Volume 27, Issue 4 (Spring 2009)

Survey results! page 5

Swine Flu spreads to page 4!

SPRING

2009

Swine Flu: Interview with a health expert

photo by Daniel Jacobs

Caretaker Mike Silz demonstrates with a smile the plan of attack against the Swine Flu virus. Caretakers were not directly involved in the enhanced cleaning process, which was outsourced to a special team.

ALEX MCKENZIE People have been saying that we need a set amount of cases before the school is shut down.

Is there any truth to this?

Some students will be disappointed, but the rumor that the school will automatically be shut down after a certain number of cases of flu is not true. There was initially a similar policy implemented in the US but the CDC changed their policy.

A big deal has been made

Awards

5 6-7

Muse

8 - 10

Editorial Opinion

What Recession?

2-4

Toronto News

11 12 - 13, 19 - 21

Sports

14 - 15, 24

Scandal

16

Feature

17 - 18

JHR Humour

This virus is evolved to be a much better match for humans than bird flu. When infections adapt to match new hosts (in this case we are the hosts) they generally change in two typical ways - the infection becomes able to spread more easily from one person to another and at the same time become milder because it is not a survival advantage to kill a host too quickly. The novel H1N1 virus is different from Avian Influenza in the same way - it spreads more easily in humans

body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting as well.

How serious is Swine Flu? For most healthy high school kids, this H1N1 virus would give them symptoms like a cold or, if they are unlucky, a more severe infection with a fever chills, aching muscles - the flu! For young children, and people with medical conditions such as problems with immunity or breathing, or diabetes, the infection can be more serious. That doesn’t sound too bad. So comparative to SARS, is Swine Flu an issue?

This is nothing like SARS. SARS was a new virus and we knew nothing about how it spread or how to control it. We know a lot about influenza already - we have treatments and we know how to make a vaccine.

Is there a cure?

There is an effective treatment for the virus, and the public health authorities including the World Health Organization are working intensively with the pharmaceutical industry to develop a vaccine as soon as possible.

How long does it normally take to produce an effective vaccine?

It normally takes around 6 months to formulate an effective vaccine. Distribution and production may take longer.

So really there’s no reason to panic, only take basic hygiene into consideration?

Yes.

Recession?

CONTENTS NT News

about the danger of Swine Flu. How infectious is Swine Flu? This virus is a mixture of different strains and is more accurately called a novel H1N1 influenza a virus. The novel H1N1 flu is around as infectious as normal flu, which means that the chances of catching it are reduced if people are sensible and follow the standard advice for flu.

There was some contention over Bird Flu early last year, is there any similarity between Swine Flu and Bird Flu?

and it causes milder infections.

If the virus started in swine, hoe did the virus make the transition from pigs to humans?

We may never know exactly what happened in this event, but we know that pigs can catch flu from humans and vice versa because it has happened before.

Swine flu has been an issue before and we’ve survived it!

Is there any point to killing livestock (like they have been in Egypt)?

None at all.

Will eating meat (specifically pig) increase the chance of infection?

No. Most people don’t eat raw meat, and the cooking removes any chance of infection. You’re much more likely to catch the infection from a friend. But at this point it’s just a mild cold, so nothing to be overtly concerned about.

Considering the infection is in North Toronto, how can someone prevent themselves from getting infected?

Everyone should wash their hands regularly, use alcohol hand rub. We should all stay at home if we become ill, and cover our face or sneeze into your sleeve to stop spreading infections (“coughs and sneezes spread diseases”) What are common symptoms? (What should we look out for?)

The symptoms seem to be similar to regular human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat,

23 25 - 26

Review

27

The Last Word

28

Economic troubles pass North Toronto by.

DANIEL JACOBS “Worried? Should I be?” says Angie Tong, a Grade 12 student.

“I don’t think about the economy much.” This seems to sum up the attitude of North Toronto towards economic downturn: blissful ignorance. But is North Toronto truly immune, or are we just unaware of the plunge before us?

“I’m worried that the cost of tuition is going to go up,” says Vova Golubin, also Grade 12, speaking about financing his university career. “It’s annoying to see how the fee rises every year.” Not only is the cost of university continually increasing, but it’s getting harder to find ways to pay for it. Several NT students this year applied for the Millennium Scholarship, an award facilitated by the Government of Canada that provides up to $25 000 towards university continued on page 24

The end of an era:

Three NT legends retire with a century of teaching between them: Ms. Chivilo, Mr. Russell, and Mrs. Whelan ELIZABETH JOHNSTON It isn’t often a class is so interesting that it makes you forget the time, but that is Canadian History with Mrs. Whelan. After inspiring and enriching the lives of NT students for 25 years she has decided to retire.

Mrs. Whelan has built up an admirable reputation – teaching most recently Anthropology/Sociology/Psychology to Grade 11s and Canadian History to Grade 10s and 12s. Grade 12 Madeleine Cummings explains: “I could

say I was lucky enough to have her for three straight years, but luck had little to do with it. I consciously chose courses that I knew she would teach, and many of my friends did the same. If Mrs. Whelan taught calculus, I’d sign up, and only because I’d trust that she could teach anything well.”

On top of classes, she has added the “Whelan charm” to countless activities. She’s coached multiple sports teams and acted as staff advisor for the GAA. One project of hers that I had the opportunity to be a part of is the renowned Re-

membrance Day Assembly. This important assembly has garnered much respect not only among the North Toronto community, but also among the N.T veterans themselves who return year after year.

Mrs. Whelan is also a co-chair of the Alumni committee and thus able to be part of the design team for the new school. She has contributed to plans for the heritage room to make sure that “some of the old fits in with the new”.

Throughout her school teaching continued on page 2

NT News NT Students Revolt!

SUZY NEVINS

While most of the graduating North Toronto student body loves the yearbook, anticipating its arrival and posing happily for photos year-round, they may be taking for granted the agonizing hours spent by its staff. After years of publishing, awards, and positive feedback, you’d think the yearbook committee would feel more appreciated. Sadly, with the recent controversy surrounding the replacement of the baby photos in the grad section, members of the class are feeling ready to revolt.

In order to spice up the book, a couple of design innovations were implemented; one of which students are already familiar with: the green screen photos. Having reached an internal consensus, the yearbook team decided it would be an exciting way to give each grad some personality come Pentagon Day in June versus having only the stale, professional ones.

The team purchased all the lamps, screens and extension cords, and after further organization and preparation, they called down each graduating home form class for their first ever green screen photos.

Most students greatly enjoyed the experience. Molly Prendergast said “I loved the green screen.

The photos show who you actually were in high school.” Many more students agreed they were curious to see how it would be used in the book, and were content with the creativity they would be able to contribute to the book.

As yearbook staff, one of the biggest priorities is secrecy, so it’s understandable the students may have been apprehensive, given the little information they were allowed.

Fortunately for the staff taking the photos, cooperation was absolute, and the operation ran smoothly every day of the photography. It was because of this that when a petition began to circulate to keep the baby photos, the yearbook staff was stunned at the amount of argument. “We thought it would be a cool idea!” says Kristina Suchanek, editor of the Arts & Literature section.

Having done so much preparation to provide fellow students with a great new opportunity, it was hard to accept the negativity from

some of the students.

At the prospect of losing the baby photos, several students’ first reaction was outrage. Of course everyone’s mum wants to see their son or daughter at the peak of their cuteness alongside their acne and glasses. But when asked if students would miss the photos, Christian Denbigh said, “No one really cares about baby pictures. I don’t even look at them.”

The consensus of the yearbook class reflected this opinion: it’s more fun to see your friends from when you actually knew them, rather than some androgynous little photo next to their name.

It’s the staff’s last shot to involve everyone with the creation of the book, a duty they try very hard to fulfill, whether it be with candids or blurbs. It was this dedication met with hostility that was dumbfounding to the hardworking students in charge of the yearbook.

The fear of change when it comes to the annual publication of nostalgia is hard to argue with.

A couple graduating students even started up a petition to keep the photos, sending around a clipboard and harassing graduating students at lunchtime; they were adamant about the staple baby photos being kept. Little did they know the yearbook staff had already made the design template and taken all of the green screen photos; never mind the enthusiasm they felt for their new idea.

Maggie Brennand, future editor of the yearbook, says “Students don’t really have a concept of the software, deadlines or how much work goes into the book.”

It was frustrating, she elaborates, saying she is confident in the new design, and that, if students don’t jump to conclusions, they may be pleasantly surprised come yearbook distribution.

So as students continue to reel with hatred for the yearbook committee, let’s not forget what it’s like to not be in on a secret; it can be frustrating and even isolating.

While trying to satisfy the majority of the school, there are always going to be people who disagree with decisions made. The best anyone can do is their best and hope somebody out there likes it.

At the end of the day, says Maggie, “I want us to be proud no matter what.”

Retirement Spotlight: Ms. Chivilo her first art colleagues at the school.

“They w e r e g r e a t m e n tors for me and my students,” she says.

S i n c e photo by Paniz Moayeri then, Ms. ANGIE TONG Chivilo herself has inspired many Ms. Chivilo, who has been teacha student and was the head of ing visual arts at North Toronto NT’s Art Department at four diffor twenty-nine years, has decidferent times in her career. “I had ed to retire. After graduating with the privilege of teaching what an Honours Specialist Degree in I enjoy most - art,” she says.

Arts, she worked for several difMs.Chivilo believes that the arts ferent school boards before comare essential for the well-rounded ing to North Toronto. Reflecting development of students. back on her early days at NT, “I am very lucky to have Ms. Chivilo recalls Susan Brown, worked with my colleagues at Maggie Bates, and Liz Martin,

NT. Whatever I have learned from them, I hope my transferring of my experiences and skills have been beneficial to my students to take on new challenges and better themselves.” From Hatshepsut to chiaroscuro, sfumato to Serious Business, Ms. Chivilo set high expectations, offered honest criticism and, in turn, compelled us to approach art in ways we had never thought possible. When asked about the new school, Ms Chivilo says, “What I wish will never change is the spirit of Red and Grey. I know it will continue in my heart forever.” She hopes to travel to Europe and spend time with family before coming back to Toronto for part-time supply teaching. “After working for so many years, I’m looking forward to retiring, moving on to new experiences.” Her farewell words: “You are my future. You are NT. My sincere best wishes to all.” Best wishes to you too, Ms. Chivilo!

Mr. Danny Russell – The Legend MARC DOWD A new North Toronto is on the way, but a piece of the old one which has been lingering around for nearly four decades will not be a part of it. Mr. Russell is calling it a career after 38 years at NT. Mr. Russell was hired in 1971 as a physical education and geography teacher, and to this day teaches those courses.

But to most people, he will not be remembered as a teacher, but as a coach. In his first year, he coached junior basketball and was the defensive coach for football. From that point on, his main focus was on the sports teams at NT. Over the years he coached many different teams, football and basketball being his staples.

He’s most proud of having “won at least one championship in four different decades!”

Mr. Russell has strong principles, but they have changed over the years. During his first years as a younger coach, it was all about winning. However, as he gained more experience, he learned it’s more about “process” than winning. “You have to drill the plays into your head, so that when you are on the field, you don’t need to think about what you’re doing,

“Mrs Whelan retires” continued from cover

years she has had the chance to be a part of an “incredible staff, with colleagues that have become family and students that have become [her] third and fourth daughters.”

She will sincerely miss the enthusiasm for the community of N.T and the respect and comfort for who we are.

Twenty five years of teaching at one school is a long time, but Mrs. Whelan insists that “every year is special” and each of her classes is captivating. “Her lessons are complex but comprehensive, well thought-out and fascinating, and

of the year, and Ryan Hines, who played basketball and football.

He claims that in all his years of teaching, there was “never a day when I was pissed off.” He is thankful that the students of NT have been so kind to him, and he’s never had to deal with any major problems.

Mr. Russell has made many close friends over the years at NT, including a 30 year relationship with Mr. Smith. “We’ve photo by Paniz Moayeri had our ups and downs, but we’re you just do it.” still great friends.”

One thing he always found During retirement, he intends to interesting when coaching was reconnect with old friends, catch watching kids change internally up on some reading, listen to his over the years, and their dedica- limitless number of music retion to the sports they played. His cords, and hopefully supply teach two most memorable individual at NT. athletes were David Sapunjis, a “This is goodbye,” he told me, three-time CFL Canadian player “but not the end.” rarely do they have to be supplemented with textbook work or reading,” Cummings says. “But most of all, students love having Mrs. Whelan because she is passionate about what she teaches – particularly history.”

If you’ve had Mrs. Whelan, you’ve been asked a “probing question”. You know… a question that really makes you think about the answer, and makes you want to answer? Mrs. Whelan will miss asking these questions. But “It’s time [to retire],” she says, and what a legacy she will leave behind.

Mrs. Whelan will be travelling, getting her certificate in geneal-

ogy from U of T, and spending time with friends and family. Her hope is that all the traditions and respect for the North Toronto livelihood will continue in the new school, as she fears some stories may be lost in the transfer. Rest assured North Toronto will never have another Mrs. Whelan; from her lessons to her gold tipped aviators, she is simply one cool lady. We will deeply miss everything Mrs. Whelan has done for North Toronto, and I would like to thank her and extend our greatest appreciation and warm wishes for a happy retirement.

NT News Mrs. Whelan returns from teaching history in Japan

MADELEINE CUMMINGS In the Summer 08 issue of Graffiti, Mrs. Whelan published an article about participating in a Peace & Reconciliation study tour of China and Korea. The topic of study was the Japanese invasion of China and Korea during World War II. The summer trip was an eye-opening experience, and one that created another amazing opportunity for Mrs. Whelan – the chance to travel to Japan to teach other educators about this particular branch of Asian history.

Mrs. Whelan flew to Japan on April 19th and returned on April 28th. In Kobe, Hiroshima, and Tokyo, with many of the same people from her summer study tour, Mrs. Whelan participated in a conference called the Human Rights Education Forum (taking place in Kobe), but she also toured the memorial museum

and peace park of Hiroshima, and visited Japanese schools. She worked with high school teachers and university professors and helped lead discussions and talk sessions with other educators.

The organization that led her study group and invited her to teach in Japan this April is Canada ALPHA – the Canada Association for Learning & Preserving the History of WWII in Asia. The organization aims to make the Japanese government acknowledge and compensate for its wartime actions and crimes, as well as ensure that history textbooks do include the events and stories that surround the Japanese attacks in WWII. Ultimately, it is hoped that by learning from the past, the future can be peaceful. Mrs. Whelan has much respect for APLHA, saying, “I admire a group that’s got its priorities straight.”

Mrs. Whelan explained that foreigners don’t often enter schools in Japan, but each time she and the group did visit a school, they were welcomed with the utmost grace and kindness. Young children sang to the visitors (imagine

Visiting a Japanese elementary school and lunching with a Grade 2 class

a spirited “If You’re Happy and You Know It, Clap Your Hands” in Japanese!) and students were very attentive. Mrs. Whelan could also attest that Japanese students take extremely good care of their schools, and she often saw students at lunch sweeping the floors or washing dishes.

Many questions arise from this period of Asian history.

Mrs. Whelan asks, “Why has the Japanese government refused to apologize or offer compensation to victims?” Survivors and his-

tory students continue to ask this question. Another question that pertains to Canadian students and educators is why do events such as the Nanking Massacre go unlearned or untaught in Canadian schools? Mrs. Whelan says, “Our history is Eurocentric.” Events are presented to history students from a European point of view, and so it is no surprise that students know very little when it comes to Asian history.

Grade 12 Canadian History student Dana Lowi-Merri learned

of the Nanking Massacre for the first time in Mrs. Whelan’s class this year, and says that “one unfortunate aspect that comes with studying history is the fact that our understanding of it will always be incomplete.” She also said, “even if we have the illusion that we ‘know’ about WWII by Grade 12, there is clearly a lot we still need to learn.”

So what are the next steps? ALPHA plans on bringing survivors and educators here to Canada as well as preparing for 2010’s Human Rights Education Forum conference. Mrs. Whelan will be helping to write curriculum that can be used by many different courses, and she’ll be focusing also on creating a specific chapter on Hiroshima.

For NT students looking to learn more about the WWII Japanese invasion of China and Korea, Mrs. Whelan suggests starting with Iris Chang’s book, The Rape of Nanking, which is available in the NT library. ALPHA’s website, http://www.alpha-canada.org, provides also provides a long list of relevant links and resources.

You’re playing hide and seek in North Toronto. Where would YOU hide?

“The yearbook room, because only I have the key!”

“The greenhouse.”

-Mitchell Fort

-Clara Puton

“In the gym storage room across from the weight room - the one with mattresses.”

“The math office.

No one gets in there.”

-Michelle Gordon

- Yas Hariri

“Up the stairway to nowhere, probably.”

-Amila Samarakoon

“One of those random closets in the basement.”

-Johnny Zhang

NT News Langic?

Welcome to math camp JOSEPH YANG Can a donut, a coffee cup, and a human be equal? Believe it or not, they have indeed been proven equal by thousands of mathematicians over the world. How? Because there is a hole in each of them. From Friday, April 17th to Sunday April 19th, four students in Grade 9--Emily Dyer, Chloe Li, Joseph Yang, and Chengbin Zheng--along with Mr. Yeung, had the opportunity to explore a special branch of math known as Topology at the Sheldon Outdoor Centre.

Out of hundreds of TDSB schools, nine were chosen for this event--NTCI being one of them, thanks to Mr. Peddle. Over three days, students were introduced to Topology, and attempted to “solve” some of the most nervewracking math problems invented by mathematicians over the last decades, while also participating in recreational games such as Capture the flag, Soccer, and Ultimate Frisbee. We enjoyed math-related games during our free time, including such wellknown games as Connect-4, SET, and Jenga.

On our first day, the camp coordinator told us this: “The answer is not important, questioning the answer is.” A lot of people, including the teachers, were surprised. Isn’t math about finding the one and only right solution?

Why would the camp co-ordina-

tor tell us to question the answer itself? However, as the days passed, the meaning of this statement became clear.

Math Camp was quite like a normal camp: wake up at seven, have breakfast, and so on. The main difference was that almost every activity was related to math.

For example, we had to build a 2D figure of a knot using the smallest number of sticks, and take a T-Shirt off a dummy without ripping it or removing its jacket first. Many people, especially me, found these activities very frustrating because, firstly, they seemed impossible and, secondly, because we weren’t sure how the heck they were related to math. I still don’t see the connection.

But one activity that made sense to me was the famous Mobius strip activity. A Mobius strip is a length of paper joined at the ends with a twist. Two interesting facts about this strip are that it not only has one face and one vertex, when it is cut horizontally through the middle, the result is one strip that is double the length of the original. Surprisingly, this concept is used in conveyer belts, a part of our lives that we don’t think about.

You might think that math camp is very boring and that anyone who goes there must have no life, but you are absolutely wrong. It was far from boring.

We had some very memorable and amazing experiences. On our first night, we went on a hike through the dark with no flash lights. Through thick woods, branches, ice, mud, and puddles,

H1N1 Means Nothing to Sri Lankans DUSTIN DUBIEL Friday, May 8th: I’m sitting in Calculus when a nervous sounding Principal Gorenkoff begins his address. H1N1 has hit our school. Luckily my class takes it lightly, with no panic whatsoever.

Outside my class, you could feel the fear, tension, and panic in everyone’s eyes. On my way up the stairs, I notice news trucks outside. I see a good friend of mine wearing a white hospital mask, identical to the masks seen during the SARS pandemic. Later that night, at Maytime, there is hand sanitizer everywhere.

On Saturday, I see a giant protest, and have no idea what it is for. I’ve been involved in protests before (mostly against war), and this one looked very similar. As I got closer, I didn’t see the same fear from my school mates or in previous war protests. This was different. Before I even knew what they were fighting for, I could see their pain as well as their determination. I heard chants like “Stop the Genocide” and “Free the Tamils”. I then knew they were referring to the current ongoing conflict in Sri Lanka.

Despite being too young at the time to remember what happened, we have all heard of the

Rwandan Genocide that occurred in the 90’s. The situation involved the suppressed Hutu people taking power through violence from the Tutsi minority. A very similar situation arose in Sri Lanka.

It is the massacre of the Tamil minority brought on by religious conflict. The Tamil people are reaching out to the world, asking for help. We cower in the face of the flu when we need to be doing something. H1N1 is a problem, but there are far more severe issues in the world. The fact of the matter is that we can help to stop the Genocide. I have read that boycotting Sri Lankan products will help cut the funding towards weapons in Sri Lanka, making us one step closer to stopping the conflict. I’m trying to spread the word; help me.

On May 10th alone, an additional 378 people died in Sri Lanka, and many more since then. Protesters blocked off the Gardiner Expressway in order to speak to a Canadian official. They want a Canadian diplomat to put pressure on the rest of the world.

I leave this information with you, as a reader, to do what you please.

Stay informed, and do your best to help in any way you can.

we climbed up to the highest hill in the area, where we lay down and admired the dark night sky with dazzling stars above us-- a rare sight in Toronto.

Little by little, the time of departure neared, and soon it was almost time to go. Through this experience, we gained new insights into math, and perhaps the realization that math is more interesting than we once thought. “It was a fun experience where we were able to gain a new perspective of math. We saw how math could be adapted into our own lives,” said Mr. Yeung. In addition, we met a lot of new friends and teachers from different parts of the TDSB, and learned from them.

On our last day at the camp, we listened to a farewell speech from the coordinator. One point I remember from this speech is the idea that students dislike math because there is only one answer, and prefer English, where they can express ideas that are completely different from their peers’ and still be right as long as it’s relevant. Similarly, math is not merely logic, and there might be more than one answer to a simple question, as in the language. For example, if you were to construct a 2-D object of a knot diagram, there are many ways of making the shape in regards to the number of sticks used. So, by combining language and logic, we arrive at a new word-- langic.

We use langic to question the answer and strive for a deeper understanding of how it can be applied in real-life situations. Then that math becomes magic.

Why now?

NT’s attempts to be eco-friendly

DANA LOWI-MERRI In light of NT attempting to become a more eco-friendly school I ask, why now? People were conscious about the issues for decades. The answer is, if not now, when? In the new building, we will have the facilities available to create an environmentally-conscious school. However, we need to begin now to develop the habits necessary to fully take advantage of this resource. This is where NEAT (North Toronto Environmental Action Team) plays a critical role in the NT community.

Planning events like the Walk To School initiative on Earth Day and Litterless Thursday, among others, NEAT is slowly but surely spreading environmental awareness throughout the NT student body. That being said, much more can be done.

In their debrief on Tuesday May 5th, NEAT spoke about the necessity of spreading awareness, of being more proactive in publicizing their initiatives to mobilize

NT students into action. One task proposed for next year is to design a poster - other than the one provided for by the TDSB - that is a clear, attention-grabbing, visual way to get people to recycle. Another idea was to design wall paper for the school computers with a message reminding students to shut down their monitors.

Exec member Chris Blackford says, “You have to get on people’s backs, make it easier for them to act… We are not a Green School yet.” Mr. Gorenkoff asks, “Is it that people don’t know, or is it apathy? It is not about the lack of knowledge but about changing attitudes”. Must a catastrophe strike before we wake up in the morning and say “we have to do something, NOW”?

It’s all about taking baby steps.

And with NT students individually taking responsibility for their own actions, we will slowly encourage positive choices on a larger scale.

A Flu by Any Other Name precautions are normally good. In general, it is better to take the safe route. But where does the line lie between the safe route and just HANNAH plain insanity? A couple weeks TARDER-STOLL ago, I was sick with a fever and Two words. Two words can say a cough. I called my doctor’s ofa lot. These particular two words fice for suggestions to get rid of have the power to send the entire my cough. Instead, I was told by school into a fit of chaos and dis- a nurse to go to emergency as a tress. These particular two words precaution because of the “swine have been used far too much in flu pandemic.”

Just to put the swine flu in the past couple of weeks. What perspective: the regular seasonal are these two words? Swine flu. flu kills between 250 000 and 500 We are all well 000 worldwide anaware of the Swine flu. It has been “There really is nually. As of May according to the pounded into our no need to get 10, World Health Orgaheads by the media. hysterical.” nization, the swine News reports have flu has killed 49. warned of the 45 As we all know, a case of deaths confirmed in Mexico, of the rapidly spreading virus that Swine flu was confirmed among could hit Canada full force at any one of our students here at North Toronto. However, as Mr. Goregiven time.

Now, this exaggeration by nkoff said, school will be “busithe media is understandable. The ness as usual”. There really is Spanish flu pandemic in 1918 re- no need to get hysterical. This is sulted in 50 million deaths; the why I was shocked by the end of news overreacted as a safety pre- the day on Friday May 8 to see caution. But what about Swine students walking around wearing flu? As of May 10, only one death masks, afraid to touch anything has been confirmed in Canada. I or come in contact with anyone. I think we can all agree that that is heard students talking of the three quite a step down from 50 mil- S’s: school, summatives, and swine flu. lion.

“Honestly, it’s gotten a little You might ask, is it not better to be safe than sorry? It is true, bit out of hand,” says Grade 11

student Lindsay Cho. “People are using Purell and other hand sanitizers...”

It is probably better to get Swine Flu now. It is important to build up an immunity to the disease before it mutates and does become something as big as the SARS epidemic.

“I go to co-op at Mt. Sinai Hospital, and everything is exactly the same with barely any extra precautions that people need to take... other than the fact that you now have to report to occupational health and safety if you’re sick, which you had to before anyways,” explains Lindsay.

NT students need to know that there’s a difference between taking precautions and going overboard. No, you don’t need a mask, but it would probably be wise to wash your hands frequently. There’s an added bonus to this pandemic; apparently the school is actually going to stock the washrooms with soap and paper towels.

So, the next time you hear the words Swine flu do not start hyperventilating or spreading pandemonium. Just remember that those two words do not mean the end of the world. Extra precautions are good, but it is important to make sure this case of the flu is not blown out of proportion.

Toronto Issues of social housing ignored by Mayor Miller BRIAN LYN Toronto is home to over one thousand social housing high-rise apartments. They form a sort of concrete jungle; the most dense of which can be found at Jane and Finch. In northwestern Toronto it is impossible to walk three blocks without passing by one of the grey mistakes of 1950s urban planning. A little known aspect of Mayor David Miller’s plan to build a better Toronto, the Tower Renewal Project, is well underway. It attempts to address Toronto’s social housing issue with an environmental solution. Unfortunately, his plan disregards the actual problems that exist within the current social housing system.

Equally as unfortunate is that nobody has seemed to notice.

Geographers have known of the actual problems associated with the way Toronto and many other city’s social housing systems have been built for quite some time.

The buildings are isolated from many of the socio economic features of Toronto that people living closer to the city core take for granted. To travel from Jane and Finch to Yonge and Eglinton, a combination of a long bus ride and a longer subway ride must be taken. A 45-minute drive is also an available option, but this is often not a viable option for people living in social housing. This can lead to something far worse then the obvious consequence of a long

trip to work: a sedentary lifestyle.

There’s a reason that 60% of the Toronto drug trade and 80% of the city’s murders occur in that area; the people living there have nowhere else to go and nothing else to do.

Of course this doesn’t directly lead to murders and drug abuse, but the concentration of the buildings in the area can push the isolation effect past boredom and economic depression and into violence and drugs. When poverty is concentrated, its effects multiply. Less food, less education, less chances at future success can all lead to more violence and more drugs. More immediate results of this effect are also evident in areas with concentrated social housing.

Literacy test scores of schools attended by youth who live in Toronto’s social housing are abysmal. An extreme example of this can be seen by viewing the scores of Sir Oliver Mowat and Sir Robert L Borden High Schools. At Robert L Borden, a school attended by those who live in social housing, only 18% of students pass the literacy test. At Sir Oliver Mowat, a school attended by students who live in a wealthy neighborhood, 91% of students pass the test. The provincial pass rate of the test is 84%.

Only five kilometers of land separates these schools, but the obvious disparity in the academic

quality of the schools is evidence of a much greater social distance separating the two institutions.

North Toronto, a school that posts some of the highest literacy test scores in the city, is also located in an area of concentrated social housing units. The school is different, however, in that its students come from a variety of backgrounds.

This leads to the only real solution for social housing in Toronto.

It must become uniform with the city’s commercial housing, and be spread evenly through the city.

This would diminish both the concentration and isolation effects. Miller’s Tower Renewal Plan goes in a far different direction.

His current plan calls for ‘green’ towers to replace the current ones.

This plan will see buildings retrofitted with energy saving metal cladding and green roofs, but all this will really do is turn the concrete jungle into a metal one with a prettier canopy. The issues and problems scattered throughout the floor of this system have been left unnoticed by Miller’s plan. It should be noted that the implementation of Transit City will do much to lessen the isolation effect on social housing tenants, but in Mayor Miller’s Tower Renewal Project, there is nothing that addresses the concentration of poverty throughout the city.

It is with these means that the

Graffiti polled nearly 400 readers. With the following results in mind we accepted more humourous articles for this issue and gave Kaveh his own section.

photo by Arta Ghanbari

mayor hopes to strengthen some of Toronto’s most dire communities. Unfortunately for Toronto, the end that the mayor seeks is far beyond the reach of a few sheets

of metal and a couple of green roofs. It is as if Mr. Miller forgot to hire the geographers that would be needed to fix one of the city’s largest geographic issues; and the city will suffer for it.

Graffiti needs more ______ articles.

What type of writing would you like to see more of in Graffiti?

Graffiti accurately represents the NT community.

Overall, what would you rate the quality of writing in Graffiti?

Kaveh should have his own section.

How much of Graffiti do you read?

See page 26!

NT News - Extracurricular Awards

Commencement Award Nominees Sakhawalkar-Bhatt

Chris Blackford

James Bok

Nathan Cohen

Yasmin Hariri

Lyndon Kirkley

Alexandra Mcrobert

Kerr Award for Young Women

Madeleine Cummings

Tracey Lung

Lori Nemoy

Lauren Roberts

Paula Sanderson

Sifton Award for Young Men

Daniel Jacobs

Bjorn Nordin

Theo Ortega

R.R.H. Page Valedictory Prize

Madeleine Cummings

Daniel Jacobs

Lori Nemoy

Bjorn Nordin

Paula Sanderson

NT News - Extracurricular Awards

Athletic Award Nominees Female Rookie of the Year

Kimberley Chau

Olivia Cummings

Elayne Mayer

Samantha Pui

Phyllis Ung

Male Rookie of the Year

Jack Cohen

Nicolas Giancola

Jack Hull

Female Athlete of the Year

Madeleine Cummings

Arielle Dubisette

Michelle Mayer

Male Athlete of the Year

Cole Crawford

Geoff Handley

Hannah Walsh

David Lewis

Talvi Parming

Sotiri Varlokostas

talvi parming

angie tong

tea pajkic

arta ghanbari

allison soong

talvi parming

mitchell fort

The Damnation of Adam Spitz Its about to pour buckets of insomnia ruthlessly addicting all potential customers I saw you picking oranges Through the revolving doors at the supermarket trying to choose the right one for the salad standing by the meat aisle bursting with life and pork chops I dreamed of a stroll down deliciousness lane with the sticky eyelids of childhood see your hair freeze to our bodies stowed in the ice-cream fridge or rolling among cans of produce then peel back your orange fresh against my skin restore its peelings to the shell of its now empty sphere feel its pimples and blemishes that the health inspector won’t miss next time and see my face in a miracle of store window reflections Phone calls cost 50 cents these days Exit the booth and go our ways It’s gonna come down, I see homeless evening scurries into the gutter of night nights like these so many nights ago when you’d sneak into the house quietly and slither through the darkness like a gasoline trail in those movies and stumble into the bed saying you kinda wrecked my car don’t call the FIREman, his sleep is dreamless

talvi parming pounded through the nightclubs its whispered roar drowning the house music beatboxed through the minds of world-weary teenagers crowded around a mutilated street grate torn open like my own ribcage into which stormcurrents drain Is that my face I see in a puddle of sewer water?

Can I piece it together like a cracked mirror or a soggy jigsaw that’s been out in the rain?

Do I see it through the window of a passing train staring back at me from times past or yet to come?

Phone calls cost 50 cents these days Exit the booth and mend your ways But I’m not here to write a villanelle about tea-time and parking space, bed-space for sin and time to breathe deeply

joyriding the night of no tomorrow towards the horizon of lost souls beside the little Mexican shops selling tacos on a street corner under the light of greasy streetlamps among the odor of propane and fishbones muslims jews italians christians shop loaners and lone shoppers prostitutes waiting at the street corner out of business selling paradise to our disillusioned age 50 bucks extra to say my name someone’s brains splattered on the sidewalk to be licked up by stray cats while an old lady knits on a porch disoriented is the needle stringing together a tattered tapestry of soul I see someone slip by the TTC booth to have his last free subway ride and write his last poem on the exhaust pipe of an outofservice bus I hear a monotonous rhythm

listen carefully and you can hear my death rattle over the radiostatic Oh, that better not be someone I know stalking off the steps of the streetcar wearing high heels and a slanted sombrero eyes I’ve seen in dreams and a crescent smile outshining the grimy flashlights of last night’s uneventful canoe trip she won’t speak to me through the dust of five thousand airborne generations of straw-stuffed humanity staring with an attempted smile and I run along a circle of ring-finger pork butcher pimp life until I catch the breath that was meant to be mine and turned out to be my last.

dennis dobrovolsky

tea pajkic

GRAFFITI North Toronto Collegiate Institute 70 Roehampton Avenue Toronto, Ontario M4P 1R2 Tel: 416 393 9180 Fax: 416 393 9195 Email: ntcigraffiti@gmail.com Circulation: 2000

The Graffiti Board Editors-in-Chief Madeleine Cummings Daniel Jacobs Senior Editors Nicola Gailits Tina Hui Angela Kim Alex McRobert Hannah Tarder-Stoll Muse Editors Dennis Dobrovolsky Emily Lu Graphics Editors Monica Cheng Tracey Lung Photography Editors Paniz Moayeri Suzy Nevins Student Advisors Vince Malik Alex Mckenzie Will Rutledge

11

Editorial Laughs from the past:

A walk through the Graffiti Archives On the third floor there is a small storage closet that is curiously 10 degrees cooler than the rest of the school. Inside the room, there are four large cardboard boxes. Inside those boxes lies the Graffiti archive in its entirety. The issues date back all the way to 1982.

Madeleine, in a spell of overachieving, journalistic thirst, set out to read every issue since 1982. Daniel, pulling out a frisbee from his knapsack, agreed to let Madeleine write this editorial. *** Graffiti emerged in the 80s as a stapled-together magazine of poetry and short stories. Gradually, more and more non-fiction pieces began to take over its pages. Spotlights appeared, as well as surveys, reviews, and advertisements. With each new set of editors came new changes and innovations. Throughout Graffiti’s 27-year history, the only constants have been passionate writing and references to Mr. Russell.

For nostalgic purposes, we’ve decided to re-print a collection of Graffiti gems that are sure to make you smile. We hope you enjoy these snapshots of North Toronto history!

“I am a diehard disco fanatic. I will acknowledge, with some regret, that I’m not in the same league, when it comes to dedication, as some of my peers.”

From “Confessions of a Disco Queen” -Spring 1991

“As I said on election day, there is no room in this campaign for people who are unsure or nervous about North Toronto’s future. We must all have faith in North Toronto and the strong bonds of unity and friendship that this school represents. If all of us make an extra effort, if we all care just a little bit more, if we all work with passion and commitment, then there can be no doubt that we will be able to build this more united, more spirited, stronger, prouder, better school and in so doing, we will have a year to remember.”

“As other teams have improved, the Toronto Maple Leafs, despite their innumerable changes, will find themselves close to the bottom of the standings.”

“Joining our school from Bloor C.I. as a reward for her fabulous teaching efforts is Ms. Lu. A shy and reserved woman who could easily be mistaken as a student upon first glance, it would be hard for us to imagine her in the dictatorial role that we have come to expect from our teachers.

Do not, however, be fooled. Underneath that calm exterior is a woman clearly dedicated towards enlightening and inspiring our humble ranks even if it means doing so through an iron fist.”

From “Ms. Lu” -Graffiti Fall 1992

“The youngest Norseman ever spotted at a couple of practices this fall.

Apparently, Coach Russell had to babysit his one-year-old son Patrick due to conflicting work schedules.

Rather than fine himself for missing practice, the ever thinking and frugal Mr. Russell showed up with Patrick strapped in a shoulder harness. When let out, young Patrick was wobbly at the first session, but showed definite improvement by his second practice.”

From “Message From the President,” Spring 1991

From “Leafs Content With Last”, Winter 1991

“BELLY FLOP CONTEST” “The NT bathtub reached maximum capacity as divers splatted upon the filmy surface of the pool. Participants walked around with flat noses for two weeks.”

Business Manager Stephanie Atkinson Website Editors Elizabeth Liu Sheryl Yang

Mr. Selby and son, Matt, Spring 1994

From ”Charity Week 1991” -Winter 1991

Staff Advisor Baruch Zohar

“Looking Back, Looking Forward”, Spring 1998

List of Contributors Kayla Apostolides Myles Baldwin Emma Baumann Chris Blackford James Bok Rob Borts Angela Brock Monica Cheng Adria Danyluk Christian Denbigh Marc Dowd Dustin Dubiel Mitchell Fort Arta Ghanbari Kaveh Ghorashi Michelle Gordon Conor Hall Ben Harvey Michael Hogbin Elizabeth Johnston

Sam Kellerman Dana Lowi-Merri Brian Lyn Felita Man Mrs. Munro Yunho Nam Suzy Nevins Tea Pajkic Talvi Parming Mr. Peddle Paula Sanderson Tristan Sedgewick Alison Soong Simon Teong Angie Tong Joseph Yang Kate Walker Skye Wattie Michael Winkler Connie Zhang

From “1994 Varsity Norsemen Pigskin Roundup” -Fall 1994

Mr. Zohar, Fall 1995

Ms. Lu, Fall 1992

Q: “Where do you envision yourself 20 years in the future?”

A: “I see myself as a mountain man, clothed in animal skins and living in an old hallowed-out tree.

I will spend my days tracking wild animals and chewing on bark. It will be a hard life with the signs of the harsh environment on my leathery skin and bearded face. I will go into town once a year to trade in my firs and chase women. I will be a legend and will only be known as ‘Big John.’”

-Matt Selby

Ms. Monteith, Fall 1994

Mr. Pidgeon, Fall 1992

Graffiti Editorial Policy Graffiti aims to inform, represent the views of, and showcase the talents of North Toronto Collegiate Institute students. Pieces of writing must be fewer than 1000 words, with the exception of short fiction, which must be fewer than 1500 words. Submissions from all students in all Grades are encouraged. Submissions from staff, parents, former students and teachers are also accepted. Only poetry, short fiction and personal essays may be published anonymously.

The Editors encourage that articles be submitted directly by email. Otherwise, submissions may be emailed directly to the Graffiti staff, or submitted via CD or USB key to the bin at the back of room 309. It is the aim of Graffiti to do all it can to avoid plagiarized articles, but the Editors and North Toronto Collegiate Institute assume no responsibility for any such article. While opinionated and controversial articles criticizing policy or opinion are welcomed, articles containing slander or personal attacks will not be published.

The final selection of articles will be determined by the Editors. Articles that are not printed are kept on file for future issues. All submissions become the property of Graffiti and may be edited. Those submitting work automatically accept all the provisions of this policy. The Editorial Board retains final discretionary power in all matters relating to Graffiti.

For all public submissions, please send email to ntcigraffiti@gmail.com.

Opinion FML:

Meaningless noise, or bold form of human expression?

BEN HARVEY

BJORN TO LEAD (FML) “Today, I received my passport in the mail. They got my birthdate wrong. Then I picked up my birth certificate that I had sent in with the application. Turns out my parents have been celebrating my birthday on the wrong day for 16 years. FML” Now, if you haven’t been under a rock or are some manner of ludite, you have probably heard of, read, and possibly even contributed to the marvelous phenomenon that has swept the Internet as of late,“F my life”, more commonly known as FML. For those few who don’t know, FML is a website entirely devoted to those moments where life has snapped back and hit you in the face. The main body of the website is a constantly updating and changing list of “FML” moments where often anonymous users have posted some blurb about their moment of hurt starting with the words “Today...” and always ending with acronym “FML” Now in many ways this is but a mere step up from those murmurs and whispers of urban legend and those “horrible things” that have spread like wild fire through school yards when we were little.

But what if FML is something more?

When asked why he “FML’d” Grade 12 student Bojan Nikolic simply replied, “I enjoy reading about other peoples misfortunes.

It brings a smile to my face.”

Other frequenters such as David Zhang enlightenedly reported “I read FML and lol’d.” But is it really as simple is that? Is it just joy in the suffering of others? Is it just “Schadenfreude”?

“I started anti depressants today and I’m terrified because when I’m happy I’m boring” -PostSecret Now what might seem miles away from this crude 5-minute amusement of FML is the much championed community mail art, “PostSecret”. For those who don’t know, Postsecret is an on going mail art project started by Frank Warren. The basis of it is that people send in anonymous post cards on which they have decorated and written a secret, the only rule being that it must be a secret that has never been told to anyone. The postcards are collected by the artist and posted in a variety of interesting ways for the world to see, from books and exhibits to a blog that updates frequently with new postscards.

But are FML and Postsecret so

different? Both FML and Postsecret make good and full use of anonymity to allow people to be honest without fear of consequence, both appear to fulfill some deep urge to express our frustrations of life in the world. But, in contrast, Post Secret is celebrated as a modern and interactive ever growing art and FML is written off as a mere distraction.

One interesting thing worth noting is the complete and likely possibility that a chunk of what is posted on FML is entirely fake, conjured by someone with nothing better to do. (This could also be said for post secret, however the work involved would make one think otherwise). But does the enjoyment of an “FML moment” depend on the sincerity and genuineness of it? When asked whether it had to be “real” to be funny, Will Goessaert, NT FML frequenter replied “no... but they’re still funny. It’s fun imagining that happening to somebody.”

It seems in both cases we want to believe what we’re reading is real, but in the end it doesn’t really matter. Much like sensationalist tabloids or reality TV, these website fulfill some age old human need to peek over the fence anonymously, listen in on a phone call, go and look from afar at what that “tribe across the valley” is doing. It seems we enjoy viewing the problems of tormented people as long as it’s not our problem.

As Will Goessaert eloquently put when asked if he would ever submit anything to FML, “no I don’t want to be in the class they are; they suck!”

And that seems to be it: these sites make us feel good by comparison, they remind us that our lives aren’t that bad. And whether its true or not, “realism has nothing to do with lols.”

Words from the President-Elect:

“Everything will B-OK.”

photo by Madeleine Cummings

President-Elect James Bok has everything under control

HELLOOOO NORTH TORONTO! JAMES BOK For those of you guys who don’t know me, my name is James Bok and I will be your student council president for the 2009-2010 school year. Being our last year in this “cherished” building next year, it’s important for me, and I’m sure all of you to make our final year here a memorable one.

So NT, get pumped for a crazy and

busy charity week, a wild Red and Grey Day, a stellar fashion show, and of course a grand Maytime Melodies. Although keeping the NT traditions is extremely important to me, I am extremely open to new ideas that you guys may have. Feel free to approach me in the hallways or at lunch about your initiatives and I will be more than happy to hear! And if you don’t have an initiative but want

Diffusion and University Choice EMILY LU My brother is seven. I’m seventeen.

ERIC: Star Wars is on! Come watch! [waves arms and makes artillery fire noises] EMILY: Haargh. I’m still waiting for my acceptance.

ERIC: The droids—The droids— Yoda— EMILY: Shh… University thinking I am. Hmm…Where should I go?

ERIC: So all the droids on the starship were shooting at Anakin and he had to Toronto it out of there— EMILY: You’re not listening!

ERIC: [makes R2D2 blipping noises] EMILY: What if I were to go

away? But then what would I eat?

ERIC: Count Dooku ate a large McGill McChicken, had an Algoma, and died.

EMILY: Well, that’s rather unfortunate. Are you sure that’s what happened?

ERIC: The dark side clouds everything. Impossible to see the future is.

EMILY: What if it took six hours to go home every Christmas! I don’t— ERIC: Just pay Obi-Wan to take you in his fighter-jet. Cost you only Trenty-five cents.

EMILY: I’d get motion-sickness— ERIC: And Guelph up splendidly.

You’d probably get it all over yourself. What an improvement to your appearance.

EMILY: But I can’t do laundry!

ERIC: Just dump it in the machine and Waterloo it around and around and around.

EMILY: That doesn’t seem too difficult. Maybe I’ll be ok. But what if— ERIC: Don’t be a Catcher in the Ryerson. I’m Luke Skywalker. I’m here to rescue you.

EMILY: Don’t you understand anything?

ERIC: [makes more airfighter noises] This is Red-5. I’m going in.

Wherever you go, grads of 09, you’ll do fine. Just fine.

to just have a good conversation, feel free to talk to me too! I know it’s a bit scary to think next year will be our last one in this building. Lets not let it affect the spirit that we have and lets go all out next year! Good luck on all your summatives and exams! I am SO PUMPED for the upcoming school year! Remember NT, everything will B-OK.

13

Opinion Till three years do us part?

Play Now, Work Later MONICA CHENG

comes down to? A tactic complicating legal matters in order to tie down a drifting couple? And on the topic of commitment and fidelity, no marriage is going to make ANGELA KIM someone committed. That isn’t to Our generation has developed say that the concept of making a an exceptionally short attention commitment or having children is span. With new models of i- outdated. If people want to be toPod’s, Play Station’s and Black- gether, they will, and without the berry’s being released seemingly prompting of legal technicalities every other week, it comes as no or generic marriage vows.

In any case, marital vows are surprise that our standards in all other aspects of our lives priori- nothing more than a few pretty tize change and reject constancy. verses strung together by an early With this in mind, Maryland state romantic who couldn’t possilegislators proposed a novel idea: bly have anticipated the medical make marriage a renewable, 3- achievements of the 20th century.

For better or for worse, these adyear contract.

Although this proposal isn’t vancements would dramatically going to pass any time soon, it increase life expectancy from 47 raises the question: is marriage to 73. With 26 more years to our lives, do we honestly expect to be outdated?

Sure, married couples receive bound to another “till death do us part”? government benefits “So if marriage is Apparently, we do. and other legal prijust an oppressive, An astounding 95% of orities, but in today’s exclusive, archaic the population chooses rapidly changing, institution, how has to be married at some highly mobile sociit managed to surpoint in their lives, deety, marriage is just vive into the 21st spite the overwhelma hindrance. If it century?” ing odds against their weren’t for the socisuccess, seeing as half etal expectation of marriage, this archaic tradition would quickly of all marriages end in divorce.

Half the population may actually disintegrate.

First of all, marriage is a state- get a divorce, but still others may endorsed arrangement that con- choose to remain in unhealthy veniences the government by al- relationships due to societal preslowing it to categorize and label sure.

So if marriage is just populations. As incentive, the government grants special rights, an oppressive, exclusive, archaic protection, and privileges to mar- institution, how has it managed ried couples. This state practice to survive into the 21st century? of rewarding the choice of one Governments, as previously menlifestyle over another is not only tioned, bribe couples with tax offensive but discriminatory. benefits and legal rights. Church Moreover, why should a personal leaders and various other relidecision be subjected to a cultural gions preach marriage as the most regime that is insensitive to the sacred of institutions, regarding peculiarities of individual rela- abolition of marriage as a threat tionships? The large majority of to their very existence. And natugovernments today still impose rally, the 72 billion dollar wedtheir own ideas of who is and ding industry uses commercial is not eligible for marriage. By propaganda to convince people continuing to accept marriage as that shelling out exorbitant sums a valid social institution, we are of money for one day truly is an openly accepting government in- investment since the perfect wedtrusion on our personal lifestyle ding will lead to a lifetime of choices, and excluding certain happiness. These are the people members of the community from who would herald the end of civilization in a society without marenjoying equal opportunities.

Some may argue that marital riages. As for the rest of us, do bonds are the necessary building we really need the government’s blocks of a stable family unit. stamp of approval to validate our Then is that what a marriage own relationships?

Synchro!

Dear Sr. Boys Rugby team, We know you shower naked. And we don’t appreciate it.

Now that that’s out of the way, we’d like to take this opportunity to tell you about our sport. That’s right, synchro is a sport. There are rules, referees, and competitions. There are also penalties.

For example, if Geoff Handley and company were to perform a synchro routine, they would most likely sink and receive a penalty for touching the bottom of the pool.

We might make synchro look easy, but just how easy is holding your breath while being upside

down?

We blast Queen at 7 o’clock in the morning and Backstreet Boys till 5:30 at night. We know you’re jealous. Can you scrum to the Spice Girls? Didn’t think so.

This year’s synchro team is sure to stun. We have consistently placed at regionals. This year our A Girls are ranked 1st in the region and our B girls are in the running for a championship.

We didn’t write this letter just to brag about our team. (Wait...)

We just wanted to say, there are boys that do synchro. And girls love them. We would like to love you too. In all your naked-showering glory.

Sincerely, The girls synchro team

On April 7th, 2009, at approximately 9:30 AM, a profound change took hold of North Toronto’s Grade 12 students.

As the report cards were handed out, life for the Grads took an interesting new turn. At first, there was relief, then ecstasy, followed by casual indifference. As the initial sense of liberation and happiness wore off, most arrived at the conclusion that school was as good as over.

Remember the midnight Red Bull breaks? The morning caffeine binges? The afternoon power naps? Well, they are gone, and along with them, the once allconsuming desire to impress universities with good Grades and extracurriculars.

Half-empty classes became the norm, as did bumping into people on the street and wondering, “Since when did you have a spare this period?” The usual answer, often accompanied by a mischievous smile or a nonchalant shrug, is “I don’t.”

Slacking really isn’t the right word to describe this change, but it’s the first word that comes to mind. Having talked to several of my peers, as well as being slightly guilty of it myself, it is evident that slacking, or ‘task aversiveness’, if you will, has become such a widespread practice that most do not even bother to deny the accu-

sation. “We are not slacking off,” Jenny Shin, a Grade 12 student at North Toronto, said unabashedly, “I’m still going to sleep at three in the morning…but waking up at two in the afternoon.”

Another, although less willing to give the exact details of their daily regimen after the distribution of the April report card, nonetheless share her opinion. “I just don’t have the motivation to go out and study anymore,” commented Patricia Pereira.

Motivation, or rather, the lack thereof, is the key to this phenomenon. North Toronto Grads, like most humans, are driven by incentives. The concept is quite simple. Do your homework, and you will get better grades. Get better grades, and you will go to university. Go to university, and hopefully your parents will buy you that car you have always wanted (or so you tell yourself).

This is true for most students during the period from September to April, where the desire to excel academically far outweighs the desire to relax and have fun. Recall how much Charlie wanted that golden ticket to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory and multiply that longing by a number larger than fourteen and it still will not come close to describing just how much an acceptance letter means to a North Toronto Grad. If you

The News Sucks MYLES BALDWIN By definition, the news is a series of events that are viewed as significant or “reportable” to society.

But why is it when I turn on the television or read the newspaper, the majority of it is insignificant?

The news to me, seems to be more about emotional appeal than content. The news reports on what people want to hear rather than what they should hear.

As I read the latest Graffiti every 2 1/2 months or so, I notice that very few articles are about what’s going on around us. I know that Graffiti is a quarterlynewspaper, so it can’t cover dayto-day events, but that does not stop the newspaper’s writers from creating more thought provoking pieces.

What ever happened to the journalist that wanted to uncover

the truth? Students, we are in a democracy. So why aren’t we exercising our democratic freedoms? Why aren’t we stuffing our noses down every systematic problem that we see? We can, but we don’t.

Instead, we go with the rest of the world, reporting on what makes people laugh and insignificant issues. There is no place for the insignificant in journalism, whether it’s in The New York Times or Graffiti.

When I read about teachers’ opinions of Fashion Show or even a list of pet peeves, they never seem to have a point. I do not mean to shame Graffiti by saying these things. But, saying stuff just for the sake of it doesn’t enrich a reader.

are to take that thought even further, a student once playfully remarked that between getting into university and selling his grandmother, he would gladly choose the former many times over.

Work hard. Play later.

This was the philosophy subscribed by most graduating students prior to April 7th. It was not the best of times, as Michael Hogbin described with great pain. “We [The Grade 12s] were worked like dogs, beaten like slaves, and oppressed like people in poor countries”. Exaggeration or not, work (which there seemed no lack of) piled up, was tackled down, only to pile up again like weeds on steroids.

For a lucky few, the stress ended prematurely with the arrival of early acceptances. For others, April 7th marked the be-all, end-all salvation. It is common knowledge that most universities base their final offers on the April report card. Once those marks are in, the ball is no longer in your court. Although universities are not required to make their offers until the May 25th deadline, your part in the game is, needless to say, over.

Even with conditional offers, which stipulate a final average which you must maintain until the end of June, the incentive to excel is no longer there. But why bother when the final average which you must maintain is often five to ten percentage points lower than the admission average which you need to get in? As another Grade 12 student, Mathilde Bertin, observed, “There is nothing to lose, so we might as well take an early vacation.”

Play hard. Work later. Why not?

Interestingly enough, although many teachers have observed an obvious decline in the quality of work submitted by Grade 12 students after the April report card, none seemed particularly surprised. “It has always been like this, more or less,” one teacher remarked. “It was worse in previous years,” another teacher observed. “Human nature, I suppose. The need to excel is just no longer there.”

Once incentives are taken away, effort loses its appeal. That is not to say all Grade 12 students simply cease trying after receiving their acceptances or their April marks, many are still conscientious workers…just perhaps not as much so as before.

With that said, is it such a bad thing?

This phenomenon has always been with us. For as long as early acceptances exist, for as long as universities base their final offers on the April report card, not much will change. In this case, slacking is a victimless vice where nothing is gained or lost. Taking into consideration all the sleepless nights of weeks upon weeks past, would it really be so bad if Grade 12 students are allowed this one, small comfort before their high schools years come to an end?

Sports

3.

Who is the only Raptor coach to win the NBA Coach of the year?

a) Sam Mitchell

b) Jay Triano

c) Lenny Wilkens

d) Butch Carter 4.

Which Argos quarterback is professional footballs all-time leader in passing?

a) Michael Bishop

b) Damon Allen

c) Doug Flutie

d) Michael Clemons 5.

What is the name of the stadium where Toronto FC resides?

a) Rogers Centre

b) ACC c) BMO Field

d) Exhibition Stadium 6.

How many championships have the Toronto Rock won?

a) 1

b) 3

c) 5

d) 6 7.

Which Maples Leafs scored an NHL record 10 points in a game?

a) Mats Sundin

b) Wade Belak

c) Tie Domi

d) Darryl Sittler 8.

What is the name of Toronto’s AHL team?

a) St. Michaels Majors

b) Marlies

c) Blizzards

d) Xtreme 9.

What year did the Blue Jays first game take place?

a) 1977

b) 1979

c) 1980

d) 1982 10.

Who scored the first goal in Toronto FC history and has a song recited in the 23rd minute?

a) Danny Dichio

b) David Beckham

c) Dwayne de Rosario

d) Jim Brennan 11.

Who is the Raptors alltime leading scorer, only slam dunk champion and most despised rival?

a) Anthony Parker

b) Chris Bosh

c) Mo Pete

d) Vince Carter

14.

What is the name of the Maple Leafs mascot and what animal is he?

a) Carlton, Polar bear

b) Towlie, Towel

c) Chickadeey, Chickadee

d) Leafy, Beaver 15.

Raptors offs?

What is the furthest the have reached in the playa) First round b) Second round c) Third Round d) NBA Finals

16.

What years did the blue jays win consecutive World Series?

a) 1990-91

b) 1991-92

c) 1992-93

d) 1993-94 17.

What is the old name of the Rogers Centre?

a) Skydome

b) CIBC Centre

c) Tim Hortons Centre

d) Domer Simpson 18.

What league does Toronto currently not have a team?

a) NHL

b) MLB

c) NBA

d) NFL 19.

Toronto lost its bid for the 1996 and 2008 Olympics to which cites?

a) New York and Athens

b) Atlanta and Beijing

c) Madrid and Mexico City

d) London and Moscow 20.

Which of these is a currently used professional sports facility?

a) Ricoh Collesium

b) Exhibition Stadium

c) Maple Leaf Gardens

d) St. Michaels Arena Bonus. Get out the ___ and ___ mama, this ball game is over!

a) Salami and Cheese

b) Rules and Money

c) Super and Bad

d) Bangers and Mash (Answer key below) If you scored... ...15-20: consider yourself Dave Hodge ...10-15: you are Bob Mackenzie ...0-10: Pierre McGuire

15. b 16. c 17. a 18. d 19. b 20. a 21. a

2.

Who hit the Blue Jays 1993 World Series winning walk-off home run?

a) Tony Fernandez

b) Cito Gaston

c) Joe Carter

d) Roberto Alomar

Sports Team Under Appreciated

13.

Who is the all-time leading scorer for the Maple Leafs?

a) Steve Thomas

b) Mats Sundin

c) Dave Keon

d) Doug Gilmour

8. b 9. a 10. a 11. d 12. c 13. b 14. a

1.

How many Stanley Cups have the Maple Leafs franchise won?

a) 10

b) 11

c) 12

d) 13

d c a b c c d

MICHAEL WINKLER

12.

What is former Argos player, Coach and Hall of Fame inductee Michael Clemons’ nickname?

c) Bonkers

b) Jordan

c) Pinball

d) Roger

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Toronto Sports Quiz

MICHAEL HOGBIN Yes, North Toronto, it is a cruel and chilling fact that some of our sports teams go unappreciated and unnoticed throughout their season. Some students are not even aware these teams exist! The curling team, the sailing team, the clear cutting team! No, I made the clear cutting team up… but I’m sure if our school ever formed a league of lumberjacks, they would be ignored by everyone but N.E.A.T., the school’s environmentally aware club.

Of the underappreciated teams one stands out the most. A team so little known that even the faculty asks, “There is a sailing team?”

An unofficial team of one member that team may be, but that one lonely North Toronto student is still out there giving it his all at every opportunity of the sailing season! Did you know North Toronto is ranked fourth in all of Ontario for its sailing prowess?

I didn’t think so. Though the ef-

Michael Hogbin, lone member of the NT sailing team, giving his all forts of the single member of the team, Michael Hogbin, go completely unnoticed, he managed to suffer through two days of rain and wind to bring you, North Toronto, a place in the top five. Not bad for a team that doesn’t even exist, right? This writer certainly thinks so.

But why does sailing get so little notice? It can’t be for lack of skill believed to be required to race.

Take the simple action of a preparing to start a race. Ten minutes before the countdown begins, a sailor must have analyzed the wind speed and direction, and deciding which end of the start line is more beneficial to his strategy.

With this first and crucial step out of the way, a sailor must spend the next five minutes avoiding anywhere from ten to one hundred other boats all doing the exact same thing. At five minutes the first warning gun goes. At

four, a second gun goes, carrying all the information for the start in the form of cryptic numeral pendants. One minute, another gun!

The final push for positions begins. A desperate fight for as little as an extra inch of space along a crowded start line breaks out.

The great swarm of boats takes off down the line, still fighting for every bit of space they can get and then… BAM! The gun fires, and in well polished symmetry, every boat heads towards the first mark.

The sailing of today is no longer the leisure sport of the white coated gentlemen of years past (though the occasional fine beverage does still appear every once in a while). It is as brutal a competition as rugby and about as restful as the night before a biology exam! So when you think sailing, think awesome, because that’s what it is.

Badminton Spotlight: James Wan and Tina Yan EMMA BAUMANN The people at dictionary.com should seriously consider changing the official spelling of badminton to badmin“yan” due to the superior badminton skillz (that is not a typo) of Tina Yan. Who knew that when Tina humbly started out playing badminton in Grade four with what she describes as “cheap dollar store rackets”, she would succeed in leading the North Toronto badminton team all the way to the TDSB city championships.

Unlike other star athletes, Tina hasn’t resorted to steroid use or operating illegal dog fighting rings in her spare time. Instead she sharpens her badminton reflexes by playing frequently outside of school at community centers. Like any clever young prodigy she respects and appreciates the skills of more advanced and experienced players. She says she “tries to go to the community centres that have competitive players so that it’s easier to improve and learn that way”.

Not only did she shine on court in her role as team captain, she was also responsible behind the scenes arranging lineups, leading warm ups, and teaching newcomers all about proper form, tech-

photo by Felita Man

nique and game-winning strategy.

When asked what she liked most about being a part of the team this year Tina’s answer said a lot about her character as a captain, and a person. “I like how everyone is supportive of one another, and we’re always willing to give

a few pointers to help each other improve... so in general, my favourite part of being on the team was the spirit”.

NOTE: James is so good that words do no justice to his game.

He deals mayhem to his opponents with a silent, deadly grace.

15

Sports NHL in USA has G2G MICHAEL WINKLER Toronto lives for hockey. Our professional hockey team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, is the wealthiest team in the National Hockey League (NHL) in terms of profit and Stanley Cup wins. But over the last few years, the NHL has tried to expand the sport into the United States. The league has set up new teams in Tampa Bay, Ft. Lauderdale, San José, Columbus, Minnesota, Anaheim, and Phoenix since 1991. Most of these new franchises have drawn in lessthan-average attendance to home games. Yet Gary Bettman, the commissioner of the NHL, continues to try and expand hockey in America.

The NHL is trying to earn profit through attendance, merchandise, and so on. The problem with this is that though people can watch hockey, they can’t really play it.

Not only do you need ice, but you need skates, a stick, a puck, a helmet, and tons of money. Hockey is very expensive to play. This is why sports like soccer and basketball are successful; they are not too expensive and can be played in any situation. All you need for basketball is a hoop and a ball.

Because of the difficulty for fans to play the sport and enjoy it for themselves, hockey is difficult to teach to southern Americans.

Tickets for a hockey game aren’t cheap either. To go to a game in Toronto in the highest row with the least leg room costs $90, and tickets can go up to $500! Plus,

this is only if you can get your hands on tickets. The Leafs have sold out every game since 1917.

Florida, for example, is a different story. I went with my cousin to a Florida Panthers vs. Washington Capitals game last March . We found a scalper. In his first offer, he sold us $175 tickets for $50. He was glad to get rid of them, while my cousin and I were glad to get them. Turned out those tickets were first row, right behind Ovechkin and the Caps.

In T.O., those tickets would cost a minimum of $500. On the other hand, not many people in Florida are even going to pay $175 for hockey tickets. I’ve heard that in Phoenix you can get tickets for $2 including free parking! They are in deep trouble financially and have been rumored to go bankrupt.

The NHL recently added new rules such as calling easier penalties and decreasing goalie equipment in the hopes of scoring more goals. And with more goals, there is more for the fans to cheer about.

There are many problems with this. First of all, hockey will have an average of 5 goals between both teams per game, so there isn’t much for fans to cheer for besides some big hits and fights. There also isn’t as much fighting anymore in the “new, faster” NHL. The league constantly changes rules to make the game “better”.

In doing so, hockey now seems weak and confusing to those who are used to the old rules. Sports like baseball and football have

had the same rules for decades and the fans know every single one. Hockey, on the other hand, seems to lose its traditions with all these new rules added.

For the NHL to survive though, it has to expand in the US. The league cannot be a major contender with professional sports if it only has Canadian teams; just look at the CFL (burn). However, the Rangers, Red Wings, Blackhawks, and Flyers are a few of the NHL teams in the US that have been making a great deal of profit. Even the young team, the Minnesota Wild, has sold out every game since they were founded in 2000.

At the end of the day, America’s tradition is baseball, not hockey, and NHL franchises in America are still struggling to survive.

Luckily for the NHL, teams like Carolina, Tampa Bay, and Anaheim have won the Stanley Cup recently, which has increased their fan base. Even so, only half of the teams in the NHL have an attendance of over 17,000 per game.

Maybe it is just too difficult for the NHL to become hugely successful. Maybe an ice sport can’t work out in the desert. If this is the case, I still think the NHL is a success since it has millions of fans worldwide and I have enjoyed the league all my life. I know I’ve complained about this so many times, but, I would really enjoy it if the Leafs could possibly, maybe, WIN THE STANLEY CUP ALREADY.

Triple Rugby Spotlight: Arielle Dubissette, Geoff Handley, Kyle MacKellar SIMON TEONG

Who wears short shorts?

Deep in the jungle, where few have explored, live the true Norsemen and Norsewomen of North Toronto. It is here where they train all day, study, and work like true Norsemen and Norsewomen.

I had the opportunity to interview three of these extraordinary students who have demonstrated to their peers and coaches that they have what it takes to be the best at rugby.

Which team has been the toughest to face this year?

Dubissette: I say the Northern A Team. Everyone has a closer relationship with each other, and they have played with each other for a while.

Handley: Lawrence Park.

MacKellar: Newtonbrook - that

game was physically demanding and they have the stamina to keep on going. Plus, it was really warm that day.

How are this year’s juniors?

Dubissette: Umm...they are still in the mentality of being scared.

They haven’t played a game like true rugby players since they barely focus on their mental and physical state. Still, they have potential to excel at this sport.

Handley: This year’s junior boys are pretty good. They have heart.

MacKellar: They have the experience and size. Plus they have lots of grit.

If you were to take on the Boys or Varsity Girls Rugby team, what would your strategies be in order to defeat them?

Dubissette: First, avoid contact.

Then, kick a lot. And, avoid Geoff at all costs.

Handley: Umm... keep the ball away from Arielle.

MacKellar: High knees and elbows out.

What’s your favourite thing about rugby?

Dubissette: The high demand you put onto your mind and body when playing rugby. You can’t just be lying around in search of the ball. You have to be always on your toes. And, you always have a job to do; you have to either support one another or find people to support you on the field.

Handley: You can be the dirtiest player on the field but once the game is over you can be the best of friends with the opposition.

A team reborn: Track or no letes emerge

track, NT athfrom the rubble

MADELEINE CUMMINGS Track and Field athletes require two things in order to train properly - a track and a field. NT has neither of these. Yet, it seems that this year’s track athletes have thrived in the throes of construction - with 14 people advancing to City Finals and the midget girls winning age division Gold at regionals. How did they do it? There are many secrets of the team’s surprising success.

At one of the first practices, the track team was jogging nonchalantly around the third floor. Suddenly, a voice boomed from behind the pack: “What excuse for a sport are you?” Heads turned to see a grinning Mr. Peddle, backed by a panting ultimate frisbee team.

A unanimous decision among track team members was made to run at a faster speed, the goal being to lap the ultimate team.

So began a long and complicated rivalry. (Apologies to Mark Tran and Talvi Parming for receiving many a verbal beating).

The track team practiced in a variety of places: Sherwood Park, Eglinton Park, the Belt Line, Roehampton/Broadway loops, the third floor, and even at Northern’s track. Many a practice was held in the pouring rain, but the only day really foiled by the weather was the day of the Rowland games at York U. Just as Cam Watt was about to step on to the track to run his 400 (after a patient 9-hour wait), the sky clouded over and a panicked voice came on the loudspeaker: “The meet as been suspended until further notice!

Get off the stands, immediately!”

Watt was less than pleased, as were both 4x400m relay teams.

MacKellar: Being with the team is one of my favourite things about rugby. Plus the feeling of scoring makes the game that much better.

How short are your shorts?

Dubissette: Not very short. I would probably say 3/5ths above my knee.

Handley: Too short.

MacKellar: Short enough.

What’s on your pre-game play list?

Dubissette: Tupak - Keep Your Head Up, Your Mama Handley: Cascada - One More Night MacKellar: Anything techno.

Pakito for example. Ante Up by MOP. Play dirty or play fair?

That same Saturday at York, Cam Watt and Henno Einola joked about throwing javelins.

Two weeks later, Henno walked away with a gold medal at Regionals in the event. Henno’s javelin became yet another team joke. It had to be transported, stored, and even exchanged, after it was realized to be an illegal size. Henno trained tirelessly on his own at a local park, nearly impaling several small animals (“There are too many of those anyway,” says Norain Chang) and encountering a paranoid police officer on one occasion. (“Son, do you think you should be throwing that thing around in a public space?”)

The track team is made up of roughly 30 members from Grades 9-12. Each member contributed in some way to the team’s overall success, even if it was only to inspire laughter. David Kang was probably the first person to ever bring beef jerky onto a track. Norain Chang, after injuring herself at a practice, is forever indebted to Ms. Ratslaff, who kindly drove to Eg park and transported her safely back to school. Tristan never missed a practice (yes, I noticed) and engaged in a 152-post debate on Facebook over the legitimacy of track as a sport. Jess Adamson won everything. George Wan got a gold. Mr. Chen and Mr. McNaughton got sunburns. Chris got everyone disqualified (We still love you!) and Peter revealed the colour of the midget boys’ souls.

Although the season is far from over, the team would like to thank the phys-ed departments for funding each York meet.

Dubissette: Fair play.

Handley: Play dirty.

MacKellar: I never play with the intent to injure, but just as long the referee doesn’t see it then it’s fine.

If you were stuck on an island - what three things would you bring onto the island with you?

Handley: Rugby ball, a good looking lady, and my friend Jack Daniel.

MacKellar: A rugby ball, two lawn chairs and Geoff.

What is it like to be part of Team Canada?

Handley: It’s a one of a kind experience to represent your country. I will not forget my first time ever putting on a Canadian jersey.

Scandal !

Does Graffiti Have To Be So Annoying?

Tired of reading opinion articles on the state of the economy? So is Mr Zohar. At his request, we bring you the “Scandal!” section. If you seek a little more bite in your paper-reading experience, a little more zest in your news feed, then look no further. Here, we bring you only the choicest cuts of life at NT, researched and reported by a squad of navy-trained Black-Ops journalists. The stories on this page are sure to shock you.

Where have your coupons gone?

Caught at the back row!

Does Mr. Peddle secretly like Fashion Show?

Are Northern students now too safe?

Business editor makes off with $8000 worth of Lick’s Coupons!

What do the caretakers really do when we have left the building?

Crazed driver guns for Mr. Mendelovits!

Is Northern really safe?

Remours of plans for gun turrets denied.

Hidden talents dicovered among NT caretaking staff!

Are his tests too hard?

The Staff Advisor on the Offensiveness of Graffiti THE ONE, THE ONLY: MR ZOHAR What the heck is wrong with Graffiti? It’s opinionated, poorly researched, resistant to factchecking, and no longer carries Lick’s coupons. I’m tempted to cancel my subscription and I’m the staff advisor.

With every year and, perhaps, every issue, we offend someone.

This year we’ve had a bumper crop of resentment and hurt feelings, harvesting a field that extends from Northern to my be-

loved English department. Why is that?

Laziness and arrogance are part of the answer. I’m extremely fond of NT students in general and Graffiti staff in particular, but they are a flawed bunch. Bright and articulate, they have grown up with the belief that their opinions matter and that their voices must be heard. Every year writers and editors are assigned article topics that demand research and interviews; they come back with editorials. Why seek evidence and perspective when you already

know it all?

Sadly, the above description strikes me like a description of the professional news world as well. Anyone watching television and reading newspapers will tell you that punditry has replaced journalism. The audience craves certainty over complexity and conflict over compromise. Graffiti might just be a reflection of the news media at large.

Still, flawed at it is, I’d rather be reading Graffiti over almost any other student newspaper.

First, because it is well written;

Graffiti is amongst the most recognized newspapers at the annual Toronto Star provincial high school awards. Secondly, because it is not blandly inoffensive. My colleagues at other schools tell me that even they don’t want to read their own papers; papers that are, by dictate of administrators, cheer-leading propaganda providers celebrating every minor accomplishment. We are lucky at NT to have administrators who allow for controversy. I’d rather be provoked than bored.

Has something in this article

offended you (reread paragraph three if nothing has)? Has something in this issue offended you? I certainly hope so. I still wish that most of our articles were built around research and traditional journalistic methods (not that this article was), but I want nothing more than for readers to be upset.

Upset enough to write a counter-article, a letter to the editor.

Any newspaper, but especially a high-school newspaper, should be a wiki rather than an almanac: a creation of writers and readers, a conversation that includes us all.

17

Feature The Ultimate Backstage Experience: Toronto Alternative Arts and Fashion Week ARTA GHANBARI Toronto Alternative Arts and Fashion Week is a collaboration of photography, installation, video, performance, music, dance, and fashion design. Emphasizing the evolution of fashion, [FAT] is Toronto’s premier arts and fashion event that gathers the style and work of local creators. With a showcase of over two-hundred designers, musicians, and artisans over the four day schedule, the exposure of Canada’s hidden innovators redefines style and inspiration. Launched in 2004, the event takes place at Toronto’s historic Distillery District’s Fermenting Cellar. Known as the “it” venue for celebrity galas, exclusive fundraisers, fashion shows, and million dollar birthday bashes, the Fermenting Cellar’s edge sets the perfect ingenious atmosphere for FAT’s extraordinary nature.

Year after year, founder and executive director, Vanja Vasic, along with her team of Graphic Designers, Runway Coordinators, Backstage Directors, MakeUp Artists, and Volunteer Coordinators expand the event. That’s where I came along. After backand-forth phone calls, Head Volunteer Coordinator Melody Bogin granted me with a position as a dresser.

As any aspiring fashion jour-

Prom

nalist-stylist would, I took my fully charged camera, audio-recorder, an extra pair of tights (in case the one on me ran), lipstick, and my Fashion Dictionary. Finally finding the hidden building, I was suddenly hit with loud, hard-bass music, a hundred halfnaked models, sweaty make-up and hair artists, an empty runway, and endless clothing racks. Oh yes, and the whole place was just about pitch-dark. After checking in my coat and purse, I was put right to work. Fifteen awkward dressings of male models later, it was 6:00PM and time for the doors to open. I rushed my French-model-buddy Michael’s outfit and ran off to tape all of the “Reserved For____” signs on the seats. NOW Magazine, Elle Magazine, Toronto Spot TV, and Lucian Matis along with others

all had a seat saved, thanks to my brilliant taping job.

Soon, the models were lined up backstage, the crowd was seated, and the end of the runway was brimful of black, eyelike lenses supported by anxious photographers. The first collection, by Breeyn McCarney, had the models puckered-up in radiant red lipstick, majestic, ruffled dresses, and mostly dark shades.

The second collection (Neva) played around with heavy, bohemian-patterned, lose-fitted fabrics to give off a hobo-chic look.

The third collection (UND) was all about the warrior look, with cone hats and medieval shades of green. And last, was a collection

by Harsh Design, aptly featuring cheap, awkwardly fitted, metallic fabrics and circulation-cutting jumpsuits.

a night to remember.

CHRISTIAN DENBIGH The two sides of one story, the story of one undecided teenager.

Three months of this prom pressure and I’m still hanging off the fence. I’m still holding on to the decision like the One Ring in Golem’s nobby fingers and most importantly I’m still talking about this lousy night. It’s become an obsession really. I’ve been through every little detail: imagining the most perfect and worst ways the night could go down, considering how rebellious I would sound if I said I did not attend, imagining the questions that Barbara Walters would ask in her “Primetime Special”. I’m telling you, I’ve put a lot of time into this and yet, the jury has yet come to a final decision.

I remember many of my older cousins attending their proms the dresses, the excitement, the flashes of light, the intoxicating smells of hairspray and Shoppers Drugmart cologne. I remember it being something special, something wonderful, something magical. With that as a foundation and a whole slough of Laguna Beach/OC references, I began to build the impossible night: prom night. If you were not aware before reading this, I tend to obsess over things like twelve year old schoolgirl does the Jonas Broth-

The start of the second show united the crowd around the runway and consisted of three collections. Tassoni Brasil, Jet Exhibition, and Magpie were not only impressive, but theatrical. Canes, top-hats, silver glitter, boyfriend blazers, stripped Speedos, and soft, earthy colours were just a few of the many remarkable trends. After the show, an energy blasted performance by MTV’s Anna Cyzon got the crowd surrounding the “Cyzonia” stage as she preformed her single “Young Boy”, about an eighteen year-old boy she had met two years ago.

Fashion show number three started off with youth. IN. asia, followed by Kristy McKenzie, Salvation, and the violence-encouraging IMAGOzine. IMAGOzine had all of the models rush down the catwalk with AK-

47 guns and ghostly faces. And if that was not horrific enough, the collection ended with a blonde girl (approximately 6 years old) walking down the runway holding a bomb, collapsing, and being picked up by a model with a gun the length of my arms. The designers took their bow and it was once again time for DJ Daniel Wilson to present his remixes.

When asked about her favourite part of [FAT], director Vanja Vasic had this to say: “I think it’s all about the energy. This event would have never worked if it had just consisted of fashion, or music, or photography, or installations. The fact that so many people can participate in the event really excites me.” When asked what it took to be a participant in [FAT], she responded with, “The thing is, we have thousands of applicants every year, but we can only take so many. I think the ones that make the cut just have a different vibe.

They’re not a part of this industry to be on Fashion Television, they just honestly can’t see themselves doing anything else.”

The evening shifted moods as the previously noisy, restless crowd had become quiet, and scattered. The Fermentin Cellar doors closed at approximately 1:00AM, and the venue went quickly back to the state it had been the moment I had entered.

ers. To demonstrate, I will now give you a brief play by play of prom night, by Christian Denbigh - the girl.

First, I would suddenly transform into Tom Selick, circa Magnum P.I. I would be wearing a tux made by the likings of Tom Ford or Dior Homme, custom made and costing nearly 10,000 dollars.

I would arrive to the prom, held at the Royal York, in a black Sedan looking like none of this event really matters to me. And me and my date Kate, Moss of course, will enter the ballroom linked arm in arm as everyone gasps in astonishment and whispers about how jaw-droppingly good looking we are.

I have come to realize that this dream, however glorious it may be, will never come to fruition.

I do not have 10 000 dollars to waste on a silly suit and I do not know Kate Moss. But the point of this self-indulgent paragraph is not to show you how much of a loser I am, but rather to show you how much of a disappointment the real thing will be for me, however fantastic it may actually be.

I have lived most of my life living in my own world. I attend school regularly, but am rarely there and like this idea of prom, I have become discouraged to live in the the physical world because the one I’m in now, the one filled

Prom

with blog posts and magazine dreams, is so much more satisfying. I remember someone famous once saying that the biggest disappointment is meeting your idols; I think the biggest disappointment may be realizing that the worlds we have created are false. I once had a chance to meet with an artist that I was obsessed with. I imagined her to be larger than life, I imagined her to glow, I imagined her more than what was ever possible. When the time came to go to the venue, to meet with the impossible, I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t live with the disappointment of knowing that she was a real person.

Suzy Nevins says, “You can’t live like that. You can’t live being afraid of reality”, and Amber Day says, “You can’t live like that. If you do then you will never get anything done.” But why can’t we? Why can’t we constantly live in our imaginations? Why do we have to live with disappointment?

Why do we participate in things we know won’t be as good as what we had imagined? Imagine only remembering the perfect image of what-could-of-been rather than the mediocre what-was.

Imagine if Seinfeld had continued for another eight seasons, how annoying and dry all the characters would have become. Ending the show while at its peak is like

more trouble than it’s worth.

stopping the prom night dream sequence at just that, a dream sequence.

I have not been completely consumed by prom. It’s just that the ideas and standards of prom have been set so outrageously high that there will be an inevitable level of disappointment. Now, this article is not meant for propaganda

in hopes of a revolution against a high school tradition, but rather to show you why I think I just can’t do it. I am not marking an “X” in one box or another, I’m just saying that if I can’t grow a Magnum P.I. mustache by May 29th, than you probably shouldn’t expect me there.

Feature Stay Seated Until Ride Comes to a Complete Stop MRS. MUNRO I have never liked roller coasters. I feel sick to my stomach with anticipatory fear as the cars climb up that first immense slope.

I actually want to puke as they topple over the peak of the hill and begin that break-neck hurtle down into the valley of death on the other side. And then you repeat that whole process several more times. The worst feeling of all is the knowledge that you are trapped as soon as the train moves away from the boarding platform and that no matter how much you may want to get off and no matter how much you beg and plead, you ain’t going nowhere - you are stuck there until the ride is over.

Having cancer feels just like that. Except there is at least one important difference. Unlike roller coasters which I can easily avoid by simply not getting on board, cancer didn’t allow me that option. No one said, “Hey! Do you feel like having some fun? Come and buy a ticket on the Great Canadian Cancer Coaster it’s the ride of your life!” Believe me; I would have declined such an offer. Instead, I found myself on the bad end of a phone call listening to my family doctor tell me that I had breast cancer. Slam.

Click. Whoosh. The ride was on and there was no getting off ‘til it was all over.

NT is such an important part of my life that it felt natural to be open about my illness with the people I work with. I include both the staff and the students in that group. I’ve always known that our community is full of wonderful individuals, but I have been

overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support I have received since the news broke. Ms. Hayden commented one afternoon that I appeared to be doing an exceptional job of presenting as if I were coping really well.

Coming to work every day has helped me to avoid dwelling on the hell that will be the surgery, chemo and radiation I will undergo. However, Ms. Hayden was more correct than she knew - on many days I’m faking the “coping well” bit.

I have cried. I have cried on Mr. Zohar’s shoulder down in the basement by the recycling bins.

I’ve cried on Mr. Nicolet’s shoulder in the library office. I’ve cried on Ms. Hayden several times.

I’ve cried on Ms. Cappadocia’s shoulder at 2 am in a hotel room in New York City. I’ve cried in Mr. Gorenkoff’s office. Know why? Because this sucks. It is really scary and it delivers an impact similar to what it must feel like to be blind-sided by a Mack truck moving at high speed. Being diagnosed with cancer brings you face to face with the reality of your own mortality. Despite my best efforts to remain optimistic and positive it is hard not to think about the “what ifs.” Crying is a pretty natural response to such frightening news.

But I’m not the only one who has cried. I made the decision early on to share the news with my two Grade 12 classes and the people going on the Benin Trip.

A few people have told me they think this was a brave decision (to tell students such personal news), but to me it felt like the right thing to do. I knew the news would

get around eventually. Plenty of teachers and staff knew and inevitably word would leak out and the rumour mill would start. I just felt it was better to tell people the truth in a straight forward manner so they knew the facts and would also feel comfortable approaching me to talk about it. Besides, it would be pretty obvious something was up when I disappeared from the class room one day and didn’t return for the rest of the year.

I wasn’t sure what sort of a reaction I expected to get when I did tell them. In all three cases there was a stunned silence and then some tears. The tears were a complete surprise to me. I can’t describe how heart-warming that display of genuine concern and dismay from my students was.

I’ve never considered myself to be a particularly popular teacher.

Competent, yes. Professional, yes. Decent and fair, yes. But not popular. I’m too hard-driving and demanding for that. But NT students have been another source of wonderful support. Some of you have shared stories of your own family members’ battles with cancer with me. I can hear in your voices the edge of fear and concern for them that you carry with you. I know how you feel. Others, people that I don’t even personally teach, have stopped me in the halls to offer me words of encouragement and love. This means a great deal to me. My Grade 12 classes have been so well behaved and gentle with me; I am grateful for their maturity. Mr. Zohar told me today that the Graffiti staff wanted to ask if it was okay to wish me the best of luck and

a speedy recovery in this edition of the newspaper. That brought a tear to my eye.

Ms. Gray observed that I seem to be a softer and kinder Mrs. Munro since I got the diagnosis.

I thought this was especially astute of her since I had noticed the same thing. Having come to realize how important it has been to have people react with kindness to me at this time, I have found it comes more naturally to interact with others in the same manner.

It hasn’t been a completely magical transformation by any means.

I’m still capable of being a perfect bitch at times. This afternoon I yelled at one of my Grade 9 classes. I mean I really let them have it. I feel really bad about that and I want to apologize here for doing it. It wasn’t their fault that I have been anxious and on edge all day because my surgeon called to say they need more pictures of a second lump in my breast that they need to see more clearly.

I do need to give everyone a heads up. I have decided I will not wear a wig to replace my own hair when it falls out as a side effect of the chemo. I can always spot when someone has a wig and it isn’t hard to figure out why they are wearing it. I feel as if I might as well hang a big sign around my neck that reads, “Here cometh a cancer patient.” Don’t get me wrong - if others in a similar situation choose to wear a wig and it makes them feel better about themselves then they have my full support. I just personally don’t want everyone who walks past me to think, “Oh, she must have cancer.” Going bald feels like a bold statement of rebellion

against the expectation society has that a woman must have hair to be womanly. Sure some people may still wonder if I do have cancer, but it won’t be a certainty.

They will also have to wonder if I did it on purpose.

So don’t be alarmed by the bald woman walking the halls.

It’ll just be me. I did consider buying a flesh-coloured swim cap and gluing my own hair to it and I have also considered drawing hair on my scalp with a permanent marker. I may still do the latter idea. Maybe it could be a Charity Week fund-raiser next year - the homeroom that raises the most money gets to draw my hair on.

That felt like a pretty good line to end with and I would have stopped there, but Zohar will tell me that I need balance and symmetry in the article so I need to refer back to the roller coaster metaphor I opened with. It’s true, I am stuck on this ride until the train arrives back at the station, but I’m not on the ride alone. I have a really good friend who is sitting next to me and is letting me squeeze their hand tight without complaint. And back at the station there are some really cool attendants who are waiting to give me a helping hand as I clamber back onto the platform and they will point me in the direction of the sign that reads “Exit this way to normalcy.” That friend and those attendants are the amazing people of the NT family. Schmaltzy, huh? Hollywood schlock even.

Too bad - suck it up. You have to let me write what I want; after all, I have cancer.

Smart advice for savvy girls: The Pink Tulip Foundation MADELEINE CUMMINGS It seems that as a girl ages, she becomes acquainted with more and more women who have battled breast cancer. They are teachers, mothers, aunts, and family friends.

They are all strong-willed, brave women from different stages of life, with families, spouses, and careers. They share a diagnosis, but each woman’s cancer is different and each fight uniquely her own.

Toronto lawyer Sophia De Jonge’s fight began in 1997 when she was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer. Knowing that there are certain lifestyle choices girls can make in order to significantly reduce their odds of developing breast cancer when they are adults, she set out to make sure girls everywhere know those lifestyle choices. And so The Pink Tulip Foundation was born.

A board of directors – all close friends of Sophia – was created, and from there, the foundation has truly taken off.

Until now, there has been very little age-appropriate information on breast cancer prevention available to the 9-18 age group. The Pink Tulip Foundation aims to educate these girls in a fun, mod-

ern way.

Collaborating with Parent Action on Drugs, The Pink Tulip Foundation (with support from the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation) produced a brochure featuring healthy lifestyle choices and breast cancer prevention information. The Foundation aims to distribute this brochure in Health, Fitness, and Recreation Centres and Outreach Centres through an

alliance with YMCA Canada. In addition to these partnerships, the Foundation has also established alliances with numerous other clubs and organizations throughout Canada, such as Girl Guides, and Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs of Canada.

There are many ways for students to get involved with Pink Tulip activities and goals. One easy way is to simply visit their web-

site – www. pinktulip. ca. There, up-to-date events and opportunities will be posted, along with of course the important information on lifestyle choices that may help reduce the risk of breast cancer. An even simpler way to stay informed is to join Pink Tulip’s Facebook group (search for “The Pink Tulip”) and encourage friends and family members to do the same.

On the horizon for Pink Tulip is the introduction of cancer-prevention based curriculum in Ontario schools. Pink Tulip plans to make this happen by establishing a partnership with a cancer-based organization in western Canada

that has succeeded in creating such curriculum.

Executive Director Catherine Cameron lists many things young women can do to reduce their risk of developing breast cancer later in life: “Exercising regularly throughout life.... making good nutritional choices on a consistent basis (Canada’s Food Guide) and abstaining from drinking and smoking all appear to reduce the risk factors for breast cancer. It’s important to know that every alcoholic drink -- whether wine, beer or liquor -- increases the risk of developing breast cancer. It’s important that girls and guys understand the many implications of drinking -- breast cancer is only one of them.”

Recent research suggests that smoking (and exposure to second hand smoke) greatly increases the probability of developing breast cancer. A link to the full article, as published in the Globe and Mail, can be found on the Pink Tulip Website.

An additional project of The Pink Tulip Foundation involves the planting of pink tulips in residential or public gardens. Great bunches of tulips continue in the Moore Park and Rosedale area today.

19

Opinion

The headline in the Toronto Star a few weeks ago read: “Wikipedia generation is lazy and unprepared for university’s rigours”. The article went on to say that students today “expect success without the requisite effort”, “the work ethic is not what it used to be,” and that it’s because of “the attitude and sense of entitlement they have”.

Well, imagine that. Here’s hoping the authors of this particular study didn’t break the bank trying to figure all this out. They could have simply asked virtually anyone who has been teaching adolescents for the past decade or two and they would have heard the same message. Failing that, they could have taken a page from those lazy Wiki kids and Googled “no-good youth of today”. Here is a sampling of what they might have found: “I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on the frivolous youth of today, for certainly all youth are reckless beyond words…”

“The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in places of exercise. Children are now tyrants; they contradict their parents, gobble up dainties at the table, and tyrannize their teachers.”

“The young people of today think of nothing but themselves.

They talk as if they knew everything. As for the girls, they are forward, immodest and unladylike in speech, behavior and dress” Sounds about right, doesn’t it? Of course, you’re already one step ahead of me, aren’t you?

Those quotes were from the 8th century BC, 5th century BC and 13th century AD respectively. So, maybe kids today aren’t so bad after all - at least in comparison to the dainty gobbling, ill-mannered, reckless generations that have come before them. The point is that every generation seems to feel that the one coming up after it just doesn’t measure up. Consequently, the headline in The Star didn’t strike me as particularly news worthy. I did however see a different headline around the same time that has me more concerned about our Wiki kids.

It read: “India has more honors

students than North America has students”.

Thirty years ago, young people in Canada had a tremendous advantage over much of the world’s youth simply by virtue of the location of their birth. This is still true, but to a lesser degree. As Bill Gates puts it, “natural talent has started to trump geography”.

Technology is going to continue to level the playing field and today’s students may very well be competing head to head with students in India or China or Brazil for jobs. And the fact of the matter is, the kids in India and China and Brazil will work harder for less money and they want to dominate us. Thomas Friedman, author of The World Is Flat, has this advice for his children: “Girls, when I was growing up, my parents used to say to me, ‘Tom, finish your dinner – people in China and India are starving.’ My advice to you is, ‘Girls, finish your homework – people in China and India are starving for your jobs.’”.

In order to compete globally and justify a salary that will allow today’s youth to maintain a standard of living that resembles what they grew up knowing, they need skills that will set them apart from their competitors in the emerging economies. They need to be self directed and confident learners.

They need to be creative and critical thinkers. They need a strong global and technological awareness. They need to be effective communicators and team players.

They need a work ethic second to none. I truly believe that NT graduates are among the best in the city. That said, I think we could all be doing more to prepare for the coming reality.

Students: You will likely have to work harder and for less money than your parents did. So, you’d better be doing something that you enjoy. Find your passion and work at developing your skills in that area so that you are exceptionally good at what you do.

Teachers: Don’t get sucked into the vortex of ever lowering expectations.

Administrators: Worry more about empowering teachers to push kids to reach their potential and less about complaints from the parent council.

Parents: You don’t want your kids to be stressed or disappointed or experience failure at school.

This is understandable. But you must also understand that graduating from school without the skills required to compete globally may prove to be extremely disappointing and stressful for your children.

I don’t envy the youth of today, but I am hopeful that they may surprise us yet. To all of our graduates, best of luck in your future endeavors!

PS: If you end up having to move to New Delhi to find work, I hope you like it there.

Kissing Strangers

How many people go asking for love on the streets of Toronto?

NICOLA GAILITS

graphic by Tracey Lung

Most people don’t make out with random strangers. At a bus stop at on Victoria Day weekend, a man asked me, “can I have a kiss?” Here’s how the conversation unfolded.

I was heading up to Richmond Hill to visit our dearly missed Patricia Dang in her suburbia land.

I was twenty-five cents short for a bus ticket. I turned to the lady beside me, and as I inquired about borrowing a quarter, a man jumped forward and dug into his wallet to find change. I’m guessing he was close to 20 years old.

With my ipod pumping music, his words were completely inaudible as I thanked him and turned away.

By the time I pulled my earplugs out, he was asking if he could please have a kiss, in exchange.

I was taken aback. What? Why was a stranger asking for a kiss? I began to think, “oh no, this is the part where he drags me off, never to be seen again.” I responded that I was sorry, I don’t kiss strangers.

He asked for a hug, and I reluctantly hugged him. That wasn’t good enough; he persisted. Failure numero uno.

To further deter him, I said last week I’d had the flu (a fabricated lie), and asked him, “what if I

had swine flu, and by kissing me, you died; is that worth it?” By this time, I was smiling and turning our conversation into a joke; he could tell I was thoroughly bullshitting him. He didn’t smile though. With his face solemn, he responded that that was a chance he was willing to take. Solution two failed.

He asked again, as if it was a simple request. Getting personal, I told the man that I had a boyfriend, and I really wasn’t going to cheat on him. As it turns out, he didn’t have a girlfriend (no surprise there). Soon he wormed the conversation around to what it means to cheat, and how far one must go. On polar opposite ends of the spectrum, he was adamant that you have to have sex (kissing would thereby be fine), while I was adamant that one can cheat even emotionally, by thinking about someone else. Other reasons he came up with, were that a kiss can mean a thousand things. Not feeling poetic, I began to wonder how I’d dug myself in this deep, and why I was discussing sex with a stranger. Solution three nose-dived miserably.

His face looked unhappy, and he looked at me with the kind of

eyes puppies use when they’ve been cooped up all day and need a cuddle. I asked him if he was depressed, and if his life was going well. He told me his life is just fine (I imagine that it’s in upheaval). He continued to tell me that he would do whatever I want if I kiss him. Prostitution much? This was getting out of hand.

I decided this must end. Trying to slide away, he reached out to give me a hug, but wouldn’t let go. I was mentally flipping out, and I had to physically detach his hands, give them back to him, and start creeping backwards. I left him. I was full of relief, while his face reeked of sad disappointment.

I’ve never had such an odd conversation with a stranger who seemed perfectly sane. But how many sane people go asking for love on the streets of Toronto?

One could also question my own sanity for engaging in a potentially dangerous “chat” with a stranger. I, however, am adamant in two things. First off, life is to be lived a little on edge, out of your comfort zone enough to experience someone else’s world, but not too far to endanger your life. And secondly, I don’t kiss strangers.

Tweeting Twits

lurking in the caverns of Twitter.

The social-networking site opens up the otherwise exclusive Facebook-like pages of their favourite celebrities, or celebrity imitators.

The difference is undetectable and a mere technicality, which is not impeding the enjoyment of Twitter even remotely.

Finally cyber-social-networkers can blur the boundaries between their own lives and those of the famous and otherwise unknowable, by bringing these infamous strangers into their immediate global network with this convenient, nearly anonymous, [socially acceptable and therefore not creepy/sociopathic] flyon-the-wall eavesdropping. We can now be a part of the riveting lives of celebrities by knowing that their “shower went well”, and when they plan on “renewing [their] prescriptions” and whose playing charity tennis with whom.

Through mere miles of fibre optic cables a connection is wielded, intimacy attained in its most con-

venient and massively accessible form.

The repercussions of this new possibility extend further than the initial thrill that Twitter extends to its Tweeters. Existentialists are concerned that if the mirage of unattainability that clouds the world of our demi-god celebrities is removed, we’ll have nothing to believe in and tabloid sales will plummet. Evolutionary biologists extrapolate that future generations of humans will evolve out of vocal cords and speech will dissolve to a range of grunts. Our brains will compensate by acquiring a keen ability to select Twitter page backgrounds and photograph higher-angles with pout-ier profile photos to better reflect our personality than face-to-face conversation.

Users believe this is small price to pay for the disillusionment that accompanies the extended use of Twitter. It becomes

ANGELA BROCK This just in. Teens grow tired of stalking legitimate friends on Facebook and sign onto Twitter up-to-the-minute cyber connections.

The phenomenon is sweeping the globe. People everywhere are finding the froth of their own lives and those of their friends unsatisfying. Experts are following the trend and the findings are startling. Many whose Facebook statuses haven’t been updated in 48 to 72 hours, and thus thought to be emotionally unavailable by friends, can be found on Twitter, following the more satisfying minutia of celebrity life in order to get their fill. Facebook users now unable to reap joy from following the suggestive wall-to-walls of Dick and Jane can now turn to

(continued on page 23)

Opinion Despite His Being a Dog

The Kids Are Alright

KATE WALKER

I dislike animals. That sounds too harsh. Let me re-phrase. I am not an animal lover. Pictures of kittens don’t make me cry, the smell of dog’s breath makes me sick and fish bore me. I mean, what do fish do, what do they offer to the world? Nothing. Exactly.

The whole world of “animal love” makes me bury my head in my hands on a daily basis. As a human race, we have discovered multiple cures for deadly diseases, discovered and undiscovered planets (um…Pluto, anyone?), made MAC computers look so beautiful and discovered that, yes, there is a market for McDonalds in every city. But yet, people are still amused by YouTube videos of two parrots hitting their beaks together or a kitten chasing a ball of yarn for twenty minutes.

We have come so far and yet the simplicity of animal’s daily life is fascinating to people. Do you think a giraffe stands around commenting on how humans are so “gosh darn cute”? No, because they have lives.

No one has ever said, “I don’t like animals.” It’s just not done, until now of course. It’s a running joke in my household about my feelings toward the animal population, mostly because of the drastic difference between my sister and myself. She definitely cried at the kitten video previously mentioned.

I don’t hate animals. I am completely against animal cruelty. But just thinking about it, how can you really be for animal cruelty? Anyway, most people would be surprised to find out that I have a dog. Yes folks, the animal “disliker” has a dog. His name is Atticus Fetch, (yes…pun intended) and, yes, I love him. I love my dog not because he’s a dog, but because I love his personality. I love the way he curls up by my feet when I play the piano, I love the way he won’t go to sleep until

TRISTAN SEDGEWICK

The newest addition to the Walker family, Atticus Fetch

I’m home and I love the way he runs back inside the house with his ears flapping. I love my dog not because I have to, but because I want to. This could easily be compared to my sister. I love my sister, not because she’s my sister but because I love the way she runs back inside the house with her ears flapping.

My relationship with my dog was never this solid. Technically, he was a replacement…for me.

I’m going to university in the fall and my parents needed to ease this difficult transition. In fact, my parents were at one point contemplating the idea of calling the dog, “Replacement”. Of course, if that had happened, I would have told everyone his name was really Ruff or Spot. Our relationship was shaky at first. There were boundary issues. I didn’t like the jumping, the licking or the humping. As we have started to get to know each other, the relationship has blossomed and we have more of an understanding with one another. But, still, I do not approve of jumping, licking or humping.

I mean, it’s the principle of the thing.

I know I am going against the grain on this particular issue, which is why it’s an issue in the first place. Kristina Suchanek, a Grade twelve student, is a big animal lover. She loves the fact

that they “don’t talk or nag at you about things you have to do.”

Point taken. Love opposition; embrace it, smell it, take it, steal it, buy it for your friend’s birthday and realize you love it and then keep it and buy her something else. I get it. Animals are better than humans, or are they? In a progressive world changing every day to a more egalitarian society, I would hope that some day animals would be judged just like humans. Move over Judy, here comes Judge Rufus.

The thing is, I treat animals like humans. No one loves each and every human because it’s impossible to know each and every human, so how could you love each and every human? I don’t know all the animals in the world, so how can I love each and every animal in the world? Why would I wear a sweatshirt with kittens on it? I don’t know those kittens.

They could be awful, and if they are awful, what the heck are they doing on my sweatshirt. It’s basic logic.

So, of course, I would watch videos on YouTube of my dog going round and round biting his tail, because that is just so Atticus. But, no, I would not watch Fluffy the Furball chase a mouse, because I don’t know Fluffy. It’s quite simple really: I love my dog, despite his being a dog, of course.

Are we?

The Who seem to think so but our future Profs don’t. A survey released at the beginning of last month by the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations found 55% of university faculty said students coming into university are unprepared, less mature and lazy.

Faculty complaining about unprepared incoming students is nothing new. Going into university my dad’s year was so inept at writing essays that his Professor made the class write sentences and only when the sentences were good enough could they move onto essays. And that was in 1980. It seems that the teachers quoted in the Toronto Star article were upset that they had to hold catch-up classes; however, these preparation classes have always existed.

There is some truth to what the professors are talking about. Many of the professors who responded to the survey said that students today lack research skills, that, as Henry Mandelbaum, executive director at OCUFA puts it, “there is an over reliance on using Internet tools such as Wikipedia”. I have to agree. Teenage groans fill the classroom every time a teacher says to use books as a reference.

But I also have to disagree with our professors. Wikipedia has come a long way and is now quite reliable. Statistics and opinions are referenced and suspicious articles are flagged.

Another way we’re behind other generations is in spelling. Paola Mayer, a Professor at Guelph University, says that “the general standard of spelling and grammar of new students has deteriorated considerably”, which I fully agree with. We are taught grammar in English class but it’s not enough.

We still confuse its and it’s, there and their, him and me versus him and I. Spelling and grammar are

definitely things that our generation has become lazy about.

According to the survey, our Profs say we lack critical math and reading skills, and yet recent testing shows our basic skills are not declining. They are remaining stagnant or are improving. So if our skills are the same as they were three years ago, why do we lack them now?

One other thing that Professor Mayer is worried about is how students aren’t prepared for adjusting to the university work load. We may complain about the amount of work we get “but the amount of work that NT puts you through prepares you better than anything,” says Rose Duggan, a first year student at McGill and an NT grad.

Adults calling us lazy, less mature, and without work ethic might have some truth to it, but generalizing like that is just mean.

Go down to the library the day before the bio ISU is due and then tell me we are lazy. Tell me we have no work ethic when we stay up ‘til 2 in the morning finishing an essay. Hard work is spending your spare in the library, fingers eroding away hunched over a decrepit, sluggish PC. Of course there are kids who goof off, but there have always been and always will be slackers. It’s not a new phenomenon. While you have lazy students, you also have plenty of hard working students.

Perhaps calling us lazy is just a case of adults looking back on the “good old days”, a “when I was your age, I walked to school uphill (both ways) in my father’s pyjamas” kind of thing. Everyone looks back on their glory days and thinks they were better than the following generation.

If university is as Brian Brown, president of the OCUFA, says, “a totally different world” how can we be fully prepared? How can we prepare for something so completely unknown? The answer is, you can’t really.

21

Opinion Mind the Gap CONOR HALL

“I’ve never been to Alaska, but I can tell you this, I’ve been to Lincoln Nebraska and hell you know it ain’t worth ****”

- Dallas Green

It’s the end of high school for us grads and most Grade 12’s will now rush off to colleges or universities here in the Toronto area, across Canada, and in places outside Canada. But some people – myself included - will take a gap year in order to focus studying on one specific area, or, take time to figure out what they’re going to do with their future, or just to take a year to travel. If I took a survey of students at NT to see if they love traveling, I’m sure most of them would say yes.

What is it about traveling that is so appealing? Traveling allows us to get away from the grind, leave this sometimes-crappy Canadian winter weather behind, visit family, and taste freedom. Some like the adventure of the journey itself - planning and getting there is half the fun. Others like that first day of arrival in a new place – everything is new and exciting. I’ve always found it difficult to decide whether I’d want to continue going to same place where I’ve been before, but know that I would love it there, or go to a completely different place I’ve never been before and explore. Of course traveling does have its downsides, such as cost, small fears of unfamiliarity, finding the right amount of time, and larger fears such as illness, terrorism and other perils of the 21st century.

After high school, you may be able to take time to travel around the world and visit different places that you have always dreamed of going to before – provided you have either parents to bankroll your plan or you sign up for a volunteer program overseas to help subsidize your adventure such as Katimavik, Global Volunteers, Go Global and many others.

In my seventeen years of living, I haven’t traveled very far – in fact I haven’t been outside of North America. In these times – and in this neighborhood – not having been to Europe or South America may sound like a hardship to some of you. I’ve only traveled in Canada and the United States, but that doesn’t mean that I haven’t traveled to some cool places such as Montreal, parts of Eastern Canada, Miami, New York, Boston, Cape Cod, Cleveland and parts of Pennsylvania and Delaware. In all of these different places, I’ve had many different experiences in many different environments from big city to small town. New York is one of my favourite places in the world – in fact I think it’s the best city in the world. Every country in the world is there in New York. From uptown in Harlem, to down on the Lower East Side, the whole city is bustling with people. I’ve always found New York very friendly.

New Type of Hair Care

KAYLA APOSTOLIDES Crusty gelled hair, mop heads, greasy hair; well I for one am quite content that for once a company has taken the pressure off females to look ‘perfect’ and ‘sexy’ and pointed the finger at men, putting them in the hot seat.

As I was sitting on the subway, bored out of my mind, on my way home from work, I looked up to see a somewhat disturbing image: visual vomit as I’d like to call it.

Although the picture tingled my senses and woke me from the subway lull, my immediate reaction was to laugh (out loud may I

add). Getting several looks from people to my left, I smiled, gritted my teeth, and continued to look at the ad. To my surprise, as I looked further down, the subway cart was covered in these ads.

Crusty gelled hair, mop heads, and greasy hair ads.

Further examining the first image, a boy with crusty gelled hair that had a lovely caption beside it saying: “87% of woman think crusty gelled hair is a real turn off”- Well duh! Who wants to run their hand through a bed of nails?

More so, who wants nasty gel res-

Everything is there – great music, great restaurants and street life and friendly Americans. Boston is a small town trying to be a big city. It has great history but not much of a night scene. Cleveland is a city with a cold and lonely vibe – except if you happen to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

My second favourite place is Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Make that South Yarmouth to be exact.

It is actually everything New York isn’t – a quiet sleepy town, on the ocean surrounded by nature but somehow it’s never boring. And again, everyone is friendly. It’s a beach town and it’s very laid back.

Pennsylvania and Delaware have lots of small and tight knit communities. Miami has the beautiful weather with great beaches, some nice ladies in bikinis and nice tall palm trees, but it’s high crime, not a very friendly place and you wouldn’t want to be roaming the streets at 2:00 AM. Montreal, though not my favourite Canadian city, allows me to practice the results of my French immersion on the locals. The city also has a great music scene and some colleges that are very popular with the NT crowd.

When you’re new to an area, you want to feel welcomed and be comfortable in the new environment you’re in. You also want a place where there’s a lot of action and a lot of things to do.

So whether you’re loaded with cash and plan to travel around the world, or you’re cash strapped and plan on traveling around Southern Ontario, traveling during your gap year will – hopefully – help you get ready for the one thing you’re putting off at the moment – four more years of hitting the books.

“I’ve been through Nova Scotia, Sydney to Halifax, I’ll never take any pictures cause I know I’ll just be right back.”

For times like these…

idue on their hands, with nowhere to wipe it off but your clean shirt?

But it also occurred to me, that my boyfriend has spiky gelled hair, does that mean that 87% of women think he is unattractive?

Does that mean my friends are lying to me? “ He’s so hot!” “ He is so attractive!” C’mon girls; be honest next time. Maybe I just didn’t notice his hair, because the media hasn’t told me I should: until now. But when has that ever been a concern?

Since when did the media start projecting that men have to look good and presentable? They’ve never had to feel bad about themselves, or the styles they like. For the 17 years I’ve been living, it’s always what women should do.

Invisa lines, cellulite cream, tanning, moisturizers, new clothes, waxing, makeup, plastic surgery, cosmetic surgery (and the newest of these phenomena’s- vaginal reconstructive surgery); the list goes on. It’s always what women need to do to “ get the guy”. Every look for men in the past and present has been accepted; their

options are unlimited. Geeky, jock, preppy, skaters, surfers, cali boys; all these ‘types’ of men can be seen as hot, attractive, and wait, what? Have a good personality too! Because that’s one thing that females actually DO look for. As for us girls, you’re either popular, pretty, and skinny, or an ugly, frumpy, nerd. Your personality hardly matters according to the media, and even many people in our society. “Listen ladies, if you want a relationship it’s called a stair master; get on it, no one falls in love with your personality at first sight” to quote a new and upcoming film.

Teen movies, from the beginning of our era (the nineties), always project that the “media pretty”, popular, rich, skinny girl will get the guy. And what if they start off as a ‘geek’? Well, in the end, they will get made over into a Barbie doll, and then, yes, finally, get the guy. Not to mention become totally unconcerned with education. Look at movies such as: Mean Girls, Princess Diaries, and anything starring Freddie

CHRIS BLACKFORD How do you measure intelligence? Some people measure it based on their report cards, others on the strength of their resume, still others think it’s being able to convince students that x = 3 one week and that x = 5 another.

I think one major way of measuring intelligence is the ability to plan ahead, such as studying for tests if you want high grades, or setting a date for a job interview if you want to earn some money.

Planning ahead is essential in every aspect and decision of your life. What benefits you now is important, but what is even more important is what will further you in your future. It is a skill necessary at any age but particularly in high school where you begin to make more and more decisions on your own.

Unfortunately, the idea of thinking ahead gets lost in our impulsive actions and needs for immediate gratification. Throughout the world our leaders are still rejecting long term planning for short term solutions. Governors are sleeping with prostitutes, athletes are taking steroids and famous musicians are being charged with assault; we’re all guilty of forgetting the long term consequences.

Let me be clear, throwing people in jail is short term, finding the reason they committed the crime and finding solutions to the cause is long term. Even the hot button environmental movement took a back seat to the economic collapse in the U.S. election this year. I

graphic by Monica Cheng

highly doubt we will be calculating financial trends and drawing up spreadsheets when we’re up to our knees in rising sea levels and up to our heads in smog.

Habits in high school often parallel those in the outside world.

(Wait this applies to you???) Admittedly, we’re not starting wars or burning witches, however, not all short term thinking is this extreme.

For example, consider the difficultly some students have missing a few episodes of “House” to look for volunteer opportunities, taking time out of their schedule to review concepts they don’t understand with their teachers, or…. dare I go there?.... perhaps not drinking alcohol every Friday so they can maybe wake up Saturday morning afternoon with the same brain cell count as when they went to bed? (I guess it’d be too much for me to suggest you stop drinking entirely.)

I stated earlier in this article that times have always been tough and I stand by that, but I’ll admit some things have changed. Although there always have been problems and always will be problems, this generation has an advantage. We have the advantage of learning from the past. The danger of short term thinking is visible in failing tests, failing health, failing policies world wide. We should be making decisions based on how they will affect the future because as soon as we act in the present it will already be in the past.

Prince Junior, and you’ll get what I’m talking about.

As if these movies don’t say enough, just turn on the television. Any channel you’re watching, even the (Family Channel) projects these images of woman.

Not only what they look like, but how these pretty, skinny women live amazing lives. These companies are not merely trying to sell you products that are a waste of money; rather these amazing life styles that come along with these new products. If you get this new razor, your legs will look smooth, and THEN, you will be on a tropical island dancing with Brad Pitt.

I understand where Axe is coming from; I’m sure its part of their recession relief package, (even though they like to call it: “ Axe Hair Crisis Relief” [clearly code for WE NEED MONEY, Axe, I’m not fooled]), to kick start their sales, and I’m sure other companies will follow suit and target men for their new sales.

But all in all the shoe is now on the other foot, men; it’s your turn to feel the heat.

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Journalists for Human Rights

23

The Taxi Project: Canada and Immigration ELIZABETH JOHNSTON Officially, 120, 000 Mexican women are raped each year. Unofficially that number is much higher. Abortion is still illegal in Catholic Mexico unless the woman is a rape victim. Yet even then safe abortions are not always provided and women are often intimidated, insulted and threatened by those who prosecute them. 90% of all rape victims choose not to report the crime. One young woman did speak up after she was raped. She was working with a human rights lawyer and a youth activist to hopefully bring justice and shed light on an issue that largely goes unseen. The lawyer was killed.

It is in this setting that Benjamin Santamaria Ochoa began the long process of immigration.

Seven years ago, Ochoa immigrated; and in that time he became very familiar with the tedium of Canadian court systems. He learned the government requires pages of forms to be filled out, a full medical exam, and a provable written story as to the reasons for immigration. Next, a “hearing” decided whether or not to grant him refugee status. More forms followed. It seems reasonable that a government would want to take a series of precautions before admitting a person to the country.

However, when basic precautions

turn into factory exploitation and job restrictions something has to be done. Ochoa’s own experience proved that however influential one may be in their hometown, that reputation is often lost in transit. Once in Canada, the only thing he could study was English, and he had to get a special permit for certain jobs.

He believes the process is too long; rooms and shelter are available and welfare is given at the beginning, but this is usually not enough. While Canada is cleaner, safer and worker’s rights better respected, the quality of life was much better in Mexico. Ochoa had to leave his (now ex-) wife and two daughters in Mexico; life is cheaper there due to lower salaries.“Canada is very expensive” he says. More Mexicans are coming to Canada each year (95, 000 in 2008); as a result exploitation is on the rise as well. With organized crime rampant throughout Mexico, many are packing their bags. A longstanding war exists between the police and the powerful drug cartels. In 2008 there were 2, 600 drug related murders, which is more than double the rate in years before.

Authorities claim the deaths are due to rival cartels shooting each

Water privitization: oil of the 21st century TRISTAN SEDGEWICK Water privatization is, as the name implies, water services switching hands from public government services to private corporations. Water ceases to be an assumed service and becomes a luxury.

We don’t hear about water privatization (which is what the companies want) but it is happening all around us. About 300 million people, mostly in the third world, get their water from either Suez, Veolia Environment (both French) or RWE (German). When the water was public the money spent on the water stayed in the local economic cycle, now the money leaves a place like Bolivia and goes to France.

Places in the US like Detroit have gone private, and it’s been detrimental for those who can’t afford it. Water companies gradually raise the fees for water and those who can’t afford water have to go without. A World Without Water (True Vision Documentary) gives the story of a family in Detroit who can’t afford water and are forced to get water from their neighbours two or three times a day. There are over forty thousand households in Detroit alone without running water. It is impossible to conceive that living in one of the best countries in the world doesn’t entitle you to a basic human necessity.

Closer to home, Hamilton’s water was supposed to be a glorious example of how water privatization works. It turned out to be

the opposite. In the late 90s, while under a private company, pipes burst and millions of litres of raw sewage flooded people’s homes and buildings. The city contends that the problem was due to malfunctioning pipes but far more likely is the plant wasn’t working properly. Hamilton’s water woes weren’t limited to just sewage spews but also corporate scandal.

Azurix who owned Hamilton water were owned by no other than American giant Enron. Then the water switched to American Water who is owned by German conglomerate RWE. The World Bank pushes privatization in third world countries so more people can have access to clean water. With 1.1 billion people lacking clean water, it is a great idea, but how are the people who lack water going to get it?

For a family on minimum wage in Bolivia, the cost to connect to the water supply is equivalent to nine months of salary. If the World Bank wants the poorest to get clean water, why do they set unrealistic prices?

Water cannot become a commodity. It is an essential human right that cannot be bought of sold. 3900 children a day die from unclean water and problems related to unclean water and if companies like Suez and RWE continue to charge unfair rates for clean water that figure will only rise. While we don’t have to worry about privatization in Toronto yet we might and we have to fight the privatization of our water.

yet is doing nothing about it. He sees NAFTA as inhibiting rather than benefiting either side. Both countries have conservative governments, and he believes Canada is turning a “blind eye” on the activities of its political friend.

Firmly leftist, he continues that the conservative government’s interests lie in gaining money, not in the betterment of human life. These types of people, in his mind, are “intellectually and morally poor”.

Ochoa was living happily in Mexico before the murder of his lawyer and friend. He had a stable job, a decent salary and was able to teach youth everywhere about equality and children’s rights. While burning the midnight oil, he was inspired by Jimi Hendrix. With wailing guitars riffing through his head, he had the sudden impulse to begin to write. He described this neing many Mexicans wonder if cessity like the need to make love. this extensive assault is worth the Poetry was an easy fit for Ochoa, continual threat of violence from who found spiritual release and both parties. Some are advocating self-realization could be one and decriminalizing drugs to reduce the same. Ochoa is in fact a poet, the profits of the cartels, and in teacher, human rights activist, acturn make the narcotics easier to tor, journalist, novelist and marcontrol. The United States has be- vellous storyteller. His passion for come involved after drug-related life led him to a four month placeviolence spilled like blood across ment at George Brown in 2004 the border. President Calderon re- to work with “Writers in Exile”; PEN Canafutes accusations that Mexico is a “While burning the midnight da’s program failed state, and oil, he was inspired by Jimi that allows in fact the “zones Hendrix. With wailing gui- people forced to leave their of impunity” (areas of uncon- tars riffing through his head, countries due trolled violence) he had the sudden impulse to to persecution for their writare significantly write.” ing a chance smaller than previous years. Despite recent to make academic and journaliscartel arrests, however, murder tic connections in Canada.

Several Grade 12 classes had the and violence are still prominent, especially when cartels have a opportunity to see The Taxi Proj“money for silence” operation ect in mid-April. The play is part built throughout the government of the PEN Canada Art initiative, and numerous authority figures Art For Real Change Collective, in Mexico. Drugs are always in and the Writers in Exile Program. demand and authorities recognize It presents the stories of four imthat an industry that consistently migrants from, Ethiopia, China, Bosnia and Mexico, and their proves profitable will never die.

Ochoa passionately states that experiences after they arrived in Prime Minister Stephen Harper Canada. The actors capture the knows of the Mexican corruption, frustration of immigration regula-

tions as well as the hopelessness of being lost in a new country.

While a fun loving and admirable man, Ochoa is deeply concerned for Mexico. Women are now organizing and fighting against the government, and he knows that change is in the air.

People throughout South America are rethinking their role in society. It is hard to maintain the spirit of peaceful change in the face of Mexican police corruption, ruthless cartels and the federal military, yet Ochoa has still got it.

Despite the protests, the Mexican army is terrorizing and prosecuting social and student leaders, making the state and government richer while the people are still largely unprotected, says Ochoa.

He has grounds for his perhaps radical statements, having lived through Operation Condor, a plan to establish military governments in all South American countries and eradicate all socialist thought and influence. The Operation was proven to be supported by the CIA and killed an estimated 60, 000 people.

Ochoa has written two books in Spanish that promote youth awareness of social justice issues: “Don’t forget, Mexico 68” (about a CIA supported student massacre) and “Colour Your Rights” (about the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child). He is also the author of “Tales of the Monkey King” (titled after the nickname given to him by street kids in Durango). He has also produced several theatre plays for children in South America and the U.S, including the play “Sacred Training to Liberate all Desert Roses”, a story about human trafficking.

His aim is to encourage youth and children to take the steps to self realization while teaching them about the issues surrounding human rights.

Ochoa’s only request is that the youth of today be receptive to learning about Latin America and human rights. Following the philosophy that everything is sacred, Ochoa hopes youth can have fun and experience all there is to learn about any issue they are passionate about.

track of time, missing sleep, and skipping meals. Their resulting weakened immune systems are more susceptible to disease, going untreated due to distractions, preoccupations and general procrastination, and causing organ failure. The good news is that through analyzing wall-posts, statuses and tweets, the authorities can pin-point the exact-time of death. Users of the networking sites are moving that the creators of Facebook introduce a Funeral Application and event like birthdays on the ‘Today’ notification board make room for deaths-dueto-surfing. This ways other users in surrounding networks, people tagged in the same photos, or fel-

low members of television-program-tribute-groups can mourn the loss of 1/357th of their friend catalogue.

other, but many soldiers, police, and innocent civilians have been killed as well. Mexican President Filipe Calderon has initiated a series of full scale raids on the cartels using federal police and tens of thousands of soldiers. A rising body count is mak-

Tweeting Twits

- Continued from page 18

... difficult and unnecessary to distinguish between the candid stories by friends that people have actually met and the polished tweets by Twitterers with display pictures of the famous.

The intoxication that Twitter lends is grabbing hold of its user, but one finds that the Facebook tattoo doesn’t wash off so easily, they have to factor in additional time for pseudo-communication. “Teens are dropping dead at their keyboards”, Dr. Circlebird of Orange County says. Between Twitter, Facebook and the prehistoric Myspace, users are losing

Sports So close, yet so far away Sports teams practicing at Eglinton Park SAM KELLERMAN Ever see those red-faced kids walking into first period panting, carrying sports bags, and looking like they just rolled out of a pile of dirt and into homeform? Chances are these students are some of the many athletes who venture over to Eglinton Park almost every day to participate in early morning or after school team practices.

You may think, hey that’s not too far from school. However, when you actually think about the inconvenience of finishing practice at 8:40 and having 20 minutes to book it back to school and get ready for the day, you can see how it’s a real rush – and how annoying it must be for coaches and students who need to cut their practice back a bit shorter.

There are good and bad things about NT not having its own field.

One good thing is that many more teams can use the park at one time than using the old field out back, (and I think we all remember the complications of girls field hockey and boys football sharing the old field every morning…) so no one gets stuck with the after school practice on a Friday. But when your hair is plastered to your forehead, it isn’t nice to think that the boys rugby team is just across the park, or the baseball team is practicing on the diamond.

You don’t only just see other NT teams at the park, but other schools and programs. Marshall Mcluhan Secondary School has been known to have gym classes out in Eglinton Park, as well as one or two Northern teams.

I’ve also seen 8 year old girls on a soccer team practicing one morning. A grade eleven NTer Alex McRobert does a fitness bootcamp at Eglinton Park a few mornings a week. She says that if North Toronto only had a field, she wouldn’t have to suffer the embarrassment of seeing the boys rugby team at 7:00 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, the same time as her workout.

There’s also the humiliation of never having home games, or having to use another school as your home field. I know that some for some of the girls soccer games, almost all are away games except for a couple at NORTHERN. We’re so in need of a field, we’ll go over to our “rivals” to ask to borrow their field. Having no home games also makes it not as fun, because you won’t have people from your school out cheering for you.

Another con is that we have to rely on the City of Toronto parks people to make sure the field is in good shape and to open

Ulimate Spotlight: Ian Heystee ALEX MCROBERT

photo by Daniel Jacobs Ian Heystee is new to N.T’s Ultimate team this year, but he’s already considered one of the teams most valuable players.

While recovering from a broken foot last year, he had a chance to see both his brothers playing Varsity Ultimate Frisbee, which generated his own interest in the sport. Many of the younger players on the team look up to him for guidance.

Ian is planning on playing Varsity Frisbee when he leaves N.T. at either Bishops or Carelton – but not until after he defers his acceptance for a year and travels the world. He’s volunteering in Indonesia for six months next year,

where he’ll be staying with a host family, and volunteering in the community. He’ll then travel to Spain to tour with his older brother, and finally fly to Egypt for the last few months of the year, where he’ll be staying with friends. He promises he’ll be picking up the sport again upon his return.

“My biggest challenge in the game is I get way too into it,” he said while laughing. “I flip out at many of the players since there aren’t any referees… I get pretty heated. I usually have to apologize to the other team after!”

We wish good luck to the Ultimate team overall in the upcoming semi-finals!

photo by Erik Ryken

it for us. Before NT got the permit to practice at Eglinton Park, the girls rugby team practiced at Sherwood Park and were forced to dodge the bikers, dogs and parents with young children. There are still fences around part of Eglinton Park, but teams are practicing anyways– which shows the dedication of North Toronto students to their sports teams. The field is full of ditches, puddles and dog poo is everywhere to be seen. People come out of practice looking like they have just rolled around in dirt and puddles for an hour. The fields are not in the best condition and you have to be careful where you step. Some may even go so far in saying that sports are more fun that way, and that the dirtier you are, the better the practice. By the time you’ve hopped over all the puddles and

dog poo, you are basically eligible for the long jump event on the track team.

Teachers also weigh in on the issue. Mr. J thinks that it is the ups and downs, or the ying and yang of life. He’s proud of how the athletes of NT have responded to the immense challenges. He believes that this sacrifice is worth it for the future NT students who are going to have a new school and field. The Girls Phys. Ed department has taken to the slogan of “It is, what it is.” Mrs. Rough says that NT sports teams live on every year due to the teachers willing to make it work, and the students participating every year.

NTCI has never had the best facilities in Toronto, but every year there are teams that do well and athletes who make it to OFSAA. Mrs. Rough reminisced on a par-

ticular occasion where the softball team was at Eglinton Park, and she didn’t have their permit on them. There was a mother with a few young boys who were playing on the diamond. Eventually, the softball team decided to stay to practice ALONG with the 10 year old boys. What an interesting way to start the season!

When talking to people about the issue of using Eglinton Park, I found out that many students don’t mind that much, which surprised me. This just shows how many students love their sports and don’t care if they have to rush every day to and from Eglinton Park. The track team’s mantra seams to sum up the way NT can overcome its challenges, “No Track, No Field, No Problem.”

Recession

every news-station? The evidence is contradictory. Flip to March in your agenda’s calendar. Starting on the 11th, you’ll see a little box labelled “Spanish, German and Greece Trips”. Did any of these trips happen? No. “I was really disappointed when the Greece trip got cancelled,” laments Allison Soong of the Classical Civilizations class. “But it was expensive.” The trip is a long-standing tradition of the Classics Club, happening every four years. The last trip, in 2006, took roughly 25 students and chaperones to Italy; this year, the minimum quota could not be met. A similar lack of interest caused the Spanish and German trips to be cancelled.

Could the Benin trip meet a similar fate? Alex McRobert, Grade 11, expressed her anxiety. “Every time that someone drops out, it makes it more expensive for the rest.” But support for Benin remains strong, and an admirable fundraising campaign continues to draw interest for the cause.

Mr Gorenkoff, though, had reassuring words for North Toronto as he shared his views regarding the school’s situation in the economy.

“We are seeing some effects,” he admitted, “But nothing that will specifically and directly influence the way the school is run.” One of the biggest changes he has seen is, in fact, a boon for NT’s future.

“We’re receiving larger numbers of incoming grade 8’s. One factor going into this is the rising cost in private schools – we’ve got 10 or 12 more students whose parents have moved them to the public system.” Many are also attracted by the allure of the new building.

But rising attendance is a challenge if you don’t have the budget to buy new textbooks, a problem made urgent by the changes in science and math curricula.

With textbooks weighing down the budget, some cuts are necessitated. “There are some things I can’t reduce – phone bills, photocopying – and so we will be seeing fewer fieldtrips, for example.

It costs $400 to bring in a single supply teacher.”

Students would no doubt be unhappy to see these cuts, and Mr Gorenkoff is well aware of the value such luxuries bring to the high-school. “I wouldn’t call them extras. There really is no fat to cut down on – everything students do contributes to their rich experience at North Toronto.”

But it seems there is an essential core which cannot be compromised; belt-tightening must occur in other areas. When asked about the sports facilities in the new school, and whether or not any plans had been influenced by the changing economy, Mr Gorenkoff was unconcerned. “The budget is fixed, and as long as we continue to be frugal and careful, things will go smoothly. It’s all going to be OK.” On a final note, when he was questioned about the cracks in his wall, he denied allegations that the school had no budget for maintenance. “We’ve had an engineer come in and inspect the building, and it is structurally sound,” he said with a smile.

There may be tremors and crashes coming in from the bustle outside, but inside NT’s thick brick walls, things continue as normal.

- continued from cover fees. There is bad news for future applicants, however: “In its 2008 budget, the Government of Canada declared its intention not to renew the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation after its initial mandate is complete. As a result, the Foundation’s ability to make awards to students will expire in January 2010. No student will receive a Millennium Bursary after 2009.”

With sources of funding drying up, students looking to finance their post-secondary education will have to shoulder more and more of the cost onto themselves and their families. But Ms. Barrett in the Guidance office, when asked if there had been an increase in the number of students asking about government loans and OSAP, looked bemused.

“There hasn’t really been much of a change,” she shrugged. Ms. Withers agreed with her. “No, I can’t say there’s been any difference from normal.”

Have student’s plans for university been affected? “Nope, I’m still going to Kings!” Paula Sanderson exclaimed cheerfully.

Dustin Dubiel had a slightly longer story. “My family had invested in stocks for my university,” he explained. “That all disappeared when the markets went down.”

He remains optimistic, however.

NT students appear to have a very relaxed view of their financial future.

But what of the present? Is NT feeling the affects at all of the general slowdown trumpeted over on

25

Humour

The Day the Music Died and was Re-Animated as Child-eating Zombie-Puke WILL RUTLEDGE AND KAVEH GHORASHI It was lunch-time, Wednesday May 18th, 2039. Our last Graffiti issue was due out soon and we had a meeting to control. When we got there it was in shambles, the Grim Reaper had a hold of Vince by his teats and was slowly unraveling his pancreas into a heap of tissue and gut-juice on the floor, Daniel Jacobs was bikiniclad like a 1950s Caveman photo shoot model and yelling obscenities at Madeleine Cummings who was being force fed spinach and banana flavored baby formula by a large man with black talons and impeccably combed hair.

“Great Persian rugs!” Kaveh shouted.

Ten minutes and we had the place under control. Daniel was strapped to a chair, babbling words of insanity, foaming at the mouth, still trapped in an LSD induced ego-trip while Madeleine had been freed from the large taloned man after Kaveh had delivered him a little of the ol’ one-two fisticuffs of Middle Eastern Men for Power and Equality. Vince unfortunately was too far gone to save and the Grim Reaper, an admirable foe, had gotten off with him and two of my most prized Def Leppard albums. Consider us even, Deathwimp.

“Thanks, Kaveh and Will! You saved us from the chaos and now we owe you our lives and a gaggle of royally raised Scandinavian virgins!” Daniel SAID. “But wait, Daniel! While we were in the clutches of Impending Doom…we missed any opportunity to plan our paper which is due out soon and prom is in two days!” Madeleine said.

“Kaveh, Will, our proverbial testicles are in quite the metaphorical vice in this instance and it’d be truly grand of you if you could clean up this mess of absurdity before tomorrow.” The Brit (Alex McKenzie) said.

“Damnit, Alex! For the last time, Kaveh and I are loose cannons and we do the opposite of what the Brass wants. So either humour us or get out of my way before I mind-punch your psyche and bring your nightmares to reality.” I said.

Mind-punch ensued. Nightynight, mate.

We met up with Riggs, Murtagh and Snake Plissken outside the building. They filled us in on the details.

“A gang of teenagers known as the Jonas Brothers are holding your paper hostage on the 38th floor along with a group of in-

The Wit and Wisdom of Ben Harvey

Kaveh and Will Save Graffiti One Verbal Bicep at a Time:

nocent baby bald eagles and they’re apparently burning an entire inventory of American Flags.”

Kaveh and I shrugged, slapped some oil on our biceps, adjusted our skin tight underwear and proceeded to charge towards the building.

In the distance a child was crying, then the sound of Bambi being torn apart by Werewolves filled the room.

“Crumpets…they must be blasting their Greatest Hits.”

I said, horrifically grossed out. “Those anti-American bastards!” Kaveh clenched his fist, the kind of moment where the Camera slowly zooms in on his eyes and makes sure the audience can taste, smell and feel the Intensity of Manliness.

What happened next can only be put into a chronological list to convey the Symphonic Orchestrated Ballet of Blood that occurred: First: Kaveh grabbed Kevin Jonas by his downstairs curls and swung him around while he screamed like a girl scout being sucked into an escalator.

Second: I got the other Jonas Bros by the teeth and fed them to the Man-Eating Alien Orifice that is located in my navel.

Third: I proceeded to have an allergic reaction and regurgitated the Jonas-scum back onto the floor.

Fourth: Barely clothed women looked on in horror. Children were scarred for life. Mitchell Fort hasn’t been seen since.

Fifth: Kaveh finished with Kevin Jonas and came to my aid. We realized that the pile of chunks that I had blown only moments ago was reformulating into a flying glob of Reanimated Pukas Brothers. Then Will had a great idea.

Sixth: (This has been censored.

You’re welcome, Sanity.).

Seventh: We returned the baby eagles to their nests and handed the American flags out to the poor.

Eighth: We took a load off at the discotheque and ended up dancing nude with the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders at a Merle Haggard concert at Fort Man in Texas.

So there you go. That’s how this issue got published.

You’re welcome, Hippies.

P.S. R.I.P. Jack Bauer. Sorry you had to get in our way. Remember kids, do your reps. Interracial High-five! Fin. This is how you end an article.

Fork It SKYE WATTIE

Spit some passion NT. I know, it’s hard to sit in an un-air-conditioned class taking notes on gobbldygook, as the squirrels prance around gaily outside. Fork you squirrels. May is intense and some slight changes are necessary to increase the productivity of students in such times.

We don’t need better drinking fountains; we need Red Bull vending machines. We should all wear rollerblades inside the school to minimize travel time.

Remove all doors, put padding on the walls and put plywood over the stairs to make ramps. Make each locker-break a race to the next class. Expel Kaveh; he’s laissez faire and he can’t rollerblade.

Everyone should wear shockingly zany colours and Under Armor.

Absolutely no free-spirited squirrels allowed on school grounds.

Fork you Kaveh.

Those were just the annual changes we have to make for May. Generally, there are only a couple petite changes which should be made to this school until the day of reckoning with dynamite and wrecking balls.

George, our hall monitor, needs some intimidating shades and backup — Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones from Men in Black, and Kevin Bacon to go undercover and bust those punks

who scribble banter about my mom’s genitalia on the bathroom walls. We need erasable marker boards in the bathroom, so I can erase the vulgar words which disturb me every time I pee. Oh fiddle sticks! They’re rebels so they’ll just write on the windows, mirrors, and stalls. When they get caught, Kevin Bacon should pin the little knaves up against the wall so Tommy Lee Jones can erase their memory. George will definitely need some shades if he’s hanging out with the Men in Black.

Warning: my writing has become dangerously assertive.

There will be absolutely no more slamming doors in student’s faces at 9:02 am. There will be no more cracking radiators. There will be no bathroom doors opening into hallways. There will always be toilet paper in the bathroom. There will be a cute red assistance button complete with intercom in every bathroom stall.

Every bathroom stall will have a small table which folds out from the stall wall (for those who use Visine).

There will be no taking students’ phones away because we feel it is our right to have instant access to 911 at all times. There will be super-sized lockers. There will be bean bag chairs everywhere. Headphones will be allowed in class, as long as the

music being listened to is intense enough to increase the speed with which one writes. Mr. Hood’s job description will now include random headphone checks to make sure proper music is being listened to (Megadeath, Slayer, Slip Knot, and Taylor Swift). We need bike racks. There should be ashtray stands out front — like they have outside bars. I’ve seen alleyways cleaner than the front of our school. The only time the school will call my house is to say, “Master Wattie, this is a reminder that it is a late start tomorrow”. Fork you Kaveh.

Kevin Bacon, squirrels, and Kaveh got me all riled up. I guess what I’m trying to say is this. We work extremely hard in the spring.

We try to get involved with extracurriculars, and many of us have jobs, but too often school refuses to accommodate these virtues as it should. Only this year’s Grade nine’s, ten’s and eleven’s will benefit from the new school (but that’s okay, they’ll be busy writing notes to Kaveh as they sit on their lush new field). As for the rest of us, we were promised a new school, and that won’t happen; but some bike racks and drinking fountains that would be nice.

One last mandate: no more random Graffiti articles to distract students from their compacted, hectic May schedule.

THE

Kaveh SECTION

I went from being a silly kid with a grudge to being a silly kid with a grudge and a massive following. It’s not because I was funny (I am very funny), but because I was different.

If you’re looking to set the world on fire with your words, you don’t have to be funny just because everyone else is doing it. If everyone’s writing about stupid things like, “man, I got drunk last night took a swing at a cop! I got tasered!” or, “my life is just like Grey’s Anatomy, I met this guy who looks exactly like Patrick Dempsey, LOL!” then write something about 19th century serial killers or whatever. Just be different, and you’ll be remembered (unless they forget about you upon graduation, which they will likely do, because you are not me).

Photos by Daniel Jacobs and Madeleine Cummings

Daniel Craig vs. a Bulldozer The Incredible Nightcrawler (KAVEH GHORASHI)

Daniel slams against the jagged rocks of the mountainside.

The Bulldozer has proven to be a more dastardly foe than Daniel had anticipated. He roars mannishly, and hurls himself at the Bulldozer. Panicked, the Bulldozer sets itself on fire and will heretofore be referred to as the Flaming Bulldozer.

Daniel Craig pulls his “that can’t be good” face, and looks around for everyday objects he can use as weapons because guns are for losers. (That is, unless you’re shooting a guy through your own arm, in which case you are awesome.) Daniel runs towards a rhinoceros that has materialized out of thin air just as the Flaming Bulldozer begins to charge.

With the Flaming Bulldozer bearing down on him inconceivably quickly, Daniel recites a shamanistic chant and fuses himself with the rhinoceros, creating Rhino Craig. Fortunately, at this point, the entire freakin’ world explodes, ending a story that really wasn’t going anywhere to begin with.

Hi, I’m Robert Pattinson, and this is an article for Writer’s Craft that I forged out of the feet of Hobbits because it makes me feel like a big man. Why begin a journalistic article with a nonsensical story about James Bond a n d a piece o f s e n tient c o n struction equipment?

B e cause i t ’ s cool, t h a t ’s why.

You

want hardnosed journalism?

Here’s your hardnosed journalism: a few weeks ago the Denver Post reported that an old woman in South Carolina and her dog were found dead in the woman’s apartment; and that no one noticed she was gone for the entirety of the eighteen month period between her death and the discovery of her body by her tax collectors. It’s believed that the dog died of thirst a few days after the woman passed away.

Didn’t like that, did you?

Now you sit there in your uncomfortable chair swaying around, with your face all scrunched up trying to keep yourself from crying (this is especially funny when you imagine Kyle MacKellar doing it), and praying to a god you’ve never believed in that none of what I’ve said is true. But hey, this is Keanu Reeves you’re talking to, and everything I say is 100% true. What do I hope to gain from all this incessant rambling? What do I want?

I want everything. I want money, as much of it as possible. I want a monkey to dance for me in a humorous manner, and I want a submarine full of chocolate. And someone start breeding bears and hyenas so I can have my own horribly mutated army.

Realistically though, I just want the entire world to know the fact that I have rock hard abs. Maybe I should run for President of the World or something. Guys will be all like, “Hey…remember that clinically insane guy who ran for a position that doesn’t exist?”

And then their girlfriends will be all like, “yeah, he was amazing.”

Then the boyfriend will get jealous and leave, which would make me “Zordon, Destroyer of Relationships.” Shut up, I am awesome.

And maybe along with the entire planet, I’d like a girl who doesn’t get emotionally attached so she won’t start asking questions when I disappear for months at a time (I will be helping Tyler Durden start up a Fight Club in Miami). Also, she’ll have to be into beards because, let’s face it, I have a massive one. I’m Kaveh by the way.

How to Define a Newspaper in 700 Words or Less

Here’s my quick three step program on how I’m going to get the world to vote me in as the guy who runs everything:

1. Through my comedic writ-

ing that will one day light up the hearts of millions (by light up, I mean literally set on fire). I will gain a massive following made up of everyone who likes wearing pants.

2. Using my readers as a launch-

ing pad, I will win the World Election with my devilish charm.

I would have said Canadian election, but you actually have to be from Canada for that. It would be cool if I was from the future or space.

3. The rest of the plan is secret.

So that’s the three-step plan this whole article has been about; try it for yourself sometime! If you’re having trouble with the third step, make something up.

I don’t care.

This is my top ten list. If you go back through the article to check and see if I actually talked about ten things, you could win my utter disgust. Anyway, Thomas Waite said he didn’t like my lists, so I decided to trick the punk by writing a list anyway but in paragraph form because causing each other misery has been the sole bright spot in the lives of Thomas and myself for the past four years. If you have a problem with the new format of the list, find Thomas Waite and fling this newspaper at his eye. Oh, what’s that? You want a real list? You like numbers? Here’s a number: four! That’s right, four! Score one for the good guys.

See, one day I sit down in English class, and Thomas starts off on how depressing my lists are and how I should change my writing style. I’m all like, the day you swallow a fish straight from the ocean without chewing or anything, that’s when I’ll change my writing style for you. Then he’s all, “look at me, I’m Thomas Waite! I can’t go anywhere without my massive purple shoes because they lift me up like, five inches and I secretly want to make small children cry!”

Fortunately, at this point, my computer explodes, ending an article that was never really going anywhere to begin with.

the Whimsy Boy (KAVEH GHORASHI) There is no story behind Kaveh Ghorashi. There is only an idea.

And ideas are bulletproof.

-Paraphrased from V for Vendetta, sort of. Rent it or something.

Alex Mackenzie recently expanded the already brilliant minds of me and Will with the knowledge that the Graffiti staff wanted to take our pictures for this issue because we “defined Graffiti” this year.

Being who we are, Will and I instantly suspected that it was only Alex who thought we defined Graffiti because, despite constantly looking down his nose at us, he secretly likes having us around. When we questioned him about this, he got up from the poker table and left. That’s the thing about Alex; ask him about Friendship, and he’ll run away as if he’s afraid you’ll give him some kind of weird disease that causes North American accents.

Anyway, back to Will and me.

After we got back from fighting the sun, we realized this world cannot contain two high school newspaper definers, and started brainstorming ways to rectify that problem. After two hours, I had written two options in my notebook: “one of us kills the other,” or “one of us goes to Mars to contemplate the nature of humanity.” Will had drawn a bunch of graphic sexual images.

Now that Will is on Mars, I get to talk about myself. How awesome am I? Defined Graf-

fiti? That’s like something Superman would do. I guess my constant ego trips are justified.

But let’s not talk about how I am perfect in every way, let’s talk about the future. Someone’s going to have to take up the mantle of being the guy who uses jokes in order to avoid having to deal with emotions and in the process becomes that guy who gets praise from people he’s never met or found interesting (people like Oski).

I, for one, nominate Toby. Had I taken a fifth year, I would have taken Toby as my protégé; that’s how cool he is. I have yet to tell him this in person, but I’m sure he won’t mind being my hypothetical apprentice.

Speaking of making memories, I was looking through my Grade 9 yearbook to see if I was spelling names right for a different article and everyone’s heads were too damn small. If you’re a girl in Grade 9 and thinking about dating some dude in your Grade, just take my advice and don’t do it. His head looks like a shrivelled grapefruit. How the hell has no one noticed this until now? Most people in Grade 9 have more hair than face. It will confuse me until the day of my death. What this means is I will be confused forever, because I will never die.

27

Review The End of Vitamin Tablets?

CONNIE ZHANG There are three reasons why I hate vitamins: 1. My mom NEVER stops nagging me about taking them.

2. I have extreme difficulties swallowing the gigantic tablets.

3. Either they have no taste, or are really sad attempts at imitating different flavours.

Yes, I know they are “good” for you and help you “grow,” but my disgust for those annoying tablets far outweighs the potential that I might grow a centimetre more or feel “healthier”.

A couple weeks ago, I was talking with a guy I used to work with who told me he was obsessed with vitamin water. Wait... vitamin water?! Suspecting the so-called vitamin water to simply be awkward, medicine-like health

drinks, I purchased the Acai-Blueberry-Pomegranate XXX vitamin water from Glaceau.

Before I even opened the Gatorade-like bottle, the label boasted only 10 calories per serving, claimed it was naturally sweetened, had great taste, and added a cool, witty paragraph about the drink, something you don’t see very often on drinks. I timidly took a sip and was surprised to find that it was actually quite tasty. It might just be that I fell for their brightly coloured bottles and elegant packaging. Or maybe, Glaceau really did succeed in the previously impossible feat of combining flavour and nutrition in drinks that come in 15 flavours, each with its own boost of “immediate energy”, “endurance”, “body restoration”, or “immu-

nity”.

Glaceau isn’t the only company with drinks like these. Dasani, Aquafina, Gatorade and Powerade all boast their own line of energy drinks. Thinking I could use vitamin water as an excuse for not eating any more solid vitamins, I Googled vitamin water, and yes, you guessed it, it’s sketchy indeed. According to internet articles, vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble, only able to enter the bloodstream to carry out their functions if they are dissolved in dietary fat, like that found in a meal. The vitamin content in the actual drink is pretty close to none, and the 33 grams of crystalline fructose used as a sweetener, is definitely not there for health benefits.

Medical research has proven that a high fructose diet could induce harmful health effects to the liver, increase the risk of heart disease, induce insulin resistance, and even cause Type 2 diabetes.

This isn’t another one of those silly rants about shady sales gimmicks - really! All I’m saying is: don’t use Vitamin water as a substitute for actual vitamins.

The sophisticated flavours and witty labels are still pretty cool if you’re tired of plain H2O. And if you’re not convinced, 50 cent is their spokesperson (enough said).

Final Verdict: tasteless tablets are better for your health, but vitamin water in moderation is still pretty chill.

Dog Sees God ALEX MCROBERT What happens when Charles Schultz’s “Peanuts” characters finally grow up and join the real world as teenagers? At a venue just around the corner from North Toronto, an eight-person cast, including one North Toronto graduate, performed a rendition of Dog Sees God – an unofficial parody of the classic newspaper comic strip, Peanuts.

But don’t let the innocent theme fool you – this play was full of unexpected plot twists that had the grade elevens on the edge of their seats for two hours.

Using edgy humor, horrifically emotional moments, and a new take on the traditional “life-afterdeath” question, the Toronto cast of Dog Sees God managed to captivate and inspire a room full of 16 year olds unlike any show I’ve ever seen before.

With the eight characters renamed, and the script prepared with much attention to details, the group easily identified themselves as those from Peanuts without stepping on Charles Schultz’s’ toes (or copyright infringements.)

It was simple to connect the two works: as Dog Sees God begins as C.B, or Charlie Brown, is writing a letter to his un-heard from penpal about his pet beagle, who was just put down after contracting

Harry Potter Continuum: Naruto

graphic by Tracey Lung

YUNHO NAM Since its pilot release in 1997, the Harry Potter franchise has made over 500 billion US dollars.

I began reading the Harry Potter novels when I was ten; I’ve been a devoted fan since.

Then there was Naruto. Like Harry Potter, Naruto made its debut in 1997 when Masashi Kishimoto released his pilot chapter on the Akamaru Jump magazine.

Currently, Naruto is the best selling manga in Japan, and won many awards in Asia, Europe and North America after its translation. Interestingly, both Rowling and Kishimoto lived in poverty prior to their enormous successes, and Naruto and Harry Potter are their initial published work.

The similarities don’t end there. Uzumaki Naruto and Harry Potter, the protagonists of the two series, are immensely identical.

Call it coincidence or Rowling’s influence over Kishimoto, Naruto and Harry are like twins separated into different worlds.

While there are the obvious cultural differences to the story, the two characters are both orphans with highly prestigious parents who sacrificed their lives for the protagonists when they were babies. Through that sacrifice, they both gained amazing powers, and are later introduced to the wizarding world and the ninja world. In their childhood, they were social rejects without supportive friends or family, and grew up to be tough, stereotypical male heroes.

Even the antagonists, Orochimaru and Voldemort, are identical as their trademarks are snakes, and their motive for villainy is power and immortality, both of which require human sacrifice. They are both known as great ninja and wizard of the school and village that they and the protagonists live in, and they both attempted to take the headmaster and village leader positions. After they were turned down, they came back to their respective home, and killed the headmaster – Dumbledore – and the village leader – Third Hokage.

So with this brief overview, I would like to point out that anyone who’s read Harry Potter and enjoyed it, will most likely enjoy reading/watching Naruto as well.

Although the delivery may be eccentric to North Americans as its social and humor aspects can be awkward, the art in its raw form is very similar to that of Harry Potter. There may be prejudice and stereotype towards Japanese manga/anime, which also barricades North Americans from Naruto, but I believe that the least important part of a story is its delivery format. The art work and the dialogue with the narration are finely crafted, and it is delivered through both anime and manga. To a fellow Harry Potter fan, as a Harry Potter fan, I would like to ask: What more could you want?

The reason I’ve recently favoured Kishimoto’s work over Rowling’s is simple. After my disappointment with Harry Potter’s conclusion, I’ve read Naruto as the plot caught up to the story’s original antagonist, Orochimaru.

With the introduction of a new set of antagonistic characters, the author decided to kill off Orochimaru, and center the storyline towards his new set of antagonistic characters. It’s understandable that Rowling had a commitment to end the Harry Potter series with its seventh release, and she had to tie up all the loose endings she created from her previous novel, but I believe her method of concluding her work was a crime against her masterpiece. But Kishimoto has dedicated himself to creating a satisfying conclusion for his masterpiece as the plot twists unravel, and the plot progresses towards a satisfying ending that ties off all its loose endings with great adventures that await Naruto and his ninja friends.

I hope that all those who were also dissatisfied with Rowling’s conclusion may take the stride to ignore the cultural and the normative eccentricity of Naruto, and enjoy a stronger conclusion to the magical world of a genius author.

rabies and killing a “little yellow bird that used to hang around.”

Pretty much, the death triggers an identity crisis that would be typical of the Charlie Brown we all know and love.

He twirls around all his classmates, perplexed by an age-old question: what happens after death? Meanwhile, none of his friends seem to notice his troubles or make the time to do something meaningful for him: attend the funeral he hosts in Snoopy’s honor.

Macie (Marcy) and ‘Tricia (Peppermint Patty) are too busy filling their milk cartons with Smirnoff, Van (or Lionel, the philisopical kid who never went anywhere without his blankie) is too busy smoking up, and PigPen, who is now Matt and has finally cleaned up on the outside, is a germophobe and a homophobe with an overwhelming sex addiction. And Schroders at the piano, we assume? Well, yes. C.B interrupts “Beethoven” (Schroder)’s piano practice in hopes Beethoven will be there for him in his time of crisis, but, as Beethoven reminds him, “C.B, You haven’t spoken to me in years except to call me a faggot!” As Beethoven goes on, “No wonder kids bring gun to schools and shoot you f-ers down!”

At this point in the play, the audience realized that there was quite a bit of substance underlying the on-the-surface comedy.

Traditionally, all of N.T’s grade elevens have gone to see a stage production of Macbeth, the Shakespeare work studied in 11 English. When I asked Ian Heystee in Grade 12 if he remembered seeing Macbeth with the program last year, he said, “Vaguely.”

He elaborated, “I remember the workshops were pretty good, but Shakespeare in general, for the 2009 student at least, is pretty hard to follow. I would have liked to see something different.”

Many grade elevens agreed. “I definitely wouldn’t have wanted to see Macbeth,” said Dima L. “Shakespeare… I can’t understand a word of it. But with Dog Sees God, we could all relate to the concept.”

Perhaps more extreme than the typical North Toronto setting, but this play seemed to capture an average high school today – without forgetting the drug abuse, horrific physical violence, homophobia, and sexual exploration that goes on. If an adult thinks that this is inappropriate for a teen to watch – they have to realize that all of these issues are things we face on a daily basis.

My parents were disgusted when they heard the concept of this play, probably because it tainted their memories of the peanuts gang, and I’m sure they weren’t the only ones, but sometimes adults don’t realize how extreme high school actually is. There will always be stoners, losers, and partiers, and there will always be the kids lost in the chaos of it all, just trying to figure it out.

“It was provocative,” said Haylea Ostafichuk, “but the students could relate, which made it riveting the whole way through.”

The Last Word Spring 2009 Crossword Created by Michelle Gordon and Adria Danyluk

ACROSS 1. A light in the ___ 5. Title of bumbling crime stopper 13. Type of musical box 14. Taught to ask this in swim class 15. Vanilla’s kind of baby: 16. Tigger’s pessimistic BFF 18. Never looked for this on the label 20. A 20 year old in a kid’s eye 21. Not good (abbrv) 22. Potential Mash game vehicle 23. Talking, must-have robot 28. Last 2 letters of word for tight-knit group 30. Remove a wish bone, spare rib, or broken heart 34. Alternate spelling of Homer’s fav. food 37. “They’re not mongrels! They’ll get their spots. Just wait and see.”

39. Homonym of dye type 41, Egyptian sun god 42. First name of woman with misplaced livestock 44. Listened for three of these at Christmas 45. A ‘get ready’ in golf (two words) 48. Paperclip-collecting puppet 49. “Dress __ up, take your time, I’m your dollie “ 52. Clumsy redhead at love-triangle’s centre 54. The distinguished player in tag 55. The tower of wood that will not stand 57. Lorelei mother daughter tag team (abbrv) 58. British “thank-you” (backwards)

59. What clifford, spot, and wishbone have in common (scambled) 60. Dumbledore’s secret society, the _____ 61. A bird with its own currency 63. First syllable describing adventurous babies 64. Homonym of scientific Bill, (backwords) 65. Bright colours your parents dressed you in 66. Censor sound 68. Must have ‘shox’ brand 70. Campire food 72. Genetic map 73. Toronto has one of the largest in the world

DOWN 1. Hog’s Head barman 2. Third part of time-wasting game 3. A Story about buzz, woody, and Mr. Potato Head 4. In my opinion (abbrev) 5. The distinguished player in spud 6. Alt. spelling Indian bread 7. Clay, honking penguin 8. Extracellular fluid (abbrev) 9. Knotted up lace 10. 16th century Venetian painter 11. TV show about wealthy Californians 12. Children’s show set in “Mainframe” 14. This animal was Ursula’s companion 17. Cinderella met Prince Charming at the __ Ball 19. “I’m gonna be the mane event, like ¬¬__ king was before” 24. “What’s __, Doc?” 25. Ball game played at recess against a wall (two words) 26. World domination-plotting

mouse 27. Well known nursery rhyme figure (two words) 29. First name of Bart’s bitter 4th grade teacher 31. The team of Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello 32. Artifical intelligence (abbrev, backwards) 33. Backwards version of 64across 35. do re mi fa __ (backwards) 36. Harry’s toad-like, prejudice teacher

38. Little ___ Annie 40. “__ no function beer well without.”

43. Reckless bus driver 46. Clothing store, American __ 47. University of California (abbrev) 48. The 4th element (abbrev) 50. The ‘happy ever after’ of a story 51. Card game based on luck 53. See 5-down 55. Jellybean and Jughead’s last name

56. Robin Williams in Aladdin 59. __ Who, board game 62. Official Nintendo Magazine (abbrev) 63. A part in a play (scrambeled) 65. First syllable of a virtualpet world 66. male sibling 67. Arthur’s dog 69. CBS show where kids are in control (abbrev) 71. “I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore”

TASTE TEST: Battle of the Cinnamon Buns The Graffiti team enters a into a heroic struggle to determine deliciousness in this quest for the best of spiced confectionaries.

Appearance Taste Price Guilt Factor Dry and healthy-tasting with ineffective powdered sugar as an icing replacement.

$

Tim Horton’s

Available with glaze or with icing This is a doughnut. Tasty glaze, – both look great. but cinnamon is decidedly absent.

$

Second Cup

Impressive-looking, with loads of visible cinnamon and icing drizzles. Daniel: Emily: “A powerful odour. Axe, watch out!”

Conflicting flavours, too-thick dough, offending raisins, and demands an accompanying coffee. It even tastes like coffee...

$$

McDonalds

Double packaged, and soggy, with All the ill-health of a Cinnabon lots of icing. without the reward. You can practically drink it.

Mr. Zohar: “What medicine does this remind me of?”

$$

Cinnabon

Appears uncooked, but comes hot Like being beaten over the head and smells delicious. with sweet, sticky goodness. Soggy, even soupy, but so worth it.

“Liquid death.”

$$$

What-A-Bagel

It’s large, but looks hard and dry.