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January 2016
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An Informal Review of the Books I Have Recently Read
The Garneau Happiness Index
Painting the School with Change by VARUN VENKATARAMANAN
P1
A Quantitative Study of Mental Well-Being at MGCI
ate last year, MGCI’s Art Council received the Identify ‘N’ Impact Award from the Toronto Youth Cabinet. In addition to the award, they received a $500 grant to dedicate towards further activities. The Identify ‘N’ Impact Award is given to eight youth-run organizations that work hard to improve engagement and safety in their community. Art Council applied for the award earlier last year, and is honoured to have received it. When asked about the award, Art Council’s President Vicky Xu said, “It was really exciting receiving the award because this is the first award Art Council has ever received.” Five representatives from Art Council were there to accept the award at a public ceremony, which included speeches from City Councillor Norm Kelly and the honourable Landon Pearson.
by LAUREN CHANG
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ecently, I have been binge reading in -an effort to run away from my problems, so I decided to take the time to review some of the literature I have read in my endeavours. I decided to make myself criteria, and I’ll use it like teachers do, either far too liberally or far too much. Here we go: Plot: Is it engaging? Does it include a sexually promiscuous person? Writing Style: Is it written well? Does it use big words? Popularity: Do I like it because I’m bandwagoning? Foreign: Do I like it because it’s ‘cultured’? Appropriate: Is it appropriate? Residue: Does it leave a lasting effect? Do I still remember what it’s about? Any Problems?
See ART COUNCIL on P3
The Force is Strong with This Club by MARZAN HAMID
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ut of all the clubs at MGCI, Star Wars Club is perhaps one of the most passionate and enthusiastic. Held every Thursday at lunch in Portable 4, Star Wars Club has an open door for anyone and everyone with even a mild appreciation of the Star Wars franchise. The members are welcoming and inviting, especially to new members. See STAR WARS on P3
More Anticlimactic Talks On Climate Change by LAWRENCE PANG
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wo years ago, the 19th annual UN Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP) was held in Warsaw. Lead negotiator Yeb Sano of the Philippines had just witnessed the horrors of Typhoon Haiyan, a direct consequence of climate change. Compelled by the uncertain fate of his countrymen and his own brother, Sano delivered an emotional plea to the gathered world leaders. “It is the 19th COP, but we might as well stop counting, because my country refuses to accept that a COP 30 or a COP 40 will be needed to solve climate change,” said Sano. Yet speeches are one thing and action is another. COP 21 ended on 12 December 2015, but we seem to be as far away from a solution as we were two decades ago when these conferences were first begun.
Each grade is assigned a guidance counsellor who follows them throughout four years of high school. From left to right: Ms. Jamal (Grade 9), Mr. Jan (Grade 10), Mr. Phambri (Grade 11), Ms. Lesser (Grade 12). Ms. Bhowmik, unpictured, also works in Guidance. Photos: Valiant Chan, Cindy Cui
by DAVID HAO
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hen we think of how well a student is doing in school, academic performance is instinctively the first factor that comes to mind. Given the goals of the education system, this is not surprising. However, a by-product of this attitude is that the mental well-being of a student is sometimes left out of mainstream consideration. This is harmful because stress hurts a student’s general performance and tends to increase with the number of years they have spent in high school. Many students are also unaware of existing resources that may help them cope with debilitating pressure. To quantify mental well-being at MGCI, The Reckoner has created the “Garneau Happiness Index (GHI).” The GHI incorporates both quantitative and qualitative responses from a survey conducted on a sample of the student population to produce a value between 1 and 10 for each grade, with 1 representing “Couldn’t feel any worse” and 10 representing “Never felt better.” While the survey is far from being a perfect representation, general conclusions may be drawn from the collected information. GHI begins in Grade 9 at 5.20, and rises to 5.58 for Grade 10 students.
perform—is a beneficial move for all parties. Though such initiatives do exist, many are inherently flawed. Most students at MGCI know about the Student Success (Guidance) Department. Each grade is assigned a guidance counsellor who will follow them throughout their four years in high school. But how exactly can guidance help stressed students? First, a private appointment is arranged between a student that has requested help and their counsellor. There, the two chat and attempt to determine the main sources of stress, be it academic, familial or social. The counsellor works with the student to find ways to deal with each unique situation. Solutions take various forms, including having therapeutic chats to discuss difficulties, counselling on how to effectively balance academic obligations with life outside school, and creating customized calendar to help with organization. In serious cases, guidance may assign a social worker to speak with the student. Most of the time, counsellors will talk to the student’s teachers to help them understand the situation. See STRESS on P5
Illustration: Chrystal Zhang
GenderBalanced Cabinet Marks Trudeau’s “Real Change” by EMMA WAI
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Budget Repair: Filling in the Cracks by KHARI THOMAS
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lubs are an integral part of Garneau’s culture. From Eco-Team to Urban Dance, these clubs allow students to pursue their interests with other like-minded individuals. In order for many of these clubs to run, they must have an operating budget, which is provided by SAC. However, the current system for allocating club budgets is far from perfect. Many improvements are needed. In particular, the system must become more specific, transparent, and reliable in order
See CLIMATE on P4
MUSIC AND ARTS NIGHT 2015 P2
This is logical, as students become more comfortable in their second year. However, GHI drops rather sharply to 4.86 in Grade 11, as workload begins to intensify. It dips further in Grade 12 to 4.64, when school pressure peaks. It is alarming that 37% of students surveyed ranked “Health” as their lowest priority out of “Family,” “Friends,” “Academics,” “Extracurriculars,” and “Health.” Health is clearly a concern when “stressed,” “tired,” and “depressed” are among the words most commonly used by students to describe how they feel this school year. 46.7% of participants included “stressed”, whereas only 15.2% included “happy.” Clearly, a raincloud is hanging over Garneau. Stress is possibly the biggest contributor to the overall drop in mental well-being. It interferes with a student’s performance by inducing a sense of unease and pressure that is a constant distraction to the student. It can also lead to feelings of insecurity and emotional instability. Since helping students achieve academic success is a major priority of the education system, reducing stress experienced by students— thereby improving their ability to
See REVIEWS on P7
GARNEAU’S HISTORY P8
COMICS P7&P8
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to better serve the student population. Currently, applications for budgets are filled out online alongside a club registration form. The application lists a few considerations used in determining budgets, then asks for a brief description of what the requested amount will be spent on, how the club spent its money the last semester (when applicable), and why any money wasn’t spent the last semester.
ecause it’s 2015.” That’s all Justin Trudeau needed to explain his commitment to a gender-balanced federal cabinet. Canada’s recently elected Prime Minister promised during the election campaign that he would select a gender-balanced cabinet if he was elected, and he delivered. However, this promise was not met without opposition. Critics are arguing that Trudeau was mistaken to prioritize gender over other qualifications, such as merit or previous experience, when choosing his new cabinet, and are suggesting that better appointments could have been made. See GENDER on P4
See CLUBS on P5
ART P7
Now updated with notifications!
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VOL. 4 NO. 2
January 2016
NEWS Art Smarts: Music & Arts Night 2015 by THAMIMA RAHMAN
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hursday, 17 December was a night of live entertainment, talent, and fun. Music & Arts Night ran from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, and served to showcase student talent. Many arts classes performed, demonstrating the progress they have made over the course of the semester. The event was previously known as Music Night, but was changed this year to reflect more of the arts. Instead of having a separate art show during the school day, all the arts (including dance and drama) were put into this show. Ms. Masemann, an art teacher, said, “The arts teachers talked about how they wanted a celebration for all the arts classes. We wanted the parents to see what we do in the classes, so we collaborated to make this show.” This year’s performances included several ensembles, like the Concert Band and other music classes. Pieces included “The Polar Express,” a dramatic act from Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth, and the much anticipated staff band, which played “Forever and Ever”. A 30 minute intermission was held in the galleria. It involved an art exhibit, sales of handmade cards, and jewelry by the Art Council and Jewellery club. Light refreshments were also served. Although the majority of the night ran smoothly, there were some technical difficulties. The Stage Crew worked hard between performances, moving equipment and solving other on-the-spot problems that came up. Mehwish Rana, one of the performers, said, “You can easily tell that everyone worked hard. However, the transitions should have been smoother and more efficient. Overall, it was a great show.” ■
Photos: Cindy Cui
MGCI Scoreboard Team
Photos by Cindy Cui For more Humans of Garneau, visit www.thereckoner.ca/category/hog/
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Junior Girl’s Volleyball
4 0 0
Senior Girl’s Volleyball
1
Boy’s A Curling
2 0 0
Boy’s B Curling
1 0 0
Girl’s A Curling
1
Girl’s B Curling
2 0 0
Junior Boy’s Basketball
2
1 0
Senior Boy’s Basketball
3
1 0
“When did you come to Canada? What has the transition been like?” “I have been in Canada 3 months. We are originally from Saudi Arabia. A lot of things are very different from my country: the people, how they look, how they talk, how they dress, and the language, too.”
1 0
“What is your biggest goal for this year?” “Make my English very good first, and get a good friend.”
1 0
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” “I want to be a doctor. I think because my dad’s a doctor, and I’ve seen him doing everything, like at work, with patients, and I really like it. I like helping people, plus imagine if you could save someone’s life. That would be a really good feeling.”
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January 2016
VOL. 4 NO. 2
P3
NEWS Spirit Week Wraps Up December
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by ARANI KULAMURUGAN
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arc Garneau had its first Spirit Week of the school year from 14 to 18 December. Students that participated had their pictures taken. The photos were posted on the SAC Facebook website. Monday was Pajama Day. Since it was the first day, few students participated. However, as the week went on, the participation also went up. Tuesday was Twin Day, and students paired up with their friends to dress up in similar outfits and go to school as twins. Some students took the initiative to go as triplets, or quadruplets. Wednesday was School Colours Day, and students took it as a chance to wear all their school apparel at
once. The halls were milling with students wearing maroon, navy, or white. Thursday was Semi-Formal Day, and students got a chance to dress up and show off their style. They looked elegant as they strutted down school hallways in their semi-formal wear. Friday, the last day of Spirit Week, was Christmas Colours Day, and many students brought out all the red and green clothes they owned. When asked about his thoughts on Spirit Week, Varun Venkataramanan, a student in Grade 10, said, “Spirit week was a lot of fun, but I wish more people participated. For example, on PJ day, I saw only about 10 people Varun Venkataramanan, Iulia Vatamanu, and who participated which was super Arani Kulamurugan (left to right) on Pajama Day. Photo courtesy of Ejay Vidad. disappointing for me.” ■
MGCI Art Council Receives Identify ‘N’ Impact Award ART COUNCIL Continued from P1
MGCI’s Art Council received the award at a ceremony late last year. (Source: Toronto Youth Cabinet) Art Council already has plans on what they would like to use the money for. Vicky explained that the council will focus on planning and creating an eco-mural in collaboration with MGCI EcoTeam during second semester. With the mural, the clubs aim to promote student awareness for environmental issues, similar to the LGBT mural in the cafeteria that
was made with MGCI’s GSA. Vicky hopes that the grant will help improve the quality of the mural. In addition, Art Council will also be holding other events, including a sketch-off and the annual Doodlefest event. Vicky says that Art Council ultimately plans to hold community events to increase awareness for various causes. ■
Biology Comes to Life: The MGCI Biology Club by SHIRLEY FAN
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he purpose of the MGCI Biology Club is to educate students about biology, and provide them with opportunities to conduct hands-on experiments. Meetings are held every Tuesday at lunch in Room 311 for various experiments, activities, and presentations. Earlier this semester, the club organized a number of experiments. Students got the opportunity to try their hand at DNA extraction and protein denaturation, and investigated various topics, such as observing the local pond water. When asked about future projects, Pablo Gonzalez, an executive member of the club, said that, “We’re still planning a lot of other projects, including testing for the presence carbohydrates and proteins via reagents and acids.” If you’re interested in biology, but missed the past experiments, don’t fret! Two major events are being planned for second semester. The first will be a schoolwide dissection event, where students will get the opportunity to see organs and organ systems first-hand. The second event will be a presentation by medical personnel from either Sunnybrook or Sickkids Hospital to speak about their future career paths. ■
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DIRECTOR OF WEB DEVELOPMENT MICHAEL KIM
MEDIA MANAGER VALIANT CHAN
DIRECTOR OF PRINT DEVELOPMENT SHELA QIU
100% Original Content Policy
For one of their meetings, the MGCI Biology Club denatured the proteins in raw egg whites. Photo: Matthew Tse
STAR WARS Continued from P1
Members gather around a table to discuss star-wars related topics. Photo: Kai Huang The meetings usually start with all members gathering in a tightly knit circle around a table, excited to discuss events displayed in previous episodes. The members often initiate conversations from exciting events that occurred in the series. At times, members disagree with each other—but that’s just part of the club. Star Wars provides everyone with a common ground to discuss opin-
by ARANI KULAMURUGAN
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s. Mexis-Lumsden is a librarian also involves to and from other librarat MGCI. ies. There’s an awful lot of maintenance Q: If you could recommend students so that everything works as it should: to read any book, what would it be? computers, photocopier, printer, A: Shakespeare, the stories are univer- books, magazines. sal and underpin a lot of other things, Phone calls from: teachers in the or mythology. school, outside agencies, publishers, Q: If you were to write an autobiogra- the general public. phy, what would the title be? Library booking from: teachers in A: “Had I but world enough and the school, outside agencies, student time...” clubs, the general public. Q: You are playing hide and seek in the Email: I get more than you think. school. Where would you hide? All teacher librarians work collaboA: The greenhouse. I’d get a free spa ratively, so there is a lot of that. Also, treatment at the same time! with the new system there’s a lot of Q: What is your favourite word? questions being asked and answered. A: Lackadaisical, I suppose. We tap each other first before we go Q: What’s one of your pet peeves? elsewhere. A: Rudeness. Policing: our least favourite part of Q: Tell us something quirky about you the job! Please, when you’re in the lithat students might be surprised to brary behave nicely. Don’t eat (we’ve find out about. seen roaches and mice), don’t get too A: I have a very weird sense of humour loud (see 99 students above), don’t be and find strange and inappropriate rude if we ask you to go or quiet down. things funny. Also, I like to tease peo- Clean up after yourselves. ple! Q: Have you taught or worked at any
Q: What is your favourite TV show other schools before? How did the from your childhood? experience differ from the experience A: Wonderful world of Disney. Later here?
A: I was previously at Winston Churchill C.I. (I’ve also been here a couple of times). While I was there I taught English, Economics and was in the library. I find the schools are very simA: I’m speaking for all the librarians ilar although this school is much bighere, not just me. From the moment ger! we open our doors, we are busy. We Q: What makes MGCI’s library so often teach a class—either a library unique? related skill or we have collaborated A: Because every student has a spare with another teacher to plan and deliv- (at least one) this makes the library er lessons for a particular assignment. unique. How? It’s always full! PhysiCo-teaching involves planning, creat- cally, we have the lovely wall of wining or finding resources and creating dows. We have materials that are or finding materials (databases, books, unique to our school (online databasvideo, websites). I often do book talks. es) that are expensive but that are used All three of us often work in our “off” by students. We are open every period! periods because the library is so busy. Including at lunch and after school. Plus, we volunteer our time to open Q: What is one library resource that the library at lunch and after school. you think is valuable, but you find that Because every student has a spare, students are unaware of? we have 99 students in the library al- A: The teacher librarians. Seriously. most every period. This does NOT in- Q: When you were in high school, what clude the computer labs. So, that en- was your dream job? Did you always tails a lot of supervision. If you see a plan to continue working in the school sign that the library is full—we are full! system? Please don’t make an issue of it. A: It varied. At one time I wanted to be We spend a lot of time with students a neurosurgeon, then an accountant. I at the computers—helping them print, didn’t plan to be working in the school formatting work, pointing out elec- system although I always was teachtronic resources. We also spend time ing: ESL, citizenship, music. with students working on their assign- Q: What is one thing you have learned ments away from the computers. We from your job that you weren’t expectall teach other subjects besides library ing to learn? and could help you if we were asked. A: Patience. I am very impatient myWe try to weed books as often as self. possible. I’m always ordering new, Q: If you could give any advice to a current and (hopefully Canadian!) high school student, what would it be? books—so I need to make space. I also A: Go to class and do your work. I know put books in my order basket almost it’s cliché but you have only yourself to every day and try to find materials that blame if you fall behind. I also know I need to purchase sooner rather than that teens often want to “fight the later because of the assignments I am man”, but school is not the fight you working on with other teachers. This should fight. ■
Q: I feel like a lot of students have a misconstrued view of school librarians. Can you describe a typical day in the school library?
The Force Awakens: MGCI Star Wars Club ions on characters, storylines, changes in the plot, and predictions for what might happen next. A good number of Star Wars jokes and puns are also sprinkled into the conversations, of which all members are very appreciative of. Some members claim to be “die-hard” fans; they have multiple Darth Vader masks and Lightsabers in their collection of Star Wars merchandise. Many members in the Star Wars Club opted to see the recently-released movie Star Wars: The Force Awakens together. This allowed them to share their views and thoughts about the movie immediately afterward. When asked what they thought about the movie, the group erupted into numerous separate conversations that led to heated arguments. One thing the group could collectively agree upon was that they thought the movie was “Okay, but nothing special.” Some members commented that they would rather have seen more advance-
Ms. Mexis-Lumsden. Photo: Valiant Chan
on, Toronto Rocks (look it up)!
of Marc Garneau C.I.
EDITOR IN CHIEF DAVID HAO
Ms. Mexis-Lumsden
ments in the plot and creativity rather than just rebooting the old movies and paralleling the original. Other members agreed that the special effects alone made the movie worth watching. The club unanimously responded by saying that they had higher expectations for the movie overall. “The movie is great for people who haven’t watched the original Star Wars series,” said Kai Huang, a club member. The meeting was concluded with the bell ringing midway through a passionate conversation about plot holes in the recent movie. Club members planned future discussions on the director of the next film, its cast, and potential plot developments. Whether it is regarding the Jedi, Luke Skywalker, or the Death Star, every meeting brings a new discussion. At the Star Wars club, the force will be with you…always. ■
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P4
January 2016
VOL. 4 NO. 2
EDITORIAL Climate Change: It’s Our Problem, Too CLIMATE Continued from P1
Unions “Wynne” $7.1 Million Pizza Party by AREEBA ASGHAR
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Illustration: Amy Yan Despite the world’s newfound optimism on the battle against climate change, the end product of COP 21, the Paris Climate Change Agreement, leaves much to be desired. The agreement has set out long-term targets of limiting global warming to below two degrees Celsius while requiring countries to report emissions and progress every five years. Unfortunately, this leaves a large flaw: there is nothing legally binding to force countries to take action. This is because many nations don’t want to stunt economic growth to combat climate change. So who should bear the burden of reducing carbon emissions? A list of CO2 emissions by country reveals that developing nations such as China and India remain at, or near, the top of the list[3]. Total greenhouse gas emissions from China, India, Brazil and Indonesia make up more than 33.4% of global emissions[5]. Many carbon emissions come from factories within developing countries, which use massive amounts of energy from unsustainable sources. Some developed nations thus want developing nations to place greater emphasis on reducing emissions. However, this logic is flawed; per capita, citizens of developed countries have significantly greater carbon footprints. The developed countries of Canada, USA, Japan, and the European Union account for 40.4% of world emissions[4], despite the fact that they only represent about 13.6% of the total world population[5]. Furthermore, consequences of climate change such as natural disasters disproportionately impact developing nations, which are not well-equipped or sufficiently stable to deal with them. For instance, while developed countries have proper infrastructure to deal with potential floods caused by rising water levels, many developing countries do not. Moreover, any strong climate regulations would restrict developing
nations’ growing economies—limiting socioeconomic development. For the COP21 to be productive, developed countries, including Canada, need to step up and take initiative. Despite the many optimistic speeches from Justin Trudeau that “Canada is back,” Canada has yet to targets that will aim for the global temperature increase limit of two degrees Celsius. There has also been dissent among provincial leaders: Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall has argued that these climate regulations, such as carbon taxes, threaten the already weak Canadian economy. The fact is, Canadians, as well as the wide majority of citizens of developed nations, often fail to see that we, not the developing countries, are the root of the problem. It is easy for us to carry on with our daily lives, while turning a blind eye to the impacts of our wastefulness elsewhere. It is not enough for us to merely regulate our own industries and emissions. To solve this problem which we have created, we must encourage developing countries to use alternative energy sources and reduce emissions, without significantly compromising their economic and social growth. Ultimately, it is our duty as developed nations to take action, because we are the cause of the over consumption, wastefulness, and ignorance that have caused climate change in the first place. ■ [1] http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/08/cop21-is-too-male-dominated-and-has-male-priorities-says-un-special-envoy [2] http://www.cnbc.com/2015/12/08/ cop21-china-accused-of-blocking-progress-atparis-climate-talks.html [3] http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2011/jan/31/world-carbon-dioxide-emissions-country-data-co2 [4] https://www.ec.gc.ca/indicateurs-indicators/default.asp?lang=en&n=54C061B5-1 [5] http://europa.eu/about-eu/facts-figures/ living/index_en.htm
or the past few months, Ontario has been swept up in a whirlwind by teachers’ strikes across the province. Fighting for smaller class sizes, higher pay, and other benefits, some teachers’ unions have threatened to cancel report cards for students, while others have stopped extracurriculars. A few regions, such as Peel and Durham, also witnessed the shutting down of schools and cancellation of examinations. To top it off, Ontarians were left in further shock by the news that followed: 7.1 million dollars were recently handed out to negotiating teachers’ unions and school boards to compensate for their “expenses” during the 47 days of collective bargaining. This is 7.1 million dollars too many. During the endless hours of negotiations, union members must have had a stay at the Birmingham Palace and feasted on gold crusted pizzas—Minister of Education, Liz Sandals, surely made it seem so. 7.1 million dollars is an unnecessarily extravagant amount to be spent on “necessities”. Indeed, pizza parties for the striking teachers have gobbled up money that should have been directed to Ontario’s education system. Surely the provincial government realizes that they are not recounting a very convincing tale. With Premier Kathleen Wynne preaching transparency in provincial government, it is ironic that this event was not widely and clearly reported to Ontario residents. Bits of information were dropped here and there by the Minister and the Premier regarding the subject. Some press conferences were conducted, and the matter was briefly touched upon in an interview. Some vague arguments occurred in parliament. In any case, Ms. Wynne is certainly not living up to campaign promises. We also have to take into consideration that the government is funding those who they are bargaining against. Providing funds could potentially compel unions to prolong the bargaining process, something the government obviously should not want. The Liberals exclaim that paying for the unions’ expenses is their responsibility, but have yet to take into consideration the students and families who suffered during the bargaining process. If Ms. Wynne is bent on following these “fair” rules, and compensating the unions for their troubles, then she
Illustration: Chrystal Zhang has to consider everyone affected by the strike. Parents who work during school hours had to make arrangements for kids when schools went on strike. After all, daycares and babysitters do not come for free. Evidently, expenses were incurred by affected citizens during the strike, so why were they not compensated? The Premier, it seems, refuses to acknowledge the other side of the coin. More so, the provincial government can’t seem to decide whether paying for the unions’ expenses is customary practice, or whether it occurred due to the lengthy bargaining process. The new two-tier bargaining system, introduced in 2014, allows employers and staff to discuss and tailor specific terms and conditions in their agreement. Although this system makes strikes more difficult to occur, the two-tier bargaining system is an extremely stretched-out process. Sandals was quick to point out that the new system requires a greater amount of time than before, which rationalizes payment for the union’s expenses. However, a quick stroll down memory lane reveals that these payments are in fact not a new concept at all. Since 2008, the government has used 3.7 million of taxpayers’ dollars for negotiating costs. Some members, possibly unaware of the Minister’s excuse, saw this as a potential explanation to the payouts and started the blame game, saying,“It has been done in the past, so why question it now?”
The Cabinet Has Never Been a Meritocracy GENDER Continued from P1 But consider that for the first time in Canadian history, the appointed cabinet is now half female. Not only that, but it also features women in some of the most significant and influential ministerial posts. These choices are a significant move on Trudeau’s part to promote and encourage gender equality. This decision shows significant change from former Prime Minister Harper’s cabinet, which was made up of just 32% women [1]. It is also worth noting that in the older, larger Conservative cabinet, most of the female ministers occupied Minister of State posts, which are junior positions compared to the regular Minister posts. Under Trudeau, more publically influential ministries such as the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of International Trade, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, and the Ministry of Health are now being run by female ministers. While some people believe that the
Cabinet should be a meritocracy, merit and work experience within a specialized field have never been, and never should be, the only factor taken into consideration when choosing ministers. Previous experience is not the only qualification for a cabinet post, nor is it the most important. In the majority of cabinet posts, the prior experiences of a minister are often insignificant; the ministers are briefed on their roles, responsibilities and any relevant information to operate their ministry. In fact, each government ministry includes public service officials, whose roles are to advise and give recommendations to the government in order to ensure that the government can make informed decisions. Experience, while a bonus, is rarely necessary. Moreover, the federal cabinet is meant to be representative of the diverse population of Canada, including gender. Federal ministers are always reflective of population densities and settlement
Illustration: Joy Wang patterns, as governments are responsible for ensuring that the populations in each of the provinces and territories, as well as cultural minorities such as the First Nations, receive fair and equitable representation. Location representation is already one of the most significant factors considered when choosing the cabinet, and similarly it is important that both male and female citizens have fair representation. Often, if there is just one elected government MP from a specific province, they will be chosen as a min-
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ister to ensure regional representation in cabinet discussions and meetings. Gender is just as important a factor as languages, ethnicity, and culture, all of which are already considered in cabinet selection. There is no reason that gender should not be considered as well. Moreover, even if merit was the predominant factor in the selection process, most of the recently appointed female ministers certainly do not lack in this department. All the new ministers are more than qualified to make their own deci-
This internal rift amongst the government itself has left citizens more wary of its actions. While some Liberal members point to the bargaining system as reasoning for the payout, others believe compensation to be typical practice. The government is showing inexcusable indecisiveness on the issue. And if the Liberals do not even know what the cause of the problem is, how can they say their actions are justified? If the provincial government does decide that the new bargaining system was the cause of this event, then they should take action against it. Ontarians all across the province will agree that the government should focus on changing problematic policies, rather than dishing out money to unions. Conservative leader Patrick Brown made a statement exclaiming that the Liberal government is using students’ money for “a faulty negotiation process.” Ontario agrees. And as the Liberals are extremely fond of estimates, let’s make one ourselves. Decisions such as these will leave the Liberals riding the losing horse in future provincial elections. But of course, that is merely an estimation. ■ [1] http://www.thestar.com/yourtoronto/ education/2015/10/26/province-gave-schoolboards-46-million-to-bargain.html [2] http://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2015/10/24/kathleen-wynne-defends-paying-25m-for-union-negotiating-expenses.html
sions (which Trudeau, unlike his predecessor Stephen Harper, has permitted his ministers and foreign diplomats to do), with most possessing tremendous experience in their fields. For instance, the new Attorney General or Minister of Justice, Jody Wilson-Raybould, has had extensive experience as a crown prosecutor, treaty commissioner, BCAFN regional chief, and was a lawyer before entering public service as a politician. The new Minister of Health, Jane Philpott, has worked as a family physician, a Chief of the Department at a hospital, and an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto in the Department of Family and Community Medicine. Critics claiming that these female ministers will lead less capable ministries clearly haven’t done their homework. Canada’s new cabinet is gender-balanced, and there is no reason to complain. Just as the MPs’ riding locations are taken into consideration, so that the different cultures, languages and regions of Canada are reflected in the cabinet and their decisions, gender must also be considered so that both the male and female sides of the Canadian population are fairly and equally represented. ■ [1] http://www.parl.gc.ca/Parliamentarians/ en/ministries?ministryNumber=28&view=List
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EDITORIAL Stressing the Importance of Mental Well-Being STRESS Continued from P1 They may ask teachers for extended deadlines or rescheduled test dates on behalf of the student, if those are factors. Counsellors are very supportive and flexible with how they create solutions. A common misconception that students hold is that guidance must notify parents or guardians when a student comes in asking for help. This is not true. The only time guidance has a legal obligation to notify external parties is when a student displays evidence that their health is being threatened. In all instances, the counsellors will tell students what they plan on doing, so the student is always aware. Unfortunately, most students find it difficult to approach guidance and ask for help. The majority of students never get to know their counsellors beyond a general introduction. As a result, what amounts to approaching a stranger with very personal issues is not attractive to many. A quick one-on-one conversation to check in with each student to see how they’re doing can show students that educators are here to help in more ways than academically. This could be implemented into the timetable meetings that counsellors already have with each student. Counsellors could also work with teachers, which students may be more comfortable talking to, to establish other ways of receiving help. Guidance should further emphasize to students that parental notification is not mandatory. Many students do not know this, and see lack of privacy as a deterrent. Moreover, an underlying stigma associated with seeking external help further widens the gap between a struggling student and available assistance. The expected response to the question
I fully support the arrival of the Syrian refugees here in Canada. However, my family members seem to think otherwise, and are very irritated about the entire situation. How do I convince my family members to see the positive side of things? — Confused
“How are you doing?” is “Fine.” Yet many students are not fine. It is not uncommon to see students crying or hear about breakdowns. Whether it stems from feelings of awkwardness or helplessness, the common response to such occurrences is to turn a blind eye and “provide space” for that person. This kind of attitude increases the sense of isolation that someone in trouble feels. Collectively, we need to understand that problems like stress are universal. The next time you see a distraught friend, don’t ignore them. Be sensitive, but let them know they’re not alone. The results revealed by the GHI are not altogether surprising. Most people expect school to put more pressure on students as they get closer to their diploma. However, this does not mean the status quo cannot be improved. To counsellors: Please try and familiarize yourselves more intimately with students. Going to guidance for help should not feel like taking a leap of faith. Please also take more initiatives to demonstrate exactly what guidance can provide, because many students are not aware of your resources. To students: Ignorance of what is available should not be what keeps you sinking. Take some time to acquaint yourself with the many assistance options that are available, and understand that many of your peers are in the same boat. Academics are important, but there is no excuse to ignore our mental well-being and happiness now when those are exactly the things we each ultimately seek in life. ■ Infographic: Valiant Chan and Lila Huang
Clubs at Garneau – Budget Upheaval CLUBS Continued from P1 Although SAC’s method isn’t abysmal, significant flaws can be found. First, SAC needs to retain more data and create dossiers on clubs. It should record and store all information on the club’s form, as well as its year-to-year expenses. These changes will allow SAC to make budget-related decisions based on facts rather than speculation. The current system does not provide for clubs which only require a budget in one semester, and not the other. At the moment, SAC splits its budget for clubs in halves to be distributed each semester, so a club will receive approximately half of its assigned budget in each semester. This is beneficial to clubs that also require a budget in second semester, as there is still money left for them later on in the year; however, if a club needs all of its assigned budget in first semester, the money from second semester would be unnecessary. SAC should start fixing this problem by leaving a smaller amount of its total budget, perhaps 10 - 20%, for second semester. A majority of clubs are started at the beginning of the school year, so most are able to apply for budgets in first semester. For the clubs that start in or only apply for a budget in second semester, the 10 - 20% should be sufficient to cover their costs if all the money from first semester is used up. Secondly, SAC should ask when the requested money is needed. That way, clubs which only need money in first semester could be given priority and receive their money immediately. Clubs that only need their money in second semester could apply for additional funds then if they didn’t receive their requested amount in first semester. These changes to the system would allow clubs to receive the money that they need when they need it.
Finally, SAC should require clubs to write justifications for their requested budgets. At the moment, SAC has to decide, on its own, how essential each expense is to every club. However, it’s possible that it won’t fully understand or appreciate the club’s need for certain expenses. What seems like a frivolous expense at first glance, may in reality be integral to the club’s functioning. SAC should explicitly encourage clubs to write out reasons for their individual expenses. This will give a better idea of why each club needs money. These improvements in communication must come not only from the clubs, but also from SAC itself. At the moment, SAC offers no explanation for why clubs do, or do not, receive their full requested amounts of money. It’s possible to hound SAC for answers, but it shouldn’t be the responsibility of the clubs to ask SAC why it acted in the way that it did. Instead, SAC should be responsible for informing the club of the reasons for its actions. By hiding the reasons for budget allocations, the amounts given can come off as unfair, arbitrary, or inconsiderate. Furthermore, this behaviour can and has lead to clubs inflating their budget requests. On many occasions, SAC has given clubs budgets well below their requested amounts without any reasons listed. As a result, clubs often inflate their expenses in the hopes of getting at least some money, as they see no other way to obtain remotely adequate funds. An easy solution to this problem would be for SAC to publish its reasons for budget allocations in an easily accessible format. This would include the expense requests of each club, and the reasons for the acceptance, rejection, or modification of the requested amounts. This
way clubs would know why their requests weren’t being accepted, and either amend them the next semester or get rid of a certain cost entirely. Alongside this newfound transpar-
ency, SAC needs to improve its current criteria for budgets and develop a more systematic approach to their determination . First, SAC should create a general purpose for giving out budgets. This would create a solid basis on which tough decisions could be made. It would also provide guidance for future amendments to the policy. Secondly, SAC should write down what they look for in the content of the budget, and list the types of clubs which are most likely to receive a budget. For example, it might say that clubs which provide a service to the general school population will generally be more likely to receive a larger percentage of their desired budget, as opposed to clubs which serve a smaller niche. In order to make more consistent decisions about budgets, SAC should create a hierarchy for their considerations, which are listed in the online article. The most important one should be the quintessence of the content, as unessential items are luxuries that should only be available in times of prosperity. After this, the potential impact of the club should be considered. Next, the history of the
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club should be looked at, as it’s usually a good indicator of how the club will use its money. The size of the club should follow. The last listed consideration is only applicable to clubs applying for a budget for the second time. In this scenario, SAC should just view the money that the club already has as part of what it’s giving them for the year, so the new request would just be a supplement to that. Clubs are the school’s best medium
Why might your family be uncomfortable with the situation at hand? Let’s break down several reasons and address each one. Some general concerns with Syrian refugees are the amount of money that is going into the project, the security of Canada, and the number of people moving to Canada. In terms of security, the project has already been delayed due to screening processes that are required before any refugees are given the green light to move to Canada. They are also given an additional screening in Canada, at the airport when they arrive[1]. These checks include health and security, as well as their permanent residency status, as the first six thousand refugees arriving in 2015 are also privately sponsored. Furthermore, Canada’s refugee plan for 2016 is limited to families with women and children. While there is a lot of money going into the project (an estimated $876.7 million for this first year alone), remind them that we are talking about a human’s life, a life that we cannot put a price on. We are opening our borders and sharing our freedoms and values with those around the globe. But most importantly, we are demonstrating our Canadian values to these people, and showing them the kindness and hospitality which have defined us for so long. Canada has received praise from all over the world for providing care to its refugees. If your family does not believe in the intangibles, a study done by Giovanni Peri of University of California and Devis and Mette Foged of University of Copenhagen show that an influx of new immigrants tend to raise wages for everyone else[2]. Although it is a long term investment (with a big starting cost), it pays off as it boosts the economy. While 25 000 may seem like a lot, it is merely a drop in the bucket, as 10 million Syrians, and counting, have been driven from their homes. We are merely helping out by providing shelter. Moreover, other European countries have been doing much more than Canada to aid Syria. Sweden has accepted 670 000 since last year. Germany? 450 000. Even Finland, which has one seventh the size of Canada’s population, has accepted 30 000 refugees[3]. If your neighbour’s house was on fire, wouldn’t you rush to put it out, rather than sit and think about whether the fire would spread to you? Canada is part of the global community, and we should all be glad to be part of the solution. [1] http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/refugee-screening-areas-set-up-at-toronto-montreal-airports-1.2691806 [2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/ wonk/wp/2015/09/10/the-big-myth-about-refugees/ [3] http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/ matthew-fisher-time-for-a-reality-check-on-canadas-generosity-toward-refugees
I keep on thinking that I put my sock on backwards, inside out, or some combination of the two. I would like to check and correct it but it is socially unacceptable to do such a thing in public. Help? – Hopelessly Worried
for students to explore their passions and fulfill their dreams. Unfortunately, money is often a necessity for them to function. In order to ensure that the optimal amount of students can pursue their passions, an effective method of distributing money to clubs is a necessity. Otherwise, the students that fall through the cracks will be relegated to a life of work, study, and lost dreams. ■ Illustrations: Jeffrey Liu
Your problem can be solved in a variety of ways. Firstly, consider placing small sharp hooks on the outside of your sock. This way, if they’re truly inside out, you’ll feel them digging into your skin. Alternatively, you can wear really big boots and a gown. This way you can nonchalantly stretch your arms down and feel your socks without looking too weird. This also has the added benefit of allowing you to discretely invert them inside the boot. If all else fails, you can find a tall friend and hide behind him/her while you check and adjust your socks.
If you seek counsel from The Reckoner like the individuals above, send us a question at www.thereckoner.ca/ask-thereckoner
Do you have a response to an article in this issue? Make your voice heard! Contact us at editorinchief@thereckoner.ca.
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P6
January 2016
VOL. 4 NO. 2
LIFE Self-Defense by MOUJAN SADERI
A
boy whispers lovingly to a rose, sweet words complimenting the perfection of its form.
and was swiftly plucked off its bush and killed. A bird who is friends with a shy and guarded snail, sings songs of desire and joy.
“With silky petals, of a soft and pure hue, under scintillating drops of morning dew and rain, “Your presence in my life is a present, your elegance is beyond belief.” your company a gift from the gods, and every moment I spend by your side, “And yet your thorns will become a cherished memory in my mind.” — vicious and unkind to my affectionate hands — prevent me from caressing your delicate skin, “And yet your shell and showing you how much you mean to me.” — so unfeeling and cold — prevents me from seeing your truth. The hopeful rose, You hide from me, dropped every one of its thorns, from my tenderness and warmth,
as you hide yourself from the light.” The snail, not wanting to lose a dear friend, emerged from his shell, and sat exposed. Until the bird, his dear friend, bent down and devoured his unprotected form. The rose abandoned its thorns, as the snail abandoned its shell, and it brought about their demise. So excuse me for trembling when you ask me to drop my indifference. ■
Illustration: Joy Wang
AWAKENING by HANNAH LEE
T
I by AREEBA ASGHAR
Perfect
by GREATON TAN
his is the kind of sleep that feels impossible to wake up from. It takes several moments for you to shake away the drowsiness, rub the grit out of your eyes, and wait for that pins-and-needles feeling in your arms to dissolve. By the time you manage to press the buttons that release you from the harness, you’ve woken up enough to start remembering things. Do you still know your name? Yep. Date of birth? Sure. Current location? Yeah, you’re in outerYou cough. Hard. You half-choke on your own phlegm before flinging open the door of the sleep pod and crossing the room to hawk into the appropriate sanitation bin. The automatic door doesn’t open automatically, so you have to turn the manual wheel and heave to slide the door open on its tracks. “Hello?” You call out into the dim light of the hall, your voice feeling like sand in your throat from disuse. A name pops into your head. “Eugene?” You trudge up the hallway, finally reaching the ship’s bridge to take in the dimness of the area. None of the lights are on. None of them turn on as you near them like they should. The machines don’t respond. None of the computers start up. Then it finally hits you why it’s so dark on the bridge, and not just because the ship has lost power. There aren’t any stars beyond the ship’s windows. No distant planets reflecting a sun’s light. You think hard, but no more of your memories
t was 6:45 in the morning when she died. The birds were singing their constant chirps and the sun dawdling on the horizon. Amongst the perfect town of perfect houses and perfect people, a not so perfect morning had dawned. With steaming hot mugs and whining children in tow, the perfect residents left their homes. They smiled contentedly at the daisies springing from their lawn, the manicured hedges neatly tucked in the background. Shrill screams from pig-tailed chubby girls and scrawny little boys brought them out of their facade. They saw the edges of the daisies wilting, the unnoticed fades of the yellow petals. The mismatched cutting of the front hedges, the drooping bark of the willow tree. They saw it all through her eyes, a mocking black abyss, open even in face of death. They stared at the stained roads that were once a perfect shade of gray, now tainted with flickers of red. And in that moment they awoke, returning back to the colors of this world. The crumbling lives and the broken walls visible
seem to be coming back. You don’t know where the ship is or even what year it is; you don’t know what country you’re from, your favourite book, your first net username. All you can recall is that name, Eugene, and you don’t even remember who it belongs to. “Eugene?” You call again, and then again, louder and louder even when your voice begins to break. The sleep cycles are usually timed. The extended-sleep machines have specific settings because they’re only to be used in emergencies: if supplies get low, if major equipment malfunctions, or, like you always hoped, if astronauts encounter non-human life forms that turn out to be hostile. Yet, as you leave the bridge and wander the ship, you know without a doubt that you’ve been under for much longer than a year. The length of your hair and nails prove that, especially since their growth was stunted by the machine. You leave the hair as it is, but take a moment to clip off the excess nail. “Eugene?” You walk from one end of the ship to the other, but don’t encounter Eugene. He should be here, you think. There’s only one sleep machine, as someone has to man the controls. The only other ways off the ship are the pressure-locked doors and the escape pods, and you can see that both of them are still securely in place. You’re haunted by the impossibility of it all. There should at least be a body if Eugene is still
onboard. You whisper a quick prayer asking that you will find the body of your friend, even if it’s just some wizened, leathery bag of dust stretched out on the bench in the eating area, which is stocked with food and supplies. You can see that Eugene didn’t eat much before whatever happened, happened. You search the ship again, crawling into every space, pressing every button in the desperate hopes that something will happen. There’s a moment when you think you heard a machine respond, but it turns out to have been nothing but your own heartbeat thudding in your ears. “Why is this happening?” You call out. You’re talking just to keep the silence at bay. “Eugene?” You make your way back to the bridge and collapse into one of the chairs at the controls. You stare out the window, not sure if you’re imagining the pinpricks of light you see in the distance or if you’re actually catching glimpses of stars. Eugene probably put you under… to protect you or hide you from something, right? You try to run through all the possible scenarios in your head, but every time you try to go through one logically, all you end up thinking about is that you’re lost out in uncharted space. Alone. ■
in every eye, struggling gasps and intense breaths on mouths. And then they collapsed, a million paper carvings crumbling down. But then they wheeled her away in their perfect white coats and perfect black vans. They cleaned the roads, a perfect gray shade again. The paper carvings rose, breathed back to life. They smiled and they grinned at the daisies springing from their lawn, the manicured hedges neatly tucked in the background. Once again they clung to the perfect contrasts, burying away the unwanted shades. And in the perfect town of perfect homes and perfect people, one less existed. ■ Illustration: Joy Wang
So You Think You Can Small Talk by CINDY ZENG
A
re you socially awkward and uncomfortable with talking to people? Confused on social etiquette and curious about the world? Wondering if there’s anything you can do to make things better? You’ve come to the right place! As a well-seasoned veteran in the art of conversation, I’m here to help. In this guide, I’ll teach you four easy acts you must do when meeting new people. I can vouch for their effectiveness – I’ve done them all! STEP 1: THE HANDSHAKE Suppose you’re mingling at your second cousin’s 20th birthday bash, and you’re standing in a room full of strangers with a non-alcoholic fruit cocktail in your hand, nervously shifting your weight from your left foot to your right, when all of a sudden, your friend comes over and introduces you to a new person. He extends one hand and you know
you need to shake it. How do you make a strong impression? Consider doing a Weird Handshake, which is like a normal handshake but designed to show off your fun and quirky personality! Grasp his hand by the fingers and pull on them, slowly but surely, like you’re milking a cow, and say, “I work on a dairy farm.” Or take his hand and engage in mid-air sawing, like you’re cutting through an imaginary log, and say, “I’m a lumberjack!” Or negate the talking and just do both actions at once, while staring soulfully into his eyes. This will be the icebreaker you need to step past the frontiers of stranger danger and into a lifelong friendship. If anything else, your conversation partner sure will remember you. STEP 2: INTRODUCTION Now that you’ve initiated contact, the conversation needs to keep flowing.
Typical small talk usually consists of remarks about the weather, schoolwork, or how badly you’re failing math, served over coffee and the occasional dry silence in which both of you raise your cup to drink so you don’t have to say anything. You can do better than this. Ask the tough questions. Ask questions that are thought provoking, that sometimes have lasting psychological effects. Vampires or werewolves? Twilight or Harry Potter? What do you wish for most in this world? What is your greatest fear? Why did your father leave your family when you were seven years old? Was it something you did? Does it keep you up at night? Did you ever get over your abandonment issues? It’s okay to cry, you know. It’s okay to cry. STEP 3: CONTINUATION If the conversation is beginning to dwindle away, do not fret, the socializa-
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tion doesn’t have to end. Invite him to play chess with you. Engage in a brutal, fight-to-the-death, unsympathetic chess duel. Destroy his king, lest your king be destroyed by him. You do not have to talk. It is not necessary. It is only a distraction. If you win, you will have successfully asserted your dominance over his weaker chess abilities. You will be able to drive conversation anywhere you want, much like how a shepherd would herd sheep. (He is the sheep. You are the shepherd.) If you lose, well. It’s awkward. Don’t lose. STEP 4: RESOLUTION What a successful night of socializing! You’re tired but happy, and ready to call it a day. How do you end the conversation with a bang? Thank your partner for a wonderful time, and tell him you’d like to do this
again one day. Then take out the Sky Rocket 3000 Deluxe you keep in your bag, the biggest, most explosive, most awesome and colourful fireworks in the entire Western Hemisphere! Take them out, and light them up. Say goodbye. The Sky Rocket detonates. The house burns down. In the smoke, you disappear. And there he stands, face smudged and gritty with dirt, coughing, squinting through the darkened night. ■
*NOTE: The Reckoner strongly advises against following this guide. The author lives under a rock, and has no idea what she’s talking about.
January 2016
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VOL. 4 NO. 2
LIFE Risqué Ridin’ in the Wild West Reads by HELLEN LI
REVIEWS Continued from P1
A Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez six out of six gold fishes Plot: Yes. There is plot. It follows the generations of the family Buendía through the history of the mythical city Macondo. It intertwines magical realism with the storytelling one would hear from one’s grandmother. Yes there is a sexually promiscuous person, and she has a couple children with different people in the family. The cyclical nature of the characters is very intelligently crafted, and the culture and mood of the lonely city comes across very effectively. Writing Style: Yes, it’s written well. It reads like the Bible: straightforward and unquestioning. Are there big words? Not really. Popularity: Yes it is very popular, but I don’t like it because it’s popular. The book is almost 500 pages long; I wouldn’t read all of it if I didn’t like it. Foreign: Yes it’s foreign. Do I feel more cultured after reading it? A little, to be honest, although it’s never going to come in handy in real life. Appropriate: Pretty appropriate except for the incest and child brides, and that goes over pretty well because it’s tradition and foreign. (When you read stuff like this you really need to drop our modern attitudes). Residue: Yes, I enjoyed it enough to read it again. Do I remember the plotline? Not really, it went on for 500 pages. Any problems: The book uses approximately two names the entire book. Through three generations. One guy has seventeen sons and they’re all called Aureliano. Get a family tree if you decide to tackle this book. The Bad Girl by Mario Vargas Llosa four and a half pseudonyms out of six Plot: Yes, there is plot, but the same thing happens again and again. The protagonist is very obsessed with this girl his entire life, and it follows their relationship as she keeps showing up as different people, with different names and different men, in his life. It’s very Madame Bovary-esque, except I actually made it through this book, unlike Madame Bovary. Yes, there is definitely a sexually promiscuous character. The book revolves around a sexually promiscuous character. If you’re interested in the politics and corruption of Latin America, especially Peru, this book contains a lot of that. Writing Style: Honestly, I don’t remember. I remember being captivated when reading it, so it must have been okay. Popularity: No, it’s not that popular. Foreign: Yes it’s foreign. Do I feel more cultured after reading it? Not really. Just empowered. I now have a goal in life. Appropriate: There are a couple explicit scenes, but they’re not especially long. Residue: Yes, I really enjoyed the ‘bad girl’. She did what she wanted to do, and took what she wanted when she wanted. Will I remember her? Yeah. Do I kinda want to be her? Yeah. Any problems: If I was the man, I would leave her. But he holds on, like a little parasite who is more lover than man. ■
Evergreen Brickworks by YILIN ZHU
by JESSICA FUNG
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VOL. 4 NO. 2
P8
January 2016
by DEIFILIA TO Having heard rumours about the historic open-concept design of Marc Garneau Collegiate (formerly named Overlea Secondary School), Deifilia To, the News Manager of The Reckoner, delved into the school’s past, accessing yearbooks from the 1970s, and speaking with retired teachers who taught at the school’s conception. Special thanks go out to the many teachers that helped provide interviews and additional information. Before Overlea Secondary School was opened in 1973, students were studying at Valley Park. In May of 1974, students and staff took a historic march across Overlea, walking from Valley Park over to Overlea Secondary School. They then signed a log, approximately 4 meters long, that holds the signatures of all students and staff. Though the school has undergone many changes since its conception, the most notable one is the name. From the beginning, Overlea Secondary School offered basic, applied, academic, and gifted classes. Other schools in the area did not offer as many choices – East York Collegiate had academic and applied, while Leaside had only academic. As a result, students that preferred taking basic or applied classes had to transfer to Overlea. The other schools began sending not just weaker students to Overlea, but also their ‘problem’ students. Overlea’s reputation began to falter. We became Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute in an attempt to rebrand the school in 1987. The school entered an agreement with SPAR to connect with the space program. Marc Garneau, Canada’s first astronaut (and later turned politician) decided to visit the school. The image of the school was transformed. As a tribute to the space program to be housed at Marc Garneau Collegiate, we had a piece of moon rock on display at the reopening of the school.
HISTORY
Students perform an experiment in the laboratory. Prior to 1998, the school had a famous open-concept design. There were large open spaces, and classrooms were separated by partitions. In order to get from one location to another, students often had to walk through other classrooms, and into other classes. If there was a phone ringing in one class, it could also be heard by other students down the hall. The space was described as a Costco warehouse with partitions put into place to divide the space between classes. Before the renovation, the school had different rooms it does today. There used to be a room to house animals, where gerbils and other animals were kept as pets, seven technology rooms on the first floor, and even a smoking room for teachers to enjoy cigarettes during the day. On a side note, the school’s mascot has always been a A photo of Overlea Secondary cougar. Here’s what the old mascot used to look like. School’s mascot.
Culture-wise, the school has transformed a lot over the years. Regardless, there are teachers who say that the school has always been filled with a sense of academic vitality, and a willingness to help one another. It has gone through a physical transformation, but managed to maintain the sense of school spirit that the school is well-known for.
The culture of the school has also transformed over time. Right from the beginning, the school used to have a house system. Students from all four grades were divided into four houses. There were academic, athletic, and spirit competitions between the houses. This feature helped raise school spirit, and allowed younger students to interact with senior students more readily. The system was stopped in the 1980s. Flemingdon has always been an immigrant dense neighbourhood; there were always many cultures being represented at any given time. The international show we run today was also run in the 70s and 80s. The shows in the past typically began with a ‘Parade of Nations’. Students dressed in the cultural clothes of their home countries walked onto stage in a line. (Interestingly enough, they had a difficult time finding someone who was strictly Canadian.) Nowadays, the show is still an important part to the school’s cultural spirit, with 450 tickets being sold for the show in 2015. There used to be an annual bikeathon held in the track around the back field. This was done to raise money for school clubs and charities. Students (or clubs) would form teams. Each team was required to have one member biking around the track at all times, from 4:00 pm on one day, to 4:00 pm on the next. In the past, the school held O-day (Olympics Day)—each year, allowing students in different houses to compete against each other. It is analogous to the Grade 9 day that is currently held annually. O day helped students have fun, and helped Students show off the traditional outfits of different cultures in a Parade of Nations. raise the school spirit. Overlea Secondary School used to be equipped Marc Garneau was a school built around the space program. with a lively music program, complete with strings, EDUCATION (In fact, the major drawing point to TOPS in the early years band, a synthetic music group, and a choir. Since was the fact that the school was particularly focused around space science.) The Garthen, the program has greatly diminished. (Alneau chapter of Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS) ran though, to be fair, we did have a very successful arts from 1991 to 2003. In this club, students would conduct research on various topics night in late December.) pursuant to space. (A sample project studied fluid dynamics in a microgravity environment. Students assisted Canadian astronaut Marc Garneau—and our namesake Over time, three dis—on this project.) Another year, students were able to work with the Canadarm. PROGRAMS tinct specialized programs have been started at the school—TOPS, SHSM, and BSAP. The Reckoner covered these three programs in specialized feature articles last year. These can be found online at thereckoner.ca.
CULTURE
The school has always been bustling with clubs— two notable ones are the Biology club, and SEDS. The Biology club was the longest running club in our school, and ran from 1974 to 2004. The club actively took regularly students out on field trips to campsites and hikes.
CLUBS
Students in the SEDS club present Marc Garneau with a t-shirt.
The Biology club on a camping trip.
Other events that used to be characteristic of Marc Garneau’s unique culture are long gone. The school held Moonbase Garneau, setting up four domes in the technology lab (across from the library), that each monitored a specific aspect of life—including food and sleep. Students spent a weekend living in the domes, simulating what it was like to live on the moon.
An artistic rendition of the school’s floor plan prior to the renovation in 1998. Illustration: Valiant Chan
Illustrations: Valiant Chan and Joy Wang
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