Volume 32, Issue 4 (May 21, 2014)

raffiti

The Other F-Bomb Page 20

Forever a Niner?

May 21, 2014

Meet the new Student Council

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Page 8

Page 30

Benjamin Ye

A New Kind Of Charity Week Jane Bradshaw

Crammed between the white cardboard walls of the NT voting booth, students saw a new addition to the student council ballot; picking a charity for Charity Week. Although it may appear just as another list for each student to anxiously analyze and rank, this innovative charity choosing method has democratically picked which organization North Toronto will support in 2015.

For the past few years, the JVP and SVP have created a long list of potential charities, which then the student council narrows down to a short list. From there, students had the opportunity to vote for their favourite one during lunch hours, yet year after year, only around 10% of the student population participated.

North Toronto’s goal is to raise the most amount of money for a cause that we all feel passionate about, and thus it was time to change the selecting process to ensure that the school is supporting a cause they all want to contribute to.

“We wanted more of the school actively engaged in the process of selecting the charity,” said Ms. Hayden.

So how did this new process work? This year, both staff and students were given the opportunity to pitch a charity they would want to support. “We have never had staff formally allowed to participate in the selection before,” notes Ms. Hayden, “A lot of time staff comes to me and say they have this idea…and it gets ignored. The staff puts a lot into charity week, so I thought ‘let’s give everyone the chance to pitch a charity.’ It wasn’t the main motivation to change our method, but it is defiantly a silver lining that came out of this new process.” On pitch day, half the pitches were by students, and the other half by staff. Then the shortlist was created. During the election assembly, students were given a brief

description of the three finalists and watched short clips, hopefully providing them with enough information about each organization to make an educated decision on which charity they would like to support.

What is the overall goal of this new selection process? “We hope this will encourage more students to be engaged in what really is the couple months leading up to charity week; whether in the planning, in their classrooms or in their clubs,” replies Ms. Hayden, “In selecting the charity a year before, it allows for the students and staff in their classes or clubs to pick up and discuss the mandate of the charity, and the issues that are addressed by the charity. They now have 5 or 6 months of the year to make the education piece of charity week more meaningful.”

On May 15th, over 800 NT students stuffed the ballot box and the decision was made: Charity Week 2015 will raise money for Ryan’s Well Foundation.

The foundation grew from Canadian Ryan Hreljac, who learned about developing countries’ need for clean and safe water at school in Grade 1. In 1999, when he was only 7 years old, Ryan built his first well at Angolo Primary School in Uganda. The foundation was formally established in 2001, and since then, it has helped build over 822 water projects, and 1025 latrines, improving the sanitation and safety of water for over 805,800 people.

Mr. Taylor, who originally pitched the charity, says that he was watching a program about clean water on TV, which featured a father who had lost

a child because of dirty water. “I was very, very touched and it stuck with me,” he recalls, “When the opportunity to pitch a charity came up, I immediately thought we have to find something to do with clean water, but it has to be local. We found Ryan’s Well, which runs out of the Ottawa area, and I was really touched by their foundation.”

Nearly one billion people lack access to safe water, and over 2.6 billion people lack access to adequate sanitation. For every dollar that is donated to Ryan’s Well Foundation, 85 cents is directly given to support the charitable Build and Empower program, which supports water, sanitation and hygiene education projects with local organizations in developing countries, like Ghana, Kenya, Uganda and Haiti. With this money, they build sustainable wells, springs, rainwater tanks, and sanitation stations among other things to give these impoverished communities the safe water and cleanliness they need.

For more information about the charity, their active projects and how they work, visit their website at www.ryanswell.ca

Prepare yourself, because Charity Week 2015 is going to be amazing. Get ready NT!

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Table of Contents

Internal News

Page 4 External News

Features

Page 12 Arts & Culture

Sports

Page 10

Page 20

Page 24 Opinion & Humour Page 28

Muse

Page 31 Horoscopes

Letter From the Editors Oh how the mighty have fallen…

The night before issue two was due, we ordered gourmet pizza. Issue three was slightly less gourmet oatmeal. And tonight? Tonight we dine on 99¢ Mr. Noodle bowls. This downgrade is closely tied to our enjoyment of this year.

We’re going to be frank: Grade 12 sucks. A lot. You’re so busy doing schoolwork and applying to college and university and jobs and scholarships and who knows what else that there’s little to no time left for anything not on that list. For example, our spare time (and class time) is spent on layout.

That’s not to say that this hasn’t been a wonderful, exhilarating roller coaster. As we finish our last issue of Graffiti as Editors-in-Chief, memories come back in waves, from writing our first “Letter From the Eds” this year to our first articles in Grades 9 and 10. Yes, in some ways it’s a sad, melancholy event to say goodbye to the school we’ve lived in for the last four years, but there’s a lot of excitement too. (Man, it’s hard to write about this stuff without being cheesy. Sorry guys. Except Tamar. We know you love cheese.)

Before this letter gets too long and morose, we want to thank you. All of you. Whether you were an ed board member to never missed a meeting, or a faithful reader who never missed an issue, we thank you for your support and love for what is, without a doubt, the best school newspaper around. (Though we might be a little biased.)

Love and funk, Rachel Katz and Hannah Karpinski

Page 32

Graffiti Editorial Board 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 Anfa Abukar

STAFF ADVISORS Ms. Bulgutch Mr. Zohar

Laura Pitt

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INTERNAL

Out of District, Out of Luck?

Maddie Wieler

Every year, North Toronto C.I. receives many more optional attendance applications than it can accept. NT has a positive academic and extra-curricular reputation. This reputation is legendary among parents who want their children to attend the best possible school. It’s not just NT: schools like Earl Haig, Northern, Sir Wilfrid Laurier Collegiate, Forest Hill and others face the same issue of supply and demand. North Toronto, Northern, and Forest Hill turned away a combined 500 prospective students in 2012.

Optional attendance, as shown by the number of students who are turned away, is not a sure thing. Schools that receive an excess of optional attendance applications hold a lottery; a few get in but the rest are out of luck. There is nothing they can legally do to get into that school; the only guaranteed way to get into NT is to live in district.

The story does not, however, end there; lots of parents attempt and many succeed in getting their children into schools using slightly less honorable methods. Enrolling your child in a school where they do not actually have a spot involves, more often than not, some sort of baldfaced lying. Lots of families use the addresses of relatives and friends in order to enrol their kid in these so-called ‘top schools’. There are cases of landlords ‘leasing’ nonexistent apartments to dozens of parents desperate for an address; paying for an address is incredibly common. Money being the key to a ‘better education’ within the public school system seems rather unethical.

In fact, money has a lot to do with every stage of school enrolment. Most of these in-demand schools have one thing in common: a high average income. More money in the community

means more money coming into the schools and another thing—more extracurricular assistance.

Some 23% of North Toronto’s students receive private tutoring outside of school, the second highest rate in the TDSB. Schools with lower income levels have lower percentages of students who receive private tutoring…these kinds of services are not cheap. The fact that students are receiving more support academically in higher income schools boosts what already tend to be higher standardized test scores. These scores play a huge role in parents determining which schools are ‘good’ or not. See a cyclical pattern begin to form?

It is generally believed by these parents that their children will benefit from attending these schools. True or not, it’s hard to blame them for wanting what they believe is best for their child. The fact that these parents are so concerned reveals a greater issue. Our public school system faces massive disparities between schools, especially those in higher and lower income areas. Data from standardized testing show the stark differences: Lawrence Park, a high income school, had 97% of it’s students pass the literacy test; but, lower income schools like Westview Centennial had only 61% of Grade 10 students pass. These are the kinds of facts that persuade parents to do whatever possible to get their children into schools. The problem is this kind of data doesn’t take into account external factors. For example, more than 50% of Westview Centennial students do not speak English as their first language, as

compared to only 16% percent at Lawrence Park.

A 60% English literacy rate seems rather impressive in a school where more than half of the students learnt English as a second (or third) language. These somewhat misleading EQAO results can convince parents to send their children to other schools, generally those with higher income levels.

The two tiered system of ‘have’ and ‘have not’ schools conflicts directly with a structure that is supposed to provide a certain level of education, regardless of a student’s background. The harsh reality of the situation is the fault of neither the parents nor the schools; it’s the product of a complicated chain of decisions and circumstance.

While some schools, for example Earl Haig, have resorted to kicking out students who are found out, this solution doesn’t really solve anything in the long term. The only way to really stop parents from feeling the need to take such drastic measures is to address the root cause, the economic disparities and discriminatory evaluation of these schools.

Laura Pitt

Meeting Marginalization Head-On Students for Social Equity

The Social Equality and Injustice club is a new community that has been formed this year to discuss issues in the modern world concerning marginalization. While it may be small, it is growing at a steady pace with members from all grades and creeds.

Its discussions range from Quebec’s proposed Charter of Rights to Macklemore. A place for constructive discussion involving the rising issue of unfair treatment in the world, Students for Social Equity meets in room 223 every Thursday at lunch. Currently the foundation of the club is discussion but it plans to release a ‘Zine later this year. The ‘Zine, a smaller more focused version of a magazine, will contain a collection of experiences from students here at North Toronto. These experiences will be a retelling of events in which a student has faced mistreatment due to their gender or race or any other aspect of their being that they can not control. The club feels that the ‘Zine will help achieve their aim of making North Toronto C.I a safer and more equitable place for every student who walks through its doors.

Look out for the ‘Zine this month and be sure to come to a meeting in Room 223 on Thursdays.

Top Ten: NekNominations Liat Fainman-Adelman

Top T Mo en NT m of 2 ents 013 /14

If you have ever had the desire to watch a fellow peer chug four beers, two bottles of vodka, eights eggs and then jump into a freezing lake, then 2014 is the year for you! The popular drinking game which went viral in February caused an abundance of controversy and excitement as you got to sit back, relax and watch some of your most introverted classmates get “wicked hammered”. The challenge’s rules are simple: once you are nek nominated you have 24 hours to throw your future out the window in the form of posting a video of yourself binge drinking followed by an extreme stunt e.g. flashing someone, running in the snow etc. and then nominating three other friends. In response to the Nek Nom craze, other challenges such as the Feed the Deed challenge—filming a good deed—and the Nik Nom challenge—posting a photo of Nicolas Cage (???)—sprouted up in the online world. #neknoms will forever be a beautiful part of all our high school memories but for now #makegoodchoices #stayinschoolkids.

Student Profile: The Artist

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Grace Pawliw-Fry & Fay Asimakopoulos

Like most groups of people privileged with an unnatural sense of entitlement, older students at NT love to generalize about the ever-elusive “niners” and their fresh-eyed naiveté. Sitting directly at the bottom of the social ladder, “niners” are not supposed to be cool to any hierarchy but their own, right? Although my knowledge of the girl in question was (unlike other student profiles) nonexistent before I volunteered to pose this questionnaire, I agreed because a) I heard her art was fascinating and b) I am a social justice warrior dedicated to the cause of liberating “niners” from their schoolrelated class restraints (or something like that). I’m convinced that if an NT edition of the textbook Marxist-Leninist clash of the classes were to happen, Grace Pawliw-Fry would be a reason to join the other side. As a self-proclaimed feminist, budding artist, and book reader extraordinaire, her perspective in life is fresh, sassy, self-aware and…makes being an artistically inclined “niner” sound surprisingly cool.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

What is the quality you most like in a Watching Frozen (no, I do not want I suppose my idealistic answer would be: the first man? to build a snowman). taste of freshly baked baguette, a well-written What is this, a dating profile? sentence, being completely immersed in nature, What is the quality you most like in a What do you most value in transforming a blank canvas into an expression of woman? your friends? my soul.

I see you’ve covered your bases.

Willingness to form a band What is your greatest fear?

Which words or phrases do you most overwith me.

Where do I start? Small spaces, use?

Who is your hero of fiction?

I’m attempting to bring back: ‘tis, ‘twas, heights, crowds… I could go on.

Julie Beaufort-Stuart from Code Name The greatest, though… I guess that ‘twouldn’t and s’pose, although they’re not Verity. seeming to catch on. honour goes to the fear that I’ll die without living my life or making a Which historical figure do you most idenWhat or who is the greatest love of your life? difference. tify with?

The Canadian Shield.

What is the trait you most deplore in Lucy Stone, the american suffragette. yourself?

Like the protagonists of cheesy romcoms, the one flaw that keeps me human is my clumsiness. Oh – and I also might be a bit pretentious.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Disrespect. I am extremely irked when when people disregard another person or something they have worked really hard upon.

Which living person do you most admire?

I am very cynical so I think everyone is evil.

What is your greatest extravagance?

Undoubtedly books. To quote Erasmus of Rotterdam, “When I have a little money, I buy books; and if I have any left, I buy food and clothes.”

Which talent would you most like to have?

Definitely species shapeshifting. Basically all superpowers rolled into one.

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

You seem very curious about my insecurities. I like who I am. If I changed something then I wouldn’t be me.

On what occasion do you lie?

I lie when I want to mess with people’s heads.

What is your greatest regret?

Throwing a mug at my babysitter.

What is your motto?

Fortis et Velox.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

My birth.

What is your current state of mind?

Over-analytical.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

Being nice. ‘Tis merely a façade that covers a person afraid of rocking the boat (a reason I dislike Jane Bennet).

What is it that you most dislike?

The sound of cotton balls.

What is your most treasured possession?

This is the if-your-house-was-burningdown-what-would-you-run-back-for question, right? Sure I love my iPod, scarf collection and favourite sweater, but I don’t think I’d risk my life for them. If there were any chance of a fire (and all living beings in the premise were safe) I’d be high-tailing it out of there without a look back. My life is my most treasured possession.

Where would you most like to live?

New Zealand. I do not know where my obsession with the beautiful, mountainous country came from (I blame the Lord of The Rings movies), but I’ve been intent on living there for as long as I can remember.

What do you most dislike about your appearance?

My pasty pale skin, a trait that often causes speculation that I may be a vampire (but not the sparkly kind).

Top Ten: The Changeroom Thief Jessica Carradine

Benjamin Ye

This winter, every Phys Ed. student and user of the change rooms heard the same speech from their teachers and coaches about leaving valuables in lockers, hiding phones at the bottom of backpacks, and keeping bags in sight during practice to prevent theft. But this time – it was serious. So many people had had their money or valuable items stolen that for the first time, severe action had to be taken. The change rooms were now always locked, and new rules were put in place. They even changed the girls’ bathrooms to be only accessible from outside the change rooms. Unfortunately, that means only one is available. The other bathroom wasn’t built properly so the door hits the toilet and cannot be opened from the hallway, #newschoolproblems. Change room theft became a serious problem at NT this year, which is extremely disappointing. We are better people than that, North Toronto. A house divided against itself cannot stand. Love each other or perish. Thou shalt not steal from thy fellow students.

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Teacher Retirement

This year, North Toronto is saying goodbye to three teachers. Ms. Kazman retired earlier in the year, and now, as the year comes to an end, two more beloved teachers are reriting to explore new frontiers outside the classroom. As sad as we all are to see Ms. Hryhor and Mr. Butler leave us, we are excited for their new adventures in the future. -Ed.

Mr. Butler Maddie Wieler

Mr. Butler…the man, the myth, the legend. A teacher of history for over 30 years, he manages to impart not only an understanding of the chronology of history but also an appreciation for the causes, impacts, subjectivity, and even downright ridiculousness of historical happenings that can otherwise seem a little stale.

Even after three decades, he manages to make the same old jokes funny when he tells them for the millionth time. He’s the kind of teacher who seems to have an anecdote for every possible situation, a lifetime of experience to draw from.

That lifetime began 10 years after the end of World War II, about 4500 kilometres from here, in Vancouver. His father was a civil engineer, which meant that the Butler family moved frequently. The constant change made him resilient and confident when meeting new people, a skill that is evident in his ability to put each new class at ease. When he was 16, the family moved to Rio de Janeiro for two years. Brazil, even today, has some of the highest and the lowest income levels in the world. Mr. Butler viewed these disparities firsthand. The experience of walking past deeply impoverished people on the way to a comparatively lavish tennis club had a deep impact on him. This perspective on the world is evident in his ability to convey the atrocious inequities in our world both in the past and the present, as well as our own role as citizens of the world.

Like most of us, Mr. Butler was not always an ideal student—his grades fluctuated with his interest and his sense of dedication was somewhat inconsistent. He did, however, have a goal. He discovered his “purpose in life” in a grade 7 gym class. His physical education teacher became his idol, and Mr. Butler decided he wanted to be exactly like him. This inspiration led him to start his university career when the family had moved back to Montreal, attending Loyola College (now a part of Concordia Uni-

versity). There, he studied to become a teacher of physical education. A star football player and all-around athlete, Phys. Ed. seemed to be the obvious choice. However right it seemed on paper, in practice the study was not all that enjoyable.

When the family once again relocated to Winnipeg, Mr. Butler transferred to the University of Manitoba, where he had to take a history course. That course was all it took for him to fall in love with history, so instead of a degree in physical education he graduated with a bachelor of arts. After graduation, Mr. Butler moved to Toronto where he got his degree in education and began teaching at a private school. After two years, he switched into publishing, finding new authors for textbooks at Oxford University Press.

After five years in publishing, Mr. Butler came to the realization that what he really wanted was to be teaching. And in teaching was where he remained from 1987 until today, working at 5 different schools for varying lengths of time. The trajectory of his professional life has been impressively straightforward, he says it worked out “perfectly,” just the way he’d hoped since age twelve.

After 30 years Mr. Butler remains surprisingly positive. This positivity can probably be attributed to the fact that he really does love teaching and it’s evident to anyone who has been

taught by him that he enjoys engaging with his students. His passion is one thing that makes his classes interesting; the other memorable feature of any class with Butler is his humour.

It has confused many a naïve grade 10, who might not understand that their new, somewhat eccentric, history teacher doesn’t mean everything he says. His sense of humour is evident not just through his jokes but also in his humility. Mr. Butler doesn’t take himself too seriously; he doesn’t have an inflated ego so he doesn’t need to feel like big man in charge all the time.

His best tip for any teacher is to listen to your students, because “if you listen to them, they’ll listen to you.” The respect for his pupils allows us to feel comfortable asking questions, the kind of engagement that Mr. Butler likes best. He takes pride in the fact that he has played a role in the development of hundreds of young people, and considers himself lucky to have had the career he has had.

You can just tell that he looks forward to school, standing outside his classroom on the third floor saying good morning to everyone who passes by. The hallways will feel a little less friendly next year when Mr. Butler retires.

While he will miss us almost as much as we’ll miss him, he’ll be keeping busy reconnecting with friends, travelling and reading, so we needn’t worry too much.

Ms. Hryhor Henry Jeong

It all started with a small fuse, with some seniors and moderns teachers keeping things to themselves about her upcoming career change and retirement. But soon word spread quickly, like a wildfire, drawing ‘oh gees’ and ‘vraiments’ from almost everybody. Yes, Grade 10 and 12 French students…you know who I am talking about. After 31 years of teaching French, Spanish and Co-op at 5 different schools, Ms. Sandra Hryhor has decided to retire in what was a huge surprise for most students of hers, whether they be former or current. No one aside from some staff members saw it coming. But no one expected her to retire this early. In fact, I am sure that at least half of you reading this would agree with me in thinking that she’d stay for some more years. I was proven wrong in my interview with her; she had a long and dynamic career before and including NT, with some fun marked in Spanish Clubs and some light and shadow in the form of Red and Grey Day.

Ms. Sandra Hryhor started her teaching career at Runnymede Elementary School, where she taught core, extended, and immersion French in Grade 2 to 8 classes. Then she took a year off

and completed her Master’s in Spanish. Next, she taught for 4 years at Bloor C.I., where there was a large Hispanic population. She recalled how there was lots of Tango and Salsa, as well as Merengue and Peseta dancing in its Spanish Club.

According to a former student of hers, it “kept him engaged in school and saved his time in high school”. Four years later, she had to say goodbye in exchange for warm welcomes at Northern. At Northern, she continued both French and Spanish, with the latter up to the AP level, as well as organizing and operating the Spanish Club.

Then she served as the head of the Moderns Department at Ursula Franklin Academy before returning to Northern for 8 more years. During her time at Northern she also got to spend a year teaching in Switzerland, where she taught English to foreshadow her future years at NT teaching Grade 9 English classes. After 11 combined years of teaching at the school not far away from here, (you know what school I’m talking about, folks), she decided to come to the school that she always wanted to teach at.

Upon her arrival at NT, she fell in love with the school. Upon her arrival, Ms. Hryhor

Alex Shnekenburger

was extremely impressed by the level of school spirit, to which no other school in her teaching career compared. And of course, this extreme passion that is the natural trait of all North Torontonians gave her lots of great, memorable events that started and ended with a big bang.

Most seniors would remember how two and a half years ago, an unintended fest of cheese fondue resulted in school smelling like one for the rest of the week. Boy that was epic! Of course, this left her with much infamy and jokes, which most will reminisce in the following years. Fortunately, she managed to bounce back last October, with a successful showcase of the “Walking Dead” theme that got her homeform one of top honours on Red and Grey Day. “I’ll never forget the zombies, because that was totally awesome,” she said while smiling, recalling her success at her last Red and Grey Day.

A passionate teacher who’s often in her classroom during lunches for French-related help.

She certainly deserves a break. Thank you for your time in North Toronto, Mme. Hryhor. We all hope you’ll enjoy your time after a long and illustrious teaching career.

There Are Drugs Here?

Sophia Rutherford

You know, niners aren’t so innocent.

But there’s a lot of growing up to do in a short amount of time. The transition from Grade 8 to Grade 9 leaves you wondering what they were holding back from you in elementary school.

In health class, the teachers warn us about drugs and not giving in to peer pressure, blah blah blah. As niners, we become almost numb to the fact that drugs are going to enter our life at some point in our high school career, but I for one did not think it was going to come so soon. It started my first week with the first ever jam I was invited to.

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When you say no, they tell you you’re missing out. In all the elementary school talks about drugs, no one told me about how public people are with their drug use. Nor did they tell me what to say when my own friends smoke and just shrug when I ask them why. We’ve had “Don’t do drugs, kids!” drilled into our brains from day one, and yet it’s still so common.

I guess people think that if you light up only at parties, it won’t affect them and they won’t become addicted. I thought such drug use only happened in sketchy schools, not a cookiecutter, academically forward school like North

Toronto. Maybe North Toronto isn’t as innocent as I thought, maybe it’s just like every other school. I thought I had everything I needed to get through Grade 9, but the truth is, I’ve still got a lot of adjusting to do.

though they don’t see the relevance of the skills at that point, there is relevance to them.”

Mr. Gorenkoff also has an alternate explanation for why students cheat.

“NT kids are pretty focused, they want the Ivey School of business, they want Schulich, and they’ll do anything it takes to get to there.”

His explanation for cheating centers around the pressures that are placed on students to get certain marks, get into certain schools, and take certain courses. We are a school where students have many other outside commitments from jobs, to sports, to music.

“I think between the pressure and the time constraints, you go to the easy route, and that is you cheat.” said Mr. Gorenkoff.

As students like Jonathan Zhao demonstrate, modern cheating is everyone’s game, from the students with 60% averages up to 99%.

Though the reason for cheating likely changes as one moves through the spectrum of grade averages – from the 60% students who cheat out of laziness or desperation, to the high achievers who cheat due to pressures or their busy extracurricular schedule – the act of cheating stays the same.

How do you prevent it?

The inverse of the cheater cheating because he doesn’t care about the subject is that he won’t cheat if he values what’s being taught.

“One big reason [that people cheat] is the lack of appreciation for what they’re learning…

The mentality of ‘I need the mark. It doesn’t matter if I really understand what’s being taught – I just need the mark.” said Jonathan Zhao.

Students who enjoy and value what they learn will cheat less. This is perhaps the most effective solution to the cheating problem because it allows students to choose not to cheat, rather

than being policed into behaving. However, cheating can’t be stopped through enjoyment alone. Different students find different subjects enjoyable, and an individualized curriculum is far too expensive. Also, some subjects, like math, can’t be taught any differently. Math is math and lots of people find it boring.

Mr. Gorenkoff favours a more practical strategy to prevent cheating. “[A student’s] fear of being caught, a sense of ethics, and balance.”

Instilling a fear of being caught through strict rules and surveillance has been the main prevention strategy used by teachers. It’s why the presider walks the aisles during an exam, it’s why we submit to turnitin.com in certain classes, and it’s why we sit far away from each other during tests. It doesn’t work. 90% of cheaters have never been caught, including our Grade 12 student.

“No, I never got caught. I was never even close to being caught, and that’s over the course of two years of cheating.”

Perhaps the only way to stop cheating is to let students realize for themselves that cheating will only harm them in the future.

“I stopped cheating after Grade 9 and it was one of the best decisions I could’ve made… it made me start paying more attention to what I was learning, and only then did I find more interest in education.” said Jonathan Zhao.

It’s up to the individual student to learn that the occasional bad mark is okay, and that not every quiz will decide the course of their life.

“Enjoy the educational journey, relax, take some pressure off; you’ve got a long road ahead. Just take it easy, learn something, and if you fail, it’s okay. Failing’s okay, not getting into your first choice university is okay, life will continue on.” said Mr. Gorenkoff.

A Future Med School Student Used To Cheat, And Likely You Did Too Trent Erickson

It’s Grade 11 and I’m walking into the math exam. My shorts hide my thigh, covered with every formula that’s taught in Grade 11.

This exam, among others, made me a member of the estimated 58% of Canadian students who cheated on a test or exam in high school. I’m also part of the 90% of cheaters who have never been caught.

The fact that students cheat is no secret.

Students have been glancing at their neighbours’ test ever since teachers started giving them.

What’s different now, however, is that cheating isn’t just for the lazy or dumb. Now, more than half of students have cheated, including students like Jonathan Zhao with a 99% average. It used to be that cheating could only be done certain ways. Now, according to Mr. Gorenkoff, the internet has changed that.

“I started teaching pre-internet. The common type of cheating was looking over someone’s shoulder during a test and writing what they wrote. Very infrequently did we see the level of cheating that we do today.”

The internet and electronics have made plagiarism and other forms of cheating too easy for most students not to consider. But why are they considering it in the first place?

“I cheated because I didn’t see the value in what we were learning. I understand that we need to know how to find the perpendicular bisector of the thing, but why do I need to remember the formula?” said a Grade 12 student who wishes to remain anonymous.

Surprisingly, the issue of not caring about a subject is brought up in a similar quote from academic ace, Jonathan Zhao.

“It was because I didn’t care.” Zhao said when asked why he cheated in Grade 9 Geography, “[My friend] and I always looked over each other’s shoulders on tests.”

Not caring about curricula is a common reason to cheat. Students may think the subject isn’t relevant to their future, or like the Grade 12 cheater, they don’t understand why it’s being tested.

Some may say that cheating out of disinterest is preferable to cheating out of pure laziness. Mr. Gorenkoff is not one of these people.

“What people don’t realize in Grade 9 geography or something like that, is that even

Mark Lofichenko

Top Ten: The Never-Ending Winter Rachel Katz

It started with the ice storm—actually—it didn’t even start with the ice storm. Winter 2013/2014 began long before the storm that left thousands without power for days. It began in mid-November, all howling winds and freezing rain that always seemed to find its way into your eyes and down the back of your coat. We groaned and cursed under our breath, but we just wrapped our scarves tighter around our necks and soldiered on, telling ourselves that in no time at all it would be scorching hot again and we’d be wishing for some snow. We told ourselves that lie for a good long time. I believed it until the March Break blizzard, during which I think I just tried to hibernate. After that I gave up hope of ever seeing grass, sunshine, or leaves again. But now, it is May. The snow is gone (for now) and fortunately, the temperature has increased slightly so it is now mild enough to order a double hot coffee instead of a triple, and if the sun comes out, you can take off your toque and bask in its feeble rays.

8

Introducing Your New Student Council Trent Erickson

happening, right?” His friends think of him as insane.

JVP: Eleni Anastasiadis Super involved in athletics…She plays the STEEL DRUMS!! Ja feel?

Secretary: Jack Matthews Every time he had the ability to run for student council, he ran. Every time he ran, he won. He also volunteers every week at a charity called Refugee House and has “basic knowledge on taking notes.” What a good guy.

Treasurer: Leo Huang He’s been “actively involved in at least 4 club each year and 11 club in the last 3 years.” He doesn’t know about plural noun forms, but he certainly knows how to manage funds!

Music Council President: Isabelle Sanders She claims that she “held the weekly high score for Laser Quest Mississauga,” which she expects us to believe despite never showing her score sheet. She plays a big violin in class and “understands what is expected” of her position.

NEAT President: Rebecca Beutel Anfa Abukar Some people call her Becca, others Bex or even Chewbecca. I choose As of May 15th, this past year’s student council stepped down, ushering in to call her Rebecca Beutel. As a child she “spent her recesses picking up next year’s council, under President Jillian Li. Although the election process was ordinary, as it should be, some of the results are extraordinary. For garbage around the playground” which is completely normal.

Social Convener: Dakota Van Halteren the first time since 2007 when Lindsay Gott was elected, we have a female On one of his t-shirts, there’s a cat’s face with eyes where his nipples president; at the same time, we also have a male social convenor. Even are. He wants to “create events for all of NT’s students.” He also works at before their first meeting, this new council is making a statement. Here is Rowe Farms where he supplies the succulent organic chicken breast that the your 2014/2015 Student Council: masses demand.

NTAA Male: Robert Gott President: Jillian Li He holds the school record for the fastest competitive speed-walking A familiar face on student council, she was elected JVP in 2012. lap. He also has a super deep voice; one day he’ll sing a rendition of “Ol’ Since then, she’s been in “14 clubs” as she shamelessly bragged about in her speech. She is the first female president in 7 years. She is so good that I hate Man River” and people will die.

NTAA Female: Ali Reeve her.

When asked who her favourite athlete is, she responded “Hannah SVP: Laith Goldie Wright”, her soccer teammate. That is the incorrect answer, her favourite This back-to-back “Most Spirited” Red & Grey Day award winner athlete should be Jeopardy! superstar Ken Jennings. aims to make next year “ten times better than the year that is currently

Wonderful, Wonderful Copenhagen Maddie Wieler

This March, a group of North Toronto vocal students embarked on a trip to Copenhagen, Denmark as part of a project to form international bonds between North Toronto and the Rystensteen Gymnasium.

Simply put, after eight days in Copenhagen I got the impression is that Denmark is a beautiful country and that Copenhagen is a beautiful city.

Firstly and most obviously the architecture, the buildings of Copenhagen, big and small, were stunning. I love Toronto but there is definitely no contest: Copenhagen has a monopoly on aesthetic beauty. From the vibrantly coloured new harbour (Nyhavn) to the imposing Christiansborg Palace, even the streets of apartment buildings and row houses all possessed a subtle charm. Of course there were the standouts, the masterpieces at which we marveled, but almost more impressive were the commonplace buildings. These places which for the inhabitants of Copenhagen entirely ordinary, were for us often the most undeniably ‘pretty’.

Beyond aesthetics , we experienced another kind of beauty, that of the Danish people. Because we lived with the students of Rystensteen Gymnasium and their family’s, we were able to experience the life of the Danes on a much more intimate level then we might have otherwise. The kind people we were greeted by, and with whom we spent much of our eight day visit, were in many

school.

Through exploring a country you discover lots of new things, much of it is about the country itself, but you also make discoveries about yourself and about your home counCourtesy of Dezso Lovicsek try. Living with a family other than your own may allow you to ways the highlights of our trip. Yes, we learnt about Danish culture and Danish history, but the realize things about yourself or your own family that you might have otherwise not noticed. Addirelationships we developed with our new Dantionally, it was both encouraging and comforting ish friends taught us about Danish life and the to discover that Danish youth face many of the Danish people, an education that is very hard to achieve any other way. Denmark and Canada are same dilemmas as Canadian teenagers. Experiencing life in an unfamiliar environment gives very different though, and the diverging societal values gave us a lot to think about. For example, us perspective on ourselves and our peers and allows us to really find our place in the world. the emphasis on providing infrastructure for My view of the world has been expanded, my cycling and public transit was impressive and is horizons broadened, but at the same time, the something our city could aspire too. distance between Canada and Denmark seems On a smaller scale, there were differences between Rystensteen and NT. Take, for example the to have shrunk. The trip was unforgettable, and my peers and I were incredibly fortunate to have student’s lounge in the basement of Rysensteen.

Seeing this example of a space belonging entirely such a rare opportunity. We will forever be grateful for the time we spent with in Denmark and to the students caused us to reflect and notice with Rysensteen Gymnasium. something that might be lacking in our own

Teachers: Be People Trent Erickson

"Be real." This was the advice that a media consultant gave Hilary Clinton during her 1999 senate campaign. Hilary Clinton, like all politicians, is in a perpetual tug of war between appearing serious, as her job requires, and human, as the public wants. It’s the reason why Stephen Harper sang The Beatles, Obama has a dog, and celebrities have Instagram accounts. The humanizing acts that we see are often purposeful, calculated media stunts. However, right here at NT, one happened all on its own.

Jake Gorenkoff, a former NT student and the son of Mr. Gorenkoff, recently posted this picture on Facebook. Mr. Gorenkoff is playing a guitar, something he’s been doing for almost 40 years. He was even the lead guitarist in a rock band.

The picture shows Joel Gorenkoff: The Father, not Mr. Gorenkoff: The Principal. Despite the obvious charm of the picture, Mr. Gorenkoff is hesitant to see it spread.

“I’m always nervous bringing my personal life into work,” he said when asked about the picture being published in the paper.

Although there are obvious respect and authority issues that come into play when teachers (or principals) become too personal with students, the benefits far outweigh them. The most familiar example of teachers being personal at work is through stories about their personal lives.

“With all the teachers I've dealt with, I like how they talk to students about their lives.

9 It makes them out to be people instead of just teachers,” said Grade 12 student, Mark Lofichenko.

A lot of good can come from this. Students will listen and be better behaved in class because the “screw the man” attitude that teenagers are so notorious for is a lot harder to stick with when “the man” is a real person. Also, not everything we learn in class is from a textbook.

Sometimes teachers give life advice, and when we know some of that teacher’s personal history, we realize that the advice is coming from years of experience and should be heeded.

The sentiment is also echoed by Rayhan Memon, who feels that when students know something about the teachers on a personal level it makes them “feel more comfortable speaking with them one on one.”

Although some may say that the personal stories waste valuable class time, they fail to realize that every time a teacher talks about their personal life, they’re teaching us things that could be even more valuable than the course work in the long run.

With every grand, once-in-a-lifetime story they tell, we learn not only the lesson that’s associated

with the story, but also the art of storytelling, which is a crucial part of conversation. And for every small, mundane story they tell, we learn that they’re only human.

The purpose of school isn’t only to make us smart. School socializes us, and helps us find hobbies. It shows us right from wrong, and helps us forge relationships. In short, school makes good people, and having a teacher that students view as a real person, who’s gone through similar troubles to theirs can help the process along.

So teachers, tell us what you did on the weekend. We want to know what you were like in high school. Sit us down and tell us about the worst day of your life, because it will let us know that everything will turn out okay. Be real, because that’s what we need you to be.

Courtesy of Jake Gorenkoff

Made by Laura Pitt

10

EXTERNAL

Dispatch From Kabul Interview by Jack Denton

My sister, an NT grad of 2004, lives lots of handicrafts and almost no chickens). somewhere that catches most people by surprise Alex: I was deployed in Kandahar with the when I talk about my family: Kabul, AfghanCanadian military for seven months in 2010. istan. Her field of work in international educaThe pre-deployment training included cultural tion policy has taken her around the globe, from and linguistic components as well as briefings on rural Tanzania to icy Nunavut. She followed Afghanistan’s her partner, Alex, to Kabul in early 2013, recent history where he works as an analyst with ISAF. I’m and current constantly amazed by the bizarre, hilarious, events. and downright scary stories they barrage me Describe with whenever I see them. The picture they your living paint of Kabul is one of cultural idiosynsituation. crasies mixed with ever-heightening politDianne: Terical tensions. In light of recent news out of rible in some Kabul, from the killing of foreign journalists of the most to the bombing of establishments frequented important by foreigners, I don’t think their insider perways, and spective has ever been more relevant. Here is ridiculously the dispatch from Kabul. luxurious

In what capacity are you working in in many Afghanistan? others. I live Dianne: I am an Education Project Officer in a guestworking for UNESCO (a UN agency) in house with Kabul, Afghanistan. ten other Alex: I’m a Target Audience Analyst with people with the International Security Assistance Force whom I work Courtesy of Dianne Denton (ISAF) Psychological Operations (PSYOPS) everyday, Task Force. That’s military jargon for market including my boss and my boss's boss. Living and research and analysis in the field of social marworking with the same people in such close proxketing, sort of. Although I work for a military imity and when you're barely allowed to leave the organization, my position is actually civilian so I house or office can be trying. But we have a cook, don’t wear a uniform or carry a weapon. a cleaner, a driver, and a personal shopper…so in

Before now, what was your knowledge terms of being extremely lazy and still having all of, or experience with, the country? of your material needs met, it's great.

Dianne: When I met Alex, he was about to emAlex: Oddly, my particular status as a civilian bark on an in-depth training course before being consultant with ISAF affords me the freedom to deployed to Kandahar. Through him, I started live in private accommodations in the city and to learning more about the history and people of travel more or less as I please, as opposed to my Afghanistan. When he moved back to Afghanmilitary colleagues who have to live in cramped istan in 2012, I was excited by his stories about quarters on base. I rent a large house that I sublet exploring the city—discovering an Obama carpet to four other foreigners in a relatively well-to-do in a shop off of "Chicken Street" (where there are residential neighbourhood of Kabul called Qala-

e-Fatullah. My living situation is very comfortable.

How safe do you feel on a day-to-day basis?

Dianne: It depends on the time of year (winter is calm) and political climate (election period is not), but generally, I feel fairly safe. We have a lot of security restrictions that help—I live and work in buildings with concrete walls, sandbags, bunkers, and armed guards. But when the security situation deteriorates, I worry about our compounds becoming targets.

Alex: I feel very safe most of the time. My office is located in a super secure military base where the only threats to my personal safety so far have been the odd rocket attack and negligent discharging of firearms by careless soldiers. In the unlikely event of an emergency, my house has security measures and escape plans. I always keep a "go bag" in my room in case I ever need to leave in a hurry. The only time I feel somewhat unsafe is when traveling between places, especially at busy roundabouts or near high-profile government buildings and military convoys.

What is the general feeling about the fate of the country after the NATO withdrawal?

Alex: Afghans are divided on their outlook for the future. The range of opinion runs the gamut from continued progress toward peace and development with the support of the international community to abject poverty and civil war leading to a return of the Taliban.

Any other comments or interesting experiences in the country worth mentioning?

Dianne: Kabul is a place of incongruencies and pleasant surprises. There are shopping malls, fresh juice and ice cream stands, a bowling alley, and a (four-hole) golf course. There is also tremendous poverty and serious ethnic/political tensions. At best, Afghanistan is fascinating and inspiring—at worst, it's stressful and frustrating.

Being a woman here is tough, but doable.

Afghanistan’s Changing Political Environment Anfa Abukar

Afghanistan is currently having their first shift of political power in about thirteen years, and the first time ever with the democratic process. But this change is met with hostility from the Taliban; and despite their threats and blockades, a substantial amount of voters came out to vote in this crucial election. This is a significant turning point for Afghanistan as a Nation, coming out of a near thirteen US led invasion they are on track to rebuilding, starting with a freshly elected leader.

The Taliban, however, are fundamentally opposed to, not a new leader per se, but the concept of democracy as it’s a form of western propaganda penetrating their society. Members of the Taliban have threatened to cut the fingers of voters, and general violence towards participants of the voting process.

Afghan Interior Minister, Mohammad Umer Daudzai, told reporters that 20 people were killed in violence across the country Saturday, as insurgents tried to disturb the voting processes.

Seven military personnel, nine police, and four civilians were killed.

“Forty-three people were also wounded in attacks targeting mostly voting centers,” the

minister said, adding that most wounded people were civilians.

“Meanwhile, Afghan security forces killed more than 80 insurgents across the country and foiled several attacks against voting centers,” Daudzai said.

Officials in the eastern Afghan province of Khost said a suicide bomber clad in an explosives vest blew himself up near a polling center.

No other casualties were reported after the blast.

Nearly 1,000 polling sites were closed because of security concerns; another 6,423 were open. Reports of violence and people fleeing polling stations popped up on social media.

The relatively trouble-free election day came in welcome contrast to the violence that overshadowed the run-up to the vote and is seen as a credit to the progress made by the Afghan security forces.

Taliban militants have carried out multiple attacks in recent days, including on the country's election commission.

On Friday, two Associated Press journalists were shot in Afghanistan's eastern Khost province, an attack that left award-winning German photographer Anja Niedringhaus dead and

injured Canadian reporter Kathy Gannon.

On Wednesday, a suicide bomber blew himself up at the entrance gate to the Interior Ministry in Kabul, killing six Afghan police officers.

A day earlier, the Taliban killed a provincial council candidate and nine of his supporters.

Despite the adversity, 75% of Afghans said they wanted to vote. While formal turnout figures are not yet available, we are not fully sure how many voters actually turned out. Some election workers, whose colleagues were killed, also said the violence would not stop them from performing their duties.

In respect to NT, the democratic process one is one with heavy emphasis on the entire school being encouraged to participate, listen to all the candidates and vote. That seems overly normal to us, but what if our student council was, like other schools, hand picked by staff and office administration; I imagine a very different student dynamic. Now take that sort of shift and scale it to an entire nation. It’s hard to comprehend such a large change and the fact that Afghan citizens have taken it so well bears the prospect of a brighter future.

We Need More Than A Band-Aid Maddie Wieler

Why does this carnage continue in American schools? On April 9th 2014, yet another violent attack occurred in an American high school. This time the perpetrator was Alex Hribal, a 16-year-old student at Franklin Regional Senior High School in Pennsylvania. Using two kitchen knives, he managed to wound 21 of his peers and a security guard. Hribal is described as a B+ student with no previous psychiatric or disciplinary issues. His rampage began when he tackled a classmate and repeatedly stabbed him in the abdomen. He then proceeded to run down the hallways of his high school stabbing students in a seemingly random fashion, before being tackled by one of the school’s assistant principals. Hribal has been charged with four counts of attempted homicide and 21 counts of aggravated assault; he is awaiting trial in a juven-

ile facility (although he will be tried as an adult).

While the majority of recent incidents of mass violence in the USA have been carried out using guns, a kitchen knife, arguably an even more readily available weapon, was used this time. Previous occurrences brought both the issue of gun control laws and mental health to the forefront. Many argue that making it harder for the general public to access guns would reduce the likelihood of mass-violence. While this may be true to a certain extent, this incident shows that even without guns, mass-violence can and will occur. It’s not about taking away the means to carry out such acts; it’s about taking away the will to commit them. No one who is truly mentally stable or healthy would carry out this kind of calculated attack. Dismantling the

11 taboo surrounding mental health issues is the only way society can prevent it’s members from reaching a point where this kind of violence is possible.

Another proposed method of prevention, which is (to a certain extent) already implemented, has been to increase the security presence in schools. However, that approach didn’t seem to help in this most recent attack. The security guard was injured by Hribal, who was eventually apprehended, not by the guard, but by the assistant principal. This serves as further evidence that Band-Aid solutions like gun control or increased security cannot completely prevent this from happening. The only way to truly stop these events from occurring over and over again is to work at the root of the problem by addressing the issue of mental health.

Ford Nation: The Hidden Story Alyssa Joynt

Everyone knows about Rob Ford and everything he does wrong. The media, however, does not choose to highlight the things he does correctly.

One of these things is returning calls.

When I asked a few of my neighbours for their opinions on Rob Ford, their immediate reaction was that they greatly dislike him. When compared with Karen Stintz, however, they seemed to think that Rob Ford was almost preferable. Almost.

“If you call [Karen’s] office, you will get nothing. Rob Ford, however, will return phone calls.” That was the one positive thing they had to say, and that comment was consistent.

Rob Ford will get back to you.

More of his successes include keeping taxes low and controlling spending at City Hall. He also helped build up the City of Toronto in various ways, including maintaining roads and shelters. The media, however, choose not to highlight these positives. Instead, they focus on his scandals, and it is easy to see why.

As the letterhead of his city, it is important that he behaves in a way that is consistent with the law. That is what citizens deserve, and

Rob Ford is not living up to that simple expectation. He denied the crack scandal at first, before admitting to it later on. He broke the law and lied about it, and that is not okay. His relationship with the public quickly depreciated, and many people lost all of their respect for him.

Why? No parent wants to explain what crack cocaine is over Fruit Loops and Flinstone vitamins to their eight year old, and they shouldn’t have to. The Rob Ford scandal was all over the news and children heard about it. His relationship with the public was so badly affected

Language Barriers in Health Care Devan Wang

Communication is a central aspect of our daily lives. Our ability to communicate with others through spoken language and written word dictates our access to vital resources such as healthcare and employment as well as helping to shape our identity.

This is especially important in a healthcare setting. When a patient is seeing a healthcare professional to seek help with their medical issues, it is absolutely crucial for the patient to understand the information that their health care professional is providing to them. In medicine, the communication between a healthcare professional and their patient is key for the successful rehabilitation of a patient’s illness.

Canada is home to many new immigrants. It has been this way since the arrival of Europeans in the 16th century. In current times, our new residents who call Canada home came to Canada bringing with them their own languages and cultures, much

that even children as young as four call Ford “yucky” and “a bad man”. Children in Grade 1 dislike him because he smokes and that is bad for your body. That is the extent of the public bashing Rob Ford receives.

It is clear that Rob Ford definitely has some good mayoral qualities. As the representative of all of Toronto, however, he lacks professionalism. Despite his best efforts to maintain a positive relationship with the public, his private issues and many scandals have cancelled out the effort he puts into returning everyone’s calls. As mayor, he must act as a role model to the city, especially for the youth, and Rob Ford has not done that. So is he a good mayoral candidate? Fundamentally, yes. The positive things he has done, however, have been hidden in the shadows of his scandalous spotlight.

This spotlight is exactly what causes the negative connotations around the name Rob Ford.

The aforementioned spotlight has deteriorated Rob Ford’s public relationships, as the media have only focused on the negatives. Often, people will take what they hear and quickly decide that they hate Rob Ford based on a few facts, but now you have the truth behind Ford Nation.

like the case with the Europeans. However, unlike the 16th century, Canada’s immigrants now come from a greater amount of countries from throughout the world. The languages spoken in Canada have vastly increased from our official two (English and French) yet healthcare is only legally required to be in either of these two languages.

Many hospitals do (but are not required) to provide access to its ill patients with healthcare professionals who speak their native language.

Every Canadian citizen has the right to accessible health care. Language barriers do still exist in our current Canadian healthcare system.

When a patient is suffering from illness, they should be able to communicate with their healthcare professional in their native tongue as it is the least difficult for an ill patient.

The diversity of Canada is changing; the services provided by our Canadian government should change to accommodate this.

12

FEATURES

Students Go Hard Hannah Karpinski

Bodies bump, bouncing to the beat of Top 40 tunes in a well-furnished Leaside residence: a typical Friday or Saturday night for many North Toronto students. The familiar experience of the high school party is one of casual drinking and dancing with friends, and has become a token scene in every coming-of-age film that teenagers have grown up with and learned to love. However, classics like Clueless could not anticipate that late-night living rooms in 2014 would be packed with substances heavier than sloppily rolled joints and parent-funded bulk packs of beer.

Now, more than ever, “hard” drugs are becoming popular among teenagers, and high school students’ use of substances like MDMA and cocaine is on the rise. A Grade 11 male student at North Toronto claims that teenagers are going beyond alcohol and marijuana, which are common at parties and considered to be “tame” recreational drugs, because “the harder the drug, the better the feeling.” When asked where he and his friends get the money to pay for hard substances, the Grade 11 replied, “from parents—they don’t suspect it,” quickly adding, “or, you know, from part time jobs if you have one.”

In 2013 the Fraser Institute reported that the annual parental income of North Toronto CI sits at an average of about $192,700. Not surprisingly, in a general survey of twenty Grade 11 and Grade 12 students, the average NT teen receives a weekly allowance of $25-$30. Kaia Richardson, a student from Huntsville High School, has “friends [who] get $30 from their parents every week, and when weed costs $10 a gram, it’s easy to always have a stash. When it comes to harder drugs, kids just save up for two weeks or pull from their own bank accounts.”

The wave of “club drugs” or “uppers” circulating within a fraction of the NT student body consists of substances often used at raves and concerts, when one intends to keep moving for hours at a time and wants to “open up” socially.

Benbelieves Tory-Pratt A Grade 12 female student that “drugs like MDMA are a great way to facilitate conversations with people you wouldn’t normally [approach], and [the drug] keeps you up all night.”

Also known as “the love drug” or “ecstasy” in some forms, MDMA increases one’s serotonin levels and gives users feelings of euphoria, as well as urges to communicate with and be close to others.

Similarly, teenagers are using cocaine at

parties “to get the stress out,” according to Gisele Chen, a Grade 12 student at North Toronto, who believes that there is “a lot of anxiety among NT students, and drugs are a way out.” Despite the fact that cocaine is highly addictive and much more expensive than most “recreational” drugs, at roughly $80 per gram, many teenagers consider it their “go-to” drug of choice because “it makes [people] feel like nothing [they’ve] ever felt before. There’s nothing [one] can’t accomplish, no task [one] can’t complete [on cocaine],” says another Grade 11 male student.

Aptly nicknamed the “caviar of street drugs” for its high price and association with status, cocaine is arguably the most dangerous drug to hit the youth party scene. It works almost instantly by entering the bloodstream and traveling to the brain, where it interferes with neurotransmitters and, like MDMA, brings the user feelings of euphoria. However, it poses severe physical and emotional risks, such as the threat of addiction and, in extreme cases, heart attack, seizure, and long-term intestinal damage. “My friend cut his arm open while on cocaine and he didn’t even care. He was laughing his ass off,” Chen remembers. Despite “[feeling] completely unstoppable, you just go crazy [on cocaine]. It [messes] you up.”

down from this drug and the depressive period that follows its consumption is colloquially referred to as “Tuesday Blues” or “Suicide Tuesday,” because of the extreme low mood experienced midweek from depleted serotonin levels following MDMA use the previous Friday or Saturday night, when raves, concerts, and parties usually occur.

Considering the horrific potential consequences posed by using hard drugs, why would North Toronto students choose to play with this growing fire? Since NT’s unofficial motto is “Work Hard, Play Hard,” Grade 12 student Declan Lawrence believes that “it only makes sense that the harder students work, the harder the drugs they’re [going to] turn to when it’s time to play hard.”

The parent of a Grade 12 female student at North Toronto who caught her daughter in possession of four grams of marijuana says that “[she remembers] what it’s like to be a teenager experimenting with drugs, thinking that no one will catch you and worrying about what would happen if [someone did].” The mother, who chose to remain anonymous, confiscated her daughter’s drugs but chose not to punish her otherwise because “kids are going to do it anyway. They panic at the thought of being caught by parents or police officers…[but] don’t panic at the thought of what [using drugs] does to their bodies. That’s the real danger of the situation.”

Aside from the damage one’s body suffers from drug use, according to the TDSB Code of Conduct, students are susceptible to suspension if they are found in possession or under the influence of drugs while on school property. A Grade 11 male student who lives “far enough from NT to need to bring [his] stash to school the day of a party” claims that “it’s scary, but way too easy” to hide illegal substances in one’s locker.

The presence of substances like MDMA and cocaine in social contexts is clearly increasing, and for some NT students, the benefits of using hard drugs outweigh the consequences.

However, many students choose to stay away from hard drugs altogether, while some acknowHannah Karpinski ledge that in moderation, one may experiment

Both MDMA and cocaine are known to safely. Some students choose to be cautious when inflict severe damage upon users that lasts signifi- dealing with illegal substances, such as Grade 12 cantly longer than the fleeting highs granted by student Lisa Cumming who “just [doesn’t] see these drugs. While the lasting harm of cocaine is the appeal of using hard drugs so frequently” but mostly physiological, the detrimental aftermath believes that “if you want to dabble in drug use, of MDMA is mostly psychological. The comeyou should know the facts and do it safely.”

Top Ten: Work Hard, Play Hard Jack Denton

Historians postulate that the phrase “work hard, play hard” first reared its head at NT last year, when, in the form of a call-and-response, Mr. Gorenkoff slipped it into his welcome back speech. Us students didn’t really get it. The whole point of a call-and-response is that the audience knows the response. We didn’t know the response.

Mr. Gorenkoff continued to implement this phrase (used in the context of “at NT, we work hard but we also [audience yells: ‘play hard’]”) in his other speeches throughout the year. It still didn’t catch on. Nearing the end of the year, the”response” to his “call” was usually screamed by a small group of students. Likely, they were doing so ironically.

For historical context, “work hard, play hard” is an English motto that dates back centuries. From the mid-1900s it became part of the buzzword lingo of the corporate world. In addition, there is a charming Wiz Khalifa song of the same name, though I doubt this is what Mr. Gorenkoff is directly referencing (though the lines “diamonds all on my ring n***a / Gold watches, gold chain n***a / Hundred thou’ on champagne n***a / Yeah my money insane n***a / Yeah I’m making it rain n***a” certainly do speak to the “play hard” lifestyle).

This year, Mr. Gorenkoff has cut the call-and-response platform. Instead, he just says it. Sometimes, it is met with chuckles. One gets the feeling that he can’t stop using it now--for, that would signify defeat and him coming to terms with the reality of his failed mantra for our school. However, the phrase has worked it’s way into the NT psyche. It gets dropped in Graffiti articles nearly every issue, is a focal point of a multi-floor art installation, and was mentioned in a sizable amount of election speeches.

Arguably, the phrase has not failed. Perhaps it hit rock bottom so hard that it bounced back into the realm of acceptance.

The Wife-Beater: Is it a Crime?

Nick Scott

13

“Hey Nick, there’s a jam tonight! Do you want to cular gains from pumping iron. Tank tops have just want to be considered attractive by the opgo?” now become a part of teenage male culture and posite sex; they want to be accepted and to have

I know exactly what I am going to wear. are thus a symbol of masculinity because of their their insecurities validated. From an early age, It is the middle of winter and well below freezing association with strength. “… men are bombarded with media images of outside. I pack on layers and layers of clothing:

The tank top is a lot more revealing than superheroes, action figures, and bodybuilders, all wool socks, long-johns, pants, a button-up shirt, conventional T-shirts and sweaters. Tank tops, no of which suggest that they should work towards a sweater, and an enormous winter coat; oh, and matter whether they are tight or baggy, accenhaving dense and muscular bodies.” (Males most importantly, I throw on a tank top undertuate the arms and chest. According to Alison and Body Image: “Weighing In” on a Growing neath it all. I am not only Kotch of Men’s Fitness magazine, Concern, 2011) We see muscle as the standard, ready to confront the cold these two muscular groups are as the socially-accepted, as the expectation. We Canadian climate, but I am deemed to be two of a man’s most feel that in order to be considered attractive, we also ready to party. attractive features in the eyes of the must constantly seek to improve our physical

Since the later stages of opposite sex. (What Women Want attributes. The media and contemporary culture grade ten and the beginning in a Man: Her Favorite Body Parts, have turned many teenage boys into unrealistic of grade eleven, the tank top 2014) It is no wonder that guys, after perfectionists. I too, am no exception. My female has become the go-to clothworking out, want to show off their friends constantly bombard me with comments ing piece for males whom guns as best as they can. Tank tops about how good-looking celebrities are because attend parties. Tank tops will have become the way of showing of their ripped bodies and how we “average guys” always make an appearance off; they are practically a part of the should aspire to be more like them. Celebriat any party, despite what teenage mating ritual. Effectively, ties, bodybuilders, models and copious other Mother Nature may throw at tank tops are to a teenage boy what male role models are all idolized because of their us. Back in grade ten, wearfeathers are to a peacock. Next time rock-solid physiques that, realistically, are not ing a tank top was daring; you Spencer Shakespeare you see a boy in a tank, know that attainable by mortal men. These role models are had to have a very muscular physique to pull it he is trying to impress you; know largely computerized; they off. If you didn’t boast a sturdy frame, you could that he is also that he is trying to are not entirely real: pixels are count on being chirped (chirped – made fun of) impress everyone else in the immanipulated, angles flatter, by your mates. For me, donning a tank top for mediate area and ward off comand makeup conceals and the first time was the equivalent to all my Jewpetitors as well. Tank tops are a accentuates features. Society, ish friends having their Bar Mitzvahs. Albeit, I sign of confidence. A vast majoras a single entity, constantly was not the burly fellow that I am today, yet I still ity of women across all societies promotes peoples’ insecurities felt very masculine when I made my first public and ages of history find men with because of our idolization appearance in a tank. Tank tops are possibly the large upper bodies to be more of physically unrealistic role most masculine piece of clothing in a teenage attractive than those without. models. guy’s repertoire.

Large upper bodies coincide So, the next time you see

Tank tops became enormously popular with strength and high levels of a guy sporting a tank top amongst teenage guys because of their correlatestosterone. Females generally at a party, remember that tion with going to the gym and working out. On consider strong upper-bodied although he may seem confiaverage, guys begin to regularly lift weights at the males as better-suited mates dent and proud, he is secretly ages of fifteen to sixteen years old. Weightlifting because they are more capable of searching for acceptance and has become a cultural phenomenon for teenprotecting both the partner and approval. On the outside, age boys and is an especially common amongst their offspring. (Female and Male these muscly men may seem athletes who participate in contact sports such Perceptions of Attractiveness: dense and tough, but really, as football, rugby, and hockey. This is also the What is Attractive and Why?, we are extremely susceptible Ben Tory-Pratt age when an individual’s muscle definition and 2005) Tank tops enhance a guy’s attractiveness to social expectations and judgement. We want durability begin to enter their prime. (Weight by enabling him to show off his “assets” in public the impossible: perfection. A compliment here Training for Specific Populations: Youth, 2006) settings (i.e. clubs, house parties, etc.) and thus and there is always appreciated, especially seeThese biological and athletic factors push a large draw attention to himself. ing as every comment is taken to heart and every portion of the teenage male population into the

However, despite how confident all these glance is noticed. However, don’t go boosting our gym. Thus, this demographic of boys craves some hunks may seem in their tanks, the reality is egos too much either, because that will hurt us Ben Tory-Pratt sort of clothing that would show-off their musthat they want to be acknowledged. They don’t too. We just want to be loved.

The Power of Silence Tamar KB

From 12 PM on April 22 to 12 PM on April 23, I remained silent. I didn't talk, sing, hum, or laugh. I didn't nod or smile or shake my head. I didn't interact with anyone. I chose to be silent to speak up (yes, speak up) for those who have no voice. Child soldiers, sex slaves, animals, the environment, refugees.... I can go on forever.

Being silent for 24 hours is not as hard as it sounds. You may accidentally blurt a word out once or twice, but not talking isn't incredibly difficult.

The hard part can be the disregard you receive. Once you don't talk, you blend into the background, suddenly invisible. If you can't add to the conversation, or contribute to the group discussion, what's the point of having you around?

The hard part is asking for things - advocating for your needs. Even the simplest requests, like asking to go to the bathroom, are a struggle and a half.

The hard part is feeling like you're crazy, always catching yourself having conversations in your head, replying to what a friend said in your

mind and getting frustrated when they don't hear you.

The hard part is the harassment. When you don't have a voice, people suddenly become very entertained by the fact that you can't say something back. If you can't speak, you can't defend yourself or your actions. No matter what kind of negativity is aimed at you, you just have to take it. You learn that your friends can be incredibly cruel. You learn that people can be amazingly kind.

The hard part is what goes through your head during this time. Some people keep in the back of their thoughts those they are silent for, pictures of war zones, and dreary reserves stacked in their mind as they walk through the halls. This can depress you, make you feel even more isolated from your friends than your empty voice. It can make you angry. How could you be freaking out over such trivial things when there are people out there suffering from far worse? It can motivate you as well.

Being silent for 24 hours is as hard as it sounds.

You learn how uncomfortable silence can be. In a society driven by thought-communication, silence can make other people really uncomfortable.

You learn how comforting silence is. It's nice.

The NT Free the Children club is working on improving and adapting our vows to our school. Everyone is welcomed to join us next time.

Charlotte Corelli

14

2014 Extracurricular Award Nominees

Valedictory Prize

Charlotte Corelli

Trent Erickson

Rachel Katz

Charlotte Corelli

Lauren D’Angelo

Hannah Karpinski Rachel Katz

Liam Cohen

Trent Erickson

Alex Kellerman

Edmund Park

Eleni Anastasiadis

Katie Au

Samantha Mott

Jocelyn Rough

Jake Ballantyne

Nate Muller

Patrick Sebben

Liam Woods

Kerr Trophy

Sifton Trophy

Rookie of the Year

Danielle Pal

Edmund Park

Danielle Pal

15

Athlete of the Year

Chloe Hall

Sarah Knee

Bronwyn Marshall

Sara Murakami

Gavin Hull

Jake Humphrey

Hayden Katz

Owen Singer

Jane Bradshaw

Helen Dang

Jack Denton

Heather Kelsall

Sakhawalkar-Bhatt

Congratulations to all the nominees!

Voting will take place in Homeforms this Friday, May 23rd.

Be there.

Abby Thorson

Jillian Li

16 Wait, I Thought Engineers Built Cars?

Liat Fainman-Adelman

Courtesy of Zoe Zimmerman

When you think of a future careers what do you think of? Doctor (usually paediatrician because you “actually really like kids”), lawyer, banker, dentist, orthodontist or maybe engineer (if you were not the one being quoted in the title). This is likely because you go to North Toronto and- as I recently learned -an average NT student’s family income is around 200k likely resulting in your frequent exposure to most of those jobs listed.

This is both a blessing and curse; it’s a blessing because you get great expos-

ure and connections to jobs that are stable and well paying (not to mention you probably grew up in a nice house and flew internationally at least once a year).

But it is also a curse. It is a curse because you grew up thinking that realistically these were the only jobs suitable for you. Your standard has been set. From that point on we fall into two categories: people who know (or at least say they know) what they want to do and those who don’t and are silently freaking out.

My friend fits into both those categories as she has said she wants to be a doctor (paediatrician surprise surprise) since she was in grade two but clearly does not have a passion for it. A few weeks ago I asked her “why do you want to be a paediatrician? Why don’t you want to go into marketing? (she had gone to the provincial DECA competition for her marketing plan)” to which she replied, “I don’t know, I thought about marketing but its a really unstable career and super competitive, I’m better off just becoming a doctor.” She clearly has no passion for studying medicine but is reluctant to take into consideration other jobs, jobs she would probably be much better at.

This lack of knowledge is cringe worthy but unfortunately is the reality of most teenagers true understanding of careers other than doctor, lawyer etc. About a month ago I was making friendly conversation with a desk neighbour about career aspirations when they asked what I wanted to do, I replied “I want to go into business maybe finance or economics” my neighbour replied “you won’t make any money in business you should go into writing, writers make a lot more than businesspeople (they saw me in Graffiti).” Again this shows naive thinking but more importantly completely incorrect thinking.

It is concerning that many of us do not fully understand most careers, the competition associated with them and their realistic compensation. Just for the record, I am in no way trying to deter you from fulfilling your aspirations. If you really want to be a doctor (even paediatrician) I encore you to do so, but if you are unsure of what you want to do and therefor have resorted to aspiring to be a doctor then I suggest you reassess your goals. Now I challenge you to go to careercruising.com and do a career test and once you get your 50 best matches, look over every one and do not just bypass ones like geologist because they probably don’t earn enough. You might be surprised at what you get.

And by the way geologists make almost as much as dentists.

What’s Your Story?

Hannah Billinger

Sad, irrational, messed up, crazy, suicidal.

These are the stigmas that come with many mental illnesses. It is because of these stigmas and these words that people who are affected by these illnesses feel misunderstood and alone. So this is for you, the one’s who are silently suffering and thinking they are alone with no one to understand them.

I know what it’s like. You wake up almost every morning with a sick-making knot in your stomach and most days you have no idea the reason why it’s there. You skip meals because you have no interest or the thought of food makes you sick to your stomach. You cry for hours and hours for absolutely no reason at all. Class begins to become one big blur and walking in the halls is like the scene in the movie when the character stands still and the world whizzes by. You lack motivation and excitement. Most days you walk around with what feels like a million pounds on your back. But here’s the thing. You don’t let that show. You will do everything in your power to continue as if nothing is wrong. Only a select few know how you really feel and to everyone else

you’re totally fine. However, a thousand negative thoughts infect your mind every minute and there it is again… “I’m misunderstood.”

It’s easy to see why these thoughts infect your head. Just last week a fellow NT student asked if my doctor’s note was me “trying to get out of exams again.” Just for the record, I am just like you and experience the stress of writing exams, all that’s different is I get extra time. It is comments like these that make you feel completely inadequate.

I decided to write this article for the people who are too scared to speak up. Maybe you’re scared because of comments like that; maybe you’re scared because you don’t want to be judged because you know you don’t fit any of the stigmas. I’m just like you. I was scared. I felt alone and misunderstood. My friends see me as a happy and outgoing person but that’s far from the truth of what was happening in my head. I break the stigma and I’m getting the help I need to get better and I encourage those of you who are relating to this article to do the same.

If you’re not ready to talk to an adult or

talk to a health professional, talk to a friend. Pick one person you can trust and just share with them your story. It will take some of that weight of your shoulders and who knows they might be going through something similar. Sharing your story creates a community, a happy, supporting and accepting community. So, I challenge you to share your story to a friend, to your parents, to a teacher, guidance counselor or even me because, you’re not alone and will never be alone.

My name is Hannah Billinger, I struggle with major depression and anxiety and I break the stigmas. I have cried for hours, I have skipped meals, I have been to countless hours of therapy, I have even cut myself but I am okay and will continue to get better with help. I have friends and family to rely on and now hopefully some of you will join my support community. Please share your story. It’s one of the most effective things you can do. You are not alone. That’s my story… now what’s yours?

Top Ten: Elections Kyle Mastarciyan

Democracy, who really likes it that much? We do, we sure do. At NT we pride ourselves on our ruling system, even though it really rules over nothing, or does it? We've lost bribe day, and we're all missing those cookies and cakes, but maybe it's time we move towards a fairer system and not one based over who's mom bought more snacks for lil Jimmy's school thingy majiggy.

The Duke Porn Star and the Danger of a Single Story Fay Asimakopoulos

No student is left untouched by soaring costs of post-secondary education -- especially as, due to its ubiquity, the said education’s real life market advantage can fail to exceed its true cost. Add the fact that everyone seems to have an opinion -- no matter how non-interventionist and feminist-friendly -- on what women are morally entitled to do with their bodies or not, to the economic disenfranchisement of Generation Y, and watch the most pressing social struggles of the era intersect to create an explosive headline.

Belle Knox is a sophomore at Duke University who turned to porn to pay her soaring tuition costs. As a student who lacked thorough job experience, a job in porn seemed like the most prudent choice to avoid the threat of student debt. Her career in porn was largely clandestine -- that is, until a fraternity member who was familiar with her work revealed her identity as a porn star while intoxicated at what is likely to have been a fraternity party. News spread fast across the Duke campus and Knox, whose real name is Miriam Weeks, wrote various anonymous op-ed’s to on-campus publications before she decided to make her identity public by exposing her name and subsequently conducting a variety of public interviews with well-known news channels.

Knox, who identifies as a “sex-positive feminist,” and has aspirations of becoming a women’s rights lawyer is perplexed by the outrage over what she perceives to be a deeply and solely personal choice. Criticism of her part-time job has crystallized into one central argument -- why would Knox, an intelligent, privileged student, who attends one of her country’s most prestigious

universities, choose a career in porn? Given all of the other choices available to her (like unpaid internships and flipping burgers), does her choice to participate in porn not become suddenly invalid, or at least subject to moral criticism?

In one of the many articles she has written defending her choice, she notes “I was not making what economists call a desperate exchange.” Just because she chose the most economically advantageous option -- not a principally dream job -- does not mean she was coerced into the job. If she did not need the money, Knox claims she would give up her job as a porn star -- nonetheless, she views that as a natural part of all labour, and more characteristic of the human desire to not work, unless absolutely necessary, rather than a particularly oppressive aspect of pornography.

“The crux of the issue is not the idea of me being involved in a mutually beneficial transaction. The issue is that it’s porn. All of our discussions surrounding desperate exchanges or last resorts arise when we discuss taboo markets -- especially sex work,” adds Knox. Knox’s argument makes a powerful case for the destigmatization of sex work, by emphasizing the fact that, above all, sex work is work that does not deserve to be treated in a separate vein to any other contract.

Yet, beyond the puritan lenses that many have resorted to when discussing Knox’s decision to enter the trade, pornography continues to be a field of work so intrinsically linked to a person’s perception of their body, relationships, and self-worth that any employee abuse ceases to just be contractual -- it gains social significance. One

17

of Knox’s pornographic videos clearly depicts her male co-stars deride her self-inflicted harm scars, which spell out “FAT” on her thighs. Knox, who has admitted to having a complex history with self-harm as a teenager, claims she regrets shooting with the company that filmed her video.

However, she also rejects any intersection between self harm and destructive, fetishistic porn, once again pontificating that “I can be psychoanalyzed in a million different ways, but sometimes there’s just no rhyme or reason: I like what I like, and I won’t live in shame because of it.”

Knox’s life and motivations are distant to all but few people. It is unjust, and entirely too easy, to try and project our own expectations and moral background on her decision to enter porn.

Her choice to reclaim a submissive sexual role might be the result of a truly free moral agent.

Her story, above all, sheds light on the intersection of soaring college tuitions and economic choices.

But let’s not, for a moment, pretend that Knox can be a single, representative voice for all women caught in porn. Albeit convenient in her unabashed eloquence, Knox cannot speak for every woman caught in an abusive circuit where the contract to her very body is infringed by bad managers, coercive co-stars, and dangerous market standards. Belle Knox may or may not be what she has simplistically dubbed to be “the porn stereotype of a depressed, crazy girl” -- what matters is that women whose trauma and disenfranchisement leads them to porn exist, just as do women to whom a rigged economic transaction turns into an infringement of their bodily rights. These are multitudes that are hard

When the Dress Comes Off Jie Gao

We’ve all smelled it: the distinctive sweaty stench of teenaged anxiety that hangs in the air here at NT around April and May, as seniors swap promposal ideas and fashion tips in preparation for prom, where v-cards (and regrets) will fly. There’s a lot of anxiety that converges on prom, the one night of the year where adults-tobe are almost expected to lose their virginity.

Fumbling through the important bits is only natural for a first-timer, but it can be easy to mess up badly. There are mistakes like checking your phone, and then there are life-ending blunders like not getting proper consent from your partner for sex.

Consensual sex is a phrase that’s been around for a long time: NT’s very own Mr. Zohar recalls the feminist movement of the eighties, which promoted the idea of negotiating sex and the ‘no means no’ slogan. More recently, the Steubenville rape case put sexual consent back under the spotlight, particularly situations where consent cannot be given.

Happily, Canadian criminal law has us covered there: according to the Department of Justice, consent to sexual activity is “the voluntary agreement to engage in the sexual activity in question.” Subsequent subsections detail situations where, in the eyes of the law, there

is no consent, which includes individuals who are intoxicated or otherwise not in a clear state of mind. However, the ‘no means no’ model of sexual consent has its detractors.

“In the popular idea it’s men asking women for the consent to have sex, and there’s a reason for where this came from, which is violence against women,” Kate, a youth worker from Delisle Youth Services, explained. “It’s limited and it doesn’t talk about pleasure, and it doesn’t talk about women asking men for things that they want, or women asking people of other genders.”

It is important to keep open lines of communication open with a partner to ensure consistent consent. Kate suggests that, “When you’re starting to be intimate with someone it makes sense to keep checking in and to be noticing the signs, because a lot of times people say we started this act, I wanted to do it, and at some point I

Top Ten: Olympic Semifinal Hockey Game Charlotte Corelli

Rachel Katz

didn’t want to anymore, was looking away, and I was looking disinterested, and they didn’t pick up on that.” She adds, “It’s better sex than sex you just agree to and that’s the end of the conversation because you can’t talk about what you actually want to happen.”

‘Sex Talk,’ which can be found on the Feministing website, is a helpful guide to anyone who wants to have sex safely, sanely, and consensually. And finally, for those who just want to talk sex, Shameless Magazine is a starting place for some general information about sexual activities (including the ones that aren’t mentioned in school).

I have only ever seen live television played on the TV in the foyer twice. The first time was Will and Kate’s first kiss. The second occasion was during the Olympics. Across the country, and here at NT, students and staff crammed into the foyer at lunch and sat eagerly in classrooms during periods, watching Canada’s Olympic Hockey Teams defend their titles. For the few of us who weren’t able to watch the Men’s semifinal game against the US in class on February 21, Mr. Gorenkoff kept us in the loop by making an announcement, letting us know that Canada would be moving on to the Gold medal game. That was an interruption that didn’t need to be excused.

18 Do you Believe?

Dylan Authors

There was a bomb planted in the Trade Centre in 9/11. The Illuminati are controlling our lives. Bugs Bunny is behind the framing of OJ Simpson. Malaysian Airline flight 370 was hijacked. These are conspiracy theories that have been created to fill gaps in missing evidence.

These ideas that people construct are so intricate and multi-layered, that even rational thinkers buy into them. What I wonder, is if you, whoever you are, believe these ridiculous fictional dishonesties?

Sandra Stevens, 89-years-old stares at me with a puzzled look, “…did you just make that up?” She asks.

“No,” I reply, “It says [online] that some people think that some kind of otherworldly portal could have sucked up the flight. If we haven’t found debris yet, people are saying that some force is capable of plucking an airplane out of the sky without leaving any bit of evidence, do you believe this?”

It is not abnormal to believe in conspiracies like the many surrounding the bizarre disappearance of the Malaysian flight. Professor Stephan Lewandowsky, a cognitive scientist who studies why people believe these theories has found that, “people hate randomness, [in order to fully understand a situation] it turns out that it’s much easier to believe in a conspiracy”1.

Cass Sunstein, a Harvard law professor, has a book titled Conspiracy Theories – and Other Dangerous Ideas. He believes that a lack of information is the root cause of theories to spread – we know next to nothing about the Malaysian flight disappearance however there are those who have taken the liberty of creating wild scenarios.

Sunstein also states information retrieved from philosopher Karl Popper, in which, “human beings like to believe in intention - that an event is caused by specific human intention and action. So we exaggerate the competence of people [or other entities] because someone must have directed things”.

The Future of the Arctic

You are not going crazy if you feel gravitating towards conspiracy theories comforts you in knowing more about a particular situation or event – it’s human nature to do so.

18-year-old Jay seems very enlightened to discuss the mysterious disappearance of flight 370. “How could you rationally explain the situation,” I ask him. He is very eager to answer.

“It could be either two things. [One being] that the plane was one of the first objects to be pulled through a black hole. [I’ve heard] scientific evidence says that it is impossible to not find any debris at all – mainly because lots of it would float.” Jay seems confident in what he is saying. “Also, the more probable explanation in all honesty, is this: the plane was hijacked and actually landed on a secretive airfield near where the plane was presumed gone. Everyone on the plane was in on it, and was in some way involved in an act of terrorism.”

Everyone was in on it? I have never heard that one before, but he seems confident and clearly believes that this theory is true.

These theories, though believable, are flatout wrong, and believing in them is not a smart idea. Why shouldn’t you believe such ridiculous ideas?

The Occam’s Razor is scientific and philosophic line of reasoning that states that, “the simplest conclusion is usually the right one”.

In the case of the Malaysian flight conspiracies, those who develop these intricate theories, the hijacking theory and/or black hole theory, are wrong because the simplest answer is that the plane crashed in the ocean and was unfound by officials.

Believing in conspiracy theories can lead to pointless lengthy debates and arguments which have no evidence to back up reasoning.

Trying to prove a conspiracy theory is like trying to prove your dad is the best when you were 5 – there is no way of knowing for sure. If everyone agreed on factual evidence, there would be

Lara Powell

The fate of the Arctic will have a tremendous impact on the future of our planet, yet few people seem concerned about the debate regarding it’s future. The decisions made by the leader of our country about the Arctic will affect the environment in greater ways than we can imagine — so why is it that no one is speaking up?

Of course, not everybody has remained silent about the issue. A couple of months ago, a group of Greenpeace activists, who referred to themselves as the “Arctic 30,” stirred up some concern over the situation. While peacefully protesting Arctic drilling, the 28 Greenpeace activists and 2 freelance journalists were arrested for “piracy.” They had been attempting a peaceful protest at a Russian oil rig when security forces boarded the Greenpeace ship, arresting the activists at gunpoint. After much pressure from the international community, the crew was eventually released. It took nearly four months, but by the last week in December all 30 members of the Arctic 30 had been granted amnesty.

The fight to #FreeTheArctic30 may be over and done with, but the fight to defend the Arctic itself is far from over. What makes this issue especially concerning, is that time is running out. The Arctic is warming twice as fast as the global average, and now more than ever, we need to protect it. It has long been clear that this region, which is essential for moderating the Earth’s temperature, is at risk. Scientists have

declared Arctic resources “un-burnable” but, as you may have noticed, political leaders and environmental scientists don’t agree on much.

Rather than protecting these fragile lands, the politicians are all fighting over who will claim the largest piece of the Arctic and produce the most oil. This is a practice that will only risk spills and accelerate the climate crisis. Our very own Prime Minister is currently doing whatever

no need for argument. Except now, because as humans we have to find reason in every discrepancy, needless arguments are thrust into conversations about whether the news is telling the truth.

Jeff Authors, 50-years-old, just got home from work. I ask him whether or not he believes the theories, and which of them he sees is most realistic.

“I believe some of them I guess,” he says with a firm tone, “the airliner definitely didn’t get sucked up into the air [from some supernatural force], but it probably was hijacked and landed somewhere else… Ya that makes sense.”

“Of course I don’t believe it!” Sandra Stevens blurts out. “That is completely ridiculous.

I think the plane just crashed into the ocean, isn’t that what the news says?”

“Well that’s what they think, but why, then, have they not found any debris anywhere floating around?” I question.

“I don’t know. Sometimes things just happen that people can’t explain. It certainly wasn’t stolen and didn’t just disappear into alien space.”

Three different personal interviews offer completely different perspectives, interestingly age plays a factor.

Teenage Jay thoroughly believes in the conspiracy theories surrounding flight 370, and even adds a theory that wasn’t on the internet.

Middle aged Jeff believes in the conspiracy theory that is physically possible – he believes the plane didn’t just disappear. Finally, elder Sandra thinks that every theory is completely ridiculous, and we should believe what we hear and not question anything else.

When we are younger we may be open to more things. When we are older we may just believe what is factually known. Either way, the question with these theories that stands is this:

Do you believe?

he can to lay claim to parts of the Arctic for the purpose of exploiting oil reserves.

At the end of 2012, Harper announced that Canada would formerly submit a claim for 1.7 million km of Arctic seabed (including the North Pole —sorry, Santa). According to him, the Arctic represents a “tremendous potential for our future.”

However, not everyone is in favour of Harper’s plan, and I don’t just mean environmentalists.

What about the Inuit peoples who have depended on the Arctic wildlife for centuries? Or the communities in Canada’s north who are coping with massive infrastructure deficits? Arctic Bay’s economic development officer Clare Klines argues that the billions of dollars proposed to be spent on oil extraction could be better spent reducing the cost of living in Canada’s north.

However, Harper clearly isn’t listening. In his view, the claim to the Arctic will be “a legacy for Canadians,” but is destroying the Arctic really something we’ll proudly tell our grandchildren?

So, there are those willing to risk their own freedom to defend the Arctic, like the Arctic 30 crew, and there are those who don’t seem to care about the environment at all, like our good old Prime Minister. Where do you stand? Over five million people have signed a Greenpeace petition asking that the Arctic become a sanctuary and that oil drilling in the region be banned. Will you be standing with them?

19

Mind the Gap Rachel Katz

As another herd of Grade 8 graduates prepare to move on to high school, an important issue needs to be addressed; that of communication, or rather a lack thereof. It is becoming increasingly clear that there is a disconnect between the elementary and high school curricula, and it is becoming increasingly clear that this inconsistency is dangerous for students entering high school.

Part of the problem is the middle school students attend. For example, North Toronto’s three feeder schools (Deer Park, Hodgson, and Glenview) are all schools that rank highly on the Fraser Institute’s report every year. Adara Kotsifas is a Grade 9 student at North Toronto who previously attended Hodgson. “In middle school I thought I was ready for high school. I was wrong.” She continued, saying, “In subjects like math and French I felt very prepared but in others such as English and science I lacked and still lack a huge understanding [of concepts I] should have been taught last year. For people who got in under optional attendance, they probably didn't know what to expect at all.” The transition from middle school to high school is already a difficult one, and students who have had a less than satisfactory middle school experience are already at a serious disadvantage when they set foot in high school on their first day of Grade 9. “I didn’t know what to expect,” says one Grade 9 student at North Toronto who did not attend a feeder school. “My middle school experience was next to non-existent so I had no real standards. It took me a while to realize last year was a total waste and I really had to step up my game.”

Students aren’t the alone in feeling this disparity. Parents are paying more attention to the lack of educational foundations being provided in some schools. “My son essentially had middle school off,” says one parent of a Grade 9 student. “This was worrisome at the time, but now that he’s in high school, we’re seriously con-

Graffiti at NT

cerned because he lacks some of the background his friends from other schools have.”

Teachers have also noticed the wide range of abilities in Grade 9 classrooms. Mr. Peddle, a math teacher at North Toronto who has taught Grade 9 before says that he sees a wide range of abilities in his students. “There are students in Grade 9 who are better at math than some of the kids I teach in Grades 11 and 12 and there are some kids I teach who probably need to go back to Grade 7 or 6.” He added that the North Toronto math department “laments the fact that there are no math specialists teaching these kids at least in Grades 6, 7, and 8. Why can they have Phys. Ed. specialists in Grades 7 and 8 but not math specialists? There should be both.”

Math tutor Vanessa Vakharia, founder of The Math Guru, worries that the lack of an even playing field at the elementary school level poses a problem where streaming is concerned.

“Some schools have teachers that aren’t trained in [certain subjects]… or they value [some subjects] over others” and this has an effect on whether students choose academic or applied courses in high school. She adds that elementary years are “foundation years” and that “building blocks like number sense aren’t being taught and that really needs to change. If kids lack things like that, it’s really hard for them to succeed in high school.” This could be resolved if there were more opportunities for elementary and high school teachers to communicate with each other more about their curricula.

It is clear that there is a problem, and that problem needs to be solved quickly. Groups like People for Education have stood on their educational equality soapbox for years now, kicking and screaming about the travesty of the education system without ever seeming to contribute to meaningful change.

So what needs to happen? More importantly, who needs to make it happen?

It would appear that, as Gandhi said, we

must “create the change we wish to see” in our education system, and to that effect, parents are finding the need to spend thousands of dollars on private tutoring. Middle school students across the province are being let down by the Ministry of Education and their individual school boards. In a report published by the Ministry of Education in April of this year, it was stated that “by ensuring equity in our education system, we can help all students achieve excellence.” So where is this equity? How is it being instituted?

These are the kinds of questions we need to be asking of the province’s education officials.

As a population, our attention where education is concerned seems to mostly be focused on international test scores. Earlier this year, a great deal of attention was paid to the fact that as a country, Canada’s ranking on PISA’s list had fallen. The slide in marks raises several alarm bells about the state of our education system, but let’s keep in mind that the PISA test is administered to 15 year-olds who have already finished middle school. Given the ridiculous range of abilities students seem to be entering high school with, it is entirely likely that a portion of the problem high school students face today is that they were not given strong enough tools in middle school to allow them to succeed in their later years of schooling.

The key to improving education lies with fixing the elementary school system so each student enters high school with virtually the same numeracy and literacy skills. Vanessa Vakharia says “some students feel the disconnect” between elementary and high school, “but some don’t, because they had some elementary teacher who was really into [their subject] and really enthusiastic about it.” When teachers know what their students will learn in the future, they can prepare them for it better.

Charlotte Corelli

There aren’t many schools like NT. How can we prove this? The graffiti on the walls of course (no, not the wonderful paper that you are reading). I don’t mean to say that we are all so superior to everybody that we don’t even have graffiti on the walls, because we do. Our graffiti is simply...unique.

Who needs paper for math homework? The pillars are the eco-friendly alternative.

You can view this one two ways. We are so academic, that we must edit everything we see, or, we just have some solid school spirit.

This...well...it would only be found at NT, no explanation needed.

As always, we are a talented bunch.

And while in the bathroom, we take the time to let everybody know that we are all looking out for one another.

And we always reply with a smile.

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ARTS & CULTURE

Keep Calm and Drop the F-Bomb Laura Pitt

“Okay! So we are going to play hide and go seek! She’s going to be ‘it’ and we’re all going to run and hide okay? You can’t hide in the school, only in the playground,” Sally exclaims.

“Oh look, Sally’s at it again. She’s always so bossy towards the other kids,” one mother whipsers to another.

Let’s take this scenario and hand it over to Joey.

“Okay, we’re playing hide and go seek now! I’m gonna be ‘it’ and all of you will go hide.

No one is allowed in the school!” Joey calls.

“Wow, you’re son is great a leading games. He’s got some great initiative,” a mother compliments Joey’s attitude.

The world has had an ongoing war; one that many thought had ended. We’ve been fighting in a battlefield where words have become our ammo and we are adding more gunpowder.

Today we fight against the bullets and rely on a weapon of change, the F-Bomb: Feminism.

Remember what Sally and Joey? Both took the same role, however the reactions were different. From a young age at home and in the playground, when children express assertion girls hear “bossy,” but boys hear, “leadership.”

This raging war lies heavily within our language and the way we speak to one another. This sexist slang can begin in the simplest form, “bossy,” and develop into sexist jokes like “that’s what she said,” to “make me a sandwich.”

Referencing to the example of Sally and Joey, the word, “bossy,” is often negatively associated with females, whereas boys who behave in the same manner are given positive feedback. With this in mind, Sheryl Sandberg and Anna Maria Chavez launched a campaign, “Ban Bossy,” with the intention of eliminating its use and negative connotation toward women.

These women use the word, “bossy,” to frame their campaign. They believe that by using this word, we are implying that girls should not assert

themselves, should not speak up, and should not stand up for what they believe in, all in fear that they will be characterized as “bossy.” The hopes of this campaign are to eliminate the stigma of the word bossy when attached to women and to encourage girls to become leaders. The Ban Bossy campaign strives towards a more gender equal world.

On countless Twitter bios of teenage girls, the word “feminist,” has been declared alongside their love for pizza and their favourite musician.

Another massive social hub, Tumblr, notorious for its young user base, presents limitless feminist pages and posts getting reblogged hundreds of thousands of times. If you yourself are an active Tumblr user, you will most likely have already viewed numerous posts addressing feminism or at the very least raising its awareness through the media’s disgusted reaction to Robin Thicke’s recent single “Blurred Lines.”

Although Tumblr provides a great outlet for feminists, it still has its downsides. In addition to the opinions of Thicke’s classic, Miley Cyrus was a hot topic for quite awhile. Many posts negatively regard her exposing apparel and promiscuity; slut-shaming. A grade 12 student and self-professed feminist Siena Peloso responds, defining slut-shaming as, “a way to hold girls back from being freely sexual… girls have just as much right to say yes in any situation and just as much right to say no.” The way Peloso explains slut-shaming reflects the use of “bossy,” as a way to coerce women into stepping away from roles of leadership.

Through the Internet and multiple documentaries, grade 12 student Mark Lofichenko responds to name-calling and slut-shaming; “In the pursuit of political correctness shouldn’t there be a line drawn where people are offended and where they are blatantly searching for an argument?” This question can be applied to the concept of “bossy,” to which Lofichenko an-

swers, “Words shift meanings and I don’t think that people should hang onto their meanings so much. I think that the meaning behind them should be understood and recognized, but being anal about 1 word isn’t going to push for equality for feminism.”

So if feminism surrounds us, how come so many of us are still left feeling uninformed?

I interviewed my mother who identifies herself as a feminist and is an active part of The University Women’s Club of Toronto. She says “the reason [she is] informed about feminism is because it was taught at the university [she] had attended as a compulsory credit.” So, how can we fight for it if we don’t know about it? It’s shocking, however who can blame us if we were never taught? Celebrities have even shown reluctance to drop that dreaded F-Bomb. Lady Gaga had stated, “I’m not a feminist – I hail men, I love men,” seemingly confusing feminism with misandry.

Ultimately, as the youngest generation, most of us at one time or another have been totally uninformed or misled. If we want to recognize feminism we have to some extent, seek it out ourselves, implying that feminism has become a part of history, no longer a part of the present. We have yet to learn how to embody it and realize how we are affected by it. Maybe it’s because we’re afraid of the other things associated with feminism, like being labeled as a “man hater.” Maybe it’s because we are afraid that we aren’t a “true” feminist; some of the things we do contradict feminism. We believe and support it, but some of the things we do make us hypocrites of feminism.

The meaning of being a feminist is changing and so are the people who identify themselves as one. Heck yeah I want equal rights, but that doesn’t go to say I’ve never laughed at a “that’s what she said,” joke.

After all, isn’t the campaign to ban the word bossy, a little hypocritical in itself?

Come see NT’s Senior Art Show, on now until May 28th in the Staff Lounge and Show Room Student Gallery (second floor).

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Maria Nicula

National Treasure Jane Bradshaw

“I’m going to see The National play!”

“Who?”

This seemed to be the typical reaction of those who I told about seeing the American band, The National, play at Massey Hall on Wednesday, April 9th. . Some even asked why I was going.

Nowadays, popular artists that attract swarms of screaming fans to their concerts are those whose images are much more prominent and more widely admired than their talent.

Concerts by artists like Avicii are considered mini raves, whereas those by musicians like Taylor Swift bring in crowds of country-pop loving teenage girls. These shows seem to focus more on the production, filled with dancers and flashing lights, rather than the actual performance. This is opposite of The National’s concert, and is why it was so enjoyable.

The band, formed in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1999, has been touring North America, promoting their Grammy-nominated 6th studio album, Trouble Will Find Me. They are not what most would consider glamorous: just five lanky men, all around the age of 40, dressed in the kind of suits your dad would wear to a family dinner.

However, their humble image did not stop them from putting on a show. From the moment they strummed the first chord, the band was able to unite everyone in the crowd, from the overly excited 7-year-old boy decked out in a copious amount of merchandise to the elderly couple cuddling in their seats near the back. Their music evoked a whole range of dance moves as well; there was the classic mom dancing, drunk thirty-somethings swaying off-beat, awkward head bobs, even a rowdy group of men at the front centre jumping up and down. There were people in the audience there

from every end of the spectrum, all enjoying the entertainment in one harmonious group.

They opened with their song “Don’t Swallow the Cap,” immediately bringing the whole crowd to their feet. Their indie-rock sound, similar to that of U2, was much more energetic in concert than it is on the album. The guitar and drums kept everyone dancing, even if the vocal melody was calm. They had the ability to enhance the beat of their set list, which are normally relaxed and melodic, without ruining the essence of each song. It was magical.

You could see the musicians becoming lost in the songs; their eyes closed, and their body curving and swaying with each note and beat played. This was there zone, and nothing could interrupt it – not even the enthusiastic and slightly intoxicated fan who ran circles around the lead singer, cleverly avoiding the security guard. The stage set was overflowing with amps and cords, giving the performance a very honest feel. These weren’t celebrities with unattainable beauty, or a manufactured sound coming out of a computer. These were middle-aged men jamming out as friends, and the audience was lucky enough to hear it all come together.

After 18 songs, The National ended their set with “Fake Empire,” a song with political commentary alluding to the disenfranchisement that some people felt during George W. Bush’s

presidency. It starts off as a quiet ballad with a Leonard Cohen vibe, but soon escalates into something joyous, adding peppy brass and guitar sounds. They left the stage with just a head bow and a wave, so casual that the whole audience was confused; were they coming back? Or was that it?

Thankfully, with the encouragement of deafening cheers, The National stepped back onstage for a 4-song encore. Lead singer Matt Berninger walked through the audience with a poor stage crew member trailing behind him adjusting the microphone cord. If you hadn’t fallen head of heels for this band, this would’ve sold you. The stroll was so simplistic, yet connected the audience with the performers, allowing them to be tangible, rather than a perfect illusion onstage.

Finally, they ended their concert with a sansmicrophone acoustic take on their song Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks. At first, Berninger sang the wrong verse and they had to start all over again, but once they got going, all of Massey Hall were quietly singing along with misty eyes, as we all watched in awe. It was in that moment that you truly appreciate going to a concert like this.

The National are not a band that is manufactured. They are not a band that is rehearsed.

They are not a band seeking the utmost fame and recognition. They are band make music for the love of making music, and they just want to share it with everyone who comes out and sees them. As we walked away from Massey Hall, Grade 12 student Maria Nicula said “That was perfect. Literally the best night of my life. Oh. My. God.” I completely agree.

So for all of you who have no idea who The National are, I suggest you put down the paper and search them on YouTube. They are a band solely for the love of music, and that love is contagious.

Hannah Karpinski

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“So bored lol ask me anything,” “I don’t know why I’m doing this but ask away,” “Will answer honestly for the next hour…” It’s hard to scroll through one’s Facebook newsfeed without stumbling upon one…or two…or many ask.fm links. This relatively new social media trend allows individuals to create a profile and answer questions posed by anonymous “Ask” users. While many students are familiar with “stalking” their peers’ pages—which are often littered with gossip and racy remarks—Graffiti thought it would be an interesting experiment to see what would happen when teachers put themselves out on such an honest, public platform. Ms. Bulgutch, Mr. Zohar, and Mr. Roche bravely agreed to expose themselves to the onslaught of student queries. No one knew what to expect. Questions ranged from seriously insightful and thought provoking to (the expected) rude and crass. The teachers never failed to give genuine answers, coupled with their usual undertones of dry wit. Without further ado, Graffiti presents The Teachers of NT, as seen on ask.

#noragrets

s

Bulgutch

Roche

Zohar Bulgutch Zohar Zohar

Zohar

Bulgutch

Zohar

FUNNY

SERIOUS

Roche

Bulgutch

Zohar Zohar

Roche Roche

Zohar Zohar

Roche

Zohar

An Interview with The Fox and The Moon Henry Jeong

They may not be the hottest, nor the flashiest by all means. But they, by far, are slowly on their way to be the best instead. Consisting of three young and promising musicians in the form of Chris Blanchford, Kim Wexler and Stella Green Sanderson, The Fox and the Moon started making some splashes across Eastern Canada, with their approachable and well-made music, as well as the remarkable artistry on stage. After a successful Eastern Canada tour, they came back home last week with a fanfare. Recently, I had a wonderful opportunity to interview Chris, who himself is an NT alumnus not so long ago.

H: When and how did your band form or come into existence?

C: Our group formed just under a year ago, after getting to know one another through the same college program. There once was a day when one of the students had a guitar and was just doing some casual jamming during a break and I had started to sing along. This marked the first time that Kim had heard me sing and after discovering she had already made a record of her own, prompted us to get together. Upon playing a handful of our favourite covers to one another, we decided to test the waters and see if we could write something of our own…a little over an hour later and we had our first song. Stella's addition to the group came from her experience playing as a member of Kim's backing band for some of her solo music but when it had been decided that said project wasn't going to be moving forward, it was the easiest of decisions to bring her in to see what the three of us could create.

H: I remember hearing about you guys going on a tour across Eastern Canada some weeks ago. How did that go?

C: The tour was amazing! There's a lot to be said about travelling to places where no one has any idea who you are and really trying to leave an impression with the music you've been making. Whether it's the lack of a safety net from not playing in your hometown or the process of finding out if you still have the same feelings towards your music when playing it for complete strangers, the tour was a great test of both and an incredibly positive experience for all of us.

H: That’s great to hear. If you guys were to describe yourself in simple word choice.. what would you say?

C: Weird. Every kind of weird.

H: I wonder why ;) Anyways, how would you describe the Fox and the Moon when it comes to its music? Like as in its genre, style and contents behind(lyrics and music), etc....

C: I think we definitely fall into that indie-folk scene but to be a more

23

specific, a lot of our personal influences ranging from blues, pop, bluegrass, and even some classical / chorale roots seem to find their way into our music.

H: Do all of you guys collaborate when it comes to writing lyrics and composing those pieces? If not, who normally does such a grueling job?

C: There's a mixture of co-writing between Kim and myself as well as some songs that we've written individually and bring to the band upon completion. That said, they're always open to changes along the way and Stella has a real knack for giving our music the final push with regards to making it something that we can all enjoy playing time and time again.

H: Do you ever change a song's lyrics on live set?

C: We've occasionally had to change 1 song around to avoid a certain curse word… but apart from that, if we've ever changed the lyrics in a live setting, it certainly hasn't been on purpose haha H: Do you ever change a song's lyrics on live set?

C: Right now you can keep up with us at facebook.com/thefoxandthemoon but that's only because our actual website is still in development…it should be ready soon though!

H: I certainly hope so.

That being said, tell us a bit about the future plans The Fox and the Moon has for the delighted music community not only in Toronto, but across Canada?

C: Our next big project is the recording of our first full length album! None of that would even be possible if it wasn't for everyone who generously donated to our indiegogo campaign so we obviously want to say a HUGE thank you to all of our friends, family, and fans who made that possible!

H: Do you guys have a band website? I, for several weeks, tried to find it but all efforts came without fruition.

We'll be tackling the bulk of the process over the summer and will be keeping people posted every step of the way with regards to the release date! Upon finishing that, we'd love to get out and tour the East coast again alongside some dates in Ontario and Western Canada if possible, but who knows! The possibilities are endless!

H: Will you guys be visiting NT in near future, whether for another performance or just a visit?

C: We don't have anything booked for NT at the moment but we'd be more than happy to visit and / or play at any event that the music department wants us to be a part of!

H: Excellent. Thank you for the opportunity.

C: No problem. You too.

Top Ten: “We’ve Survived Worse” Hannah Karpinski

RIP “Vice:” Graffiti’s late creative outlet that, once upon a time, intended to explore “common immoralities” among teenagers. Not surprisingly, many articles straddled the line between journalism and shock pieces, so our beloved “Vice” was quick to be axed—and we never even got to read about drugs and lying. “Vice” made its debut soon after Red and Grey day with a drinking section. One piece in particular, Nima Sadeghi’s “Red in our Hearts, Grey in our Sweatpants, Beer in our Bellies,” sparked some controversy and ample conversation. Teachers were scowling. Bros were chuckling. Niners were pulling out their hair. According to one especially nervous niner, “the older grades are SO intimidating. Is drinking on Red and Grey Day a tradition? I’ve never been drunk!” North Toronto has always had a reputation for its school spirit, so when Red and Grey Day is referred to as the one day “you’re supposed to break the rules and screw around as much as possible,” that reputation takes on a light that is not necessarily in favour of school staff and administration. A Grade 11 student said: “I was totally unaware that students drank on Red and Grey Day. I guess now we’ll be seeing more of it.”

Questionable. What can we expect for the future of Red and Grey Day? Will it become more like our one dance: corralled into a small space and heavily monitored by teachers and cops? Knowing NT, the school will want to uphold its clean reputation. However, even if breathalyzers at spirit assemblies become a tradition, it’s hard to say whether or not the “tradition” of day drinking will go down in turn—after all, we still pride ourselves on our stellar academics, and NT students will work hard to play hard.

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SPORTS

Ups and Downs Neal McAuley

It’s April 2nd, 2013. The Blue Jays home opener is finally here. Cameras flash in anticipation as the city looks onto Cy Young winning pitcher R.A Dickey for his first pitch. R.A adjusts his hat and grips his first knuckle ball in the blue and white. It only took two innings for the damage to be done. Dickey’s knuckleball was all over the place. He had already walked three, and the Indian’s hitters weren’t biting on anything. In short, Dickey failed in his first start for the Blue Jays. Toronto fans were distraught, as they were hoping that Dickey would be the saving grace to an otherwise poor performing franchise.

After a multi-million dollar spending spree during the offseason prior, GM Alex Anthoupolos had put together not only a playoff contender, but also the odds on favourite to win the world series. He had become a local hero, and people were finally ready to see some action in the Rogers Centre. Unfortunately, the Jays failed in more way then one, and ended up finishing dead last in the AL East, partially thanks to Dickey’s less than inspiring season. He finished with a 4.21 ERA, and a supremely average 14-13 record. The question was, why? Why was R.A performing out of his ordinary? The answer, in my opinion, is that knuckleball just isn’t a very ordinary pitch.

The Knuckleball isn’t something you find in the contemporary pitcher’s arsenal. Fastballs, curveballs, sinkers, and even the odd eephus pitch dominate the stuff thrown now. Only a select few have used the knuckleball as their primary pitch throughout the history of the MLB, most recently being retired Boston righty Tim Wakefield and of course R.A Dickey. The thing is, is that the Knuckleball doesn’t physically function the same way, as say, a curveball does.

It doesn’t spin like a regular pitch, it just sort of dips and dazzles as it floats to home plate. This irregular motion makes the pitch extremely easy to muck up. One wrong movement or ill placed finger and you have a hanging low speed pitch that most batters can hit. Alex Kellerman, resident NT baseball star, says “I’ve faced a few, if it’s not thrown well, it is one of the easiest pitches to tee off against. For it to be effective, it has to be thrown at at least 65, given the grip and the tech-

nique, it’s is very hard to achieve that velocity”.

Alex isn’t the only baseball player that feels this way, as there have only been a handful of successful knuckleball pitchers in history.

That being said, the knuckleball can be one of the most effective pitches in the game, and it’s still viewed as an enigma among many hitters. I asked my Uncle, a former youth baseball coach, what hitting a knuckleball is like, and he described it as, when thrown well, like hitting a wiffle ball in the wind. In some ways this is very true, as the knuckleball actually floats on very tiny air pockets that propel the pitch up, down, or sideways. One could imagine that even the tiniest thing can offset what should have been a good knuckleball, whether this be the weather or the thinness of the air. The frivolity of the pitch definitely explains Dickey’s ups and downs in Toronto,while also serving as a beautiful analogy of his journey to the majors.

To put it frankly, R.A Dickey was not handed anything on a silver platter. He grew up in Tennessee, where he would practice throwing against the sides of barn doors or hay bales. He led a very turbulent childhood, being the victim of several sexual assaults during his adolescence.

Despite his traumatic past, he left college as a high upside prospect and ended up being drafted in 1996 by the Texas Rangers. On medical inspection however, the Rangers determined that his arm was actually completely missing the ulnar collateral ligament, otherwise known as the part of the arm that requires Tommy John surgery. Due to this fascinating, yet worrisome anomaly, they quickly put him on the back burner and assigned him to the minors. It was here that Dicky really struggled. He was trying to support a new family on a AAA player’s salary (which averages at around 20-24k), while also trying to find himself as a pitcher. R.A admits that this was the hardest time of life, saying that he even had suicidal thoughts from time to time.

Much like the knuckleball though, what goes down must come up.

R.A decided to transform as a pitcher. He had seen guys like Wakefield and Niekro use the knuckleball when their other stuff wasn’t working, so he decided to try it out for himself. The

thing that sets Dickey apart from these guys is the fact that Dickey’s knuckleball sits at a higher velocity (around 82 mph), and it dances like crazy. He eventually ended up on the New York Mets, where he posted his Cy Young season as well as winning the hearts of fans all over. Selling high, the Mets traded him to the Jays for a small fortune, and the rest is history. The current worry is that, much like the pitch he throws, Dickey is back tumbling downward. I talked to Trent Erickson, a long time Jays fan, about his view on the knuckleballer.

“As a fan, it always keeps things interesting. All eyes are always on Dickey whenever he’s starting, and there is nothing as satisfying as a hard 0-2 knuckleball. At the same time, it’s disheartening to see a guy that has been through so much, a guy that it’s impossible to hate, hurt your team. Obviously we’re all hoping that he turns it around this season”

For a sport that is so deeply rooted in numbers, it is fascinating that such an abstract pitch exists. Maybe instead of worrying about Dickey’s stats and numbers, we should do what the 39 year old knuckleballer has been doing for his whole life, just close your eyes and trust it.

An Ode to Curling Kyle Tarder-Stoll

We see jocks. We see helmets, we see knee pads, we see ass slappin’, and spitting on the sidelines. We see bros.

But we don’t see curling.

The brooms are left unbrushed as we search for the image of the sporty type – because surely curling isn’t a task so daunting as to merit a full article. Nonetheless, here we are...

Little do we know - the path to the curling crown is as slippery as the ice on which the sport is played. And it’s not without some blood, sweat, and tears: “After playing rugby, field hockey and running cross country, you’d think curling would be easy,” Charlotte Correlli remarks.. “But it isn’t.”

It’s more tiring than one would think, with the vigour of sweeping ice for a heavy rock to move ahead 126 feet. In fact, team member Judy Al Kahlid suffered a concussion while curling.

The life of a curler ain’t easy. And at the end of the day, the two competitive curling teams did pretty well for themselves – the male team taking home the bronze medal.

So before you sweep aside (no pun intended) the 31 curlers, remember that these athletes are as hard as rock (again, no pun intended).

If that’s not enough to prove the legitimacy of curling, “Barry [Zohar] is the coach...” Correlli adds. “Bonus.”

Raptor Revival Noah Letofsky

March 28th, 2014. The Toronto Raptors are rolling, up six points after one quarter of play, and the fans are going crazy. With a win tonight, the Raptors will clinch a playoff spot for the first time in six years. There is more to this game than just clinching a playoff birth. This is the culmination of one of the most improbable turnarounds in sporting history.

The story of the revival goes back to the last time the Raptors were in the playoffs, 2008 against the Orlando Magic, where the Raptors lost in five games. “It was a disaster,” says Will Sanson, a grade twelve student at North Toronto and Raptors super fan. Will was 12 years old at the time of the last playoff appearance. “It was like a plane crash. It was a disaster, and yet, I couldn’t look away. I was hooked.”

Like many kids at the time, the Raptors success combined with the failures of other Toronto sports teams turned Will onto basketball and onto the Raptors. “I think you definitely see the effect of the Raptors success in the early and late 2000’s in the likes of Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett, and all the Southern Ontario kids in the NCAA” says Matthias Ong, a self proclaimed basketball expert and fan of the Cleveland Cavaliers, a team with two Canadians drafted in the first round within the last three years.

As the game continues, the Raptors start to falter, closing the second quarter without making a field goal in the last 5:12 of the first half. The years of anguish began to show as fans shuffle in a ‘here we go again’ kind of way.

From 2007-2012, there were many key moments that made the Raptors falter. There was the trade of T.J. Ford along with spare parts and most importantly the draft rights to Roy Hibbert for Jermaine O’Neal. There was the drafting of

25 Andrea Bargnani after winning the draft lottery instead of LaMarcus Aldridge right behind him.

Many poor decisions led to the Raptors incompetence. Enter Tim Leiwieke.

The third quarter goes better than planned for the Raptors, as they come out hot and lock down the defensive end, putting up twenty-nine points to the Celtics twenty.

Tim Leiwieke was hired to be the president of Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment, the owners of the Toronto Maples Leafs, Raptors, Football Club (FC) and Marlies.

Leiwieke, with his history running the Lakers, did not take long to make changes. In came Masai Ujiri, the reigning NBA executive of the year. As did Drake, to be the ‘global ambassador’, which really meant to give the team a super fan that players could relate to. Out went Andrea Bargnani, the enigmatic first overall bust. “A whole culture change took place” Will Sanson said, “You had a feeling that this year might be different after all.”

The fourth quarter began and the Raptors came out flat. They watched their lead, slowly but surely, shrink until the Celtics took the lead with 4:52 left in the fourth quarter. After an easy layup inside by Canadian rookie and former first round pick, Kelly Olynyk, the Raptors were down four with just over three minutes left.

The Raptors got out to a 6-12 start in 2014. Things looked the same as they always were. Nobody was paying them much attention, and it looked like this year would be just another year where the Raptors would finish in the draft lottery and look to next year. As Jonah Weine, a grade three student, put it “If I wore my Derozan jersey to school, I had to tell people who he even was.”

After a Dwayne Casey timeout, the tide

started to turn. After a couple of empty trips for both teams, the Raptors took over. They went on a 7-2 run to end the game, highlighted by a big Amir Johnson block on a Kelly Olynyk hooked shot, and capped emphatically by a Amir Johnson diving put back with 7 seconds left to give the Raptors the lead for good.

The trade of Rudy Gay to the Sacramento Kings would change everything. The identity of the team changed, as the team really grew together. “The Rudy Gay trade made the Raptors a team in the true sense of the word” said Sanson. The Raptors went 42-22 after the trade, best in the eastern conference and third best in the league. The sentiment changed around the city. Kids were excited again like it was the Vince Carter, or Chris Bosh era. “They started winning and my friends became fans. Instead of hockey jerseys, everyone started showing up to school in Derozan jersey’s,” said Weine.

As Jared Sullinger threw up a prayer that missed as the horn sounded. The celebration was on. It was on in the ACC, as Kool and the Gang’s “celebrate” rang out, players and fans a like chest bumped and give each other high fives. The celebration was on in the homes of the long-suffering loyal basketball fans of Toronto, like Will. More importantly, however, the celebration was on in playgrounds around the country. Every Raptors win was another opportunity to make a hockey crazy country care about basketball just a little more. “I really believe that with every successful period of time for the Raptors, 6-10 years later will follow a successful period for Canada basketball.” Says Matthias. Though the goal of making the playoffs has been achieved, the true byproduct of the Raptors revival will not been seen for many years.

could have it out of the way over the summer instead of worrying about it all year. As athletes, we could also benefit from watching the pros in action (and enjoy the show). NT prides itself on its spirit and athletic ability and together, these ideals make for the perfect Toronto 2015 volunteer.

Volunteers will have the opportunity to meet and interact with athletes and tourists at venues all over the GTA. Other opportunities include working in transportation, medical and anti-doping, information technology, press operations, communications, protocol services, and accreditation and workforce services. Rowing in Welland, white water kayaking in Minden Hills, soccer in Hamilton, boxing in Oshawa, beach volleyball on Wards Island, the opportunities are endless for North Toronto students to get involved next summer.

Sochi Gold Medalist in Women’s Hockey, Natalie Spooner was a volunteer during the 2011 Games in Rio di Janeiro, Brazil; she says that “Meeting everyone and getting to spend time with the athletes was the best experience I’ve ever had. I’ve never felt more like a part of a something good,” she explains, “the most valuable thing that I have learned from volunteering is to say ‘yes’- if you say you can help out, you can learn new skills and learn to deal with new people.” In addition to an unforgettable experience, all volunteers will receive training, a keepsake uniform and earn a volunteer certificate from the Province of Ontario, recognizing their Games training to help them stand out in today’s job market.

Saäd Rafi assures that “PanAm wants young people to have this once in a lifetime opportunity because this will affect people’s lives for a long time to come.” Not only will you receive a Toronto 2015 swag bag, but you will finish your volunteer experience with new friends from all over the world, pride, and something to put on your résumé!

Our school’s Olympic spirit was off the charts this winter and as Canada’s largest multisport event draws closer, anticipation grows.

Grade 11 student Jane Bradshaw is especially excited for next summer’s events, “Playing beach volleyball in the city last summer was one of the best experiences in sport that I’ve ever had,” she says, “I am really looking forward to volunteering during the Games and meeting all of the athletes, maybe I’ll even get to be in the opening or closing ceremonies!”

Knocking off your volunteer hours at the Games will be a once in a lifetime experience.

Missing out on Toronto 2015 would be a huge loss as it will only come around once! Volunteering at this huge event will turn our city into a cultural dynamo, introducing all of us to the languages, arts, and talent of our neighbors down south.

There couldn’t be a sweeter deal. Free stuff, hot Brazilians, and team spirit: it’s a bargain.

If you are interested in volunteering at the 2015 PanAm or ParaPan Games, check out their website www.toronto2015.ca, and fill out the online volunteer application.

40 Hours, 41 Countries Louise Castonguay

The PanAm and ParaPan Games are coming to Toronto next summer, and with them, thousands of volunteer opportunities are arriving for North Toronto students.

The PanAm Games involves 41 countries, 36 sports, and over 6,000 athletes. An event so large requires 20,000 volunteers to produce. Saäd Rafi, CEO of the Toronto 2015 PanAm/ParaPan Games Organizing Committee says that “Volunteers will be the backbone, the ambassadors and the heart of the Games- they will represent the best of us. Along with having fun, our volunteers will have the opportunity to make friends from around the world, learn new skills and make a positive impact on their communities. But most of all,” he continued, “they will forever feel pride when they see what they’ve helped accomplish!”

As North Toronto students, we are not only regularly involved in community and team building opportunities such as April’s spirit week, red and grey day, and Grade 9 welcome day, but we all possess valuable qualities desired by the Games’ volunteer committee. PanAm 2015 is looking for “Friendly, approachable, reliable, communicative, hard working, easy going young people with a great sense of humor,” Rafi continued, “those with language skills in French, Spanish and Portuguese are especially encouraged to apply.” A requirement of graduation is to complete 40 community service hours, a box to check that feels like a chore in your final year of high school (especially with applications and admission requirements to worry about). With PanAm coming to Toronto, that box could be checked off in just a couple of days, and you

26 Searching for Déjà Vu Kyle Tarder-Stoll

Olympic Stadium sits alone quietly – itching for a crack of the bat or the welcoming smell of a July hot dog, steaming from the vendors in the concourse. Itching for the smack of the ball hitting the glove, or the wave of French and English fans, filing into their seats. Itching for baseball. It’s been 10 years since that last happened in Montreal.

In Late March, baseball finally returned to the dubbed “Big O”, with two exhibition games being played in Montreal as a Major League Baseball promotion. Over 90 000 fans witnessed the Blue Jays take two games over the Mets, all the while cheering like an erupted bomb. As in a part of a celebration. A festival. An expo.

The Montreal Expos were once a successful team, with a large fan base. In 1981, they made the playoffs while finishing 3rd in overall attendance, drawing over 1.5 million fans that year.

And they had a culture.

Baseball was once ubiquitous in Montreal. It was a part of everyday life. “If you were in your room doing homework, the game was on,” Baruch Zohar adds.

It was also for everyone: “Baseball was both [for the French and English], but really it wasn’t something we noticed.”

For Montreal baseball, language was no longer the culture. Expos fandom was – and as the team’s success increased, so did the fandom.

In 1994, the Expos were well on their way to a second playoff berth, led by the likes of star outfielder Larry Walker and young ace Pedro Martinez. Suddenly, it stopped.

The 1994 Major League Baseball Strike had ensued.

“The reaction was ‘F*ck Baseball’ in Montreal,” says twitter baseball personality Blue

Jays Bat Boy. It was all downhill from there. The Expos failed to ever make the post season after the traumatic strike of 1994 – it also saw an attendance drop of nearly 6 000 fans per game for the Expos franchise in the following season of 1995.

“They started trading their players or letting them sign for other teams when they returned in 1995,” says twitter baseball fan JaysForever. “They couldn’t afford [them].”

Imagine if the hometown Blue Jays were destined to win the World Series, but were stopped by a season cancellation. Soon after they would trade star players like Jose Bautista, Jose Reyes, and R.A. Dickey. This is exactly what happened to the Montreal Expos.

‘F*ck baseball’ indeed.

The Blue Jays, on the other hand, were just coming off back-to-back World Series. An experience so “euphoric” for Toronto fans that the “1994 strike didn’t really bother [them],” says another Twitter Jays Fan The Road Guy. The victory so fresh, the 1994 strike was a near afterthought for some in Canada.

The strike along with the poor direction of owner Jeffrey Loria meant goodbye for the Expos, when they moved to Washington D.C. in 2005, as the Nationals – after eleven years of poor attendance, marked by a final 2004 season in which they drew fewer than 10 000 fans per game. Yet the flame for baseball was not out. Passion for baseball still existed in Quebec, evident from the exhibition series played just a month ago.

It raises the question – could Major League Baseball ever make its triumphant return back to Montreal? The two exhibition games in Montreal were an important step, if the homecoming is ever to happen.

John McHale Jr., a high-up MLB executive, was throughly impressed with the showing of fans, calling it “astonishing” and “different market than it was [ten years ago].”

Jon Morosi of Fox Sports praised Montreal as a “Major League city” as soon as the series ended.

In essence, things have changed in Montreal. Evidently, the want of baseball is still alive.

But the fate of baseball in Montreal comes down to logistics.

“I just don’t see it happening at all,” adds Baruch Zohar. “Unless some local billionaire wants to bring them back.”

“Quebec is struggling. Unless some Major League team is struggling, I don’t see it happening.”

The point stands to be true – even with a newly elected, less separatist Liberal government, the Anglophone sport of baseball is still a long shot in Montreal.

Much of it comes down to money – and without the resources to build a new, more accessible stadium necessary in the downtown core, don’t expect a return any time soon.

Others agree.

Bud Selig, Commissioner of the MLB, claims that the league doesn’t have “any club that wants to move right now.” For Selig, relocation doesn’t seem to be feasible. As for expansion, Selig doesn’t see any possibilities “in the foreseeable future.”

The want remains. Is it a possibility?

The answer for now seems to be no. The want of baseball can simply not overcome the logistics of a baseball franchise. Although the flame may not be a bonfire over at Mont Royal, it still remains – just dim.

Fantasy Sports: Studs and Duds

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Declan Lawrence & Logan Ross

With the last issue of the year marking the end of the school year Studs and Duds returns for its last running. The Baseball season has just begun and the World Cup approaches, and we have the predictions to help you in your fantasy leagues and brackets.

Soccer Studs

Baseball Studs Rockin’ Rockie

Troy Tulowitzki is something of an enigma. Viewed as one of the most dominant and dynamic shortstops in the game he is unquestionably a game changing player. Yet he can never remain healthy, having crossed the 150 games played threshold only twice in his career, and not since 2009. When he is on the field he can regularly reach the 25 HR 90 RBI plateau, and usually blows by it. His career 373 OBP is one of the highest in baseball and he is usually good to have an AVG above 300. This year though Tulowitzki has elevated his game to a whole new level, his 400/503/763 is right up there as one of the best starts to a season in recent memory, and while it may be unsustainable Tulowitzki has proven that he is a superstar player and owners should in turn expect little regression.

International Imports

There was a time when international players were viewed with skepticism. It was thought that older players who had flourished in their other respective leagues would either not pan out right away or would start off well before the rest of the league figured them out. Up until recently those views had some statistical backing. Now however, with the likes of Yu Darvish, Yoenis Cespedes already cemented as the best player on their respective teams and continuously making an impact that view has changed. Masahiro Tanaka and Jose Abreu have done nothing to quell this new idea of players imported from other countries not being able to handle the ‘big’ leagues. Tanaka has yet to lose a game (6-0) while Abreu was leading the league with 15 home runs to start the season, three more than anyone else, before he was put on the 15 day DL with ankle inflammation a few days ago. These are not flash in the pan players, they are here to stay and reap the benefits of their extraordinary talent, if they are available, grab these studs right away.

Duds Hunt or be Hunted

The Baltimore Orioles felt that they had the pieces in place in their bullpen to pull off moves over the offseason, namely trading closer Jim Johnson, and be able to still handle the 9th inning. Evidently that judgment should be questioned in the early going of the season.

A month and a half into the season and Tommy Hunter’s ERA stands at a miserable 6.46. He has only blown three (only…) so far but has also given up runs in seven of the eighteen games he has appeared in. things aren’t getting any better as four of those games have occurred in his past five appearances. While the converted starter has a lot of potential and upside he should be avoided until he starts giving up less hits and becomes a more reliable option to close.

The Lone Star State

Unfortunately for Texas their lone star happens to be Yu Darvish and not Prince Fielder. A previous 50 home run hitter who has also led the league in RBI’s and walks Fielder was supposed to supplant the loss of Nelson Cruz, AJ Pierzynski, and the man he was traded for Ian Kinsler. Instead he has done the exact opposite hitting a measly 247 with only 3 home runs and 16 RBI’s through his first 42 games.

Not to mention he has sat out the last two with a herniated disc, a problem he says has bothered him since spring training, and something that surely will not just disappear instantaneously. Fielder is too great of a player, and Arlington has too friendly to hitters for him to remain in such an elongated slump, but for now stay away and use caution. If he ever shows signs of life make sure to pick him up on a buy low deal.

France

After a severely disappointing 2010 World Cup when they imploded at the Group Stage, and a lacklustre 2012 Euros when they were knocked out in the Quarter Finals, France will have a point to prove and a reputation to retain as one of world Football’s giants. France have finally recovered from recent failures, and have more importantly matured from them; they are ready to start doing well in tournaments again. With the shock exclusion of big-name player $amir Na$ri, who is a poison in the dressing room when unhappy, the atmosphere within the team will certainly have improved and will foster a more positive alchemy between teammates. The key player for France in this world cup will be the highly experienced and Franck Ribéry who has lead Bayern Munich to the Bundesliga title this year, breaking the previous record after clinching the title on only the 27th match week of the season. The inclusions youthful flair in Paul Pogba and Antoine Greizmann might be just the sort of freshening up France needs to bring success back to the country.

Croatia

Croatia start in a group with the home team, Brazil who are one of the bookie’s picks to win the thing, but I believe it’s very easy for the predicted favourites to choke up, especially in the group stages. Croatia could very well win the group and potentially getting as far as the quarter-finals. Their last successful international campaign was during France ‘98 when they were knocked out by the eventual winners, France, in the semi-final. With a holding midfield of Luka Modrić, who has made it into the starting XI for Champions League finalists Real Madrid, and Ivan Rakitič who was vital for Sevilla’s UEFA Cup winning side, Croatia can expect big things in the middle of the park. With young up-and-comer Mateo Kovačić in the number 10 role ahead of them, and highly experienced Ivica Olić on the wing; Bayern Munich’s leading goal scorer with 26 goals in 48 games this season, Mario Mandzuǩić, will be watering at the mouth with the amount of service he’ll be getting.

Duds Columbia

Some consider Colombia to be underdogs in this tournament who can provide us with a surprise, some consider Colombia as just underdogs. With some big names in James Rodríguez, Fredy Guarin, and Jackson Martínez, one wonders how these star players will mesh together come the deciding hour.

Colombia’s undisputed talisman and national treasure, Radamel “El Tigre” Falcao, will lead the line for Los Cafeteros. However Falcao will not be playing to the best of his ability as he’s only recently come back from a severe knee injury which occurred in January. He was at first predicted to miss the World Cup, but he rushed back from injury and is now on the training pitches hoping to get up to maximum fitness for the tournament. Many fear though that Falcao has been under immense pressure from his country to become fit again, which may very well result in a re-emergence of his injury during the tournament. Falcao’s father has said that at the moment he is only about “60% recovered”, which will result in an underwhelming Falcao with an overwhelming task.

The Netherlands

Losing last minute to Spain in the 2010 World Cup Final broke the hearts of millions of Dutch supporters, but the exclusion of the Netherlands in the Group Stages of the Euro 2012 tournament may have hurt worse. Holland have qualified for this year’s World Cup after an admittedly easy qualification process, but this may come back to bite them on the arse when they’re introduced to a different kind of intensity they haven’t felt in two years. The Netherlands are a team who pride themselves on their dynamic attack line, but this year that consists of a prima donna Arjen Robben and a “passed it years ago” Rafael van der Vaart. They will rely on the sad old man, Robin van Persie, for the majority of their goals, but how can you expect someone who wimped out of and extremely meagre season with Man United to be in form for the World’s largest sporting event? A vastly weak and inexperienced defence will not be adequately protected by ex-Man City wash up, Nigel de Jong, shielding them in the midfield. Even highly touted coach, Louis Van Gaal, will be caught between two minds as he will likely be announced as Man United’s new manager after the tournament. It’s difficult to do well in a major tournament and at the same time prepare for a season with one of the world’s biggest teams. Holland will do poorly by their standards, but you can expect them to at least make the group of 16.

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OPINION & HUMOUR

Donning the Post-Gender Lens Francis Kang

We’ve all heard about that person who identifies as transgender, or non-binary, or, dare I say, genderfluid. “What the hell? You can’t just change your gender whenever you feel like it – that goes against the point of gender in the first place!” There are two groups: male, and female.

Without even speaking a word, the concept of gender allows us to categorize people upon first sight. “Male: physically fit, emotionally detached, rational, and competitive. Female: fertile, emotional, irrational, and sympathetic.” Doesn’t it serve as a convenient way to, well, judge people?

First, we have to define some terms; sex is the biological gender you are born as; gender is the identity you align yourself with; transgender is a person expresses an identity different from their birth sex.

I found the idea of going against the gender binary to be baffling. I spoke with fellow cisgender Rebekah Hunter and asked her how she felt about the transgender movement: “I can’t understand why someone would identify as transgender, when I don’t even understand why I identify as cisgender.” Regarding gender itself: “I also don’t quite understand why we still separate the two genders. Why can’t people act the way they want?”

Rebekah brings up the notion of gender roles and their place in our society. Our idea of gender is a subconscious one. It is so fundamental we never give it much thought. We grow up with these values from the moment we’re born – trucks for boys, dolls for girls. We never stood a chance. Gender roles tell us how to think; how

to act; how to feel. Yet why on earth should we allow genitalia to determine our values?

Perhaps the transgender folks are on to something. I spoke with Vera Bentsel, who identifies as genderfluid, to get their input.

Why do you identify as genderfluid?

“I never really felt like I fit in with [other girls].

There’s nothing I don’t like about girls, they’re wonderful. I just don’t see myself as one.”

Do you feel uncomfortable being seen as a girl?

“With the physical aspects, only because of the assumptions did I feel like I need to remove parts of myself or change parts of myself.”

For Vera, gender dysphoria is not the problem. Rather, the issue lies in how society automatically assumes personality traits and values based on a person’s anatomical makeup. A person’s sex (physical makeup) performs a similar function to their race. Both are physical traits,

easily identifiable. Yet while we know better than to stereotype a person based on their race, we readily assume a person’s gender identity (and consequently their values) based on their sex.

While transgender people make up a small minority of the population, we all share their predicament in some capacity. We all face anxieties in matching with the masculine or feminine ideals. Whether it’s struggling to fit into that size 0, or bottling up emotions because “crying isn’t manly,” we’ve all been affected by gender stereotypes. If that’s the case, perhaps our idea of gender and gender roles should be reconsidered.

Of course there will be drawbacks in questioning our notions of gender. The first effect I foresee is gender neutral bathrooms. As wonderful as having a steady supply of soap and toilet paper sounds, I don’t look forward to having to wait in line.

Over my first few days at NT, I realized that I shared a lot of classes with Brad. This really didn’t affect me whatsoever, and I thought it would be convenient if I got to know him quite a bit better, just to be synced up with one of my peers academically, in case I missed a class or an assignment. What I hadn’t thought about was how quickly I would run out of conversation topics. With boring and useless niner classes in our lives and an acquaintance who was less than willing to participate in conversation, I decided to take matters into my own hands.

I started to ask him questions. Lots and lots of questions. And he answered every single one. Bit by bit, I invested a lot of time into getting to know him, and I can confidently say without any doubt in my mind that he is one of the most interesting people I have ever met in my entire life.

Brad and I are good friends now, and he still continues to amaze me with little tidbits from his life. He likes his music rocky, his food spicy, and his girls crazy. He also spends an unhealthy amount of time fixing his hair. Even

to this day, anytime I want my brain picked, I ask him his opinion on a famous political or pop culture topic, because his opinion will sure as hell make me do a double take every time. But that’s not all. Brad says/does some CRAZY shit.

He once ate 50 St. Louis wings in one sitting and barely even puked. When I asked him why his parents were leaving the town that weekend, he replied “Oh yeah my parents visit my grandpa once a month or so, just to make sure he is not dead or anything.” Or maybe even when I asked him what he would do if he was a penguin in the Arctic, to which he answered “I would probably just slide around for a couple of days and then kill myself.”

I guess the whole “never judge a book by its cover” thing is applicable here. It bothers me to think about how many great personalities are out there that I don’t know about. Finding out more about Brad’s personality was like cutting a rock in half. Outside, it looked plain and monotonous, yet inside, there could be all sorts of different patterns due to sediments, whether they be sediments of dirt or sediments of thought.

Silent Superman Alan Kian

I first saw him in Grade 7. By the way he was sitting, you would think he was fat. He was staring at his hands as if they had just told him the most wonderful news. Oh, and he was wearing a Liverpool jersey. Well this was my way in!

I was a huge soccer fan myself and had so many questions for him. What was his name? What school did he come from? And most importantly, why did he support such a crappy team?

As it turns out, his name was…. Let’s just call him Brad. He came from a little, fairly unknown school in Toronto, and he kept to himself a lot. Brad seemed to be absolutely passionate about soccer and nothing else. On the outside, he looked plain, simple, and quite frankly, boring. Over the year, I worked with him on a couple of projects, but he always kept his distance and never opened up, seemingly cold. I never thought much of it, and didn’t try to be too involved in his life. What could he possibly do on a day to day basis that would be considered interesting?

Stare at a wall and listen to music? Please. I had an RPG game to get to.

Well, it just so happens that irony exists.

Top Ten: Unending Applause Edmund Park

Unending applause by an audience is supposed to represent great respect and obedience for a powerful leader. In my case that meant looking awkward and embarrassed on stage for 5 minutes as I tried to do my speech, word by word, while the audience kept hitting their hands together. The audience got some kind of strange sexual satisfaction at my public humiliation, and to be honest, that satisfaction might have been my end as well.

Hey, but who knows, it might be that when Josef Stalin was getting all that applause, he was actually super embarrassed and awkward on stage.

Kindergarten VS High School Caitlin Heffernan & Ajantha Nadesalingam

like washable markers. Now those were a staple of everyday life in kindergarten, perhaps even more so than crayons. I have fond memories of colouring so darkly that ink would soak through the page and the tip of the marker would go flat, much to the disdain of the teacher. And of course, the most iconic thing about markers was that the red ones never worked.

Friendships and socialization in general were a lot easier in kindergarten. Nobody knew what ‘socially awkward’ meant, and to actually be socially awkward was impossible. Heck, you could pee with the door open and nobody would give a damn!

Remember that one kid who always kicked you in the shins or stole your dolls or tattled on you for things you didn’t do? Remember Kaia Richardson that one day you decided to do something about

In kindergarten, I’m sure many of us the terrifying menace? You had it all planned imagined what we would be like in high school: out: march right up to said child, and calmly, yet cool, popular, mature, and oozing with swag. But forcefully, angry-eyebrow-game-strong-as-ever, now that we are all in high school, don’t you ever say: “I’m not your friend anymore.” It was as wish you could go back to kindergarten? Everysimple as that. These days, all your other friends thing was so much simpler in the days of yore... would just say: “you aren’t dating them, it’s not In kindergarten, everybody was an artist. It like you can’t just call it off.” Screw social convendidn’t matter if your “art” was just mindless tions. scribbles, or even stick figures, it was considered

Conversely, it also used to be a lot easier beautiful and refrigerator door-worthy. Now that to make friends. All you had to say was “Can I we’re all grown up, your art is only considered play with you?” and BAM you’re friends. How do beautiful if you’re truly talented and follow the people even make friends in high school? Apparrule of thirds and atmospheric perspective. ently you have to go through this initiation trial

In high school, all the art I seemed to do or something. Oh the horror. involved pencil crayons or acrylic paint. When

Do any of you remember cubbies? There was the last time you used crayons? If you haven’t were no perplexingly small lockers back in the recently, I highly suggest you do, for it is an exday, and despite our cubbies being even smaller, tremely liberating experience. Pencil crayons are they could still fit all of our belongings. There so pretentious anyway. Also, acrylic paint takes were no meddling and tedious locks, for we had hours of scrubbing to come out of clothes, unnothing that anyone would want to steal any-

29 ways.

Best of all, there were no textbooks. We didn’t have to helplessly watch as 50 tonne weights stunted our growth and caused premature hunchback-ness. The most we ever had to carry was maybe a small picture book.

Speaking of picture books, why don’t we have storytime anymore? Why can’t our entire English class just sit in a circle on the floor while the teacher reads to us? Instead of reading alone in our rooms, crying into our bed sheets over the loss of a fictional character, we could all go through that emotional roller coaster together. It would be like one big fangirl/boy support group, which is something a lot of us could really benefit from right now.

If only high school were just a little more like kindergarten, I’d jump out of bed at 6:30 am with ease everyday, just like I use to do on the weekends when I was four.

Kaia Richardson

Top Ten: The Other December 6th Video Anonymous

It’s almost impossible not to be moved by the December 6th assembly. This year, it began with the poignant question asking how to remember an event that took place before you were even born. The answer may, in part, lie in a video. Not the horrific re-enactment that sends shivers down the spine, although it’s extremely powerful. But the memorable one consisting of students and staff answering questions about sex, gender, and discrimination. In it, Ms. Biondic shares an experience she had at a hardware store. Working on a project with her mother, the two go to purchase the necessary material. The load was large, and before leaving, the sales clerk mentioned he hoped that a strong man would be helping them. Ms. Biondic’s mother confirmed to the clerk that her husband was planning to help, by making the women lunch. The short anecdote brought a bit of levity all while making the issue of sexism relevant. It also provided an empowering model of strong, confident, and capable women.

30 You Will Always Be Who You Were in Grade 9 Rachel Katz

At the beginning of this year, I promised myself I wouldn’t be one of those irritating grads who writes a “woulda, coulda, shoula” article for my final issue of Graffiti, but I guess I don’t always keep all my promises.

As I get to the end of my high school career, I find myself surrounded by accomplished, ambitious young men and women. (Well, for the most part anyway.) But you know what else, or rather, who else I see? I see three hundred Grade 9 students trembling as they take their first steps in North Toronto’s barely completed halls on the first day of school. And you know who they are? They are us, four years ago, fidgeting with those brand new clothes, slightly-too-big shoes our mothers promised us we’d grow into, and unfortunate haircuts. (I can’t be the only one thoroughly horrified by my first Pentagon picture.) Chances are I’ve called a rather unfortunate and embarrassing image to mind and for that I’m sorry, but I promise this is important. I want you to take that cute, innocent little niner you and tuck him or her into the back pocket of your mind. Yes, (s)he is probably gross. And obnoxious. And juvenile; let’s not forget that.

You probably think you want nothing to do with that… thing anymore, and fair enough, maybe you don’t. But if that’s how you feel, I’m the bearer of bad news: you will always be who you were in Grade 9, even just a little bit. I’m sorry, but it’s true.

Now that you’re done retching and have started to compose some nice threatening tweets at me, I’d like to raise a question. Why are we so offended by who we were four short years ago?

I get that we were dorky, and may have been pretending to be someone we really aren’t, but let’s look at the other side too. We weren’t jaded, and most of us probably had a better work ethic.

I know I recall with fondness those halcyon days when I used to get six whole hours of sleep or more per night.

You know what else I remember? I remember how much fun I had. My older friends’ incessant teasing was all in good fun, and I remember not caring if people thought I was a dorky niner. Don’t misinterpret me here. I think a lot of us are better, more interesting people than we were four years ago. But if there’s one thing I’d like to leave you with it’s this: always keep a little piece of who you were in Grade 9 with you.

Draw inspiration from your willingness to try new things back then, and don’t be afraid of what people might think of you.

The time has come for us to stretch our legs a little. We’ve outgrown the car backseat of North Toronto, so climb out and dust off the cookie crumbs and candy wrappers of the last four years. Check your hair, calm the butterflies in your stomach, and get in the driver’s seat.

We’re all ready for this; we’re ready to be niners again.

Rachel Katz

Letter To The Editors Dear Writer,

Let me first say that inequalities is an issue I feel strongly about. It’s something I’ve seen throughout my entire life, and because of that it’s a reality that I understand very well and hold close to my heart. Normally I wouldn’t bother myself with a stranger’s opinion; however, because it was published for the school to read, I don’t feel like I have a choice. I’m writing this regarding the article “A Tale of Two North Toronto’s”, published in the last issue.

You need to be careful when creating an “us” and “them” divide; classification is the starting point to much greater turmoil, because when we dissociate ourselves with others we tend to create stereotypes regarding that entire group that are not true.

When you write an article that implies there are two distinctly different types of people at North Toronto in regards to socioeconomic status, and create a further divide geographically by stating the area to which students live and their type of residence (“Rosedale mansions” versus the “Davisville apartments”) things become dangerous.

First, your statement about Davisville apartments is inaccurate. Davisville is one of the

more expensive areas to live in the city, regardless if you’re in an apartment or not. The average income in Mount Pleasant West and Mount Pleasant East is around $120,000, and, although it does vary, the average sale price for property in the Davisville Village is over $500,000. It is true that condo apartments are the most common type of housing in the Davisville Village, however the price of these range from the mid200k (for a 1 bedroom) to 600k (for a 4-bedroom family size). In fact, a friend of mine told me she would likely be moving out of her apartment in Davisville because it was too expensive. To live in the “Davisville apartments” is a life of the uppermiddle class – not the downtrodden, nor the low income, and it shouldn’t be labeled as such.

If you want to get at the heart of inequalities at North Toronto, it requires much more investigation and thought than classifying students by two areas of the city and two styles of residence. Instead of paralleling a not-as-wealthy income bracket seen at North Toronto to low income (which it isn’t) and global disparity, and then concluding that they simply can’t afford the lifestyle of a North Toronto student, you need to question the system that holds this divide; dig deeper and figure out why we have these inequal-

ities. For example, why was our Grad Sweater $60 when Northern’s was only $37.50? Why is our registration fees $85 compared to the majority of other schools in the TDSB that range from $35-$50? Maybe even investigate the proportion of out-of-district students North Toronto accepts that live in affluent areas compared to priority neighborhoods.

I’m glad that you were inspired to write about inequalities, as it is a vast and complex issue that deserves attention. However, next time you want to tackle inequalities at North Toronto, I would advise to avoid generalizing lesser income with low income, and paralleling it to global disparity. If you want to write about low income, write about low income. If you want to write about global disparity, write about global disparity. Those who aren’t the exceedingly wealthy at North Toronto are not necessarily low income, and with the rare exception, do not feel a disparity even remotely close to what was mentioned. Don’t let figures that already exist form your conclusion on a unique situation – throw yourself into that situation, gather your own research, and form your own conclusion. That’s all.

Best, Danielle Pal

Top Ten: Abide Anfa Abukar

Graffiti in Toronto is really a mixed bag. You have guys like Manr, Globe and APT with beautiful pieces all over this city; then you have fads like Minty Burns stickers that you see posted just about everywhere; and then you have Abide. If you don't know Abide it's a hybrid sticker, spray paint stencil thing thats just a minimalistic face very similar to the OBEY brand. And really that’s the whole premise of Abide, to promote a brand until its famous.

Almost like if the OBEY guy could make his brand so popular so can these guys. And yes I did just say these guys; nobody knows for sure but the Abide thing is allegedly a group effort called The Underestimated Gentlemen. The main Abide guy, is an underground street artist who currently has access to a high school. I don't know about you guys but I haven't seen too many hooded guys covered paint running around posting stickers in urinals so my bet is this guy goes to our school. Also I’ve never seen Abide anywhere else, not Northern not Yonge and Eglinton Just NT and the signs on the streets that lead to it. Abide has really come into NT this year but in general seems to be dying down the only time I really see anything is the remnants of ripped stickers on the walls, but to be honest Abide just seems like a 17 year old looking to sell crappily branded shirts.

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Written by: Alan Kian & Carmen Rodriguez Art by: Laura Newcombe

Horoscopes

32

Thanks to the bloody solar eclipse last month; you have been dealt a shitty hand. You faced some struggles recently that you did not have much of a choice about (shit). It was sucky but it’s all about to get better! This month is YOUR month! Aries, go do what you WANT to do! Based on your luck, if you go skydiving, you may actually survive. Score.

Libra, go you! You have learned loads this month. Despite sucky situations, you have come out with a new perspective. Your new perspective will serve you well this month.

You know the day when Grand Theft Auto V came out? You were that one kid in the line buying NHL 08. You have been throwing life curveballs forever, but this month may finally be the time that life throws a curveball at you. Study hard.

Bonus points! This time round, you’ve got the opportunity to make up for the mistakes you have made throughout the past couple weeks. Do not waste it! If you are in a relationship, your partner will notice your extra effort. If not, this could be your opportunity to put your net out into the sea we call NT!

When it comes to financial and academic matters, your ambition will lead you in the right directions. Beware of those who try to take your mojo away from you (karma will get to them eventually). For now, “haters gonna hate” and “suckers gonna suck.” You’ve got this month in your back pocket!

This month is your chance to take up a new hobby. I hear Sagittariuses are good at freestyle rapping. If that doesn’t sound like your bowl of soup, why not try freestyle poetry? Go on that morning talk show that you have always wanted to be on and freestyle a poem.

You are probably amongst the biggest bunch of beauties in the league. Your shelf is filled with Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, and Givenchy colognes. Maybe try buying that Lacoste cologne this month, it will get you ready for the summer and make you smell like god.

You have been waiting for this month for four years! Be happy, take life easy, and relax. Prom is coming up, and you are gonna ROCK that. Just make sure to go…you know…as yourself.

Under control. You don’t wanna be the one kid in the crowd screaming.

Although the past couple of weeks have been subpar, you should not be worried. Your future is looking up! As long as you approach the upcoming weeks with an even keel- you should be good. This means, approach exams with the mentality that anything better then 50% is bonus!

How long have you had that hair for? Change it up this month. Experiment with different styles before it’s too late. Go for a Mohawk. Maybe even get a bowl cut. Pixie cuts are rad as well. Shave it all. Actually don’t, cause hair long, money long baby.

Despite your best intentions, you don’t have the answers this month. Unfortunately, you will find that your relationship issues will consume your life. Although you seek to understand the root of the problem- this won’t be enough. Bless your soul; this isn’t your month.

Hey buddy. Just got out of a long relationship huh? It’s ok! I say be free, get back to your life. Flirt with that weird girl/guy you like. Slam the door on your sorrows, think of better tomorrows!

Because at the end of the day, you are the wo/man!