Winter 2013

VOLUME 22, ISSUE 2 WINTER 2013 PAGE 1

n o l a s t e m it g r o .

For the students, by the students.

VOLUME 22, ISSUE 2 WINTER 2013 PAGE 2

student life Why do I need sleep?

Index

Student life

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Why do I need sleep?

A breath of fresh air The winning city Procrastination Station The controversy of China China And it was all TEDx, TEDx, TEDx

Social issues

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The fairness of fair trade Mental health and the importance of awareness The right to live Be the change

Editorials p6 Advice Media studies: articles & satires

Entertainment

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Spinning back into popularity “Simple Things” by Go Diana Time of your life Epic music for not-so-epic days What’s cookin’ good lookin’?

Why are fashion hauls so popular?

Education & insights

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It’s about time...

Philip G Zimbardo: experimenter turned experiment 2012 phenomenon over, global warming continues Astrology: a science or superstition?

UN Votes for Palestine Upgrade

Holiday rollback

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Post-holiday blues, no more!

Saying NO! to New Year’s resolutions The origins of Secret Santa International new years

Classifieds p12

Y

by: Yilin Zhang

awn. “Is this math class?

What is the teacher talking about? My head hurts.”

In recent days, Glenforest students are behaving like individuals who lack sleep, but they are not alone. An estimated 3.3 million Canadians aged fifteen or older have trouble getting enough sleep, and some of our fellow Gryphons are a part of that estimate.

With mountain loads of homework and the stress of applying to post-secondary institutions, it is understandable that some students pull a few all-nighters. However, a lack of sleep affects the quality of life and the health of indi-

viduals to a great extent. With exams fast approaching, it is essential for one to get enough sleep in order to succeed, and to receive the health benefits that come along with it. According to Dr. Phyllis Zee and Fred Turek of Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, “sleep serves as an indicator for health and the quality of life”, but eighteen per cent of the 3.3 million Canadians only receive an average of less than five hours of sleep a night. Of course, the current student body is young and strong and may not care about such an issue like sleep, but it is essential that they learn the health benefits of sleep and start building

better sleep habits.

When researchers looked at how chronic sleeplessness affects the body’s immune system, they found that a lack of sleep results in an increase in cytokine levels in the body, which controls immune response. The results showed inflammation and changes in blood chemistry, which lead to diabetes, heart disease and, if prolonged, even cancer. Sleeplessness also alters the production of the body’s white blood cells, which is likely to increase the risk of illness from disease.

Some symptoms of sleeplessness may include fatigue, poor memory, and depression over a prolonged time of sleeplessness. Therefore, it seems

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s Charlie Sheen would say, you need to possess tiger blood in order to be “winning.” The Toronto Argonauts had just that with their first Grey Cup appearance since 2004. The Rogers center was packed with thousands of cheering fans as the Toronto Argonauts won the 100th Grey Cup on their home soil. After the Toronto Argonauts won the Grey Cup, the fans were crazily enthusiastic—not just because there was a Justin Bieber at the halftime show, but because it has been a long time since a To-

dividuals to pick and consume foods such as candy, cookies, and fast foods, adding unnecessary calories to their diet. It is one thing to perform well for a short period of time on little sleep, but it is another thing to have a healthy diet in order to function normally for every day routines.

It is important to do well in school, but health matters most. The amount of sleep that individuals need is dependent on their individual body, and is therefore different for everyone. One way to determine whether you have had enough sleep is to test whether or not you are energetic and focused in the morning. If not, rest your head on your pillow earlier!

A breath of fresh air H

by: April Robertson

omework, schoolwork, a part time job, and let’s throw in a bit of extra work.

From extracurricular activities to the seemingly endless amounts of studying to do, exam time means stress levels are at an all time high. Yet, as the grey hairs start to emerge, don’t lose faith– school is short lived. Though it may not feel like it, especially now, the longest post-secondary programs last twelve to fourteen years and there is more to life than hitting the books.

The loss of social skills is possible with all this work. A GPA can be top notch but employers will almost always look

for the next best “people-person.” So after the vigorous study sessions have been completed, and exams have passed remember some of these quick tips to being an intelligent human, not an intelligent robot.

out of the dark confines of a room, dimly lit by a computer screen is a good way to destress. In the long run it may help a person become more productive, and may even increase work quality. This activity is also great to sharpen your social skills; laugh, converse, debate and learn how to read people. Socializing helps keep you on your toes and ensures that you get a break from the seemingly never-ending paper work.

1. Have a good work ethic.

There are a plethora of careers to pursue – do not chose one unless it is something you truly intend on working hard at. Remember, just because you can, doesn’t mean you want to.

Acknowledge your passion and let it show in an interview. Cre- 3. Clean yourself up first.

So, you have a 3.8 GPA, dentials are on paper, passion is but you have not shaved, showin the heart. ered or slept in a week. This is not good – nor sanitary. Prior 2. Go out.

Simple enough; getting to heading out, make sure that

The winning city: by: Kevin Chung

counter-intuitive to skimp on sleep when sleeplessness impedes learning by affecting the retention memory of individuals.

It seems that according to research done at the University of Chicago, sleep loss reduces the ability of the body’s hormones that controls hunger, which leads towards a craving for foods high in carbohydrates. People who reported having four hours of sleep for two consecutive nights experienced a decrease in leptin, a hormone that tells the mind that there is no need for more food, and an increase in ghrelin, a hormone that triggers hunger. This results in an increase in tendency for in-

ronto sports team won something.

Toronto has a rich history in sports and is the only city in Canada to have a baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer and a football team.

Toronto is mainly known for its rich history in baseball and hockey, where the Blue Jays won back to back World Series in 1992 and 1993.

Meanwhile, the Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the first teams to be introduced in the NHL, and also have the second most Stanley Cup wins, behind Montreal. The 21st Century was a hard time for Toronto sports fans, because

the only team that made it to their respective playoffs were the Raptors and presently, they are not living up to the standards that were put to them when Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady played in Toronto. The last time a Toronto sports franchise won something was in 2004, when the Toronto Argonauts won the Grey Cup.

There has not been this much excitement since 2004 and even then, the level of excitement was not comparable to that of 2012. Toronto fans have gone through so much and endured miserable seasons for too long and this

Grey Cup victory in Toronto boosted their morale. One person that was in the Rogers Center in the Grey Cup stated, “I haven’t heard this much noise since the last time the Maple Leafs won the cup.” Even if this is not a huge accomplishment globally, it is very significant for Torontonians because it gives many Toronto sports fans an opportunity to finally root for their team without being laughed at.

Furthermore, this was a victory in Canada, and many Torontonians can finally celebrate on a victory of the beloved city of Toronto.

It finally lets avid sports fans

you look the part for an interview, meeting or date. A future employer is looking for clean presentation; rancid breath, hallowed eyes and unkempt hair is usually not a great first impression.

4. Maintain the balance.

Work is important, school is important, but so are loved ones. To lose relationships with friends, girl/boy friends or family members as a result of wanting a good grade is probably one of the worst things to do. When was the last time you simply “hung out” with your mum or dad? Take a break from an assignment by talking to those you care about; it will help you in the long run.

5. Live.

Physically, yes we are all alive. How about mentally?

Emotionally? The tips above are all geared around the subject of employment. Even then, the career you have is merely the tip of the iceberg. What about starting a family, exploring the edges of the world and crossing those small details off a bucket list? Remember that happiness should not be sacrifices of a well paying job.

Try not to forget important people and goals in life in order to get the perfect mark.

But, if you so chose to relentlessly study and cram, be aware of the aforementioned sacrifices you might be making.

the excitement created in TO that has not existed since 2004. the opportunity to gather and genuinely root for their home city.

The Grey Cup might be an object through the lenses of a foreigner, yet it is the symbol of hope and integrity of those who stuck by their beloved city and its sports franchises. In addition, the victory of the Grey Cup increased revenues for Toronto and brought together families. Furthermore, the Grey

Cup revived the spirit and the excitement that enriched the city of Toronto, which has been missing for a very long time. The Grey Cup victory will be remembered for a very long time and this will be the starting point of many more Grey Cups and even other cups to come. Now, the only missing piece if for the Leafs to actually win one.

VOLUME 22, ISSUE 2 WINTER 2013 PAGE 3

student life

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by: Hamnah Shahid

uring every turn-ofthe-semester, we always breathe a sigh of relief and pat ourselves on the back for having survived yet another gruelling two months of tackling the fire-breathing monster known as cram period, but is torturing ourselves that way really something to congratulate ourselves for? Semester after semester, we push our minds to the breaking point simply because we were un-

seem like a waste of money considering how few students actually use it, but believe it or not, its ability to improve students’ lives is not a myth! Using your agenda can help you organise the clutter of schoolwork and prioritise what’s most important. If the school’s agenda is too bland for your taste, you can create your own!

Being organised doesn’t have to be tedious; make your agenda easier to understand at a glance by colour coding it, usOrganisation is key: The school agenda may ing doodles to represent cerprepared for the inevitable workload that comes with the onset of exams. This semester, don’t be caught off guard!

Start the semester off right and prevent yourself from falling into the vicious cycle that is procrastination. It’s easier said than done, but if you follow some of the tips below, you’ll successfully escape the clutches of cram period, and will be happier for it.

tain subjects, whatever floats your boat. No matter how you do it, organise your work into manageable tasks and you’ll find fewer deadlines creeping up on you.

the massive amount of work you have to do and how little time you’ve set aside to do it can be daunting, and will ultimately discourage you from getting started. In order to encourage yourself to take the first step, pay attention to your work pace and attention span.

This knowledge can help you realistically plan how much time you’ll need for each task, allowing you to get more done with minimal stress.

Be realistic: Organisation can be useless, even counterproductive, if it is not done right; knowing how to break down tasks is important as well. Don’t pile too much work onto yourself without allotting sufficient time to complete it all. Seeing Relax:

This piece of advice must be the most cliché, but it’s cliché for a reason: take a break.

Seriously, you’re going to need one. It’s okay to take on some stress regarding school, but there comes a point when the stress becomes too much and hurts your chances of doing well. So, make it a point to add some time to unwind and to do something fun amongst all the studying: you’ve earned it!

The controversy of China China by: Marianna Lozowska

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ake a look around the cafeteria next time you’re on your lunch break. Notice anything different? The aroma of deep fried General Tso chicken is missing.

Glenforest’s principal, Mrs. Horvath, has decided to take initiative and encourage students to reduce their consumption of China China; a local Chinese takeout service, and replace their greasy meals with healthier cafe-

teria food.

Many students have voiced their opinion on the “banning” of China China and have declared it to be a senseless act. Many feel as though this is a step too far; that they should be able to spend their lunch money on food they want to eat. In rebuttal, Principal Horvath affirms that the school is not banning China China, (as the school has no authority to do so) but is rather simply¬ discouraging students from buying it.

The purchasing of China China not only affects student health, but also the employees of the school. Cafeteria ladies and custodians alike are having a difficult time dealing with the take out craze. Principal Horvath has revealed that Glenforest Secondary School is one of four schools with the lowest revenue from cafeteria foods. In comparison to last year’s total revenue, the cafeteria is collecting $200 less per day. A harsh reality is

that if this decrease in profit continues, Chartwells (the company in charge of providing healthy meals to schools) will have no choice but to lay off employees.

All that is being asked for is a little sympathy towards this issue.

It is understandable that eating what you want is your right, but it helps to consider the situation from some other points of view. Eating less China China will undoubtedly reduce your

chances for obesity as well as heart failure, but will also allow people to have secure employment. Cafeteria employees are nearing the risk of unemployment as revenue decreases. Custodians are also having difficulty dealing with the increase in China China deliveries. Each meal that is being bought is packaged in Styrofoam, which cannot be recycled easily. The added waste created by the takeout meals is becoming a problem. At the end

of lunch periods, tables and garbage bins are overflowing with plastic bags and greasy, empty containers, which is just an added burden onto custodians.

The subject is being reviewed, and the cafeteria has brought back “old favourites” in an effort to compromise with the students. They have been well-received and there will be a number of them throughout second semester.

And it was all TEDx, TEDx, TEDx. S

by: Serena Chao

ome things deserve the attention they have receive - TED is one of them. In one mighty week of November, I had the opportunity to attend two TEDx events. The first was TEDxIB@York for students, parents, and teachers involved in the International Baccalaureate Programme. Held at

the York School in downtown Toronto, the amazing speakers and performers brought forward their thoughts for “taking on the world”. As the theme for this event, they talked about environmental factors, meat consumption, and the philosophy that we should “screw the world, save your neighbourhood”. Two Glenforest students, Zechen Ma and

Davis Zhan, had the chance to perform a musical medley and represent our school in a talented way.

For International Children’s Day, TEDxYouth@Toronto was the place to be. While waiting in line to be registered, everyone was already mingling and getting to know each other.

As the lights dimmed and chatter diminished, the annual host

welcomed us and finally intro- lot! Her optimism and drive for duced the speakers. astronomy is truly inspirational. After the delicious lunch, it Highlights of TEDxYouth @To- was time for an activity held by ronto: the venue’s staff. They inspired A personal favourite was groups to collaborate ideas and definitely Ryan Porter: his anal- brought my group to the conogy of the three guys and their clusion that every revolution lunches was one that will make needs a spark. The Ontario Sciyour top TEDx talks list. Anoth- ence Centre was the best place to er speaker, Natalie Panek is an host the event, especially when aspiring astronaut and also a pi- you have after-hours access to

the interactive exhibit during the reception. Special thanks to all the sponsors who made this event a true success, the speakers for their insights, and above all, the participants with the ideas worth spreading.

VOLUME 22, ISSUE 2 WINTER 2013 PAGE 4

social issues

The fairness of fair trade C

by: Cameron Taheri

hocolate: it is all around us, it tastes great, and it is cheap. But do you ever stop and wonder how that chocolate bar ended on the shelves of your local supermarket?

There is most definitely a long chain of people in this process. First are the producers, those who do the hard work gathering the cocoa fruit.

Next, we have the exporters,

who export the cocoa to North America and Europe from Africa. The stock brokers in New York then speculate the value of the chocolate. Following, the importers, who distribute the cocoa to big companies. Subsequently, the manufacturing and processing plants transform the cocoa and sugar into chocolate. Finally, the finished product lands on the shelves of supermarkets and, eventually, right into your mouth.

However, there is a big problem with this process.

We, as consumers, want to pay the lowest possible price for the chocolate and on the other hand the big companies throughout the chain want to maximize their profits. In other words, it is the producers who often suffer the most. In South American countries, cocoa exports generate about 2 billion dollars while it is an astonishing 60 billion dollar market in

North America. The reason for this is that 6 corporations control 60% of the global market.

The average producer makes less than one US dollar per day. What’s even worse is that children, as young as four and five years old are dragged to work with their parents. As a result they do not have the opportunity to go to school as over 100000 children in Africa are victims of slavery. The

conditions these children are exposed to are horrendous.

They work with machetes and pesticides for unbelievable hours each day, often 10-12 non stop.

What is the solution? The answer lies in fair trade. Fair trade eliminates a step in this long process. It guarantees the producers of the cocoa a fair price for their work, which is stable and fixed. The price is determined by the Fair Trade

Labelling Organization. With more money, the producers reinvest into their communities, especially the building of new schools. As smart consumers, we have the choice to continue this problem in our world, or we can acknowledge that something is not right and make a change by buying fair trade products. Like grade 11 Glenforest student Amr Saleh says, “change starts at the consumer level.”

Mental health and the importance of awareness by: Ruchika Gothoskar

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ental health is an issue that has recently started to make its way to the forefront of media, and for all the right reasons. Teenage mental health has become especially prominent, as many high school students experience pressure and stress due to a variety of different facets in their lives, from feeling like they have to be up to par with parental expectations, to ensuring that they are well liked by their peers. A Globe and Mail article

states that, “one in ten young people say they have attempted suicide, and it is estimated that as many as 20% of Canadian youth are affected by mental illness or disorders”.

Although mental health is an issue that should be discussed more openly, there is quite a lot of stigma that surround it. Much of our understanding of mental health issues unfortunately stems from over-exaggerated movies or inaccurate pieces of gossip.

The only way to break down the unnecessary stigma that

surrounds mental health is through education and wide spread awareness. A very prevalent and efficient way of spreading awareness is through the school curriculum. Although it may seem a bit “excessive” to have the concept of mental health enweaved into the outdated health class curriculum, it is much needed.

However, it is not the fault of physical education teachers for not being able to appropriately educate their teenage audience about mental health, as this topic gets quickly brushed un-

der the rug. Not only is it not given the appropriate attention it needs, but schools are often under equipped and inadequately supported to handle the responsibility of teaching “such a heavy topic”.

As teenagers, we spend more time in school than we do anywhere else, and being educated about illnesses such as depression, generalized anxiety disorder or obsessive compulsive disorder, is crucial; these are the ailments that are directly affecting our demographic. Canada has gotten off

to an exceptional start with merging the importance of mental health into its curriculum. In fact, schools in Nova Scotia have integrated a new mental health program in its grade nine curriculum, Alberta has started to expand its mental health strategy in Grades four, five and six to junior-high students, and the Ontario government has provided some funding for mental health initiatives in schools. Peel has also given much importance to the topic of mental health, putting out a variety of videos that en-

courage seeking professional support if a student ever feels as though they are going through a rough patch.

Though the idea of mental illness still carries a massive taboo, it is imperative that we learn to speak of it openly and be accepting. Through supporting various organizations that promote mental health awareness, such as the Canadian Mental Health Association, or ensuring that the people around you are well aware of what mental illness entails, you can help make a difference.

VOLUME 22, ISSUE 2 WINTER 2013 PAGE 5

social issues

The right to live

“Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.”

-The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 3.

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by: Jennifer Wang

ll humans have the right to live. This extends across races, genders, ages—but does it include an unborn child? Abortion is an issue surrounding the basic rights of all human beings, as stated by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

At the centre of the debate is the question of when life begins, and whether or not an unborn child—the fetus—is considered “alive”. If so, then

the right to life may apply, and abortions may subsequently be abolished, which is the main goal of pro-life believers. They also maintain the position that since these unborn children cannot advocate for themselves, they must speak on their behalf to protect their right to life, liberty, and security, by not allowing them to be killed before they have a chance at life.

On the other hand, do the pregnant mothers not also have a right to life, liberty, and security? As in the

case of dangerous pregnancies, pro-choice believes that the mothers should have the choice of terminating the pregnancy via abortion.

However, if given the choice of aborting the pregnancy, some women may choose to have the child instead of aborting. It is understandable why most would choose to abort the more dangerous and complicated pregnancies.

Around the world, abortion is illegal even in the case of a dangerous pregnancy.

Recently, a woman in Ireland

died because she was denied an abortion of a dangerous pregnancy; an example of a death that could have been prevented. Even as the woman’s condition deteriorated, doctors refused to carry out the procedure out of fear of the legal repercussions that would follow.

There are those that believe that the right to abort a pregnancy will be abused to the detriment of the unborn child. A major concern is sex-selective abortion. The mother may be urged to abort a female child because the society in which she lives favours males, and female children are looked upon as financial burdens. Abortions due to unplanned pregnancies are another concern— should the child be punished for irresponsibility on the parents’ part?

This is where the two sides come into conflict. If all have the right to life, liberty, and security of person, whose rights take precedence—the mother’s or the child’s?

Be the change T

by: Rashmi Logasriskandaraj

his gender stratification that unconsciously begins at birth continues to determine every conscious decision a woman makes, as well as every possibility that presents itself to her in the path of life she paves for herself. Being a young female spoken word artist in the Toronto art scene, I belong to a minority who is outnumbered three to one. This visible inequality that exists within the arts spectrum has been a consistent issue that denies women the right to express their artistry. The privilege of the male voice in society continues to overpower the voices of many young women within the GTA. This injustice occupies many writing platforms including the open mic/poetry slam scene. This has fuelled the need to establish a young women’s writing group that

helps dissolve the numerous barriers placed upon our path while assisting young women in accessing their artistic abilities.

Under the mentoring of Lishai Peel, an extraordinary spoken word artist and living inspiration, this dream has turned into a concrete reality.

Lishai uses the power of the pen to weave and spin stories while creating connections, encouraging conscious reflection, and promoting artistic education. She has competed in national and international poetry slams, including representing Toronto at the Women of the World Poetry Slam, The Vancouver International Poetry Festival and the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word in 2011. Currently, Lishai facilitates spoken word programming in various schools throughout the GTA and is the coordinator of Uniffect – a spoken word youth group.

Under Lishai’s guidance,

“The emotional, sexual, and psychological stereotyping of females begins when the doctor says, it’s a girl.”

-Chisholm, 1973 I have created the writing group, Pandora’s Writ, that seeks to provide young female writers/artists with a safe and positive forum where they can come together to address important issues which affect them and the world around them, while nurturing their inner sense of creativity. This “posse” of young female writers use their words and their voice to educate, inspire, and

create sustainable change within the community. Pandora’s Writ consists of a coterie of leaders who learn from one another, and spread a message of action, inspiration, and change.

I come from a lineage of women whose voices have been silenced and their identities blurred by male chauvinism. My mother calls me her dream; she lent me her

life, so I would like to lend her my sight as I envision and create a future for other young female writers who would pen their success stories while overcoming the odds stacked against them.

What brings us together is our unrelenting veneration of the written arts and an unfaltering commitment towards creating tangible change within ourselves and our

communities. In the words of Toni Morrison, “I dream of a dream that dreams back at me.”

editorials

Advice:

VOLUME 22, ISSUE 2 WINTER 2013 PAGE 6

dating is not a priority on your list, then you should not be too bothered by your friends dating around you. There are different times for different things haven’t dated anyone for the entirety of high on everybody’s list and you school... what if the same thing happens in shouldn’t rush into something university? It never used to bother me before, if you are not ready. If you had but seeing my friends start dating makes me never found a suitable chance feel like I’m missing out.” at dating, fear not because university will offer you many new irst of all, what is your rea- cause you have not had the opportunities. There are many son for not dating? Is it to chance or simply because you new people to meet, and you focus on your studies or be- did not have a desire to date? If are bound to find someone you

like there.

But what if you had found people you liked in high school but for some reason, it never worked out? Take it as a learning experience and think about what had gone wrong and what could have been done better in the relationship. Regardless of the reason why you are single, you shouldn’t feel too bad when seeing your friends dating. It’s awkward to be a third-wheeler but it will be even more awk-

get them to stop talking about it, first understand their perspective and reason for complaining. Most likely, they just want someone to listen to some of their problems and sympathize with them.

But sometimes you’ve listened to the same problem over and over again and you are drained of sympathy. What should you do then? Well you certainly cannot tell your friend to shut up directly. Indirectly,

however, you may suggest to your friends that you’ve heard the same story over and over again.

A simple “Wow, it seems like this is a reoccurring problem for you.

Maybe you should make more of an effort to make sure you get enough sleep, then you won’t be so sleep deprived (or so annoying)” will suffice. If they don’t get the hint, just give them less attention and sympathy when they talk to you about it. Smile awkwardly,

If you were serious about getting the belly button piercing, you should have discussed it with your parents in a mature manner. The fact that you went behind their backs to get the piercing shows that you are immature.

How can an immature person be completely sure about what they want? You even said so yourself – you “FELT like this was something that” you really wanted to do. Who knows if you will feel the same a long time after? Of

course, piercings can close up and scars can be removed, but I just think you should have given more thought to your actions.

Since you have already gotten the piercing, discuss it with your parents in calm and respectful manner. Acknowledge that you had gone ahead and made the decision to do so without permission, but own up to your responsibility. Your parents should ultimately be understanding about it and still love you, as you

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F

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ll of my friends are constantly complaining about how they never get enough sleep; it’s a bit annoying to listen to, but I get all of the sleep that I need. How do I get them to stop talking about it, and how can I stop feeling guilty?”

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xcuse me, but why are you feeling guilty in the first place? The cause of your friends’ lack of sleep is not because of you.

Shouldn’t they be responsible for

completing their work on time while getting enough sleep? Unless you are calling and waking them up every day at 2am in the morning, you are not to blame! To

“I

got a belly button piercing over the break without telling my parents. I knew that they’d say no, but I felt like this was something that I really wanted to do. How can I let my parents know, without making them angry at me? ”

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ad to say this to you, but you probably should not have gotten that belly button piercing against your parents’ wishes. No matter how close-minded you think your parents are, or how

misunderstood you think you are, you should not have betrayed your parents’ trust in you like that. Your parents gave life to you, they raised you up, and most importantly, they love you.

ward to be trapped in a relationship just for the sake of being in a relationship. Your time will come, don’t worry! —A. ating is a bit of a touchy topic. Even though you feel as if you’re the only one who has never been on a date, the truth is most people don’t officially date in high school. It’s hard not to feel left out because you see your friends enjoying new experiences without you, but your time will come. Think

of university as a new beginning: new people and lots of new experiences. If you’re shy in high school, university will allow you to really figure out what you’re looking for in a partner but, more importantly, find yourself. Even though it sucks now, things will get better and new opportunities will always open up. Everyone is different, people date at different times in life; you’ll know when you’re ready. — R.

say “That sucks” and pretend to be distracted with something else.

Your friends will stop once they understand that their complaints are not getting the desired response. — A.

and if that doesn’t work, then try changing the topic. If the complaints continue, you could always be straightforward and say something along the lines of : “I’m tired of talking about lack of sleep, change something in your life to allow you for more sleep.” There isn’t much to do in this situation, hopefully they will grow tired of talking about their lack of sleep and actually do something! — R.

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t’s aggravating when someone complains about something they are in control of changing. If they constantly complain about being tired you could politely suggest that they go to bed earlier

still are their child. — A.

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iding something from your parents is always an awkward situation and the longer you wait, the worse it gets. Since you went and got the piercing without their permission, it must have been important to you, so embrace your decision and just come clean. At this point, there’s not much your parents or you can do about it. Honesty will relieve your guilt and take the

Media studies: articles & satires T

by: Lejla Abazi

he Burnhamthorpe community centre offers a lot of programs for people of all ages. You could play all sorts of sports and activities in the centre. Bcc’s been around for 19 years and has kept the community together since then with Community events like dances, basketball tournaments, and community garbage pickup to help the environment.

In an interview with the B.C.C. staff, I asked Barbra “what services do you offer for sports, community involvement?” and Barbra said “we offer the typical sports basketball, soccer and hockey. We also have a basketball league for kids and adults and a hockey league for adults and host hockey games for kids in our ice ring”.

I asked a local basketball coach who works at B.C.C. to find recruits for his team “what positive effects do you think this place has on people?” and he said “ I believe that B.C.C. has a huge positive effect on kids who come here to play or even kids who came just to interact with others. B.C.C.’s a very positive place because the staffs are very playful and understanding with the kids and there are programs for every

kid’s interest”.

I too have an appreciation for the Burnhamthorpe Community Centre. I started going to B.C.C. since I was about 10 years old, so it played a very big role in mya life with sports, meeting new people, and getting my community hours done. I have a lot of good memories with B.C.C. in my childhood, and since schools are shutting down the extracurricular activities it’s a great way to still be able to play sports with your friends. Also if you have a community centre close by I’m recommending you to visit it to have the same active experience I did.

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by: Ming Li

ORONTO – Due to Tim Hortons’ coffee shops running out of coffee beans, citizens are developing Hortontitis left and right, all over Canada.

This epidemic has spread like wildfire throughout the nation, endangering coffee lovers everywhere. Doctors are scratching their heads trying to figure out what the cure is, but the cause of this disease is obvious.

Due to obsessive consumption of Tim Hortons coffee by Canadians, chemical withdrawal has occurred. Canadians who love Tim Hortons’ coffee have

not been able to drink it since 3 o’clock this morning. A representative from Tim Hortons has spoke out on their lack of coffee available in stores. Their statement says recent coffee bean imports have been delayed to all the Tim Hortons in Canada. There is no set date for when they will have coffee available again. Massive amounts of people have been skipping school or work to go to Tim Hortons in the States.

The Canadian-American border is crowded with coffee-hungry citizens.

The highly important and official Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has diagnosed this as a common disease and it is greatly necessary for people to donate to Hortontitis Research at www.HortontitisCanada.org to discover a cure.

If you aren’t sure that you, a family member, or friend has Hortontitis, then carefully read the following symptoms that could occur, hallucinations of Tim Hortons coffee, induced vomiting, dizziness, aggression, unconscious walks to Tim Hortons, body twitches, depression, uncontrollable drinking actions, and talking about coffee in conversations with unrelated topics. This disease is not contagious, but can cause bodily harm to people around

the affected person. Therefore, quarantine is compulsory for all those diagnosed with Hortontitis. If anyone is affected with Hortontitis and needs help to cope with it, there are hotlines they can call to speak to someone about it. Just call the number 1-800-Hortontitis. This disease has caused a major disturbance to the people in the GTA and all across Canada. Everyone has hopes of things going back to normal when Tim Hortons gets their coffee restocked again, but no one knows when that will happen and how long Hortontitis will last. If we have further information on the development of the cure, we will update you on the news right away. For now, doctors insist it would be a good idea to stop drinking large amounts of coffee, until more information comes out about Hortontitis.

A

by: Jojo

night to truly remember, at twitter prank goes viral among a real emergency.

Police say that a New Jersey teen tweeted that someone was in her home and was asking her followers to contact 911. She disappeared right after the tweet. The teen then

went viral on Twitter; she got such attention her Twitter followers went up by 1 thousand after her tweet. Later plenty of groups on Facebook and even Twitter handlers were trending “#HelpFindKaraAlongi”. Many people were arguing over this, both social network sites went crazy with news on what this teenager tweeted. All of this caught the New Jersey Police Department’s attention. For the rest of the night, the public was getting notified about the occurrence and searched for the “missing teen”. While everyone from Police to the public was caught up in searching for the missing teen. While this was happening, two blocks away from the teens home a boy, whose name police cannot identify really did have an intruder in the front of his house trying to break in. Police were contacted but didn’t put much attention towards it because they were busy and had their hands full trying to find Kara Alongi the “missing” teen. Kara’s case was put at the top of the list because she was a missing girl. The New Jersey Police asked the boy if he had anything to do with Kara’s case.

As said before, they thought that her case was more of an importance because of the huge respond she got on Twit-

pressure of hiding something.

Although they might be mad at first, just sit them down and tell them you felt badly about hiding it and you just wanted to be honest. Hopefully they will respect the fact that you wanted to come clean, but there’s no guarantee that they won’t be upset with you. If they see fit to ground you or otherwise become angry, just know that it isn’t a permanent situation: life goes on. — R.

ter from hundreds of people.

The case regarding Kara Alongi went on for one more day, while the case of the unidentified boy did not even get that much attention, the boy was mostly questioned about Kara and not his own case. After getting no other information, people started to think that Kara Alongi’s case was a joke and that she was trying to play a sick game, the evidence for one thing was very vague. The boy’s case was ignored. Some even thought the boy was lying to get attention since both cases happened on the same night. Sources say that “the boy was lying and there was no real intruder”, while others say “it is more important to find a missing girl than a missing boy because it happens to girls more often. After about a day after police kept keeping track with Alongi’s Twitter page, she Tweeted that she had arrived home and Tweeted “why is everyone saying I’m missing? I was jkin haha”. Outraged happened by a vast majority of the public and soon later she deleted her tweet. It is still unclear at this time if Alongi will be charged with something due to this incident. New Jersey Police released a statement saying they “apologize for putting more attention towards Kara Alongi when there was a serious case with the boy that got no attention”.

VOLUME 22, ISSUE 2 WINTER 2013 PAGE 7

entertainment

T

by: Simo Pajovic

he familiar “click” into place and that scratchy sound as it starts up; and then, that warm, authentic sound.

Some of the older generations might know what I’m talking about. It’s that dark, beautiful round thing that sings like a bird. It is the very definition of classic: a vinyl record.

Back in the day (before the late 1900’s, that is), vinyl records and turntables were the

only way to record and listen to music. Inspired from work by inventors like Thomas Edison and others, and ultimately invented by Emile Berliner, records consist of microscopic grooves, with irregular patterns cut into them, that run around in a spiral—in a way, records are a material representation of sound. When playing on a turntable, the needle of the turntable runs along these grooves, bumping into them to vibrate and recreate sound, which is

amplified with a speaker. In a really quiet room, you can listen to the music without a speaker. It’s like magic.

Eventually, though, just as the new Call of Duty or Apple product replaces the last one every year, vinyl was replaced by the compact tape records and then CDs a few decades ago. Some ardent audiophiles continued to use and collect them but, arguably, scarcely.

Some people believed vinyl would be around forever, and

that it was the purest way of recording sound, alas it too disappeared into obscurity with all the other alleged dinosaurs of the technological world.

But it wasn’t really the end of vinyl. In the last couple of years, the popularity of vinyl has shot up. Maybe it’s the nostalgia, or maybe we are all just hipsters, but sales of vinyl records have increased twelve per cent. Stores that have stuck by vinyl, ones like Sonic Boom and Sunrise Records in down-

town Toronto, are gaining popularity, while some more modern stores like HMV are just starting to get in on it. Even some pop artists like Katy Perry are releasing their albums on vinyl, and the Beatles’ albums have very recently been rereleased on vinyl as well.

The comeback of vinyl is spectacular to see, given all the (supposedly) better alternatives available today. Perhaps there are some things that are simply inherently awesome,

that invoke this good feeling at any time and place. Considering that retro video games and clothing designs are also increasing in popularity, it might not be a far stretch to say that we are seeing some kind of a renaissance in technology and art.

Or Western culture, in all its vanity, is having a midlife crisis. That could explain it too.

ica, Antarctica, Africa: Visit them all; experience them all!

Pursue travels to every one of the indescribable landmasses we learn about today in our classrooms.

only come around once every 900 years or so!

From school to friends to science to travel, there really aren’t any guidelines for this sort of thing. However, the only advice you can listen to is “be creative and stay true to yourself.” A bucket list is there to help you make every day count – most importantly, it’s your list. So go out there, and make some changes or start something new – this is the time of your life, so make it count!

Album review: Simple Things, by Go Diana G

by: Jennifer Tran

o Diana is a 4-piece indie rock group consisting of four former Gryphons: Dragan Maricic providing vocals and guitar, Veronica Ing on keyboards and guitar (and a charming xylophone), Lucas Witmer on bass, and Philippe Witmer on drums. In anticipation of the release of their debut album, Go Diana recently put out the EP entitled Simple Things. This brief collection of

the songs “Spain”, “The Longest Day”, and “Adolescent Dreams” establishes a sound which fits comfortably among the ever-popular indie rock/pop landscape. By the middle of “Adolescent Dreams”, the uniformly catchy and upbeat tunes swell to a dance-inducing crescendo of raw, layered voices, just-shy-of-thrashing drums, and prominent bass lines.

Their lyrics emulate a conversation shared between lovers about an impromptu

escape to Barcelona or the nostalgic musings belonging to some intimate night long ago, when you knew less than you do now. Maricic rasps these reflectively delicate lyrics over capably-performed and polished instrumentation. What the songs lack in structural originality, they balance with earnest delivery.

Catchy, thrumming hooks and dense instrumental arrangement coalesce to form a thoroughly listenable trio of

songs. If you can’t wait to see what’s next for these guys, you can get a free, live infusion of Go Diana on July 7th at Corso Italia Family Festa, and be sure to look them up on Facebook and YouTube if you like what you hear.

Rating: 4 out of 5

The time of your life by: Monisha Ambwani

As Edward Cole from the movie The Bucket List once said, “We live, we die and the wheels on the bus go round and round.” We live every day and every day is important. Every day is significant and presents an opportunity. Whatever you make of that opportunity is your choice, good or bad. This is where a bucket list comes in.

Everybody has a bucket list,

even if it’s just milling about in your head. Nevertheless, every day is an opportunity to turn your “Someday, I will…” thoughts into unforgettable experiences.

A bucket list is a list of things to do before you die and it’s unique to each individual. It comes from the term “kicked the bucket”. You’ve probably seen these around, titled “101 Things to Do Before I Die” on the internet or even in your

friend’s room. They probably seem intimidating, all typed up or written nicely on fancy paper. However, it’s easy to make a bucket list.

There are so many possible things to go on your bucket list. These are just a few examples:

despite the U.S. government continually denying it’s existence to this day) located in Nevada. It’s rumoured to host aliens too! Your bucket list could state “One day, I want to travel to Nevada, find Area 51 and hopefully be greeted by some unfamiliar faces!

3. Witness an Eclipse These usually happen around four o’clock in the morning, but what’s stopping you? Make it an event: invite some friends over, get some food or even witness it with your famil!y Have fun keeping each other up; then when 1. Visit Area 51 2. Set Foot on All Seven Con- the actual eclipse comes, you Area 51 is a highly secre- tinents can witness one of Earth’s nattive, mysterious military base Europe, Asia, Australia, ural phenomena and then go (which everyone knows about North America, South Amer- to sleep. Some of these things

entertainment

O

by: Cecilia Ma

nce upon a time, in a land far, far away, gallant knights celebrated the end of their majestic exams and young witches and wizards awaited the results of their OWL’s. Now a new semester begins, full of new quests and journeys. Procrastination may be a temptress, but don’t fall for her trap. Start your big assignment early, and study in bits and pieces. Need some motivation? Well it’s time to add some “epicness” in your homework routine! I can’t promise you dragons or grand adventures, but with a playlist filled with soundtracks from some of the most enchanting movies, you can transform any regular old

session at the library to an endall battle for Middle Earth.

cerer’s Stone) – John Williams

The Initiation of the Hero You used to be just another girl or boy, singing carelessly with the birds in the forests of Glen. But now your journey calls, and you must answer.

Begin your study session with some lighthearted and ambient music; setting a pleasant mood will clear your mind of stress and help you focus for the next couple of hours. Here are some songs to warm up your battle tactics: • Fairy Dance (Peter Pan) – James Newton Howard • Define Dancing (WALL-E) – Thomas Newman • Harry’s Wondrous World (Harry Potter and the Sor-

The Overcoming of Obstacles Here comes the bulk of the work. Pencil in hand and pink highlighter at the ready, you’re set to solve the most twisting riddles of math and tackle down those intimidating physics laws. Listen to these calming melodies as you find your way through your labyrinth of notes: • Rue’s Whistle Song (Inspired byThe Hunger Games) – razorc03 (YouTube artist) • The Collapse of Laputa (Castle in the Sky) – Joe Hisaishi • I’m Forrest, Forrest Gump

What’s cookin’, good lookin’? by: Leo Tsang and Allison Chen

I

t’s dinner time. As we peer inside of our fridges, in the place of last night’s exquisite pasta selection, we find cabbage instead. And onions. And... carrots? Of the unwashed variety of course. The pantry is pretty much empty too, save a small collection of spices and herbs.

Most students are acutely aware of the unmitigated horror that is a starving teenager; the consequent disappointment from the

lack of substantial food is not a new experience. Under such circumstances, we usually turn towards snack foods, which will always remain a convenient option. At the end of the day, a diet of chips and cookies just won’t cut it. So what’s the solution? Glenforest’s young chefs were more than happy to share with us the numerous perks they’ve experienced from their own culinary ventures.

•

• • •

•

(Forrest Gump) – Alan Silvestri Travel to Edinburgh (Cloud Atlas) – Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimek & Reinhold Heil Time (Inception) – Hans Zimmer The Deep and Timeless Sea (Titanic) – James Horner The Breaking of the Fellowship (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring) – Howard Shore One Summer’s Day (Spirited Away) – Joe Hisaishi

The Final Battle There may be times when you want to give up. The fights seem impossible to win, and you can’t remember why you

attributed to with whom we surround ourselves with. For Ashley Chau, cooking as a hobby was a result of environmental influences. “I had to learn to cook for myself,” Ashley explains. “I eventually learned to like it.”

Do you often experiment in the kitchen with different recipes? Would you say it’s a very creative process?

Creativity is abundant in What/Who inspired you the kitchen. After all, cooking into taking up baking as a hob- food is professionally referred to as the culinary arts. by?

For many, cooking is an intricate art, a skill that many So how do our peers reconsider difficult to replicate. gard their own “creative” cookJust what or who inspires some ing? of these chefs to practice this “I like trying out new skill? In many of the cases, it is recipes, but I only use them as the end product they look for- guidelines, so I guess the creward to – that ambrosial first ativity comes in when I experbite into a freshly baked muffin, iment to match my own tastes or achieving that fine balance and preferences,” stated Andra between the overly crispy and Radoiu, a grade twelve student. much underdone raw cookie. “Besides, a lot of the creativity For others, inspiration draws often comes in when decoratnot only in the anticipation of ing and presenting the food.” the end result, but can also be As a factor that is sometimes

VOLUME 22, ISSUE 2 WINTER 2013 PAGE 8

set out to fulfill your goals in energy: the first place. Do not surren- • Only the Beginning of the der! Take a breather and pump Adventure (Narnia: The up your energy with some triLion, the Witch and the umphant songs: Wardrobe) – Harry Greg• He’s a Pirate (Pirates of the son-Williams Caribbean: Curse of the • Transformation (The BeauBlack Pearl) – Klaus Badelt ty and the Beast) – Alan & Hans Zimmer Menken • Imagine the Fire (The Dark • Married Life (Up) – MiKnight Rises) – Hans Zimchael Giacchino mer • • Lux Aeterna (Requiem for a You have overcome your Dream) – Clint Mansell fears and slain your demons; you are now ready to take your The Return Home final stand. So trust in your Your journey ends here, abilities, my dear hero. And but it is not over yet. With may the odds be ever in your more due dates looming ahead, favour. this is only the beginning of the adventure. Have some rest, you deserve it! Enjoy some relaxing music as you rejuvenate your

VOLUME 22, ISSUE 2 WINTER 2013 PAGE 9

entertainment

Why are fashion hauls so popular?

“T

by: Mona Jia

his was only $14.95!” she beams, holding up a recently bought shirt in front of the camera. Like all the other clothing items and accessories in the video, the shirt is a steal. Its new owner happily describes each of her Black Friday conquests in loving detail during an eleven-minute vlog.

Who would willingly spend eleven minutes watching what is essentially just a show-andtell of bags and blouses?

The fashion vlogger in question is a highly successful Youtuber known by the handle DulceCandy87. She has over 700 000 subscribers—a figure which could very well have increased by the time this article is published—who gobble up video documentation of fashion purchases, known as “fash-

overlooked as most of us simply clear our plates, presentation is indeed an aspect greatly emphasized by chefs. Other chefs, like grade twelve student Mary Fan, characterize this creativity as being mood-dependent, which makes sense when looking at cooking as a creative process. After all, creativity cannot be forced. On the other hand, another student, Kevin Zhang, brought up an interesting point regarding creative expression, “I don’t like altering recipes. When cooking, I settle for nothing but the best, and so I follow recipes created by distinguished chefs. However, I do try out new recipes whenever I can.” While some people prefer the more adventurous method, and others a more formulaic approach, both sides ultimately agree that maintaining flexibility in the different approaches to cooking is a necessity.

ion hauls”. The phenomenon extends far beyond DulceCandy87’s own popularity: many Youtube accounts of the same species rack up hundreds of thousands to millions of views by showcasing purchases. The appeal of Youtubers like DulceCandy87 lies in the excitement of hunting down anticipated trends, of experiencing it second-hand as a consumer. But the experience is not a wholly vicarious one. Viewers also use the videos as sources of inspiration that help them plan what to buy on their next trip to mega-retailers like H&M, Forever 21, and Zara, where a significant portion of the finds seem to originate from.

Known for their fast fashion ethos and on-trend product lines, these chains can go handin-hand with consumerism.

Their displays change rapidly

High school can be a chaotic place, with assignments due around every corner, tests and projects piling up quick before the end of the week.

However, people often fail to realize that pastimes are meant to be exactly as they sound: a way to pass time. Many of the student cooks we’ve spoken to mentioned that budgeting, with regards to both time and money, has never been a problem. “It’s not like I cook every day, but just whenever I have time,” replied Cindy Piao, a senior student, “when it comes to ingredients, I try to make do with what’s in the fridge, or I ask my parents if I find [the ingredient] really important.”

An economics student Joanne Tang explains, “It’s really just about the opportunity cost. If I get good chocolate, I can settle for the fake cocoa powder.” But as many of these chefs state, cooking doesn’t have to be a Is it difficult to balance a task. Rather, it can in fact be hobby like this with say, school a huge step in helping students work? How do you budget prepare for a more indepenyourself, if at all? dent future, especially for those

and their products aren’t advertised for quality as much as they are for their relevance: they serve to feed the notion that wardrobes should be constantly updated to be fashionable. The hauls are simply a reflection of that attitude: typical vloggers upload content on a monthly basis and have closets overflowing with clothes, shoes and makeup. According to various estimates published in Time, CNN, and the book Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion

by Elizabeth Cline, the average American buys over 60 items of clothing per year. Although Talon Times is a little skeptical of where this figure comes from, it acknowledges that an obsession with acquiring cheap new threads (and many of them) exists to some degree; certainly enough to be

wary about. Not everyone who shops at similar locales buy into this lifestyle, but the popularity of these videos alone is a pretty strong testament to how highly taste, trendiness, and “shopping skills” are valued by their fans.

Defendants of the fashion haul medium are quick to point out the fact that the videos help cash-strapped young people find more affordable alternatives to high-end fashions. Although their make and material may not be up to par, these runway knock-offs generally feature the same design.

If one considers the entire supply chain of the ordeal, including raw materials, design, labour, shipping, and retail, one must ask: how is Forever 21 able to sell a skirt for $7.50?

Forever 21 probably doesn’t want customers to think about

that, which is why the company has sponsored fashion haulers to buy and promote their stuff in a personable format.

Consumers are more likely to trust and become influenced by these brand ambassadors, who are sometimes given free shopping sprees in return for advertisement.

Ultimately, that is what fashion hauls are: advertisements. The final goal for these haulers may be just to produce harmless entertainment or to foster a positive community centred on fashion and affordability, but the inevitable outcome isn’t innocuous. The videos perpetuate consumerism while ignoring the environmental and social implications of goods bought cheaply and often. If it were really only about fashion and saving money, why aren’t thrift store hauls or DIY repurposing

videos nearly as popular?

There’s nothing wrong with being smart with one’s money and saving whenever possible on apparel, but keep in mind that it’s not necessarily economizing if one hunts for replacement garments after one season. Seasonality is a key component of fashion, but that does not mean a wardrobe update must come in the form of a purchase. Finding new ways to wear pieces is the best way to decrease wasteful spending and instead save money. Realistically, however, it’s difficult to suddenly cease buying clothes; the writer of this article will be the first to admit that H&M carries a damn fine ten dollar men’s T-shirt. One need not change all of their buying habits right away, just cutting down on the number of purchases made per season is a start.

who are moving away for uni- baking is so enjoyable. Part of the enjoyment of being a chef versity. also draws from the process of What do you enjoy most cooking itself. And inevitably, this includes some mistakes about cooking?

But what exactly is so at- in the kitchen as well. Kevin tractive about cooking or bak- Zhang describes one such exing that impels these young perience where he has accidenchefs to spend seemingly scarce tally switched the sugar for salt time and money on such a hob- in a recipe for lemon meringue. by? For student Cheryl Tan, it’s Such amusing experiences not just the end product, but make for interesting times in also the sharing of these goods the kitchen. that brings relationships closWhat is your favourite er together. Andra, a talented artist, draws satisfaction not recipe?

Some favorite foods of solely her own pride of her baked goods, but when “oth- our student cooks include spiners enjoy what [she] does; it’s ach turnovers, pesto-chicken [her] creation. Like any proud penne casseroles, curry (from artist is of their masterpiece, scratch, of course!), tiramisu these chefs clearly regard (for the adventurous!), raintheir cooked/baked goods in bow cake (why not?), egg tarts a similar kind of light. Stan- (a personal favourite), and ley Wong affirms this, saying veau milanese (for the “Food tastes better when you fancier chefs). can taste the effort.” And in the words of Ashley Chau, “There are no restrictions.” Many have agreed that this very claim has justified how and why the expressive aspect of cooking or

VOLUME 22, ISSUE 2 WINTER 2013 PAGE 10

education & insights The invention of timezones by: Indranil Balki

I

t was at this time of the season in 1876 that one of earth’s greatest minds proposed the concept of time zones. Since then, the world has hardly looked back. From a place that would seem almost ecumenically disordered, the world was transformed into a leveled playing field by an organized and systematized

arrangement with a global frame of reference. The world transformed into an interconnected community; as trade, communications and transport became globalized, and international travel became feasible within short time spans, the pressing need for time conformity grew increasingly prevalent. When the world was at a loss, one man rose to the challenge: Stanford

Fleming (1827-1915).

Indeed, it was the Scottish-born Canadian engineer and inventor who came up with what he called Cosmic Time, and which we have come to know today as time zones.

Fleming’s story starts of during his early life in Scotland: One day Fleming looked to leave his hometown to tour neighboring Ireland. His train

ticket said that the train would arrive late the next night, at eight. When Fleming came to the station the next day, however, the conductor considered his ticked void, for it was applicable only for the 8:00AM train. Fleming was shocked, utterly befuddled, but also reminded of the many problems with timekeeping. This provided him with just the right amount of impetus; over the

Philip G. Zimbardo: experimenter turned experiment by: Aishwarya Singh

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eet Philip G. Zimbardo; reputed social psychologist, past president of the American Psychology Association, and victim of his own research. Zimbardo has dedicated his entire professional life to unravelling the convoluted human psyche, and indentifying what stimuli shift human behaviour. He is especially fascinated (as most of us are, to

an extent) by “evil,” and more specifically what it is that compel everyday people to embrace it.

In the summer of 1971, Zimbardo constructed a pseudo-prison and filled it with 23 male student volunteers. These volunteers were randomly divided into two groups; prisoners and guards. Each group was asked to behave as they thought prisoners and guards might in a prison environment. “It’s

your prison.” Zimbardo told the guards.

It began as a silly role playing activity; the kind you would expect to do in an amateur drama class. But soon enough, the act mutated into a startling reality; the volunteers were no longer playing their roles, they were their roles.

Guards became increasingly sadistic, denying prisoners food, water, sleep, throwing their blankets into the dirt, and

stripping them naked before dragging them across the yard.

The prisoners formed cliques amongst themselves, and were equal parts resentful and submissive to the guards and to Zimbardo.

Now, it’s easy to see Zimbardo as just the observer of this experiment, but in reality, he was just as much of a participator as any of those guards or prisoners. Zimbardo participated in the functioning of the

2012 phenomenon over, global warming continues by: Wahaj Khan

It has been more than a month since December 21st, 2012 has passed. Normally, people recognize this date as the winter solstice and being the shortest day of the year. However, this past year, this date was known for another reason, as predicted by the Mayans, this day would be the end of the all

civilization.

This clearly did not happen. Many celebrated, while others continued their lives as usual. Yet should we be stressfree now that the world has not ended? Not just yet. There is one major problem currently affecting the world that can have just as significant an impact on our lives: global warming. Global warming, the is

not only affecting temperature but also climates and various ecosystems. Now, the effects of global warming can manifest themselves through the visible increase of natural disasters, droughts, floods, rising sea levels, and many other drastic environmental changes taking place.

One recent example of Global Warming at work is Hur-

ricane Sandy. Hurricane Sandy caused various damages and the loss of many lives. Sandy affected Canada less than the US, where damages were near the billions and amounted to hundreds of casualties. Power outages, high winds, varying precipitation, and down trees and poles were evident in Canada, all caused by Sandy. Hurricanes are caused by warm waters and

next decade, he worked on creating a system that would keep track of time on a local basis yet, at the same time, reference it to an International Date Line. He promoted his system at numerous conferences, until it was finally accepted by the members of the International Meridian Conference in 1884, and later adopted by countries around the world.

Today time zones are a part of the subtle yet sublime endoskeleton of the world.

Without them, trade, communications and marketing would be rendered impossible. Stanford Fleming is a man who has brought about a revolutionary change and has enabled the development of the world into what it is today.

That is what makes him a truly great Canadian.

prison by not doing anything to curb or block the violence, even though it was his professional, ethical obligation and he possessed authority to do so.

It was almost as if Zimbardo, the psychologist, was replaced

by Zimbardo, the prison warden.

Whether or not his inaction was for the sake of the research’s results, the key fact is that Zimbardo had become desensitized to a display of violence that normally would be hard to overlook. It wasn’t until a journalist told him that what he was doing to those boys was horrible, that he realized his folly. In fear that his study would eventually land his students and himself in actual-prison, Zimbardo pulled the

plug on it half way through.

Zimbardo’s study shows us in a disturbingly vivid manner that contrary to popular belief, evil doesn’t come from within, it is often the result of the situations and roles a person has thrust upon him or herself. This idea is terrifying because it means that we can’t always place the full blame on individuals for the things that they do. In the right (or rather, wrong) situations, we ourselves, could end up end up stooping lower than we’d like to admit. At the same time, this also gives us a large amount of control. It implies that by controlling situations, we can change people for the better, and that it is in fact, possible to influence moral direction.

with global warming increasing ocean temperatures, hurricanes are now able to develop quickly and with greater intensity.

The effects of global warming can be seen anywhere worldwide. Some examples include droughts in parts of North America and Africa, floods in Southeast Asia, and the melting of ice in Antarctica and Greenland. However, many of these environmental changes are a result of human interference. Pollution in its many forms, overconsumption, and destruction of nature are all different means of increasing the devastating effects of global warming.

Therefore, action must be taken now to lower the effects

of global warming. Simple tasks such as recycling, using compact fluorescent light bulbs, planting a tree, or reducing the amount of waste you create can be extremely beneficial.

These actions may seem minimal, but are necessary for the future of our planet. Although the predicted ‘doomsday’ is over, there is still danger of other catastrophes and disasters as a result of the increasing effects of global warming. As evident from the changes happening at present, global warming must be dealt with at present or the consequences will be great.

education & insights

VOLUME 22, ISSUE 2 WINTER 2013 PAGE 11

Astrology:

A science or superstition?

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by: Sophie Fu

ave you ever posted or seen horoscope information on Facebook or Twitter? Do you believe that a horoscope can determine a person’s habits, traits, or even destiny? Astrology is the study of how distant cosmic objects, usually stars and planets, affect human lives. The position of the sun, stars, moon and planets at the time of people’s birth is said to shape their personalities, affect their romantic relationships and predict their economic fortunes, among other divinations.

This clash between rational and disciples of astrology has been continuing for hundreds of years.

Is astrology a science or is it superstition? This seems to be a tough question. As-

trology is scoffed at by people for two main reasons.

First, of course, is that the predictions made by astrologers often go wrong. Secondly, if one takes his or her horoscope to different astrologers, they may make different predictions. They even make different horoscopes given the same set of data regarding the birth of a person.

These discrepancies between predictions force people to conclude that astrology is not a science and that it is only a means to befool people for the astrologers’ benefit. In the book Bad Astronomy, the author Phil Plait uses an example to prove the inaccuracy of astrology. His friend James Randi is a master skeptic who performs a wonderful demo of how easily people are fooled by astrology. Mr.

Randi goes into a classroom, posing as an astrologer, and casts horoscopes for all the students. He has them read and rate the accuracy, and they almost overwhelmingly rate the horoscopes as accurate. Ironically, every horoscope is exactly the same. It is worded vaguely enough that nearly everyone in the room thinks that he or she is being well-described. The horoscopes are so vague that they match nearly everyone, so their predictive power is meaningless, it is all in the students’ heads. Clearly, the validity of astrology is questioned.

On the other hand, the actual practice of astrology is generally made to appear very scientific. When creating someone’s chart, an astrologer first has to fix the exact time

of the person’s birth, translate that time into Greenwich Mean Time, and then translate that into sidereal time, and finally translate that back into local sidereal time. After all of these are finished, the astrologer needs to perform elaborate calculations to determine the zodiac and planetary positions for this exact time. Furthermore, although astrology is still in question, it is estimated that a quarter of the population believes in astrology to some extent. A survey shows that about 48 percent of Americans believe that astrology is valid. Upwards of 30 percent believe it to such an extent that they mold their self-image on their astrological sign (which means that if their sign says that they are “aggressive,” they view themselves as ag-

gressive). At least three-quarters of the newspapers in the United States carry daily horoscope columns. Upwards of 90 percent of people in the United States have described themselves as “open minded” about the veracity and usefulness of astrology. Obviously, astrology still plays a part in many people’s lives.

Now it is your turn to determine if astrology is scientific using by the science checklist below: • Does it focus on the natural world?

• Does it aim to explain the natural world?

• Does it use testable ideas?

• Does it rely on evidence?

• Do researchers behave scientifically?

The author of this article believes that astrology is not a

very scientific way to answer questions. Although astrologers seek to explain the natural world, they do not usually attempt to critically evaluate whether those explanations are valid — and this is a key part of science. The community of scientists evaluates its ideas against evidence from the natural world and rejects or modifies those ideas when evidence does not support them. Astrologers do not take the same critical perspective on their own astrological ideas. Overall, since the validity of astrological ideas has not been supported by evidence, astrology should not be considered as a science.

Our future lies in our hands but not on the position of planets.

UN Votes for Palestine Upgrade O

by: Naveli Gandhi

n Thursday November 29, 2012, over 130 countries voted to make Palestine a non-member observer state of the United Nations. Sixty-five years ago on November 29, 1947, the partition of Palestine into a Jewish and Arab state was announced by the General Assembly of the UN. The partition had received great support with 33 countries in favour and 13 against. In 1977, the day of November 29 was announced to be the International Day of Solidarity for Palestine. Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian President, therefore, chose this historically significant

date as Palestine’s bid for the non-member observer status in the UN. Palestine’s new status would give more power to its claims for a state in the West Bank, the Gaza strip, and territories captured by Israel. In addition, Palestine would be given the valuable opportunity to join UN bodies like the International Criminal Court in attempt to persecute Israel.

Despite opposition from the US and Israel, Palestine gained the new status it hoped for. Canada was also one of the nine countries that voted against it compared to the impressive number of 138 nations that voted in Palestine’s favour. Although it is a sig-

nificant leap forward for Palestinian diplomacy, it creates complications for both Israel and the United States whose support for Israel is crucial to hold its position in the Middle East. The Palestinian-Israeli conflict has escalated with over 2,000 Palestinian rockets, which have been launched against Israel from Gaza this year alone.

The conflict between Palestine and Israel began with the rise of Zionism, comprising of Jewish nationalist immigrants who wanted to create a Jewish state by colonization. Palestine, whose population was originally Islamic dominated, faced an influx of Jewish refugees, particularly

with Hitler’s rise to power and the Nazi Holocaust in effect.

When conflict between these two ethnicities increased, the UN that intervened in 1947 decided on the separation of Palestine with the establishment of the Jewish state: Israel.

The Arabs rejected this plan, opting for a war, which resulted in several Zionist massacres and Israel’s victory and independence. The Arab claim to the territory was that it was their native land, which had always been Arab, but was invaded by Jews. The claims also stem from a religious background as it is hypothesized that Muslim attachment to Jerusalem has existed for almost fourteen centuries. The Jews,

similarly, claim that Israel is their ancient Biblical land as the Bible promises the land to belong to the Jews.

The ongoing conflict continues today with Israel’s control over Gaza and its persistent military occupations along with the aid of the United States, which has made it difficult for peace between the two neighbouring nations.

With Palestine’s new position, it has gained the vital opportunity to legally challenge Israel’s military occupations. However, this diplomatic triumph for Palestine does not guarantee considerable legal action. Salam Fayyad, the Prime Minister of Palestine, says that nothing can

change without substantial US involvement. In New York during his stay for the vote, he also added in an interview that ”The question is, where do we go from here and what does it mean?” The truth is that Palestine faces serious difficulties with the division of governments in the West Bank and Gaza. Palestine is also limited in controlling its borders and its trade. Though this is a remarkable achievement for Palestine and its President Mahmoud Abbas, it still has to face many struggles.

&

Exams swept in and cruelly stole away the remaining vestiges of 2012’s holiday festivities, and we at Talon Times have been left pining for the days of colourful tinsel, tow-

ering Christmas trees, and the sound of mothers nagging fathers to, “put up the Christmas lights above the garage door, already!” Ah, holiday bliss: we hardly knew ye. The trees have

now been put away, the yummy left-overs eaten, and some people’s lights are still left hanging outside.

To bat away the blues and reminisce about your holiday

&

holiday rollback Post-holiday blues, no more!

VOLUME 22, ISSUE 2 WINTER 2013 PAGE 12

season, we present our holiday-themed page! ‘Til next year, Gryphons, keep the holiday cheer near and dear!

Saying

NO! to New Year’s

resolutions: don’t resolve, revolutionize!

W

by: Rena Gao

hen the season started with that first snowfall, it was exciting. By now, however, we’re all a little past that blissful Holiday ignorance.

That feeling of euphoria as we rush out of school on that last day before Christmas, knowing you can just watch TV all day if you were in the mood, stores blasting Christmas music until it’s practically faux pas in just about every store in North America, gingerbread-flavoured everything, everywhere…It’s been replaced with a groggy-kind of exhaustion, like you’ve stayed up a little too late the night before.

No more red-green-and-white advertisements every corner you turn. No more smiling at strangers without seeming just a tad creepy, and definitely no more old Holiday Specials on TV anymore, like, say…Charlie Brown, Scrooge, and Home Alone 50000.

Despite overwhelming circumstances, North America is able to stay positive. How, you ask? Why, by getting a start on those New Years’ Resolutions! None jumps in joy at the word “resolution”. “Reform” is for do-gooders. It’s for those people who can actually get out of bed before 12 on a Saturday.

Which, let’s be honest, isn’t for anyone that isn’t training for

the Olympics. Which is why this year, this journalists proposes that we do something a little differently. And that is: don’t resolve, revolutionize.

There is a lot of pressure from society, parents and friends to make a list of tasks to complete every year in January.

Society calls them “New Year’s Resolutions.” According to the reliable internet (and Huffington Post Canada), the top “New Year’s Resolutions” every year include: drink less, lose weight, go to the gym, get out of debt, and floss more. The fact of it is, our resolutions scarcely make it past the following month.

And the task may as well be to write down our resolutions.

This year, instead, think bigger. Why change your hobbies, when you can change yourself?

Every person has the potential to do something big, something spectacular. Something awe-inspiring and news-worthy. The only problem is that people are predisposed to thinking that they cannot. The big stuff is left to the big people.

There are people to save livesand they are doctors. There’s someone to save the environment- Environmentalists. Perhaps David Suzuki.

There’s even someone to save the country: the Prime Minister, political parties, and even the government as a whole. There’s even people

like Craig Kielburger, and Eric Walters who are willing to help the children. There are charities to support those in need, and a vast amount of petition sites that propose a different problem to fix every day. (And don’t fail to email you about it daily either.) The problem is everyone thinks that whatever is happening out there in the world, it is bigger than us. It’s out of our grasp, out of the average citizen’s control.

But it is not. The young are the future’s doctors. They are the David Suzuki’s of tomorrow. They make history now.

And by simply going about their everyday tasks, they put their mark on this world for-

ever. Do not be afraid of things that happen. Take life on with head held high, and always get back up when you fall. Make the fall a learning experience, and use it to propel yourself towards your goals and your dreams. You can always choose the path that you will ultimately take. You can always choose to be positive. And so I say again: this New Year’s, revolutionize your way of thinking.

Aim for the universe, and you’ll land amongst the nebula. (See, I revolutionized the original scientifically-inaccurate quote to a much more intense-sounding catchphrase.)

VOLUME 22, ISSUE 2 WINTER 2013 PAGE 13

holiday rollback

The origins of Secret Santa S

by: Catherine Liu

ecret Santa is a Western tradition that is part of Christmas festivities. It is an anonymous way to exchange Christmas presents within a group of people. It has become a common practice in businesses, schools and large groups as it allows people to give and receive gifts at a low cost. It is a fun and cheap way to celebrate the Christmas season and show your care and gratitude to oth-

ers.

Not much is known about the origins of Secret Santa.

Some say that it originated from the mythic Norse god, Odin. The myth states that Odin rewarded children with gifts and toys. The present version of Secret Santa is based on the late Larry Dean Stewart, an American philanthropist.

Stewart was a remarkable and generous man, always willing to help out those in need. In fact, he gave away $1.3 million

dollars to the less fortunate over the course of 26 years.

But Stewart was not always very fortunate. Once, he was unemployed and lived in his car for eight days. He ate a meal at a diner in Houston, Missouri, knowing that he could not afford it. Once the bill arrived, Stewart pretended as if he forgot his wallet; however, the diner owner, Ted Horn, saw through his act, dropped $20 on the ground, and proceeded to ask Stewart if the money was

his. It was this act of generosity that first inspired Stewart to help everyone he could to the best of his abilities. Eventually, Stewart entered the cable television and long distance phone service industries and went to make millions. He continued the “spirit of giving” through searching for those with a “lost look” in their eyes in places like bus stations and Laundromats.

Stewart never forgot about Ted Horn and the $20

that saved his life. In 1999, he returned to Houston and found the elderly diner owner and his wife, who has ill at the time.

Stewart returned Horn’s original act of kindness by gifting the couple $10,000.

Unfortunately, Stewart was diagnosed with an aggressive form of esophageal cancer and passed away in 2007. Before his death, he revealed the identity of his well-kept secret of being “Secret Santa” in hopes that he could inspire others to

International

new years by: Yallenni Ilamvaluthy

I

n Western culture, New Year’s Eve is really something to celebrate. It’s symbolic and represents the start of a new year, which means new opportunities, new dreams and new resolutions. Why do you think everybody celebrates it so grandly? Every December 31st, Times Square in New York City is packed to the brim with people from all over the world celebrating one of the world’s biggest and most popular holidays. But that’s just in America; what about in other countries all over the world?

Ever consider countries like

Austria, Scotland, China, or Japan? What are their customs, what do they do to celebrate the fact that a new year means a new beginning? Hopefully, the following list can help shed some light!

1. China Since the Chinese follow the Lunar Calendar, their New Year, also known as “Yuan Tan”, can be on any day between mid-January to mid-February. Celebrations can last up to 10 days and red envelopes of money are exchanged for good luck.

2. Japan

In Japan, citizens visit temples to pray and ring a temple bell 108 times to ward off evil. Rice cakes are made as part of the festivities.

occur sometime in April and include singing, dancing, lighting candles and lamps, and firework displays.

It is not just countries either. Religion is also a factor, 3. Denmark and with each religion celebratIn Denmark, there is a ing New Year’s differently, it tradition of collecting dishes does not matter which part of throughout the year. They are the world they come from. then thrown at the front doors of homes on New Year’s. What 1. Hinduism does it mean? Well, the more The calendar follows a broken plates, the more friends luni-solar pattern. At this time, you’ll have for the New Year. deities like Lakshmi and Ganesh are worshipped and cus4. India toms include cooking food, Different parts of India lighting lamps, and exchanging celebrate New Year’s in differ- gifts with loved ones. ent ways. Festivities usually

2. Sikhism According to the Gregorian calendar, Sikh New Year’s is usually on March 14th. There is a worship service, songs, parades, dancing with wooden swords, martial arts exhibits, and fireworks.

3. Bahai Bahais often celebrate their New Year’s on March 21st, which is also the day of the Vernal Equinox. The celebrations start at sunset on March 20th. One of their customs is to throw sprouted lentils in running water. The lentils are meant to carry bad luck away with them down the river.

continue his legacy and generosity.

This Christmas, during your festive gift exchanges, why not take some time to commit random acts of kindness and continue “Secret Santa’s” legacy? You never know if your generosity could change someone’s life!

4. Jewish The Jewish celebrate New Year’s in September or October, during the month of Tishri. The celebrations last for 10 days, known as Shabbut Shuva.

People come together to take holy baths, say prayers, and wish each other good luck for the New Year. They also blow a ram’s horn called the Shofar which symbolizes “repentance for past sins.”

Of course, these are not all the countries and religions across the world. But they are a sample of the meaning and the importance that New Year’s has for many spanning the globe.

After all, although it is celebrated in different ways it comes down to the same thing. A New Year means new choices. It can mean fixing past mistakes and making amends. It could be setting new goals and arriving at a destination of which you always dreamed. After all, a new year is a new start.

classifieds

GRO

VOLUME 22, ISSUE 2 WINTER 2013 PAGE 14

For the students, by the students.

Hey Glenforest! Do you sometimes or often complain (whether internally or externally) about the lack of academic resources that we have? Well, fear not! GRO is here! A fundraising club that raises money to help supply the school resources, we’ve got your back! Make sure to come out to meetings on Wednesdays after school in the art hallway, or check out our Facebook page to learn more! (Glenforest Resource Organization) Also, check out our cool fundraisers that we’ll be doing over the year. Go Gryphons :)

If you yell the answers to Jeopardy at Alex Trebek or win every round of Trivial Pursuit, REACH for the Top might be for you! REACH is a trivia game played in inter-scholastic tournaments at a national level. Unfortunately, we will not be able to compete this year, but we will still practicing for fun at 7:30 Fridays in the cafeteria. It’s tons of fun and a great stress-reliever. All grades are welcome. Please join our Facebook group or contact Vidhya Elango (vidhya.elango@gmail.com) or Anshuman Patnaik for more details. Meeting dates may change in response to member interest and need, but as of now it’s 7:30 am on Fridays in the cafeterias for a rollicking good time!

JEWELRY

Dream of purchasing jewelry in Tiffany but don’t have money? Believe it or not, YOU ARE NOW ONLY ONE STEP AWAY FROM ACHIEVING YOUR DREAM! Jewelry and Craft Club provides you with a great opportunity to create your own Tiffany-style jewels, such as bracelets, necklaces, and earrings. We are having our first jewelry sale on Valentine’s Day! COME ON GRYPHONS! DON’T HESITATE TO JOIN US EVERY TUESDAY AFTER SCHOOL! For more information, please contact Lavender Yang or Sophie Fu.

Join GREEN Team, Help us make Glenforest a cleaner school. For 15 minutes a week, you get to leave class early and help organizing recycling at the school, and you get to keep any money you find in the recycling bin.

SWG

REACH GREEN

TESTING TESTING, I’M JUST SUGGESTING. YOU AND WRITING MIGHT JUST BE THE BEST THING. Student Writers’ Guild (SWG) meets every Friday at the BCC to host writing workshops, improve their work, and to experiment with different genres and styles. Interested?

Send an email to studentwritersguild@gmail.com for more information!

Kicks for Kids is a student-run initiative which aims to provide suitable footwear to poor children in India and Kenya. This footwear protects children from the infections that can be contracted by roaming those mean streets barefoot. Like our Facebook page (Kicks for Kids) for up to date information about how you can contribute. Together we can all go “miles to create smiles.”

RC YAC

KICKS

Do you need volunteer hours? Want to contribute to your community in a meaningful and fun way? Don’t fear, the Peel Red Cross Youth Action Council is here! Like our Facebook page (Peel Red Cross Youth Action Council) and follow us on twitter (@RCYAC) for up to date information about General Meetings, events, and how you can pitch in!