Talon Times Winter 2015 by Talon Times

Advice Advice

VOLUME 25, Issue 2 Winter 2015 PAGE 2

Index

Advice p2 Advice Local p3 Was the Xperience STEM Conference just a Conference? GifTEDU Speakers take Glenforest Stage Glenforest Models Rock the Runway Glenforest Dominated DECA Regionals Food for Thought National p6 Trudeaumania Oldest Survivor of Residential Schools Passes Away at 111 T he Scoop on Canada's Modern Literary Scene Hydro One Sale: Mistake or Treason? Global p8 What the events at the University of Missouri pinpoint Bill C-51 and the G-20 The World in Mourning Editorial p10 Speak Up Me, Myself and I Why Donald Trump is More Dangerous than a Joke Not so Controversial Topics Debate p12 Mandtory Uniform Policy: Why it SHOULD be implemented Why it SHOULDN'T be implemented Culture p13 Around the World - Christmas Traditions South Asians on Creen: Why Representation Matters CGI (Computer Generated Irritation Horoscopes p15 Comics p16

Credits Teacher Supervisor Mr. Gordon Ms. Axon

Editors in Chief

Srobona Podder Linwan Song

Copy Editors

Julie Cho Michelle Wei Vivian Mai Jovana Pajovic Shankhalika Srikanth Ramya Eyer

Layout Designers

RuoBing Yu Evelyn Ku Saamia Ansari Suchithra Shenthil Sam Lu Christa Hu Rebecca Lee

Photographers

Munaam Naveed Khushi Nansi Farah Khan Vivian Li Tram Nguyen Sara Imam Aryan Shah Annie Zou

Design

Rebecca Lee

There are so many amazing causes and organizations that I want to give donations, but being on a student’s budget, I don’t know which one to choose. How do you decide where to donate your money?

irst off, I applaud you for wanting to donate. In itself, donating is one of the most selfless acts a person can do. It feels so good, to know that your money is going somewhere, helping someone or a lot of people. But I also believe that that feeling is at its peak when you’re giving to a foundation that speaks to your heart. It can be very hard to choose that foundation because every issue is important, and they could all use your help. In this respect, it is very difficult to give exact steps to follow, to find a charity that aligns with your passions. You have to discover it for yourself– it’ll happen when you pass by a billboard that stuns you on the highway, when your heart aches as you watch a video, when it makes your blood boil to think that people, your fellow human beings, are suffering such atrocities. No cause is more important than another; you just have to find the one that is the most significant, not to all your friends, not to your parents or grandparents, but to you. Sincerely, Jill

rying to figure out how to spend your winter break is drastically different than doing the same for the summer—instead of 2 months, you’re dealing with 16 days, and returning to exam preparation and culminating activities. It’s important to think about how you’ll balance all the commitments you have for the next two and a half weeks. Here are some tips: Remember that winter break is a break. Most teachers understand that the winter break is meant to allow everyone to take a step back from our busy lives, and accordingly try to set due dates/tests for the last week of school in December. In the case that you do have schoolwork to complete over the holidays, not to worry—you have 16 days to do what you need to do. Plan ahead by spreading out your work over the break so that you have leisure time every day, and you’re not cramming the first few days of the New Year. If you’re on vacation, that leisure time means enjoying wherever you are in the world. Use the opportunity to spend time with family. While friends are important to have and help you out with issues that no one quite understands, it’s important to recognize that your family is the group of people that you come home to every day. The break may be an opportunity to spend more time with your friends, but keep in mind that you’re able to see them every day for the majority of the year. With extra-curriculars, schoolwork, and a job, the same may not be true for your family. Take advantage of this time to reconnect with your family and your loved ones that you just don’t get the chance to see often. Take care of your health. Life has probably thrown everything it could have at you during the past three months, making you drift farther away from a healthy lifestyle. Winter break is an opportunity to get back on track— this doesn’t mean starting a diet and running a marathon, but changing small parts of your day. For most people, this means catching up on sleep. While this is the opportunity to sleep in on days that you can afford to, remember to get back into your school-appropriate schedule the last few days of the holidays. Take a break from social media, catch up on hobbies like reading and crocheting, burn some calories from skating and skiing— give your body the rest and stress relief that it has needed for a while. All in all, it’s important to plan out your winter break in advance to make sure it’s one that’s productive, relaxing, and memorable. I hope that the tips above make the next couple of weeks truly the most wonderful time of the year. Happy holidays! Jack

"How can I make the best of my winter break?"

ell, really, this depends on a lot of different things. First, do you actually like winter? Or are you a hot summer day sort of person? If you answered yes to the former, then enjoy the winter wonderland (that we will hopefully get) while it lasts! Go sledding, eat fondue by the fireplace, have hot-cocoa every day, build a snowfort! I know I still love doing all of that. But if you’re the kind of person who hates wintertime, take advantage of these two weeks where you don’t have to trek to school, on cold mornings through slushy roads. Do some more indoor activities, in a variety of indoor areas. Try something new and create new traditions. But also, regardless of whether or not you like winter, we should all be doing some review in some form. These two weeks, while it is a break all of us definitely need, are a blessing which we ought to take advantage of. You don’t want to be one of those people saying “I wish I’d done….” after the break. So do a little bit of everything: have fun, sleep in, take naps, binge-watch TV shows, have movie marathons, go dancing with your friends, spend time with your family, and just have fun. Sincerely, Jill

Do you have any questions about school, relationships, or life in general that you'd like to ask our advice columnists? Send them over to talontimesadvice@gmail.com, submit them at goo.gl/forms/Cym8tgGD6r, or use the QR code found on the Talon Times bulletin board in the hallway between the library and the cafeteria. Ask away, Gryphons!

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LocalLOCAL

Was the Xperience STEM conference just a conference? By: Ghaid Asfour fter hundreds of hours of

planning and organizing, Canada's largest student-run conference exceeded everone's expectations through its tremendous success on Noveber 20th, 2015. "I am so incredibly proud of the STEM team," said Diana Wang-Martin, a chemistry teacher at Glenforest and the main organizer of the conference. However, great things often happen after bitter trials. The conference, which was supposed to take place in May, was postponed due to the teachers' strike. Leslie

Xin, a STEM Vice President, described the tough time as a blessing in disguise[.] After the setback in May, we came back better and stronger, almost doubling the number of attendees. With over 1500 attendees and 40 speakers, including a Facebook employee, an environmental scientist from the University of Toronto, and a pediatric dentist, the conference featured multiple handson workshops hosted by companies like Microsoft and Cisco, and a college/university fair. The conference aimed to educate youth about the STEM-related fields and the

different opportunities that pursuing these fields could offer. The Glenforest STEM team hopes that the conference provided a source of inspiration and a starting point for all the delegates to start exploring STEM-related fields in university and beyond, since "STEM jobs are financially rewarding and are in high demand," according to Ms. Wang-Martin. Undoubtedly, the STEM team members showed their exceptional leadership skills and perseverance through the process of establishing the conference. In fact, the Xpe-

Photo : Sara Imam

rience STEM conference was the largest student-run conference in Canada. Such events are of extreme significance in students' lives, particularly, during the last couple of years of high school, when students are desperately trying to get inspired by something that could potentially determine how the rest of their life will look like. The Xperience STEM Conference offered an exclusive opportunity for students to hear from professionals who have chosen a STEM career. "Events like this are important because they give students a better picture of what

Photo : Sara Imam

STEM is, since what they learn from school about STEM is limited," said Anthony Persaud, a speaker at the Xperience STEM Conference, and an Instructional Coordinator in Science and Technological Education at the Peel District School Board, who is now working on implementing Lego in the science curriculum at schools. According to Steve Czajka, a GIS Professional in the City of Mississauga, "It is good for students to learn about different jobs before choosing a position." A study showed that if students don't get inspired by something at an early age, it

Photo : Sara Imam

is less likely that they are going to find interest in it later. "Students are losing interest in STEM fields due to their unpopularity; that is why middle school students were also invited, so that the conference can hopefully have an impact on their futures," said Xin. Finally, students are encouraged to "do what they love," said Czajka, and "find their passion," said Persaud. Events like the Xperience STEM conference foster and reinforce these words of wisdom.

VOLUME 25, Issue 2 Winter 2015 PAGE 4

Local

GifTEDU speakers take glenforest stage Photo : Linwan Song

By: Srobona Podder

odelled after the widely recognized TED Talks, Glenforest’s fourth annual GifTEDU Talks were held on Wednesday, November 25th during lunch and third period in the auditorium. The event was run by the Glenforest Enhanced Student Committee with the intent of encouraging students to speak up about topics they felt passionate about. Speakers were given the opportunity to choose any subject they wanted, write their speeches, and prepare for auditions held earlier in November. This is nothing short of a daunting task but many brave students plucked up the courage to put themselves in the spotlight. The speakers, in order of presentation, were Rachel Tran, Andrea Josic, Max Yumnu, Meera Chawda, Samie Rizvi, Ibrahim Issa, and Sarini Kumarasinghe, while the event was hosted by Shravan Vijaya-

baskaran. As a member of the audience, and not having been involved in running the event, it was astonishing to see the amount of effort the Enhanced Student Committee and the speakers put into the presentation. Every topic was unique, powerful, and left the audience with something to think about long after the speaker walked off the stage; the transitions between the speakers were not nearly enough time to fully digest every student’s message. Rachel Tran kicked off the event with her speech, "Language is More Than Just Words." Her message was that language is constantly evolving, and is reflected in history and culture, encompassing both the verbal and nonverbal forms of communication. It gives each time period an identity, and without it, we could never hope to remember all of life’s triumphs and mistakes. Andrea Josic began her

speech with a personal anecdote that led to the purpose behind her conversation with the audience: stripping down the walls between gay, straight, and bisexual. Students gained a new perspective into the meaning of biphobia and how it is something that we, as a population, need to overcome in order to be an accepting community. Max Yumnu spoke about a very heavy topic that, unfortunately, a surprising number of students face in their life: suicide. He argued that suicide was really the result of the stigma surrounding mental illness, and that people consider it their only option out of fear of judgement. It was an emotional presentation to witness, but important to acknowledge nonetheless; a problem of this magnitude will not simply pass unless students take action towards creating positive change, starting within our school environment. Meera Chawda followed

on a more optimistic note, outlining what she believed were the "5 Keys to a Happier You." She expanded on the ideas of striving for excellence, not perfection, determining whether your situation will matter one year from now, making an effort to meet people in person rather than through social media, resisting the urge to criticize, and not living someone else’s dream. Samie Rizvi opted for a talk about his journey to self-enlightenment by blending two pieces of advice he received from his friend and his father. Samie concluded that it is important to work hard towards what we really want, but sometimes matters are out of our control, and that is also something we need to learn to accept. Ibrahim Issa took his chance on stage to shed light on citizen journalism, which he defined as a form of reporting and analyzing world issues that largely takes place over

Glenforest models rock the runway

Photo : Shravan Vijayabaskaran

the internet by the general public. Users become the creators, and have the power to spread awareness about matters of importance to them. Ibrahim went on to make the bold statement that media can be seen as the fourth unofficial branch of the government, overseeing society and maintaining order. Ever since creating a YouTube account in 2010, Ibrahim has gone on to upload several videos, including the promotional videos for the 2015 STEM Conference hosted by Glenforest. In this way, he is contributing to the phenomenon of citizen journalism himself. The final speaker of the event was Sarini Kumarasinghe, who began her speech about credulity by tricking the audience into believing she would be talking about passion. Sarini expertly argued that society was willing to believe just about anything by sharing some real life scenarios, as well as personal anec-

dotes. Her main message was that people should put effort into verifying the "facts" they hear. It’s one thing to buy into a fib from one of your friends, and another issue entirely when a news station presents false information to the public for the sake of a story. The quality of the GifTEDU Talks has grown over the years, and more students from a wide variety of backgrounds are beginning to seek involvement in what is quickly becoming a highly anticipated fall event. It was no easy task for the Glenforest Enhanced Student Committee to put the GifTEDU Talks together, but it was well-worth the effort. Take time to reflect on the purpose of the event: don’t be afraid to inspire. Speak up about causes that you care about, because you never know whose life you will impact and make a difference in, simply through the use of a few powerful words.

By: Vivian Mai

nal pose before exiting. To anyone watching the show, it was clear that there were a few fan favourites. Some came as a surprise, but others not so much. The best models knew how to take advantage of what they had, to make the few runs they had (or in some cases, their only run) worthwhile. Some used their hair as an accessory, others used jackets, some were just plain good, natural supermodels, but many relied on the... creativity of their poses to win over the audience. After the 38 models completed their runs, they all took to the stage for one last strut down the catwalk together, before taking their final bow. Overall, it is evident that Glenforest’s first (and hopefully not last!) annual Fall Fashion Show ended in huge success. Massive thanks goes to the Glenforest Fashion Arts Association and the United Way of Peel for organizing such a fantastic show. The models not only managed to rock the runway, but they also rocked our hearts.

n November 12th, Glenforest’s very own Fashion Arts Association teamed up with the United Way Committee to host their first annual Fall Fashion Show, featuring our very own students as the models. Held as a pay-whatyou-can fundraiser for the United Way of Peel, the Fall Fashion Show not only succeeded in making a difference in our community, but also in how we see our classmates. The show opened with a performance by Forest Fire’s Abilas Chandiramohan, Shreya Pappu, and Alice Chen, which included a stunning rendition of Ed Sheeran’s “Give Me Love”, followed by Shawn Mendes’ “Stitches”, as a preview to their show on November 27th. Shortly afterwards, the real show began, and it was time for the models to strut their stuff. One by one, they walked across the stage, posed, walked down the aisles and into the audience, and back onto the stage to strike one fi-

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LocalLOCAL

Glenforest dominated DECA regionals By: Srobona Podder

wo months of tireless preparation and training sessions led to the biggest business competition of the fall season: DECA Regionals. On Sunday, November 8th, with just over 1800 students attending, the Peel Regional DECA competition at Lincoln Alexander Secondary School was once again the largest in its division, surpassing even the Toronto District School Board. The challenge, for the average student, began upon entering the large school, where they had to find their competition room; navigating the twisting hallways of Lincoln Alexander, which, especially when crowded with students, proved to be an adventure of its own. DECA is an international business competition for high school and university students. Depending on a competitor’s specific category, they may have had to take a 100-question multiple choice exam and present a solution to a case study in front of a judge, or they may have had to come up with their own business venture to present to a panel of judges. The cumulative score between a competitor’s exam and presentation determine their overall standing. The wide variety of categories that DECA has to offer has grown over the years

to incorporate changes in the modern business world. The organization’s ultimate goal is to encourage driven and enthusiastic students to learn about fundamental business concepts that can be applied to any field of study. After the long day of competition, there were two award ceremonies held to recognize the individuals and teams with the top 10 exam scores and the top 10 presentation scores. From there, the top 3 individuals and teams from each category were awarded medals. The hall was buzzing with energy before the ceremony even started. Competitors could barely sit still because of their excitement, so many took the opportunity to catch up with friends from other schools. At half time, everyone participated in Miracle Minute, DECA’s annual initiative to raise money towards the Muscular Dystrophy Association. In one minute, the DECA Provincial Executives travel around the hall with buckets, collecting spare change from all the competitors, raising thousands of dollars at a time. This is an initiative that takes place at every regional, provincial, and even international event. For many students from Glenforest, this was their first year competing in DECA, and to say that the event was overwhelming would be an under-

statement. However, every student, experienced or not, came prepared and determined to qualify for Provincials. The top 21 individuals and the top 27 teams from each category moved on to compete at Provincials, held annually at the Toronto Sheraton Center. In total, there were 166 qualifying students from Glenforest alone! Glenforest competitors won over 100 top 10 ribbons and 15 top 3 medals. Voices grew hoarse as fellow Glenforest students cheered loudly for their friends on stage. The amount of support and school spirit that Glenforest showed was truly inspiring and will be something to look forward to again, come time for Provincials in February.

Photo : Taniya Spolia

Food for thought Photo : Sahrish Masood

By: Srushti Patel

ey are you going to Boston Pizza?"... "MSYC"... "Food for Thought". These are all phrases that you may have heard echoing through the hallways at Glenforest in early November. This Boston Pizza event became the talk of the week, and even students who were not previously aware of the Multiple Sclerosis Youth Council had begun to grasp the main concept of the organization’s goals and vision.

This serves to prove the success of the fundraising event and unveils the hard work and dedication of the Glenforest ambassadors who put in a great deal of effort to promote "Food for Thought". Approximately 101 students from various high schools showed up at the doors of Boston Pizza to support MSYC and raise money for research for multiple sclerosis. $17.50, the price per ticket, was designated to cover the cost of the main course,

side course, and unlimited drinks while the remaining $7.50 went directly to the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada. This was an entirely student-run event. Alisha Dossani, a Glenforest ambassador, said, "Collaboration is key when it comes to organizing events such as the Boston Pizza Night. With the help of the chosen ambassadors and leaders from each school, we can raise a substantial amount of money, but nothing would have been possible without

the great contribution of the interested general public." MSYC brings together ambassadors from across Peel to focus on the disease of multiple sclerosis and improve the lifestyles of those affected by it. An estimated 100 000 Canadians are living with multiple sclerosis (MS). It is most often diagnosed in young adults aged 15 to 40 and can affect vision, hearing, memory, balance, and mobility, while also contributing to physical, mental, and financial stress in fami-

lies. Currently there is no cure, but progress is being made every day as research and information about the causes and preventive measures of multiple sclerosis slowly surface. "Food for Thought" has certainly been one of MSYC's biggest events, but they host many more events and fundraising activities throughout the year. Handing out cookies, distributing ribbons for the Red Ribbon Campaign, "Golf for MS", and hosting their famous annual volley-

ball tournament are just some of the events that have caught the attention of the students over the past few years. MSYC brings together students as a community and is a great way to spend time with friends while supporting the cause, so make sure that you show some Gryphon spirit and come out to the next MSYC event!

VOLUME 25, Issue 2 Winter 2015 PAGE 6

National Trudeaumania By: Shankhalika Srikanth

t’s been almost two months since the federal election, but the current strain of Trudeaumania appears to show no signs of dissipating. Since being elected on October 19th, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been the recipient of much public adoration, not only at home but also around the world. He has garnered over one million followers on Twitter, and was recently even dubbed a #APEChottie by online fans at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Manila. But what is driving all of this surging momentum? Much of the current excitement surrounding Trudeau is reminiscent of what we are taught surrounding his father, Pierre Trudeau, when he was a Prime Minister. Justin, like his father, is comparatively young for a politician, charismatic, and very much at ease when talking to his supporters. He never shies away from opportunities to interact with the public, and in fact seeks them

out himself. The day after the election, he appeared at a subway station in his Québec riding of Papineau to meet and take photos with his constituents, and since then he’s taken many more selfies with Canadians all over the country. His love of camera, though shamed and ridiculed by his opponents, is only contributing to his popularity. Here in Canada, there’s plenty of talk about his “nice hair” and “boxer’s build,” and around the world a lot of attention surrounding Canada after the election was primarily directed towards our new leader’s face and physique; the UK newspaper, the Daily Mirror, even published an article entitled, “Is Justin Trudeau the Sexiest Prime Minister in the World?” It may not be the best way to gain support, but being photogenic can’t hurt the chances of a few more minutes of airtime on television, or a few more pictures in the newspaper. It’s not as if the media need to be cajoled into giving Trudeau more coverage. Journalists across the country seem to have breathed a col-

lective sigh of relief after the demise of former Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who was infamous for his less-than-amicable relationship with the press. During his time in office, he was responsible for muzzling government scientists by not allowing them to speak freely to the media, and drastically reduced the number of his own press conferences and interviews. In contrast, Trudeau speaks frequently to the media, and has told his Cabinet ministers that, “journalists (…) are professionals who, by asking necessary questions, contribute in an important way to the democratic process. Your professionalism and engagement with them is essential.” Trudeau acknowledged the importance of media, and for many news organizations, the love seems to be mutual. Peter Mansbridge of CBC even got exclusive access and spent the day with Trudeau on the day he was sworn into office. Increased media focus on the Prime Minister only serves to increase the hype surrounding him, especially

with the inevitable comparisons to his predecessor. Media relations isn’t the only area in which Trudeau differentiates himself from Harper. Many of his campaign promises were the exact opposite of those of the Conservatives. While the Conservatives opposed letting in huge numbers of Syrian refugees, promised to continue their bombing mission against ISIS, and insisted that an investigation into the missing and murdered indigenous women was not necessary, the Liberals pledged to welcome 25 000 refugees by the end of the year, pull fighter jets out of Syria, and call an inquiry into the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW). In addition, they targeted specific Conservative weaknesses, such as their inactivity in the fight against climate change and the concentration of power in the Prime Minister’s Office. Most experts agree that Trudeau’s victory this election was largely fueled by a desperate desire for change after the nearly decade-long reign of Harper and the Conservatives.

This “red wave” also brought with it, its own series of expectations, and the expectations are high. Luckily for Trudeau, for the moment it seems that as long as he continues to show that he is not Harper, that itself is indicative of change. And Trudeau has demonstrated that he is capable of inciting change. In addition to strengthening his commitment to transparency with numerous media interactions, he has assembled the most diverse Cabinet in Canadian history. This is the first Cabinet to have gender parity, and in response to a question asking why this was so important, he gave the simple, now viral response: “Because it’s 2015.” In recent weeks, however, the Prime Minister has been, in his own words, “thrown into the deep end” when it comes to international relations. In addition to attending many worldwide conferences, he has had to respond to the terrorist attacks in Paris and Beirut. With many saying that the bombings are proof that Canada needs to continue its bombing mission in Syria,

Photo : National Report

Trudeau remains determined on pulling out and instead plans on increasing training for ground troops. He also plans on bringing in the same number of refugees as initially promised, albeit with a two-month delay, and insists that all security concerns have been addressed. Critics believe that these decisions are cowardly and dangerous, but his strongest supporters, many of whom are millennials, admire his resolve. His attitude of tolerance and acceptance strikes a chord with many youth, who value multiculturalism, more than some of the older generation. To supporters, his decisions show commitment and integrity. Justin Trudeau is a new face in the political landscape of Canada, in every sense of the word. He represents a change and brings with him a sense of optimism. His youth and charisma set the stage for a new era in Canadian government; why wouldn’t Canadians be excited?

Oldest survivor of residential schools passes away at 111 A

Photo : Zimbio

By: Annie Zou

t a young age, Marguerite Wabano, known to many as Gookum, the Cree word for “grandmother”, was taken from her family and forced to attend a residential school in Fort Albany, Ontario run by Roman Catholic nuns. After two years, her family decided to move deeper into the wilderness to hide Wabano and her siblings from the school authorities. Born on January 28th, 1904, Wabano was the oldest survivor of residential schools. Sadly, she passed away on November 13th, 2015. She leaves behind a legacy of 7 children, 23 grandchildren, 77 great-grandchildren, and 81 great-great-grandchildren. But more importantly, she leaves behind a legacy of forgiveness and reconciliation. Wabano was never virulent

about her ordeal. She brought comfort to survivors and saw hope in the new changes implemented in recent years. Residential schools are a dark stain on Canada’s history and human rights record. First established in the late 19th century, they were funded by the government and Christian churches to educate and assimilate Aboriginal children into Canadian society. Not only were children forcibly removed from their homes, but they were also oppressed and forced to give up their language and cultural practices. The education was lackluster and failed to prepare students for life outside of school. Students suffered from physical beatings and frequent abuse. Living conditions were poor and illnesses swept in waves across the schools. Their mistreatment and ne-

glect often led to mental health illnesses as well, with many survivors resorting to drug and alcohol abuse. Treated as lepers by society and alienated from their own culture, residential school survivors face numerous obstacles in life. The last residential school closed in 1996. Since then, there have been multiple apologies and reconciliation efforts made on behalf of the Canadian government. On June 11, 2008, Prime Minister Stephen Harper formally apologized to all residential school students for the mistreatment and assimilation policies. The newly elected Justin Trudeau has also shown initiative in reconciling with the indigenous people of Canada. However, it is safe to say that this apology was long overdue.

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National LOCAL

The scoop on Canada's modern literary scene

By: Jovana Pajovic

ftentimes, the most talented authors create characters that seem to us like old friends, as if we can anticipate the words that they speak and the things that they do. In 1908, Lucy Maud Montgomery introduced us to the spunky, imaginative, and hot-tempered Anne Shirley, whom we accompanied on her charming adventures in Prince Edward Island. A sharp contrast is Margaret Atwood’s haunting Snowman in her dystopian “adventure romance” Oryx and Crake, or Offred in The Handmaid’s Tale, who draw us in with their striking narration. Almost twenty years before the latter tale was published, Alice Munro released her first collection of stories, Dance of the Happy Shades, about people from a small, circumscribed region of southern Canada who simply go about their business, running farms and bringing up children, seemingly unaffected by the turbulent world of 1968 outside literary borders. Evidently, a great deal of these skillful authors are Canadian, and the blossoming of literature in Canada can be attributed to their captivating works. That being said, when people reflect upon Canadian literature, they frequently focus on the works of the 20th century. While the authors who dominated this era are undeniably the masters of their field, we must not forget that literature in Canada spans throughout the entire

history of the country, including the talents of the present. The Canadian literary scene nowadays is vibrant and populated by a diverse group of authors, both those that are long established and those that are new and representative of modern society. Canada’s multicultural population of readers and writers mostly encourages the success of current Canadian literature. The nominees and winners of the two most prestigious literary awards in the country– the Scotiabank Giller Prize for novels and short stories and the Governor General’s Literary Award– represent the most diverse and accomplished individuals among Canadian authors. Notable Canadian authors like Atwood, who has won the Giller Prize once and the Governor General’s Literary Award twice, have been celebrated by these organizations. André Alexis is the winner of the 2015 Giller Prize for $100,000, as well as the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize for his novel Fifteen Dogs, a contemporary parable that imagines the consequences of giving fifteen dogs, from a Toronto veterinary clinic, human consciousness. On the subject of the novel, the panel that awarded the prize– comprised of Irish author John Boyne, Canadian writers Cecil Foster, Alexander MacLeod and Alison Pick, and British author Helen Oyeyemi– praised his work as a “wonderful and original piece of writing that

challenges the reader to examine their own existence and recall the age old question, what's the meaning of life?” Alexis’s Fifteen Dogs was chosen as winner over Ankana Schofield’s Martin John, Rachel Cusk’s Outline, Heather O’Neill’s Daydreams of Angels, and Samuel Archibald’s Arvida (translated to English from the original French short story collection). The Governor General’s Literary Awards are comprised to recognize Canadian talent in fiction, poetry, drama, nonfiction, and children’s literature (text and illustrated books), and translation (from French to English). In 2015, 970 titles were submitted for these seven categories. The winners were chosen by a committee of peers and each received $25,000. The winner of the 2015 Governor General's Literary Award for fiction was Guy Vanderhaeghe for his short story collection Daddy Lenin and Other Stories, which consists of nine stories interconnected through the theme of masculinity. In the title story, a middle-aged man re-unites with his former university mentor, an alluring but overbearing professor nicknamed Daddy Lenin. Canadian literature continues to be very rich, complex, and original. Clearly, Canada sees a future where the genius of its literary contributors will stand at the forefront of international recognition.

Photo : Khushi Nansi

Hydro One sale: mistake or treason? Photo : The Star

By: Omar Hammamieh

ydro One is a public utility company that owns the transmission lines in Ontario and facilitates the transfer of electricity to our homes. Kathleen Wynne’s Liberal government is currently privatizing this company, meaning that individuals can own parts of it via stocks, as opposed to the government owning it completely. To provide context, this is the plan of the same premier who aided Dalton McGuinty in facilitating the Gas Plant Scandal and will be allowing the controversial sale of alcoholic drinks in grocery stores. The sale of Hydro One will result in the Ontario gov-

ernment owning only 40% of the Hydro One, meaning 60% of it is up for grabs. The goal of this plan—as stated by Kathleen Wynne— is to attain $9 billion from this sale. $5 billion will be used to pay off the utility’s debt, while $4 billion will be used to invest in public transportation via the Trillium Trust. Most of the investments would be in infrastructure, such as rail or transit lines. This money grab will also result in the lowering of the Ontario government’s deficit projection to about $7.5 billion instead of $8.5 billion, inching the Liberals slightly closer to fulfilling their promise of eliminating the deficit by 2018. Despite these positives,

there are many negatives to this deal. First and foremost, Hydro One may not be able to act in the public’s interest. For example, there is no economical reason to connect and construct new transmission lines between Quebec Hydro and the transmission lines in Ontario, or to and from solar panels and wind farms. This is due to the company’s lack of need to aid in managing the flow of electricity between Ontario and Quebec, and the fact that Hydro One can attain cheaper electricity from alternate sources. Government mandated construction of transmission lines to these renewable energy sources has raised electrical rate payments for us. This situation may be im-

proved with government legislation, but the Liberals have not outlined any means to do so. Furthermore, the new CEO of Hydro One, Mayo Schmidt, is being paid $4 million. This is about 4 times the salary of the previous CEO, Carmine Marcello. But there is no need to worry about the former CEO— who supervised the overbilling of customers and illegal threats to cut off people’s power— losing out on money, as he will be receiving a $500 000 salary for his position as a ‘special advisor’ to Schmidt. In addition, starting in 2017 and over 16 years, 5 500 Ontario Power Generation employees from the Power Workers’ Union will receive 2.75% of their base pay in Hydro One

stock in exchange for making concessions to their pension plan. Finally, Hydro One earns $750-$800 million in profit per year. After this sale, the Ontario government will be losing about $500 million per year in revenue in addition to $100 million per year in lieu of taxes. A net loss of $600 million per year for a quick $9 billion would seem like a major loss to most people. Based on the overwhelming negative consequences, this sale is clearly a bad deal for Ontarians. However, this is not the first time an event similar to this has occurred. The leasing of Highway 407 for 99 years under the Liberals has resulted in unregulated increases in tolls and contributed to

increased traffic congestion. If the Ontario government were truly concerned about the public’s welfare, it would not give away stocks that are earning a profit so cheaply. It seems like they only care about playing politics. Now that may be too judgmental, so I will leave you with this question: is selling the Hydro One an act of blatant treason or unbelievable stupidity?

VOLUME 25, Issue 2 Winter 2015 PAGE 8

Global What the events at the University of Missouri pinpoint I

By: Andrea Josic

n early November, black students gathered once again to protest at the University of Missouri when they saw their lives at risk because of race-based threats on social media. The racial tensions ultimately began when Payton Head, a senior at MU and the President of the Missouri Students Association, came out online about the verbal assault he experienced. Mid-September, he stated that he was followed home by a pickup truck yelling racial slurs at him. Racism continued when a white student went to a meeting on October 4th held by the Legion of Black Collegians and stood on stage to provoke the members using derogatory comments. A few days later, the MU

homecoming parade was interrupted by protests, highlighted by a dozen students standing in front of the car of Tim Wolfe, the president of Missouri University. Their frustrations were sparked by the university’s apathy and lack of action towards the events of the past few months. Student Jonathan Butler, who began a hunger strike on November 2nd, was hit by the car in Wolfe’s attempts to back out of the crowd of students in front of him. The student’s bullhorns and speeches were drowned out by other students chanting “MIZ”, and then stopped by police, leaving the protestors in tears of anger. Towards the end of October, the Concerned Student 1950, a group at MU symbolic of the year the university accepted its first black student, met with Wolfe, who seemed ignorant

to the obvious systematic racism rooted in the university, and no issues were resolved. Jonathan Butler began his hunger strike on the 2nd, vowing to not eat “until either Tim Wolfe is removed from office or my internal organs fail and my life is lost.” Over 700 students pledged their participation in the strike as well, after another meeting the following day between Wolfe and the Concerned Student 1950 once again brought no justice. It wasn’t until a few days later that the MU football team, athletes and coaches alike, decided to boycott all future games until action took place. This form of protest would have cost the university $1 million if they had to have forfeited the upcoming game. On November 9th, it was announced that Wolfe had re-

signed. At the same meeting where his resignation was announced, he apologized for his actions at the homecoming parade and acknowledged the racial divide that not only exists at the university, but in America. Butler declared the hunger strike to be over, and the football team played in their upcoming game. Tensions seemed to be lessening until threats were broadcasted via Yik Yak, a location-based app where people can post anonymously. The night of the 10th, two posts in the University of Missouri area said the following: “Some of you are alright. Don’t go to campus tomorrow.” and, “I’m going to stand my ground tomorrow and shoot every black person I see.” A white sophomore at MU, Hunter M. Park, was

charged the following day with terroristic threats for the first post, after he was tracked down by police through his phone company. In the confrontation with police, Park said he was inspired by the Oregon shootings from October 1st, his threat mirroring exactly what the Oregon shooter had posted the night before his attack on a website called 4chan. The creator of the 2nd comment was never located. Many classes were cancelled the next day, with some sending emails urging students to stay home. One professor, Dale Brigham, initially refused to cancel his exam, despite emails sent from several black students who expressed their fear of attending school. To cope with the stress of having their lives threatened, a student, Sean Adams, orga-

Photo : Getty Images

nized a safe space for black students at the Black Culture Center. In the middle of the night, the hundreds of students gathered there, stormed out into the streets of the campus with megaphones, chanting, “This is what democracy looks like.” Although no threats were followed through, these consecutive events confirmed what was already known about America– racism still exists, but in a subtler, fear-cornering system. Each day passes without further incident, and the university recently appointed Michael Middleton, a black lawyer, as the new President since Wolfe’s resignation. The Concerned Student 1950 began to regroup, and discussed further plans of action to end off the year.

Bill C-51 and the G-20 T

By: Seyma Bulut

he G-20 summit is an important event in which world leaders meet to discuss their plans for the future, including possible laws and bills. The G-20 occurs only once annually, meaning it is also the time to talk about the most important issues. The summit was originally intended to have an economic focus because of the technical recession slump the world has been going through since the beginning of 2015. Canada was hit particularly hard by the oil slump, but many other countries have it much worse. Needless to say, aside from the amusing news stories of three stray cats getting past security and breaking in, it is a seriously important event. While the G-20 was supposed to have a focus on economics, it ended up taking a different turn after the terror attacks on Paris - understandably, given the tragic and sudden event. This has led to different leaders adopting various anti-terrorism precau-

tions, our own Prime Minister included. Justin Trudeau has taken multiple steps in the "fight against terrorism", such as choosing to deploy more training troops to Iraq as opposed to bombing them from the skies. Trudeau has voted in favor of bill C-51: a bill which he may or may not find constitutional, and which was previously given a hard push with little room for debate by the Harper campaign back in the spring. Bill C-51 has created a lot of controversy as an "anti-terrorism measure." The bill exists to "encourage and facilitate information sharing between Government of Canada institutions in order to protect Canada against activities that undermine the security of Canada." According to the bill’s official summary, this would make Canada safer by improving transportation systems, buffing national security and Canadian Security Intelligence Service, and allowing police or other such authority figures to immediately arrest anyone suspected of being a terrorist or

planning an attack. However, because of the latter reasons, it’s not hard to see how some controversies could arise. This bill is very loose with its definition of ‘terrorism’ and many fear that it may include peaceful protests, personal and cultural expression, and privacy. Especially with cases of police brutality on the rise, there is uncertainty regarding what officers can legally do given the ability to arrest and detain a citizen at any time. Your privacy may be in danger if you somehow manage to fall under suspicion. Organizations like Health Canada will be able to share your personal information with the RCMP. Freedom of expression on the internet would also be limited, as anything considered "terrorist propaganda" at the discretion of the government would be censored. Many Canadian citizens are worried about their privacy and physical safety in the hands of Bill C-51. Are you, Glenforest?

Photo : Huffington Post

VOLUME VOLUME25,25,CHRONICLE Issue 2 winterPAGE Winter 2015X PAGE 9

Global LOCAL

The world in mourning Photo : IBTimes

By: Michelle Wei remember that Friday, No-

vember 13, 2015 was an uneventful day. I went to school, made obligatory Friday the thirteenth jokes with my friends, and waited for my mum to pick me up (she was five minutes late, as usual). It was a quiet night. I finished eating dinner early and holed up in my room so I could try and convince myself to pick up my math homework before giving up and deciding to do it tomorrow. I had reached the “giving up” stage of my plan and was scrolling through my Facebook and Tumblr and Instagram when the news began pouring in, “Paris: Dozens dead, 3 explosions, and 60+ hostage situation... Paris attacks: Bataclan and other assaults leave many dead... #prayforparis.” The sheer horror of it all struck me silent. “But everything was fine just an hour ago,” I thought. On November 13, Paris and its northern suburb, Saint-Denis, were hit with a series of coordinated terrorist attacks. Occurring only minutes apart, gunmen and suicide bombers struck at six different locations throughout the city. The first attack was on the Stade de France, a stadium on the northern fringe of Paris where hundreds of spectators, including President Francois Hollande, were watching France play Germany in an international football

game. At 11:20 PM, a suicide bomber set off an explosion outside the stadium, followed by a second at 11:30 PM, and then a third at 11:53 PM. At around the same time, gunmen stormed popular nightlife spots near the center of the city. On Rue Alibert, a bar, Le Carillon, was struck second at 11: 25 PM when a man with a gun entered and began shooting on sight before crossing the road and turning on the restaurant, Le Petit Cambodge. 15 people died in the attack and 15 more were severely injured. At 11:32 PM, a few streets south of Rue Alibert, 5 people were killed and another 8 injured in a shooting in front of Café Bonne Biere and La Casa Nostra pizzeria on Rue de la Fontaine au Roi. At 11:36 PM, a gun attack on La Belle Équipe, a bar on Rue de la Charonne, killed 19 and put 9 more in critical condition – the second deadliest attack of the night. At 11: 40 PM, a suicide bomber detonated explosives at the restaurant, Le Comptoir Voltaire on Boulevard Voltaire, severely injuring one person. The final and deadliest attack occurred from 11:40PM to 12:20AM at the Bataclan concert hall, where a Californian rock group was performing for a crowd of 1500 people. Three attackers, armed with suicide belts and rifles, entered the hall and began shooting at random,

killing 89 people and severely injuring at least another 99 before the police arrived. President François Hollande responded by declaring a state of emergency throughout France. He called the Paris attacks an “act of war” by the terrorist Islamic State militant group, who claimed responsibility. In memory of all those that died in the attacks, Paris turned off the lights on the iconic Eiffel Tower. But as the City of Light went dark, the

Photo : Reuters

rest of the world lit up. Famous landmarks, from New York’s World Trade Center to Toronto’s CN Tower to Sydney’s Opera House, were illuminated in France’s national colours to pay their own tributes. However, as horrific as it was, Paris was only one attack out of three that day. Friday, November 13 marks the day tragedy struck not only France, but Lebanon and Iraq as well. A pair of suicide bombings shook the Lebanese capi-

tal, Beirut, the same day as the Paris attacks. At approximately 6:00 PM, bombs were detonated in one of Beirut’s southern suburbs, inhabited mostly by Shia Muslims, killing 44 people and wounding over 200 others. Extremist militant group ISIS also claimed responsibility for the attack – the worst to hit Beirut in years. Meanwhile in Baghdad, capital of Iraq, the funeral of a member of a volunteer paramilitary force was bombed inside the Al-Ashara

al-Mubashareen mosque in the southern Amil area of the city. The attack left at least 17 people dead and 33 wounded. Now, in the catastrophic wake of such atrocities, it is a time to mourn the lives lost in this “war against terrorism”, but also to remember that terrorism bears no face, answers to no god, and practices no religion. If we forget this, then the battle is over before it can even begin.

VOLUME 25, Issue 2 Winter 2015 PAGE 10

Editorial

Speak up

Photo: Getty Images

By: Ramya Eyer

It's no secret that the recent weeks have been hard on the world. With war and terrorism plaguing the daily news and school stresses in our personal lives, we often feel a need to isolate ourselves when things take a turn for the worse, feeling that our nega-

tive day-to-day experiences are either irrelevant or a burden on those we care about. In reality, surrounding yourself with caring people during harsh times is beneficial to not only yourself, but to everyone around you. I'm sure you've heard the following phrase repeatedly from parents, guardians,

teachers, and on the off day, your neighborhood cat as you proceed to tap away on your smartphone: "Human beings are social creatures." It’s true, and there is science to prove it. It's been proven that when people are together, they produce greater amounts of endorphins, the “feel-good” chemical. Simply interacting

with people is good for you. Sharing your day-to-day life with people around you is important, and I know this from personal experience. I'm not saying you should treat your friends like therapists, but it is a good thing to do when life doesn't go your way. It allows you to connect with them on a level that would

have been unheard of otherwise. The things you share with each other can result in an interesting exchange of ideas and a greater understanding of life itself. Most importantly, you will learn that you are not alone in your struggles; that you are facing similar battles to those you know; and that you can

slay your dragons side-by-side with those you care about. You can emerge victoriously with your friends, hand in hand from the smouldering flames that have been thrown at you, and in tough times, people will be there to stand by you. Don't be afraid to share your struggles. A lot of good will come of it. Speak up.

Me, myself and I By: Lily Li

Personality. When the term is mentioned, many pictures come to mind: an old, sketchy palm-reader sitting in a murky, dim room on a rug, tarot cards laid out neatly, complete with a glossy crystal ball claiming to predict one’s future. Or, perhaps a wide spectrum of different facial expressions laid out in a collage format. Words like introversion, extroversion, optimism, and pessimism appear to fall under the giant umbrella of personality. However, the limit is not common stereotypes. It is not simply for psychologists to analyze and deduce for medical purposes. Decoding one’s personality is a journey of self-appreciation that is readily available to all individuals, and its effects can help determine a successful career path, create long-lasting social relationships, and even guide the way through self-improvement. In a nutshell, having a general knowledge of personality and its customization doubles as a useful reference and an interesting pastime. But before any of that, what exactly is personality and can it really be evaluated? Is there a “one-sizefits-all” assessment?

Carl Jung and Isabel Briggs Myers, two widely-recognized psychologists, have developed a system known respectively as the Jung Typology Test and the MBTI – where the general population is broken down into sixteen distinct types, with letters E/I (extroversion/introversion), S/N (sensing/ intuition), T/F (thinking/ feeling), J/P (judging/perceiving), followed by a variant of A/T (assertive/turbulent). Many workplaces have their possible future employees take the registered assessment before the interviewing process to have a general viewpoint of how well the individual would fit into the system, but there are slight flaws with this tactic. During the process, there always lies a possibility of dishonest scrutinization: the choice of selecting deceptive answers that do not truly correspond to one’s personality, which can be dissected into three components: the id, ego, and superego. The id dictates the naturally occurring biological genes that have been passed down from previous generations. It is set in stone and cannot be altered, playing a major role in unconscious metacognition and, often hidden, instincts. However, this particular ele-

ment does not readily determine the success level of individuals, which corresponds more accurately to the ego. To label a person as having “a large ego ”often associates the term with a negative undertone, as having too much confidence or arrogance– which is true, to a certain extent. The ego thrives on the self-assurance of praise from the outside world, essentially being a mask worn to solely please oneself. This component is often linked with narcissism, a personality disorder for the excessive admiration of one’s physical appearance. The goal is to be as appealing as possible to society by concealing certain negative factors of the id, such as selfishness or impulsiveness. The superego, as its name suggests, involves factors outside of control, ones that are developed over time, but not in the unique genetic arrangement of the mind like the id. Morals and values from influential figures such as parents and siblings, religion, and the media, all affect the outcome of this personality aspect. It focuses upon an augmented reality of what one should strive to become: an imaginary figure of perfection. It is common for the superego to blame the id for its irrational ways, and

Photo : CPP

the ego acts as the defender of the id. In general, individuals who have a healthy self-esteem cherish and recognize all three parts, and not living lopsided in terms of mentality. A common extension of the MBTI is known as the enneagram, a nine-point system each with three varying wing possibilities, making a total of 27 results. Multiply-

ing 27 with the 16 different MBTI types, results in 432 possibilities. By taking the A/T section into account, that number doubles to 864 completely unique results. Like the seasons, personality can, and will, change over time. Self-diagnosing and wearing a finite sequence of letters upon one’s head without keeping an open mind (lit-

erally) idles personal growth and discovery. After all, what is personality? It's simply the intangible part of an individual that moulds their thoughts and actions, programmed into complexity, but is nevertheless intriguing.

VOLUME VOLUME25,25,CHRONICLE Issue 2 winterPAGE Winter 2015X PAGE 11

Editorial LOCAL

Why Donald Trump is more dangerous than a joke Photo : National Report

By: Marquela Nunes

By now, I think that most people have heard of Donald Trump. Despite the fact that we live in Canada, it seems that the media doesn't seem to want to stop talking about him - from his unusual background before politics, to his inflammatory comments about Mexicans and other minorities, women, and recently, Syrian refugees. Within a short period of time, he changed from a real estate mogul to a politician, gained many supporters amongst the G.O.P and the Republican party, and, despite his detractors, has been polling higher than any other Republican candidate. Support for Trump seems to be continent-wide, as he even has supporters in countries such as Mexico and Canada. He's found supporters amongst all colours and sexual orientations. Why? Some people find

him funny. Some people genuinely agree with his ideas. For both reasons, he is extremely dangerous. To understand why, it's important to view what exactly the wide acceptance of Trump is doing to the status of American politics, even if a lot of people simply view him as a joke. The poll numbers he has been raking in are the result of real, quantifiable, living people planning to vote for him. At the very least, these people believe that Trump should get the Republican nomination; some believe that he should be President of the United States. They believe that a man, whose campaign first got notoriety from racially stereotyping Mexicans, should be the president of the Free World. They believe a man who has repetitively made disparaging remarks about his fellow Republicans, even though they are running for and are a part of the same party, should be in

charge of a powerful country. They believe that a man who has recently suggested making records to keep track of American Muslims because in his eyes they all count as suspected terrorists should be allowed to potentially become the leader of the most powerful country in the world. This is a nightmare for anyone who values the equality that America has fought so hard to achieve. Of course, the other idea of Trump - the idea that he's just a joke and that he shouldn't be taken seriously - is an issue as well. As stated earlier, Donald Trump is getting support. This means that he has the potential to become a leader in the upcoming election, and if he becomes a leader, then there's a chance that he'll be able to apply and actually do all of the “crazy” things he proposes. These things range from building a wall between America and other countries,

to deporting countless people, to going over to other countries and invading them again just to keep their oil reserves high. This could have dire consequences for the Western world, and could even affect the Eastern world. All he would need to do is have the already mostly Republican congress agree with him. Even if it does turn out that Donald Trump is really just joking about most of the things he proposes, we're left with the very real fact that people are polling for him; that there are people out there who legitimately share his racist, sexist, and plain archaic ideals. To be truthful, they have always been there, but for a long time they had been banished into the dark underbelly of politics; their beliefs were not directly catered to, instead only being acknowledged in a subversive way. With Trump's campaign, they've been directly addressed, and

the message seems to be, “It's fine to think the way you do! Sexism, racism and classism is fine! Your beliefs matter!” As a result, Donald Trump has had many incidents happen at his rallies; black people and Mexicans have literally been targeted, attacked, and stolen from by his supporters. And he has done nothing to prevent this from happening; in fact, he has even been encouraging them to do so. If people like this are given power again, and told that their radical bigotry is fine, then we might need another Civil Rights movement. Why does this matter to Canada? Well the sad fact is that these bigoted people tend to get “braver” when their beliefs are paid attention to and recognized, and a president like Donald Trump might inspire Canada's version of the G.O.P to try and run for Canadian Parliament. If this happens, then Cana-

da might be facing their own wave of radicalism. We might have minorities being targeted here too. Because, after all, if the most powerful country in the world says that bigotry is fine, then what exactly can Canada do to dissuade these people from their actions? Now, this article was not supposed to be a dig at the Republican party, or the Conservatives. Instead, this article was a call for people to start taking Donald Trump and his supporters seriously. Bigots gaining even a little ground could end up bad for the rest of us, and the world doesn't need anymore discriminatory laws, practices, places, or people. Freedom of speech is a right that I feel that everyone should have, but it's important to pay attention to its effect, and not to take people like Trump lightly. What he's saying is gaining ground with people, and this could lead to disastrous consequences.

Not so controversial topics takes this time of year very seriously, making it as enjoyable Winter has arrived! What for their customers as they better way to snuggle up and possibly can. However, some embrace the cold than with a in the U.S seem to disagree, hot, steaming cup of coffee? going so far as to say that the Or are you more of a tea per- world’s biggest coffee chain son? Whatever your favour- is “anti-Christmas”. Why you ite holiday beverage may be, may ask? Because the 2015 red Starbucks probably serves it. holiday cups don’t have any After all, the café has over 87 design on them. The cups are 000 possible drink combina- simply red. “Who cares?” is tions. And with Christmas the most popular response fast approaching, Starbucks when people discuss this sowill add even more celebra- called controversial topic. Yet tory drinks to their menu, as there has been so much buzz well as serve their beverages on social media regarding the in their annual red cup to red cups that Starbucks had mark the start of the holiday to release an official statement season. Sounds like Starbucks explaining themselves.

By: Maha Kanwal

Photo: Farah Khan

Undoubtedly, this is not the first time that something so ridiculous stole enough attention to become “controversial”. For example, in places like Boston, Georgia, Texas and Moscow, people are trying to put a ban on Harry Potter books. They argue that the beloved series promotes not only bad behavior, as the characters get themselves into troublesome situations, but also promotes the occult and witchcraft. Some have even succeeded in prohibiting the books from being read in schools, and having them excluded from the library. In some cases, people have

even been given permits to burn the books publicly. From red cups to Harry Potter books, it’s crazy how hard people fight over the most mundane and uncomplicated things when, in fact, there is an abundance of real issues that could definitely use people to help advocate and take action. Check your priorities.

VOLUME 25, Issue 2 Winter 2015 PAGE 12

Debate

Mandatory Uniform Policy Photo : Cottingham High

Why it SHOULD be implemented A

By: Ali Nisar

s the debate regarding mandatory uniforms ramps up, the importance of parent-council meetings becomes evident. Starting next year, parents can vote to make uniforms mandatory in public schools, including Glenforest, which will come into effect as long as 75% of the parents vote yes. This is an opportunity for many to take the time to reflect inwards and make a decision on whether or not uniforms are effective. Many parents agree on

the efficacy of uniforms in terms of safety. As violence and shootings increase within the boundaries of our southern neighbors, perhaps the safest decision is to mandate uniforms, so as to easily identify intruders within the school. This policy is facing extreme backlash over the fact that school uniforms force conformity and block personal freedom. It has been quite difficult during this modern age of freedom of expression to force students to wear similar clothes. However, think

about Glenforest’s own school teams where uniforms are mandatory; we manage to celebrate each player’s success and uniqueness as their own, because freedom of expression comes from your actions– not solely based on how you dress. Uniforms, in this case, actually work to heighten school spirit and show solidarity. Furthermore, mandating uniforms allows students to experience clothing expectations in today’s workforce. Many jobs require a certain dress code in the workplace; the dress code set out by the

public school system is not very effective, since students are seen violating those rules on a regular basis. Uniforms have the ability to alleviate breaches of appropriate dress, as well as peer pressure by forcing everyone to wear the same thing and effectively eliminating one cause of bullying. Schools also provide funds for families that may have trouble affording uniforms, thereby incorporating a more inclusive environment for all students. Finally, school uniforms encourage a focus on education rather than on

clothing. The latest trends are often flashy and distracting; therefore, by having students wear uniforms, their focus on work increases and time spent getting distracted decreases. Perhaps uniforms are not so far-fetched as they seem. Glenforest’s school policy already mandates that students taking a physical education course must wear Glenforest gym shirts. Additionally, many clubs buy shirts or sweaters to identify themselves as part of the school. This begs the question of whether people are

actually opposed to uniforms, or whether they are simply against the idea of being told what to wear. In this sense, making school uniforms mandatory isn’t all that big of a change, especially since they are already part of the school climate. Plus, teenagers today tend to wear more or less the same style of clothes, because without school uniforms, they do not want to be ostracised for being overly different. Therefore, wearing uniforms in no way limits freedom of expression; rather, it improves school morale.

For most students, this was an unbelievable, stunning, and upsetting report. It will not only be the biggest change yet to students’ high school life, but it will be a challenge to the denotation of a public high school experience. There are different arguments as to why students and parents are against uniforms and among them is the fact that uniforms are expensive. Although some may argue that the cost of school uniforms is financially in students’ interests, as they could potentially reduce the amount one spends on clothing outside of school, they must realize that students come from different economic backgrounds; buying a whole new set of clothes that will only be worn to school for a few years may not be what they want to spend their money on. With short-sleeved shirts costing above $25 and sweaters costing over $45, each student will be required to spend

at least $200 per year on what they would not pick as their preferred attire to most public places apart from schools. Students who go out before, during, or after school may feel out of place in their uniforms. In this situation, uniforms differentiate students of a certain school from other individuals of the community. Part of the reason for having a mandatory dress code is to help students fit in and avoid discrimination based on what they wear. However, it’s clear that this is restricted within the boundaries of the school, and will not provide students with the same benefits in the real world. The biggest reason for implementing the uniform policy is to make students "look the same" so that there is no judgment or bullying of students who may dress differently from others or dress in a style that may be deemed as less trendy. So, theoretical-

ly, students wearing uniforms will be expected to feel more confident and less different. However, this is merely a hopeful expectation and not the reality, as the uniform policy is not the solution to bullying. Kids who bully will not simply stop bullying just because everyone is now dressed up in the same way. They will find other reasons to make people feel excluded. High school is a community in itself and a small-scale replication of a bigger society. Students who don’t learn to treat others fairly and students who don’t learn to accept their differences while they are in high school, will likely be faced with similar problems when they go out into the real world. Although it may be the adults’ desire to provide kids with an environment that is controlled and fair while they have the power to do so, it may be a better choice to present kids with an atmosphere that is as

realistic and similar to the real world where there are no uniforms. Decrease in suspension rate could result in a better school image, but it does not necessarily mean that bullies have learned not to bully and that kids who don’t fit in have learned how to fit in. As mentioned, the uniforms are specifically designed to make students look and feel less different from their peers. Not appearing to be extremely different from the crowd can mean a good thing for many teenagers who feel the need to fit in, but looking very similar to others is not what teenagers want. Uniforms in high school deprive students of their freedom of choice and expression. This point, in particular, was argued by many students of Glenforest. It may be agreed that uniforms eliminate distraction from academic pursuits due to excessive attention given to one’s outfit, but there is no clear evidence that such

thinking is true. In an academic environment, students feel that their attire is one of the few ways in which they can disclose their identity and add a personal touch to their day. All in all, implementing the uniform policy will not prove to be as effective as the board hopes it will be. Rather, it will leave students feeling disappointed and less fit for the bigger society that they are about to embrace after high school. Students, parents, and staff should not be enticed to put faith in the idea that a mandatory uniform policy will enhance student life, and should carefully consider the negative effects that it will yield before making any decisions based solely on assumptions and hasty generalizations.

Why it should NOT be implemented M

By: Julie Cho

onday, November 9th, 2015 was a scandalous day for not only the students of Glenforest, but for most high school students of Peel District School Board as news that students could be obligated to wear uniforms starting September of 2016 quickly spread through the board’s Twitter page. On this day, the Peel board had decided on a policy change to make it possible for all public high schools in Peel to implement a mandatory uniform policy at the consent of at least 75 percent of parents. The decision was made after a one-year pilot project that was carried out at the Central Peel Public School proved "successful." According to statistics from the project, there was a decrease in suspension rate due to bullying, which was assumed to have a correlation with students wearing uniforms.

VOLUME VOLUME25,25,CHRONICLE Issue 2 winterPAGE Winter 2015X PAGE 13

Culture LOCAL

Around the world : Christmas traditions C

By: Rebecca Ma

ommon Christmas traditions such as exchanging presents, decorating a tree, and spending time with family and friends are carried out worldwide. However, certain countries have their own variations on the popular holiday, making Christmas unique in different places. In some countries, Christmas celebrations begin as early as November for Advent, a religious celebration that honours the coming of Jesus. Some people might also choose to fast during Advent to focus more on the preparations of Christmas. The celebration typically starts on November 15 and lasts for 40 days that are counted down with candles or an Advent calendar. The calendar varies for every country with the most common form being made of paper or card with 25 little windows starting from the 1st of December. When Advent calendars

were first made, each window featured a Christmas image or scene such as snowmen or mistletoe and chimneys but now, Advent calendars can be made using any theme, such as movies or sports, and carry chocolate or small toys in each window. European countries, such as Germany, use a different version of the Advent calendar where 24 bags or boxes containing small presents are hung on a wreath of fir. On the other hand, in Russia, Christmas often plays a small role as the New Year is considered more important. Even today, Russia’s Christmas is celebrated on January 7th, with only a few Catholics celebrating it on December 25th. The date is different because the Russian Orthodox Church uses the old Julian calendar for religious celebrations. The Russian Advent celebration is also slightly different where fasting is done until the first star appears in the sky on December 24th. Then a bowl of Kutia, a porridge made from

Photo : Sara Imam

wheat or rice then sweetened with honey or poppy seeds, is shared between a family to represent unity. Occasionally, a spoonful of Kutia is also thrown up at the ceiling and, if it sticks, it means good luck! Other countries, such

as Denmark, value the celebration of Advent more than Christmas by using many forms of Advent calendars. There are candle calendars and gift calendars where extra gifts are also given on Sundays. There is also a TV show

calendar known as a Julekalendar with 24 episodes to be aired in December. The last episode is shown on Christmas Eve. The story of the Julekalendar is always the same, where someone tries to ruin Christmas and the main char-

acters must save it. With these unique traditions, the celebration of Christmas varies throughout the world, but the joy and happiness of the special occasion will always remain the same.

South asians on screen: why representation in media matters By:015Suzany Manimaran has been a fantastic year

for racial diversity on television, with shows like How to Get Away With Murder, Jane the Virgin, Empire, and Fresh Off The Boat all premiering throughout the 2014/15 season. We have come a long way in the movement to represent minorities on screen, but we still have a great deal further to go. Many minorities, South Asians in particular, feel that they are still underrepresent-

ed in western media today. Sometimes, the issue isn’t that we aren’t represented at all, but rather that we are represented in a way that is belittling or demeaning. Some characters can actually be a step backwards rather than a step forwards. Take Raj Koothrappali from the Big Bang Theory, for example. His thick Indian accent, eccentric sense of style, and incapability of talking to women makes the audience laugh at him more often than with him. He is

essentially a compilation of every negative stereotype that a writers’ room could think of, and just a few steps above Apu, from The Simpsons. In his new show Master of None, Aziz Ansari addresses the issues faced by South Asian actors in the industry. The episode titled “Indians on TV” starts off with a montage of racist portrayals of Indians in film and television, from Apu to that guy from Indiana Jones eating jellied monkey brains to Ashton Kutcher’s

brownface for a Popchips commercial back in 2012. In retrospect, maybe that Koothrappali guy wasn’t so bad after all— at least he was portrayed by an actual Indian actor. In Master of None, Ansari’s character, Dev, is an actor who seeks minor roles as an Indian character. He outright refuses to do an accent when auditioning for the role of an unnamed cab driver, and ends up not being considered for the role. Later he talks to a friend, express-

Photo : Vox

ing his discontent with being typecast as “the cab driver, or the scientist or the IT guy.” “Look I get it,” Dev says. “There’s probably a Pradeep who runs a convenience store and I have nothing against him. But why can’t there be a Pradeep just once who’s like an architect, or designs mittens or does one of the jobs Bradley Cooper does in his movies?” He also brings up the issue of white actors in brownface and putting on an accent for stereotypically Indian roles, from movies like Short Circuit 2 and The Social Network. The root of this problem doesn’t lie with the actors who agree to play these roles. They need to make a living, and sometimes that means taking any role available to them. This issue of stereotypical depictions of Indians, and any other minority for that matter, starts in the writers’ room. When the people in charge of creating these stories and characters are not knowledgeable about racial diversity, they often won’t feel the need to flesh out their non-white characters nearly as much as they do with their white protagonists. Because of this, characters depicted by people of colour will be, at best, a poorly developed two dimensional character one would struggle to make a connection with, and at worst, a horrible racist stereotype. Case in point, look at the The Big Bang Theory. Shows like Master of None, Fresh Off The Boat,

and Black-ish all have multiple people of colour in the main cast, all with their own distinct traits and personalities that don’t rely on tired and overdone stereotypes for cheap laughs to bring in more viewers. Another thing these shows have in common are their diverse writers; people who actually know what they’re talking about when it comes to characters from a variety of backgrounds. These writers, who have dealt with racism in different ways throughout their everyday life and career, know the ramifications of poor representation in the media and make a real effort to avoid them. Lupita Nyong'o once said that she was inspired to start acting when she saw Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey in The Colour Purple. Whoopi Goldberg herself was influenced by watching Nichelle Nichols as Nyota Uhura on Star Trek when she was growing up. The way we see certain groups of people portrayed on screen can have a tremendous impact on the viewers, particularly the youth who will shape the future of entertainment industry as actors, screenwriters, and directors. For this reason, it is crucial that minorities are properly represented in the media.

VOLUME 25, Issue 2 Winter 2015 PAGE 14

Culture

Photos : Ian Failes

CGI (Computer Generated Irritation) By: Sarini Kumarasinghe

’ve always believed that Hollywood’s obsession with CG (Computer Generated) effects is pushing filmmaking in a new direction - one that I personally am not a firm supporter of. I’ve also found that expressing this opinion often leads to a backlash of rage and insult by special effects enthusiasts everywhere. Now, while I stand by my belief, I do not hate or even dislike special effects or their role in Hollywood films. Rather, I hate that their excessive use in film has forced directors to trade in their physical ideas for digital ones, and how because everything CG is fantastical, nothing is. When most people hear a complaint about CG effects, they immediately assume that it is referring to special effects seeming unrealistic or unimpressive. This is such a frequent argument that Fred-

die Wong - a common name in our generation’s film file folder - came out with a video entitled Why CG Sucks (Except It Doesn’t) that discussed how while we complain that special effects are unrealistic, we ignore the fact that most movies have digital altering, we just don’t see it when it’s done well. And though I completely agree with this argument, I find that the problem does not lie with the complaint itself, as Wong addressed, but with the fact that there is a complaint to begin with. The development of CG effects in the film industry is extraordinary, but the general public doesn’t seem to think so. Or even if they do, they are only paying mind to the major examples of visual effects, like dinosaurs (Jurassic Park), space ships (Star Wars), and entirely new planets (Avatar), and ignore the small, but significant uses of CG, like the setting sun in the background

of a romantic-comedy wedding scene. And this is not to say it isn’t understandable that most people don’t notice minor uses of CG effects (it’s unlikely that you are actively looking for them and they are made to be invisible), but the fact that people aren’t aware of how much work goes into the finer details of films – or CG in general – means that they won’t ever really be sure if what they are watching is real or computer generated. People have begun to assume that everything is CG, and even worse, they assume everything spectacular is CG. It is now rare in the film industry for a director to create elaborate sets, or plan real stunts, and why wouldn’t it be? There is less risk, less cost, and less time wasted by generating the same setting or scene on the computer. And the audience will likely believe it to be a CG effect either way, meaning that the time and labour put into

bringing that scene to life will all be lost post-premiere. Producers are unlikely to allow directors to create larger, more extravagant scenes entirely physically anymore because it is a greater risk for the same reward. The CG film industry has also been pushing towards the idea that bigger is better. In a world where audiences complain that monstrous, attack robots (Transformers) are no longer interesting enough, Hollywood is struggling to use its CG effects to create new, more appealing concepts and sets. The general public can get bored of an idea after seeing it even once, meaning that Hollywood must keep evolving its use of CG effects; as it is a fairly new innovation in film, the industry is only still learning how to do just that. The only way it can think to fulfill this request is by making everything grander, or more intense. It is a desperate – al-

beit failing –attempt to satisfy the spoiled, snooty kid that is the general public. CG effects, now that they have been introduced, are here to stay. And while that isn’t entirely a bad thing, it has forced us to make compromises to accommodate it. CG effects are everywhere in film, where you would expect them to be and where you wouldn’t. It is rare for directors to choose to film large scenes without any additional computer assistance, and even more rare for them to be given the liberty to make that choice. Producers have realized that well-executed CG effects are invisible and that scenes that are assumed to be CG and are reacting accordingly. Gone are the days where Stanley Kubrick would individually direct each extra on the set of Spartacus. We’ve made a tradeoff. We’ve given away many of our physical scene creation processes (and will continue to do

so more and more frequently in the future) in exchange for CG effects. There isn’t a need for physicality anymore. When everything can also be done on the computer with very similar end results, it can be hard to rationalize doing things by hand. We’ve turned in our love of physical creation, and taken the reins on shiny new CG effects. And we can never go back. Honestly, this still isn’t a problem. It’s just how film and the film industry are evolving to meet the wants of our modern tech-obsessed society. But as someone who fell in love with the era of film that displayed its seeds of labour through behind-the-scenes photographs and documentaries on the hard work that went into an extravagant scene’s creation, it’s hard to say goodbye.

VOLUME VOLUME25,25,CHRONICLE Issue 2 winterPAGE Winter 2015X PAGE 15

Horoscopes LOCAL

Zodiac Signs at a Party Aries

An Aries will be the hungriest and the most excited one at the party. They will either be seen munching near the snack table, or rallying up people to get a fun party game going. Truth or Dare, anyone?

Libra A Libra is very romantic; you will catch them flirting with everyone at the party. However, with their bright smiles and positive energy, a Libra will surely create a happy atmosphere where anybody can have a great time.

Taurus Tauruses have a warm and calm presence

Scorpio

Gemini Gemini are social butterflies; they will never

Sagittarius

Cancer A Cancer will bring their best friend to the

Capricorn

Leo A Leo will be the first person you notice

Aquarius

Virgo

Pisces A Pisces will sit and listen to everyone’s com-

which draws people to them. Being that, a Taurus will find a comfortable spot, maybe on the couch or on the front steps of the porch, where they sit and have a nice conversation with a small group of friends.

be in one place for too long. A Gemini will fly around the whole room, chatting up everyone they know. "Oh hey, how’s it going?"... "I haven’t seen you since, like, the 7th grade!" ... "Wow, you grew taller."

party, and being as loyal as they are, stick by their side for most of the time. Who cares about making mindless small talk with strangers when you can dance the night away with your closest buddy?

when you walk through the door. Why? They’re having the time of their lives on the dance floor, busting everything from the running man to the whip and nae nae.

If they’re not the one hosting the party, Virgos will do everything they can to make themselves feel useful. You will find them helping out in the kitchen, advising a friend about their relationship, or keeping rowdy teenagers from breaking things. Sign Symbols by RuoBing Yu and Icons-L

A Scorpio will sit in the corner with their water bottle, tapping their foot to the beat of the music. They will only get up to dance if it’s their absolute favourite song. Small talk is also not their forte; they prefer to have a nice one-on-one conversation.

Sagittarii are the loudest people at the party, attracting all the attention as they recall either an adventurous or absolutely hilarious story. You know a Sagittarius has entered the party when laughter echoes around the room.

A Capricorn will be the most paranoid at the party, constantly turning down the music for fear of cops showing up, but that won’t stop them from having fun with their friends. A Capricorn will also leave the party early; they actually like sleeping and waking up without a headache.

Aquarii are known to be original and creative, so you will find them playing DJ. They will spend the entire night mixing music, picking through records, and dancing as they play some great songs for everyone to groove along to.

plaints about life, giving the best possible advice. But towards the end of the night, you’ll see them raging on the dance floor with their friends and eating to their heart’s content.

Comics By Christa Hu

By Tony Liu

By Sarini Kumarasinghe

By Kate Sanchez

By Jeffrey Xu

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VOLUME 25, Issue 2 Winter 2015 PAGE 16

For the students, by the students.