Volume 32, Issue 3 (March 20, 2014)

raffiti

Saying Goodbye to What-a-Bagel...and Many More Page 11

Figuring out Fad Diets Remember #neknoms?

Where are our Leaders from?

The Present

The question of “Which is the best middle school?” will never be answered because it’s an opinion, not a fact. However, a question we can firmly answer is “Which school best sets up its students for future leadership roles?”

As base figures to compare other statistics to, we’ll look at the feeder school breakup of the Grade 12 class because most leadership positions are held by the senior grades.

For leadership figures I looked across 136 roles: 92 class reps, 34 Graffiti editorial board members, and 10 student council members. After combining the data from the three groups, this was the break up:

The first striking detail about these graphs is that the share held by Hodgson is equal in both. Hodgson grads hold the exact amount of leadership positions they statistically should.

The second noticeable trend is the growth in the orange Deer Park segment. Deer Park has 15% more leadership positions than its share. It takes

NT

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Article and graphs by Trent Erickson

March 20, 2014

this 15% directly from schools like Glenview, Northlea, and Forest Hill that each make up a smaller portion of NT.

These stats aren’t all that exciting by themselves, which is why we’re going to stop talking stats, and start talking about the reasons behind the stats, namely: Why is Deer Park better than Hodgson? And, why are the other feeder schools worse off than both?

If you only looked at the graph of the general Grade 12 population, you’d think that Hodgson and Deer Park were identical schools, and in many ways they are. They each make up a large portion of NT students, and the grads of both schools are afforded the advantages that come with this.

“I didn’t have to meet everyone because I already knew lots of the people in my grade, and through them I met new people,” said Grade 10 student Olivia Erickson (also my sister).

If Deer Park and Hodgson both share this advantage, there must be other factors that set Deer Park apart.

I didn’t go to Deer Park, so this isn’t firsthand experience, but Deer Park seems to have more leadership opportunities than Hodgson does. For instance, Deer Park has a student council, and a points system. The points system is similar to the one we have at NT, which tracks the involvement of students in extracurricular activities. The more points you have, the more likely you are to get awards, a good incentive to get involved. Hodgson has none of these.

To be more precise, Hodgson had none of these when the current Grade 12 class went there.

Hodgson had its first student council election in 2009, when the current Grade 11s graduated.

To clarify: Hodgson isn’t doing badly.

They’re just not doing as well as they could be doing. They’re neutral while Deer Park is positive. A number of things come from this, the most drastic being that all of the past four presidents have been Deer Park grads. Every student currently at NT has looked to a president from Deer Park.

The other schools have a disadvantage for the opposite reason that Deer Park and Hodgson have an advantage. The experience of the first week of school for a kid from Hodgson is vastly different than that of a kid from King Edward.

“When everybody else knows each other and you don’t know anyone, you feel out of the loop. Not unwelcome, but maybe like you won’t belong,” said Grade 12 student Rebekah Hunter (who came from a private school). This sentiment is echoed by many other student from smaller

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schools when reflecting on their time in Grade 9.

Unfortunately, the smaller schools will always face this problem. Hodgson, on the other hand, can easily improve its standing by continuing to cement its student council and instituting a system to reward involvement.

The Future

Four years ago, the new school was completed. This affected everything from school spirit to how the band sounds (the new auditorium has different acoustics) to, most dramatically, the demographics of our school. This graph compares the share that each school holds in the current Grade 12 and Grade 9 classes:

Compare this graph to the graph of the current Grade 12 class. Hodgson’s share of students has more than doubled. Only four years ago Hodgson was outnumbered by Deer Park; now Hodgson outnumbers all other schools combined. The share held by the other schools is a third of what it used to be only four years ago.

These changes illustrate a permanent shift in the makeup of NT’s students. Before the new school was built, the students from our feeder schools split themselves between us and Northern. The space that was left by the kids who went to Northern would be filled by out of district students from other feeder schools. Ever since the new school was built, most of the students who can come here do come here. This means there’s not much room left for students other than from Hodgson or Deer Park.

My main prediction for the future of NT’s leadership positions is this: Hodgson will run the school in 4 years. Even if Hodgson keeps the same mediocre statistics they currently have, they’ll still grab over half of all leadership positions. But Hodgson won’t remain on the same mediocre track. With its new student council, it’s on its way to improving.

The Deer Park dynasty is done; NT is becoming Hodgson’s House.

Table of Contents

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Internal News

Page 4 External News

Features

Page 14 Muse

Arts & Culture

Page 11

Page 16

Page 20 Sports

Page 26

Opinion & Humour Page 28 Horoscopes

Letter From the Editors

We like to think of ourselves as being fairly neat and orderly. We have a standard procedure for writing, editing, layout...ing. But every now and then, something slips past our guard. Something gets submitted late, or there’s a last minute change to an article, and suddenly it becomes something it wasn’t meant to be. Contrary to popular belief, we aren’t superheroes. We don’t always catch everything we should, and sometimes this can have consequences. But as the adage goes, when you fall, the most important thing to do is get back up, and that’s what we’ve done. We hope that with this, our spring issue (we know there’s still a whole bunch of ugly grey slush on the ground, but technically it’s spring now) is full of thought-provoking pieces and pleasant surprises, just like hearing the first birds of spring replace the drone of the morning snowploughs that we’ve gotten so used to.

Now go get your parka and frolick in the springtime air, Hannah Karpinski & Rachel Katz

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Graffiti Editorial Board

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EDITORS IN CHIEF Hannah Karpinski Rachel Katz

SENIOR EDITORS INTERNAL

EXTERNAL

FEATURES

ARTS & CULTURE

SPORTS

OPINION & HUMOUR

Lu Chen Jack Denton

Charlotte Corelli Annie Robinson

Declan Lawrence Kyle Tarder-Stoll

Lauren D’Angelo Devan Wang

Jane Bradshaw Louise Castonguay George Chang Neal McAuley

COPY EDITORS Ariana Crispin-Frei Mira Laws Valerie Preminger Jonathan Zhao

MUSE HEAD Sam Xiong

ADVISORS

Jessica Carradine Trent Erickson Liat Fainman-Adelman Fayed Gaya Caitlin Heffernan Kyle Mastarciyan Katherine Quinn

WEBSITE EDITOR

PHOTOGRAPHY Zack Bryson Benjamin Ye

BUSINESS MANAGER Hannah Ewen

ILLUSTRATION HEAD Charles Wu

GRAPHICS HEAD Laura Newcombe

APP DEVELOPER

COMING SOON!

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Anfa Abukar

STAFF ADVISORS Ms. Bulgutch Mr. Zohar

Laura Pitt

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INTERNAL

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The Democracy, as You Make It Y! C RA

Jack Denton

Within the next little while, elections will be on the collective brain of NT students. We will be lured into all this business by funny posters, embarrassing YouTube introductions, delicious food bribes, and the usual assortment of speeches. There is no escaping election fever—which is why it’s so puzzling that not many of us come OC M out to the polls.

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“Historically,” Mr. Nicolet (who, along with the teacher that oversees student council, runs the election NT process) begins, “voter turnout rates are between 55 and 65%. It will vary on grade quite a bit, and it will also vary by sex quite a bit.”

What I’m interested in is that NT’s turnout rate isn’t wholly off that of Canada’s in federal elections. In the federal elections, we see specific demographic groups that turn out in droves and others that stay away from the polls (elderly people and students, respectively). Does the same happen at NT?

“Typically, girls turn out more,” Mr. Nicolet pointedly says. “With the grade twelves, there’s certainly a legacy attitude that the graduating class has.” He’s quick to point out that this sometimes leads to trouble, “where it is clear that someone isn’t the best candidate…but there’s humour in electing someone that is generally understood to be ineffective.” In addition, “the grade nines generally come out to vote.”

Here’s my hypothesis: grade nines head out to the polls with that sweet political naiveté that everyone has at some point. By grade ten, this cohort thinks they’re too cool for school, and perhaps are disillusioned from seeing some of the people they voted for last year not win; this is the recipe for democratic apathy. By grade eleven, the situation changes slightly because much of student council is sourced from this grade; as such, they are more likely to vote. The grade twelves’ behaviour can be explained with the legacy phenomenon. I don’t particularly want to touch the gender divide (because it’s complex and I’m probably too insensitive), but suffice it to say that perhaps the apathy-ridden laissez-faire attitude of the typical teenage male is behind it.

Democracy only works when an effectively large proportion of the given population shows up. When, for instance, only a handful of grade ten boys vote, the student council elected may not entirely represent the needs and wants of grade ten boys.

To be honest, I don’t really care about this in practice—it isn’t really my problem because I always vote, and thus make my opinion heard in the process. The onus is on those who complain about the way business is run at NT to show up and make change with their ballots. So, when NT is diagnosed with “election season on the brain,” don’t get lost and confused in the fever and forget to vote; you’re the one who is losing out.

Zack Bryson

The Real Edmund Park

Elizabeth Batchelor & Maddie Wieler

Is the self-proclaimed “friendly neighbourhood president” Edmund Park, leader of the formidable NTCI student council, really as ‘friendly’ as he says he is? What lies beneath the familiar persona of our honourable leader? His rise to the top was not unexpected. He had been planning his ascent to power for years, waiting in the shadows for the right moment to take over. Edmund began with a stint on the student council of Deer Park Middle School. Although he considered the position rather beneath him and didn’t bother to attend any of the meetings, it was his first step towards holding the ultimate of high school titles: School Council President.

When he arrived at NT he continued to cultivate his persona as the smart, reliable, everyman while serving as class representative. Then, in grade ten, he used his reputation combined with a cutting sense of humour to seduce the student body into electing him as Secretary. This was his in, the final step on his journey to the top.

His calculated plans all led up to one event, the 2012/2013 student council elections, the highlight of his life, and the realization of his fantasies.

His strategy had paid off and Edmund Park was victorious. He took this news in the graceful, humorous manner we’ve come to expect from his carefully crafted persona.

But who is Edmund Park really? What kind of man lies behind his 1000-Watt smile?

Despite his social butterfly persona, Edmund describes himself as an introverted guy, and says, “Real people make me feel uncomfortable.” With his passion for British panel shows and documentaries, this guy has some layers and quirks to his personality. For example, he always orders an Orange Tangerine smoothie from Tim Hortons.

He lists Grade 10 Civics as one of his all time favourite classes; I mean, who actually likes Civics?

Unlike most NT students Edmund takes a different approach to handling the stress of high school… he puts everything off to the last minute so he’s only stressed right before due dates. He may be rebellious in that sense but he’s a complete keener in some other ways. From reading

during his spares to having “boring political/historical figures” as role models, he really is quite a goody two-shoes. Although the power of his new position seems to have gotten to him; he’s plastered posters of his face in the school hallways, and avoids the boys’ bathrooms at all costs.

He even admits to going home in his spare (a 45 minute commute) in order to use the washroom there.

But despite his elitist sensibilities he doesn’t let his ego take over, and surprisingly has a softer side. He doesn’t want personal glory from his time in office; he wants to be remembered as a President “who made assemblies just a bit more fun, also one that wasn’t exceptionally bad.” He would be satisfied if his reign can be described as “forgettable.” Edmund admits he would be willing to come to school on the weekend to attend one of Mr. Butler’s classes. His affection for those around him shines through in all he does.

Edmund Park is one of the most interesting and mysterious characters ever elected president at North Toronto. While there is a lot we don’t know about him, we can know one thing: with Edmund as president, NT is in for its most entertaining year yet!

Top Ten: The Time NT Almost didn’t get a New School Anfa Abukar

Top Ten “Almost” Moments of NT

I personally didn’t have the pleasure of attending the old school, but from my Grade 8 visit and super cool older friends (my sister), I’ve concluded that the old school, although full of NT spirit, was really on its last legs. About the countless cracks and chips in the walls to falling ceiling boards, something had to be done; office administration puts the praise for the new schools success solely on Mr Gorenkoff saying, “He dealt with the details.” Stoic! However, there’s a dark side to this tale of triumph: the school cost about $52 million. I’m not very good at math but I think $52 million is a lot. How could we possibly expect the TDSB to shell out that kind of money? We’ll I’m sure Mr. Gorenkoff had a similar thought, but this man is a winner, and just like that he set up the first public-private partnership between the TDSB and Tridel, one of Toronto’s leading condominium giants, having the cost divided about 60%-40% respectively. I’m sure corners had to be cut to keep the budget marginalized but other than that, NT is the most technologically advanced school in the city with its state-of-the-art auditorium and magnificent field. It’s pretty cool, especially if you think about the fact that the school is already four years old and the first wave of students that have never been in the old building are about to graduate. Well played, Mr. Gorenkoff.

Side note: Shortly after NT’s new building Northern financed to build a new field almost identical to ours.

“Cracking Up” the Glass Ceiling

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Maddie Wieler

North Toronto is chock full of mature, intelligent, interesting potential leaders…a large number of whom happen to be female. So the question is, (see Mr. Zohar’s article in the Fall issue of Graffiti), why aren’t we electing them?

Mr. Zohar suggests that an “attitude shift in society” or “simple coincidence” are both possible explanations, but I would argue that it stems from a much more obvious place: the elections assembly. The assembly is the time that candidates make their first and, generally, most lasting impression on students. What do you remember about the speeches? I’d bet not a lot. You can, however, probably remember which candidate’s speech made you laugh the most.

Humour is the basis of much of our social interaction. We connect with one another through shared laughter. Sharing humour makes us feel included in a group. Nothing makes us feel more excluded than not being “in” on the joke. We learn how to laugh weeks after we are born; finding things funny is a primal instinct. When a candidate makes the entire audi-

torium laugh, everyone feels included. When we vote for the funny one, he could incidentally be the best candidate…but he’s definitely not female.

Most female candidates don’t go the humorous route, probably because they want to be taken seriously. Why aren’t young women allowed to be viewed as both competent and funny? One possible reason is that guys are allowed more freedom in society to be loud and boisterous. The “class clown,” for example, is almost always a boy.

Yes, there are great female comedians, but studies have shown that we, by default, assume anything funny is the product of a male. Furthermore, the same joke told by a male will be perceived as funnier than if a female told it. If the pathway to the hearts and minds of NT students is through their funny bones, then the odds are pretty well stacked against female candidates.

Semaines Blanches Lauren D’Angelo

From the very first day of school, way back in 2010, students complained that the new North Toronto resembled a jail. With the grey walls, square layout, and barren classrooms, it was a school devoid of culture and personality. The tired old phrase, “I feel like I’m in prison” became a bit of a mantra among NT students, and it’s still heard among the hallways today.

Since those early years, however, improvements have been made to make the school more esthetically pleasing and more representative of the students within. Art Council in particular has been making a continued effort to add some personality to the school through initiatives like the Gallery, in-grade art competitions, and the murals. Most recently, Art Council launched the first ever Semaines Blanches!

You might have noticed those two slightly hipster tape people chillin’ in the commons, or lounging over the door to the courtyard. Perhaps you read a bit of NT poetry scrawled on the huge book in the library. You most definitely noticed the fabulous “work hard play hard” that now dominates the windows of staircase KK. It doesn’t matter who you are, where your locker is, or what floor your locker is on–as one NT student said, “you can’t miss the art. It’s everywhere, and it brightens students’ day when they see it.”

Modeled after the city of Toronto’s Nuit Blanche, Semaines Blanches incorporates more art into the everyday lives of students and teachers. The brainchild of last year’s Art Council President, Taryn Fleischmann, Semaines Blanches’ three installations were a huge success. The tape humans have even become a permanent installation, destined to relax forevermore

in the nooks and crannies of NT.

Semaines Blanches head Jillian Li said that the exhibits “add a bit of life, colour, and pizazz to NT,” and indeed they do. A wonderful first to a now annual showing, Semaines Blanches and the newly installed mural (look for it on the second floor by staircase KK!) add deliciously refreshing splashes of colour, culture, and character to our recovering jailhouse.

An Interview with Wyatt Matthew Gerry

Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking with a new NT student named Wyatt Gilliat.

Wyatt is in Grade 9, and I interviewed him to see what his time at NT has been like so far.

There is one thing we can’t help but notice about Wyatt. He is quite small for his age. At 4’9” he is undoubtedly one of the shortest students at NT. Prior to our meeting, I prepared a few questions for him.

How old do people generally think you are?

Well, I’ve had people come up to me and actually say that they think I’m eight or nine years old. Now I’m in Grade 9, and I think most people think I’m about ten or eleven years old. I can still use kids’ menus at all the restaurants.

Do you think that there’s anything you’ve missed out on because of your height, or anything that’s made life difficult? Also, are there any benefits that your height has given you?

I don’t think there’s anything bad. No one’s ever mean to me at school or anything. I think it’s even a bit better, because a lot of people know me because of how short I am. If I’m walking around in school, and people see everyone just walking, and then they see me, all the way down here, they’re kind of like, “Whoa, who’s that kid?” I think it’s actually helped my popularity.

In general, how do you like NT?

Great school. I was going to go either to here or Lawrence, and I’m really happy that I chose NT. I have a couple of friends from Lawrence, and they say it’s a good school, but I think NT is more academic, and more geared toward better grades, so we have a better chance for university, and stuff like that.

It’s good to hear that a Grade 9 student is enjoying his first few months here at NT, and

is optimistic about his future at the school. As high school students, we often see others around us and feel uncertain about the way we look.

Wyatt doesn’t try to hide the fact that he’s short (of course, that would be a difficult thing to do), but embraces it. I’m very glad I got to meet him.

He is a smart, funny guy, and more importantly, doesn’t live his life as though he is always being looked down on.

Benjamin Ye

Top Ten: The Time Math Exams were Almost Cancelled because of Fire Charlotte Corelli

I remember my Grade 9 December math exam for a few reasons. First of all, it was my very first exam. Second of all, I forgot to answer part b of one question. At the time, this seemed like it was, quite possibly, going to be the end of the world. And, oh! The fire alarm went off. The December 2010 math exams were the first ones to be written in the new building. I handed in my exam as the 45 minute window when you can leave was ending. I left the classroom, walked down to the first floor, pushed open the door of the stairwell and BAM! I froze on the spot thinking “What did I do?” The emergency lights started flashing and the alarm was blaring. Everybody hurried out of the building knowing that there would NOT be a drill in the middle of an exam. Minutes later, we were able to head back inside and the majority of students were allowed to finish writing their exams. Too bad I had already handed mine in. It turns out that a minor emergency in one of the condos had set off our alarm and this was only the first time that the alarms got mixed up that year.

Let’s just say that NT became very good at fire drills.

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Inequality at North Toronto Introduction by Tamar K.B.

I was inspired to write my article after watching “Inequality for All,” a documentary examining the widening wage gap in the United States. After sharing the documentary with a fellow Graffiti writer, a new Internal spread began. Inequality is sometimes hard to notice in our everyday lives unless you really look around for it, and until that point in time it becomes easy to ignore. Most times, we go through life not noticing, yet inequality is greater now than it has been in decades, and the gaps in wages, income, and wealth are wider in North America than they are in any other two democratic countries with developed economies.

Bow Down: NT’s Social Hierarchy Louise Castonguay

The social hierarchy is evident in our school. It’s simple. Grade 9 is the bottom of the food chain. It’s not such a bad place to be, though, because you gain experience and maturity without the spotlight on you. No one really expects anything of you when it’s your first go at it. Grade 10 is like Switzerland. Grade 11 is like a kickback—your last chance to live a little before entering your final year of high school. Then you get to here.

Grade 12 isn’t all it’s talked up to be. It’s no secret that teachers know us better because we’ve been around longer. We generally hold more leadership positions than you. We have stronger relationships with the rest of our grade because we have had more time to get to know one another. All of these things sound great, but it’s not all good. We pull all-nighters once a week and end up asleep in the hallways during spares,

all of our lunches are filled with extracurricular meetings or studying and no time for food or friends, and in between stress crying and hysterical laughing, we refresh our emails waiting for university acceptances or rejections.

The only major perk of the hierarchy is that more of us make varsity teams and Fashion Show than you. We get put on more executive boards of clubs and organizations than you. Oh, and certain party tickets cost less. But the truth is that none of that matters. Just because we know more about trig identities, dichotomizing genes, organ trafficking, pheromones, coding, GDP, iambic pentameter, muscular skeletons, Kafka, and Levi than you do, doesn’t mean that we’re better. We hold at least one year over the rest of your heads so the politics is undeniable, but sooner or later it will work in your favour. Think before you try to dissolve the lines between our

grades. Wouldn’t you just hate it if future niners didn’t create a path for you in the halls when you walked by?

And what of the average clothes of an NT student? Even without a set uniform, NT seems to have its own wardrobe, creating inequality in appearance for anyone who can’t afford this ‘norm’. Roots everything, Timberlands, American Apparel pants; wardrobe choices that are exceedingly expensive and make getting the “full NT experience” exceedingly hard.

What happens to the NT students who can’t afford the ordinary North Toronto experience? Could this become a source of ridicule?

Perhaps set them back in their studies?

North Toronto is commonly known for being the “private school of public schools.”

North Toronto is a rich school—we have excellent funding, very nice facilities, and a good surrounding community. The average student’s family income in our catchment area (according to the Fraser Institute) is $192,700 a year; that’s three times the Ontario average.

However, not everyone that goes to NT falls into that $192,700 income bracket; some of us may be well above that number, some below it. The families that live in mansions in Rosedale and Forest Hill make much, much more, while the families that, for instance, dwell in the apartments around Davisville will be making much, much less.

There’s a disparity here, and an inequality that divides us.

North Toronto has to give preference to students who live within its catchment area.

This may cause some monotony in the type of students attending, since having a good school in an area shapes the surrounding environment. House prices increase, and there’s an influx of more families and parents who will have a stronger interest in keeping up the school’s standards.

My father, who went to high school in Be’er Sheba, Israel, had a very different experience. My dad grew up in a community of immigrants and low-income families, all with low social standards, while right around the block was one of the richest communities in the whole city. At the time there was only one high school, accommodating

students from both neighbourhoods—on purpose. While some students had their very own cars, my dad didn’t have money for food.

While this could cause tension in some situations, the school was designed this way to build up motivation in the poorer community— to show students that if you worked hard, studied hard, you could have this life. This environment inspired kids to move upwards: a virtuous cycle for the area.[a] With this system, the lower class students could integrate, expanding their social networks, and advance their academic performance. My dad, who grew up in one of the worst neighbourhoods in all of Israel, is now (thanks to his school system and resulting social mobility) a successful doctor.

In the recently published book David and Goliath[b] by Malcolm Gladwell, the author discusses the statistical u-curve that describes a child’s academic achievement in relation to their family’s average income. Starting with a lower-income family, a child’s grades were below average, and steadily as the family earned more and more money, the child’s grades improved—until a certain point. Eventually, the child’s grades not only stopped improving, but actually began decreasing, in spite of the family’s growing income.

Obviously the correlation between economic and racial privilege and higher educational performance, in addition to structural and institutional inequality, exists. There is a very strong correlation between single motherhood and low social mobility. There is a very strong correlation between high school dropout rates and low mobility. There is a strong correlation between the fraying of social fabric and low economic mobility. There is a strong correlation between de-industrialization and low social mobility.

Low income is the outcome of these interrelated problems, but it is not the problem. To say it is the problem is to confuse cause and effect.

To say it is the problem is to give yourself a pass from exploring the complex and morally fraught social and cultural roots of the problem. It is to give yourself permission to ignore the parts that are uncomfortable to talk about but that are really the inescapable core of the issue.

A Tale of Two North Torontos Tamar K.B.

Economic inequality exists as the result of disparities in the distribution of assets, wealth, and income. It plagues individuals and groups within a society, but can also refer to inequality among countries.

Have you noticed economic inequality manifesting itself in our very own grey halls?

While primary and secondary education in Canada is free, and should therefore represent seemingly level opportunities for all students, I struggle to believe that life is so equal.

Think back to earlier this year, at the very start of school—there was a plethora of forms to sign, with additional costs and fees, for the music program, athletics, the yearbook, and more.

There were excursions and club outings, which, while subsidized, still cost a considerable amount. These costs can add up to approximately $350 a year. These costs are not mandatory, but no one wants to be the student who misses out on the class trip, or has to skip joining a school team because they can’t afford it.

Rachel Katz

Charles Wu

The Frayed Mortar of the Cultural Mosaic Jack Denton

Impressed upon us from the moment we enter North Toronto are a number of values—and I’m not talking about working hard and playing hard. Arguably highest among them is that of equality.

Whatever culture we may assimilate back into at home, we are all Norsemen and Norsewomen here. Two hundred years ago, the ancestors of some of us may have oppressed the ancestors of others, may have invaded her lands and pillaged her natural resources, enslaved her people; but I see a certain poetry in the blissful cooperation with which all races work together within our grey walls.

Or do they? I’d like to preface the rest of my article with a disclaimer: I’m white. Though I’m first-generation Canadian, my roots are as English as they come. I know nothing about being discriminated against. In some instances, I have guiltily felt that the colour of my skin is to my advantage.

North Toronto is often described as a “white” school, and while in many ways we’re demographically over-represented by “white” people, we undoubtedly have sizable ethnic minority groups among us. Talking to students who are of a visible minority, I found that their reality of racial equality is far from what we’d all like to believe.

First of all, let’s debunk the idea that everyone who is “white” is of Western European origin and culturally identical. Eyal Wilk is firstgeneration Canadian; his family is Mexican for many generations back and ethnically he is an Ashkenazi Jew—though he looks just as “white” as the next person. Ema Ibrakovic identifies as “a white Eastern European immigrant,” continuing, “I do have my citizenship but I don’t feel truly Canadian.” Almost everyone would assume Ema is nothing but a “white” person, because, as she says, “I don’t look physically different from most of the school. You don’t exactly get teased for being European.”

And many students who are not ethnically white identify culturally as Canadian. As Michael Kang immediately told me, “I come from a 100% South Korean background. Culturally, however, Korean is probably one of the last words I would use to define myself.” Anyone who knows Michael would associate him with skater culture, and donned in Supreme and DC with his skateboard in hand, Mike is the epitome of the Canadian teenager—yet, he is not “white.”

Among certain ethnic groups at North Toronto, self-identifying with one’s origin is clear-cut. Jessica Li told me she “defines [herself] as a Chinese person from China.” This comes, however, with a concession that Jessica makes about the Chinese community at NT, that “the majority of them are ‘white-washed,’ so in a cultural and social point of view we’re very much white.” These students are identical to the rest of us in almost every way. They sheepishly listen to

bad pop songs. They lamented the end of Breaking Bad. They sing along to the catchy tunes in Frozen. And yet people treat them differently: pigeonholing, ignoring, and labelling them as if we still live in a time of institutionalized intolerance.

I start to see that the mortar holding

7 group sticks together, they are more susceptible to persecution. I would argue that we face this on a smaller scale at North Toronto.

Michael extrapolates on this clumping phenomenon: “it is undeniably more comfortable to associate yourself with a familiar culture than to venture into the unknown, especially for those fresh immigrants starting a new life. But what most of these frightened souls eventually realize is that unfamiliar is not synonymous with unfriendly.” So it seems that there exists a negative feedback loop of racism, where newcomers to Canada group together, making “white” Canadians further pigeonhole them, further making these newcomers more wary of assimilation.

I was struck by something Jessica said to me, which suggests that the reason Laura Pitt behind NT’s cultural homogeny and racial compartmentalization is because of extensive conditioning to not be racist.

“We’re not all equal in terms of things such as height, test scores, alcohol tolerance, economy, muscle mass, wealth, happiness, etc. There’s nothing wrong with identifying the differences between ethnic groups. In fact, I think the reason everyone at North Toronto is so ‘white’ is because people are too scared to acknowledge the distinct characteristics of a minority.”

We seem to have fallen into a rut of assumptions and presumptions about race and people of ethnic minorities. Perhaps all it takes is for us to be aware. Simply thinking before making a racial slur, before joking that someone got a good grade “because they’re Asian” or that someone is good at basketball “because they’re black”.

It won’t harm you, but it might change the perspective of the person that it was aimed towards.

We aren’t racists. We aren’t bad people. At NT, I’ve met some of the finest and most upstanding individuals I know. We are capable of changing this issue of racial inequality, together. We are able to repair the mortar that holds together

together Canada’s beloved cultural mosaic has frayed at North Toronto, dissipating in the disparity between how our ethnic minorities identify and how others treat them. “Any member of an ethnic minority who denies having ever felt left out in one way or another is probably lying,” Michael says. Jessica adds: “I have felt excluded from conversations or gatherings due to the fact that I come from a different culture.” Richard Bulze is quick to tell me that, “there aren’t that many other black kids at NT,” and, despite an overall positive social experience at school, “there are still times when I feel marginalized or stereotyped because of my race.” He continues that, “even at NT, there are times when I feel as if my opinion has been cast aside, or even disregarded completely at least in part due to my race.”

How can this be? How is it acceptable that within a school that preaches equality and equity and all the other modern buzzwords for “proper” behaviour and broad-sweeping tolerance, our ethnic minorities feel marginalized? This is not right. Further, it’s impossible to think that clubs like the GSA or Students for Social Equity will gain any ground for their respective causes when it appears that our school is struggling to reach a position of total racial equality.

Perhaps we pigeonhole students of visible minorities because they stick together in groups of people with the same ethnicity.

Fayed Gaya, who emigrated from Pakistan at the age of five, is part of a friend group that’s (Reads counterclockwise) Laura Pitt “diverse, with people of all cultures.” Besides the overwhelming the cultural mosaic, because at 17 Broadway it’s question of “why NT doesn’t have a cricket team”, become frayed. And I have an issue with that, as he’s content at NT. However, he notices, that “a you should—no matter the colour of your skin or lot of the students of Chinese heritage don’t show the country you were born in. signs of assimilating with everyone else.” History has shown us harshly that when a cultural

8

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes Maddie Wieler

We’re all changing! I know, you know, everybody knows; you see the changes in the faces of your peers and hear the voice cracks in the halls. It’s a part of life. We’re, *sob*, “growing up.” The constantly changing bodies and minds we inhabit as teenagers have obviously made us all a little crazy, but it’s okay. This is ‘normal.’

Now you’ve also begun to notice (especially in the second half of high school) the people who’ve changed in a drastic way. Looking back at pictures from Grade 9, you can see that there is clearly one, fundamental change, at least in terms of physical appearance. Almost everyone has better hair. The road to better hair seems

Maddie Wieler

daunting, I know, but with a bit of pomade and a lot of practice, you too can master the fluff on your head.

Although your follicular maturation is undoubtedly the most important development of your high school career, there are some other relevant changes. Common phrases we often hear mention “finding yourself” and “internal development,” which you know could be okay, I guess. The question is, do you have time to pull an ‘Eat Pray Love’ in between summatives and exams? It might feel like you’re the exact same person you were in Grade 9, but we’ve all changed, or at the very least we’ve learned how to walk down the stairs without stopping in the middle of them. While high school can be a difficult and tumultuous experience, many people manage to flourish in what can feel like a harsh environment.

Martin Laws, former student body president at North Toronto, serves as an excellent example of a student who used his time at NT to his full advantage. Laws says he could have never anticipated how much he changed between Grades 9 and 12, starting out as “a belligerent niner, a total class clown,” and ending up as a “student leader in a brand new building.” According to Laws, what prevented him from remaining a self described “shit disturber” was the hard work of quite a few teachers. He describes the biggest change he has observed in himself as maturity, which seems obvious, but when you think about it, the amount we are expected to mature over these 4 years is rather astonishing. As cliché as it sounds, we enter high school as children and are supposed to graduate as at least somewhat independent adults. Learning how to function in

society and simply “deal with people” is probably one of the more practical skills that high school can teach you.

The skills and facts you may or may not be learning in the classroom are really secondary to the stuff you’re learning outside of the classroom. High school is basic training for life, teaching you how things are going to work in a still somewhat-insulated and supervised environment. Figuring all that out in 4 years seems like a rather ambitious goal, but the amount you accomplish is probably going to surprise you by the time graduation rolls around.

bag and stuck her hand into a bag of chocolate chips to garnish the drink. I wouldn’t consider myself a germaphobe, but that was sickening.

NT does have great health standards for the most part. The majority of students wore gloves when serving food, most of the equipment was cleaned on a daily basis, and food was stored in airtight containers. Despite this, after walking around the first floor for the whole week, there were still obvious concerns over the food’s sanitation.

Firstly, there were a lot of hands, and not enough gloves. The person working the grills seemed to be taking precaution, but what about the preparation? Applying butter on the table, using your hands to peel the plastic off the cheese and slap it on to the slice of bread is more handson than just using a spatula to take a sandwich on and off the grill. Even just moving around the arrangement of candy kabobs should require sanitary provision. As well, there is always the daunting thought of how the food was prepared if it wasn’t made at school. I trust everyone’s kitchens are clean and that most people know to wash their hands when baking, but after seeing the carelessness of some students, doubt seeps into my mind.

Furthermore, there were a lot of reused materials. Blenders should be washed after you make different flavoured drinks: a fruit smoothie shouldn’t have the remains of a chocolate milkshake in it. Also consider all the excess food made. Tubs of ice cream that have been sitting out all lunch are put into the fridge over night

just to be used again the following day. Pre-made waffles are stored in the teachers lounge all week, meaning by Friday, you are eating batter that was prepared 6 days before. I find this baffling, as it seems that keeping food fresh is common sense.

Finally, what about the products you purchase? Soggy crepes, greasy cookies, and crumbling brownies are all spur of the moment treats you buy with an impulse, but would you even consider tasting them if they were sitting on a plate in your kitchen after one of your mom’s baking experiments? Probably not.

Charity Week is one of the most enthralling, busy, and profitable events we have at NT. Each year we want to make more and more money to help charities desperately in need. It may seem like fun and games, but we are lowering our standards in order to raise our profits. It is time to put our health first and set sanitation guidelines, like NEAT does for Red and Grey Day, before Public Health finds out about our catastrophic food booths. Who knows? Perhaps the increased quality of goods made for homeform events will motivate more students to spend their dough.

Charity Week: Contaminated

Maddie Wieler

Jane Bradshaw

Jane Bradshaw

Charity Week: a time to spend all your parents’ money on preposterous amounts of foods, raffles, and events in order to raise more capital for this year’s charity than in the years previous. The planning starts extremely early, sometimes even before the charity has been chosen. So you would think that with the vast amount of preparation we are given, that students would be able to produce goods that are sanitary, delicious, and completely worth dropping at least $20 extra on lunch everyday, right? Well, no.

During this year’s charity week, I lost my appetite for the mass amount of food sold after witnessing an incident involving some whipped cream. Lets just say that a male student, who had been profusely coughing only moments before, licked the bottle’s nozzle, then proceeded to hand it off to a booth worker, who – without even wiping it – poured some into another customer’s cup. Following, the worker took the customer’s money (without gloves), placed it in the money-

Jane Bradshaw

Student Profile: “The Rebel”

9

Lexie White and Sherdil Khan

What is a rebel? I’m sure that when we hear this particular term, a set of defined tropes pop into our heads: the guy who ditches class, the girl who smokes dope, that kid you always hear back-talk the teacher and doesn’t do his homework. (However, this is not to say that the student featured in this profile hasn’t done any of these things.) And sure, these traits and actions could technically make someone a rebel, but to me, what sorts out the real rebels from the posers are the ones who are determined not to conform to society’s strict set of policies. A real rebel denies such policies and isn’t afraid to be themselves, say what they want, and do as they please. A real rebel will defend their opinions—however controversial they may seem—and isn’t afraid to stand up for what they believe in. It’s not about beating up everyone who crosses your path or cutting class—the true rebel is individualistic, outspoken, and stubborn as hell. I can’t think of anyone who fits the description better than Sherdil Khan.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

What is your favourite occupation?

Pretty sure whenever Ms. Monteith acknowledges Probably something in the legal industry. The idea that my existence. Even if it is for lighting the leader of you’re paid exponential amounts of money for your bullshit Internal News on fire. is ludicrously enticing to me.

What is your greatest fear?

What is your most marked characteristic?

Being nominated for a student profile bit in Graffiti Either my curiously cynical sense of humour or my ability and following through with it, regardless of my not to essentially bollock my way into or out of things. knowing what the hell I’m doing.

Cheers to Tamar for the nomination, though. And to What do you most value in your friends?

Jack for listening to her.

Appreciation for science fiction. I don’t tend to want to be involved with people that lack an appreciation for Star Wars or, What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? say, Doctor Who. Over-analyzation. I think about things too Who are your favorite writers? much, and it drives me completely manic.

Roald Dahl, J.K. Rowling, Steven Moffat. On no account are What is the trait you most deplore in others? they amazing writers, but it seems like they never fail to enterWhen people pour cereal and milk for me WITHOUT consultatain. tion. Some people pour enough milk to flood the damn building, whereas others pour so little that an Ethiopian refugee would Who is your hero of fiction? label the portion as ‘stingy.’ What the shit man? You don’t know Eesh, this one would be a close call between The Docme. You don’t what I’ve been through. Give me the bloody Froot tor and Captain Underpants.

Loops box and a spatula and I’ll be on my way.

Who are your heroes in real life?

Which living person do you most admire?

The worryingly oversized amount of people with the last Kim Jong-Un. Is that even a question? name ‘Lee’ in this school.

What is your greatest extravagance?

What is it that you most dislike?

Brightly-coloured socks.

Foreign pronunciations of the word ‘woof.’ The What is your current state of mind?

French donned ‘ouaf,’ the Chinese ‘wong wong,’ and Utter cluelessness. I’ll reiterate: I have no (I shit you not) the Koreans took ‘meong meong.’ idea what I’m doing.

What is your greatest regret?

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

“Sure Jack, I’ll be featured in your student profile!

I guess maturity. What’s the point of being all No problem!” grown up if you can’t be a child sometimes?

On what occasion do you lie?

The sad and honest truth is that it’s basically a defense mechanism for me. Don’t get me wrong, you can place trust in me. I just happen to be full of absolute bull.

How would you like to die?

Beaten to death by a gigantic chicken that gave me a bad coupon for fried chicken.

What do you most dislike about your appearance?

Almost definitely my ears. The flappy bits are a tad too flappy.

What is your motto?

Laughter is the best medicine. Except for, you know, medicine.

Which living person do you most despise?

The image of a self-entitled prat with slicked back hair and a denim button-down comes to mind.

What is the quality you most like in a man?

Shirts made out of trousers, no doubt.

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

Sense of humour is key, I guess. A heightened appreciation for Doctor Who doesn’t hurt either.

What or who is the greatest love of your life?

Definitely my stuffed doggie, Wobbles. He’s just so wobbly!

When and where were you happiest?

“Of course you weren’t a mistake.”

Mum was lying, of course, but it was good while it lasted.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

Again, the ears. As entertaining as it may be to both myself and everyone around me, it’s a hard life having flaps that over-flap.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

My high score of 4 in Flappy Bird. Screw you, I’m actually really proud of myself.

If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?

Who’s to say I haven’t already?

Where would you most like to live?

In a parallel universe where chickens bark and llamas moo.

What is your most treasured possession?

Wobbles, probably.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

That moment after you’ve poured the cereal and you realize you have no milk.

Anfa Abukar

10

Mr. Damery Henry Jeong

Hello

On days 1 and 3, Mr. Damery stays in the comfy realm of Guidance, while on days 2 and 4 he teaches Grades 10 and 11 English. A native of Toronto, Mr. Damery attended Humberside Collegiate Institute, a school that he considers “NT’s twin located by the lakeshore.” Following his graduation, he attended York University, graduating with a degree in history. For a decade since then, he has spent approximately 10 years teaching in ESL classes, which has included living in Japan for 5 years. He still speaks some Japanese, and you’re more than welcome to ask him about the experience. In the years that followed, Mr. Damery has taught in many schools before finding his way to North Toronto. NT, according to Mr. Damery, is his 7th school (yay, lucky number seven!), and as many of us have figured out already, one of his favourites. In his spare time, Mr. Damery enjoys playing video games, watching interesting programs on television, and eating.

With his marvellous sense of humour, expansive knowledge, and storage of interesting stories, he is an excellent addition to NT’s English department. Welcome to NT, Mr. Damery!

Good-bye

Teachers

Ms. Kazman Trent Erickson

January 24th marked NT’s last day with Ms. Kazman, a long-time member of the English department. During her long career in teaching, she’s spent time at RH King, Newtonbrook, Emery, and finally NT, for the last 8 and a half years.

When I was assigned the task of interviewing her, I was a little nervous at first. She was my teacher for Grade 9 English (a course in which I was a mediocre student at best), and we hadn’t talked since. But as soon as we started the interview, I got more comfortable. The interviewee made the interviewer feel at ease. It’s supposed to be the other way around, but that’s just who Ms. Kazman is.

She is well aware of her reputation as a stern teacher, though she prefers to be known as “seriously flexible,” and has this teaching style for a reason. To her, being a teacher means more than just teaching; the job means being a psychologist, mentor, and sometimes even a friend to her students.

Her job as an English teacher isn’t to produce a student who can write an essay with grammatical and

Ms. Itwaru Tamar K.B.

Benjamin Ye

Ms. Slean

Caitlin Heffernan

Ms. Slean’s first impression of NT was that the staff were very welcoming and friendly, and that the students were the most involved out of all the schools where she has taught. She says she’ll miss her classes the most, along with the basketball team. She is going to Leaside, which is where she taught last year. Ms. Slean has been bumped a few times before, and says the hardest thing about it is not being able to settle. I considered ending this with a cliché, but I think the fact that just the news of Ms. Slean’s departure left me with a wake of tears and swear words speaks volumes.

Ms. Divay

Miranda Wiseman

structural perfection; it’s to produce well-rounded young adults…who can write a decent essay.

Ms. Kazman’s retirement comes as a result of the birth of her second grandchild, as well as other familial affairs. Her plans include helping out in her husband’s new law practice, but only when she’s not learning Hebrew, or spending time with her mother, children, and grandchildren. Always interested in learning, one goal Ms. Kazman has is to go back to university for another degree.

Though her future looks bright, there is, of course, an element of sadness in her leaving.

She’ll deeply miss NT, especially her colleagues in the English department and the students. When I asked her to think of the 1st thing she’ll miss most at NT, she had to stop and think; there were too many things to consider. She finally answered with, “The Remembrance Day and December 6th assemblies, they’re very impressive and always bring a tear to my eye. I don’t know how they do it, but each year the assemblies keep getting better.”

She’s earned her retirement after a long career full of helping students. Everyone is happy for her, but that doesn’t mean we won’t miss her. Good luck, Ms. Kazman.

Not too long ago, in the first issue of Graffiti, I had written a tiny blurb of an article about my new English teacher, Ms. Itwaru. Not even six months later, I had to say goodbye.

In the short amount of time Ms. Itwaru was here at NT, she was a joy and a delight to have; whether it was as a teacher, a counsellor, or a coworker. She was always there to jump in at any time a student needed some extra support. She made enriched English, and learning, tremendously “cool.”

Why did you decide to become a teacher? What inspired you?

I always knew I wanted to be a teacher, but after university it took me a couple of years to actually pursue the profession. During that time, I worked at a court office and then at a legal services company. I found the work impersonal and unfulfilling, and I felt like I wasn’t making a meaningful difference. During this time, I had been tutoring at a learning centre every Saturday since I was 17, and found that those Saturday tutoring sessions were the highlight of my week.

I had two teachers in high school that were absolutely amazing: my Grade 10 English teacher, and my Grade

Getting a new teacher in the middle of the year can be slightly nerve racking, but getting to know him/her better makes the transition easier on both the student and the teacher.

When I approached Ms. Divay for an interview, she was glad to take time out of her schedule and talk over a lunch period. She had nothing but good things to say about North Toronto, and was happy to answer my questions, as well as patient, as I scribbled down my notes as quickly as I could.

What school did you last teach at?

Kipling Collegiate Institute.

How many languages do you speak?

I speak English and French fairly well, and at school I learnt German, Spanish, and Italian. I can still understand and read them a little, but I’m not fluent. I would like that.

Where is the most interesting place you have ever

11 IAPS and History teacher. The unfortunate thing is that I didn’t realize the impact they had left on me until after I graduated. Oh…and have you ever seen the movie, “To Sir, With Love?” Watch it. Seriously.

That film epitomizes the word inspiration!

What did you want to be when you were my age?

I wanted to write Science-Fiction and Fantasy novels.

(And sing like Mariah Carey.)

What are your favourite and least favourite things about teaching?

My favourite thing would be making a connection with a student. My least favourite? Always having to say goodbye every semester.

First time you ever taught?

My first job was at a tutoring centre when I was 17.

Favourite thing about NT? The people! Students, staff, admin...everyone is wonderful.

Most memorable student (in your entire teaching career)?

I remember all my students with fondness, but the student who gave me a (fake) Mohawk during my first year of teaching is the most memorable so far.

Where will your next position be?

As of right now, the answer is undetermined! I’ll miss you, NT!

been?

Newfoundland is definitely the most interesting place; I love it. I visited there just last summer. I did some camping. Such a beautiful landscape, and really a strong sense of identity. There is so much amazing culture there. They have really fantastic music too.

How do you like NT? Oh, I love it. It’s such a great school. There’s a lot going on. I find the students interesting. It’s very different from the old school I was teaching at; it’s much bigger. My colleagues are very nice and supportive.

What do you love most about your job?

There are a lot of things. I love working with students and helping them achieve in French, but also being there for them is important. I love the interaction and sharing. I don’t see it as just teaching, because I learn so much from students.

Every day is a new experience. I am always learn-

ing something new, and learning how to change things and make classes interesting and fun.

Everything is constantly moving and changing.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

Probably teleportation. I could travel to places just like that *snap*! I enjoy traveling and discovering new cultures a lot. Teleportation would make that possible instantly. I could visit people who live far away as well.

NT’s excited to have you, Ms. Divay!

BenjaminYe Ye Benjamin

EXTERNAL

11

The Changing Yonge and Eg Charlotte Corelli

On the second Monday of February this year, NT students began a future of lunches without What-a-Bagel. The popular lunch stop is among the businesses on the strip that closed on February 9, along with Blacks, Kitchen Stuff Plus, and Town Shoes. The bigger changes are yet to come.

The northeast corner of Yonge and Eglinton is the last one at the intersection without highrise buildings, preserving sunlight and character in the busy area. However, by 2017, two towers, one 64 and the other 38 stories, will reside at the intersection.

The black, white, and grey “e condos” will join Yonge and Eglinton’s underground network, attaching it to the three other corners of the intersection and the TTC. Residents can expect luxurious interiors, but, like many downtown condos, space will be precious.

“The show-stopper is the red stripe of cantilevered floors,” says the e condos website, “that will house the buildings’ breathtaking glass swimming pools.”

The glass efinity pools will have aerial views of the street down below.

Retail space will be housed on the ground

and lower-levels of the buildings, however, the businesses moving in have yet to be revealed.

For prospective NT students, the condos may not prove to be a way “in.” Currently, the TDSB has a sign on the school’s neighbouring construction site. It states that living in the future condo will not guarantee admission into NT. Already, the school has seen a significant growth in the number of in-district students, forcing many optional attendance students to be turned away.

When asked what they will miss most about What-a-Bagel, a group of NT students be at the top of the list. In their final weeks at at location, the bakery had signs throughout that read “thank you for 13 wonderful years of service.”

While current grade nine students may be the only students at

Video Games: A 21st Century Teacher Alexandra Schnekenburger

Since the days of Pong, video games have grown to become a formidable force in the entertainment industry. Just look at Grand Theft Auto Five. It passed one billion U.S. dollars after only three days. This just shows how mindboggling popular the video game industry have become. Whether it be Call of Duty or The Sims, teens of this generation have all, at some point, played video games. Though many would argue that video games are exposing teens to a world of inappropriate material, studies have shown that they can benefit from playing video games.

For many, school is the primary avenue of education, teaching students the basics from history to science and math to geography. While many would regard video games as frivolous or a waste of time they arguably offer a valuable and unique platform for education that we may not receive in school. Video games are exciting with rapturous, riveting stories, eye capturing imagery, engrossing interactivity and the potential to provide youth with a vastly entertaining experience.Video games have been shown to increase problem-solving skills, logical reasoning, hand-eye coordination, motor skills and quick thinking. While school is capable of teaching students many things, video games can teach complimentary real life skills through first person shooters and RPGs as opposed to the classic arithmetic and geometry. While I real-

ize that what we learn from video games will never compete with the mountain of knowledge that we get in school, it is important to note that video games offer a new type of learning experience that teaches necessary skills in a fun and enjoyable way whose lessons can actually support those learnt in school.

The University of Rochester researched video games’ effects on people and the results were conclusively positive. They would put a person through taxing but real simulations which subsequently proved that it improved the decision making abilities of the player. Moreover, the simulations increased reading and inductive reasoning skills. Another frequently ignored skill developed through video games is typing.

Video games are commonly played on computers forcing the user to know the keys. Now you might think typing is a small thing to praise video games for, however in todays technological society we rely on computers not just for play, but also for work. Having great typing skills will further help in using computers.

Even through these studies many of the older generation, parents and grandparents, disagree with the content of these learning goldmines. I know when I had first started playing video games my mother was appalled at the violence. Just the thought of her sweet, innocent daughter playing a character that frequently had

NT to be around when the project is finished, some are looking forward to new retailers in the area.

Yonge and Eglinton, like many intersections throughout the city, is constantly changing and growing upward. While promises are high for the final product, NT students will just have one more construction site to dodge over the next few years.

Charlotte Corellimin Charlotte Corelli to use a gun was just too overwhelming. Some argue that video games desensitize the player making them more prone to violent behaviour.

When asked about video game violence, a North Toronto student believes that,”video games are more like an outlet for stress than anything,” where the animated violence “isn’t even real.”

While these animated depictions of violence has increased, some statistics indicate that during the same period violence in society has plummeted.

Between 1995 and 2008, the arrest rate for juvenile murders in the United States was 71.9%, which has decreased to an astounding 49.3%. While the violence rates decreased, video games sales increased, getting even more graphic with every technological advancement. Many would infer from these statistics increasing virtual violence actually leads to decreasing real world violence.

Although people may still choose to believe otherwise, the statistics debunk the correlation between video game violence and real world violence.

From the simple ideas of hitting a ball back and forth to the complex simulations of living a virtual life, video games provide a positive learning environment hidden in the package of a teen-attracting toy box. So the next time you rip out your opposing player’s spine, reassure your parents that you are learning valuable lessons for the future.

Top Ten: The Time NT Almost had a Snow Day Katherine Quinn

It was February 7th 2013. Students were buzzing with excitement because of a possible snow day the next day. Students, teachers, the media, and weather sources were all predicting a nice three day weekend. The TDSB even put the weather warning banner on their website. The entire city was gearing up for a wonderful day off.

February 8th 2013: snow was piled all around us but...school was still on. Instead of crawling back into our nice cozy beds and sleeping until noon, everyone grumpily got ready for school and braced themselves for the freezing weather outside. Upon arriving at school, those who came to school realized they were in the minority. Most people didn’t make it past lunch, if they came at all.

This is now a common occurrence. The entire city predicts a snow day but the TDSB keeps us all on our toes and never cancels school. In my 11 years at school I’ve had only one snow day. We can dream of all the snow days in the world but I’m sure we won’t be having one in the near future.

12

#SochiProblems Jillian Li

As the much-anticipated 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi begin, it’s hard to ignore the controversy surrounding this year’s location. Most prominent is President Putin’s announcement of a discriminatory bill banning the promotion of information regarding “non-traditional” sexuality, causing millions of furious people to rise in protest. There have also been a series of security issues involving threats of terrorism that have contributed to a tense Olympic environment and fearful athletes and spectators. Like bottles of spilled ink, these issues have stained the front pages of newspapers around the world. But it doesn’t just end there. More complications have fanned Russia’s flames of embarrassment since the conception of the Sochi Games. What could have been a showcase of Russian accomplishment, has instead become a half-assed attempt plagued by poor planning and preparation.

Prior to the commencement of the Games, most of Sochi’s infrastructure projects including stadiums and venues, had to be built from scratch. Additionally, new buildings, hotels, roads, electrical infrastructure, and sewage treatment facilities needed to be developed to support the Games. Russia spent a record-setting $50 billion in preparation for the Olympics, surpassing the $40 billion China spent on the 2008 Summer Olympics (which had three times the number of events). As a direct comparison, Canada spent a mere $8.7 billion on the last Winter Games.

When visitors arrived in Sochi, their expectations of an extravagant and innovative

$50-billion-dollar setting were met by shocking realities. They were greeted by the sight of construction still taking place a few days before the opening ceremony, stray dogs roaming the streets and even occupying hotel rooms, and massive garbage dumps just outside the main area.

Even the Sochi locals have complained; residents have been exposed to damaged water supplies and polluted areas filled with mounds of waste, and have even been forced to live in damaged homes. Construction has been forced on soft, unsupportive land, causing homes to experience landslides so severe, that they have collapsed at the bottom of hills.

Even the most basic human need, going to the bathroom, has become a confusing and public issue, as evidenced by signs present in bathrooms.

Upon discovering these startling circumstances, people took to Twitter to display their disbelief, creating trending hashtags like #SochiProblems and #SochiFail. One Twitter user even applied “Sochi” as a verb and tweeted, “I tried to bake a cake, but I totally Sochi’d it.”

These hashtags blew up when images of comically horrid accommodation conditions taken by athletes and journalists surfaced. 26 000 tweets using the hashtag #SochiProblems were posted within a time span of just 24 hours. Is having a comfortable – let alone finished – hotel room too much to ask for? Apparently so. Light fixtures fell from ceilings, doorknobs broke off doors, and live wires were found in showers. The following examples are only droplets in Twitter’s pool of Sochi-related tweets.

In response to the criticism outbreaks, the Russian government and Sochi officials claimed that “reports of problems with the infrastructure and circulating photos were overblown,” and the French Olympic team even praised Sochi’s infrastructure later on. Olympic champion Jason Lamy Chappuis expressed his satisfaction with the city, and skier Lea Lemare said that the “organization of the Olympic village was brilliant” and that it was “like living in heaven.”

Despite these positive remarks, the overwhelming response from Sochi has been negative.

Three female athletes were injured while testing the women’s downhill skiing course, and American snowboarder Shaun Brown dropped out of the slopestyle event, stating that “the potential risk of injury [was] a bit too much for [him] to gamble [his] other Olympic goals on.”

Countries choose to host the Olympics in hopes of gaining recognition and prestige on the world stage. Russia has certainly gained recognition, but for all the wrong reasons. Hopefully, the splendor and athleticism on stage will hold up... literally.

school, affirmative action needed to be taken to assure the survival of a group that was in critical need of help. Valastiak accredits the school segregation to the lack of early childhood education Roma children have. In an interview with CBC he says, “It’s not easy to teach these children anything, Roma children come very often from very poor families with a high unemployment rate, a lack of money, a lack of educated parents. Their parents themselves can’t deal with children.” He goes on to say, “Roma children start school very unprepared. Often they don’t have the basic skills that other kids have to be able to go through the education system, many of these children don’t speak Slovak – the official language of state schools.” The generation of underprivileged Roma youth going through the state school system are the ones Valastiak and Pollack are trying to help.

Since the initiative was started to integrate schools, for the first time ever, Valastiak, unfortunately, sees no further funding from the government. The school still doesn’t have specific recommendations to act upon. Pollack relates the situation at the school to the 1945 US Supreme Court Ruling Brown vs. Board of Education. He says [the court has ultimately made the right decision, but there are very practical challenges that make it difficult for the government to intervene or support the interrogation effort]. So all-in-all, Valastiak is left alone in the wilderness without a

flashlight, but since coming in a year ago he has made very key changes.

Once Roma parents were not even allowed to set foot in the school, and now they are. Roma children who excel in their subjects are bumped into traditionally Non-Roma classrooms. Despite the Non-Roma parents who refuse to let the children all use the same bathrooms, Valastiak has made progress. The divide between Roma and Non-Roma students is comparable to that of the Berlin Wall. Romas are known to have darker skin, so in an effort to differentiate themselves culturally, Romas have taken to calling the Non-Roma population the “whites.” There are distinct parallels between Slovakia and a younger, more racist North America.

Segregation, both short and long term, only hurts both the disenfranchised and entitled populations/cultures. The native Slovaks and, lesser so, the Romas are less so concerned with children, and more so concerned with the “moral cleanliness” of segregation. Romas are seen as typically uncultured people, not only to native Slovakians, but to the rest of the world. The stereotype placed upon this one group has had devastating effects, and will continue to, unless the more entitled group can move past the old and greying stereotype to create a generation of harmonious living for the children of both sides.

Slovakia Schools: Like Oil and Water Lisa Cumming

The Roma population of Slovakia only stands at 10% of the whole population, but the segregation rates that divide Roma children and Non-Roma children (or native Slovakian children) stand as high as 40%. A culture of disenfranchised people underrepresented by the government in power were once considered a lost cause. Now, with the help of a school principal and one member of parliament, Slovakia’s Romas are coming to terms with their, once denied, fundamental human rights. Savov Valastiak, the principal of the district school in Šarišské Michaľany, along with Peter Pollack, the first Roma member of Parliament, are working to integrate the school to make it more accessible and welcoming to the district’s Roma population.

Before integration, Roma students were unable to eat in the school cafeteria, and were fed a cold “lunch” of dry cereal and juice while the NonRoma children ate a hot, freshly prepared lunch in the school cafeteria. Roma students, despite any regard for intelligence level, were placed in remedial classes while Non-Roma students were placed in classes designed to challenge and enrich their young minds.

Roma students across Slovakia in this situation are basically expected to fail. They are supposed to return to the same poverty cycle that has been affecting their culture for years. Considering only 20% of Roma men hold jobs, and a third of Roma children will not finish primary

The Point at which We No Longer Pay Attention

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Jack Denton

Online images, taken by the renowned war photojournalist Marcus Bleasdale, radiate horror from the screen. A young man’s lifeless torso is being mutilated in the streets. A boy, who is maybe 8 years old, holds a hatchet with blank eyes of malice. Machete-wielding thugs, who also shoot crudely fashioned arrows from stiff wooden bows, are chasing a market vendor. A group of elderly women lower a casket into the ground.

These images should shock us, and perhaps they do. They shock us viscerally, but not intellectually. We aren’t moved. We don’t care.

The continent of Africa has seen over 40 wars since 1970. Since 2000, there have been well over a dozen major conflicts on the continent, including the 2011 Sudanese Civil War (which resulted in the creation of South Sudan), the 2011 Libyan Civil War, the 2005-2010 Chadian Civil War, a 13-year conflict in Somalia ending (for the most part) in 2008, the 2002-2007 Ivorian Civil War, the 11-year Sierra Leone Civil War (ending in 2002), the 2004-2007 Central African Republic Bush War, as well as 4 major conflicts in Mali (the 2002-Present Maghreb Insurgency, the 2007 Second Tuareg Rebellion, the 2012-Present Third Tuareg Rebellion, and the 2012 Northern Mali Conflict).

International intervention has been forthcoming. When the West decides to stick its nose in, it is often too late or too futile. During the Rwandan Genocide of ’94, Canadian LieutenantGeneral Roméo Dallaire was leading the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda, and was unable to effectively stop the genocide of the Tutsis by the Hutus, though the UNAMR’s mandate was to keep such peace. Approximately 800,000 dead Tutsis later, and the West was reamed for not getting involved in what remains one of the greatest tragedies of the 20th century.

The situation today in the CAR is not unique; the conflict has arisen along clear partisan lines of religion—grounds for conflict that are sadly as old as time itself. It really all began with the Central African Bush War of 20042007, the end of which was finalized in a treaty in August 2012 between the government and the main rebel group, the Convention of Patriots for Justice and Peace (CPJP). However, some splinter groups of CPJP continued fighting, and a wider rebel force going by the moniker “Séléka” rallied through the winter of 2012-2013; they eventually seized the capital, Bangui, and forced President Bozizé to flee to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in March. Michel Djotodia, the leader of Séléka, was recognized as the new president, but many neighbouring African nations, and certainly the international community at large, denied

Too Late to Matter Rachel Katz

What is People for Education? According to their website, they are “your strong voice for public education,” but looking at their recent actions, their definition of strength may differ from that in the dictionary. (One parent recently referred to the group as “milquetoast activists.”) In recent weeks, the group’s Executive Director, Annie Kidder, has spoken out about Parent-Teacher Committees, the importance of cursive writing, and last minute concerns regarding academic streaming in high schools.

High schools begin hosting open houses in November. Raising the issue of streaming a week before the paperwork deadline could be viewed as questionable, and certainly not very useful for families currently involved in enrolling

him this recognition. The period of MarchSeptember 2013 was fraught with brutal militia violence; in September, Djotodia announced that Séléka had been disbanded, which is when events took a turn for the worst. Many of the militias under the former Séléka banner refused to disband, and widespread looting, raping and destruction swept the countryside, displacing approximately 400,000 people within the CAR.

In November, the UN issued a statement warning that the situation in the CAR was verging on genocide as the conflict became more clearly defined and sectarian. Mostly Muslims made up the Séléka rebels, while as a majority, the Christian population remained loyal to ousted president Bozizé. Heightening the divide between the two religious groups is the historic fact that the Christians are sedentary while the Muslims tend to be nomadic; as such, roaming bands of Muslim militias terrorize Christian towns, while, conversely, Christian villages are turning on the Muslim residents and resorting to massacre. Overwhelmingly, the most violence has occurred against Muslims, who make up approximately 15% of the country’s population; though, as the conflict continues, Muslim mercenaries (some with Al Qaeda affiliations) have poured in from all over the continent. Throughout the whole affair, torture, rape, murder, massexecutions, and extensive looting, among other war crimes, have been rampant.

On January 20th of this year, the mayor of Bangui, Catherine Samba-Panza, was elected as the interim president of the CAR (Djotodia’s government having dissolved amid the violence), to the acclaim of the international community.

The United Nations and the French military (France being the former colonial power of the CAR) have been involved since December 2013 with a small troop force.

“I had no idea there was another civil war in Africa,” grade 11 student Isabelle Sanders told me when I brought up the situation in the CAR with her. “It mustn’t have been big on the news I guess?” she continued. She hit the nail right on the head: though many major news networks have mentioned the CAR conflict, it is always in brief. The only serious coverage has been among specialty news groups, especially those with a heavy online presence, such as Foreign Policy, Slate, and The Atlantic. Among the likes of CNN, NBC, FOX News, and the CBC in Canada, the conflict in the CAR is lost behind stories of awards-season buzz, the Olympics in

a student in Grade 9 this coming fall. If Annie Kidder and People for Education had really wanted their reports and findings to help families make difficult decisions surrounding choosing academic or applied courses, they would have published their findings months before they did, when families are actually making those choices.

The course selection deadline was February 28th.

The aforementioned report was published on February 24th.

The topic of academic streaming, and the issues brought up in the report are not to be trivialized, but the group’s decision to publish their findings so late makes it look as though they are trying to avoid a real conversation.

Sochi, protests erupting in the evolving situation in Venezuela, the Ukrainian “revolution” of sorts, and outrage against sexual persecution laws in Arizona.

The only time Grade 12 student Declan Lawrence pays attention to conflicts abroad like these is when “every once in awhile I hear a statistic about how many people died compared to a “disaster” in North America, and I will be completely taken off guard by how staggeringly bad that situation is.” When I told Declan that there had been about 40 major conflicts in Africa since 1970, he was shocked: “how do I react to that? I think it’s so terrible that there have been that many wars that have occurred and they have gone, for the most part, unreported.”

Violence continues in the CAR as of the time of this writing. I recently read about a man describing being forced to watch his 4 year-old son’s throat being slit. Reporters for the Associated Press describe seeing a baby being fed to a snake. Sickeningly, it is so commonplace for murder to take the form of someone being hacked apart with machetes that the Christian militias have named themselves “anti-balaka”, which literally means “anti-machete”. Genocide Watch reports that the death toll is in the tens of thousands already, and the rate of violent sexual assault is many times that. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced to the rural bush or across the borders to refugee camps.

We need to stop being shocked viscerally. Yes, the images and descriptions of violence are horrifying, but they certainly aren’t fictional.

This is happening to real people, with real lives, with real brothers and sisters, with real best friends. It’s time to begin being shocked intellectually. Don’t just change the channel, should reporting on the CAR even come on the television at all, but watch and understand the situation. The West needs to take real, direct action now. In 1994, we were absorbed by the OJ Simpson trial as violence unfolded in Rwanda.

Let’s make sure that the Central African Republic conflict is not the next Rwanda, or the next time you’ll be reading about the subject is in a textbook on the first major genocide of the 21st century.

FEATURES

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Singapore

Beyond NT Walls: Former Students...where are they now?

Yee-Sing Yeap

Approximately thirty hours after watching freezing, pitch-dark Toronto blur past for the last time in an airport taxi, I got quite unceremoniously plonked one degree north of the equator, back at the very place I once left to start anew, to… Start anew.

New routines sure are strange. I wake up at 6.45am. Late starts are inexistent. School attire is a white polo shirt with a greyish-brown pencil skirt. Wearing said pencil skirt, I have to sit on the floor of the school hall for assembly every morning (ow). Around campus, we’re expected to bow to and greet teachers; informality is almost taboo. If you can find a teacher willing to stream the Sochi games during class, either one of you has to stop smoking whatever it is you’ve been smoking. Also, nobody puts their hand up in class.

Yep, class participation is a real issue here. I’m virtually the only one in class who ever puts her hand up; even when students are called upon, they struggle to offer something substantial. Schoolmates attribute the problem to peer pressure, saying, “When people raise their hands others tend to laugh at them.” Sounds incredulous, but it happens. Somehow, being a kid who tries at school becomes uncool early on, effective

Neuchatel

Jonathan Ezer

Jonathan Ezer

My name is Jonathan Ezer. I went to NT for three years from Grades 9 to 11 (2010-2013).

You may either know we as the hooker on the rugby team or the guy that goes way too hard in intramural ball hockey. This year I’m doing my Grade 12 year at Neuchatel Junior College located in Neuchatel, Switzerland. Neuchatel is a school of 70 students from all around the world but most coming from the Greater Toronto Area. All the students are either in their Grade 12 year or doing a fifth year (victory lap).

Spending the year away from home is a fun but also scary experience. On one hand, you’re traveling Europe with students, but on the other hand, the majority of the grade has never done independent travel. This causes mix-ups and problems. At the same time it is part of the fun. Making mistakes leads to creating your own adventures. For example, when I was away in Barcelona with my friends, we went out in search of a local church but ended up running into a huge, beautiful market in downtown Barcelona where we saw an amazing fruit stand.

North Toronto is a very tough school but Neuchatel Junior college is also an Ontario-based curriculum. The work load is equal to NT, but the big advantage is having small classes of 15-22 which allows you to engage with your teachers.

ly muting the child for the rest of her educational career. Whatever the reason, school culture is that of reticence, which gets frustrating.

You get used to things, though. One just has to, basically, suck it up. You can rant about it on Twitter when you get home. Gradually, you find yourself working out pockets of time to steal naps. There’s a certain angle of sitting that doesn’t make the skirt strangle your thighs. Most other undesirable situations just have to be endured; you just have to keep putting your hand up unselfconsciously in class and hope people might be emboldened to do the same, and you might just grow to like your new teachers enough to formally greet them every time you see them. Or just avoid them; that works too.

Socially, it’s never going to be easy being the new kid. (Grade 9 was an absolute nightmare I can never revisit without intense cringing and waves of nausea.) At least being new means getting more experience being new—one picks up a thing or two over time about how to behave like the social creature us humans happen to be. It’s an exercise in ditching self-perceived self-preservation, diving into the web of existing cliques, and trying to get as tangled in there as everyone else. It’s easy to just hover in the periphery and berate our circumstances—thing is, it’s only about becoming determined enough to prick the bubble of self-pity. I ate lunch alone for three weeks before I finally gathered the courage to ask to join some others. Never lonely again. It’s simpler than we think, sometimes.

Another hurdle comes next: people here don’t know my background, so hardly anyone can really see things my way. After a certain point, however, you realise it doesn’t matter that much. I guess we don’t need to be understood completely—while keeping in line with who we are and what we believe in, we can learn to toler-

ate, rather than expect to be tolerated. Which makes us better people.

Of course, I still miss my friends. I miss my teachers. I miss the proximity of Timbits and daily hugs. I miss the way love flows so readily in NT. But the greatest piece of advice I’ve held on to (given by a teacher at NT) is this: you’ve not actually left, for all these people are going to stay with you wherever you go. It’s true, and even more heartwarming to see happen—I still receive Facebook messages from my friends today, which I return. Maintaining closeness may now require more effort, but it truly shows how much we matter to each other.

In all these ways, the most important thing I’ve learned is this: no matter how much unfamiliarity can suck, it shoves you out of your comfort zone and opens up a whole lot of opportunities—if you allow yourself to open up, that is—to extend said comfort zone and learn a whole lot about yourself, yourself in relation to others, and others. I know half the year’s gone and nobody’s actually new anymore in NT, but we’re all going to be new to an intimidating situation at some point. Hopefully, we remember to grudgingly accept optimism, and get through it all a little Yee-Sing Yeap easier.

My favorite trip this year was either my trip to Barcelona, Spain, where I discovered the city on foot and also saw Barcelona FC play (watching Messi and Neymar in person was truly amazing). Besides Barca, my favourite trip that was interesting but also educational was my trip to Munich, Germany. While in Munich, I saw the city, but the most intriguing part was going to Dachau Concentration camp. There, we walked the grounds and got a first hand look into what happened during the Holocaust. Every night I can still feel the shivers I got when I stepped inside the gas chamber. The trip will make me never forget the horror of the Holocaust.

The majority of the school will be attending Canadian schools next year, besides a handful going to American and British schools.

I have applied to Queens, Laurier, Ryerson, and Western Universities. I have no other plans besides going to a Canadian Uni.

Not for one second do I feel like I’m missing out on stuff back home. Of course I miss my amigo Daniel Kolominsky, and it is tough sometimes to be away from my family for so long.

At the end of the day, though, I am learning so much and eating way better food. Most importantly, I am fully legal and can go to bars. I miss my beer pong games, but being in the bar talking with locals is way more fun.

No one actually gets drunk at cafes during lunch here every day.There are rules set by the

school for no drinking on weekdays and nights.

The majority of the school is dedicated to getting good marks and going to the school of their dreams. The bars are awesome, cafes are sick, beer is good... But there is a time in a place for everything. We have the occasional wine with the families we live with during dinner, but not enough to get #whitegirlwasted.

The Swiss are very organized and efficient. They have 11 different recycling bins for certain objects. They cook way better and make more delicious foods. They smoke way too much, which I hate, but their loss because they will die early. Our grade is very close. The grade is just under 80 students. The kids are from Canada mostly with a few from other places like Mexico, Iran, New York, and Singapore. The kids are all so nice, funny, and interesting. Everyone has their own unique talent, which I admire. We are all so different, but it works so well.

Jonathan Ezer

GOOD NEWS!

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Introduction by Jack Denton

Just when you think society is going down the drain, what with insane power outages, crack smoking mayors, revelations coming through of the NSA reading your emails, and the Olympic host country condemning homosexuality... something like this happens.

Let there be Reflection Charlotte Corelli

For such a small town, Rjukan, Norway has a lot of history behind it. The town was established in 1905 when industrialist and engineer Sam Eyde, saw the power potential of waterfall, Rjukanfossen. It wasn’t long before this waterfall became the largest power-plant in the world. So began Norsk Hydro. Without this 104 meter tall waterfall, not only would this town wedged between tall slopes have a different history; it probably wouldn’t exist.

Why not? Because from September to March, the area does not receive any direct sunlight.

“You look just a short way up the mountainside and the sun is right there, so close you can almost touch it. But not here,” Eivind Toreid, resident of the town and electrical engineer told The Guardian. In order to get their daily dose of vitamin D, residents have the option of taking a cable car 500 meters up the mountain. Recently however, the town of 3,500 has found a way to welcome winter sunlight into their own town square. Reviving one hundred year old plans, Martin Anderson began the design for three ambitious mirrors to be placed on the top of a slope. While the three mirrors, known as the Solspeil, only reflect a patch of light into the town square, the population of the town is glad to put frustrations like Toreid expressed behind them. “This is a powerful symbol for Rjukan,” said the mayor. “The whole history of this town is about new and crazy ideas.”

Little Free Libraries

Rachel Katz

Take a book. Return a book. That’s what Todd Bol had in mind in 2009 when he decided to commemorate his mother by building a small model house, filling it with books, and placing it on his lawn. His neighbours loved the idea, and Bol quickly made more model houses and gave them away, launching the Little Free Library movement, which quickly became a worldwide phenomenon.

The idea is simple. A small, inviting model of a building, usually a house, is installed in a place that gets plenty of foot traffic. Front yards are common locations. These small houses are then stocked with a selection of books. That’s where the magic begins.

People look through the selection and take one, returning later with either the same book, or one of their own choosing, and the cycle continues.

There are currently between 10 000 and 12 000 Little Free Libraries around the world, from Iceland, to Uganda, to New Zealand, and the books they house are as unique as their locations.

These tiny “habitats for the humanities” are meant to help build communities and bridge generation gaps, and they’re sharing the joy of reading in a new way for neighbours to share.

Charlotte Corelli

Flash Mob Brightens Everyone’s Day Jack Denton

It was on December 3, a busy day for the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. People were bustling around busily, perhaps visiting the museum to liven up their dour winter day a bit. They certainly didn’t expect that the entire U.S. Air Force Band would emerge from the rafters to put on a flash mob-type performance.

It went like this: amidst the hustle and bustle, a single, uniformed, cellist emerges from the crowd. He sits himself down and begins to play joyously. Soon, a trumpeter and a flutist remove overcoats to reveal uniforms and join in. More and more men and women of the Air Force Band seem to pour out of the rafters in the great museum gallery, and soon the conductor is leading a semi-circle of instruments. Up on the second level of the gallery, choristers’ voices ring loud and clear. The 120-person band played an arrangement of Bach’s “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring/Joy to the World.”

You can find videos of the flash mob on YouTube, and in each one you can clearly see everyone’s face truly illuminated by the excitement and vivacity of the music. Perhaps this is what the holiday spirit is truly about: simple acts that bring utter joy to all those involved.

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Fashion Show from the Eyes of a Niner Alyssa Joynt

After all the hype that Chroma has received from September to the final days before the show, expectations were high. However, it went above and beyond what I had expected. As a Grade 9 at North Toronto, I had never attended Fashion Show, so I didn’t really know what to expect.

On Friday, January 31st, I went to the first production and was absolutely blown away. I had been told that past productions had been better than expected, and I have to say that the same

was true for Chroma. Everything was spectacular.

The show opened with an introductory video, talking about art and its many forms through the years. This video was incredibly well put together and immediately drew in the audience, making them anxious to see what was coming next. Videos also prefaced each act, introducing the inspiration for that particular portion of

the show. It was an ingenious addition to the production, because it took attention away from Stage Crew as they changed the sets. This allowed the whole show to run smoothly with no awkward gaps.

If the transitions were that incredible, what can I say about the actual scenes?

Every costume was stunning, every dance amazing... It’s hard to believe that every aspect of the show was created by students— that was how professional Chroma came off as. Additionally, the hair and makeup was out of this world, with impossible braids and perfect, mystical, rainbow eyelids. Not only was it intricate and well done, but it fit each theme perfectly; for example, during Classics, the boys had half their faces painted like marble, which enhanced their roles as perfect statues. Each and every part of the show was given the utmost attention to detail and, as a result, everything fit the theme like a glove. This perfection made my jaw drop and caused shivers to run up my spine.

Finally, the special talent incorporated into Chroma cannot go un-

Boycott the Boycott: Direct Fashion Show 2015 Louise Castonguay

noticed. Each song and instrumental piece showcased that North Toronto is a cornucopia of amazing talents. I felt as though I was watching American Idol.

Fashion Show was a real treat. It was beyond what I had expected, and lived up to the incredible hype it had received. To all those who participated in its production, it was a job well done. Congratulations, Chroma!

There’s a rumour going around that no one is going to pitch a theme for next year’s fashion show. I don’t get it! All these years, eleventh graders at North Toronto have had enough drive and passion to put on incredible, creative, successful shows and still graduate from high school and get into university and go on living fulfilling lives.

You have all had fun the past three years enjoying the shows, participating in them, seeing them, talking about them- and what does fashion show get in return?

A big fat nothing? I just think that’s rude! You’re all being ungrateful! Yes, it’s hard. It’s a lot of work, it’s a lot of stress, it’s a lot of late nights, early mornings, Starbucks receipts, and frustration. But it’s also incredibly fulfilling. Fashion show is one of the largest representations of creative student work that this school has to offer and the directors are responsible for it all. All of the fun and friendship that you have gotten out of it is their doing.

Are you scared that you’ll lose? If that is the reason, then you’re all cowards!

I knew these girls named Rara, Flayton and GouGou who pitched a show and they thought that it was going to win, but it didn’t. It sucked when it happened, but it ended up okay. They ended up being a huge part of the show that won called Shroma. Win or lose, they were happy that they did it. Building their show was the most fun they had ever had and they never considered it a waste of time. They became closer because of it and gained the respect of their teachers and peers. You can’t let

the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game. Trust me, I have gone through the exact same list of reasons why NOT to do it that you have. That girl GouGou still wishes that she had the chance to be director after experiencing half of the pressure that Miana, Lamar, and Juan Juan

did, and thinks “what if” every single day.

If you do it, you might win, you might lose, but no matter what, you’ll be happy you tried. When it comes down to it, you don’t have much of a choice. If you want fashion show to happen at all, someone has to grow a pair and go for it. Just think: if you don’t do it, no one will, and that would be a pretty sad ending to what has been one of the greatest NT traditions for the past 10 years.

Youth Engagement in the Age of the Millenials Fay Asimakopoulos

In the game of associations, Toronto politics is out of luck. Having been raised to international awareness by a person-who-shall-notbe-named’s weirdly anti-mayoral antics, which included the consumption of crack cocaine, interest in city governance has become trendier than ever, even if for all the wrong reasons. It is customary to debase and disregard any notion of Toronto being a functional city; of the structure of City Council; even of the role and responsibilities of Municipal governance. From subways that “will never be built” to growing wealth inequality, to a housing market that could potentially develop into a bubble, the press has spoken, and it has so far declared opportunities in Toronto to be grim. More often than not, the truth is complex, multifaceted, and fosters some optimism.

Toronto is one of the most multicultural cities on Earth, with a young, active population. It is a promising place to conduct business. It has a healthy economy, and a solid education system.

For every voter that is disillusioned with the state of the city, there is at least one youth who sees potential for vast change, and is prepared to act upon it.

Theo Poenaru, and Rishabh Kumar, two grade 12 students at Earl Haig Secondary School, are among these youth. The pair found plenty of room to intervene with the delay of the TTC’s Downtown Relief Line project. Proposals to expand the system have existed as early as the 1990s, when the controversial Transit City plan was knocked down by City Hall for financial reasons. The Downtown Relief Line, largely advocated by Josh Matlow, City Councillor for North Toronto, would run a half-loop, covering areas such as the St. Lawrence Market and Jarvis, connecting at Union. Matlow sees this project as a necessary mechanism to combat crowding in the Bloor-Danforth line, however, opposition has claimed that it goes against the principles of “fiscal accountability” and covers an area where,

You’re Not Beautiful Jessica Li

I don’t know a single girl on this planet who hasn’t faced self-esteem issues at some point in her life.

For most of us, the subject of just feeling comfortable in our own skin is a daily struggle.

Every time I look in the mirror, there’s always this voice in the back of my mind scrutinizing every little imperfection and telling me I’m not pretty enough. You might try to silence it, because after all, everyone says that confidence is beauty and whining about your looks will just make you seem shallow and weak. But no matter how much concealer and mascara you put on in the morning as you’re frantically getting ready for school, it will never change the fact that after you’ve washed it off, you are left with a face staring back at you that serves as a constant reminder of what you really look like.

In my IAPS class I conducted a survey as a part of our social experiment project. I asked the participants to rate their self-esteem on a scale of 1 to 10. I wasn’t surprised at all to find that over half of the girls I asked picked a number that was less than 6. In order to boost their self-esteem, I gave some of the girls a list of positive and encouraging phrases they can repeat to themselves in the mirror. They consisted of statements such as “I’m beautiful” and “I’m perfect the way I am.” Fortunately, results showed that by doing so for a few days, there was significant improvement on the way they felt about themselves. I further went to conclude that a surefire way to conquer low self-esteem is by simply

as many claim, the people have enough subways.

Founded on the idea that “this vital project’s” progress may be stalled, the two students decided to relaunch a campaign to rename the Downtown Relief Line to something more palatable. According to Theo, they “have received hundreds of responses and were featured in the Toronto Star, Toronto Life magazine and CBC Metro Morning.” The more vocal of the two, Theo is also working on a project with the TTC called “How Do You Ride?”. This is a youth engagement strategy that will work with relevant advertising agencies to rebuild the image of the TTC, and re-market its services to youth. Theo is optimistic that “if we engage with riders and the community more, there’s going to be a more powerful push for improvement.”

For Rishabh, the feeling that the opportunities presented at school were not enough for him to make a meaningful difference in the world of policy really pushed him towards City politics. Intimidated, but determined, he campaigned for a position at the City Youth Council of Toronto in 2012. As the current chair of the organization, he admits that getting started up in politics can present its issues, even after you become the member of an established organization.

“Real influence comes slowly as a result of small steps taken collectively by the organization,” Rishabh said. “It is very important that members of the organization stay focused, because it is the only way that youth groups can make a difference.”

Morgan Baskin decided to take her role distaste for the kind of partisan, divisive politics a step further. The 12th grader has a particular she believes have allowed Rob Ford’s ascent to power. So, she has decided to run for mayor. Yet, her impetus to run uncovers another dimension of problems that threaten municipal politics in foresight. According to Baskin, “At the end of the

sending yourself positive messages regardless of whether you believe in them or not.

But I was wrong. As soon as the experiment was over, the girls returned to their old mindsets as if those three days never happened.

In recent years, the media has made many attempts to encourage girls to love themselves regardless of how they look. Most of these ads try to tell girls that they are “sexy” and “perfect” just the way they are, and that they don’t need to change themselves. These ads are also usually accompanied by an image of a beautiful glowing young woman who is “embracing her natural beauty.”

The problem with these ads is that they choose models who are naturally beautiful.

Miranda Kerr and Taylor Swift don’t need to be drowned in make-up or go through plastic surgery in order to be considered attractive and, truth be told, a bare-faced, un-photoshopped picture of a gorgeous woman serves less as inspirational and more as if she’s bragging. At least when she is covered in blush and eye shadow we can pretend that she is secretly not as pretty as she seems, but when faced with “natural beauty,” we have no excuse for looking the way we do.

Don’t use supermodels to tell average girls they’re beautiful when those models are the reason why not everyone can be “beautiful.”

Frankly, some of us just aren’t. It’s nobody’s fault except Mother Nature and genetics is essentially a big universal version of Lotto 649. It was a complete matter of luck whether you have

19 day, I want to get young people involved. I feel that [by campaigning for Mayor] I can do it.”

Of course, Rishabh and Theo, and even Morgan are not alone in their struggle to turn their ideas into political reality. Another notable startup, led by Toronto high school student Justice Betty, is the Politicians and Youth Network (PYN Social). Although still in its beta testing, this online network wishes to “connect politicians and youth” by ways of video centers, virtual town halls, mentoring, volunteer and internship boards. Its catchphrase? “We’re not apathetic; just bored.” If it succeeds, PYN Social would alter the accessibility of political engagement, and tailor opportunities to the busy schedules of teenagers. It is a heavy expectation to place upon a startup, especially one by a teenager, but the initiative accurately reflects the virtual reality alongside which many of us grew up.

Our generation has grown up having everything within arm’s reach. Youth trying to get involved in politics is a noble goal. After all, it is almost impossible to discuss the fine-tuned, scaled-down replicas of past issues that our democracies are still facing, without taking an active interest in the manner first. But it is also hard to take an active interest when you have been convinced politics is the domain of adults, not youth.

The road is long, and results can only manifest in time, but the current political climate may be just what high school students need.

Charles Wu

porcelain skin and long eyelashes or were stuck with a huge nose and small eyes. The supposed “beautiful” people did nothing to deserve their beauty except for picking the right proverbial numbers at the right time. It took them absolutely no effort and is in no way a reflection of who they are. Looks don’t matter not just because a person is worth so much more than what is on the surface, but because it’s an aspect of life that is predetermined for us before we have even formed a brain. You don’t spend your whole life wallowing at the fact that you’ve never won the Lotto Max jackpot, so why should you be disappointed over the way you look?

We shouldn’t be praising women by telling them they’re beautiful even if they’re not. Reassuring girls they’re pretty isn’t an act of kindness, it’s a cruel reminder that beauty matters, and without it we will never be good enough.

Instead of telling them they fall under the societal box that is beauty, tell them that it’s okay to be outside of the box. It’s okay to not be beautiful, or sexy, to not have a round butt or skinny legs. It’s okay to love your body even if it’s weird or awkward.

Stop obsessing over your face, and start focusing on other things that you can change.

Like your success, your relationships, your happiness, your grades, and your Tumblr theme. That’s what defines you. That’s who you are.

20

ARTS & CULTURE

“The Lego Movie” Lego Sets: Lego Misunderstood Their Own Movie Trent Erickson

With over 4 billion dollars of revenue, Lego is one of the most successful names in the toy business, and rightly so: Lego is fantastic. It’s gender neutral, it’s for kids, and it’s for adults.

You can make a plane, a train, or an automobile.

Lego can be whatever you want it to be, but it can also be constructed to perfectly match the instructions on the cover of the set.

“The Lego Movie” revolves around this philosophical difference in how Lego is used.

The movie sees creativity and youthful imagination pitted against strict rules and instructions.

It’s the struggle of building what you want to versus what you’re told to, and the movie clearly takes the stance that using one’s imagination is a superior way to use the toy. In the end, the good guys won. Imagination and creativity once again reign in LegoLand, and all the little yellow men and women regain the right to build the world around them as they wish.

Who cares about instructions? Who cares if your three-wheeled car is made of blue, red, green, and yellow bricks and has a propeller on its back? Go ahead, build something ridiculous that couldn’t ever exist in real life. That’s the message that the movie delivers, and it’s a wonderful message for Lego to send to its young customers.

It teaches kids that the things they create on their own are just as special, maybe even more so, than the ones they made with instructions.

…And Lego took its hard, immobile,

plastic leg and stomped all over that beautiful message. It turns out that creativity isn’t in Lego’s best interests. Instead of building your own hodgepodge fighter jet out of pieces you had lying around, they want you to buy the more expensive “The Lego Movie” themed sets, so that you can follow the instructions and imitate the creativity from the movie. Unfortunately, Lego doesn’t stop there.

When you look for products on the Lego website, you’re greeted by thumbnails for “City” Lego, where you can build police stations, or space shuttles; “Star Wars” Lego, where you can build Jaba’s Sall Barge, or the Jedi Interceptor.

You can follow the instructions and construct these beautifully designed crafts. But what if you don’t want instructions? What if you want plain old Lego? If that’s the case then you’ll have to

look past the loudly designed icons for “Monster Fighters” and “Technic” Lego sets, to the plainly designed “Bricks & More” thumbnail. This is where the free-form Lego hides, the Lego without instructions, based purely on the imagination.

The Lego that’s so celebrated by the movie is relegated to a semi-hidden category.

Lego is preaching both the gospel of creativity and the books of instructions. That’s not a problem, they’re not exclusive. However, they’re not treating them equally. In the public eye, Lego wants to be seen as creative, yet on the site –where it really counts- they put the focus on the expensive, instruction equipped sets. Lego needs to build a future where they value children’s creativity just as much as the bottom line, and doing that is simple enough to not need instructions.

Voss, Fiji, Smart, or Blk bottle, rush over to it, wince at the four dollar price tag, and buy it anyhow. Hazaa! You’re going to look super posh – walking around with that water bottle, drinking lots of it; you’re going to be all healthy, and stuff; you’re chugging water that comes from a magical tree in Malaysia. Oh, damn.

STOP!

Before you hand over that money, think about what you’re paying for.

Whatever the label may say – artesian water, mineral water, naturally sparkling water, purified water, spring water, well water, etc. – there is a 45 per cent chance that it is actually just tap water. It’s not legit. In July of 2007, Pepsi admitted to filling up bottles of Aquafina with public water, even though the packaging suggests the water came from natural springs. And don’t forget the amount of landfill to which these nondecomposable bottles contribute!

Fresh water is basically free in Toronto, and is super abundant in Canada, yet we end up spending money on imported water that has undergone unnecessary processing! Bottled water is treated by distillation, reverse osmosis, ozonation, or even UV-light; but all it needs is

simple filtering. Tap water, on the other hand, costs a fraction of the price of bottled water, and is treated appropriately. The same $2 (or on the higher end, $7) you spend on a litre of bottled water would provide you with at least 1,000 gallons of tap water.

The next time you’re thirsty, save yourself some cash and fill up a reusable water bottle instead of buying a disposable one, no matter how swank you think you’ll look. #tapwater #ftw

Straight From the Tap Louise Castonguay

Over the past couple of years, we’ve all gone through our fair share of fads. Some of them have been practical; some ridiculous. None of them, however, have been this expensive.

The bottled water industry has grown dramatically over the past 20 years. It is currently an $8 billion industry in the United States alone, with Americans drinking about 7 billion gallons of it in 2005 – and this number has since increased, just as the US population has.

That price is comparable to hundreds of billions of gallons of tap water; for a product that can cost up to 10,000 times more than its municipal counterpart, it’s an impressive market share.

There are a number of reasons why bottled water has grown so much in popularity: people think it tastes better, it has been advertised as a weight loss factor, and it is easily accessible. Outside of these, I’m sure that there are many other reasons why people are willing to spend money on bottled water – at least, there must be, because over 41 billion gallons of bottled water are consumed every year around the world.

You walk into the fridge aisle of any grocery store, and you get the itch. You spot that

Top Ten: The Time the School Almost (Actually) Burned Down Rachel Katz

In the four years since it opened, the new North Toronto has had more than the standard number of fire drills each school year. However, the one time the school was actually on fire, the alarm was not to be heard.

It was during the December 6th assembly. As part of the memorial service for the women killed in the École Polytechnique shooting, tealight candles were lit on the front of the stage. A sudden breeze swept through the aud, causing one of the tealights to spill onto the stage extensions. The flame quickly spread on the extensions, and were it not for Ms Hayden’s quick-thinking and racing onstage with a water bottle, the damage could have been much worse.While the assembly wasn’t a complete disaster, some of the somberness of the occasion was lost when the flames leapt up on the stage. Four years later and we have yet to witness another display of pyrotechnics, but the fire extinguisher mounted backstage serves as a reminder of the fire that almost was.

Figuring Out Fad Diets

Article and photos by Jane Bradshaw

March Break in Mexico? Prom? Summer? Whatever the motivation, it seems that all NT girls are thinking of nowadays is how to flatten their tummies and slim their thighs for the next few weeks. The only problem: the good old “eat well and exercise daily” isn’t going to cut it for many of these impatient teens. They want fast and furious weight loss; an overnight sensation that will grant them one night, a week, or a summer of Victoria’s Secret Models’ beauty before being able to pig out on pizza and pop tarts.

With the millions of detoxes out there, it is easy to get lost, confused, or overwhelmed while finding the best way to eat yourself fit.

So, my lovely readers, I have taken it upon myself to test the most popular fad diets, for a couple days each, in order to find out if they are really worth it.

Let’s get one thing straight: none of you need to do this or should feel pressured to diet, as you are all beautiful. Remember, food is fuel and a very necessary component of our daily lives. You NEED to have a good relationship with it. However, just in case you were thinking of trying one of these detoxes out, it might be helpful to read on to out how effective they actually are.

Diet 1: The Paleo Diet

The Paleo Diet, also known as the Caveman diet, is essentially taking back our cuisine to the primal age–hunter and gatherer style.

This means no processed foods, potatoes, refined sugar, dairy, salt, vegetable oils, or legumes (including peanuts). That leaves meats, eggs, fruits and veggies, healthful oils (olive, walnut, flaxseed, macadamia, avocado and coconut), and fish/seafood: all of which are allowed.

First appearing in diet books in the 1970s, this diet has been promoted and adapted by a number of authors and researchers in various academic journals, books, and magazines. Recently, it has risen in popularity, with several social media accounts posting their “paleo food porn,” and taking the paleo cake for being the “most googled diet of 2013.”

What I ate: eggs became a breakfast staple; lunch and dinner were heaps of vegetables with a piece of protein; I frequently snacked on fruit. I also enjoyed a fair share of almonds and pumpkin seeds as my main source of healthy fats, and chomped on berries to curb my sugar cravings.

After eating Paleo: I was hungry. A lot. I mean, I was eating monstrous amounts of vegetables to make up for the lack of simple carbs (like breads and legumes), and ate a decent amount of protein foods like chicken, fish, and eggs. However, my stomach was obviously unsettled by the simplicity of the foods I consumed, and kept grumbling for something more challenging to digest. Overall, during the paleo diet, I had more energy and slept better, but the constant hunger accounted for some lack of concentration, and I couldn’t keep my mind off the bag of dried blueberries taunting me in my cupboard.

Surprisingly enough, I gained weight during this diet trial, but my measurements stayed the same. It was fun to try, but I don’t think I’ll be taking any eating tips from our caveman ancestors anytime soon.

Diet 2: The 80/10/10 Diet

This diet is all based on eating the appropriate macronutrients in order to have 80% of your daily calories from carbohydrates, 10% from fats, and 10% from protein. Also popularized on Instagram, especially by users like Loni Jane Anthony, the 80/10/10 diet goes hand in hand with raw veganism. This means no animal products at all: meats, fish, eggs, dairy, or anything that includes them are off limits. It also meant that I couldn’t eat anything like soy, nut butters, quinoa, etc.

What I ate: Loads of veggies, nuts and fruits, and the occasional bowl of oatmeal or glass of almond milk. Luckily, there were plenty of vegan options available, so the only challenge was trying to keep the macros in check, and eating as many raw foods as possible.

After eating 80/10/10: Like the Paleo diet, I became hungry, and was often found in the kitchen eating as many grapes as I could fit in my mouth.

The mass amount of fruits and veggies I ate left me with a food baby (a full stomach and a bloated feeling); however, I was able to maintain my weight.

Keeping my macronutrient count was the largest challenge, as

21 I tended to eat lots of nuts and seeds, which contributed to my overwhelmingly large fat percentage (it always ended up at around 40-50% rather than my goal of 10%, as nuts are calorically dense). I was also constantly craving protein. When the second the diet ended, I was gobbling up greek yogurt and salmon like it was my day job. I may revisit some of the vegan meals I had, but eating according to macros put new limitations on my food choices and my diet that I never want to be confined to again.

Diet 3: 1-Day Caffeine Cleanse

This is where we enter the world of detoxing. For one day, you have to have either a cup of black coffee, or clear green tea, with every meal. Originating from diet books, the 1-day cleanse has many adapted eating plans; however, they all share one thing in common: restricted calories. Although you are supposed to eat like this twice a week, I decided only to challenge myself to stick to the plan for one day. After dieting for six days straight, I was not in the mood to eat as little as possible. I also opted for green tea rather than coffee, as it was an excuse to go to David’s and drink something with flavour.

The meal plan: Breakfast was eggs, grapefruit, and one mug of green tea. The mid-morning snack consisted of saltines and more green tea. Lunch was fish, vegetables, and–you guessed it–green tea. Snack was an apple, almonds, and…wait for it…green tea. Finally, dinner was meat, broccoli, and another cup of green tea.

After the cleanse: So, I may have cheated a little and snacked on some fruit, and had a taste of a brownie from Charity Week. Let’s pretend that my workout balanced it all out. Anyway, the cleanse was interesting, to say the least. With a meal plan all laid out, mealtime was extremely easy.

However, the caffeine had made me extremely alert, and all the tea meant frequent bathroom breaks throughout the day. These side effects were a nice distraction for the small amount of food I consumed during the cleanse, but it really took the enjoyment out of drinking tea. I usually never turn down a cup of David’s, but I might have to wait a while before I pour myself a mug again. Thus, even though my weight returned to what it was before I started this experiment, the over-consumption of tea and under-consumption of food made the cleanse about as enjoyable as being stuck in a crowded subway train at rush hour after drinking four litres of water.

Diet 4: Mediterranean Diet

The last three days of the diet test, I decided to eat the Mediterranean Diet. The goal was to eat similarly to those who live in the Mediterranean, like Greece. The diet included plenty of fruits and vegetables, legumes, beans, nuts, cereals, seeds, olive oil, cheese, yogurt, fish, and poultry. No more than four eggs were allowed per week, and only small amounts of red meat. Calorie intake was, ideally, around 30% fats, with limited saturated and trans fats.

What I ate: The Mediterranean Diet was the diet that offered the largest selection of food for me to eat. I ate plenty of fruits and veggies, Greek yogurt, fish, chickpeas, quinoa, and nuts and pumpkin seeds. I had eggs and chicken once, and dressed my salads with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Since the diet offered variety, I was able to eat more and enjoy my food more, compared to the previous three diets.

After eating Mediterranean: This diet was definitely my favourite, but was also the most similar to what I normally eat. I felt great, but I tended to eat more at night than I did with the previous few diets, as there were more options for snacks and dinner than there were for breakfast and lunch. It may have been the resemblance to my usual eating habits, but this was the only diet that I would try again.

In conclusion, diets suck. Restricting my food choices made me moody, and, more often than not, I found myself splurging wherever the diets allowed me. Whether it was my strawberry splurge during the Paleo diet, or non-stop fruits, veggies, and almonds during the 80/10/10 diet, I could feel my body craving food. Although my weight wavered, the actual measurements of my body stayed the same, which justifies that the number on the scale doesn’t define your body. A few pounds up or down aren’t going to drastically change your pant size. Thus, despite the hype, fad diets are not worth the time, effort, or hours of hunger. As teenagers, we often underestimate the power of eating healthily, listening to our bodies (giving into cravings by properly interpreting them), and working out. It may not be as fast as what is advertised in the fad diets, but I guarantee it will be more effective and sustainable. And really, what more could you ask for from dieting?

22

The Night of Nights Taylor Matthews-Walsh

At 11:26 am on January 12, every Grade 12 girl received a notification on Facebook stating that “Taylor Matthews-Walsh has added you to…” Instantly their stress levels jumped and, I’m not gonna lie, I know they all wanted to kill me.

So ladies, this is my public apology for creating the “NTCI Prom Dresses” group.

I think I speak for every senior girl when I say that hearing the word “prom” alone can cause an anxiety attack. So much planning comes with that small four letter word: your date, where you’re going to pre, your limo, the after party, your shoes, your hair, your makeup, and, most importantly, YOUR DRESS. The dress you wear to prom is something people will remember. Not to mention the fact that everyone will see it and judge you. If you deny it, you are lying. We are all guilty of creeping every graduate’s profile the day after prom to scope out who looked hot–and who did not.

Prom is the last high school event that you will be a part of, so, of course, you want to look good, you want to feel proud, and you sure as hell don’t want to be caught in the same dress

Nash Grier

Jessica Carradine

Nash Grier is a 16-year-old YouTube, Vine, and Twitter superstar whose fan base is primarily teenage girls who are obsessed with his dazzling blue eyes. With 5.7 million followers, he has the most popular account on Vine – a huge accomplishment for someone so young and inexperienced with social media and video editing. He receives daily calls and emails from businesses that want to cash in on his fame, and he has the potential to turn his current success into a career.

With all the support he receives from his fans and the positive feedback he’s been given in the media, it seems like a great idea for him to make a nine-and-a-half minute YouTube video, called “What Guys Look For In Girls,” insulting the majority of his followers and making them feel self-conscious and anxious about every flaw they may have, right? No. This is not the way to earn respect and fame. Nash has jeopardized his credibility by offending vulnerable young girls who publicly supported him. It’s hard to believe that someone becoming so successful could do something so stupid. Even though he quickly deleted the video after receiving immediate backlash, the damage was done, and it was reuploaded by other accounts.

In the video’s introduction, Nash and his two friends start off by stating that they will be talking about qualities they find attractive in girls. If they had done just that – discussed their opinions in a polite, humorous way – the video wouldn’t have been so awful. The first words that Nash says, however, are, “you have to be entertaining.” There is a subtle difference between expressing that you like it when girls have specific traits and demanding that all girls have them.

as someone else (my awesome group prevents that from happening). See, the point of my group was not to stress you out or make you hate me, I’m really just lookin’ out for you. I know you’re all going to look lovely, but I want you to look lovely in your own way! Why would you want to wear a dress that four other girls have in another colour? And yeah, I will admit, January is a little early, but now you can check off the most stressful part of your list and move to another nerveracking detail–your date (sorry!).

Anyways, shout out to all the gals that have posted in the group. You all look amazing.

And for those who haven’t: no worries, we have time. I hope you all forgive me for loading on the stress, and I can’t wait to see all the rest of the dresses!

Oh, and a special note to all the guys who didn’t stop reading this after they saw the word “prom:” I am still dateless, so holla at me if you’re feelin’ kind. *coughimseriouscough*… #getpumped #2months #prom2014

Annie RobinsonYe

The effect of the latter is obviously different from the effect of the first. Nash Grier did not realize this implies that a person who possess certain qualities is attractive, and a person who does not possess those qualities is unattractive.

Therefore, as his list of qualities grew longer and longer, and he kept adding onto what girls “have to be” and “need to have,” he systematically began to prevent any girl who watched the video from feeling attractive. By the end of the video, it was physically impossible for Nash’s dream girl to exist.

In essence, these boys told every female viewer that she was ugly and would never be good enough for them. If you’re not spontaneous, entertaining, ambitious, talented, playful, short, classy, freaky, innocent, and you don’t cuddle, text first, wear long socks, change up your hair, play sports, shave your entire body, dress up, dress down, wear glasses, have freckles, have great style, cook, snowboard, sing, wear visible makeup, draw on your eyebrows, wear lipstick, or like video games, then sorry, ladies, you’re not attractive. Oh, and, ironically, Nash wants you to “be yourself” and “be natural.”

To top it all off, Nash talked about “the chase.” Nash says, “there has to be a perfect balance. If you play too hard to get, then it’s just like ‘oh, she doesn’t like me,’ but if you play easy, then it’s like ‘oh she’s a whore.’” This was probably his biggest mistake of all. Sorry, but how stupid do you have to be to slut-shame to your female

audience? This kind of sexist attitude that tells women they should feel guilty and ashamed for their sexuality is deeply wrong on so many levels.

It’s hard to comprehend how Nash could have thought females would enjoy this video.

Nash Grier and his friends are human; they’re allowed to make mistakes, but their age is not an excuse. Many loyal fans, who are standing up against the criticism Nash has received for this video, say that he is just a kid who didn’t know better. He is obviously smart enough; he’s the most popular user on Vine, and he travels America to market and promote himself. He is allowed to make mistakes, but he should apologize for them – especially one so offensive and hypocritical.

I’m not saying that Nash doesn’t deserve the popularity and success he has earned, that he always treats his fans terribly, or that his blue eyes aren’t dazzling, but I do think he should make an apology video to show maturity. No matter who someone is, he/she does not have the right to tell anyone that they have to change themselves to be good enough for him/her.

Top Ten: The Time the Old School Almost Fell Down Jane Bradshaw

The first time I entered the old school of NT I played basketball in the big gym on the first floor. I knew that I would be going there for high school, even though I would be attending classes in the new building. It seemed perplexing why this beautiful school was being torn down; it was rich with unparalleled history and spirit. During the game, my team called a time out and we all ran to the bench, when a huge SPLAT caught our attention. In the middle of the court, a large chunk of paint had fallen off from the ceiling, and splattered dust all over. Afterwards, I heard many other incidents of this happening: concrete falling off, paint chipping, pieces of the ceiling hitting students walking in the halls, etc. Now, these may all be rumours, but there were obvious defects. Thus, the old school almost did fall down on it’s own–Tridel’s wrecking ball just sped up the process.

Luckily for us, we’ve become accustomed to our brand new school, despite it being small and colourless.

Pete Seeger Died

23

Trent Erickson

Pete Seeger died recently. When I saw the news blurbs and Reddit posts, the name rang a bell, but I didn’t really know who he was or what his music sounded like. But, as often happens when a renowned person dies, I started to research him.

He’s referred to as “The father of American folk music,” a well-earned title. He was one of the earliest backers of Bob Dylan and a founder of the Newport Folk Festival. His most well-known song is “Where Have All The Flowers Gone,” a song that gained worldwide popularity due to the number of artists that covered it, including Marlene Dietrich, who sang French

and German versions in Europe. The German version of the song was also sung in Israel, which marked the first time that the German language was publicly spoken in Israel since World War II. He has the type of sincerity that enables him to sing a lyric like “where have all the flowers gone” and not make one think of naked hippies; rather, make someone wonder where the flowers truly went.

The thing that captured me the most about him was his live performances. Not the ones from when he was in his prime, but the ones from when he was a 90-year-old man. In the videos, he’s standing on stage, his bony shoulders poking at his shirt; he can barely sing. He can hit notes, but he can’t hold them for more than a second or two before his voice gives out, and he knows it. “I’m gonna lead a song, I’m not gonna sing on it,” he said, before Amazing Grace. If it had been any other artist, this would’ve disappointed the audience; Pete Seeger made it even better than if he’d sung it himself. “You’re gonna sing in harmony. Let me give you an example of what good harmony sounds like,” he said, “Everybody down here hum this note.” He gave that group a note to hum, and did the same for two other groups. Then the magic started. He

told everyone to open their mouths, and to let the humming turn into singing. Suddenly, the whole stadium was filled with the voices of thousands of regular people, combined in perfect harmony.

When he gave them words to sing, the people sang and, miraculously, the harmony remained intact. The painful, beautiful, slow pace he set let the audience bask in the sounds that they themselves made. Every so often, the old man on stage would join in for a few words, his raspy voice, though assisted by modern speakers, was overpowered by the primal force of the crowd.

This man, who so readily stepped back to let the crowd take over, was the same man who stood up to the McCarthy era anti-communist hearings, for which he was sentenced to a year in jail. Fortunately, he was later acquitted.

A political artist from beginning to end, he was a passionate voice for racial equality, antimilitarism, and labour rights. During the Vietnam War, he led 500,000 protesters in singing “Give Peace a Chance.” Even last year, he finished off a performance of “This Land Is Your Land” with a new verse, ending with the line “New York was made to be frack free.”

This world was made for men like Pete Seeger. And it sure needs more who are like him.

trained eye, these clunky, elastic, pull-on leather boots may look strange. I was even teased mildly throughout middle school for wearing them. In fact, the boots look so strange to some that my dear friend, Hyung Joung Lee, a former Grade 11 student of NT, dubbed Blundstones as “Jack Denton Shoes” upon first laying his eyes on them in Grade 9. To this day, he still refers to this footwear as such.

We Blunnie-wearers stick together. Entering Grade 9 band class two years ago, I quickly spotted Harrison Cook, now a fellow Grade 11 student, sporting a pair of Blundstones (dark brown, while I wore black, if I can remember correctly). We immediately ran towards each other and did a sort of feet high-five. Occasionally, we repeat this little ritual–but don’t tell anyone.

All in all, I support the widespread wearing of Blundstones. Aside from being impeccably fashionable, they are also indelibly durable and preposterously comfortable. But the one thing that anyone about to plunge a socked foot into the depths of these great leather boots should know is that Blundstones aren’t just footwear. One does not simply take them off at the end of the day. It’s a lifestyle choice.

I’ve always worn Blunnies, and I always will. I’m not unique: around the

world, tens of thousands of people swear by these boots and wear them all their life. You must understand that you are entering a culture. And feel free to come up to me in the halls with your Blunnies and we’ll do the bizarre feet high-five thing, if you’re cool with that.

The Cult of Blundstone Jack Denton

While I may like to occasionally think of myself as a true culture maven, I’m surely no Kim Kardashian.

There is, however, one high school fashion trend I can truly, truly say I was ahead of: Blundstones. These unassuming leather boots, usually shown off in black, brown, or light suede, have been around for a very long time (1892, if Wikipedia can be trusted) and, as of this year, have become significantly more popular at NT. It’s hard to walk through the halls without seeing someone’s feet adorning this footwear; they might be hidden under jeans or bared openly with colourful socks and rolled up pants. But I’m not here to tell you what colour socks to pair the boots with, or to what height your pants should be rolled to give off casually stylish vibes. Rather, I’m here to do a bit of gloating. Please don’t think of me as “The Blundstone Hipster,” though I may be deserving of the title.

The truth is that I’ve worn these boots regularly since I was in Grade 5. Once October rolls in, the Blundstones come out, and by the time May gallops through, I’m sadly putting the Blunnies back on the shoe shelf. I’ve gone through four pairs in seven years, and my second pair (worn in Grades 7 to 8) currently resides all the way over in Afghanistan, wrapped around my sister’s feet.

Though nowadays I can confidently saunter through the fourth floor knowing that on my paws lies a modern and stylish piece of footwear, it has not always been so. To the un-

My Deepest, Darkest Secret Anonymous

I’ve known since I was six years old, in Grade 1. I’ve just never really accepted it. You’d think that I would have mustered up enough courage, now that I’m in Grade 12 and all, but no.

I’ve still never even said the words out loud: I’m gay. It even feels weird writing it on this page.

My heart is racing and my palms are sweating at the thought of anyone finding this, of anyone knowing my deepest and darkest secret.

It’s not that I don’t want them to know; I do. I just don’t know how to tell anyone something that I can’t even accept myself.

There are only two people who know: a friend I felt compelled to tell after he told me a major secret of his own, through an insanely deep heart-to-heart texting conversation in Grade 9, and another friend who had to guess that I like girls while I hid under a blanket in my living room, giving her hints.

Lauren D’Angelo

There are so many other people I want to tell but don’t know how. I’m not even that scared they’ll judge me; I just sincerely don’t know how to say it. Even if I’m one of those closeted, gay 40-year-olds who ends up marrying someone of the opposite sex, at least I’ll have admitted it in my high school newspaper, right?

Even if I am only known as ‘anonymous,’ I somehow feel as if I am a tiny bit closer to accepting myself for who I truly am: gay.

24

Mom, Guess what I did Today!

Declan Lawrence

“First off I’d like to thank [insert villainous name here] for the nomination.” With that simple sentence, so began one of 2014’s biggest internet trends: the “neknomination.” According to multiple news outlets, the game “originated somewhere in Australia around late January, and has spread rapidly to become an international phenomenon.” Within days it had made its way to Canada; many youth, both in university and even in high school, began participating.

On the surface, it sounds fine.

“Neknomination.” There is nothing at all in the title that gives away the alcoholic consumption that the “sport” actually entails. The goal is to consume an enormous amount of alcohol of any kind in the shortest time possible while being filmed. Therefore, you are taking the liquid “to the neck.” The concept has spread at an unrelenting rate. The “neknom” must be done within 24 hours of the person who nominated you posting their own neknom. The videos have gone viral and can range from the absurd, to the amazing, to the outright dangerous. Results, as you may have guessed, can end in disaster, but much of the time the victims of nominations create nauseating yet still entertaining videos. As funny and amusing as the theory is, some have decided to push the boundaries between life and death.

Neknominations hold the blame for the deaths of two youth in Ireland, and are definite causes of concern for the international community.

My first time watching a neknomination was on February 1st. I simply glanced across my Facebook newsfeed when suddenly a video

popped up because a friend had commented or liked it, so I clicked and watched. I thought they were somewhat disgusting yet great to watch at the same time. More and more throughout the day popped up and I continued to watch them. I couldn’t understand what was going on until the next day I spoke with a friend about what was occurring. He explained what I have written above and told me that “if someone nominates you, you have to do it.”

Peer pressure has been one of the main forces behind the nominations continuing onward. Within two days after witnessing my first neknom video, I had encountered countless

others. I was not worried; only university kids were making the videos, and although many of them were underage, they were still very funny

to watch. Then, on Sunday February 3rd, I was messaged by a friend saying neknominations had “hit” highschool. Quickly flipping to a Northern student’s Facebook page I saw that my friend had not been exaggerating. Neknoms were flourishing in the GTA high school area. By midweek, North Toronto newsfeeds were filled to the brim with shots of friends and foe alike drinking together for one cause.

While the principle thinking of neknominations may be foolish, the idea of copious amounts of alcohol entering one’s bloodstream is disconcerting to say the least, many people decided to put their own little twist on the idea. Soon after the original idea of alcoholrelated videos were passed around, many people began to do Feed the Deed. This means that the person nominated would do something like buy food for someone less fortunate, or simply post a video saying they would be donating to a certain organization of their choice. These actions have obviously changed the game to one where the idea is based on charity and not drinking.

Neknominations are an event that will quickly blow over, and it has definitely been interesting to see each individual’s unique perspective on them. There is a difference between having fun and knowing your limits and trying to impress others with how much you can drink.

It should be obvious that the former is the better option of the two. So please, drink responsibly or do not drink at all. If you are nominated you should not be afraid to say no if you are not comfortable with the idea. Above all, stay safe.

Busted: Fashion Crimes Misdemeanour Rachel Katz

I don’t know about any of the other ladies in Grade 12 currently searching for the perfect prom dress, but I know Pam Chorley’s store Fashion Crimes was near the top of my list of stores to peek in. What I didn’t realize was that the store recently moved its location further west on Queen St, and it seems as though all the pizazz and glitz of the old store was lost in the move.

Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve fantasized about having a reason to shop in Fashion Crimes.

I remember browsing the extensive collections of dresses, skirts, and accessories, and being blown away by the variety and beauty of the merchandise packed into the store. There were hot pinks next to vibrant greens and zany prints, and all

of this was enhanced by the topsy-turvy interior decoration in the store. It was like visiting a carnival.

This is no longer the case.

It seems as though everything that made Fashion Crimes what it was has faded, only to be replaced with a cold, streamlined storefront that has none of the appeal of the old location. Gone are the insane dresses and the crazy colours.

In their place are a much smaller selection of washed out gowns that, frankly, are not terribly well made, original, or well priced.

I was extremely disappointed when I set foot in the new Fashion Crimes. The lack of selection aside, there was no atmosphere. It was all white walls and black tile. My first impression

was that the store was going out of business. The previously bubbly and helpful sales staff had been replaced with cool-as-a-cucumber associates with seemingly little interest in the fact that I was a potential customer.

I feel betrayed by the fact that the store that has always defined magic and sophistication throughout my life has undergone such a dramatic transformation, and I would be reluctant to recommend it to anyone looking for The Perfect Dress for The Night of Nights.

Rachel Katz

Not the After Party Article you Wanted Hannah Karpinski

I imagined February Fifth would be the best night of Grade 9. Halfway through my first year into high school, I felt more mature and more independent than I really was. My aloofness wedged a distance between my loved ones and myself and, as I fantasized about the fouryear-away future, I felt adult. On February Fifth, I got my wakeup call.

I began the night on the Queen West sidewalk, drinking out of stainless steel water bottles with six other girls. We felt like we were soaring, but we were only six inches off the ground. A few minutes later, we walked into a club called “The Burroughs,” already drunk. The night is hazy.

Girls passed out on couches in the lobby, lacey shirt straps drooping over skeletal shoulders, sheer panties peeking out from under hiked up skirts on limp bodies, vomit sprinkling shoes like snow. Somehow, it did not faze me. Fashion Show’s After Party was supposed to be my Project X, my defining night, and my significant leap into adolescence, the definition of which I then interchanged with adulthood. I was excited.

However, the independent girl I saw in my head was lost in translation, and I danced around sloppily, makeup-caked in my tight, short skirt. I had made the decision not to tell my parents where I was going that night. I had made the decision to polish off a stranger’s mickey while in line for the party. In that moment, I was in control.

It took me two minutes in the dark, smoky loft to find my arms around some boy’s neck. I found out his name because I thought it would only be polite to introduce myself. I stopped after the third boy because he told me he didn’t have a name and that he liked how I “cut to the chase.”

I kept leaving my friends, until I found myself with Boy Nine. We were dancing on the fringes of the room, not looking at each other, when he grabbed me. He called out to his friend, who was standing against a wall, “Hey, buddy, help me drag this one over to the couch! I like her.” Twisting my arm, he pulled me off my feet, cursing under his breath when I tried to struggle. All of a sudden, I was no longer the one in control. I felt him dragging me away from the bouncing crowd, I felt bruises purpling my arm, and I felt the panic rising in my throat as his grip tightened.

Then, the floor. I hit the floor.

I didn’t see this boy’s face, and what terrified me most was that he could have been from our school. I could show up at NT the next Monday morning and pass this guy in the halls, and I would have no idea.

I scrambled to my feet, frantically searching for a friend. I could not part the sea of bodies on the grimy dance floor, so I shoved my way through. I could not breathe. I could not think. I could not be alone. For the first time that year, I wanted to be home. The glorified vision of myself as a mini-adult quickly dissolved into a deep longing for a good cry and the company of my mother, because if this was adolescence, I wanted out.

I wish I could say that I got out of there as soon as I could stand, but I didn’t. I stayed until a fight broke out and until part of Queen West was closed, which made getting home more difficult than it should have been. However, in the few hours I spent in that grimy club, I saw an uninhibited side of people that scared me. Girls were tallying hookups, guys were getting handsy, and kids as young as fourteen were falling all

25 over each other, focused on one thing only.

I cringe thinking of my Grade 9 self. I shudder thinking of my drunken Grade 9 self at After Party. I don’t even want to think about other Grade 9s repeating my experience, year in, year out. Yet, it still happens. Every year, kids pile into a club and make out and feel shitty about themselves. I can’t imagine anyone leaving After Party with a sense of pride or accomplishment.

No attempt at a real connection is made, or even any conversation. People go into After Party with a quick-hookup mentality, and although, yes, NT “works hard, plays hard,” when we play a little too hard, this kind of environment can quickly turn sinister.

As long as both parties consent, I am not against casual hookups. However, when you throw alcohol into the mix and place it in the context of a hyped-up event, people begin to think differently. Rape happens. Sexual assault of all kinds happens. I know too many people who have been sexually abused, often in the most casual contexts, by friends or peers. We hear jokes about sexual assault in the halls, we hear people yell “rape” for laughs, and yet, despite our firm denial that it happens all too often, it does.

I’m not saying that students should stop going to After Party. I went all four years and, for the most part (at least two out of four times), I had fun. The worst part of After Party is sobering up. You stand around as your friends, still drunk, hook up with each other. Every day, I am surrounded by intelligent, unique, and interesting individuals who have every reason to hold themselves in high esteem and whom I respect. So, like you hopefully would on any given day, if you go to After Party, give each other the respect you deserve.

Toronto’s Shifting Skyline Erika Sakaguchi

Toronto has changed drastically over the last fifty years, and it is changing faster now than ever before. You may have noticed a couple of gaping holes in the ground around NT–the soonto-be foundation for new condominiums. Even though Yonge and Eg is already a pretty condodense area, even more condos will be built.

Developers are tearing up shops and housing for more condos, even though we still have many empty units in existing ones. One developer will soon start work on the south east corner of Yonge and Eglinton, where Pizzaiolo and Hannah’s Kitchen were. Further south down Yonge, another condo may go up where the Art Shop is currently. Go north, and more stores, including What a Bagel, Kitchen Stuff plus, and so on, are going to be torn down to make room for yet another condo. This is just the tip of the iceberg: soon, Yonge will have a lot fewer shops, just as everywhere else in the city, since the same condocrisis is occuring city-wide. Of course, there is always online shopping, in which we can stay in the comfort of home and not leave our couch. It may be easier on the feet, but one does not get the same community feeling that a person gets from stepping out to the local businesses.

There are other, more important buildings that are to be destroyed. On Yonge Street, just north of Eglinton, there is a limestone post office with the rare insignia of Edward VIII, and a gargoyle-like unicorn and lion on the facade.

In 1837, this site was location of the famous tavern in which William Lyon Mackenzie waited for his fellow rebels before the Upper Canada Rebellion. It was known then as Montgomery’s tavern. Protestors have recognized the cultural

and historical importance of the postal station.

Kate McAuley, the assistant curator at the Town of York Historical Society, told the Toronto Star that “that rebellion is generally believed to have got us started towards responsible government in Canada. That is basically the birthplace of our political system.”

The list of historic and important spots in Toronto to be turned in to condos goes on and on. Another culturally important landmark in Toronto that is about to be ousted is the Princess of Wales Theatre. Deer Park United Church, built in 1912, is in danger of demolition. A historical house that used to stand next to the William Dineen House has been reduced to an empty lot!

The sudden increase of condos will also attract more students, and schools, having a limited number of spaces, will not be able to accommo-

date all of new condoowners.

The subway, traffic routes, and medical facilities will also be taxed by the increase in population. “Josh Matlow, one of the councillors for the Yonge-Eglinton area, said infrastructure is not keeping pace with the rapid development in that part of the city and he puts much of the blame on complicated government structures that aren’t working well together.”

(Post City Magazines, November 2013).

Our skyline has increasingly become one of tall glass towers, replacing houses and little shops that boasted character and supported our sense of community. At this rate, if you wake up one morning to hear buildings collapsing around you, it is not the apocalypse–it’s just another spot being cleared for a modern condo replacement.

What effect will this explosion of construction have on the culture and the life of the city? How will it affect future generations? There may not be a clear answer, but it is safe to say that Toronto’s future will certainly look different.

26

SPORTS

The New Kid on the Block: a Q&A with Ryan Nelsen Jack Bradshaw

In a year where the Leafs and Raptors have been surging, it’s easy to forget about Toronto’s newest franchise, Toronto FC. The perennial losers have yet to reach the playoffs since their creation in 2007, but might just have the best chance of bringing Toronto a trophy in 2014.

The new front office of Tim Leiweke and Tim Bezbatchenko has worked with head coach Ryan Nelsen to completely overhaul the roster, and the results are astonishing. In the offseason, TFC shocked the soccer world by bringing in stars like Jermaine Defoe, Michael Bradley, and Julio Cesar. Now the squad is considered one of the favourites to win the MLS Cup. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Ryan Nelsen to discuss his first coaching experience, the offseason facelift, and what it’s like to be a professional athlete.

2013 was your first year as a professional coach.

What was that experience like?

It was really enjoyable. It was new in the sense that I had complete control over decision-making. It was interesting coming into a club like Toronto, which had a lot of problems both off the field and on the field. It was really fun in one aspect because you’re trying to turn something from bad to good, but it was hard, it was stressful, there’s pressure, everything like that. But, if you can do it, when you turn it around, it’s really satisfying.

What were your thoughts on the team when you first arrived? Did you expect this major transformation?

I didn’t expect it to be as bad as it was. The hole was deep; I didn’t realize how deep and how dark. However, once you get working you can try and figure out all the solutions for the issues and you can transform your team into something that’s competitive and then from competitive into something that’s successful. Generally that takes time–it takes a long time–but to be able sit here a year later and to bring in what we’ve brought in and change the DNA of the team is something that the coaching staff should be proud of.

Obviously, fans are excited for our new designated players (DPs). How much of an impact do you expect them to have?

Well, in all honesty, designated players take care of themselves. You do expect a certain quality of play from them, and hopefully all three of them will have a massive impact, but the real key is what you do with the rest. The other guys we’ve brought in, in a way, are more valuable. To get a solid MLS player at a good price is very hard in this league. The guys like Justin Morrow, Jackson, Dwayne DeRosario: those three are huge additions.

With the arrival of the DPs, some of these other signings have been overshadowed. Are you expecting big things from these players?

Oh, one hundred percent. They’ve got good numbers; they’re starting players. We’ve also got Bradley Orr coming in on loan. We use the loan mechanism to get players for cheaper money; it’s a really good way to avoid being constrained by budgets for years to come, and we just got Julio Cesar until the World Cup, so that’ll be a bit of fun as well.

With the huge turnover on the roster, including the departures of Robert Earnshaw, Justin Braun, Stefan Frei, and Richard Eckersley, do you expect a transition period for the players to develop chemistry?

Definitely, there always is. It’s not going to be smooth sailing; it’s going to be a rollercoaster.

What comes with good teams–high-profile teams–is high [amounts of] criticism. You’re always out there in the public eye, so people will put pressure on you. That’s life. But as long as you have an end goal you can generally get through any sticky patches.

Tim Leiweke (Toronto FC owner) said at the beginning of the offseason that TFC would make the playoffs. I assume that’s still the goal?

I think if you asked all nineteen teams they’d all say playoffs, so it’s quite a generic goal. I like to use a broader one; we tell the guys that we want to get better every day, to work harder every day, and always strive to be perfect; the perfect professional, the perfect player. And it might sound easy and it might sound a bit, I suppose, fake in a way, but it’s really hard. A lot of people just can’t do it, and won’t do it, because trying to get better every day means you have to put in above and beyond the required effort, and that can be a stretch for a lot of people. So what we do is try to get the characters in who want to learn, who want to ask questions, who want to get better.

You’ve had a notable playing career in both the MLS and Premier League. What was it like playing in what is considered the top league in the world?

Well, it’s extremely hard, extremely tough, but extremely satisfying. Everyone in the world wants your job, so the pressure to perform, the demands from the crowd, the scrutiny; it’s a very pushing job. But it’s satisfying if you can do it and be a consistent player there. When I look back as a fan now, I think ‘God, that looks fun,’

but I can remember when I was in it it was mentally draining and physically draining.

You also captained New Zealand in the 2010 World Cup, where they went undefeated in the group stage. How special was that moment?

Yeah, it was a pretty awesome time. Obviously, a small country like New Zealand isn’t expected to do anything, and we were in a fairly tough group [with Paraguay, Italy, and Slovakia], and to be unbeaten was something that was really special. The country got a lot of pride out of it. When you’re a part of something that people will remember for a long time, something that my family can look back at, it’s an amazing experience.

Interest in soccer has skyrocketed in Canada and the US in the past decade. What do you think of the state of soccer in North America, and do you think it will continue to get more competitive and gain international recognition?

Definitely! It’s gathering international recognition already. The growth is incredible. It can only go up with the world becoming a smaller place, and all it takes is a couple Canadians making it to the Premier League or something like that and all of the sudden you have kids who will want to play soccer instead of ice hockey. The infrastructure in North America is really great; it’s an exciting time.

Do you have any advice for the next generation of players?

I know it sounds pretty generic, but the one thing I’d say is to have a good work ethic. Whether that’s in soccer, or tiddlywinks, or life in general; as long as you work hard and put everything into it, good things will spawn from it. It might not unveil itself in the way that you expect, but good things always happen. We always say to our young guys that no matter what you do, put everything into it, and the worst that can come out of it is respect from your peers.

Fantasy Sports: Studs and Duds

27

Daniel Kolominsky & Declan Lawrence

Studs and Duds returns for another issue! With the March Madness on the horizon, and baseball season starting soon after the NCAA basketball tournament ends, Declan and Daniel combine to bring you some predictions that should help you in your fantasy pools. Hockey makes its last regular season appearance in this issue, but hopefully with spring right around the corner you aren’t too disappointed.

Hockey

Baseball

Studs

Studs

G Stands For Goal In our first issue we wrote of how Claude Giroux was a bust. For a time he was, but with 15 points in his last 10 games, leaving him with 61 in 62 games, he now has just under a point-pre-game pace. His late surge was not enough to land him a spot on the Canadian Olympic team, but it is good enough to land him back on your roster. If he’s available in your league, pick him up. As the season continues, he only keep getting better.

Orange Crush(er) With a breakout campaign last season (led the league with 53 HR, 138 RBI) Chris “Crush” Davis looks like he has finally tapped into the power scouts have always thought he had. After struggling with the Rangers for the first three and half years of his career, Davis was traded to Baltimore. In the two and a half years since, he has never hit had a line lower than 326/398/708, in his first 31 games for the team.

Since then, Davis had increased his OBP, OPS, walk rate, and led the league in total bases last year. At only 27 years old (his 28th is in a couple weeks), Davis shows no sign of slowing down, and appears ready to build on his first all star appearance and silver slugger award last year. Baltimore has added more offence this season, and Davis looks to reap the benefits.

Good Coaching Randy, Good Coaching Phil Kessel is on fire. Period. End of story. If you drafted him in the first round of the draft you have the right to feel pretty smug, as there were many skeptics who were unsure if he could replicate his great half season last year. With 69 points so far he is second in the scoring race, with only Sidney Crosby ahead of him. Over the past three seasons Kessel has the most points of anyone in the entire NHL, turning from a pretty good player to the face of the franchise. On top of everything, though the USA Olympics team underperformed and did not medal, Kessel himself was named the best forward of the tournament - with 5 goals and 3 assists, he led the tournament in scoring. Congratulations if you drafted him; he has become one of the best players of this generation.

Duds The Wings Kryptonite It’s not very often you see the Detroit Redwings fighting for a playoff berth as the eighth seed in the Western Conference. Detroit has been on a magical run of twenty straight playoff appearances, dating back to 1990.

One aspect of that streak has been their ability to score goals and not have to rely on stellar goaltending to win them games. However, over the past five years the wings have been getting older, and with it, losing their scoring touch, thus having to rely heavily on their goaltending to steal them games. Enter: Jimmy Howard. Fresh of his best season ever and a large contract extension, Jimmy Howard is putting together one of the worst seasons for legitimate Number 1 goalie in the NHL. Already Jimmy has matched his regular season loss total from last year and to add to that, he has another 9 overtime losses. He sports a 2.60 GAA which is respectable, but still he has shown very minimal signs of regaining his once dominant ways.

Fours A Company There has to be something wrong with mom’s cooking, because the brothers (Eric, Marc, Jordan, and Jared) have been heavily underperforming in all aspects of fantasy hockey.

The once cover of NHL 08 and consistent 75+ point getter has really taken a step back from his great season last year. If any of you guys chose to draft Eric Staal in the first round this year (Gavin Hull) I feel very bad for you.

Jordan just signed a new contract with the Carolina Hurricanes to play alongside his brother, but has shown no signs of the kind of gritty hardnosed player he was back in Pittsburgh. Finally, we have Marc. Once considered to be the future of the Rangers best blue liners, he has fallen back into the shadows of Dan Giardi and Ryan McDonagh. One can only hope the next Staal brother moving up in the ranks can outshine his other three NHL siblings, but he hasn’t been showing much promise early in his NHL career playing with his other two brothers on the Hurricanes as well.

The Older, the Better Being a reliever is probably the hardest thing to be in baseball. There are few pitchers that come out of the bullpen year after year and are successful, Mariano Rivera is an exception. Koji Uehara is one of the small group of relievers who has completely shut down opponents on an ongoing basis. Excluding his rookie year, with a 4.05 ERA in 12 games, Uehara has never had an ERA above 3, and it has gone down every year. Last year was his best yet though, with a 1.07 ERA in 73 games (74 .1 innings). It was also his first as the go-to closer, he had 14 previous career saves, because of struggles from other members of the pen. He took the job in full stride, and actually improved in the high pressure situations. With only one run given up in 14.2 innings of postseason ball last year, Uehara has shown that he can pitch against the best and come up on top. At age 38 he has a lot left in the tank.

Draft without regret.

Duds The North Remembers After being arguably the best player in baseball for the 2010 and 2011 seasons, Jose Bautista has fallen off the map. Slow starts and injuries have limited his playing ability and time. He has shown he still has power (55 HR’s over the past 2 seasons) but the consistency just hasn’t been there. Bautista has come into camp in great shape and says he feels great; he has already hit multiple HR’s and seems to be seeing the ball well, but it remains to be seen if he can play a full season and if he has the intensity to return to his previous form. Bautista has not played a game in September in two years, and with a playoff team, that is a must. If he can remain healthy and stay away from fights with umpires, Bautista has the potential to be a game changing stud. However, that remains to be seen and he must prove that he has changed his plate approach more than ever.

Power Outage The second former Texas Ranger prospect on this list is Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Another player that struggled in uniform in Arlington.

Saltalamacchia was traded to the Red Sox in 2010. After his arrival, he produced more, had more power, and his walk rate continued upwards every year. However, all that was on a team with one of the best offences in baseball, and not known for his defensive prowess; Saltalamacchia literally almost threw away the World Series. Before last season, Salty had hit above .250 once in his life (.253 in 2008) and had an OBP above .300 also just once (2008 again, when he had a .352 OBP). Last season, Salty hit .273 with a line of 338/466/804 with career highs in both slugging and OPS. In the offseason, Saltalamacchia left Boston for Miami, and in the process, one of the best offenses in baseball for one of the worst, as a free agent. With lots of protection, and being part of a world series winner last season, Saltalamacchia had it great. Now with absolutely no protection besides Giancarlo Stanton, a big salary hanging over his head, and coming off a career season, Saltalamacchia is set for a lot of regression. Stay away, far away.

Top Ten: The Time NT Almost got a Grad Couch Hannah Karpinski

When the current grads were in Grade 9, NT had a grad couch. We walked past the cool, majestic Grade 12s sitting comfortably on their throne, looking down on (but technically up at) us. As we shrunk by, we dreamed of the days when we, too, could be cool and majestic, and sink into those luscious cushions, surrounded by hoards of our equally cool friends. Niners would walk past us, their gazes a mix of jealousy, awe, and fear.

Suddenly, the grad couch disappeared, tumbling into NT history and taking our dreams with it. Gone were the days of fantasizing about a brighter future and, arguably, our year was affected the most. We got a taste of the glory that was the Couch of all Couches, the Seat of the Champions and, just like that, it was torn from within our reach. In response to complaints from many flustered students, some teachers go so far as to claim that they “hate” talk of the grad couch, and that with the exit of the current grads, the last grade to have witnessed the beauty of this fabled couch, chatter about this glorious piece of furniture will disappear entirely. However, our departure will do nothing to dull the legacy of the grad couch. In fact, theories will probably begin to pop up among circles of new NT students. Maybe the couch had cup holders, maybe it reclined and massaged your back during spare or, even better, during lunch, so that the other three grades could watch in envy while eating their sad lunches…whatever the rumour, there will be no one to argue against it, and students will continue to dream of the faraway hope that is NT’s grad couch. Do your butts a favour and don’t let the couch be forgotten because maybe, just maybe, it’ll be brought back one day.

28

OPINION & HUMOUR

Olympus: Greek Gods of Blocking Sports Streams Kyle Tarder-Stoll

Rachel Katz

It was a painful 48 hours. Screaming (in my head), bleeding (also internally), and crying (very much externally).

Mostly crying.

I witnessed the sheer shock of the student body as our sports streams were slammed shut. No figure skating. No men’s hockey (Canada vs. Denmark was a big ticket game, I don’t care what you say). No curling. No fun.

I sat in band class, indulging in my reveries–of Patrick Chan nailing his triple axel, or Marie Phillip Poulin sniping one top corner against some unknown country (in a game that whoever watched had “no life” according to Mr. Zohar).

BUT NO.

The stream was blocked for a significant amount of time. And I began to wonder– who would prevent a cheerful student body from celebrating their nationalism? Was it the rats from the old NT chewing on the cables?

Northern students chewing on the router because they’re bitter about our Wifi? Or simply admin trying to make us pay more attention in class?

The first two? Highly improbable–and definitely not the latter.

In fact, Mr. Gorenkoff proclaimed that “it had nothing to do with [them],” as he searched for the Women’s curling final–the stream could not be found early on that festive Friday, February 21st.

So who?

According to Ryan Bird of TDSB Media Relations, it wasn’t a “who” we were looking for. It was simply web traffic, causing a “strain in their network,” which caused delays with e-mails being delivered and “other difficulties with network communications.”

If you’re looking for someone to blame, blame yourselves, I suppose. Maybe NT should just take a week off for Pyeongchang 2018.

Teachers Love Hot Kids and Other Obvious Facts Neal McAuley

Teacher bias can be a weird part of high school, as most have come to that inevitable frustration at least once in their four years here. It can leave you perplexed and unsure of where you stand on the academic spectrum. My english mark, for instance, has fluctuated more than Lindsay Lohan’s drinking habits, as I have hopped from one teacher to the next over my time here. How could I salsa my way to a nice mark with one teacher, only to be curb stomped by the next? It brings up interesting questions of teacher bias in education, and I decided to investigate it further.

Some illuminating information was revealed when I stumbled upon an article that University of Washington sociology professor Pepper Schwartz wrote this past January for CNN. It detailed a study that came out of The University of Illinois-Chicago, saying that, “The attractive do have a GPA advantage over the average looking.”

I was half relieved when I read it, knowing that this hypothesis was finally backed by a place that isn’t the Dr. Nick Riviera of Universities. It went on to say that because of this “pretty bonus,” students who were more attractive would go to better universities, get better jobs, make more money, and ride the circle of prosperity until they got tired of it. In fact, they concluded that the GPA of attractive students versus average students had about the same difference as students in two parent households versus those in single parent ones.

At first glance, these facts can be frustrating for students, but give teachers a break, this is

just a byproduct of human nature. Of course they attribute visual appearance to their general opinion of you, and of course it affects your mark.

We all permit bias at some point in our lives. If you sat beside a guy at a screening of Frozen with a crew cut, a long goatee and a single, hollow teardrop tattoo below his eye you would have some goddamn questions. It wouldn’t be long before you went “True Detective” on him, piecing together the cryptic expletives tattooed on his knuckles while also piecing together his life story in the process. You would move your eight dollar drink over to the opposite holster because you don’t want anything slipped in. In short, don’t start pointing the finger too early.

It started to get interesting when I found a study done across the pond by the English Department of Education, where they found that there were a lot of interesting factors that contributed to the final overall mark. They found that

Top Ten: The Time NT Almost got a Pool Fayed Gaya

the neatness of the handwriting and the length of the piece affected the mark, regardless of the actual quality of it. Not only that, but two thirds of the moderators of the study thought that the teachers’ feelings about the student affected their evaluation in ways both positive and negative.

Professor Alan Smithers, the director of the centre for education and employment research at Buckingham University went as far as to say, “It is a failure to understand human nature to rely on teacher assessment,” and that, “Essentially the only fair way to test children is through externally set and externally marked exams.” Maybe that is a bit unrealistic, but he brings up a good point. The whole concept of teacher assessment is flawed from the beginning, and it is a fact that we must accept and live with. Obviously we are not going to send every assignment or test to some mark sweatshop out in the boonies, so all we can do is our best, or maybe lose the braces.

Hannah Karpinski

Imagine waking up on a groggy Friday morning. You’re stressed because you have an ISU due tomorrow that you started yesterday, Ms. Doucet won’t reply to your e-mails, and if you’re late one more time, you have to see the VP. But you’re in luck, for you have a first period spare. So you roll out of bed, pack your bag, and then throw in swim shorts. As you get to school you pass the angry looking kids in the late line being lectured

by Mr. Gorenkoff and head down to the basement. Here it is, the reason you got up today: North Toronto’s very own first-class swimming pool. It’s shimmering water calls to you as you gaze into its unknown depths. You take a running start–oh wait, this is NT, and there is no running around the pool–and you dive in. The sudden hit of cold water revitalizes you: it wakes you up and it lessens your worries about the future. This could have been you, the average NT student. But no, the TDSB’s stellar negotiation talents have gotten the student body an amazing facility, but the addition of a pool fell through. So we can remember this as the time that North Toronto C.I. almost had a pool.

ILY

Ema Ibrakovic

Hannah Karpinski

I Love You: 3 words, 8 letters, and hundreds of misinterpretations. What used to be a phrase reserved for only the most important people in one’s life has spun out of control, being used too frequently, too insincerely, and too casually. After witnessing people throwing around the L-word for reasons like being given someone’s food or borrowing someone’s Netflix, it appears to me that we’ve taken the meaning away from the word completely, reducing it to a cliché.

We live in a society where everyone wants to be loved and appreciated, so we beat the word to death. “I LOVE that movie,” “I LOVE that actor,” “Thanks for the study notes, I LOVE you!”

How strong can your feelings for a movie/food item/inanimate object really be? It won’t be long

29 before it becomes a requirement of social interaction. Your manager will love you; the cashier at the grocery store will love you. “Welcome to Tim Hortons. I love you.”

Grade 11 student Kienna Shaw says, “We misuse the term. We put the term to things that aren’t the true meaning of love.” When we start using a word incorrectly, it catches on. In the same way “literally” has gone from meaning actually and word-for-word to a term widely used for exaggeration, love has gone from meaning an intense feeling of very deep affection to being a way of amplifying a feeling. “The meaning of love has dulled for our teenaged culture,” Kienna adds.

If the word was very popular, but said sincerely, at least there would be a lot of happy people out there. But in reality, “Most people who say it don’t actually mean it, considering a lot of them say they hate each other after they break up,” says Tegan Huising-Torrese, a Grade 10 student at NT. “I think some people do really fall in love at this age, but the term is used too loosely.

It holds a certain level of trust that usually isn’t there.” It isn’t difficult to see what she’s talking about. It’s no longer uncommon for couples to say it after just a week or two of dating. Everyone has at least one friend who is infatuated with someone new every week, and seems to “love”

every single one of them.

The way my parents talk about the word when they were younger totally differs from what I see now. They say that when they were young, “I love you” was reserved for close family and relatives, and occasionally long-time childhood friends. Saying it to a significant other was a big deal: it meant they were like family. It’s the opposite now. We say it to all our friends (even the newly acquainted) and not enough to family members who have demonstrated their sincere love and care for us.

It might not be solely our fault; we’re surrounded by incorrect portrayals of what love is supposed to be. Endless forms of media are shoved in our faces, showing us delightful romantic stories of women falling in “love” with men they barely know on shows like “The Bachelor”; on others like “Jersey Shore” where we see quick nights of sexual contact instead of meaningful love.

Teens need to know that one day they’re going to fall for someone and that it may not be expected or convenient. They need to know that deeper feelings exist beyond the barriers of a one night stand, and those feelings shouldn’t be professed after a single date. Above all, they should know to restrict their use of “love” to describe things that they truly feel a connection to.

The ABC’s of NT

Alyssa Joynt & Caitlin Heffernan A is for apparel. There are sweaters for just about everything!

B is for Borden Ball: Students versus Teachers.

C is for Charity Week: the week in which you overeat and spend tons of money–so basically a second holiday season.

No worries, it all goes to a great cause.

D is for David’s Tea. The North Toronto addiction is extremely prevalent.

E is for Edmund Park. We will continue to applaud, no matter how long you awkwardly stand up on stage. We will continue to applaud, no matter how many times you attempt to start your sentence. We will continue to applaud, and you will SUFFER IN SILENCE. F is for Fashion Show. Chroma was amazing, so good luck to next year’s show!

G is for grad couch. It should be reinstated.

H is for Hot Air. Please bring back the old “hurry up and get to class” song. Change makes us agitated.

I is for isosceles. Yay for Math!

J is for jammies. Why can’t it be Pyjama Day every day?

K is for Stair KK. Did you ever notice that this is the only one called “Stair” on the signs, while all the other ones are “Stairs?” I sense a conspiracy theory emerging…

L is for the lawn party, though it should really be called the stand-in-a-long-line-for-free-ice-cream-party…

M is for March Break. It’s the third best time of the year.

N is for the The School Which Shall Not Be Named.

O is for the old building. May it rest in peace.

P is for pellets. Those annoying little pieces of the astro-turf get stuck in your shoes, socks, and somehow find their way into the school.

Q is for quadrennium, the amount of time the new building has existed for (2010-2014).

R is for Red and Grey Day. We never knew how much red and grey everyone had in their closets.

S is for the school song. Where else in the 21st century will you find a bunch of teenagers yelling “Holy gee!”

T is for tiny lockers. Our textbooks are fat, but is stuffing them into metal Spanx really going to help?

U is for our stunning gym uniforms. Work it, baby.

V is for vocals. Fashion Show, NT Idol, Fall Fare, the list goes on.

(W is for whatever. C’mon we’re getting desperate here!)

X is for the xylophone players. Without you, we don’t know how we would fill this space.

Y is for yearbooks. The book of high school memories with plenty of Sharpie.

Z is for Zohar. Without Mr. Zohar, we wouldn’t have Graffiti. So he is pretty much a superhero.

Charles Wu

What Grinds My Gears Alex Kellerman

You know what really grinds my gears?

When Mr. Yo I’m Huge is walking around the weight room dishing out his unwanted advice on what you’re doing “wrong” and what supplement you “should” be taking. Thanks Arnold, but your advice is not needed here, I know what I’m doing pal. We get it, you are big. You don’t need to flex your juiced muscles in our faces while trying to explain what I “should” be doing. I know what I need to do. I don’t need you telling me.

Dirty Rs. Please turn off your read receipts. Look, everybody ignores people over texts.

I get that. In fact I’m guilty as charged. However, if they are off, I don’t have to confirm my suspicions that you are completely ignoring me. If read receipts are off, there is a slight chance that you are telling me the truth when you say, “I was at my cottage for the past three days and the reception is terribleeee!!! sorry :P.” Turn them off or quit the dirty Rs.

When people shave their playoff beards before the end of the playoffs. I’m sorry, was the weight of manhood to heavy for you? Yes, beards get itchy. Yes, not everyone has the quality beard

growing abilities that I have. However, this is a symbol of the grind that is playoff hockey. Everybody needs to make sacrifices. The commitment to the playoff beard helps push the team as far as they can go. Make the sacrifice.

That is what grinds my gears.

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The Unappeasable Canadian/Too Little; Too Much Ajantha Nadesalingam

Complaining about the weather has become a hobby for many Canadians. Whether the wind is too strong or too light, the snow too mild or too heavy, the temperature too cold or too warm, the weather is never just right. Somehow, Canadians seem to believe that their constant chatter about the weather will change something.

But in reality, the black ice will not melt simply because we grumble about it, nor will the bitter cold be any less bitter. I’m sure some of this behavior has become second nature to many of us, and we hardly notice how much complaining we do about the weather, for instance…

2013 Weatherman: We predict a 30% chance of light flurries with an estimate of 3 cm of snowfall.

Average Canadian Citizen: This winter is so pathetic. Canadians are built for freezing ice storms and Mother Nature sends us a sad little flurry with a bit of slush.

Child: I want to go sledding.

Average Canadian Citizen: If only the weather was a few degrees colder. I reminisce of the harsh winters of my childhood which helped me build my strong character.

Teenager: Maybe this is happening because of the pollution, duh.

Meanwhile, in the house of a Paranoid Canadian Citizen: Paranoid Canadian Citizen: We should still prepare the emergency kit in case of an emergency.

Expect the unexpected with these strange winters.

2014 Weatherman: Tomorrow, there’s a 9% chance of temperatures dropping down to -40°C. Average Canadian Citizen: Did you hear that!

The weatherman said that there is a 19% chance of temperatures dropping to -40°C overnight.

Trees will freeze solid, and the electrical lines!

Oh no, there’s going to be another power outage.

Joe, what did I tell you! Quick! Let’s go buy another generator and some gas.

Meanwhile, in the house of a Paranoid Canadian Citizen: Paranoid Canadian Citizen: OH MY DEAR LORD. The weatherman said that there is a 90% chance of temperatures dropped to -40°C overnight! Listen my children, this is an emergency situation.

Use all the outlets in the house to charge your cellular devices now, before it’s too late.

Child: Ok. I hope this isn’t as bad as Christmas. “Santa” couldn’t fit all our presents through the chimney because it froze over.

Teenager: Don’t even bring that up. Remember the Christmas ice storm? I went a full day without WiFi. The good hotels were all full, and we had to settle for a 4 star hotel. Not cool, mom. The WiFi there was slow as hell.

Paranoid Canadian Citizen: Children, children, we have to stay calm. We need a game plan. The power will go out tonight, so get out the emergency kit. Prepare the blankets and the generator. I’ll get 10L of gas for the generator. I must go out now, before the ice

freezes over into black ice. I mean we only have the deluxe winter tires, not the premium ones. I knew we should have bought the premium winter tires. And one of you go out and dump 5 pounds of salt on the driveway and sidewalk. Otherwise the black ice will spread like a contagion.

And that, my friends, is the unappeasable Canadian in a nutshell.

to be outdone. And they were obliged to like it–to my surprise, nearly thirty people did so. Why was I so surprised?

Washago U is a fictional university. That’s right, not real. “Fufazi, fugazi. It’s a wazi, it’s a woozi—fairy dust. It doesn’t exist. It’s never landed, has no matter. It’s not on the elemental chart, it’s not real.”

And it seemed to fly over all their heads!

Okay...well some of you knew. Congratulations to those of you called me out. You’re real smart.

However, I talked to several people who thought that Washago University was real–not to blame them or call them stupid. They were just being nice. In fact, I praise those people. They were the only ones to have the decency to genuinely care about my acceptance to a fictional

university. Thank you.

Others were just nice enough to play along. Francis Kang followed suit through announcing that he would be “joining me at Washago U this fall.” That’s the sign of a true friend.

As the days went on, more and more began to call me out on the fictions of these acceptances. The joke died off. So did the legend of Washago University.

But despite all doubts, Francis Kang and I will be endeavouring out to Washago U this fall– if the Facebooksphere bought it, maybe employers will.

Fairy Dust and Washago U Kyle Tarder-Stoll

We are creatures of attention. We crave it, we search it, and we’ll jump through hoops to obtain it.

And that’s why we have social media. We post crap that our alleged friends are obliged to like or retweet or favourite or heart or whatever you fancy.

So this fall, I am supposedly moving up to North Ontario to study Agricultural Science (even though I’m not taking any sciences this year) at the world-acclaimed Washago University.

Like any attention thirsty Grade 12 student would, I eagerly posted my entrance status:

“WASHAGO U!!!” I exclaimed to my Facebook friends, letting them know that I was not

Top Ten: The Time the Exams Almost got Destroyed Trent Erickson

Each December we write exams and each December teachers grade those exams. This tried and true system is practiced at every school because it works. It involves hard work, time, and the swift, cruel death of many Amazonian trees. What it doesn’t involve, however, is soaking the history exams with water from a broken main. To make matters worse, it wasn’t only exams that got soaked. For Mr. Hobson it was the course work from all of his classes.

“I said a bad word. Actually, I said a few bad words, then I cried a bit…on the inside,” Mr. Hobson said about his reaction when he first saw his drenched papers that he’d meticulously sorted through and laid out.

Mr. Hobson and Ms. Wilson were the two teachers affected, which would make you think that they sit beside each other. They don’t. They sit on either side of Ms. Biondic whose papers miraculously…and suspiciously, didn’t get wet.

Luckily for everyone involved, the exams were still somewhat legible and were marked and returned as soon as possible.

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D E V E E P E G L P N I O H E S P I L B U P T U ABO

[Note: this article does not follow any of the APA style guidelines]

My dad recently began taking a study course at George Brown College. One night he brought home an abridged copy of the “Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.” He explained that all assignment papers in his course are to be written and formatted in the academic format known as the APA style, adhering strictly to the rules dictated in that book he brought home. During our first attempt together to figure out how to get Microsoft Word to do exactly as that book’s guidelines instructed–it was quite tricky to place the page number and the header both at the top of the page–I began to wonder at the point of it all.

Most of us have only encountered the APA style when we have to do a bibliography for some assignment, which bibme.org thankfully does for us. I only now realized that there’s a lot more to these styles than the works cited list. The APA Publication Manual (6th edition) offers pretty much a full course on the conventions of English grammar, diction, composition, etc, plus a host of formatting rules down to the width of the margins on a lab report…in the basic guidelines section. It’s an encyclopedia-sized, stepby-step guide on how the American Psychological Association (and other groups like it) wants your research paper–and everyone else’s–to look.

I don’t have any serious objections to standardized writing, but at some point, when the rules get down to the minute specifics, causing me to have to fiddle with the word processor for more than 2 minutes to get it right, I start to get annoyed. When the rules are dictating how many spaces I have to tab the first line of every paragraph, and where on the page (specified to the inch) I have to put my header, and even the casing of the header, I start to see the guidelines as a little ridiculous. Is all this supposed to make the writing look nice? Does the obligatory use of the Times New Roman font serve an aesthetic purpose? Looking for meaning behind these rules is like reading Shakespeare without the cliff-notes.

Why am I ranting about this? Well, in a couple of years we’ll all be in one institution of higher learning or another. My friend who goes to McMaster tells me, in all universities, the use of academic formats will apply to whole assignment papers, not just the bibliography. Bad formatting meant, naturally, a bad grade. My chemistry teacher, Mr. Miller, is currently trying to teach my class something about following standardized formatting

Style over Substance

George Chang

by setting some very specific rules on how we must write our lab reports, I applaud his effort, though I’m also wondering why the English department isn’t covering this right now. Since we’ll have to follow all these rules eventually, we might as well start early.

Some parts of the APA manual are actually very useful, like the grammar conventions and composition techniques; it wouldn’t be bad to have a copy of the APA manual in English class just for those sections to reference. Other parts, especially those regarding formatting, are a small yet significant pain in the ass. And although it’s nothing I can’t figure out with a quick Google search, I simply don’t feel the rules are all justified.

You might not have any issue with all this; maybe it’s just my laziness, but somehow I think laziness is at least a partially valid cause of my reaction to these frivolous rules set out by a bunch of psychologists and scientists.

If the APA guidelines were truly developed “to assist reading comprehension” and “for clarity of communication” (quotes from Wikipedia), shouldn’t it be more obvious to people how exactly does adhering to its format make reading and communication easier? I’d like to see the day when I read a research paper styled in APA and say, “Oh wow, that paragraph looks way more erudite when it’s tabbed 5 spaces instead of 4,” or “having those page numbers at the top right makes the work so much more organized.”

Instead, the feeling of annoyance arises when I look at all the APA’s rules.

Yes, indenting paragraphs, having page numbers, and a title page are excellent conventions of academic writing, but must you really care so much about where and how they are placed? Those are the overblown, excessive, and trivial details academic institutions really shouldn’t be focusing on.

At this point, I have two wishes. Microsoft can introduce a version of Word processor with all its formatting predefined to those specified by the APA (and the other styles), or the American Psychological Association (APA), the Modern Language Association of America (MLA), the University of Chicago Press (Chicago), the Council of Science Editors (CSE) and fellow decision-makers on academic formats can slim down their rulebooks to include only the necessary guidelines. I’m sure students like me can tell you academics which of the rules are reasonable enough to not pose a threat to our lazy work habits. Otherwise, I think what these guidelines represent in the academic community is a whole lot of style over substance.

An Open Letter to Book Publishers: Lu Chen

Hello there. Let me just clear something up right off the bat: I adore books. I love the way their spines fit into the crook of my hand, their new or musty smell, and their smooth, shiny hard covers. I love the rustling sound the pages make as they turn.

However, there are quite a number of things that I do dislike:

Like these pages. I don’t know if they’re supposed to be fancy and artsy or whatever, but I hope you realize that these pages make the book SO MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO READ. Like what are you doing? And these books also seem to be a lot more expensive than regular paged books. It costs extra money and it’s a huge annoyance. Just...why? Flipping to a page in one of these books is a constant struggle. Here are my fingertips, trying in vain to gain some traction and find where I left off. Is this some ploy to get me to buy your bookmarks? Because that’s just plain evil.

Also, fonts and the spacing between the words on a page. If your font looks like this, don’t place one line right under the other. It hurts the reader’s eyes and the text is so dense that the reader feels intimidated by the sheer quantity of blackness. Typing this out makes me feel physically ill, and I’ll prob-

ably have to put this back into Calibri just to edit it. Never underestimate the power of white space. Filling as much of it as you can with words usually backfires and leads your readers to go, “screw it, I’m out.” I feel like that was a life lesson right there.

Moving on. What are you supposed to do with book jackets that come with hard covers? On the one hand, you want to show off what you’re reading and thus keep the jacket on. On the other, they just don’t know how to stay on your goddamn book so you have to constantly use one hand to keep it on. This is very tiring work, especially if your book is twice the size of your hand. And it’s not like I can just tape it on.

The very notion of putting a sticky substance on a piece of paper is just sacrilegious. A nice thing you could do is put the jackets in plastic like books in libraries. Yes, please do that.

And designs that take up an entire page on new chapter pages are just...you know what, just don’t do that-especially if your ‘design’ is just a mass of ink on the side of the page. It draws the eyes away from the text, and I want to be immersed in your story, not captivated by a blotch of ink acting as a sideshow.

And why would you start off your first line or first letter with weird, illegible text

like this? It disrupts the reading experience. Here I was, caught in the flow of the words and having a grand old time with images going in my mind, and then BAM. I’m yanked out because I can’t make out what that word is.

Additionally, if the book is a part of a series, INDICATE THAT SOMEWHERE ON THE BOOK. Preferably on the first page, if at all possible. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve finished a book, thinking that was the end of the story, then learning two years later that it was actually a part of a series. Isn’t the whole point of a series to make more money off one successful book? Yes? So why are you making it so difficult for me to buy the rest of the books?

Please don’t use the sides of your books as more paper to print things. Strange ink patterns on each individual page are as equally annoying as a huge ink blot on a chapter page.

If you do have a table of contents, don’t have the chapter titles be spoilers. In Percy Jackson, each title was a summary of what occurred in that chapter. Yes, okay, it’s kind of funny, but it’s not worth spoiling your entire book, is it?

Let me reiterate once again that what you do is wonderful. Just, please, have some common sense when you do publish books.

Yours, A reader who turns things that aren’t problems into problems.

32

Graphics by Laura Newcombe

HOROSCOPES

Aries (March 21st-April 20th) Your birthday is so soon, wooow. Let’s take a step back and evaluate: on your birthday you can have whatever you want. So, you know what you have to do. Throw a party, invite “that” person and force them to love you. They can’t say no, it’s a rule. Cupid’s got you.

Libra (September 24th-October 23rd) You’re the epitome of math, class, and sass.

When you walk down the hall, there is Beyonce playing in everyone’s mind. That’s so exceptional so you better be stomping it out every day. All I can say is that you’re better than us all. No one even doubts it.

Taurus (April 21st-May 21st) When the going gets tough, the flow gets going. I’m going to let you in on a secret: majestic hair will get you everywhere. If those butterflies still haven’t flown away, man up, style up, and go for the big one...go for love.

Scorpio (October 24th-November 22nd) When it comes to high school everyone aims for one thing: to be legen...wait for it...dary.

You’re well on your way to being so, so during this last stretch of school do something unforgettable. Screw morals, screw logic, screw it all. We believe in you, show NT something spectacular.

Gemini (May 22nd-June 21st) If you haven’t already realized, you’ve gotten hot. Kudos to you, it’s a rarity. Now that you’re in the know, it’s time to figure your stuff out.

Taking it slow is nice and all, but the year is almost over. As KC & The Sunshine Band would put it, “Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, baby give it up.”

Cancer (June 22nd-July 23rd) You went all out that one night in February.

You know which night, you aced it. So it’s only proper to have a THROWBACK. Think back, yeah, you got it, there’s one that wins. All I can say is when in doubt, hug it out, and go from there. Stay minty, stay dreamy.

Leo (July 24th-August 23rd) Has anyone ever told you that you light up their world? ‘Cause man oh man, you’re on fire. Due to your hotness factor I wouldn’t over think anything. Go with your gut, be gutless. *Disclaimer: this is an opinion of a teenage girl, proceed with caution, and stay safe* ...But go all out...

Virgo (August 24th-September 23rd) Indulge in a burger and fries. Like those really good fries that are so damn oily and salty and they make you feel so happy. Smear some ketchup on them while you’re at it. It’ll do you some good. If you share them with me, your life will be the best thing that has ever happened ever...ever.

Sagittarius (November 23rd-December 22nd) Stop whatever you’re doing right now. Go to a window and stare out of it for a minute straight. Think of what you really want now.

Like right this instant. Time to be greedy...go get it tiger. Whether it be food or love (most likely both because those tend to intertwine), now is the time to go and do you.

Capricorn (December 23rd-January 20th) When one walks by you in the hallway, they have to fight the urge to bow down. Or kiss you. Or touch your face. When one has the choice between you and another, the choice is terminated because the decision is obvious: you. When one makes the wrong choice, the regret they will experience in the near future will suck major butt. Major. Butt.

Aquarius (January 21st-February 18th) You have to let loose. You have to, before it’s too late. You got this. No regrets from now until June, because when you look back all you want to be able to say is “daaaamnnnn”. It’s so worth it right? RIGHT. So remember, Spice. It. Up. Pisces (February 19th-March 20th) Now that March break is over and your birthday just passed, life is going to be chill.

WRONG. Life is about to get SO EXCITING. You have been warned. Brace yourself. I suggest carrying a toothbrush and an extra pair of underwear with you at ALL TIMES. Stay classy, good luck friend.