Mary Ward Planet - Vol.19, Issue 3, Spring 2013-2014

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MARY WARD PLANET

volume 19 || issue 3 || summer edition 2014

Flashback | Ok lahoma! | Car tography

tableof of contents contents table

EDITORS

Farewell Planet Sweeps Newspaper Awards Editorial

COMMUNITY SPORTS Community Wrap-Up 24th Annual Spring Concert Oklahoma!

Cartography Happy Retirement, Mr. Li To Wear or Not To Wear?

Wolverines Take Over the Big Apple Adrenalyn at BYOB

03 WORLD ISSUES

WACT

The Missing Planet: MH370 Is It Fair?

Legalization of Marijuana by Trudeau An Open Letter to Generation Z Five of Canada’s Infamous

Serial Killers

LIFE

The Darkness That Grows Within Ward Socializing 101 Summer Productivity Ward Student Souvenirs Autumn Breeze

16 LA PETITE PLANETE

Tips on Studying for Exams Are Units Taking Over

Students’ Lives?

Summer School 101 Things to do After May/June Rush Budgeting for Lazy People Beach Bod

Le français pour L’avenir - Un

Forum pour les Étudiants

en Français L’Influence Française au

Canada Aujourd’hui Soulagez Votre Stress L’Amour Conquiet Lahaine

08 bianca Gomba Cover Design

Sam Quinto

20 CREATIVE SPACES

May the Convention Be With You Must Watch Summer Movies HIMYM Finale Jumping the Shark Negative Effects of Reality TV

on Society

05

cOLOUR pages

Sports Wrap-Up FIFA World Cup We the North

11

18 L A Y O U T DESIGNERS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

VOLUME 19 || ISSUE 3 || SUMMER EDITION 2014

21

FUN & GAMES Summer Smoothies Winners of the Planet Logo

Contest 2014

24

Samantha Quinto Bea Serdon Fayre Zhang Mariah Achie Allegra Fiorino Kathleen Francisco Andrea Nijmeh Lia Pizarro Bianca Gomba Amanda Tanner Jercy David Wilma Reyes Kieona George

All content © 2013-2014 Mary Ward Catholic Secondary School. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this newspaper, in part or whole, is prohibited without the approval of the Planet executive members. The Mary Ward Planet is the official student newspaper of Mary Ward C.S.S. All members of the Mary Ward community may voluntarily contribute to the Planet. Everyone exhibits professionalism and respects one another in all exchanges while keeping Christian values and practices. All submitted articles, layouts, and photography are subject to moderation. Material submitted is subject to approval by the Executive, staff moderators, and administration. All material must positively support the ideas and spirit of Mary Ward Catholic Secondary School. Mary Ward Catholic Secondary School is a self-direted learning centre located at 3200 Kennedy Road that was founded in 1985. It became a member of the CCSDL (Canadian Coalition of Self-Directed Learning) in 1995.

VOLUME 19 / ISSUE 3 mwplanet 02

editors’ notes editors’ notes

Farewell

from the Grads

It’s been a great two years being on the Planet team, and I’ll definitely miss the jam sessions, cramming before newspaper deadlines, and just working with a great group of people in general.

I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything in the world! I’d just like to thank Ms. Powell and the rest of the team for making all the time spent not doing units and working on the paper worthwhile.

Also, a shout out to Bishounen; stay handsome!

-Faye Zhang

Although I haven’t been on the team for very long, I’m glad that I’ve had the opportunity to contribute to the Planet. I can finally look back and say that I accomplished something. Merci beaucoup à ceux qui ont écrit pour la Petite Planète. Je vous souhaite bonne chance dans vos études au futur. Au revoir et ayez un bon été, Ward!

Becoming a basement rat results in: working on the newspaper for three years, being on the exec twice, and newspaper awards. Being part of the Planet has been amazing and I can’t imagine my high school career without it. Enjoy the new look, Mary Ward!

Being a community editor for the Planet has been an amazing experience. As a student pursuing a career in the journalism field, this was a great opportunity for me to become more involved in the community and learn what it takes to produce a great newspaper. I’ll surely miss being part of the team. ‘Til next time!

Thanks to the executive team for their incredible ideas and for making my experience on the Planet so enjoyable. Thanks to the Ward Community for being such an inspiration. Finally, a huge thanks to Powell. Even though she’s such a “pain in the butt”, I thank her for all that she has done for me. Thank you and byeeeeeeeee!

-Jercy David

-Mariah Achie

-Kathleen Francisco

-Lia Pizarro

It’s been great writing for the newspaper! Peace out y’all.

-Wilma Reyes

PLANET SWEEPS NEWSPAPER AWARDS Among the hundreds of entries,

By Patrisha Ranin the Mary Ward newspaper garnered Marking the 22nd a total of seven awards from the of May was the competition: Michelle Li and Andrea Annual Toronto Heisz as runners-up for Feature Writing Star High School - Short and Illustration, respectively; N e w s p a p e r Jercy David winning 1st place for Page Awards, a prestigious journalism event Layout and Design; Beatrice Serdon as attended by our Planet executive team a runner-up for Photography - News along with a handful of Journalism and 1st place for Photography - Sports; students and frequent writers for the the Mary Ward Planet as the 2nd Best paper. Started by Brad Henderson (one Electronic Newspaper and 1st place for of the most influential Toronto Star Layout and Design, Special Feature Page executives), the awarding body aims - Electronic Newspaper. Our principal Mrs. to recognize the journalistic abilities of Magee showed the support of the whole high school newspaper teams by way administration with her attendance, of their school’s publication. For 18 congratulating award winners on their years running, a group of professional accomplishments.

The judges were nothing short editors and journalists riffles through submissions from secondary schools of praises on their insightful critiques for across the province of Ontario and, with our winning entries, commending Bea’s a critical eye, judges them accordingly close connection with her subjects in her to crown the best articles, photos, photos, Michelle’s amazing portrayal of the twitter account @wardcompliments, illustrations and overall newspaper.

Jercy’s inventive and clear-cut page design of the 2012 Art Trip to New York, and our website’s visually engaging and easy-to-navigate interface.

Throughout the day, the group was also educated in the in’s and out’s of the newspaper media industry—thanks to our Resident Tour Guide, Ian, who we consider our Symbol of Good Luck— starting from the initial roll of paper – clean and blank – being wheeled in by laser-automated machines to the large presses. It then undergoes a series of steps that mold it into the newspaper we read with our morning coffee, created with such meticulous attention to detail and no room for errors. Temperatures for every room are constantly kept at a fixed number, colours are inspected every few minutes to ensure that the correct hues are used, and production deadlines are considered seriously and met with a scary punctuality. The Star still holds onto some traditional techniques of

printing, but one can also see how modern technology has influenced their ways to effectively speed up the process and improve the quality of the paper to the fullest.

As much as the physical part of newspaper printing is important, the content included is just as vital to the whole system. Speakers Alison Uncles, Jayme Poisson and Daniel Henderson taught a room full of aspiring journalists what journalism is truly all about—going through great lengths in letting the masses know what they need to, providing them with all the information without any bias, and letting them decide for themselves where they stand.

PHOTOS BY BEA SERDON AND MRS POWELL

VOLUME 19 / ISSUE 3 mwplanet 03

editorial editorial

Flashback� If you think the rules at Mary Ward right now are strict, can you imagine what attendance at Mary Ward was like almost twenty years ago? Every Monday was a scheduled day. Test reauthorizations didn’t exist. Teachers gave even more seminars. Cookies were 50 cents (actually, count that cookie rule as a benefit). The rules enforced now may seem as if they had always existed exactly as they are, appearing like the Ten Commandments when the school was built, but in truth the Code of Conduct has been modified and re-evaluated since the beginning.

Looking back, current and former students can understand how the rules were modified to match students’ level of discipline and adolescent behaviour.

Fortunately, the rules of uniform have been ”re-styled” since twenty years ago to satisfy the 90’s children’s need for diversity and variety in apparel. In the past, colored golf shirts were white. Other pieces from the past that would not qualify for uniform today include zip up sweaters, long sleeved button ups, and ties. Shoes had to be completely black, with no white borders or logos. These uniform items were phased out in the mid-to-late 2000’s. The maroon and navy blue golf shirts worn now weren’t introduced until the early 2000’s. As the years go by the uniform will continue to evolve, and most likely the kilt will be “thrown off the menu” if girls keep wearing it as they do.

Of course, one can expect the rules of Mary Ward to have evolved significantly from the 90’s to benefit the school now. Mary Ward had day 0’s instead of Days 1-10. From Tuesdays to Thursdays, when students had to plan their schedule, teachers had the same floor-schedule every day. Conflict-free seminars did not exist so students had to figure out what they should sacrifice themselves.

Before the Ontario-wide school system change in the early 2000s, Ward had twenty units in each course, and each unit had to be completed in less than the current two weeks. There were also no restrictions on how many units you could hand in within one week. If there was any unit restriction, it was to VOLUME 19 / ISSUE 3 mwplanet 04

the discretion of the teacher. Ms. Weathers, an alumni from 19982003, remembers being able to hand in four units within one week.

In addition, in many subjects, midterms were required to complete the course. Midterms were unit tens of a course, and students had to complete them in the test centre. The policy was that if a student did well on their midterms, and met any other conditions or requirements for the course, such as hand in their unit 19 by the target date; they weren’t required to take their final exam at the end of the

year. However, midterms were omitted from courses when the new curriculum went from twenty to eighteen units.

Another major change within Ward’s curriculum was the definition of Quest Units. At one point, every course had mandatory Quest Units where the project included different aspects of different subjects. When some alumni thought back to their experiences at Mary Ward, they described Quest Units as a project for a student to do on their own. Mr. Notten, who has been teaching in Mary Ward since 1988, was a pioneer for bringing the concept of Quest Units to Ward, and describes Quests Units as “when the kids truly have control over their education … It starts with the student, and the student opts in.” Ms. Weathers also had a similar

definition: “The point [of a Quest Unit] PHOTO FROM MARY WARD ARCHIVES is to explore and be independent … [to] go out on a ‘quest’ for knowledge.” finish their units on time, and to do well on their midterms so they might This is a very different definition to what most current students would define not have to do their final exams.

On another note, the concept of Quest Units in particular is something to re-evaluate, considering that Quest Units should be the prime example of Mary Ward’s philosophy: to be self-directed. Quest Units need to be something more than doing one assignment for two courses, going on a trip, or spending a couple extra hours on a unit— as helpful as it may be when finishing a course—because it loses the mentality that it is a “quest”. Perhaps it shouldn’t be as big a project as it was for many alumni who have attended Mary Ward. Between ISPs and other major projects, especially in senior courses now, it might be difficult to add that kind of project on top of every course. Still, it PHOTO FROM MARY WARD ARCHIVES might be time to bring back the philosophy that Quest Units are a as a Quest Unit now: an assignment “quest” to explore something new and they could hand in for two or more different. courses, or an alternative assignment to what’s given in the course. By this However, despite all these changes, definition, Quest Units, now, are less the staff and students continue to student oriented, and more teacher strive for improvement for Mary guided. Mrs. Powell sees this as a Ward. “Everything is in the spirit of different direction for the philosophy improvement,” says Mr. Notten, and of the school: “To be self-directed is to many agree. “[These rule changes] are go beyond the unit, to explore.” She for the better,” says Ms. Weathers. “They describes this possible change as more take input from students, teachers, self-paced: “Everyone does the same thing, but just takes their own time.”

All things considered, it’s certain that Mary Ward has changed over the course of its existence thus far, and perhaps it’s time to look at what’s been omitted and think about bringing it back to the system. Bringing back midterms, for example, could motivate students to

and parents.” As the rules of Mary Ward evolve to become better, so do students. Former students are more independent than in the past. This flashback is a reminder that Mary Ward C.S.S. continues to stay up-to-date with the present, making the experience in the Mary Ward community even better than before.

editorial

world issues world issues

world issues

The Missing Plane: MH370

By Teresa Li

On March 8th, a Malaysian Boeing MH370 lost its contact with air-traffic control in good weather condition, flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on a Saturday morning. It disappeared after a few hours of trying to connect to satellite and then lost its signal.

This international flight carried 12 Malaysian residents and 227 passengers from 14 nations, including 2 children. After 17 days of consistent flight search from countries all over the world, the Malaysian Prime Minister announced that MH370 unfortunately “ended” in the southern Indian Ocean.

maintenance, adding that the aircraft has been shown to be in a relatively safe condition and denied mechanical failure. Though the investigation was ongoing for a while, there was still no obvious breakthrough and Malaysia could only expand the scope of the search, as well as to prepare for all the possible rescue methods. At the same time, China sent nine ships searching in the sea, and the United States and Australia also provided aircrafts in search. Useful evidence in the search shows the airplane had tried to land and alter routes.

Right after the disappearance, the Malaysia Airlines Vice President immediately reported to the CNN that MH370 was equipped with seven hours of jet fuel and believed that the aircraft fuel had run out. Nonetheless, the Malaysia Airlines had no clue of the aircraft location. The airplane was last seen in Vietnam at 2:40a.m and lost contact since then. Search crews from ten countries continued to expand the area that they were combing from day one, and they discovered that the plane tried to turn back at some point, but failed to do so. Malaysia Airlines later on held a brief press conference in the Beijing Lido Hotel to publish the passenger list and inform the families of Chinese passengers. At the time, the U.S. media came upon a large amount of analyses regarding the missing airplane and summed them up into four major possibilities:

According to the investigation crew, MH370 lost contact with the disclosure of its final conversation. When the pilots and ground control last connected, MH370 was approaching the border of Malaysia and Vietnam Airlines. The copilot said: “All right, good night”, and ended at that. The pilots were also one of the criminal suspects in this incident.

1.The aircraft disappearance was caused by "metal fatigue", which is a progressive damage that occurs when a material or object is subjected to cyclic loadings.

2.Detonated explosives - the plane suddenly led to the disintegration of certain passengers. This possibility is high for hijacking.

3.Air turbulence and special natural conditions caused this sudden disintegration.

4. Aircraft collision.

information, the biggest possibility still surrounds hijacking. The investigation crew reported to Reuters (international news agency), that the military radar came upon a new discovery, and that there was a certain individual deliberately driving the MH370. It flew over the Malay Peninsula, into the Andaman Islands, and they couldn’t investigate more information from that point on. Investigators believe the missing airplane navigated along a route between waypoints and the flight itself. This discovery meant that the MH370 had highly trained aviators.

The Malaysian Civil Aviation Department clarified with regards to the stolen passport passengers; they were only trying to emigrate. This eliminated the possibility of terrorism.

They insisted the aircraft had proper

Malaysian Prime Minister, Najib Razak, correspondently held a conference in Kuala Lumpur. He informed everyone that the aircraft’s last contact with the satellite was in Beijing at 8:11a.m on March 8. A certain individual rerouted the plane deliberately. With this

Another reasonable hijacking conspiracy is that hijackers on the airplane presented themselves to the Malaysian Government for political

demands related to domestic politics.

After five hours of negotiations, the Malaysian administration did not accept the hijackers’ demands. While the hijackers waited for answers, the aircraft would have finally run out of fuel. In this case, the Malaysian government would know where the flight was the entire time. However, after realizing the plane ran out of fuel, the Malaysian Government would decide to label this incident as a conventional air crash, to avoid external humanitarian pressure and other political forces. Aside from this huge possibility, there were also rumors stating the MH370 was actually shot down by the army of a country to gain significant political benefits.

As this issue approached a proper close, on March 24th, the Malaysian Prime Minister, Najib Razak, held a press conference announcing the MH370 flight ended at the southern Indian Ocean, with absolutely no returning passengers. (The British Airways Bureau of Investigation spotted the last position in the Southern Indian Ocean, West of Perth.)

He also posted the same information on his official twitter account.

With such devastating news, the families of Chinese passengers of the MH370 engaged in a late-night act of civil disobedience. Though Malaysia Airlines sent out messages to the families of the missing stating, "beyond any reasonable doubt, and that none of those onboard survived,” such blunt and short notice put many families in deep sorrow, since these families remained hopeful of their loved ones' survival. After unsuccessfully demanding a meeting with the Malaysian ambassador for more than eight hours, agitated families could no longer handle the anger and pain. They begun to protest against the Malaysian Embassy in Beijing and demanded for the truth.

Up until this point, it's been more than

six weeks since Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 announced its disappearance, but the Malaysian Prime Minister has not yet made a direct declaration of whether the passengers are dead, at least not definitively. The black box was not yet found. Airplane wreckages were found in different places, but they are not evident enough to close the case. The Government of Malaysia had so far released imprecise and incomplete information. The persistent releases of contradictory information were criticized (especially the last point and time of contact with the aircraft).

Media sources also came upon the fact that the Malaysian Government knew the jet crashed, but waited for days to announce the news. Consequently, the Malaysian Government was harshly condemned by external voices for its irresponsible and ambiguous actions.

According to the Prime Minister’s press conference speech and the official tweet on his account, he repeatedly uses the term “ended” instead of more direct terms such as “crash”, “ditch” or “plunge”. With such meticulous wording, it is not difficult to assume there is much more private information to this tragedy than the information released on media and to the public.

This convoluted mystery involves too many political issues and intertwines the benefits of many countries.

Countless questions are still tangled up, waiting to be solved. Though in searching of the black box for more information of the MH370 airplane, the Internet released insider tips that the Malaysian Government already has possession of the black box but wouldn’t release any of the useful information; they would be destructive information to the country.

The Malaysian Government would also encounter enormous difficulties for releasing the truth behind it. It may take months or even years for people to find out exactly what happened to the jet. But perhaps for now, we may never really know the truth behind this intricate political conspiracy.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY BIANCA GOMBA VOLUME 19 / ISSUE 3 mwplanet 05

world issues world issues

Is it Fair?

By Stephanie John In a few months, I’ll be old enough to exercise my right to vote, a right that I’ve been waiting to exercise for quite a while. Now I know that filling out a ballot isn’t the most exciting thing in the world, but to me, it feels good to finally act out on my opinion of who has Canada’s best interests at heart.

Bill C-23, the Fair Elections Act, has become quite controversial. It’s a major government bill that promises to change the rules so that elections are fair. The bill intends to increase voter turnout, have tougher offences for those who commit voter fraud and strengthens political parties. At first glance, the bill seems harmless, but to figure out why it’s controversial, we need to look at the bill in depth.

• Vouching – If you have no photo ID, officials can no longer vouch for you, allowing you to cast a ballot • Elections Canada - Is not allowed to publically encourage citizens to vote, they can only give citizens information on how and where to vote. This can negatively affect its partners such as Student Vote which encourages students who are under-age to have parallel elections and to vote when they’re older • Record keeping – Parties will have checklists of registered voters who actually did vote, they will not know who they voted for • Poll clerks – Local and national parties can nominate poll clerks to oversee voting at polling stations • Donation – Donation limits to parties go up from $1,200 to $1,500 • Robo-Call Firms – These firms must keep records of each call and when they were made for a year

• Advertising – The $200, 000 allowed for ad spending during an election campaign now includes the time before an election, this could be for up to 4 years Having learned more about the bill, I can see why it’s controversial. Stricter rules, which aren’t necessary as voter fraud is extremely rare in Canada, will prevent many Canadians from voting.

If Elections Canada can no longer encourage people to vote from a nonpartisan perspective, then it’s up to the political parties to do so. This could pressure first time voters like me to vote for a party without actually doing research. The bill also calls for more record keeping on voters, which brings up a privacy issue. The party with the majority can nominate more poll clerks who could possibly be in their favour.

This could skew results and defeat the purpose of a fair bill. Reducing Elections Canada’s role would allow campaign parties to audit their own expenses.

Without an impartial organization like Elections Canada, corruption in parties on political spending could easily be triggered. Spending loopholes have been discovered in the bill, and parties that have wealthy donors can take advantage of this.

In short, there are parts of the bill that threaten democracy, violate voters’ privacy and are triggers for corruption in electoral spending. The bill appears to be designed in the favour of one party over the others, as many academics, politicians and citizens have pointed out. In fact, 50,000 people alone have signed a petition on democracywatch. ca to get the bill amended before it passes. “The Fair Elections Act”, while seemingly fair, proves to be only fair for certain groups. There are events such as these that remind me to look beyond the name and image of anything before I form an opinion.

PHOTO BY NANCY STOLPER VOLUME 19 / ISSUE 3 mwplanet 06

Legalization of marijuana by trudeau

By Veronica Iskander From the moment the word “drugs” was introduced to the world, words such as illegal, harmful and other negative adjectives followed immediately. While Justin Trudeau may have some positive points supporting the legalization of pot, he has thousands of minds to change that have been stuck on the same negative view of pot for so long. According to the National Post, Justin Trudeau said, “The fact of the matter is, our current approach on marijuana—the prohibition that Stephen Harper continues to defend— is failing in two primary ways. The first one is it is not protecting our kids from the negative impacts of marijuana on the developing brain.

Secondly, we are funnelling millions upon millions of dollars each year into organized crime and criminal gangs.

We do not need to be funding those organizations.” The National Post also published that, “Justin Trudeau says Canada should draw on best practices from marijuana legalization in Colorado, Washington.” One problem is that currently there is a marijuana prohibition policy which costs $500 million a year for law enforcement and which left over 400,000 people with criminal records since the conservatives have been in office since 2006. In February, 1036 Canadians participated in an online survey asking whether or not they would vote Liberal in terms of their plans to make pot legal. Twenty percent said that the legalization of pot makes them more likely to vote Liberal while 28% said that legalization would make them less likely to vote Liberal.

Okay, so say that Justin Trudeau is voted to be Prime Minister and he legalizes pot. What next? Well, legalization has its benefits. It can aid people suffering from diabetes, depression, celiac disease, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. If marijuana does become legalized, there would be less gang activity due to the fact that drug trade would not be so prominent and there could be a dramatic decrease of human trafficking and target shootings which puts the general public in danger. Furthermore, legalization could benefit the economy. When

alcohol became legal, numerous taxes were placed on them which created a lot of revenue, if weed is legalized it can also be taxed and could generate a lot of income as well as create many jobs.

Of course, there has to be negatives as well. If marijuana is legal and people are in jail because of it, does legalization put us at risk? In many ways, yes. There are already millions of deaths each year that are caused by smoking and alcohol. By legalizing marijuana, we are adding to the yearly death toll. Not only that, but it’s the fact that even if you don’t die from marijuana use, it can be extremely harmful to your mental health. If abused, marijuana use can lead to schizophrenia as well as

PHOTO BY CBC

anxiety and mood disorders. Marijuana is most harmful to adolescents with developing minds, since it has been reported that the effects will be much harsher the younger you are when you use marijuana. Even if you don’t smoke marijuana, people are already complaining about the smell caused by cigarette smoke. What will they do when there is smoke caused by marijuana use too? The biggest problem is that if marijuana is legalized and society suffers from the decision in the future, it will be almost impossible to attempt to control the substance and make it illegal again.

The decision to legalize marijuana must be considered carefully. As much as the decision leads to benefits in the economy, there are also numerous health risks to the country as well.

In the end, the government will either choose to take a chance to create more jobs and put the public at risk or continue to prohibit the use of marijuana and attempt to have it contained, especially from the hands of minors. Either way, it will still be abused and continue to cause needless deaths in society just like smoking and alcohol.

world issues world issues

An Open Letter to Generation Z

By Amanda Tanner

By Stephanie John The CBC network recently ran a news report titled “Generation Screwed”.

News reporter Peter Mansbridge talked to students at The University of British Columbia and asked for their opinions on the label “Generation Screwed”. He received various answers, ranging from ones of optimism to realistic attitudes.

Five of Canada’s Infamous Serial Killers

amount of information at our fingertips. This is what empowers us.

It is our ability to quickly obtain and process large amounts of information.

In fact, our generation is cited for having a higher mental capacity; being educated to handle complicated tasks.

While Arvind brings up a good point, I feel that we aren’t making full use of this power. In fact, we use this ability to So why are we called “Generation look for the easy way out. Especially at Screwed”? For starters, a university a school like Mary Ward, the moment degree is the new high school something challenges us in a unit, we diploma. So in order to increase your immediately look to the internet. This job prospects, you must either enter a is probably due to time constraints, but skilled trade, or pursue post graduate it prevents us from further developing studies. Higher learning becomes a our problem solving skills. What I’ve burden on students when tuition costs noticed is that many people of our go up every year. A startling comparison generation fear challenges. We want to of the cheapest tuition fees in Canada take the easier courses, we want to go to easier schools and have teachers from 1975 to 2013 jumped that are “easy markers”. from $551 to $5772 This mindset leads us to (not adjusted for a sense of entitlement. If inflation). Students we perceive something find themselves to be easy, and it working longer doesn’t work out the hours at minimum way we planned, we wage jobs to immediately blame make ends meet. In the system or other addition to student circumstances.

In debt, the job market is your transition from increasingly becoming more competitive. PHOTO BY CLIPARTLORD.COM adolescence to adulthood, you will hear your first You’re no longer “no”, and you may hear many “no’s” competing locally or even nationally, but on an international level. Several in your life time. That is the beauty students in the report lamented that of challenges. If you don’t hear your our lives start at age 30, where we can “no’s”, how will you work beyond your supposedly buy a home and settle limits or beat your personal bests? down. However, even the prospect of By instilling a strong work ethic, and owning a home in the near future is taking constructive criticism, you will accomplish things that you never becoming less of a reality. imagined.

One student referred to us as “Generation Different”, and I agree I challenge you to live up to the title with that statement. We are extremely of “The Empowered Generation”. You different from previous generations. will without a doubt gain knowledge We were raised around technology; in your education. However, go above you will always find us on our smart and beyond by making use of the phones or our laptops. We’re connected information available on the internet. with people in many ways. We’re also Strive to learn something new every a generation that is living in the post day. Keep questioning why and 9/11 world, and while we don’t vividly how something works. Be informed, remember the events, the effects on maintain your finances, build up your security and surveillance has been resumes, fight against procrastination to stay productive, and vote for a party prevalent in our day to day lives. that vows to keep tuition low. Most What really stood out to me in the importantly, don’t shy away from hard news report is what the incoming UBC work and embrace challenges. When president Arvind Gupta preferred to we as a collective rise above adversity, call us; the “Empowered Generation”. we can accomplish great things.

Drawing back to society’s technological

Some of Canada’s convicted serial killers have been given nicknames for committing the most outrageous crimes in Canadian history. You wouldn’t expect such crimes to occur in a country like Canada, but unfortunately, they have and it just goes to show you what some people are shockingly capable of. The descriptions of each crime below were not based on an episode of Criminal Minds. In fact, one episode of Criminal Minds was actually inspired by the true story of the Pig Farmer. These cases are all true stories and were fully researched by various security organizations.

Police tracked him down finding his fingerprints, spots of human blood on his sneakers and clothing items of five of his victims. In 1999, he confessed to the sexual assault and murder of a total of nine women in his life time.

He is now serving his life sentence in a psychiatric hospital in Saskatchewan.

Allan Legere a.k.a Monster of the Miramichi Allan Legere was already serving a life sentence for the murder of a shop keeper when he escaped from prison guards during a visit to a Moncton hospital in 1989. The community of Miramichi lived in fear even while sleeping with loaded guns as Allan was running free for seven months. People Paul Bernardo and Karla Holmolka who lived alone moved in with family a.k.a Ken and Barbie and friends and only a few people Known as Ken and Barbie for their went out after dark. Also, trick-orgood looks, Paul Bernardo and treating on Halloween was Karla Holmolka would have never cancelled that year. Allan been suspected as criminals. Paul had committed multiple raped over a dozen women rapes and arsons and also in Scarborough in four murders while on the the 1980’s. In 1991 run. New Brunswick had in St. Catherine’s, launched their biggest Ontario, he and manhunt in history to his fiancée, Karla, find this serial killer accidently killed before he could PHOTO BY DARWIN KAPRAZAA Karla’s fifteen-yearcommit another crime. old sister in attempt for He is now serving Paul to rape her. Her death had been multiple life sentences in a Quebec ruled accidental. Karla encouraged prison for murders. He is currently 1 of Paul’s immoral fantasies. So, in 1991 only 90 prisoners to be held in Canada’s and 1992, they kidnapped, tortured, Maximum Security Special Handling and murdered two schoolgirls while Unit (SHU). videotaping them as they suffered.

Because they were a good-looking Robert “Willie” Pickton a.k.a The Pig couple, the media only focused on their Farmer story, paying no attention to another When the RCMP set out a search serial killer who was on trial for several warrant at Robert Pickton’s pig farm for rape and murders in Saskatchewan. illegal guns, the investigators stumbled During the trial, Karla turned against across something else. They found Bernardo for a deal. She served twelve human remains in one of the slaughter years for manslaughter while Bernardo houses on the farm. He had killed his was sentenced to twenty five years in victims, dismembered them, and fed jail as of 1995. the remains to his pigs from 1983 to 2002, when police finally caught him.

William Patrick Fyfe a.k.a The In Vancouver, British Columbia, Robert Handyman Killer Pickton admitted to an undercover Neighbors of William Patrick Fyfe police officer that he had killed 49 thought of him as a friendly, well- women, but the DNA or remains of liked man. However, this “friendly” 33 women were found on his farm.

William had pretended to be a yard Robert Pickton is now in jail facing a worker or handyman to gain entrance life sentence. To this date, it has been into the homes of single women in the largest serial killer investigation in Montreal, Quebec in the 1980s-1990s. Canadian history.

VOLUME 19 / ISSUE 3 mwplanet 07

life life

By Faye Zhang Exam season is upon us. For freshman, it might be wholly unchartered territory filled with too many math formulae and English terms to memorize. For sophomores, it might be a walk in the park, they’ve got experience under their belt, and the comfort of knowing their final averages won’t be affecting their post secondary applications.

For juniors, exams come with the realization that it’s their last year before it’s their turn to become the stress-filled upperclassmen zombies of the school.

And for most seniors, it’s the last hurdle before the sweet sounds of Pomp and Circumstance. Whatever your perspective on final exams, they’re an inevitable task before the long-awaited summer break. As a graduating senior, here are a few tricks I’ve picked up over the years that have helped me succeed with my exams. Please be advised that these may not work for everyone, and it’s important that you find a method that fits your needs and style of studying.

1. Quickly Go Over All Your Course Material Skim through all your units in every subject first and make note of the things you’re a little rusty on, and things you still remember pretty well. Knowing this will help you save time when you divvy up your study schedule for each course, and will also help you with the next step.

2. Plan Ahead As a student of Mary Ward, planning ahead should be second-nature to us.

It’s easy to become overwhelmed with the notion of having to study all the material from six, seven, or even eight courses, and more often or not the flight-or-fight response is to ignore it all and leave it to the last minute.

The trick to this is to mark when your exams are on a calendar, and then mark a date that’s five days to a week before the exam. That’s your starting date for when you should begin studying for that course. Then, separate your units into piles that you’ll study each day. For example, if you have 16 units to study for math and you have 5 days to do it, study four units a day and leave the last day for review.

3. Turn Off All Distractions This means turning off your phone (or VOLUME 19 / ISSUE 3 mwplanet 08

putting it on airplane mode), putting away your gaming consoles, and turning off the wi-fi on your laptop.

If you have a lot of difficulty with keeping off of tumblr or twitter or youtube or whatever other distracting site, you might want to check out a program called “Cold Turkey”. With this program, you can select whichever sites will distract you from your study time, input the period of time you’ll be studying, and then be rest assured that the program will block those websites during the indicated time period, thereby removing the threat of procrastination through the internet.

4. Don’t Make Notes Unless they help you memorize terms and definitions, making notes on your units are more or less a waste of time. Your units should be sufficient enough notes, and there should be no need to rewrite whatever work you’ve done in your units on another sheet of paper (unless you’re memorizing definitions, in which case writing them out can be immensely useful). If you’re making notes so you can quickly go over the information in your units at a later point, invest in a highlighter.

These units are yours, so feel free to highlight, circle in red pen, or even draw boxes and arrows around any information you find important.

5. Take Frequent Breaks After every half an hour to an hour of studying, take a 10 minute break.

Walk around, grab a snack to eat (make sure to stay hydrated while you’re studying!), or even read a couple paragraphs from a book. It’s important to rest your brain after an intense study session, but make sure you don’t log on to facebook during your break, because the chances of you thinking “just 5 more minutes” to yourself increases exponentially if you do.

6. Review, Review, Review After each day of studying chunk of a course, spend 10-20 minutes the next day going over what you studied the day before. There’s no use to studying if you forget everything from before.

In the end, success in your exams relies purely on you. So good luck, and happy studying!

By Angelica Abad What is the meaning of life, the universe, and everything? To the Mary Ward student, it’s certainly not 42, but rather 42 minus 6, divided by 2 and multiplied by 8.

Or in other words, units.

bad case of the jitters from increased caffeine intake.

But what causes units to have such a strong grip on students’ lives? Perhaps many students can blame the ‘lifestyle’ change due to procrastination, stress, a desire to fast-track a course, or conflicting and busy schedules.

With the one-unit a week rule being implemented just last year, it has definitely put many Mary Ward students in a tough pickle. Seniors seem to get the brunt of this change as they struggle to make target dates in order to meet university deadlines, avoid conditional zeroes for their report cards, and not to mention, complete courses so that they may finally graduate, after 4 (or 5) long years.

“Units are my life, right now,” says grade 12 student Janica Aguinaldo, whose words resonate in the hearts of many, including my own. Truer words have never been spoken.

At Mary Ward, it’s not a surprise to find many students feeling like units are taking over their lives, especially during the dawn of the May-June rush.

Who knew that a simple 5 letter word was not that simple after all? I certainly didn’t. When there is so much to do in so little time, it’s easy to be swept away into an unproductive mindset by the constant flurry of unorganized chaos, the disappointment of failing to follow your unit goals and plans, and the overwhelming fear of avoiding summer school at all costs. Often Could units be some kind times, students of alternative way of have to turn to mind control? Perhaps. postponing Are they like other aspects your ex, of their a l w a y s personal nagging lives in you at the exchange back of for extra your mind? time to In a way, dedicate yes. Making to units. We units our may have to life is one reschedule our of those PHOTO BY THEWEIGHTLOSSTIPS Netflix marathons “been there, in order to complete our final done that” English ISP draft before its deadline, sort of things that we, as Mary Ward or have to skip out on reading the students, can relate to. It’s almost a latest chapters of Naruto to finish given that at some point in the year that frustratingly difficult math unit we will make units our highest priority instead. above everything else. However, it is important to remember that taking I bet you are now asking yourself a moment to relax and unwind once whether or not units have taken over in a while is crucial for one’s wellyour own life (or not, because you being, success, and mental health already know the answer—which too! Leaving time for “me-time” and is yes). It’s not hard to determine immersing yourself in relaxing things whether or not you have fallen victim that you like to do is a good way to to them. Signs of this paranormal unwind and free yourself from stress, if phenomenon include: a short-lived only for a while. Go ahead and reward desire to work before falling back into yourself after doing so much! If we an unmotivated state, dark eye bags put too much on our plate at one from frequent all-nighters, staring time, how are we ever going to finish blankly at your unit tracker, and a it all, let alone know where to start?

life life

By Jeffrey Wignarajah With the end of the school year fast approaching, you may be wondering what to do during summer break. You may be going on vacation once school ends, or you may have a summer job. Perhaps you are feeling adventurous enough to summer school a new course. If this is the case, then this article is for you.

When choosing a course to complete over the summer, first think of what you want to achieve by finishing this course. If you are in grade 9, then chances are you want to free a course slot for another elective. E-classing history is a good choice for a summer school course; not only does it give you space for another elective, but it opens the door to study a senior CWS course early. Or, you may feel like summer schooling grade 10 science, math, or English. Similar to history, finishing grade 10 science in summer school opens doors for you to take one (or even three) of the senior science courses in grade 10, and finishing grade 10 math gives you a head start on grade 11 math. The same applies to English.

Students in grade 10-11 should be looking to either finish a subject early (such as English), taking another elective, or taking a spare the following year. It is safe for grade 10 students to summer school English, math, or a senior science course. Once again, this allows you to advance in a subject, to take another elective, or even take a spare. For those of you wanting to take calculus in grade 12, you may want to summer school grade 11 math (advanced functions) in the summer of grade 10 or in the summer of grade 11.

This way, you will only have to worry about calculus (and potentially data management) in your grade 12 year.

Summer schooling grade 11 English is particularly good if you want a head start on grade 12 English. Though not as popular, you can summer school a senior science course, especially if you want to finish a science branch – such as chemistry – in grade 11. In grade 11, you may only want to summer school advanced functions (assuming you’re taking calculus in grade 12). Finishing your grade 12 courses in the summer is not recommended, as Universities and Colleges look at your marks in these courses. You may summer school advanced functions if you’re taking calculus, or even grade 12 English to get it over with.

When finishing a new course over the summer, you should take note of the following things: if you’re planning to finish math or science over the summer, be sure to do it in summer school, as then you would be able to consult with your teacher for immediate help.

You can complete history on e-class, and even English, so long as you are confident in your abilities. Take note that you can also complete two courses – one in summer school and the other on e-class – but be ready to lose some sleep during the first half of summer break. Lastly, be prepared to work very hard; you’re taking a course that is supposed to be taken over the course of a year. Each week covers a significant portion of the course you’re taking, so it would be fatal to miss even a day of work. With the following in mind, you should be able to choose a course wisely.

PHOTO BY DREAMSTIME

By Jercy David It’s the last leg of the year: you’re beyond the realm of “tired” and have now entered a state of peace and contentedness after the weeks, or even months, of working late night after late night. Your eyes can barely keep open from all of the work you’ve done and your voice is hoarse from the negotiating and pleading to “please, Miss, come on, can I just hand in this one more unit?”

your exams are in your agenda help you keep track of when each exam is, and writing a quick schedule of when to study what subject is also a great idea when it comes to studying. Plan study sessions with your friends if they take the same subject as you; quiz each other on certain topics or exchange and compare notes. It’s important to stay collected when you’re taking your exam, and it helps a lot when you’re prepared.

You’ve braved the dreaded May/June Rush.

3. Begin Planning for Summer School Whether you’re staying in Mary Ward to finish off some courses, or going to a different school to get a new credit, a little bit of planning for summer school goes a long way. If you’re staying at Ward, make a plan going into summer school: know what you have to finish and make a schedule to finish it as early as possible. If you had a chance to speak to your subject teacher before you handed in that last unit to qualify for summer school status, keep in mind what assignments they said you will be doing in the summer. If you’re going to a different school to take a new credit, know when to sign up with your guidance counselor and be aware of the course and school you’d like to attend for the summer.

After finally handing in that last unit— whether it’s to qualify for summer school or to finish off your course— you feel a brief sense of manic joy. It’s followed by a question: What do I do now?

1. Rest and Relax You’ve earned it, my friend. No matter if you’re heading into summer school or have plenty of plans for the summer, it’s time to take some time for yourself and relax. Catch up on some sleep, or catch up on the episodes you’ve missed due to the late nights scrambling to finish units—whatever it is, now is the perfect time to kick back. Sleep in and take some time to breathe after the battle you’ve gone through waiting through those counter lines. Splurge and eat something sweet to reward yourself after finishing all those tests.

Now that your units are finished, you’re entitled to have some you-time.

PHOTO BY FCS STUDENT LIFE BLOG

2. Make a Study Plan If you get bored of relaxing, or have finally caught up on some sleep, you can get started on preparing for your exams. Exam schedules are released during the last few days of school, and it’s never too early to start scheduling when to study. Writing down when

4. Plan for Summer 2014 For those who did well enough to finish their courses on time and made the decision to opt out of getting a new credit for the summer, you can start planning for the best summer possible.

Talk to your friends and plan some gettogethers. Talk to your family and hang out at the park. Even if you have exams (or summer school) and don’t get the luxury of summer quite yet, there’s no harm or judgment in thinking about the awesome summer ahead.

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life life

By Allegra Fiorino In matters of budgeting, there are two clear camps of consumers: them, and the rest of us.

‘They’are the people you ask to calculate what everyone owes when there are more than two of you dining out. ‘They’ know exactly how much they took out from ATMs last week, last month, and last quarter. ‘They’ check their accounts down to the penny. Daily.

The rest of us? Well, we swear that tomorrow, we really are going to sit down and make a budget. It’s not that we don’t mean it—it’s just that we have issues with following through.

The secret to setting up a budget you’ll actually follow. If nothing else, remember this one simple budgeting rule: spend less money than you make.

Now that you’ve memorized that line, let’s fine-tune that advice.

Procrastinators, you can rejoice: there is such a thing as a budget that you can stick to. What’s the secret? Take every shortcut possible.

The purpose of this budget is to come up with a system to govern everyday spending. So let’s start corralling your cash flow: Step 1: Take a snapshot of your spending Every budget starts with sniffing out your spending habits and determining exactly where your money goes on a day-to-day basis. Don’t skip this step: After all, if you don’t know how much you’re spending right now, you can’t decide where you want to spend in the future.

You can do this the hard way -tracking your spending for three months, inputting every expenditure in a 218-category spreadsheet, then spending nights poring over the data -- or you can do it the one-step way.

The one-step way it is! For those who do most of your spending with a debit card, review the raw data your bank provides, and come up with general categories for spending areas in which the amounts you shell out make you shudder.

If most of your spending is done with old-fashioned cash, go about your business as usual for one week - just

write down all of your expenditures.

Then project the results over four weeks. Now you have a rough idea of where your dough goes. As stated above, pinpoint the big categories where your overspending occurs.

Step 2: Plan your next shopping spree After you get over the horror of your daily spending, the next step is to go on a virtual shopping spree. Sorry, this trip doesn’t involve a pit stop at the food court; it’s more like a cerebral trip to the mall of your future.

Grab a piece of paper, a pencil, and a snack. Make a list of what you need to buy or do over the next three to six months. These could be physical purchases (like a new laptop or a dress for prom) or financial plans (such as saving for a trip or a large purchase).

Voila! You have a “spending plan” (so much nicer than the word “budget,” don’t you think?). Meaning every time you whip out your wallet, you have a tangible list of money goals to help drive your spending decisions and propel you financially forward. (Bonus points to those who make a laminated wallet-sized version of the list for everyday accessibility.)

Step 3: Set up a no-brainer savings system With your targeted spending plan in place, it’s time to direct your money towards your goals. If, in the past, you’ve been derailed by daily expenditures or surprise “can’t-live-without” purchases (ahem), here’s an instant fix: hide your money from yourself. That’s right: the best way to save your money is to keep your cash out of spending reach by diverting it to a chequing account or a separate savings account.

Step 4: Stop mindless overspending Life is full of temptations. You can stay strong, grasshopper, with nothing more than a few envelopes and a ballpoint pen. The “envelope” method of budgeting will instantly structure your everyday spending.

It’s simple: Come up with a reasonable weekly amount you’ll allow yourself to spend in your biggest categories. (Those are typically “food” [or, depending on your lifestyle, get more specific such as “lunch,” “family dinners out”], “entertainment” [e.g. a night at the movies or that Netflix subscription], PHOTO BY THE CONSUMER COMPLAINTS BLOG

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“transportation” [TTC tickets/Metro Pass], “clothing/accessories” [shoes, tees and tiaras]). Create envelopes for each of those categories. Put the allotted amount of cash to cover a week’s worth of expenses into each envelope. (You don’t have to carry the entire wad with you every day, but do make sure you don’t cheat with extra visits to the ATM.) Once the cash is gone, so is your weekly spending.

As with all of our lazy budget shortcuts, feel free to add or subtract layers of complexity, depending on how much detail you can stand. But don’t tax yourself too much: remember that in dollars-and-cents (and sanity) terms, sweating the big stuff before all else will save you the most coins. Plus, it will leave you plenty of time to procrastinate about stuff besides your finances.

By Victoria Bucknor Ladies and gentlemen, it is finally time to put away that winter coat and snow boots and pull out those shorts and sneakers! Yes, that’s right -- spring is finally here and summer is quickly approaching. You know what this means, right? Two words -- Summer. Body.

1. Eat healthy.

One of the most important things about losing weight and getting fit is to realize that it is not only working out and exercising that allows you to shed those pounds.

We are what we eat. Our bodies feed off of the nourishment, or lack thereof, of what we consume.

Always remember, everything in moderation! No one expects you to give up chocolate cake forever, but instead of having a large slice after dinner, eat a tiny slice and savor the taste slowly. Remember, fatty oils are your enemy (trans fat that comes from deep fried foods and pastries) and natural oils are your best friend (coconut oil, olive oil, sunflower oil etc). Cut up slices of your favorite fruit and snack on them throughout the day to temporarily satisfy the hunger you have in between big meals. Stay away from the soda and unnatural juices and constantly hydrate yourself with water. Did you know that the recommended amount of daily water intake is half your bodyweight in ounces? If you hate the lack of flavour that water has, flavour it with some lemon and detox your body at the same time.

There are an infinite amount of good things that you can do for your body. Starving yourself is NOT the answer.

2. Get that body active!

Now that we have finally come out of that, what seemed like forever,

cold spell, the weather is getting warmer. Put on your running shoes and start out by taking walks.

Walk to the grocery store, to the convenience store or to the mall. If the TTC trip is less than four stops, you can surely walk it instead. After you’ve gotten your body used to daily exercise, start jogging. Jog around your block or up and down your street. Start out by jogging for 10 minutes, try 20, then try 30.

Don’t shock your body, but instead slowly immerse yourself into the world of exercise. Not a runner and hate leaving the house? No problem! I recently came upon an amazing YouTube channel called @ FitnessBlender. The exercise videos vary in time to properly fit your schedule, and they have different difficulties and vary in sections of your body that they focus on. Most of the workouts simply require a yoga mat.

The best time to work out is when you’re having fun. Blast your all time favourite, heart pumping jams and get moving. Music is the greatest motivation in my opinion.

3. Believe in yourself.

Know that you are more than capable of achieving anything that you want. If you put your mind to it, it is possible. Get rid of all negative energy and ignore anyone or anything telling you that you cannot do it. Surround yourself with people that support and push you to achieve your goals. You want to lose 10 pounds? Go right ahead.

You want to lose 30? Let’s get going!

You want to neither lose nor gain pounds and stay at the weight that you’re currently at? Even better! As long as you are satisfied with how God made your body, no one can tell you anything.

community community

Community Wrap-up

By Kathleen Francisco As the school year is coming to an end, the student body still has their school spirits high up in the air. Despite being busy working on units, the school community has been working hard on exciting events.

From the art show to the school play, everyone has come together as one.

Keep on reading to see what has been going on in the final months of the school year!

fun time, they also got to learn new information. To learn more about their exciting trip, head over to page 15!

International Day On March 6th was the annual International Day. The school came together as one to celebrate diversity and appreciate various cultures. The pavilions that were part of the event were: India, Canada, United Kingdom, China, Philippines, and more. Everyone had a fun time tasting new kinds of food, participating in games, and learning about the different cultures.

Instagram by posting fantastic pictures and hashtags such as #mwniners, #mwtens, #mwelevens, and #mwgrads.

Students also flooded the school wearing colours that represented their grade proudly. Overall, spirit week was a success. It truly showed that the Mary Ward community has school spirit, even towards the end of the year.

Sprit Week The Student Council organized a week full of activities to celebrate spirit week on March 31 to April 4. Students participated in fun-filled activities throughout the week to show our school’s spirit and pride. Not only did they show their Wolverine pride at school, but also showed it through social media networks such as Twitter and

New York Trip Grade 11 and 12 students who take Advanced Functions and Canadian World Studies students headed over to New York City on April 7 and returned on the 11th. They had a marvelous week and visited the city’s famous landmarks: Times Square, Statue of Liberty, and Rockefeller Centre, just to name a few. Not only did they have a

PHOTO BY DANIELLE DE VERA

Art Show - Cartography One of the most anticipated events of the school year, Mary Ward’s very own art show “Cartography” ran from May 5th to the 9th. Students that take art, communications, and technology courses had their pieces showcased.

Everyone’s art works, pieces, graphic designs, and films were very impressive and unique.

School Play – Oklahoma!

This year’s school play “Oklahoma!” made its debut on May 1 and ran until the 3rd. All three performances were outstanding. From the live music provided by the band to the vibrant, colourful costumes worn by the actors, the production of the play was wellplanned and executed. A huge round of applause to all the actors, the tech crew, Mr. Dalton, and everyone else who was a part of the production. It was a musical that won’t be forgotten!

Spring Concert The spring concert was held on May 15th. It was a night full of music, and singing. The bands did a fantastic job playing music that brought excitement

in the atmosphere and the choir never fails to leave the crowd in awe.

Toronto Star High School Newspaper Awards On May 22, 2014, the Mary Ward Planet team and journalism students attended the 18th annual Toronto Star High School Newspaper Awards at the Toronto Star’s printing plant located in Vaughn. The team successfully won seven awards. They had a wonderful opportunity to walk around the plant and see how the newspapers are printed, and listen to guest speakers talk about the importance of the involvement of youth in the journalism industry.

Mary Ward had an amazing school year filled with plenty of events, activities, trips, and competitions. Without a doubt, next year will be just as amazing!

PHOTO BY BEA SERDON

24th Annual Spring Concert

By Mariah Achie This year’s Spring Concert featured the musical talent and dedication of students in the Mary Ward Music Department.

A variety of songs were sung and played, from Pharrell William’s Happy

performed by the Senior Choir, to the Mission: Impossible Theme song performed by the Junior Band. The concert took place on Thursday, May 15 after many hours of rehearsals and planning done by students, teachers, volunteers, and supervisors.

The concert was well attended, as the cafetorium was filled to the brim with teachers, students, friends, and family among other people who enjoyed listening to the students perform. For only $7.00, the audience listened to pieces played by the Junior Band, Intermediate Band, Senior Band, Stage Band,

PHOTOS BY KARISSA YOUNG

and Concert Choir. From the opening song to the final piece played by the Senior Band, everyone was captivated by the display of musical talent.

Near the end of the concert, Ms. McGroarty acknowledged the choir members who were graduating or performing their last concert. The graduating band members were also acknowledged by their conductor, Mr. Jatiouk. To show their appreciation, the graduating students in the choir gave flowers and a short speech to Ms. McGroarty to thank her for all of her hard work. The graduating band members also showed their

appreciation for their conductors, Mr. Jatiouk and Dr. Hasznos, by giving them signed pictures of the senior band during one of their final rehearsals.

This just goes to show that the Mary Ward community continues to work together in solidarity to celebrate the progress and talent of students.

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community community

By Faye Zhang During the days of May 1 to May 3, Mary Ward became an NYC Broadway stage at night. For this year’s play, the Drama Department and the Music Department came together to produce an exciting musical about the riveting lives of Laurey and Curly, called Oklahoma!.

Taking place in 1906 Oklahoma, the play explored themes of young love, unrequited feelings, and the power of optimism. In the two lead roles were superstar singers Lia Luz and Joseph Fabie, who performed exceptionally and captured the hearts of the audience with their fantastic vocals. However, the play would be nothing without the supporting cast, who all did an amazing job with making the crowds roar with laughter, shiver with fear, and become enraptured with the story on stage.

It wouldn’t have been a musical without the music, and the pit band this year made the play with their professional playing and expressive interpretations of the music. Led by Mr. Carabine, the band captured the emotions and feelings being presented on stage perfectly with their playing, and all of their hard work certainly paid off.

All in all, the play this year was a roaring success. It was a true delight for everyone watching and participating in the musical, and it will definitely be remembered an invigorating experience for all.

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By Wilma Reyes From May 5-9 2014, Mary Ward held its annual art show entitled ‘Cartography’ for the year 2014. Focusing on the idea of maps and mapmaking, the Cartography show featured works of art created by talented individuals of every grade.

Hundreds of students, teachers, family, friends, and alumni came to visit the show during the week, sharing in the excitement and pride of the Mary Ward art department. The annual extravaganza showcased Mary Ward’s enormous artistic talent that wouldn’t otherwise have been seen. Since most of the artwork is hidden away in the corners of the basement for the majority of the school year, the show gives art students the opportunity to show off their amazing expertise and hard work for a full five days. $5 earned a week pass, which included full access to the works in the art, communications, and design areas, films screened in the video studio, and performances by the talented musicians of Mary Ward. In addition to the show was the Planet Café, with snacks and drinks at a cheap price, and a mini ‘merch’ shop, which sold Cartography shirts throughout the duration of the show. Congratulations to the art department on a successful year of art! #basementkids

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community community

Happy Retirement Mr. Li

By Faye Zhang After working hard behind the scenes for twelve years, Mr. Li, one of the school’s custodians, will be retiring from the Mary Ward community at the end of this school year. He has worked diligently throughout all of the time he has been with us, in keeping the school clean and making sure

that the students arrive to a tidy environment in the morning. This is no easy feat, as Mary Ward is a messy school (especially after lunch), though Mr. Li has reassured us that the mess we make isn’t too bad when compared to other schools. Though he has been a part of the Mary Ward staff for over a decade, his ties to the school go back even further, with both of his sons being graduates of the

school in the early 90’s. Mr. Li has the happiness in your retirement! seen the school’s transformations through the years, and has become a piece of the community that will be missed when he leaves. When asked if he would like to say a final farewell to the school, he said he’d like to thank all of the teachers, the Mary Ward family, and even the students for being good to him.

Well, Mr. Li, thank you also for being good to us, and we wish you all PHOTO BY BEA SERDON

To Wear or Not to Wear?

club, the swim team, the Health Action

By Lia Pizarro To we wear or not to team. It’s the students who show wear…

This is the lingering question that students of Mary Ward face in regards to wearing Ward Wear around the school. As much as we would love to state our opinions, we really do not have much of a choice on the matter. Wearing Ward apparel other than the mandatory uniform is unacceptable within the school, yet we see Ward shirts and sweaters on a regular basis. The problem however is that the sweaters and shirts are not a part of the school uniform, and so students are technically not allowed to wear them around school.

Students that are seen sporting them around the halls are usually told to change out of them. Teachers and students have always argued against one another, concerning the issue of Ward Wear being acceptable to wear within the school community.

While it may showcase “WARD” in large, block letters, it seems that these articles of clothing are actually unwelcomed on regular uniform days.

What exactly is “Ward Wear”? Well, it is a way to represent your school spitit.

It’s the basketball team, the yearbook VOLUME 19 / ISSUE 3 mwplanet 14

up to practice early in the morning, sometimes even before the sun comes up. It’s the students who stay up until the moon is shining and the night sky takes over. It’s all of the hard work and dedication, the blood, sweat and tears that go into every single meeting, practice, and competition. Ward Wear embodies our schools’ spirit. The sweaters and shirts are more than just pieces of clothing. What we learn when we see them are the diverse range of school clubs and sports teams that Mary Ward has to offer. We are privileged to have every single team and club that we see today, and are even luckier to have clothing that represents them Now, let’s look at the situation from a student’s point of view. Having interviewed students from different grades, who had very many different ideas about the situation, the majority is all for wearing Ward Wear around the school. What was interesting about my interviews was the every student brought up the concept of school spirit. They all argue that any student should have the right to wear these shirts and sweaters around school, as it represents the school and the club or sports team that Mary Ward offers.

Students believe that Ward Wear

symbolizes the accomplishments that they have worked so hard to achieve.

They think that the point of a uniform is to represent the school therefore the sweaters, which have WARD written on them, should have the same effect as the uniform. Many believe that Ward Wear should not be against the uniform policy, but in fact, it should be a part of the mandatory uniform.

From a teacher’s perspective, the situation is very different. Of course we can assume what they had to say about the subject; however, there were actually quite a few surprises.

The majority argued that, after having interviewed a few teachers, Ward Wear should not be allowed around the school. Many believed that because these shirts and sweaters were made for certain clubs or sports, they should only be worn for that specific group.

They were never a part of the original Mary Ward uniform, and so it should stay that way. Others argued that while it does embody school spirit, it takes away from the clean and organized look that a uniform is supposed to give out. The teachers thought that uniforms were not meant to look fashionable. They are simply just meant to distinguish the students as true members of Mary Ward. Teachers also believe that it is not fair for all Mary Ward students to wear their Ward sweaters or shirts because not all students were a part of a club. This might make others feel left out. While this argument may be valid, there are a few teachers who

are actually for wearing Ward Wear around the school. They feel as if it shows a lot of school spirit and that as long as it says WARD on the front of it, it should be allowed around school.

They even think that if students wear the sweater around the school, it could motivate others to join the club or sports team that is printed on it.

Many students have done their best to alter the look of their uniform, to make it seem more fashionable and to just feel more comfortable in them. Some students are seen wearing white socks rather than black socks, or wearing sweaters over their uniform shirts while still wearing uniform bottoms. Some students even go as far as to altering their uniform pants so that they are still going along with the ‘skinny’ pants fashion trend. As unappealing as the idea of uniforms may be, going to a Catholic high school involves having to wear the uniform. However, sports and club sweaters may not be a part of the uniform policy but they are still a part of the school. While the argument may seem endless, Ward Wear definitely plays a large role in our school. There may be a risk by wearing them around school, but these sweaters seem to give students a boost of school spirit.

Alternatives such as a Ward Wear day, where one set date every other week will allow students to wear the sweater, is a great compromise.

That way, both the teacher and the students will get their fair share.

PHOTOS BY DAN GONZALES

community community

Wolverines Take over the big apple

By Kathleen Francisco On April 4, also walked along the 2014, the senior Highline, a public park A d v a n c e d built on a historic freight Functions students and rail line elevated above the Canadian World Studies west side of Manhattan. It students headed to a was considered as one 10-hour journey to New of the favourite places York City. The trip lasted visited by a handful of five days and four nights, students. They also went giving the students to the 9/11 Memorial, the opportunity to visit where students paid their famous landmarks such as respects to the victims the Statue of Liberty, the of the tragic incident.

Highline, Top of the Rock Later on in the night, they at the Rockefeller Centre, headed to Top of the Rock Wall Street, 9/11 Memorial at the Rockefeller Centre.

Centre, Grand Central Students were extremely Terminal, Times Square, thrilled and excited and many more. that they got to see the breathtaking view of New During their first day in York.

New York, they had a tour around Manhattan On their second day, and learned about the the Advanced Functions history and what the students went to the city is all about. They Museum of Math and visited the Grand Central applied their math Terminal, and saw its knowledge in the activities architecture and felt the they had to do. The busy atmosphere. They Canadian World Studies

students on the other hand went on a ferry ride to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. They then went to the Museum of Jewish Heritage afterwards.

Both the Math and CWS students met up at Times Square to take in the real city atmosphere. Later on in the evening, the students had an amazing opportunity to watch the Tony Award nominee musical, Les Misèrables on Broadway. Everyone enjoyed watching it, and was in awe of the production.

Their final day at the Big Apple was bittersweet.

The students spent their last day at Wall Street and visited the Museum of Finance, where they learned more about America’s financial history and how the stock market works. They also went to

the Metropolitan Museum of Art, one of the world’s largest and finest art museums. Before going to dinner, they headed to Central Park and walked around and appreciated the juxtaposition of the busy city life and the mellow nature. Everyone returned to the hotel exhausted, but with a smile on their faces.

The students returned to Toronto on April 11.

Overall, the students and teachers had an amazing and unforgettable time in New York. Although the trip was short, it was good enough to create memories that will last a lifetime.

PHOTO BY KATHLEEN FRANCISCO

Adrenalyn at

By Cathy Nguyen

BYOB

It was the start of a new showing everyone how much love and

year, and with it, a new season for Mary Ward’s own Adrenalyn, the reigning champions of the BYOB (Bring Your Own Beat) Dance Competition. This year’s BYOB East competition was held at Cardinal Carter. In order to defend their title, they first had to place in the top four of the qualifiers before moving onto the finals.

Preparation for the February qualifiers began in January. Although it didn’t seem like a lot, Adrenalyn came up with a concept, a mix, and the choreography in that time. The new members of Adrenalyn were put through their paces preparing for this event. All the members gave a lot of their time and effort in order to make the set perfect.

On the day of the actual competition, many students from Mary Ward came out to support the dance team.

The front section of the auditorium was filled with Mary Ward students, When Adrenalyn was announced to come on stage, the crowd erupted,

support Adrenalyn has. The theme for their set was 80s workout. Clad in bright neon and leotards, Adrenalyn danced to a mix of Physical by Olivia NewtonJohn, Good Vibrations by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, New Workout Plan by Kanye West, and Work Out by J. Cole. To choreograph this piece, they watched a lot of workout videos from the 80s, and drew inspiration from the music video for Physical by Olivia Newton-John. The set was fun and upbeat with an almost comical flavour.

Adrenalyn went on to win awards for Best Costume, Best Concept, Best Crowd Reaction, and Kariza Santos won Best Dancer. They came in second overall, with Senator O’Connor’s Karizmatic winning first.

About two months after BYOB East, Adrenalyn performed in Notre Dame’s annual Dance-Off. It was held on April 4th at Notre Dame. This performance

was called “Do It For The Vine” which can be found on Adrenalyn’s youtube channel, oneADRENALYN. There, they came home with the first place trophy Then, they were in the home stretch before Finals. On April 26, at 1:00 pm at the MacMillan Theatre, the doors opened for the BYOB Finals. Adrenalyn was scheduled to be last. The show itself was great, all the schools giving their all and performing to the best of their ability. With every year, the performances get better and better.

When the MC announced Adrenalyn, the crowd bursted into loud cheers.

It created a great sense of community; all the students came together to cheer for their team.

In traditional Adrenalyn fashion, their theme for this performance was one that hasn’t been seen yet on the stage: 1920s. They PHOTO BY DAN GONZALES

ILLUSTRATION BY DANCE-FOR-KIDS

brought instruments to the stage and set up a mock band at the back. The set consisted of a mix of modern and vintage songs. Their set was fun and definitely kept true to their theme.

Before the winners were announced, the awards were given out. Adrenalyn won for Best Costume. The audience waited with bated breath as the places were announced. Adrenalyn won second place. The entire Mary Ward community is extremely proud of them, and can’t wait for next year!

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WACT WACT

May The convention Be with you

Toronto ComiCon, March:

By Bianca Gomba Early in the year, an event for fans of comics, games, and art Being a fan of gather at the Metro Toronto anything takes Convention Centre to see a time, dedication, few of their favourite artists and other people or buy some unique things to share your nerdy feelings with. only sold at the convention.

Despite all the work people do, they Even the food trucks that find time to watch, read, or play come by are great (imagine something and express their love this… poutine hot dogs)! for it. There are times when they However, its size compared need a little more than just scrolling to other events is small; it is through the Internet and buying more like a mini Fan Expo if little things though – perhaps a one is anticipating for the gathering is needed. That is where summer event! Additionally, various events throughout the if you got a premium pass year come into play. Though many at Fan Expo the year before, are primarily around the summer, you could go to ComiCon some occur during breaks in March one day for free! Ticket prices or a weekend in May. These few vary from $15-45. but incredibly known events might appeal to the fangirling audience. TCAF (Toronto Comic Arts Though some of these events have Festival), May: Fans of already passed, they’ll be great to comics varying from web comics to even anime can go to next year!

Must Watch

find happiness at this event.

The Toronto Comic Arts Festival involves artists from all around the world joining together in selling their comics but also introducing their art to the people in the city. Upcoming artists feature their new works and sell them cheap, while known ones sell their old and new books a little pricier. There are also stickers, buttons, and other miscellaneous things for those wanting to remember their favourite artists. The best part of TCAF? It’s free! It is sponsored by the Toronto Public Library so the main event is at the Toronto Reference Library.

Anime North, May: A selfexplanatory event, said by its name. It is dedicated all things anime, with various

artists and voice actors related to anime coming in from all over. Of course, there are people cosplaying all around, whether it’s from a manga or a game related to anime. Basically, those who enjoy reading manga or watching anime often come to Anime North. It is held at the Toronto Congress Center and the International Plaza Hotel. Tickets cost $30-50.

Fan Expo, August: One of the best and most anticipated events of the summer is Fan Expo.

Comics, anime, gaming, scifi, and horror; those are the categories associated with this event. One can find many comic book artists, manga artists, actors for scifi or horror-related movies/ shows, and a few demos

along the way! To describe Fan Expo in a few sentences is impossible, for there is so much to do, see, play, eat and buy! It is also held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and prices are heavy due to the variety of tickets one can buy; they are sold from $25-$150+!

PHOTO BY TORONTO COMICS

SUMMER Movies

By Adrienne Dacoco As the end of the school year approaches, so does the beginning of endless summer days with lots of sleep and lots of movies.

This summer the movie line up is a great mix of superheroes, action, romance, and overall great entertainment. Here are 5 movies perfect for a flawless summer day.

The Fault in Our Stars | June 6 The film adaptation of John Green’s hit novel is highly anticipated by fans everywhere. It is a story about Hazel Grace Lancaster (Shailene Woodley), a cancer patient, and Augustus Waters (Ansel Elgort), a cancer survivor; two teenagers who fall in love. It’s sure to fill you with laughter, as well as tears.

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How to Train Your Dragon 2 | June 13

The Amazing Spider Man 2 | May 2

Maleficent | May 30

X – Men: Days of Future Past | May 23

Four years ago, everyone fell in love with the heroic Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) and his dragon, Toothless, the adorable Night Fury. This summer, they’re back with another exciting story with new dragons, more conflicts, and even a new villain.

Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) is back in his famous suit, ready for battle.

This second instalment of the thrilling saga is filled with an intriguing plot, great action scenes, a dose of comedy, and even a little bit of romance.

This film depicts the story of ‘Sleeping Beauty’ in a way you’ve never heard before. It tells the classic tale through the eyes of Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) herself. This is the perfect movie to see a well-known story in a completely different perspective.

The 7th film of the X – Men series is filled with great action and an exceptional cast including Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, and Halle Berry. The film explores two different time periods, both filled with excitement, as the group battles to save the future.

PHOTO BY OFFICIALPSDS

WACT WACT

HIMYM Finale

By Stephanie John

By Anika Peng Since the show’s conception in 2005, ‘How I Met Your Mother’ has been a massive hit, generating millions of fans worldwide. On March 31st, 2014, however, after nine sensational seasons, the show came to a close.

It was a finale that many had looked forward to; after that night, many questions would be answered and many futures would be revealed.

e n d u r e d barriers and tests, with the end result PHOTO BY PARKTHATCAR being their ultimate and unconditional love for each other. The show spent three seasons trying to believably build this side of Barney, where he becomes a lovable AND loyal character, only to have him The entire ninth season of ‘How I Met divorce Robin and have him back at the Your Mother’ was built around Barney bar hitting on girls half his age. and Robin’s wedding, Marshall and Lily’s move to Rome, and Ted finally In my opinion, the ultimate couple meeting his wonderful future wife. created on “How I Met Your Mother” By the end of season eight, everyone (who didn’t change and are going to already knew who the mother was and have a great future) is Lily and Marshall. was prepared to see how they would They announce that Lily is pregnant yet meet. This season was not supposed again; they are having another child to to only answer the question of who love and raise and their lives couldn’t be the mother really was, but was also any better. The only major problem that supposed to show all of the beautiful affects their relationship is the impact of moments between the two lovers. the divorce. Lily experiences a moment The final season included scenes set during Halloween when Robin visits, and in the future of Ted and Tracy starting it seems their friendship has shattered life together, building a family, and just as a result of the split; it destroys the being a wonderful couple. In the show’s chemistry within the group. Although finale, viewers see how Ted finally a small reunion was held at the end meets his future wife, Tracy McConnell, of the finale, the change of feelings with the yellow umbrella that has and opinions left fans unsettled and been the symbol of her existence since unsatisfied. season three.

Although this finale wasn’t the perfect Everything was coming together nicely; ending to an unforgettable show, the this final season began as a wonderful HIMYM fans were given closure. From wrap-up of a wonderful show, near and the beginning of the episode where the dear to many. Nevertheless, the last gang does their goodbyes (thinking that episode just didn’t do it justice. Many Ted was going to move to Chicago), to viewers were looking forward to the the ending where they included the idea that Barney was finally settling visual credits of the main characters back down with someone he truly loved in 2005, the ending was memorable. (aka Robin) and Ted was finally going What we can all take from this is that to meet his wife and start his family. All not everyone’s story is a fairytale, and the plot lines seemed to be going in sometimes reality isn’t what you want, that direction, but 20 minutes into the but it’s what you get. This show shouldn’t finale, you’re informed that Barney and be seen as bad as a result of the subpar Robin are divorced. Ending a marriage finale; in fact the show is one of my (wanted by so many and anticipated for personal favourites, so we can just focus countless episodes) in the finale made on how funny and great the journey of the entire ninth season feel incredibly nine seasons was. Not going to lie, it was fake. We watched as Barney and Robin legen - wait for it…

You know that show that you absolutely fell in love with from its first episode?

The show that just kept getting better and better? Three seasons have passed and you anxiously wait for the premiere of its fourth season.

The season’s first episode airs and you feel that something is off; the season continues and you see changes that you don’t like, confusing plot lines, and continuity problems. In general, you notice the show just isn’t living up to the standards it set in its previous seasons. The show no longer instills the sense of awe and enjoyment that made you watch the show in the first place.

Alas, a decline in a show’s quality is all too common, especially in long runners such as SpongeBob Squarepants or The Simpsons. This phenomenon is known as “Jumping The Shark,” coined in the 1970’s during a scene in Happy Days where a character literally jumped over a shark while water-skiing.

Jumping the Shark

big city trying to sort out their careers and relationships. It’s been overdone to the point that everything in Friends is a cliché. How about those multiple kid sitcoms where the characters are tossed into a normal school setting with one twist and end up getting into wacky situations? It was novel when That’s So Raven came out, with the twist being that the protagonist was a teen psychic who dressed up in disguises to solve her crazy situations.

Now, it’s just a cliché. And who could forget the laugh tracks that are played almost every time someone speaks?

It seems that TV producers are afraid to think outside of the box, and they resort to rehashing previous successful shows.

• Changes to the cast; a popular character is removed and a not so popular character gains more spotlight • Certain character traits are played up; the character becomes a shell of his/ her former self • Couples get together too early or too late • The show’s premise and plot are changed for the worst • Gimmicks, special effects, and too many guest stars

If television networks want to stay relevant in the internet age, they need to take risks. For example, Breaking Bad had an odd concept, but it was unique, which was just the hook it needed to build a steady fan base. If producers are too afraid to do something drastic, then they can put a twist on an old cliché. For example, Modern Family is one of many family sitcoms, but what makes it stand out is that it focuses on the different types of families you would find today.

The Big Bang Theory explored “geekculture” instead of mocking it like previous sitcoms. Adventure Time and Avatar The Last Airbender/Legend of Korra took the silliness of previous cartoons and added a coherent story to it so that its audience could grow with it, ala the Harry Potter Series.

Television shows in general have declined in quality in terms of originality and creativity. For example the success of Friends has led to multiple sitcoms depicting 20-somethings living in a

So if your favourite show jumps the shark, don’t fret too much. You could hope for the next season to improve, or you could hunt for a quirky show that’s just waiting for you to discover it.

There are a number of reasons why a good show goes bad:

B The Effects of Reality TV on Society B

By Allegra Fiorino When generation X was in its prime, our world was immensely different; almost all individuals displayed tact, morals and overall class. People were applauded for doing good deeds and taking part in actions that set good examples for society. The notion of someone doing something stupid, violent, or vulgar in public was frowned upon and considered downright unacceptable. Modesty and morality kept society going in the right direction for decades; unfortunately in today’s world these safeguards have completely failed.

As the role models and expectations of the public changed with the

introduction of the 21st Century, so did our ethical values. Controversy sells, and all of the major broadcasters know this. Actions that are considered laudable have been shunned and are now almost completely unrecognized by the North American population. We now simply seek entertainment and a short, titillating thrill through reality television.

In the past, one could find entertainment through quality sitcoms and live shows; television did not feature the infantile trash littered on screens everywhere in today’s world.

In 2014, our definition of entertainment has transformed to watching fools in the “spontaneous” and nonsensical antics of their daily lives in reality tv. Television networks recently

reported that 15 of the top 20 highestrated programs among the adult group were reality or “unscripted” shows. That is truly a staggering number, and the networks love it; through this shoddy content they can demand an extremely high rate of pay from their advertisers due to the high viewership.

But, what are the currently highest rated reality TV shows of all showing to garner all this viewership?

It should be completely unsurprising that they encourage some of the most disgusting and appalling behaviours in our society. These shows include Keeping Up With The Kardashians—in which the only thing to keep up with is Kim’s boyfriends and short-lived marriages, and The Real Housewives of New Jersey—showcasing the lives of wealthy,

middle-aged “trophy wives,” up to their ears in Botox, “bling”, and gossip.

Our society has been affected in tremendous ways by reality TV. People have shown that they demand classless controversy mixed in with fatuity through television ratings. Thus, the networks will provide them the supply to their demand. As a result, our society is no doubt heading in a dark direction. North America is rebuilding itself on negative values and morals that will ultimately lead to larger problems, since media shapes people. Don’t count on this continent being a powerhouse much longer if this is what they are feeding the youth.

VOLUME 19 / ISSUE 3 mwplanet 17

la petite planète la petite planète

Le Français pour L’avenir – Un Forum pour les Étudiants en Français

Par Amanda Tanner Le vendredi le 25 Avril, 2014, sept élèves en 11e année et Mme. Wisniowski sont allés à une conférence à le campus Glendon de l’Université York. Elle s’appelle, Le français pour l’avenir – French for the future. Le forum ne nous a pas seulement donné l’occasion d’apprendre la langue française et une unité dans nos cours de français.

Il nous a inspiré, les étudiants, à continuer nos études en français.

Nous avons aussi célébré la langue française et la culture francophone en apprenant que le français joue un rôle important au Canada. Ce forum nous a donné l’opportunité à interagir avec les étudiants dans les autres écoles en Ontario qui apprécient la langue française, n’importe de quel niveau de français nous avions. Nous avons tous assisté aux ateliers, nous avons participé dans des discussions et nous avons fait partis dans des activités interactives. Il y avait le choix d’assister aux ateliers suivants : 1. Psychologie et santé

Par Mariah Achie Au Canada, les langues officielles sont l’anglais et le français. La plupart des gens parlent un ou l’autre et il y a aussi les bilingues qui parlent les deux. Ces dernières années, il y avait plus de gens qui parlent le français. Graham Fraser de The Globe and Mail a dit que les gens apprennent le français au Canada parce qu’ils sont ambitieux et ils veulent comprendre plus de la culture canadienne. C’est aussi à cause de la diversité culturelle du Canada parce que plus de francophones émigrent de places comme l’Haïti et l’Afrique où on parle la langue.

L’inscription des étudiants pour les programmes de français n’a pas diminué au cours des années. En apprenant

2. La radio et la télévision 3. Les Jeux Panaméricains 2015 4. L’enseignement et l’éducation : une bonne carrière!

5. Expériences linguistiques : Explore et Odyssée 6. Le théâtre : combat de scène

charades. Pour le reste du temps, nous avons écouté une présentation sur les avantages de l’apprentissage du français, de la profession d’enseignant de langue, et comment faire la française une partie de vos études universitaires. À 11h, nous sommes tous allés à nos

PHOTO PAR L’UNIVERSITÉ D’OTTAWA

Les deux ateliers auxquelles j’ai assisté étaient celui de l’enseignement et l’éducation et celui du théâtre. Pour et l’éducation. Pendant les premières trente minutes, nous avons formulé des petits groups de quatre ou cinq personnes et nous nous sommes présentés entre les membresde notre propre groupe. Ensuite, nous avons joué un jeu semblable aux

prochains ateliers. J’avais le théâtre ensuite. Avec Nicolas Van Burek, un comédien, nous avons eu l’occasion d’apprendre et de découvrir différents techniques de combat pour le théâtre et le cinéma d’une façon sécuritaire et amusante. Après une heure, nous avons eu le déjeuner gratuit! Le matin était plein d’activités intéressantes donc nous avions tous faims.

Après la cérémonie de clôture, c’était le temps d’aller à la maison. Le jour s’est fini à 2h et demie. Nous étions tous déçus qu’il n’ait pas duré plus longtemps. Enfin, nous avons tous eu un bon temps, et c’était une bonne excuse pour manquer l’école le vendredi…

Maintenant pour les étudiants qui seront offerts la chance d’assister à ce forum l’année prochaine, je vous conseille d’y aller. Vous bénéficierez plus que vous en pensez! Pour les gens qui continuent les études en français, je peux vous assurer que vous faites la bonne décision! Je vous souhaite bonne chance dans vos efforts et peutêtre la langue française jouera un grand rôle dans votre vie.

L’influence Française au Canada Aujourd’hui le français comme une deuxième langue, les enfants des immigrants et des Canadiens peuvent communiquer avec les autres qui parlent le français.

Ils peuvent aussi apprécier la culture canadienne-française. Par ailleurs, ils ont les habitudes qu’ils peuvent utiliser plus tard pour leurs emplois.

On remarquait que quelques élèves des écoles élémentaires anglophones en veulent des leçons françaises. Il y a quelques-uns qui ne continuent pas leurs études françaises après avoir fini les cours obligatoires. Généralement, ces gens ne sont pas intéressés par la langue française ou ils ont de la difficulté à apprendre une nouvelle langue Il semble injustifié d’enseigner

ceux qui refusent d’apprendre un sujet, mais c’est la réalité pour quelques-uns .

Sans doute, le Québec est la province qui est la plus influencée par la France. La dernière premier ministre du Parti Québécois Pauline Marois croit fermement que la province est différente que les autres.

Elle croit aussi que le Québec devrait suivre le sécularisme de la France parce qu’elle crée l’égalité et l’unité. Mais est-ce que c’est le cas?

Selon les sondages et les entrevues, beaucoup de gens ne sont pas d’accord avec la charte des valeurs que le PQ a créé parce qu’on ne peut pas pratiquer les religions comme l’Islam. Cela inclut l’ancien premier ministre du PQ Jacques Parizeau qui a dit « la charte des valeurs va trop loin ».

La culture française est vraiment une

VOLUME 19 / ISSUE 3 mwplanet 18

Pour l’après-midi, tous les étudiants sont réunis dans l’auditorium pour regarder Les Improbables, la ligue d’improvisation théâtrale en français à Toronto. Nous avons eu tellement du plaisir en les regarder.

PHOTO PAR MALINDA KNOWLES

PHOTO PAR LE NATIONAL POST

partie intégrante de l’histoire du Canada, mais maintenant le Québec n’a pas besoin d’imiter les valeurs de la France. Comme les Canadiens, nous avons une culture unique où on peut apprécier l’histoire des Anglais, des Français et plusieurs de cultures du monde. L’influence française au Canada est magnifique et on devrait comprendre qu’il y a des gens d’autres cultures qui sont des Canadiens aussi.

la petite planète la petite planète

L’amour conquiert

Soulagez votre stress PHOTO PAR VERONICA WALSH

Par Bianca Gomba Alors que l’école finit, la motivation de faire des devoirs finissent aussi. Beaucoup d’école s’attend pour l’été - les professeurs sont pleins d’espoir aussi! Toutefois, à Mary Ward, la vitesse de devoirs s’accélère. Des étudiants essayent de finir leurs unités pour atteindre des dernières dates cibles, des autres veulent faire les examens en avance et quelques d’étudiants veulent aller à l’école d’été. << MayJune Rush >> est un temps sévère pour tout le monde, mais il y a des façons de concentrer... Vous pouvez...

1)Encouragez vous-même : Quand vous finissez vos devoirs, obtenez une récompense. Écoutez à la musique. C’est bien d’être encouragé.

Par Fernanda Ortega Hitler en Europe.

Camps de concentration et millions des orphelins.

Les Hutus au Rwanda.

Millions de cadavres ont couvert le terrain.

Pol Pot au Cambodge.

Relocalisation, la famine et le travail forcé.

Les pogroms.

Destruction à cause de la haine.

Cauchemars hantent les personnes qui ont survécu.

Cauchemars des tueries, des tortures et des viols.

Ils ont été marqués pour la vie, Sans moyen d’effacer le passé.

Mais… si nous effaçons le passé, ce n’serions pas bon.

Nous devons apprendre du passé.

Nous devons prendre ces leçons et voir les erreurs...

Pour assurer que les personnes innocentes ne seront pas tués de nouveau.

Aujourd’hui, il y a des différences et des tensions aussi.

Comment est-ce que nous pouvons être sûr que cela ne passera pas de nouveau?

Comment est-ce que nous pouvons protéger le monde entier des génocides?

La réponse est l’amour.

L’amour doit régner.

L’amour conquiert la haine.

2) Restez dans le moment présent : Ne pensez pas à ce que vous devez faire, faitesle! Si vous planifiez trop, vous perdez du temps.

3) Prenez des pauses : il soulage le stress.

Commencez avec une pause longue et faites les pauses plus petites après.

Les pauses peuvent vous encourager à travailler!

4) Obtenez l’aide : C’est quelque chose que beaucoup d’étudiants ne font pas.

Nous devons accepter que nous avons besoin d’aide. Demandez l’aide... et vous le recevrez.

5) Finalement, n’oubliez pas que vous êtes toujours incroyable. Peu importe si vous êtes en retard, vous êtes toujours fantastique si vous prenez l’effort de travailler. Peut-être vous allez abandonner parfois, mais c’est important de ne pas oublier que vous pouvez faire des devoirs incroyables!

PHOTO PAR PHILOSIBLOG VOLUME 19 / ISSUE 3 mwplanet 19

sports sports

Spring Sports Wrap Up

By Lia Pizarro

Varsity Girls Soccer Rossi

Track and Field D’Agostino, Davies, Langlais

After much success in the past few years, the Varsity Girls’ Soccer team made the decision to play within the tier 1 level, which is a very difficult level to play in. Although the girls did not make it to the play offs, they did an outstanding job playing at the highest level. The coaches thank the girls for a great season and wish them the best for the rest of their soccer careers.

There has been a lot of unexpected talent and wins throughout this season for the Track and Field team. To start off, the Senior Boys 4x400 team now holds the Mary Ward record with their run this year. The Junior Boys team and Midget Girls’ team have also won races within a few meets. What was surprising to see this year was the disappearance of the senior girl’s team, as this is the first time in years that there has not been a team. Jerome Jude, won the TDCAA 400 metre record. Overall the team has been putting in a tremendous amount of effort and dedication and hope to continue on with their great season.

Girls Varsity Flag Football Dever, Fleisckacker, Adourian, Kennedy

Varsity Boys Baseball Harrison, Demore

The Varsity Boys’ Baseball team have been well into their season, facing many tough opponents along the way. The boys have experienced a few great wins and are looking great for the post season. Mr. Demore has been a great new addition to the team as a secondary coach, and is incredibly proud of the boys for their great season. The coaches wish the boys luck and hope that they keep up their great efforts, working together and playing Badminton Belisimo, Doherty

As the new year had begun the athletes prepared themselves for yet another great season and welcomed their new coaches. Although the team overall did not make first place, there were still many individual wins. Nathan Lam won 2nd place in Junior Singles and earned a spot in the senior singles.

Because he finished 2nd in the Toronto District finals, he also qualified for OFSAA. What’s incredible about this athlete is that he is only in grade 9 and has accomplished so much in just his first year of high school. The junior mixed team also placed 1st at the Toronto District finals, as did the Senior Boys doubles team who also won 1st place at the Toronto District Finals and made it to OFSAA, winning the B Flight Gold. Coaches Bellisimo and Doherty Junior Boys Volleyball Wong The junior boys’ volleyball team had an exceptional year, finishing the regular season with an 8-3 record.

Their playoff game was fought with an immense amount of heart, but in the end unfortunately, they lost to a tough team, Michael Power. Over all, the team had an incredible season. They’ve experienced a great amount of growth and have come a long way since the beginning. Coach Wong is proud of the team and looks forward to what the boys will accomplish as their journey in volleyball continues.

Coach Dever was surprised to see such a large turn out during the Varsity Girls’ Flag Football try-outs, as a majority of the team now consists of rookie players.

However, these new athletes have stunned all of the veteran players, as well as the other teams, with their incredible skills. The girls had a 3-2 record during their very first tournament of the season and even made it all the way to finals. They finished their very quick regular season with a 5-2 record. The girls also placed second overall in their tier, and have become a surprise contender for the championships. Shout outs go to Gisselle Villagracia, who has become one of the key running backs during the games. Despite many of setbacks due to the weather, as well as the turf restrictions, the girls managed to play more games this year Dragon Boat and gain more wins than any other year in the past. We wish the girls luck on their Parise, Morra journey to the championships for this 2014 season.

Girls Varsity Softball The Dragon Boat team members have been practicing with their on-land work-outs Ireland since the month of January. The team has come a long way since and have started their on-water practices. Their very first regatta is on June 2nd, held in Pickering and The Varsity Girls’ Softball team has been well into their season as they are on the their second regatta is at Centre Island on June 21. We wish the Dragon Boat team road to play offs. This year was all about rebuilding for the girls as many rook- luck as they look forward to competing in their upcoming races. ies have joined the team for the very first Senior Boys Soccer time. Although the girls had a lot of work Carabine, Belissimo, Evangalista, Vecchiarelli ahead for them, they’ve managed to pull through and have had a great season so The senior boys soccer team had a pretty tough season, with many new players far. The team overall looks to be a good and unforeseen losses. However, they were able to win against teams they did contender for the finals on the B side. The not think they would beat. Despite the board not approving the new turf field for Mary Ward community wishes the girls their games, the boys were still able to pull together and have a great season. All luck on the rest of their season! of the coaches are proud of the boys for their amazing efforts this year.

PHOTOS BY BEA SERDON VOLUME 19 / ISSUE 3 mwplanet 20

sports sports

FIFA World Cup

By Victoria Bucknor

Four years later and here we are again, patiently and eagerly awaiting the event that brings everyone around the world together - The World Cup. From June 12 to July 13, not only will the passion and the patriotism of football lovers be felt in Brazil, but all around the world.

The first ever FIFA World Cup was held in Uruguay in 1930. The champions were to receive what is known today as “The Jules Rimet Trophy”. This trophy was awarded to the winner of the World Cup, but was stolen prior to the 1966 World Cup that was held in England. After much investigation and many ransom notes and calls, the trophy was later recovered by a man walking his dog. The man and the dog were awarded many prizes for recovering this prized possession. The trophy was, again, stolen in 1983 and was never found. It is believed, but not confirmed, that the gold trophy was melted down.

The FIFA World Cup is held every four years, to allow nations to have time to experience the natural improvement and decline of their countries. This year, Brazil will host a single new nation at the finals, Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Along with Bosnia-Herzegov-

ina, the other qualifying countries are Algeria, Cameroon, Cote D’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Australia, Iran, Japan, Korea Republic, Belgium, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico, The United States of America, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Ecuador and Uruguay.

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Ronaldo.

The record number of appearances in world cup matches is 25, held

by German footballer Lothar Matthaus.

The fastest goal in the world was scored by Turkey’s Hasan Sukur, 11 seconds into the game against South Korea in the 2002 World Cup. Oliver Kahn is the only goalkeeper in the history of the FIFA World Cup to have won the Golden Ball trophy.

India withdrew from the 1950 World Cup when they realized that

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PHOTO BY FIFA.COM

World Cup Fun Facts Not familiar with the World Cup? Here are some fun facts to help you sound like a soccer star!

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The record number of World Cup career goals is 15 by Brazilian forward

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according to FIFA regulations players had to wear football boots and would not be allowed to play barefoot.

The record for most defeats suffered by a nation in World Cups is held by Mexico with 20 losses.

Norman Whiteside was 17 when he

We the nORTH

Raptors than Coach Dwane Casey.

From leading the Raptors to a franchise Despite the Raptors’ record 48 wins this year, and to guiding first round playoff Lowry to become a better leader for the exit, this season was team, Coach Casey has been phenoma big accomplish- enal and instrumental to every single ment for the team, for MLSE, and for success the team has attained. His sucthe city of Toronto. A season that was cesses haven’t been snubbed as he has supposed to be a loss became a big win just recently snagged a three-year conand scored much-needed attention for tract extension to keep doing what he’s professional sports in our city. Here are been doing best: coaching the Raptors. five things we learned from their sea3. Kyle Lowry is the heart, soul, and son: most valuable player of the team.

His teammate DeRozan was the one 1. Who needs Rudy Gay? Apparently not the Toronto Raptors, named to the Eastern Conference All-Star that’s for sure. At first, the Rudy Gay team but make no mistake, Kyle Lowry is trade was Masai Uljiri’s, the general the overall best player of the Raptors this manager of the Raptors, sign of throw- season. Throughout the year, he’s proved ing in the towel and giving up on the himself as an elite point guard, carrying season but the Raptors roster proved the team when his teammates couldn’t everyone wrong, even Uljiri; the Dinos play up to par. And for that, the city of Tothen went 42-22 without Gay’s abilities ronto fell in love with how much passion Lowry has for the game. Even though to support the team.

Lowry is becoming a free agent this off2. There is no better coach for the season, he can’t leave. He just can’t.

By Bea Serdon

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4. With Drake and Mayor Rob Ford on board, the City of Toronto has shown how much big of a deal basketball is in this city. We’ve got your back, Raps.

They really started from the bottom, and now they are here. As seen from the atmosphere during their recent playoff series, the people of Toronto have been waiting for this for far too long. A playoff performance is a chance to showcase our roster’s talents and to show that Toronto is a place to be for professional sports, and that’s what we need for this offseason.

PHOTO BY BEA SERDON

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played in the 1982 FIFA World Cup making him the youngest player to play in the world cup.

Out of the 18 world cups, South America and European countries have won 9 titles each. No other continent has produced a world champion.

The only two players to have scored in four consecutive finals tournaments in 1958, 1962, 1966 & 1970 are Pele of Brazil and Uwe Seeler of West Germany.

42-year-old Roger Milla in 1994 became the oldest goalscorer and the oldest player in World Cup history.

The very first hat-trick in a World Cup match was scored by Bert Patenaude of United States in a match against Paraguay in the 1930 World Cup. In 1986 FIFA prohibited shirt swapping because they did not want players to ‘bare their chests’ on the field.

Brazil is the country to have appeared for every finals tournament. They have appeared for the last 19 tournaments, and won five of them.

Sir Viv Richards is the only person to have played both World Cup Football and World Cup Cricket.

ILLUSTRATION BY JERCY DAVID

5. In the past, a match-up against the Raptors and a trip up north was a sure-win, but now it became a hard fought battle and a must-win against a versatile, young squad.

These guys have earned it. They have gotten the respect they deserve from the league and all the credit goes to them. At times they’ve been the laughingstock of the league because of a certain number 1 pick who could not live up to the expectations. This season showed that they are a dominant team and if they don’t respect the Raps, they might get bit by the Dinos, who are always hungry for a win.

The North is a force to be reckoned with; enter at your own risk.

The things we’ve learned from the Raptors say so much about them as a team. They are willing and determined to attain more success in the upcoming season. As we enter the offseason, let’s hope for the best. Let’s hope that Masai Uljiri can put more pieces in the almost-completed puzzle, which is the Toronto Raptors.

VOLUME 19 / ISSUE 3 mwplanet 21

creative spaces creative spaces

The Darkness that grows within

By Christy Tse

Ward Socializing

101

By Angelica Abad

There is darkness inside me, A shade of myself no one can see.

You would not predict the heavy destruction To blossom from my routine of overproduction I tried to ignore the dark complication But it blended with my mandatory serving of modern miseducation “I will destroy you” hissed the voice, It screamed at me whenever I made a mistake or irresponsible choice I pleaded for space and shouted in my head “Please leave!”

I thought it was under control, but I was deceived

The darkness shadowed every teacher that taught with an irritated expression They always raised their voice attacking me into further depression Units, deadlines, consultations, and zeroes.

I couldn’t save myself; I was too weak to be my own hero Hours, minutes, seconds decreased I became certain that the darkness’ hold on me wouldn’t be released I suffered as the torture progressed Who would’ve thought this was the result of stress The beast was winning, I could picture it grinning, As it laughed and mocked all my failures In a sudden epiphany I realized to my soul I was a traitor Because I gave the darkness the power to become a dictator I breathed before I came to face my darkness within I found that the battle against stress would be a lifetime fight that I was about to begin I always had the power to control my emotions and actions The darkness didn’t want me to notice so it created stressful attractions I erased the constant cries and screams in my head To make room for self-confidence instead At the end of the day, What can I say?

The darkness of stress is powerful But light shines within us; fierce and bountiful

VOLUME 19 / ISSUE 3 mwplanet 22

Summer Productivity

By Faye Zhang

funand and games fun games

Ward Student Souvenirs

By Andrea Nijmeh

Autumn Breeze

By Kathleen Francisco I felt the autumn breeze touch the apples of my cheeks as I looked across a sky filled with mystery The sun was glistening shyly afraid to show its rays, it sat behind the grey clouds refusing to appear I turned to the ocean no one in sight I breathed in salty air along with misery I began to think of you and how you left it never made sense to me, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think it will The sun went down swiftly without saying a word and the moon went up dancing to a song of its own I walked back home with the stars following me like considerate friends that cared for me

ILLUSTRATION BY FAYE ZHANG

VOLUME 19 / ISSUE 3 mwplanet 23

funand and games fun games

SUMMER SMOOTHIES

By Faye Zhang Summer is around the corner and so is the heat!

Here are three super simple smoothie recipes that will hopefully help you through those scorching days, all in three steps or less.

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Mango Smoothie

Banana Avocado Smoothie

Raspberry-Orange Smoothie

Ingredients:

Ingredients:

Ingredients:

1 cup frozen mangoes

1 banana

1 cup frozen raspberries

1 – 1 ½ cups milk

½ avocado

1 cup milk

1 tbsp agave syrup

1 – 1 ½ cups milk

1 tbsp agave syrup (or sweetner)

½ cup plain yogurt

Steps:

Generous dash of orange juice

½ lime

Peel the banana, pit the avocado, and scoop the fruit into the blender. Pour in the milk, blend it all up, and you’re done! Make sure the avocado isn’t too firm, however, as it’ll just end up as chopped up pieces in a banana drink. In fact, try to have both fruits as soft as possible (without it being spoiled) before making this one.

Steps:

Steps: Put all of your ingredients in the blender and squeeze in the lime juice. Make sure to stir the smoothie if you hear the blade cutting empty air, and enjoy!

This one is as straightforward as a smoothie can get.

Gather all your ingredients, place them all in your blender, turn on the machine, and then enjoy!

ILLUSTRATIONS BY FAYE ZHANG

{Congratulations To Our Winners!} In one of our previous issues, we sent out a call for entries for a new Mary Ward Planet logo! Picking a new logo was a hard decision, but here are our winners!

{ Runner Up }

BY CHRISTIANA LEGASPI

{WINNER}

BY JERCY DAVID VOLUME 19 / ISSUE 3 mwplanet 24

Congratulations to the winners and thank you to everyone who participated!