The Luther Tatler April 2023

FROM THE PRESIDENT F

I hope you are all doing well. Keep pushing through! We’re nearly at the finish line! Because of your unwavering support, the SRC has hosted numerous successful events, such as Multicultural Night and Winter Formal. We cannot wait to see you at our annual All College this Friday. As summer is around the corner, snow continues to melt and days are getting longer. I wish that your anxiety and stress would also melt away like snow, and you will have smiles on your face as long as there is daylight. Grade 12s, good luck with your IB exams, and we will make it through!

WANT TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE TATLER?

Join our Google Classroom using the code: qj2raiq

Use it to stay connected with The Tatler so that you know when submission deadlines are. For the next edition our theme is farewell Disney. We welcome all stories, articles, poems or art.

ROM THE EDITORS

HI EVERYONE!

We have reached the last term of this school year and are planning on publishing one more edition of The Tatler. Thank you all so much for making this edition possible and for all of your incredible submissions. It is great to see all the different submissions, from paintings to poems. I am grateful to be working with all of you! Good luck with the last few weeks of the semester. I am thrilled to see what the end of the year has in store for everyone and for our school newspaper.

PAIGE PATRICK

ARTIST ’ S NOTE

The Luther Tatler is edited by Ini Idowu and co-edited by Paige Patrick with the help of Eva Markatos and Lila Gelowitz.

Everything around us is a chaotic balance, a delicate interplay of opposing forces that create the very complex tapestry of existence we live in. Good and bad, life and death, each one depends on the other, and together they form the fabric of our lives. This artwork is a self-portrait which revolves around the same idea involving two opposing sides working together to create a unified whole. The face represents the beauty and joy in my life, a part of me that smiles, laughs, and loves. The vibrant colours and swirly patterns in the background signify the beauty of mystery, darkness, and the infinite possibilities and opportunities that lie beyond our understanding. It simply serves as a reminder for us to take risks and be willing to step out of our comfort zones. Conversely, the other side involving the skeleton is perhaps the resilience and what makes us truly human, a synthesis of the good and bad.

RISHAM JASSAR

HARVEY WANG

LIT REFLECTION: THE PERSPECTIVE OF A PLAYER

Playing in LIT is a high school memory I will never forget and I’m very grateful to have experienced the tournament from a player’s perspective. The night before LIT, I didn’t know how to feel. I was excited to experience the hype of the tournament since I have never attended; however, I was nervous because I knew so many people were coming to watch. After getting my LIT lanyard and going to the pep rally everything felt so real. I kept telling myself to just have fun because not all have the opportunity to experience, yet alone play in, LIT. I was nervous to play in front of such a big crowd, but, regardless, I still had fun. Once I was on the court, it was wonderful that everyone always stood up during foul shots to “swoosh” if the ball went in the basket. LIT is indeed one of the best tournaments I have ever attended. I was able to talk to other athletes, watch amazing basketball, have fun cheering for my teammates, and watch the whole school come together supporting one another. This tournament means more than just basketball as our community comes together to run this big event.

PRE– BASKETBALL GAME PLAYLIST

Me and Your Mama by Childish Gambino

After the Storm by Kali Uchis (Tyler the Creator & Bootsy Collins)

Magnolia by Carti

Champagne Poetry by Drake

420 (Blaze Up) by Snoop Dogg

Big Poppa by The Notorious B.I.G

Middle Child by J. Cole

TAMI ONASANYA

EL SALVADOR REFLECTION

Over February break, our Christian Ethics El Salvador 30 class partook in the highlight of the course: spending eight days in El Salvador. Mr. Senger instructed us to write in our journals frequently, even after the trip. Allow me to make this journal entry public.

April 13, 2023

Each night in the guesthouse, we sat together in a reflection circle to discuss our daily experiences. For the first couple of nights, the reflection circle was only positive and admirable of El Salvador. When comparing our experience so far in El Salvador to our lives here in Regina, many of us preferred what we thought was life in El Salvador. The colourful and charismatic architecture of San Salvador, the tropical landscape, the strong sense of Salvadorian culture, a sense of close-knit community, and the overall livelihood and hope that filled the air allowed for a very pleasant experience.

Our group leader, Andy, told us that many of these elements of the country were a result of what she called “radical hope.” When she first introduced this term, we did not fully understand it.

By the third or fourth reflection circle, we began to discuss the less beautiful elements of the country. There was discomfort, sorrow, unrest, guilt, and regret. The long-lasting impacts of colonialism, the poverty and gang violence, the murders of Archbishop Senor Romero and the six Jesuit Priests, and the water crisis made our once simply “sweet” understanding of the country somewhat “bittersweet”. Our enamored view of El Salvador caused us to gloss over and not see the historical significance of the country’s struggles.

Andy explained to us that Salvadorian radical hope is a result of systemic suffering and violence. The livelihood that we fell in love with was built on struggle, hardship, and oppression of the Salvadorian people.

We realised that our initial understanding of the country was warped with privilege and even some ignorance. Romanticizing El Salvador’s radical hope meant a lack of understanding, and, therefore, a somewhat falsified experience. Once we recognised this, each of us came to change our way of taking in the country. We found ourselves in a situation where knowledge was of higher value than marvel, respect of higher value than admiration. Simply enjoying El Salvador would not allow us to truly experience El Salvador.

Although I cannot speak for everyone on the trip, my outlook on life has changed. Now when I experience something beautiful, I no longer drool over it absent mindedly. I dedicate myself to learning about it because when I learn about it I can truly appreciate it.

NORTHERN FRANCE TRIP REFLECTION

Four Days in Northern France

After a sleepless twenty-six hours of travel and 2% battery displayed on all of our devices, we arrived at the Paris airport. Picking up all our luggage, we grabbed sandwiches and salads to compromise for the vegan pasta on the plane. We then immediately headed to our first destination, Vimy Ridge, where we explored Ally trenches, tunnels, and German trenches. Touring Vimy Ridge was enlightening for me because I no longer understood the Vimy Ridge battle as a textbook page I needed to memorise for a test, but an event that shaped the past and present. Going down to the rat-infested and mildewed tunnels, I began to make sense of the unbearable living conditions soldiers endured in war. In visiting the trenches, I realised the enemy forces had little protection against one another, and their trenches were unexpectedly nearby each other. We spent the first night in Arras, a small town in Northern France, and our breakfast was filled with delectable baguettes, fancy cheese, chocolate croissants, and coffee.

Continuing our dive into World War One history, we visited a cemetery with gravestones that indicated the home country of hundreds of allied soldiers. My friends and I were surprised to note that many of the gravestones belonged to soldiers from New Zealand and Australia, so our experience at this cemetery was valuable in allowing us to recognize that soldiers who fought alongside the Allies did not come only from Great Britain, France, America, and Canada. Soldiers from colonies of the Great Powers sacrificed their lives, too. The next day we visited another cemetery that was dedicated specifically to Canadian soldiers who fought and perished at Juno beach in World War Two. We found that many of the gravestones belonged to men from the Regina Rifle Regiment, but what was perhaps most striking for many of us was observing that many of the men in the cemeteries died at the age of 16. As we travelled to Juno beach, we had the opportunity to explore the German bunkers underneath the sand where the Germans strategically planned for ally arrival along the shoreline. Since we visited ally tunnels from the Great War the day before we visited Juno beach, it was interesting to note the structural advancements made between the wars to improve living conditions for soldiers. Enriching our knowledge of World War Two, we also visited a D-day museum in Caen, Normandy. The museum covered events from the Path to Global War up until the dropping of the atomic bomb at Pearl Harbour. I was fascinated by the extensive collection of propaganda in the form of posters, cartoons, and everyday household items that the museum had on display.

On the final day spent in Northern France, our learning took an abrupt turn as we began to explore history from the Romanesque and Gothic Ages when we visited Mont St. Michel. The abbey was enclosed by a huge brick wall surrounded by ocean at high-tide. Many of us agreed that Mont St. Michel appeared to be a scene from a Harry Potter movie; the monastery resembled Hogwarts, and the town that encircled it resembled Diagon alley. Through our tour at Mont St. Michel, we developed an understanding of the life of monks as well as an introduction to the characteristics that distinguish Romanesque and Gothic architecture

NORTHERN FRANCE TRIP REFLECTION

Engaging with the history of France through hands-on experience fundamentally altered my perspective on the value and impact of learning history. The Great War, the Second World War, and the French Revolution are not merely stories in a textbook that can be forgotten after high school exams. These events impacted the lives of our ancestors, and the lessons that can be drawn from these past events can meet the challenges and opportunities of the present.

I See The Light

I walked across the land until the sea, A dream of roses held me in a trance, And forth my feet trod in a puppet’s dance, The night was strange, a pleasing place to be. The walk was long, the dark path none could see; an unseen nettle pushed and kept my stance to hide the monster with a craven glance; I felt two shadows fall before the sea.

The sea was bright beneath the morning sun. Glistening white sands built me a high place. From there, I saw the sea now shine as one. The waves now rose to form a mermaid’s face.

And kneeling, I kissed the waters that run divinely anointing a goddess’s grace.

EVA MARKATOS

RETIREMENT SEASON: FAREWELL MRS. NELSON

Since she is retiring this June, we as the members of The Luther Tatler felt that we should commemorate Mrs. Nelson’s teaching and conducting career here at Luther!.

In 2002, Mrs. Nelson was invited to the Luther staff when she began directing the Girls Choir while the former director, Mrs. Fry, was on leave. Four years later, she was asked to also teach Christian Ethics 9. “I have loved teaching both of these courses and getting to know all of the new grade nines,” said Mrs. Nelson during our interview.

Mrs. Nelson’s favourite part of teaching Christian Ethics 9 is the “interesting and thoughtful discussions with students.” Her favourite part of directing the Girls Choir is “being able to watch so many girls that were once new to choir commit to noon hour practices and then sing with meaning and beauty.” Mrs. Nelson says another amazing part of teaching at Luther is working alongside her “dedicated and talented colleagues.”

The activities she will miss most about Luther are: “Sunday afternoon musical choreography practice, musical opening night, visiting with students at LIT admissions, plugging in the lights prior to the Candlelight service, directing the Girls Choir at Music Festival, presenting roses to our Senior Choir graduates at Home Concert, and walking with colleagues into the Belsher for the Graduation Ceremony”.

For all students, some highlights of having Mrs. Nelson as a teacher include: the very first quiz she gave us on the chapters of the Torah, tracing the family tree of Abraham and making it pop with some colour, proudly yet painfully working on our Matthew Prep Notes, and of course, seeing Mrs. Nelson dress up as a biblical character (I will not spoil it for the grade nines who have not yet experienced it). The Christian Ethics 9 course will not be the same without her, for her helpful memorisation tools and enthusiastic way of teaching will be missed.

As for Girls Choir members, some highlights with Mrs. Nelson include: singing Diva warmups, coming to understand why she is called the Vowel Queen after working with her time after time to achieve the perfect vowel shape, hearing her questionable piano skills, seeing her get excited about new repertoire, and hearing her say “good for you!” when we sing well. Mrs. Nelson’s passion for singing allows for all of her choristers to develop a love for choir. Thanks to Mrs. Nelson, Girls Choir has become a happy place for many Luther students. The singers at Luther have been incredibly fortunate to have Mrs. Nelson direct them with her wisdom, passion, talent, enthusiasm, dedication, and love.

After her retirement, Mrs. Nelson plans to travel with her husband and spend her time with her family and friends. She is very excited to no longer spend time marking!

Mrs. Nelson, you will be missed dearly, and Luther wishes you well during your retirement.

LILA GELOWITZ

RETIREMENT SEASON: FAREWELL DR. ANDERSON

Since he is retiring this June, we as the members of The Luther Tatler felt that we should commemorate Dr. Anderson’s teaching here at Luther through an interview.

Q. Could you provide us with a description of your history at Luther?

A. An alum, a student I taught back a little while ago, reached out to me with an email to ask me for coffee and he made the joke that it would be nice to talk to somebody who was alive when the school opened. How flattering is that?

My history here started in the fall of 1987. I interned here and then the following fall, I had in 1988, a choice between Balfour and Luther and I chose part-time here. During my internship I realised that because this was a special place, I wanted to be part of it. I started teaching here in fall of 1988. I was teaching English 20 to international students, a kind of an early version of ESL, and in the following year, I moved to full-time English. I became the Vice Principal in 2004, and in 2007, I became the Principal. In 2020 I became the Principal and Head of the School.

Q. Could you describe your first years at Luther?

A. Yeah, it was chalk on green boards and gestetners, no photocopiers.

Q. I don’t know what that means.

Α. There’s a roller thing and it’s got purple dye on it, and you run the sheet through with a template and you have to crank out the copy. So, that’s when I first started here.

The first classroom I ever taught in was 113 in the old 1950s wing. I arrived at a time when the school was on its way up, in terms of so many students and so much going on. It already had a great reputation, but there were also so many people who impacted my career and my vocation. I looked up to them and they eventually became lifelong friends. The kind of students whom we had here and the kind of programming we had here just all spoke to my soul, and so, I was hooked.

Q. What would be the one thing I would change about dress code? (muses)

A. I would like the dress code to be less about a list of things you couldn’t wear and more about an attitude. If it was my call I would say, “Dress like you are going to work, where you respect the people around you. So, you are not wearing anything that is hateful. Dress like you want to make this a better community.” When I first started, it was spiked bracelets and nose-piercings and multi-coloured hair. To me, none of that is offensive or bad.

RETIREMENT SEASON: FAREWELL DR. ANDERSON

Q. What will you miss most?

A. Oh, that’s easy. It’s the people, the students, and the employees. Because education is such an inherently human endeavour, you get into it for the people. You want to help people; you want to be part of the community. You can't be in education for 35 years and not love being around the students, and I will miss that. And then of course the colleagues. Many of them I’ve been around for decades, and they are not only colleagues but also great friends.

Q. If you were a student at Luther, what kind of student would you have been?

A. It’s funny, when I went to high school, I wasn’t any of the things that would characterise the kind of student I would want to be now, which is interesting. I was shy in my school days. I went to Sheldon. You just went to your classes and went home. I played football, but that was about it. In a big school you’re kind of a number, right? If I went to Luther, and my brother and my sister came here, I think what I would want to do is embrace all the opportunities here, both in the classroom and out. I would want to take at least some IB, if not the whole thing. I’d want to join sports clubs and cultural clubs. I’d want to come to events. I would want to be part of the community here. When you come in through the doors and you see an activity, you can feel the community, even if you can’t describe it, and to me that would be something that I would want to be a part of if I was to go back four or five years to my high school years. [Laughter] More like decades.

Q. Do you think that your time and career at Luther has helped you grow individually?

A. Absolutely. It has been one of the best things about the journey. I’ve learned so much. So much from the students, from my peers, from the experience, from the wider community, all those connected with the school, the alumni, the board, the parents, all the various people with whom we are connected every day.

Even now I just learn stuff you’d never anticipate and again that's what you want in school. You want to be in an educational environment in which everybody is learning all the time. If you stop learning you’re dead, right? It is a lifelong pursuit. It is an old cliché (is there any other kind of cliché other than old?) that learning is for life. Sometimes cliches are cliches because they’re true.

RETIREMENT SEASON: FAREWELL DR. ANDERSON

Q. I heard that you climb a mountain every year, and I was wondering if you could explain why you do that.

A. Not every year, but most years. George Mallory was once asked why he kept attempting to climb Mount Everest, and he said, “Because it’s there.” My reasons for climbing mountains go a bit further. I like the combination of physical and mental challenges. I like being taken out of my comfort zone, in responsible ways. I like achieving something I didn’t think I was capable of. The sense of achievement is compelling. It cleans out the cluttered mind because your sole focus is on finding the way up and down safely, allowing you to totally shut out worries, pressures, and stresses. It is challenging but decomplicates life for one day. But mostly, near and at the top, there is a spiritual element. There is something therapeutic for the soul to feel small in the face of nature and the universe. It’s a good reminder of the vastness beyond the minutiae of our daily lives. It restores proper perspective. I get such a strong sense of both the divine and eternity, of both time and space.

Q. What are your retirement plans for next year?

A. I plan to step away from everything for several months, to rest and take stock. I know there are other opportunities I want to pursue eventually, perhaps more writing, maybe a part time job, maybe some volunteer work, certainly more time with family and friends, but I need a clean break from everything for a bit so I can be objective in discerning what comes next. I’m ready to retire from the 24/7 responsibilities of fulltime administration, which I have thoroughly enjoyed and still do, but neither do I fully want to step away from all work of any kind.

We wish you all the best in your retirement, Dr. Anderson. Congratulations on an outstanding career.