme Couponing to gain some inspiration.

However, the people on the show portray a nearly unattainable level of money savviness that one can only hope to achieve in their lifetime. Just start of by simply trying through sale’s catalogues, and reading all those unopened emails from

stores advertising for current sales when looking for a specific item.

This brings us to our next step for saving money. Remember to only buy stuff you need, and not become distracted by other items that attract your eye.

Taking advantage of a good deal is one thing, but leaving Walmart with fifty

PHOTO BY NATALIE ALMOSA

items in your cart when you only came for some pens is not a good use of that Christmas cheque from your grandma.

It is not guaranteed that by following these steps you will save a ton of money, but hey, a penny saved is a penny earned.

Choosing a post secondary pathway

By Yasmin Tan

On the cusp of adulthood, students start to think about what lies ahead in the future: what should they study? where do they want to study? do they even want to go to post-secondary? what kind of job do they want to have?

Perhaps it’s a dream job that, as a kid, they’ve always wanted—to be a ballerina, teacher, pilot, or astronaut.

Maybe they’ve considered their parents’ suggestions and want to become doctors, engineers, or take up the family business. But what prerequisites do they need? What courses or experience should they have beforehand?

What pathway should they choose?

Apprenticeship Choosing to do an apprenticeship means students can start having jobs while they learn, and focus more on the experience and application aspect of the job; 85% to 90% of training comes from their work, while the rest happens in a classroom.

Students must have take M or C courses in Grade 11 and 12. An OSSD (Ontario Secondary School Diploma) is also recommended. They may also have taken specialized programs such as Co-op or OYAP (Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program), leading

directly to an apprenticeship course at a Community College.

start at a college before continuing their program at a university.

Apprenticeship leads to various jobs in the construction, industrial, and service industries. Many of these include skilled trades such as masonry, plumbing, construction workers, or cooks. Skilled trades are a valued part of the economy nowadays, as demand increases with the growing retirees and population.

Students generally get a job within two years of graduating, and enter the workforce relatively quickly.

Jobs include nursing, computer programmers, or data administrators.

PHOTO BY VARSHAA RAGURAMAN

College Colleges require M, C, or U courses in Grade 11 and 12, and most programs require an OSSD. Admission averages start at a minimum of about 60%-65%, depending on the course or college.

Colleges can be cost-effective and offer a wide array of programs: they have shorter program lengths and lower tuition, requiring less time in school before real world application, and has an abundance of certificates and diplomas to be received. Some colleges can be linked to university programs, where students may

University University admissions range from the 70s range to the high 90s. They are rather competitive and base the averages with the top six U courses that the student has taken. For all university programs, ENG4U is a must.

Subjects taken in Grade 11 and 12 also must be prerequisites to the programs taken in university. For example, taking a Humanities course may only need English, but a Science program will need a mix of the three Science courses (Biology, Chemistry, or Physics).

Universities offer undergraduate degrees, which leads to the possibility of a Masters. They offer programs. such as medicine or law, that colleges or apprenticeships can’t provide.

Though the tuition fees may be high, the turnout is worth it. Salaries are considerably higher than their college and apprenticeship counterparts, and though the workload is harder, the jobs available after graduation will be a broader choice.

Workplace Also referred to as “on-the-job” training,

this is a way to prepare for the workforce as soon as high school is done. It provides the unemployed or newlygraduated a chance to develop essential work skills and experience, and allows them to get ahead without actually having a job. An OSSD is required.

Those who take SHSM programs may have the benefit of getting direct entry into a workplace. SHSM includes certificates for sectors such as hospitality and tourism, first aid, transportation, and sports.

With various pathways comes a variety of choice, and students might find themselves overwhelmed with all the decisions they will have to face. Take a deep breath and look at all the options before coming to a conclusion—that dream job doesn’t just have to be a dream if you plan and organize the way to success.

PHOTO BY VARSHAA RAGURAMAN

VOLUME 22 / ISSUE 1 mwplanet 09

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Cultural Appropriation vs.

Cultural Appreciation

By Kristina Soodhoo Cultural appropriation has recently gained attention in the media due to the use and abuse of traditional dress as costumes and fashion statements. To clarify, cultural appropriation refers to the adoption of elements from a culture separate from one’s own. It is highly controversial and, unsurprisingly, many majority groups deny the existence of the practice entirely. To say that cultural appropriation is not a problem in today’s society is to reject the history and derivation of significant aspects of diverse lifestyles, such as styles of dress and traditions. Avoiding misappropriating cultures would involve immersing oneself in historical research, learning to recognize the struggles that minorities have faced as a whole, and appreciating the chronicle of events leading to the development of their cultural expression.

It is necessary to recognize the difference between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation in order to understand why the former has generated tension between minority and majority groups. For one, the dominant members of society often oppress and insult those whose traditions and values do not align with their own, but then proceed to indulge in these same cultural elements for fashion or aesthetic purposes. The majority population further discredits the derivation of these cultural aspects by failing to do research or acknowledge the labour that ethnic minorities have had to withstand for centuries. A common example is the use of Bindis and sarees by celebrities.

This is shown in examples such as Iggy Azalea in her music video ‘Bounce,’ and Selena Gomez in her dress for both the ‘Come and Get it’ music video and her live performances of the hit song. Neither of them approached this use with the mindset to discover the historical backgrounds of Hindu apparel, but simply dressed in this way to suit the artistic elements of their music. The idea is further reiterated through the constant use of cornrows, dreads, bantu knots, and other cultural hairstyles by non-black celebrities. One of the most controversial examples of misappropriation arose when Selena Gomez entered a Mosque in Islamic dress, but made the decision to expose her ankles as an apparent insult to the practices of Islam. If celebrities, public figures, and even everyday members VOLUME 22 / ISSUE 1 mwplanet 10

of society want to avoid appropriating culture, the path is simple. Instead of engaging in harmful actions, involve oneself in the movement towards cultural appreciation by apologizing for previous acts of appropriation, educating oneself, and proceeding with a newfound admiration for diversities within our society.

It has become increasingly important to illustrate cultural appreciation through making a conscious effort to be cognizant of the background and strength in certain elements of culture. This entails working towards understanding one’s cultural rather than abusing beautiful traditional dress and hairstyles to suit personal artistic desires. To enter a religious place of worship, dressed to suit the beliefs of the faith, is exhibiting cultural appreciation; it shows recognition for the ideologies that surround this culture and its common beliefs. With the resources that surround us, it is far from difficult to gain knowledge on this issue and to make internal improvements to demonstrate appreciation for the history and barriers that minorities have had to overcome to allow these cultural features to be accepted. While those who take offense to misappropriating acts are often viewed as “sensitive,” it is essential to consider the ignorant slurs that may be thrown their way simply for expressing their cultural preferences.

If the motivation is to create a society connected through love for one another, then it is imperative to appreciate one another’s background — a concept that can be achieved through constant education and attempts at associating with members of different ethnic or religious groups.

The cultural appropriation debate is something worth discussing.

With the ongoing political events, we stand in a time where the once marginalized and oppressed may be bond to discrimination and prejudice once again. Moving forward with open minds and hearts is the most critical step to achieving equality. This means gaining historical knowledge, showing appreciation for traditions, and treating every group, minority or not, with respect, because nothing is more beautiful than cultural diversity. knowledge, showing appreciation for traditions, and treating every group, minority or not, with respect, because nothing is more beautiful than cultural diversity.

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Have a Hard Time Handling Stress? Try These Easy Steps

By Anjuli Joachim Stress is a normal and in fact, necessary part of life. According to experts, in small doses stress helps to accomplish tasks more efficiently, motivate, and boost memory. Medically speaking, stress enacts the built in fight-or-flight response, which enabled our ancestors to survive in harsh environments in the early days of humanity. Today, the same flood of chemicals our ancestors got when faced with a very angry bear, such as epinephrine, norepinephrine and cortisol, are pumped into our brain when stressed. This produces a range of reactions – from laser focus to heart palpitations.

2. Get More Sleep This is one piece of advice many students will likely not follow. Nevertheless, adequate sleep is important for mental health. Try to keep your room free of electronic devices at least an hour before bed, as the LED light emitting from behind the screen has been proven to keep the brain alert long after you’ve turned it off.

3. Learn to Say ‘No’ This stops causes of stress in its tracks.

Helping out others is always a nice thing to do, but taking on too much can severely affect your mental state.

Increasing the number of items on your to-do list by agreeing to complete tasks you don’t have time for, will only mean that you will have even less time to

PHOTO BY KATHRIEL RIVERA

However, even with all these positive effects, too much stress can have severe negative effects on mental, and even physical health. At Mary Ward, with the self-directed learning program, for many students being given so much control over their education, can make responsibilities seem overwhelming.

So, for those students, here are four tips to help deal with unwanted stress

finish previous responsibilities. Saying no to a friend, or sibling, can be difficult, but remember that your mental health comes first.

4. Talk to Someone When all else fails, talking to someone you trust can be more beneficial than any other piece of advice. Your close friends, family, and TA know you better than anyone, and they will be there for you when everything feels like too much. Talking about how you feel and what they can do to help will provide the support you need to get through stressful times.

1. Participate in Physical Activities The rush of chemicals to your brain when stressed can be reduced by raising your heart rate and breaking a sweat. In doing so, you help stabilize the chemicals, so that you are able to maintain a sense of calmness. Visit a Good luck students! Remember, a local gym or join a sports team to get healthy mind is just as important as a your daily physical exercise in! healthy body.

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COMMUNITY WRAP UP

By Jamie Edghill These past months at Mary Ward have been a busy few; the Ward community has been non-stop on the go! Here, are several of the fun and entertaining highlights from the previous months: September 26-28, PPL 401 Sandbanks Trip & October 4-6 PPL 301 Sibbald Point Trip

invited to dress up in costume and see a movie in the cafeteria. The celebrations continued into the Christmas season with SAC and Photo Club Santa photos and Candy Cane Grams!

This week was led by Green Quest. Each day they shared with us how we could help the environment as well as leading fun educational TA and lunch activities.

They encouraged students to learn about the environment by promoting involvement in community tasks as well as learning about the various ways the students can help the environment.

October 24, Awards Night

PHOTO BY NATALIE ALMOSA

November 17, Honour Roll Breakfast

PHOTO BY NATALIE ALMOSA PHOTO BY MIKEY NAPAO

Senior students who are taking a physical education course got to experience what the great Canadian outdoors has to offer.

For a fews days these students got to have an outdoor hands on education, away from busy city life.

October 4-6, Drama, Trip To Stratford

Awards Night, was a night of academic celebration! The Mary Ward community had the chance to acknowledge and award the brilliant minds of their students; students who did exceptionally well were given subject based awards for their high achievement.

November 10-12, Gr. 10 Ottawa Overnight History Trip

Senior drama students had the amazing chance to see four plays and one musical in Stratford, Ontario. This was a great opportunity for these students to see actors following their dreams and the possibilities of a career in the dramatic arts.

October 17-21, Waste Reduction Week

PHOTO BY NOEL BROWN

PHOTO BY ALLEN TUMBAGA

Gr. 10 history students were given the opportunity to learn about Canada’s past in our nation’s capital and attend the Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa.

October 19, We Day & November 14-18, Free the Children Week This year Free the Children is focusing on clean water in Haiti. During the week they shared with the school facts about clean drinking water in Haiti, encouraging students to think about how lucky they are to be living in a country with many resources that go unappreciated. All proceeds from their bake sale and Rafiki Bracelet sale goes toward their cause.

November 28- Dec 9, Design Students’ Jewellery Sale- Design students displayed their beautiful crafted jewelry and Media and Comm. tech students, designed

PHOTO BY KATHRIEL RIVERA

All students who made honour roll, were invited to celebrate their academic achievement with an invite only breakfast and awarded a pin December 6, Gender Justice Montreal Massacre Memorial Gender justice held a memorial in memory of those who were murdered in the Montreal massacre. On December 6 1989, 14 women were shot and killed at L’ecole Polytechnique simply because of their gender.

The Gender Justice team made and sold chocolates to raise money for the Red Door women’s shelter.

PHOTO BY CAITLIN REYES

PHOTO BY VARSHAA RAGURAMAN

Student Council Festivities

PHOTO BY NICOLE POWELL

lovely christmas cards available for members of the school community to buy just in time for Christmas!

All proceeds from this sale will go towards the grade eleven visual art and media students’ Memory Project.

Ward students have been busy bees, ensuring this school year started with a bang! Stay tuned for even more exciting events happening throughout the school.

PHOTO BY MARLA MIRANDA PHOTO BY DEION SQUIRES ROUSE

In the past three months, SAC has kept the students entertained with fun activities. SAC hosted their annual Charged Up dance, which was a fun night of dancing with and live music.

They also continued the tradition of SAC Halloween, where students were

PHOTO BY PATRICK BLICK

VOLUME 22 / ISSUE 1 mwplanet 11

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WARD TAKES MANHATTAN

By Casey Bas The week before Halloween was an exciting time for Senior Art, Tech, and Design students! Mary Ward’s bi-annual New York trip was underway. 50 Grade 11 and 12 students accompanied by Mr. Notten, Ms. Arturi, and Ms. Powell, spent five exciting days in the Big Apple, experiencing the hustle and bustle in one of America’s most wellknown cities.

Each day was filled with activities to keep the students busy and on their feet. After stepping off the tour bus, the students were treated to a tour of downtown New York, including the famous Times Square. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of the Moving Picture, and the 9/11 Memorial and Museum are just some examples of the art and filmcentred places the students visited.

Rockefeller Centre, Central Park, the Chelsea District, SoHo, Chinatown,

TriBeCa, and numerous other places in New York were also explored during the week-long excursion.

The students had the opportunity to watch two fantastic Broadway shows; the Wizard of Oz spin-off Wicked and Natasha, Pierre, and The Great Comet of 1812 which featured Josh Groban as the title character Pierre. Both musicals received positive reviews from the students and they hoped to see more of what Broadway has to offer. Each night

treated the students to a delicious three-course dinner and featured the likes of the Hard Rock Cafe, Buca di Beppo, Guy’s American Kitchen and Bar, and other authentic New York cuisines.

Overall, the excursion was a wonderful learning experience and many students hoped to visit the bustling city in the future. Ward Takes Manhattan 2016 was certainly an unforgettable trip.

PHOTOS BY NATALIE ALMOSA, KATHRIEL RIVERA, VARSHAA RAGURAMAN, MARY-ANNE BUERANO ART BY AIKEN CHAU

VOLUME 22 / ISSUE 1 mwplanet 12

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OASIS

By Cian Hrabi On September 22 and 23, the grade nines participated in Mary Ward’s annual “Operation Achieving Success In Schools” program, or OASIS. The new members of the Mary Ward community were split into groups led by senior students and dove headfirst into all the fun activities planned for them. The first day was held at the school, consisting of rotating activity stations with both indoor and outdoor games. After a sleep-over at the school, the nineteen teams were sent on busses to Camp Robinhood for the second day of their OASIS experience.

At Camp Robinhood they played many teamwork-based games, along with other sports you would typically find at a camp such as archery and rock climbing.

The teams were encouraged to be full of spirit and to support each other in all of the activities. Some of us lost our voices on this trip from all the cheering, yet many students found their voices too. Aside from all the fun and spirit, what everyone remembers are the lasting friendships that were created during OASIS.

PHOTOS BY NATALIE ALMOSA,, VARSHAA RAGURAMAN, KATHRIEL RIVERA

VOLUME 22 / ISSUE 1 mwplanet 13

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By Andrea Nijmeh If you’re from Toronto, chances are you’re familiar with the flashing bright entrance and quirky handwritten signs of Honest Ed’s. The iconic establishment was initially opened up as a discount store in 1948 by Ed Mirvish, but has since become one of the city’s most well known landmarks for tourists and locals alike. Located on the corner of Bloor and Bathurst, the kitsch department store’s twentythree thousand bulb sign isn’t the only interesting thing about the place; the merchandise inside ranges from tube socks to gold Elvis busts, each advertised with a unique hand painted sign. It was hard news for some Torontonians to hear that after serving the city for over sixty years, Honest Ed’s plans to close its doors on December 31 of this year, and as one could imagine, a place with this much character and significance to the city must have an interesting history.

Sixty-eight years ago, Ed Mirvish refurbished a lady’s wear outlet store he ran alongside his wife by buying the salvaged stock from another department store that had burned down in Hamilton. Thus began Honest Ed’s iconic strategy of selling random

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bulk merchandise bought bankruptcy or fire sales.

from

However, among the aisles of interesting commodities, it could be said that the most prized artifact is the store itself. Built like a carnival fun house, Mirvish placed mirrors throughout the building and lured in customers with giveaways and below cost discounts on select items. One of the most memorable aspects of the store is its hand painted signs with jokes such as, “Honest Ed is for the birds … but his prices are Cheep! Cheep!

Cheep! ” another one simply saying “Come in and get lost.” In an interview with CBC, Ed Mirvish’s son stated that drawing these signs and creating cheeky slogans was one of his father’s favourite hobbies.

In the store’s early years, Mirvish’s cheap prices attracted a vast amount of customers, the majority of them immigrants trying to afford their new life in Canada. Every morning since its opening, Mirvish gave away gifts to the first few customers to arrive at his store, this generous tradition lasting to this day. Mirvish was also very famously known for giving away free turkeys before Thanksgiving and Christmas as well as giving dollar bills to the poor.

Honest Ed’s can even be found in the background of several films such as The

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Long Kiss Goodnight or Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. In the third volume of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s comic book series Scott Pilgrim, a fight sequence occurs inside Honest Ed’s where the characters suffer a sensory overload due to the amount of merchandise.

As the store grew, Mirvish bought the buildings along the street with the intentions of turning the land into a car park, however the city stopped him. Instead, Mirvish rented out the properties to artists, orchestrating a Bohemian community known as Mirvish Village.

The Vancouver based developer who purchased the site revealed their hopes of using the space to build a 1000-unit rental project there, including parks, public squares and childcare facilities.

To commemorate its vibrant history, the TTC has given Bathurst station a makeover, replacing all the signs in the station with handwritten ones mimicking Honest Ed’s signature style, and by covering the walls with cheeky statements that would make Ed Mirvish proud such as “Our Prices Aren’t Just Good They’re Fare.” The installation is said to last until the end of this year but there is some discussion on making it permanent. The idea was thought up by the TTC manager of customer service, Chris Upfold who stated, “The store was there before the subway. It was there when we were running streetcars on Bloor. We helped customers and staff get to Honest Ed’s then, and we’ll continue to serve the residents of the new development in the future,”

After Ed Mirvish’s death in 2007, land prices began to rise, making downtown unaffordable for the store’s usual demographic of customers.

The Mirvish family was left with the massive decaying building that was losing its sales while the value of its real

The rich history, quirky store model, and involvement with the community have made Honest Ed’s an iconic Toronto landmark and while its closing is unfortunate, the one-of-a-kind establishment will long remain in the hearts of Torontonians.

PHOTO BY THE TORONTO STAR

hurray for gsa!

By Jamie Edghill & Nicole Marron Hey guys, gals and non-binary pals! On Monday, November 7, Mary Ward’s GayStraight Alliance club kick-started the school’s second annual GSA week with the celebration of their birthday. The week was a momentous occasion for the group members and the student body, because it provided an opportunity for discussion and education about the LGBTQ+ community. The group’s goal of the week was to educate, promote inclusiveness, and celebrate differences.

At this point, you may be asking yourself; What is GSA? Well straight (or not, we accept you no matter what) from the mouth of a GSA member, VOLUME 22 / ISSUE 1 mwplanet 14

Melissa Carvalho: “[GSA is] a club whose goal is to create a safe space for all people regardless of circumstance (sex, gender, race, expression, class, disability etc.), discuss issues that affect people of the LGBTQ+ community and spread awareness to the Mary Ward school community.” In remembrance of those who lost their lives during the Pulse nightclub shooting that occurred on June 12 of this year, GSA posted forty-nine hearts around the school with the victims names to show

PHOTO BY DALTON CHRISTIAN

estate rose, making its closure almost inevitable.

their solidarity and mourn the losses.

This heartbreaking event occurred on the Florida nightclub's Latino themed night, so the GSA team made sure to inform everyone that the LGBTQ+ is more than just the white cisgender gay males that are often the only represented within the community.

The club asked the student populate the question: “Have you ever heard homophobic slurs in the hallways of Mary Ward?” a surprisingly large number of students answered a relieving no. However, there were many more students who did not answer at all or who did not know what homophobic language/slurs were. This brings attention to the fact that people are using words they don’t understand, and are unaware of the repercussions of these comments. GSA took this as an opportunity to educate the school about the situation; they explained that homophobic slurs and

comments, are words or phrases that are offensive, or hurtful towards the LGBTQ+ community. Simple phrases such as “that’s so gay” are frequently misused in place of more appropriate expressions such as “that’s so not cool”.

This kind of language is hurtful because it is often used with the intent of describing something as negative, thus insinuating that being gay is negative, which as taught by the club, is not.

GSA week, despite being a new tradition at Mary Ward, is quickly becoming an important one. It provides the opportunity for conversation and education on important aspects and issues of the LGBTQ+ community in an engaging and interactive manner.

GSA would like to thank the Mary Ward community for its participation during the week and would like to extend and invitation to their weekly meetings held on Wednesdays in the video studio at lunch.

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____________after_2:50___________ What do the Mary Ward art teachers do after school hours?

By Yuki Tam Everyday Mary Ward students go to school with worries about consultations, target dates, and handing in units.

We approach teacher after teacher to finish our work. Often, due to the hectic lifestyle and heavy workload, Mary Ward students forget that teachers are people too! In the Visual Arts and Communication Technology department, there are currently 5 teachers there to teach and inspire the student body. Ms. Arturi currently teaches Communication Technology and Film and Video, Ms. Fortura teaches Visual Arts and Design, Ms. Largo teaches Visual Arts and Religion, Mr. Notten teaches Visual Arts, Art History, and Arts Administration course, and Ms. Powell teaches Media, Communication Technology, Journalism, and Photography. They do have a life outside school, right?

So, what do they do after 2:50?

Ms. Arturi studied photography and humanities at York University, eventually transferring to Ryerson’s four year arts program. Her earlier works feature fashion photography and documentaries. However, because photography has greatly evolved over the years, she’s switched over to using primarily clay. “Art is about commenting on the world and bettering it,” she says.

A lot of her work revolves around social issues, regardless of the medium she uses. One of her recent pieces titled Rescend and Reconcile, comments on the relations of Euro Catholics and indigenous people. In this piece, she created nine whitewashed clay spheres and clay letters spelling “apologize” multiple times. Her other pieces, include some more light-hearted projects such as jewellery, dinnerware, and vases. “I just like creating things,” she says, “using my hands.”Arturi sells many of her pieces and was most recently at the Queen Street West Art Crawl, an outdoor exhibition featuring Toronto’s creative community. She hopes that those who view her art come with an open mind to new aesthetics, ideas, and appreciation for what is going on around them. Her creations are amazingly constructed; a variety of pieces which balance between the heavy and the delicate of our world.

Ms. Fortura is an artist who works with mixed media, and she received

her education at York University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Education. She is interested in a variety of topics including; using materials as metaphors, looking at the body at a microscopic level, and using art to handle emotions. In her early career, she founded an art collective known as “Ms. Conception” with two friends and their work showcased in many galleries and shows. Recently, however, she’s been doing solo pieces such as creating a piece in the art show “18: After the Bell.” Titled Preserving Culture, Preserving Identity, Preserving Roots; the first component of this piece was an encaustic painting (using pigments and heated wax) to create a picture of her family’s hometown, the second component was a handmade locket. The landscape of the painting is created using wax and the buildings of the painting are a glass mosaic. Wax is a fluid medium and the glass a fragile one, Fortura combined these materials to resemble the qualities of her dying

her older pieces, The Nanny Project (2004), she created a book and audio installation consisting of lithographic portraits of nine Filipina caregivers who have come to Canada in order to take care of children who are not their own. Ms. Largo recorded their stories of separation and sacrifice, which was presented along with their portraits. The piece comments on limited opportunities and hardships these qualified women have to face in their own country and abroad. “I’m interested in experiences of diaspora and displacement,” she says, looking at how these women experience inequality and stereotyping. “Art is a form of education and activism,” she explains, “it should be for the community. Art isn’t just for the elites.”

Ms. Largo has a true talent for bringing to light narratives that are otherwise overlooked.

Many have been inspired, by the spirit of her pieces and by the spirit of the artist herself.

PHOTO BY NATALIE ALMOSA

hometown. Heat itself is also a very important feature of Fortura’s artwork.

She explains that heat changes the materials in a way where you can partly control it and where it partly has a mind of its own. This painting was a way of dealing with a sense of loss as well as preserving the town.

She explains that “art equals therapy, in some way. It’s a way of dealing with life and what is around you, and the personal.” Fortura brilliantly fuses visual arts with applied design, creating beautifully raw pieces of work that connect with people and to people.

Ms. Largo did her undergrad at York University in visual arts and education.

She then went on to do her master’s degree at Concordia University in Art Education, and she is currently working on her PhD. Her recent works have been video installations, performance art, and participatory art. In one of

Mr. Notten has a Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Education from York University. His most recent works have been kinetic sculptures; cool things that move with a lot of meaning, the majority of his work tackling social issues such as the environment or politics. He enjoys taking humble, simple objects, perhaps a water bottle or a desk, and turning it into something with heightened meaning.

By using repetition or multiples of these objects and then putting them into a system which physically moves, he creates aesthetically pleasing sculptures that come to life. The Tent Project coming this July at the Agnes Jamieson Gallery once again explores this concept. It comments on camping, an activity associated with white privilege and contrasts it with the United Nations tents for refugees.

Notten claims that this project is going to be “in-tents”. In addition, his way of

thinking draws similarities between his art and his teaching practices and many of the assignments he gives his students are ideas that he says he would use himself. “There’s something exciting about giving a student a unit, or idea, and having them take it in a completely different way or direction, and seeing them do something completely different,” he says, “teaching is art.” He describes his career as a performance piece and it is something truly fascinating that Mary Ward students get to be a part of.

Ms. Powell received her Bachelor of Applied Arts at Ryerson University, studying image arts in photography.

She then went on to Queen’s University to receive her Bachelor of Education in Technological Education. Her artwork has mainly consisted of photography, although she has also dabbled in film.

She works in the modern digital age as well as exploring historical processes of photography. These include, Polaroid transfers, hand colouring, using the dark rooms to develop film, and many other historical alternatives. Powell has a particular interest in the abandoned, places or things that may appear ugly on the outside but have their own weird hidden treasures. She explains that it’s neat to see how nature takes back these places. She also photographs small towns and the more rural lifestyle.

“My art isn’t ‘deep’,” she says, “but it’s about finding beauty in everything, beauty in every form”. Powell spent her early years taking portraitures in the wedding industry. Now, she still has her own business alongside teaching and having a family. With this busy lifestyle it is amazing that Powell’s perspective on beauty is unchanged.

Her perspective is something unique and important— something that everyone should see more of.

The answer then is yes, the Mary Ward art teachers do have a life after 2:50.

They have allowed students to glimpse into their personal life through their art. Their art enables the Mary Ward community to know a little more about them and their perspectives, beliefs, and values. This extremely brief introduction to their artwork proves that our art teachers are dedicated and talented individuals, individuals worth learning from, and individuals anyone can be inspired from. Next time you see them, ask some questions.

You never know what you’ll learn.

VOLUME 22 / ISSUE 1 mwplanet 15

community

sports sports

sports

SPORTS WRAP UP

By Karen Tseng

Varsity Girls’ Rugby 7s

PHOTO BY ANDREW SABARILLO

Coaches: Peets, R. Kennedy, Coleman Record: 1 win, 3 losses Mary Ward’s girls’ rugby 7s team returned to action for the first time in approximately four years. After about a month of practice, the girls had their tournament at Dunbarton High School on Friday, October 14.

Despite their rocky start, they gained valuable knowledge and really unified as a team as each game passed. They capped their day off with a win against Fenelon Falls Secondary School with a score of 15-5, with tries scored by Heidi Escobal and Athia Waugh. Ms. Peets would like to congratulate all the girls for their hard work this season!

Junior and Senior Boys’ Rugby 7s Coaches: Peets, R. Kennedy, Coleman Record: Junior- 0 wins | Senior- 0 wins The junior and senior boys’ rugby teams prepared hard for their tournaments at University of Toronto Scarborough on October 14. Although most of the boys were new to the sport, and they did not win any games, they did persevere and show great teamwork throughout the day. Coaches Kennedy and Coleman are proud of the boys for their skill development and are looking forward to rugby 15s in the spring.

Grade 9 Girls’ Flag Football

PHOTO BY CLAIRE LO

Coach: M. Kennedy Record: 1 win, 2 losses It was a very short, but exciting season for the grade 9 girls’ flag football team.

Throughout their practices, the girls improved tremendously and really

came together as a team. During their tournament at Vanier, the girls ended up tied for second but unfortunately lost because of point differentials.

Special thanks to Sophie Evardome, Sarah Li and Jennifer Ferrer for assistant coaching. Coach Kennedy still remains very proud of the girls for evolving as players over a short period of time and hopes to see them try out for varsity girls’ flag football in the spring!

Grade 9 Boys’ Flag Football Coach: Adourian Record: 3 wins, 2 losses The grade 9 boys’ flag football team had a great season as they finished off with 3 wins and 2 losses, which led them to tie for third place in the overall standings. Although their season was short, coach Adourian was proud of how the boys worked as a team and improved as players throughout the one day tournament.

Special thanks to Jason Samocino for assistant coaching the grade 9 boys’ flag football team this season!

Ultimate Frisbee A&B

PHOTO BY NATALIE ALMOSA

were able to clinch a draw against St. Joseph’s Morrow Park. Coach Visconti hopes that all the girls were able to gain a lot of knowledge and experience in field hockey, as for many, it was their first times playing!

Varsity Girls’ Basketball Coaches: Rossi, Candiotto Record: 7 wins, 1 loss The varsity girls’ basketball team had an exceptional season with a very strong team as they remained undefeated in the regular season. They continued the winning streak all the way to the playoffs, but unfortunately lost in the TDCAA Finals against Loretto Abbey with a score of 31-26. Coach Rossi would like to congratulate his team for another very successful season and looks forward to completing “unfinished business” next season!

Senior Boys’ Volleyball

PHOTO BY PATRICK BLICK

though they did not qualify for playoffs, they did try their best and always had a positive attitude.

Coaches DeRose and Lena praise their team for always having the willingness to improve their skills and are proud of their commitment to the team.

Tennis

PHOTO BY KAT BALDE

Coach: Simone The Varsity Tennis team had their preliminary tournament at the National Tennis Centre at York University.

Although none of the players were able to qualify for playoffs, Coach Simone is still very satisfied with the efforts of his players and he hopes they continue to develop their skills!

PHOTO BY NATALIE ALMOSA

Cross Country Coaches: Breen, Bullock Record: A- 1 win, 4 losses | B- 0 wins, 5 losses Ultimate Frisbee had a great turnout, as Coach Breen and Bullock were able to construct two different teams for the second year in a row.

Despite many players being new to the sport, there were many close games and both teams played very well. Unfortunately, neither teams qualified for the playoffs, but ended their seasons with a friendly game against several Mary Ward teachers.

Coach Breen and Bullock would like to thank the teams for a very fun season.

Varsity Girls’ Field Hockey Coaches: Visconti, Fleischacker, Sahlani Record: 0 wins, 1 tie, 4 losses The varsity girls’ field hockey team displayed dedication and tried their best throughout their brief season.

They sadly did not make playoffs this year, but with their hard work

PHOTO BY DEION SQUIRES-ROUSE

Coaches: Harrison, Sersanti Record: 4 wins, 4 losses The senior boys’ volleyball team embodied a lot of fighting spirit and grit this season, which pushed them all the way to playoffs. With each game, they were able to gain valuable skills and knowledge, which elevated them into the semi-finals. Unfortunately, the boys lost in a rematch against St. Michael’s Choir School, falling 3 sets to 1. Coaches Harrison and Sersanti are very proud of the boys for a successful season!

Junior Boys’ Soccer Coaches: DeRose, Lena Record 0 wins, 4 losses The junior boys’ soccer team had a very good developmental season.

They played four games, and even

PHOTO BY TRINITY ESPRIT

Coaches: Hayes, McAndrew The Varsity Cross Country team was filled with many talented runners who competed in three meets during the span of their season. They ended with the TDCAA championships in the end of October. Athletes Josiah Firkru, Trinity Esprit and Lian Cho qualified to compete at OFSAA Championships on November 5th. Josiah placed 19th in the midgets boys division, Trinity placed 116th in the junior girls division, and Lian placed 186th in the senior boys division. The coaches would like to congratulate those three and the rest of the team for another successful season!

VOLUME 22 / ISSUE 1 mwplanet 16

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GOLD FOR CANADA

By Kimberly Vuong

Skater fans across the world gathered at the Hershet Centre in Mississauga, Ontario from October 27th to 30th for the 2016 Skate Canada International competition. The men’s program began on October 28 at 9:08pm with twelve competitors from Canada, Japan, Russia, America, China, Israel, Uzbekistan and Czech Republic.

Representing the Canadian team were Patrick Chan, Kevin Reynolds and Liam Firus - all skating with the goal to earn a spot at the Grand Prix at the end of the season.

Patrick Chan returned to the 20162017 season from a year long hiatus with a new coaching team. He had previously separated from his long time coach of 4 years, Kathy Johnson.

This time around, he recruited Oleg Epstein, Johnny Johns, and renowned ice dancing coach and choreographer Marina Zoueva. Chan’s short program consisted of 8 elements levelled 3 and 4. Although he fell on his triple axel and received a G.O.E (grade of execution) of -3, Chan came in first place for the short program with a score of 90.56.

For Chan’s long program, he came in second with a score of 176.39, but it was enough to beat his rival from Japan, Yuzuru Hanyu. He won by 7.02, and Chan claimed gold at his first competition of the season.

PHOTO BY THE CANADIAN PRESS

Placing second was Yuzuru Hanyu, the 2014 Sochi Olympic and Worlds gold medalist. Outside of the Hershey Centre, tour buses filled with supporters came all the way from Japan to cheer on the athlete representing their country. The rink was filled with the flag of Japan and banners of Hanyu. His short program contained 2 quad jumps, a quad loop and a quad salchow, triple toe combination.

Hanyu became the only skater to have successfully landed a quad loop during a competition. The highly anticipated quad loop received a G.O.E of -3 due to his fall. His combination turned into a triple salchow and he did not attempt

to do the triple toe that followed, therefore losing points. His overall short program totalled to 79.65, leaving him in fourth place. Hanyu’s free skate had 4 quads lined up but, he once again fell on his quad loop. Making a comeback with his free skate, Hanyu came in first with 183.41, allowing him to claim silver.

PHOTO BY SKATE CANADA

Reynolds suffered a hip injury two seasons prior, and was unable to stand on the podium for many competitions during the past few years. “This year I want to be back on the world team,” said Reynolds to Skate Canada reporters.

“To be able to receive my first medal at the grand prix series, after so long, and so many difficulties, it feels amazing.”

Reynolds had 2 quads in his short, a quad salchow, triple toe combination and quad toe which he successfully landed. His G.O.E for the spins were not the highest due to trouble maintaining his speed. Reynolds placed third after his short program with 80.57. He landed 3 quads, falling for his quad salchow in his free skate, receiving a score of 164.49. His overall score totalled to 245.06.

Chan and Reynolds both stood on the podium which granted Canada two medals for a competition held in the country. Coming to the end of one Grand Prix qualifying competition, five more remain. Skaters earn points for their placement after each grand prix event they are assigned to, to see who can qualify for this years Grand Prix Final in Marseille. Next year’s Skate Canada International competition will take place in Regina, Saskatchewan at the Brandt Centre from October 26 to 29, 2017.

sports

MITCH MARNER:

The Rookie we should all be talking

By Nicole Fernandes They have created a new atmosphere for the Leafs; Matthews leads the first line with Nylander and Hyman. All have made a huge impact on the Leafs team this year, but one other rookie in particular isn’t getting the same amount of praise as the others: Mitch Marner. Mitch Marner is one of the over-shadowed rookies, not only for the Leafs but in the NHL, too. With the media too focused on the likes of Auston Matthews, Patrik Laine and William Nylander, they seem to ignore the outstanding performances that Marner has put on this season.

Born on May 5, 1997 in Markham, Ontario, Mitchell Marner knew from a young age that he wanted to play professional hockey in the NHL. “I think just watching every [Maple Leafs] game, it inspired me to want to be a hockey player. Watching Dougie Gilmour, Mats Sundin, guys like that come into this city and they’re a lead role model to kids,” Marner said before his first home debut. When asked about his favourite hockey team at the age of four, Marner replied the Leafs. Fast forward 15 years and he is playing for his favourite team.

In his first 18 games during the regular season, Marner scored seven goals and assisted nine.

In terms of NHL rookie points, after 18 games he was in second place with 16 points, just two behind Patrik Laine who played three games more. He scored his first goal against Boston, where the Leafs thrashed them 4-1. Funnily enough, the talk was more about his mom than his goal itself— she was in the bathroom where he scored!

The 19-year-old is very confident on the ice, and has the intelligence and skills to play great both offensively and defensively. His edge work with his skates is fantastic and his stick handling is a joy to watch. When Marner isn’t busy sliding pucks between defenders legs, you’ll find him blocking shots and trying to put pressure on the offence of the other team. He’ll regain the puck around the neutral zone, then set up van Riemsdyk or Bozak on the counter. Both veterans have been very impressed with his performances so far.

“He’s fun to play with,” said Bozak. “He creates so many opportunities for you. Just playing with him in practice and throughout the games, he knows where to throw pucks, he knows where you’re going to be.” James van Riemsdyk

continues the praise for Marner, saying, “He’s got that special ability to hold the puck for an extra second to let those passing lanes open up.”

Many people were curious about Marner when he made the team this year and were questioning whether he would make those 10 game appearances, or if he would be sent back to the London Knights for the rest of the season. There were speculations about his size, as he’s a pretty small guy to be playing in such a league.

However, Leafs General Manager Lou Lamoriello put those rumours to bed before the season. “At this point, he has made the team,” said Lamoriello.

“And what we have seen of him, not only offensively but defensively, he has done very well. He is extremely mature and I’m extremely impressed with him from seeing him in camp last year and this year.”

Marner has brought that stand-out flare from camp to the NHL. Slotting in so easily into the second line with Bozak and van Riemsdyk, you’d think they were line mates for years. He’s so aware of where they are that Bozak and Riemsdyk have learned to expect the unexpected because his passes will come almost out of nowhere.

The game against the Sabres in Buffalo is a memorable one; Toronto had lost to Buffalo in their last seven games and were 2-17 across the border.

Enter Mitch Marner. His playmaking ability is often overlooked, but that game was all about Marner. He scored two goals and helped snap a losing streak in Buffalo. “He was playing great and focused on doing everything right, “ said Mike Babcock. “Focus on doing things right, and everything works out for itself.” Even Andersen, who had a great night himself, had good comments about Marner. “He made the right plays at the right time,” said the goalie. “It was cool to see him bury a couple there. Some big goals on the road here.”

Mitch has given Toronto all the more season to keep him on the team and not to send him back to the London Knights or to the World Juniors Series.

People had doubts about him, but he has put those doubts to bed.

Putting on amazing shifts for the Leafs this season, keep an eye out for #16 on the Leafs. He’s set to have a great first season in the NHL. VOLUME 22 / ISSUE 1 mwplanet 17

sports sports

sports

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THE NEW OLD BOYS IN TOWN the rise of toronto fc their first ever home playoff game in the knockout round. It seems the shooting boots were on that day because they beat the Philadelphia Union 3-1, their first ever playoff win.

PHOTO BY THE CANADIAN PRESS

By Nicole Fernandes Step aside Raptors and Jays, there’s another Toronto sports team on the rise.

Toronto FC isn’t an unknown sports team in Toronto, but it does lack the support that recent Toronto teams have been getting.

Toronto Football Club was introduced to the city on May 11, 2006, and began playing in Major League Soccer the following year. That season, they finished 13th overall out of 13 teams.

From the years 2008 to 2012, Toronto FC enjoyed four Canadian Championships.

However, they weren’t doing so good league wise. In 2012, they finished dead last in 19th place overall.

In terms of playoffs, they never qualified from 2007-2013 because of their low positions in the Eastern Conference.

2014 was a huge step forward.

After negotiations and a personal phone call from Drake, ex-Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe was brought in, in hope that his experience in the English Premier League would shine through in MLS and power Toronto FC to wins and a playoff spot. Unfortunately, injuries held him back that season and he departed ways with the club. Toronto FC did place 13th out of the 19 teams overall, but once again did not make the playoffs.

At this point, manager Greg Vanney started to compose a list of potential transfer targets to bring in. It was time that TFC started challenging for the MLS Cup, or at least make the playoffs.

On

January

19,

2015,

Sebastian

VOLUME 22 / ISSUE 1 mwplanet 18

Giovinco put pen to paper and joined the club on a free transfer from Juventus. His influence on the team has been outstanding.

The ‘Atomic Ant’ has brought in a new level of attack for TFC. Known for his small frame but amazing footwork, he has the ability to dink past defenders and leave them for dead.

Mainly used as a number nine, Giovinco plays a central striker role but can also turn provider. In his first MLS season, he was directly involved in 35 goals in 34 games— a stat that earned him the MLS MVP award that season and even an Espy award.

His performances for TFC that season were outstanding, bringing new attacking depth that many fans hadn’t seen for a while. Not only has he brought excitement to Toronto FC, but MLS as well. Having a player of his quality play week in week out is exciting for rival fans as well. It just shows that the league itself was getting better with his presence.

After a great season, history was made— Toronto FC qualified for the conference playoffs for the first time.

Though the glory didn’t last long (as they were knocked out in the first round by Montreal), it was still a huge achievement for Toronto FC. Roll along, 2016.

This season is Toronto FC’s best season yet. They secured a playoff spot early and finished third in the Eastern Conference— they’re best ever finish.

They had the best defensive record in the league this season as well, conceding only 39 goals.

Wednesday October 26th was one of the most historic dates in TFC history. It was that day when Toronto FC entered

Their 3-1 win earned them their first ever place in the semi-finals against conference runners-up New York City FC, which took place over two legs: one home game and one away game. It’s fair to say fans were scared with players like David Villa, Andrea Pirlo and Frank Lampard all on a team managed by Patrick Vieira.

The players didn’t seemed phased at all, though, on October 30th. Their performance was better than the one put on against Philadelphia. The back three did a great job and kept David Villa contained. As full time was approaching, Altidore delivered a goal which sent the crowd into hysterics.

Tosaint Ricketts sealed the win in the dying minutes, giving Toronto FC a 2-0 lead on aggregate. This was their first ever first leg semi-final win.

The following week on November 6th, Greg Vanney’s men found themselves at Yankee Stadium to face a New York City team at full strength for the first time— Pirlo, Lampard and Villa all in the starting lineup.

That didn’t stop the Reds, though.

Toronto FC delivered their best performance of the season that night.

From the first minute of the game, TFC were pressing New York City.

They didn’t come to defend their 2-0 lead— they came to extend it. Their high pressing and attacking paid off in just the sixth minute when Giovinco drove a shot into the back of the net.

This meant that New York would have to score four goals if they wanted to go through to the conference finals. Even though Toronto FC could have just sat back and defend, they continued to press New York City FC.

penalty and scored. Now leading 4-0 on aggregate, Toronto FC still didn’t stop their attacking.

New York City had minimal chances and Villa was quite quiet. Clint Irwin had almost nothing to do in the first half because New York City’s attack was at a low.

Jozy Altidore bagged a goal at the 30-minute mark and the game was well over then. Leading 5-0 on aggregate, things were looking brighter and brighter for Greg Vanney’s travelling men. The final score was 5-0, 7-0 on aggregate.

The next test was a two-leg conference final against rivals Montreal Impact. The first leg was played in Montreal. Toronto FC found themselves 3-0 down but showed great character and bagged two important away goals late into the second half. At home, they managed a 5-2 win through 120 minutes of play.

History, again, was made. This was TFC’s first ever conference final win.

Their first ever time mawking it to the MLS Cup final. Toronto FC became the first ever Canadian team to win the Eastern Conference title, as well. If that isn’t enough, they’re also the first team to win the conference final after losing in the first leg. Now, they would host the Seattle Sounders in the MLS Cup final.

Unfortunately, Toronto FC lost cruelly in the MLS Cup final on December 10th. The game went to penalties and Seattle, who had no shots on target for 120+ minutes, won. Toronto FC were the better team all night, especially in extra time, but it just didn’t work for them that night.

This loss does not define Toronto FC’s season. They had an incredible and historic season, and Toronto should be proud.

Captain Michael Bradley was exceptional in defensive midfield, covering the back three and intercepting passes to stop NYCFC attacks and regain possession for Toronto FC.

The rise of Toronto FC was exceptional this year. Even though they did not win the MLS Cup, they still finished the post-season as Eastern Conference champions and some silverware. This will only strengthen them for next season.

Before the 20 minute mark, Giovinco was tripped in the box a penalty was awarded. With a chance to kill off the game, Seba stepped up to take the

Congratulation again, Toronto FC, for an amazing season. Toronto is proud and will be behind the team all the way. All the best next season!

sports

par Anjuli Joachim L’été dernier, une cause majeure de désaccord civil en France était l’interdiction controversée du burkini. Le burkini est un type de maillot de bain pour les femmes qui couvre tout le corps sauf le visage et les mains. Cette conception a été populaire auprès des femmes musulmanes, car il leur permet de profiter des activités à base d’eau, comme la plage ou la piscine, tout en adhérant à leurs vues religieuses y compris la modestie des femmes.

Récemment, les interdictions ont été mises en œuvre par les stations individuelles le long de la ligne de côte, aussi bien que quelques villes à la discrétion du maire. Par exemple, un règlement à Cannes, en France, stipule que toute personne portant des maillots de bain jugée ne pas « respecter les bonnes coutumes et la laïcité » serait empêchée de profiter des plages de la station ou des piscines.

petite planète la lapetite planète

petite planète

L’interdiction de burkini Les policiers et les agents de sécurité appliquent systématiquement cette loi parmi les femmes de couleur qui portent une couverture de corps complet, mais négligent de l’imposer aux surfeurs qui portent des combinaisons humides pour se protéger des vagues et fournir de la chaleur dans l’eau. Pour

PHOTO PAR GETTY IMAGES

cette raison, il devient clair que ces interdictions n’ont rien à voir avec le vêtement réel - et tout à voir avec les connotations religieuses derrière elle.

Plus précisément, la religion islamique.

Ce n’est pas la première fois que le gouvernement français contrôle ce que ses citoyens peuvent et ne peuvent pas porter. En 2004, la France a interdit l’utilisation de «symboles religieux remarquables» qui comprenait le hijab porté par de nombreuses femmes musulmanes, et le turban, porté par les hommes sikhs. Ces mesures ont été prises en réponse aux récents troubles religieux dans le pays et contre le terrorisme croissant dans le monde.

L’interdiction de burkini prend cette loi un peu plus loin, en obligeant les femmes à retirer le maillot de bain afin d’apprécier la belle ligne de côte.

du hijab est obligatoire, oppriment leurs femmes. Cependant, comment peut-on argumenter que demander à quelqu’un de retirer leurs vêtements est différent? Ce que quelqu’un porte est un choix personnel qu’ils font tous les jours. Qu’ils portent ou non ce qu’ils font en raison de leurs croyances religieuses est sans importance.

La solution au terrorisme et aux troubles religieux n’est pas l’interdiction du burkini.

Cette loi a été renversée par la Cour suprême de France en août 2016, mais de nombreux centres de villégiature continuent à l’appliquer indépendamment. Aucune mesure n’a été prise au nom du gouvernement pour empêcher cette situation.

Beaucoup d’Occidentaux croient que des pays comme l’Iran, où le port

PHOTO PAR PA IMAGES

Les outils utiles : la traduction sans Google Translate par Julia D’Silva

Si vous demandez l’opinion d’un professeur de français, Google Translate est un outil très controversé.

Ce n’est pas fiable, il fait souvent des erreurs et la qualité du travail traduit avec Google Translate n’est pas bonne. Il y a plusieurs sites web qui pourraient vous aider à améliorer votre écriture et votre connaissance du français écrit. Voici quelques alternatives au traducteur de Google.

PHOTO PAR ALLEN TUMBAGA

LINGUEE Linguee est un bon site web pour la traduction des mots et de petites phrases. Quand vous cherchez un mot, Linguee vous montre comment le mot peut être utilisé dans une phrase. C’est très utile pour comprendre le contexte d’un mot et pour vous aider a créer vos propres phrases avec l’utilisation appropriée des mots. Google Translate vous donne souvent de mauvaises traductions sans le contexte ou la

bonne conjugaison et les phrases sont parfois traduites en forme anglicisée.

Pour ces raisons, Linguee est une bonne alternative aux traductions de Google.

WORD REFERENCE ET LAROUSSE WordReference et Larousse sont des dictionnaires en ligne. WordReference a un dictionnaire anglais-français et Larousse a un dictionnaire français et un dictionnaire bilingue. Larousse est une compagnie très respectée qui crée des ressources bien crédibles.

Ces sites web sont bons pour trouver la définition ou les synonymes d’un mot. C’est vrai que Google Translate peut faire la même chose, mais avec WordReference et les dictionnaires Larousse vous pouvez garantir que les définitions sont fiables et correctes.

LE CONJUGUEUR Si vous avez besoin d’aide avec la conjugaison d’un verbe, le site web Le Conjugueur vous permet d’en chercher.

Vous pouvez aussi chercher l’infinitif d’un verbe si vous savez seulement une forme conjuguée. Il y a plusieurs explications des conjugaisons et Le Conjugueur a de tests et jeux de grammaire pour pratiquer la conjugaison. Google Translate ne vous donne pas la bonne conjugaison des verbes, alors Le Conjugueur est très utile pour améliorer votre grammaire.

BON PATRON BonPatron est un site web ou vous pouvez corriger la grammaire et

PHOTO PAR NATALIE ALMOSA

l’orthographe de votre écriture.

Vous devez seulement copier votre travail au site web et ça vous donne des corrections et des suggestions pour améliorer vos rédactions.

Heureusement, c’est complètement gratuit! BonPatron n’est pas parfait, mais c’est un bon outil pour vous assurer que votre écriture n’a pas autant de fautes. Après avoir utilisé BonPatron, vous pouvez gager la qualité de votre pièce avec la prochaine ressource.

PARLER À VOTRE PROFESSEUR Une façon très facile pour garantir la qualité de votre travail écrit et de le montrer à votre professeur de français. Ils

pouvaient vous donner des corrections de grammaire et de l’orthographe, ils pouvaient vous donner les bons mots pour utiliser et le plus important, ils pouvaient vous donner des corrections selon le contexte de votre cours.

Les professeurs sont beaucoup plus précis et fiables que Google Translate.

Il y a beaucoup d’alternatives à Google Translate. Ces options sont aussi faciles d’utiliser et plus précis que le traducteur de Google. En utilisant ces outils, vous voyez certainement l’amélioration de vos notes et votre compréhension du français.

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petite planète

petite planète la lapetite planète

Des madeleines magnifiques! par Julia D’Silva

Les madeleines sont de petits gâteaux en forme de coquillage, souvent mangé avec du thé. Marcel Proust, un écrivain français, a écrit une rédaction au sujet de la nostalgie que les madeleines lui ont donnée. Avec quelques ingrédients et un moule à madeleines, vous pouvez faire des madeleines à la maison! Voici une recette facile, adapté du site-web Ricardo Cuisine.

1.

par Yanelle BardhanMendonca

PHOTO PAR COOK DIARY

Une fois que vous maîtrisez cette recette, vous pouvez essayer des nouvelles saveurs des madeleines : Martha Stewart suggère les madeleines avec chocolat, citron, beurre d’arachides et d’autres saveurs! Maintenant, faire du thé et manger vos délicieuses madeleines!

2.

3&4.

5.

6.

10.

ILLUSTRATION PAR AIKEN CHAU

PHOTO PAR DEION SQUIRES ROUSE

regarde, ma chérie! c’est la vie! c’est la vie ton visage dit: où est mon esprit??? lever ton cul à mon avis trouve mon coeur! tout les gens veulent un rappel mais tu ne vois jamais à nouveau le sens est absent écoute les nouvelles! pour tu n’as pas appris comment penser ma chérie...c’est la vie.

LA CONNEXION FRANGLAISE par Michelle Tang

C’est trop difficile de parler une autre langue.

Quand j’ouvre ma bouche, ma tête devient une épave. La propre conjugaison des verbes, le placement des pronoms, les articles, les genres, les mots—ma tête essaye de les traiter en quelques secondes. Les phrases qui sortent sont un méli-mélo de mots avec des corrections même en anglais qu’en français. Moi, je suis dans le programme de français intensive ici à Mary Ward.

Malgré que je sois dans ce programme pour environ dix ans, j’ai peur de parler en français. Mes amis aussi.

Je pense que notre incapacité de parler en français est partiellement à cause de notre fierté. On ne veut pas parler le français avant de le perfectionner. C’est pourquoi on adore les saynètes mais on abhorre les discussions informelles en français. Je parle seulement pour la classe de français intensif, mais nous sommes experts à franglais—le mélange du français et de l’anglais.

7,8&9.

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5. Couvrir et réfrigérer pendant 30 minutes.

6. Remplir les moules avec de la pâte.

7. Cuire les madeleines au four pour 8 à 10 minutes.

8. Quand les madeleines sont un brun doré, sortez-les du four et les laisser refroidir. Vous pouvez les décorer avec du sucre en poudre, si vous voulez.

9. Répéter le processus avec le reste de pâte.

10. Manger vos madeleines!

Ingrédients : • ¾ tasse de farine tout usage • ¼ cuillère à café de levure chimique • ¼ cuillère à café de sel • 2 œufs • ½ tasse de sucre • ½ tasse du beurre non-sale, fondu et à température ambiante Préparation : 1. Préchauffer le four à 400°F. Beurrer et fariner un moule à madeleines.

2. Combiner la farine, la levure chimique et le sel dans un bol.

3. Battre les œufs et le sucre dans un autre bol pour environ cinq minutes.

4. Avec un fouet, incorporer la farine, la levure chimique, et le sel aux ingrédients mouille. Puis, ajoute le beurre de la même façon.

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Mais à mon avis, on ne peut pas améliorer notre français si on l’évite.

Je sais que c’est difficile de le parler si on demande la perfection, alors il faut comprendre que le chemin de l’apprentissage d’une langue n’est pas droit; il y a beaucoup de virages et tours.

Au début de l’année scolaire, mes amis et moi avons décidé de parler seulement en français quand on reste dans le département de français. On voulait développer une réflexe quand on se rencontrait comme quand on parle à nos profs (c’est trop bizarre de leur parler en anglais). Malheureusement, on a oublié cette promesse au bout de quelques jours, mais ce n’était pas un échec parce qu’on est devenu plus confortable de se parler en français.

Le français est très important de nos jours après l’école secondaire—je sais, c’est comme les profs le disent, mais c’est vrai! Le Canada est un pays bilingue alors plusieurs portes s’ouvrent si on peut parler le français aussi. Voici quelques façons d’améliorer votre français : joignez Je Dis Jeudi, le club français (j’aime beaucoup ce calambour) écoutez de la musique française (autre que Stromae, il y a Claudio Capéo, TAL, ou Maitre Gims, Vianney) regardez les films français (vous pouvez utiliser les sous-titres, mais seulement en français) En disant tout ça, la façon la plus importante est de choisir d’apprendre le français. Ne pas le parler seulement quand les profs vous forcent. Vous êtes le maître de votre propre destin; c’est à vous de choisir le français.

wact wact wact Waking Up From The You Won’t Believe These Shocking Hidden Buzzfeed Manic Pixie Dream Secrets petite planète

By Madeleine MacIsaac-Sun

Those who consider themselves film and popular culture fanatics may be familiar with the term “manic pixie dream girl”. The term was coined in 2007 by film critic Nathan Radin when describing Kirsten Dunst’s character in Elizabethtown.

He described the manic pixie dream girl (MPDG for short) as “that bubbly, shallow cinematic creature that exists solely in the fevered imaginations of sensitive writer-directors to teach broodingly soulful young men to embrace life and its infinite mysteries and adventures”; in other words, a flat, underdeveloped character whose only purpose is to improve the lives of their male counterparts.

Since the term was introduced, many have pointed out different MPDGs in popular culture: Natalie Portman in Garden State, Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Sabrina, and Roman Holiday, Kate Hudson in Almost Famous, and Helena Bonham Carter in Fight Club - to name a few. Many people criticize the use of the phrase as it is applied to well-loved pop culture idols, a notable example being Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

While it started out as a just critique on misogyny and a lack of properly developed female characters in the film

world, many have called the term itself misogynistic. Diane Keaton’s character in Annie Hall was considered a MPDG, but both the director and Keaton herself confirmed that the character has largely been based on Keaton’s actual personality.

When asked about the term, Zoe Kazan - writer and star of the film Ruby Sparks - said “I don’t like that term … I think it’s turned into this unstoppable monster where people use it to describe things that don’t really fall under that rubric.”

For instance, one might call any freespirited female character a MPDG, an unjust categorization which hurts writers as much as the characters themselves. Rabin himself has echoed Kazan’s sentiments on the matter. In July 2014, he published an article titled “I’m sorry for coining the phrase ‘manic pixie dream girl’”. In it, he calls for people to stop using the term, saying “I would welcome its erasure from public discourse”.

Perhaps the use of the phrase really has become as clichéd as the trope itself. It has angered many people, but it has also justly critiqued many lazy, misogynistic writers. In light of its misuse and abuse, it might be time to let the MPDG finally die. But if there is one thing we can learn from all of this, it’s this: create better female characters, with lives and emotions of their own.

By Naomi Fernandes

Since its creation in 2006, BuzzFeed has quickly grown in fame, especially within the last few years. If you haven’t yet heard of BuzzFeed, it is a news and entertainment company which has a massive following with its posts gaining over 2 million reshares and some of their videos earning over 18 million views. Needless to say, the site is pretty popular.

Even though Buzzfeed is mostly known for their “listicles” and quizzes, in recent years the company has made moves towards becoming a more reputable news source, however critics say they are not making much leeway with the type of content that they produce.

Their most read articles tend to be ones which aren’t of much substance and mostly consist of GIFs and images with minimal text and unoriginal commentary.

Despite Buzzfeed’s addictive and

PHOTO BY TRYINERACT.COM

misleading clickbait titles (which are quite easy to fall victim to) most of the articles in their Big Story section were surprisingly well written. This is not to say that it didn’t feature an article about Tom Hanks’ dying career before an article about the aftermath of the American election. For the most part, it was full of a lot of more thoughtprovoking and interesting reads than you might expect.

The primary issue with BuzzFeed is that their homepage usually only features articles which will go viral and bring in money and fame when typically a home page features the bestwritten, most relevant articles from each section. This isn’t bad by most accounts, but for a site which advertises themselves to be a news source as well as an entertainment site, there seems to be much more of a focus on profit rather than actual well-written content.

This being said, despite several criticisms, Buzzfeed has succeeded in creating a relevant and popular platform to discuss issues in the world, and with a large emphasis on diversity, it gives space for people everywhere to give a fresh take on world happenings.

So, while BuzzFeed isn’t exactly the downfall of journalism as we know it, critics are right when they say the company still has a long way to go if they want to be considered a real news site.

Eating Meat: A Big Missed-Steak

By Sabrina Percy

and are can and

Under the circumstances of rapidly approaching climate changes environmental problems, we faced with a question: What we do to help the environment make the world a better place?

This question may not seem to have anything to do with the topic of veganism and vegetarianism at all, but actually, there is a lot that these lifestyles can do for us and the earth.

A little bit of research, talking directly to vegetarians and vegans, and watching ‘Cowspiracy’, could bring almost everyone to the conclusion that veganism and vegetarianism are more than just methods to help ourselves or the animals, but can also make a big impact on the environment too.

Most people believe that problems like transportation vehicles that transmit carbon emissions and factories that produce greenhouse gases are the main causes of climate change, but there’s much more to the story.

large amount of all greenhouse gases on a world scale (around 18%). Animal agriculture is one of the leading factors of deforestation. Acres of land are cut down in the Amazon to create more space for agriculture needs

PHOTO BY INHABITAT.COM

Although the transportation vehicles and factory emissions are a few large problems, there are also other causes.

It turns out that even what we eat is affecting the climate. Animal agriculture is a significant contributor to global warming, and livestock production itself produces a pretty

and livestock grazing just to keep up with our rapidly growing population.

However, the land area used to provide food for a vegan is three times less than the land used for someone who eats meat and animal products.

The health benefits of vegan/vegetarian

diets are also more than enough to convince someone to change their diet. Diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cataracts, osteoporosis, colon cancer, breast cancer and more can be prevented. There are also physical benefits such as healthier skin, hair and nails and less migraines. A lot more people have begun to recognize the benefits of eliminating animals and animal products from their diet.

So, contributing to saving the environment can be added to the list of perks that come with having vegan or vegetarian diets. Something as simple as changing what you eat could possibly help to stop global warming, melting glaciers, and mass deforestation in the Amazon. The next time you eat, try swapping out that ham sandwich for a whole wheat bean burrito. Your body and the earth will thank you.

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THE

By Nimmy Ayekun In August, Samsung was hoping to impress fans and experts with its new Galaxy Note 7. It was the device that would be bigger, better and more efficient than their award-winning Galaxy Note 6. Unfortunately, this hot new release was a little hotter than most customers expected.

Hui Jengi, a man from China told news reports that his Note 7 exploded not even 24 hours after he had it delivered from an e-commerce website (Jd.com Inc.), and left it to charge. He said the incident gave him minor injuries on two of his fingers and almost completely destroyed his Apple laptop - and Jengi wasn’t the only one.

There were over 35 reported cases worldwide of the phone overheating and randomly catching fire (this

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EXPLOSIVE number has almost quadrupled with at least 100 cases in the U.S alone), soon after the Note 7’s much anticipated release.

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SAMSUNG

as replacements exploded as well.

The corporation has now recalled every Note 7 and completely halted production of the device.

In the wake of the enormous recall, Samsung’s shares are expected to drop tremendously, reducing the value of the corporation by billions. Many are shocked. Over the past couple of years, Samsung has been making a good name for itself in the smartphone market. In 2015, Samsung accounted for over 32 % of the phone market in Canada while Apple accounted for 38%.

Not to mention that the Note 7 was expected to do really well. So, one of the biggest questions from consumers was what want went wrong.

PHOTO BY ANDROID AUTHORITY

Initially, Samsung announced that they would be recalling and replacing over 1.5 million smartphones. However,

by October 10th, about 5 of the phones that Samsung had issued

To answer that question, Samsung issued the following statement: “Based on our investigation, we learned that there was an issue with the battery cell. An overheating of the battery cell

occurred when the anode-to-cathode came into contact, which is a very rare manufacturing process error. We are working with multiple suppliers to ensure that a rigorous inspection process is conducted to ensure the quality of our replacement units and we do not anticipate any further battery issues.”

The issue is that modern day smartphones usually have protection circuits, which prevent things like this from happening. It is a very important thing to miss for a phone that costs over 800 dollars.

In short, Samsung’s galaxy Note 7 was a bust, but the company has high hopes of winning customers back, with the release of the Galaxy Note 8/S8. It will be the first-ever flexible smartphone.

If you have a Note 7, don’t touch it with your hands and don’t throw it out. Return it to your retailer, who will either give you a full refund or exchange the phone.

Criticizing the Critics

By Daniel Santiago From my perspective, a film critic is a person hired by those who run the mass media to act as a judge who holds the verdict on whether a film, new or old, is either good or bad. We could give them credit for bringing to our attention some of the greatest films ever made. On the downside, however, they have also crucified films that some of us in the general public consider great. Sure, we all have differing opinions on several things, but this writer believes that we do not need them.

The critics have this domino effect on the audience; once the majority says ‘yay’ or ‘nay’, the audience just believes them. Back in 1990, the film The Godfather Part III was not wellreceived by the critics during its release and since the critics influence the movie viewers, many refused to see the film. Over time, however, the audience began to appreciate its quality and many consider it a wellmade film. On the Internet Movie Database’s page for The Godfather Part III, a user “ccthemovieman-1” stated the following in their review of the film: “I stayed away from this film for a long time, doing a dumb thing: VOLUME 22 / ISSUE 1 mwplanet 22

ILLUSTRATION BY AIKEN CHAU

listening to the well-known film critics.

When I finally got around to it, I was very surprised. It was a good film.” The user admits his fault in listening to the critics, as they prevented him from seeing a film which he had eventually come to admire after viewing.

As well, critics and the audience have differing views on a film mostly all the time. Let me use the late Robin Williams as an example; most of the audience loves him and most of the critics, not so much. We can see this in his comedy-drama films like What Dreams May Come and Patch Adams.

Visit Rotten Tomatoes and search these titles and you will see that the critics’ and audience score are opposing; the former has a 54% from the critics and 85% from the audience, while the latter earns a 22% from critics and a 73% from the audience. Bob Fenster thought that

Williams’ performance in What Dreams was awful, stating that “what’s wrong with giant movie screens [is that] you can fill them with extreme close-ups of Robin Williams’ face!” Contrarily, a reviewer from the audience by the name of Christian C, felt that the film featured a “strong dramatic acting by Robin Williams.”. As for Patch Adams, audience member Michael Edwards, thought that “the film has some real good drama.” On the other hand, wellknown late critic Roger Ebert said that Patch Adams was “shameless... not merely a tearjerker.”

At times, critics ignorantly misjudge or misinterpret a film and there have been films that have suffered from unnecessary analysis. In the time when the film Scarface (1983) came out, the majority of film critics disapproved of it, primarily because they had the

wrong impression of the film. Their misinterpretation can be summed up in the notable critic Pauline Kael’s review, in which she stated that the film “may be the only action picture that turns into an allegory of impotence.”

Keyword - ‘action picture’. Scarface may have some shootouts here and there, but it was absolutely, positively not an action flick. It’s not even displayed in the action genre of films.

Due to the reasons previously mentioned, this writer has come to the conclusion that we do not need these ‘professionals’, due to an extent of unprofessionalism and for the plain fact that the majority of the audience does not even share their notions towards several films. This writer wishes that in the future, the audience will not be as swayed by critics’ influence.

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POETRY

By Jamie Edghill

fun and games

She

She thought this place was safe Safe, with people she could trust Trust, that they would have her back Never backing down from a fight But where were they now.

She sits there, There, where the kids are mean Meaner, than they will ever know Never, knowing those words hurt her.

But they do.

She could hear those kids laughing, Laughing, at the insults they spew, Spewing, mean and offensive words, Words, they do not think twice about,

But are said so easily.

She could say something Something, that would get her attention Attention, she wishes to never have, Not having, someone to keep her safe But what can she do.

She was alone alone, with a room full of people People, who could care less about her Her, just another girl, with feelings that can’t be controlled, stories untold, problems too bold.

PHOTO BY DEION SQUIRES-ROUSE

Changing Dexterity

By Yasmine Tan I smudge my words, can’t read what I write or change my mind (and change it again) or make mistakes, so silly and small; perfection dons its eraser hats.

so I’ve learned to stop, to muVse, to think if what I say is really wrong and taught myself to be righthanded— I’ll write instead in pen and ink.

PHOTO BY CIAN HRABI

But Don’t Expect Us To Believe You

By Nicole Marron Say it again: how we are a broken people, But don't say it to me.

Instead, tell this to the boy Whose chest is bound so tight he can't gasp for air between his cries of selfhatred As he takes the hand of the girl shivering in the street on a cold winter night With no place to call home and no family of her own.

I'll agree that they're broken but point out that you were the one to break them.

Say it again: how we need to be fixed.

Go shout it from the rooftops so that

Everyone mourning anyone who ever listened to you can hear.

Whisper it in the ears of the parents left childless Or the trans girl with the rope around her neck Or the agender person with pills ready in hand.

Say it again: how no god will love us.

Scream it to the world where you call people to love one another As you step on those who do so in a way different than you do.

All the world's a stage and you use us as your platform.

Go ahead; tell us how your God will banish us to the depths of hell

Where you say we belong And tell: me what kind of God do you follow That punishes love?

Over our shouts of well-deserved "I love you"s Over our long awaited wedding bells Over the cries of our newborn children

Say it again and again and again And watch your words fall at our feet And our flag refusing to burn with the fire you tried to start.

Say it again but prepare to be challenged By our parents who love us for the way we were born By those who accept that the world is not black and white By our friends who embrace our colours And by every person who sees us for what we are: Human.

Say it again as we brush off our knees and hold our heads high As we join hands with our brothers, sisters, and non-binary siblings As we never, ever say die.

Say it all again but don't expect us to hear you

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funand and games fun games

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christmas crossword

By Yuki Tam

1 4

8

9

1

10

10 2

11 9 5

6

7

5

12

2

11 13

3

3

14

14

15.

7

6.

mary ward art show logo contest winner Chosen by the grade twelve arts administration team, this years art show logo winner is Elihzer Luz! Be sure to keep an eye out for this awesome design all over the show.

Congratulations to the winner and a huge thank you too all those who submitted a design!

8

Across 1. he sees you when you’re sleeping 2. they who pull the sleigh 3. “all I want for Christmas is you” 4. a spice from tree bark 5. you put this up when you want to be festive 6. the sixth reindeer 7. on the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me 8. I’ve been dreaming of a ______ Christmas 9. noel 10. Jack ______ 11. small, tiny, little 12. name of the actor that played Kevin 13. always not red 14. I am Santa’s little helper 15. its his birthday 16. “Hey! I’m roasting _______ on an open fire!”

Falling Behind

By Francis David

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16.

Down 1. kiss them under this plant 2. from the Myristica tree 3. “The others are making fun of me, Santa!”

4. folded papers with nice words 5. “Maybe Christmas” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”

6. spicy cookie 7. rain, hail, and _______ 8. not south 9. gloves with two T’s 10. vive le vent 11. 5 minus 2, intelligent, not women 12. You saw who kissing Santa Claus?!

13. If I’m on a sleigh ride, I am _______.

14. ghost of Christmas past, ______, and future

*(answers online at mwplanet.tumblr.com)