VOL. 5 NO. 5
March 2017
P1
Fraser Institute Receives a Failing Grade by EMMA WAI, VARUN VENKATARAMANAN, and PARNIKA GODKHINDI
I
Photo: Cindy Cui
n February 2017, Marc Garneau made headlines as the third fastest-improving school in the GTA [1] on the Fraser Institute’s highly anticipated annual “report card,” a list of high school rankings by province. Using “objective, publicly-available data such as average scores on province-wide tests,” also known as standardized testing, the Fraser Institute ranks schools on their basic mathematical and English proficiency [2]. While standardized tests can be a reasonable indicator of education quality, relying on them alone is dangerous. Despite this, parents habitually use these rankings to determine where to send their children to school; unfortunately, the report’s faulty presentation and lack of transparency regarding its methodology make it easy for parents to be misled by the data. The basics of Fraser Institute’s data processing are simple: each school is given a rating out of 10, which is then used to determine an overall rank out of the 740 schools on the list. Often, readers assume that a mark below 5 signifies a “failing” grade, indicative of exceptionally poor school performance. In reality, Fraser Institute designs its school ratings so that the average rating is 6. Hence, a rating lower than 6 merely indicates that the
school performed poorly in relation to the other schools in Ontario; it is not indicative of a school’s actual performance on standardized tests. Although relative ratings are useful when comparing schools to one another, they can be deceptive when used to judge a school’s actual performance. This is because ratings are based on other schools’ performances, rather than being a literal representation of student results. Therefore, a difference of one or two points between ratings is not directly proportional to the difference in teaching quality between schools. A plot of each school’s rating, out of 10 (located on P3), against its overall provincial ranking produces a trend with a small slope of -0.0077 in the middle region. This indicates that there are many schools here grouped together with little variation in rating. For example, St. Francis Secondary School, with a rating of 6.8, is ranked 259 out of 740 Ontarian schools, while Chatham-Kent Secondary School, with a rating of 6.3, is ranked only 358. Because these schools lie within the large block of average-scoring schools, their Fraser Institute ratings only differ by 0.5, but their rankings are separated by 100 schools. This distribution is problematic because a
minimal difference in ratings results in a deceptively substantial disparity in ranking. The way Fraser Institute presents its rankings is also flawed. Ontario offers schools of varying size, with students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds; these discrepancies are not clearly indicated on the institute’s “report card.” While the website does offer options to filter through the data based on specific criteria, the process is far from straightforward. There is no distinction made between schools that have more resources, such as higher per-student funding. More affluent schools, such as private schools, teach students whose parents can offer more academic support. Unsurprisingly, these schools tend to have higher scores [4]. On the other hand, schools with a larger population of ESL students score lower on standardized literacy tests, and inevitably receive a lower rank—even if they maintain a high quality of teaching. Given these variations, and the relative nature of the ratings, the Fraser Institute should be more explicit about the variables they account for and rank private and public schools separately.
by VARUN VENKATARAMANAN and CHENG CHENG LIN
See FRASER on P3
Infographic: Lila Huang
Spending Worth Defending
Saying Hello to the VAPE STORE T
by HENRY TANG and CHENG CHENG LIN
he 180 Smoke Vape Store officially opened on 2 February 2017. Located at the Flemingdon Park Shopping Centre, the store’s cabinets are filled with selections of e-cigarettes and vaporizers. Since December 2016, the black and green sign on top of the store’s entrance has caught the attention of plaza visitors. While some may be wary about the store’s commodities, the 180 Smoke employees say their objective is simple: to promote vape as an alternative to smoking. The 180 Smoke Vape Store is a Canadian-founded chain that sells domestically produced e-cigarettes, e-liquids, and vaporizers. The Flemingdon location is one of the twenty-seven 180 Smoke branches across Canada. It offers an alternative to smoking by selling e-cigarettes with various amounts of nicotine. As such, the company motto is “Turn Your Life 180.” Vaping involves the vaporization of a liquid known as an “e-liquid” or “e-juice.” When inhaled, the liquid produces a sensation similar to that of regular smoking. The liquid’s vaporization does not involve any combustion, which is why 180 Smoke Vape Store says vapers have a lower risk of cancer than smokers. However, due to the presence of nicotine in the e-liquid, vaping is still an
addictive activity and may be abused. Studies have yet to determine whether vaping is truly a safer alternative to regular smoking. To purchase vape products, customers must be able to provide the store with valid identification proving that they are over the age of nineteen. In fact, employees at the 180 Smoke Vape Store are not allowed to speak to anyone under the age of nineteen about vape unless given consent from the individual’s parents. When asked about why the store was opened, one employee said that the store aims to sell to “people looking to quit smoking.” However, the store also sells to those who vape out of their own interest. The employee said that since its grand opening, the store has been “quite successful” and will likely remain open for the time being. Another employee spoke about why he works at the 180 Smoke Vape Store. Having been a former smoker himself, he saw vape as a healthier alternative. By working in a vape store, he was encouraged to further distance himself from smoking and pick up vaping instead. The Flemingdon store is located near three schools: Grenoble Public School, Valley Park Middle School, and Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute. Because of the Vape
W
Photo: Sophia Liu Store’s legal responsibilities to sell only to consumers over nineteen years of age, it has had little effect on the school communities. Mr. Battaglia, the principal of Valley Park Middle School, said that he had not heard of the store until The Reckoner approached him for an interview. He also said that he has received no complaints from parents or school staff about the store. Similarly, Ms. Goldenberg said she had not heard of the vape store until The Reckoner contacted her. The administration of Grenoble Public School declined an interview. See VAPE on P2
www.thereckoner.ca
OP-ED by LAWRENCE PANG
ith the stunning news of Trump’s executive orders on immigration, another one of Trump’s key decisions could be overshadowed—the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) are at risk of being defunded, while the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) could be privatized. This would eliminate twenty-three hundred arts and almost nine hundred humanities grants, saving a total of $741 million [1]. Though excessive government spending is certainly an issue, funding for the arts should not be the focus of political concern. The goal of these budget cuts is, ostensibly, to save money. Granted, the cost of each of these funds is below $200 million dollars annually, less than the budget for a single Trump hotel [2]. All three combined represent only 0.016% of all government spending [3]. Clearly, these cuts will save very little. Of course, very little differ-
ence is not the same as none at all, and one could argue that when it comes to eliminating inefficient spending, every dollar counts. Certainly, many of the projects funded by these organizations have doubtful practical, or even artistic, value. The list of grants described as “silly” or “wasteful” includes pieces such as a video game based on Thoreau’s “Walden Pond,” or a dance project called “Doggie Hamlet” involving competitive sheep herding [2]. But any large-scale program is bound to have hits and misses. For every target of ridicule and every “Doggie Hamlet,” there are also wildly successful grants like “Treasures of Tutankhamen,” which attracted millions of tourists to museums across the country [1]. Government funds were involved in sixteen Pulitzer Prize-winning books and the creation of the Sundance Festival, which sold over $95 million in films last year [3][4]. See SPENDING on P3
VOL. 5 NO. 5
P2
March 2017
NEWS Black History Month: Celebrating Our Diversity
F
by AIMAN ALTAF
ebruary is Black History Month in Canada and the United States. The month is dedicated to honouring historical individuals and events in African history and heritage. Like most schools in Toronto, MGCI has hosted a number of events to celebrate the impact of notable Black-Canadians. Specifically, Marc Garneau’s Social Justice and Equity Committee (SJEC) and Mr. Alexander’s English Learning Development classes have organized initiatives to raise awareness of Black-Canadian heritage. At the start of second semester, Mr. Alexander’s English Learning Development class created posters that were displayed on the second and third floor walls. Each poster had information about a different African country for MGCI students to read if they were interested. With the help of Mr. Alexander, Ms. Miller, and Ms. Mexis, the English Learning Development class shared each country’s unique culture and traditions. Mr. Alexander said that he hopes students “will gain a greater understanding of these groups of people, whose members are a part of our community.” To increase awareness for Black History Month, SJEC organized a Black History banner in the galleria, a social media campaign, and announcements commemorating Black historical figures. Featuring a timeline of important Black-Canadian figures and events, the banner demonstrates Canada’s social progress. SJEC also held two interactive events to teach students the roles and challenges faced by Black individuals. The first event happened on 22 February, during Period 4 in Room 339. Three speakers from the University of Toronto were invited to talk about the importance of Black History and its correlation with leadership. The three talked about their personal hurdles in obtaining leadership roles as a minority, as well as their roles in Black student engagement at the university due to underrepresentation.
To engage students in the discussion, the speakers conducted a question and answer session about their leadership experiences and how the experiences could be different for minorities. Some of the main issues that surfaced were a lack of knowledge about opportunities, social networks, financial support, and self-motivation. There was a lot of discussion on social change and how the state of marginalized communities can be improved. About twenty-five students attended, including two leadership groups who felt the knowledge they gained through the seminar was valuable. The second interactive activity occurred on 27 February during lunch in the galleria. SJEC set up a table in front of their timeline banner and prompted students to answer trivia questions related to Black History for a treat. Meanwhile, runners went around the school to encourage people to sign white paper doves, which were later added to the timeline banner. When Hira Durvesh, a member of SJEC, was asked about the importance of Black History Month, she said, “Black History Month is about celebrating different cultures. Every month we do different things, but this month we focus on countries where Black culture is well represented.” Lisa Wang, the president of SJEC, added, “It is about recognizing the significance of the contributions of different ethnic groups, particularly in Canada and countries in Africa.” When asked about what could be done to improve the campaign next time, Lisa responded, “I think we should have more presence in the galleria. This time, we limited it to just one event because we thought it would maximize the impact.” Overall, SJEC worked tirelessly to raise awareness and honour Black History Month in Marc Garneau through their various events and campaigns. They ultimately succeeded in showing the importance of celebrating and recognizing diversity. ■
Photo: Cindy Cui
Memories & Magnolias M
by HANNAH NIE
y grandmother braided my hair every day in first grade. I hated it. I hated the way the two plaited pigtails ran down my back in lumpy knots, like two ropes hanging off my head. I hated the overwhelming scent of green tea that hovered around her as she weaved through my hair. I hated her heavy countryside accent, distorting the stories she’d tell. “When I was a little girl like you, my grandma also braided my hair. Every day,” she’d say, with a hair tie held in her mouth. She showed me old photos of her, her sisters, and her friends. They all wore long, dark braids—and I knew that their mothers, grandmothers, and great grandmothers had probably done the same. I would’ve been one of those girls, I realized, if I weren’t living halfway across the Earth.
Semi-Formal
in Sin City
by JESSICA GUO and TOM LIU
O
n 24 February 2017, SAC held the annual Semi-Formal dance at Celebrations Banquet Hall from 5:00 to 10:30 pm. Organized by Social Convener Fariha Haleem, attendees were encouraged to dress according to the Las Vegas theme. In total, over two hundred people attended the dance, a number much higher than SAC’s original goal of one hundred to one hundred fifty. “It was amazing that so many students wanted to participate,” said Fariha. SAC broke even with ticket sales, bringing in over eight hundred dollars in profits. Most of the revenue went towards hosting DJ Haresh, the venue, decorations, and gift bags. Upon arriving, attendees completed mandatory bag checks with the teacher supervisors. They were then given beaded necklaces and entered a room decorated with balloons, sparkles, and poker chips, following the Las Vegas and casino theme. There was also a photo booth with props for guests. SAC kicked off the evening by gathering people to participate in musical chairs, where the winners received gift cards as prizes. As promised, dinner was served in buffet-style at approximately 7:00 pm. There were a variety of choices, all Halal to accommodate the attendees. Dessert consisting of ice cream, fruit, and drinks was also offered later in the night. The dance floor opened promptly after dinner and was crowded until its closing at 10:30 pm. Awards in the form of gift bags were given to Agnes Veres-Sogi and Aamer Said for being the best female and male dancers respectively, Raaba Ahmad and Maria Yousuf for best couple, Sajjel Naveed and Ungabeen Khalid for cutest BFFs, and Akbar Qayumi for best selfie taken. Semi-Formal was well-received by its participants. Compared to the previ-
Photo: Matthew Tse ous year, SAC President Zaid Baig said, “It had the highest amount of attendees and was also the very first Semi to have an agenda.” Zaid also said that it was the first dance with icebreakers and games, an addition he thinks made the dance more enjoyable. When asked about the dance, student Asma Karodalia said, “I think the food is great. I’m happy that I got to come with my friends.” However, some students also said that they would have preferred a larger dance floor and that they were discouraged by the ticket prices. Semi was primarily advertised on social media and by word of mouth. SAC also released a promotional video on YouTube of the school mascot, the Cougar, asking various students to go to Semi with him. The first fifty tickets were sold at an early-bird price of thirty dollars,
while the rest were sold at thirty five dollars for MGCI students and forty dollars for guests. Ticket sales occurred from 9 February to 23 February during lunch at the SAC office. SAC had originally planned the Semi-Formal dance to be held in late-November, but there were scheduling conflicts with other events, mainly Key Club’s SCAW night. The organizers decided that February would be the optimal time to have the dance to prevent conflicts. The 2017 Semi-Formal was a great success. The flavourful food along with the energetic dance made this event an amazing experience for both students and teachers. Ms. Goldenberg commented, “I think the organizers did a terrific job and everyone had a good time. It looked fabulous.” ■
Vape Store Opens in Flemingdon VAPE Continued from P1
The majority of the students interviewed also did not know about the existence of the vape store, or exactly what vaping is, prior to being questioned. Out of those who knew, many did not support the opening of a vape store in the area. One individual said, “Although vaping is better than actual smoking, it’s still bad for you and isn’t really a real fix, more like a temporary solution. Theoretically,
My parents and I emigrated from China to Canada in June 2006. I was five years old at the time, and I only recall the slightest snippets of moments—we had been living in a small apartment in Shenzhen, a seaside city, but I don’t remember how often we went to the beach. There was a pavilion in the community park where I would rollerblade and play tag with my friends. On hot summer days (most days in Shenzhen), I loved sitting in the nook between my bed and my bookshelf to read. My parents were quick to boast that as a kindergartener, I had already memorized over two thousand characters in the Chinese language. I could recite a slew of Chinese poems and idioms. Academics have always been valued in my family, and in China, they meant success and prestige. My father grew up in the countryside, and my mother grew up in a small town named Jingshan. My grandfather on my mother’s side was a professor, but the other members of my family did not receive very high levels of education. China’s university entrance exam is highly competitive, and resources are scarce in the countryside. If you made it through high school without dropping out because of family duties on the farm,
since you have to be nineteen to vape, students shouldn’t be affected but people could get fake IDs and illegally vape.” Other students believe that the vape store is beneficial to the community, as it provides an alternative for those who have addictions to smoking and find it difficult to quit. When asked, Ali Bokhari said, “The recently opened vape store is probably a great contribution for those who have
the nation-wide exam would be considered a make-or-break moment for your future. Without a university degree, many students, especially those living in the countryside, would be fated to live as farmers or labour workers. Working hard to succeed in school is one of my parents’ highest values, as it was only through their vigorous studies that they were accepted into a top university in China. After all they had been through, my parents looked to Canada as a land of opportunities—especially educational opportunities, without the excruciating pressure of China’s university exams. To them, education was vital; it opened doors to amazing things, and Canada was the key. For the first months, it was difficult settling down. I couldn’t communicate with anyone at school, and responded to questions with only smiles and nods. Canadian customs confused me: why was there a day dedicated to wearing pyjamas to school? Yet, I’m glad that I immigrated to Canada at such a young age. While the move was probably a stressful venture for my parents, after leaving their family, their jobs, and everything they’d known, five-year-old me approached the new country as an ad-
www.thereckoner.ca
a habit of smoking. It helps those who have the urge to smoke constantly to smoke something of less harm.” Ali also said that he believes the age restriction protects underage students from vaping and is reassuring to parents. As a vendor of the newest smoking alternative, 180 Smoke Vape Store offers smokers in the Flemingdon area a temporary solution in their fight to overcome tobac-
venture. I discovered new things: cheese pizza, snow, multiculturalism, all of which I welcomed into my definition of normality without a second thought. English grew on me quickly and I became my parents’ translator, while stutters started appearing in my Mandarin. When my grandparents left after their first visit with us in Canada, I was elated to be able to wear my hair down, for once, like a Disney princess—not a farm girl! Traditional Chinese customs seemed outlandish to me, and I fought to be rid of them. It wasn’t until the summer before third grade that I visited my hometown in China and saw my grandparents in person again. It seemed that my grandmother had given up her interest in braiding my hair. Instead, she took me by the arm and led me to a small alley, wedged between our house and the neighbours’. A tree grew there, blooming with cream white magnolias. “Beautiful, ah?” She grinned. She picked a bunch of them and gave them to me, and the scent of magnolias lingered around me for the rest of the day. Perhaps if I hadn’t come to Canada, I would be a studious girl with long dark
co addiction. While the e-liquid may have unknown and adverse side-effects, the age requirement to purchase vape products minimizes the store’s impact on the nearby schools. Instead, the issue at hand is whether the 180 Smoke Vape Store effectively rehabilitates its consumers by offering substances that are unhealthy, but to a potentially lesser degree than tobacco. ■
braids, who visits her family in the countryside every summer, and sits beaming under the magnolia tree. In some ways, I still feel connected to that girl. Every New Year, our grandparents call, brimming with questions and greetings. “How is the weather there?” “You eat too little.” “Are you doing well in school?” “Tian tian xiang shang!” That is the last thing they tell me. The phrase literally translates to “moving forward every day.” It’s a common saying in China, to wish students academic success. And as much as my identity has grown and changed in Canada, the values of Chinese culture still linger by me in full bloom. ■
Illustration: Lila Huang
March 2017
P3
VOL. 5 NO. 5
EDITORIAL THE PRICE OF KNOWLEDGE
“N
ew Study Says That Chocolate is Good for You!” “Scientists Find Correlation Between Dexterity and Income!”
You hear this on the news almost every day. Whether we understand it or not, science has become an integral part of our society, advancing us to a place which could not have been imagined just a few hundred years ago. Yet, as brilliant as some of its stars have been, science has only come this far through the dissemination of knowledge. It is hardly a coincidence that the rapid advancement of scientific discovery in the past few centuries has come alongside great strides in communication and globalisation. Without reading the work of Max Planck and others before him, Einstein would have amounted to little more than a clever patent officer in Switzerland. However, the repositories of all this work—scientific journals—are becoming increasingly inaccessible to many of the Einsteins of the world. The vast majority of scientific information is published in scientific journals. Most require paid subscriptions, with top journals such as Nature or Science costing in the hundreds of dollars for a yearly subscription [1], while individual articles can at times cost upwards of thirty dollars [2]. These high costs have made it increasingly difficult for both researchers and the general public to access scientific knowledge. In 2012, there was a spike in awareness after Harvard Library warned that it could no longer afford price hikes imposed by large publishers, which bill it around $3.5 million each year [3]. This problem is many times worse for institutions in less affluent nations, which cannot afford large databases of journals for their researchers. Even more concerning, however, is that these high costs are not justifiable. The publishing companies themselves contribute little to the total cost that goes into publishing a paper. The research, which makes up the bulk of the cost, is paid for by the institution supporting the researcher. Even the academics who edit the papers often work for free. In reality, the publishers are paying for formatting, some proofreading, and the actual printing of a paper—seemingly little compared to the work already done. Yet, the average
OP-ED by KHARI THOMAS profit margin for a publishing company is tific journals, though it also has users in around 20 to 30 percent: a respectable, if western countries. Of course, publishers not impressive, number when compared are less than enthused about its rise, and with many other fields. These are even in October 2015 a New York judge ruled higher for larger publishers, such as Reed that the website violated Elsevier’s copyElsevier and Wiley [4]. right and ordered its domain shut down Highly prestigious journals [6]. However, as its servers are lomay argue that part of their cated in Russia, the website value is the selectivity of their quickly resurfaced and content; Nature, for example, continues to be used. only published around eight Although websites percent of the articles that it such as Sci-Hub do received in 2011 [4]. By benot offer acceptable ing so selective, readers who long-term solutions purchase these journals due to their legal will know that the studies questionability, they contained are worth readserve to highlight the ing—an essential asset extent of the probwhen there are millions lem. Many of Sciof articles published each Hub’s users face the year to choose from. Howchoice of abandoning ever, this could likely be their research, or redone with more ease and efsorting to illegal methfectiveness by using a web-based ods. When the system is service. Scientists could so flawed that even the search for the most-read Illustration: Hanlin Cheng top universities of a nastudies, which would argution cannot afford access ably be a better indication of importance to research, it is clear that something has than publication in a prestigious journal. to be done. A viable solution exists in the The issue of overpriced journals has form of open-access publishing, but pubbeen around for some time, but solutions lishers have been reluctant to switch to do exist. The most promising one is the this approach—perhaps to avoid change, open-access model. Publishers such as or perhaps due to simple greed. However, the Public Library of Science and BioMed we cannot afford to leave things as they Central offer open-access journals, where are. Science is not just another commodity authors pay for publishing fees and read- to be sold for a profit; it serves as a sign ers can access their work for free. Esti- of our progress as a species. When it remates place the average cost for an author mains locked behind walls of money, the per article at $660 [4], an amount which advancement of human knowledge slows can either be taken from a research grant to a halt. ■ or paid by a researcher’s institution. In ex- change for this, the work becomes freely Works Cited available to the public. [1] http://scienceblogs.com/digiUnfortunately, companies have been talbio/2012/01/09/how-much-does-it-cost-toslow to adopt this model, and the issue get-a/ persists. Meanwhile, a less scrupulous, but [2] https://www.sciencemag.org/members/orperhaps more effective, solution has come der-article-or-issue in the form of Sci-Hub. “It was started in [3] https://www.theguardian.com/science/2012/ 2011 to provide free access to scientific apr/24/harvard-university-journal-publishers-pricjournals for people who could otherwise es not afford them, and has since grown into [4] http://www.nature.com/news/open-accessa juggernaut supplying millions of pub- the-true-cost-of-science-publishing-1.12676 lished articles to its users worldwide [5].” [5] http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/04/ It is very popular in countries such as Iran whos-downloading-pirated-papers-everyone http://www.nature.com/news/pirate-researchor Venezuela, where a lack of funding has [6] paper-sites-play-hide-and-seek-with-publishleft universities with poor access to scien- ers-1.18876
A war against the arts SPENDING Continued from P1
Evidently, for those keeping track of the accounting, arts and humanities funding is a worthwhile investment. The culture and entertainment industry adds over $700 billion to the American GDP, including a $24 billion trade surplus. While it is hard to tell what portion of this is the direct result of government support, cutting thousands of grants would surely do significant damage. In addition, these agencies support low-income communities, which are the target of 40% of NEA funds [1]. Public broadcasting like PBS delivers educational programs to families who may not otherwise be able to afford them. Defunding these agencies will save a pittance, but cost a fortune. The heart of this issue is therefore not about economics. Arts and humanities funding doesn’t cost money so much as it costs votes. The problem is a sense of “cultural elitism,” as the right-wing Heritage Foundation calls it: a sense that the NEA and NEH do not respect the views of most Americans. In particular, the Heritage Foundation points to such pieces as “Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays,” writing that “A radical virus of multiculturalism has permanently infected the agency, causing artistic efforts to be evaluated by race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation instead of artistic merit” [5]. The Foundation seems to believe that these projects are pushing a left-wing political message which does not merit taxpayer funding. Such comments misrepresent the purpose of the NEA, NEH, and other such
ASK THE RECKONER
agencies. They do not care about politics; they care about self-expression, from arts therapy for veterans to small film studios in the Appalachians to local radio stations for rural Nebraska [2]. The Heritage Foundation may not appreciate it when this self-expression Illustration: Jeffrey Liu happens to involve race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation, but Works Cited that is not a legitimate argument against [1] https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/30/arts/ design/donald-trump-arts-humanities-public-telearts and humanities funding. The fact is, publicly funded projects are vision.html?_r=0 in many ways responsible for the cultur- [2] http://www.vanityfair.com/hollyal and social heritage which the Heritage wood/2017/01/donald-trump-arts-and-humanitiesFoundation claims to be so proud of. They budget-cuts create intangible value by stretching the [3] http://www.vulture.com/2016/01/list-of-movboundaries of expression and improving ies-sold-at-sundance-2016.html well-being, and in many cases also create [4] http://fortune.com/2017/01/19/trump-artstangible value to the tune of many mil- economy-cuts/ [5] http://www.heritage.org/research/relions of dollars. ports/1997/04/bg1110-ten-good-reasons-to-elimiThis issue is probably best summed up nate-funding-for-the-nea by a quote from Robert Wilson, who tes[6] https://history.fnal.gov/testimony.html tified in front of Senator John Pastore in 1969 regarding the building of a particle Op-eds are opinion articles that reflect accelerator. Pastore asked Wilson if this the views of the author, but not necessaraccelerator had any national defense apily those of the Editorial Board or of The plications. Wilson replied, Reckoner as a whole. Please note this “It has nothing to do directly with deimportant distinction when reading this fending our country except to help make it article. worth defending” [6]. ■
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Everyone around me seems to know what they want to do with their lives. However, I’m having trouble in finding out which profession, or even what courses to choose. It’s like I’m the only one with this difficulty. What should I do? - Confused There’s an old, cliché saying about how you should follow your heart, and in this case, it’s not wrong. If you choose an occupation or a course that you enjoy, you will be a lot happier overall. To begin with courses: if the description fascinates you, try it out, even if your friends decide not to. It might end up becoming a hobby or a future career option. There’s a risk of you disliking it entirely, but you can always switch to a different course! If nothing stands out to you, try asking your classmates or some seniors what they think of certain classes, but don’t stress about it. Once you open yourself up to different options, you will be able to find enjoyment in an elective and eventually find the profession you’re looking for. Finally, it’s most likely that you’re not the only one with this problem, as everyone is unsure at times. Talk to the people around you—you’ll be confused together at first, but you’re bound to figure it out eventually. Good luck! If you seek counsel from The Reckoner like the individuals above, send us a question at www.thereckoner.ca/ask-the-reckoner
Fraser Fails the Test FRASER Continued from P1
Graph: Varun Venkataramanan In addition, parents and readers should consider that there are other factors which influence the quality of a school. The Fraser Institute’s ratings often inaccurately reflect the quality of teaching at schools— in fact, schools have been known to sacrifice precious class time to concentrate on standardized test preparation [3]. In these cases, the quality of education and emphasis on learning might actually be compromised, as schools are more focused on achieving higher EQAO scores than they are on actually teaching students relevant skills. Moreover, the “report card” ratings are certainly not indicative of a school’s atmosphere or extracurricular opportunities. Since they are based purely on test scores, the Fraser Institute is unable to account for specialized programs or advanced-level courses in its rankings. Too often, readers take the Fraser Institute’s rankings to be the ultimate determinant of a school’s quality, and choose schools accordingly. Parents have even bought property solely for the sake of sending children to select institutions [4]. With such high stakes, it is essential that the Fraser Institute ensures its “report card” readers are aware of underlying methodology. Currently, only select details about the institution’s processes can be found on-
line, and the overall procedure is not available for public viewing. As a result, parents overestimate the significance of Fraser Institute’s rankings—an unfortunate mistake. Clearly, there are many pitfalls to the Fraser Institute’s highly-touted school ranking system. The “report card” is one of many tools available to gauge the quality of a school, and should be viewed as nothing more. Readers should be wary when forming conclusions, as the report is not necessarily representative of a school’s teaching and overall quality. The Fraser Institute must therefore make it more apparent that its ratings only reflect a school’s relative performance on standardized tests— not its overall calibre. Until such improvements are made, the Fraser Institute will continue to fail us. ■ Works Cited [1] http://www.citynews.ca/2017/02/19/
fraser-institutes-10-fastest-improving-schools-ontario-outside-gta/ [2] https://www.fraserinstitute.org/ school-performance [3] http://www.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/Resources/Journals/CC/0242nov2014/CC0242PolicyStandardized.pdf [4] https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2013/02/06/best_high_schools_inspire_desperate_measures_by_parents.html [5] http://ontario.compareschoolrankings. org/secondary/SchoolsByRankLocationName.aspx
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LIFE MANAGER LAUREN CHANG 100% Original Content Policy
DIRECTOR OF WEB DEVELOPMENT NICHOLAS VADIVELU
VOL. 5 NO. 5
P4
March 2017
LIFE Moonlight ’s Oscar-Winning Ode to Vulnerability, Growth, and Love by AMY CHEN
M
oonlight began as a play script wright and director rewrote the original ality than a two-dimensional, crack-ad- on set [2]. success, Jenkins simply expressed to the originally titled In Moonlight piece into three chapters, centering the dicted Black woman. Moonlight has received an unani- Los Angeles Times that “we didn’t make Black Boys Look Blue, written by Tarell plot on Chiron as he comes to terms with Filming began in early October 2015 mous positive critical response, with a the movie with any expectations” [3]. ■ his sexuality and deals with his mother’s drug abuse. The resulting screenplay is made up of characters taken from fragments of both Jenkins’ and McCraney’s lives. An unlikely father-figure to Chiron appears in Juan, a character who is based on the father of McCraney’s half-brother. Paula, Chiron’s mother, is a mixture of both Jenkins’ and McCraney’s mothers, and thus has a much more dynamic person-
in Liberty Square, Miami, Florida. To Jenkins, the set locations were vital to establish an authentic ambiance, and he made an effort to film in locations where he had once lived. The pastel hues of the run-down housing projects complemented the blue-toned theme of the movie. To avoid the risk of actors adopting the mannerisms of other actors, Jenkins worked to ensure that the three actors playing Chiron and Kevin never met
97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes [4]. The film not only took home the Best Picture award this year at the Oscars, but was also nominated for seven other awards, winning three in total. The Golden Globes recently hailed Moonlight as Best Dramatic Picture, and Jenkins made history as the first ever black person to be nominated for the Best Director and Best Picture awards in the same year. When asked to address the movie’s enormous
Works Cited [1] http://www.indiewire.com/2016/10/bar-
ry-jenkins-moonlight-interview-1201737807/ [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIgkDjqZQCo&t=213s [3] http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/ moonlight-film-made-oscars/story?id=45328120 [4] https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/moonlight_2016/
Love is all We Need I by CARYN QIAN
F ly Away Dreams
McCraney in 2003. A decade later, Barry Jenkins, who had already been on the hunt for inspiration for his next film, picked it up at Borscht Arts Collective in Miami. After reading McCraney’s work, Jenkins found pieces of his own childhood in the script, as both men had grown up in the same inner-city neighborhood of Liberty City, Miami, with mothers struggling with crack addictions. The play-
Photos by Cindy Cui and Justin Ye For more Humans of Garneau, visit www.thereckoner.ca/category/hog/ “Who’s someone that you look up to?”
Chrysalism by MADHUMITA NATHANI
“I definitely look up to my mom. She gave up her career in Bangladesh—she was a gynecologist—to bring me and my three other siblings to Canada. We came to Canada about seven years ago. The decision to drop her career was a difficult one because it’s not feasible to become a doctor in Canada if you have a license in a different country. But she decided that our education was more important, so she made that decision, and that’s one of the reasons why I admire her.” “Is there anything you do outside of school, such as work or volunteering?” “I volunteer at an Islamic centre where I basically grew up my whole life and it’s kind of like a YMCA where people and most little kids can come to learn. I usually help out with, like, handing out lunch, sometimes teaching, sometimes just observing, and sometimes we have activities since we take them out to the park, or we just do other things. It’s actually really fun.”
www.thereckoner.ca
by KHOULA JAWWAD
see the homeless every time I go downtown. They fill the streets of my city, yet most days, I walk past them without sparing a glance. And while food banks, clothing drives, and soup kitchens are available to the homeless, what they truly want is for someone to have a conversation with them. For someone to ask them about their lives, and actually care about the answer. For someone to believe that their lives, too, are meaningful. This is what Ve’ahavta provides. Ve’ahavta is a Jewish humanitarian organization that tackles poverty. Its name translates to “and you shall love.” Ve’ahavta not only provides necessities to homeless people, but it also works to break down the barriers that exist between us and the homeless. It aims to help restore human dignity and empower marginalized individuals to break the cycle of poverty. Like us, the homeless have a wide range of stories and backgrounds. Some of them endure mental or physical disabilities, while others suffer from addictions or family problems. Most people—myself included— do not realize this. Even though the homeless I’ve met are some of the most resilient people I know, they still need camaraderie and others to connect with. The only thing more devastating than the homeless’ living conditions is the fact that they have to face them alone. When I was volunteering with Ve’ahavta, I gave the homeless our handmade sandwiches and coffee and got a chance to speak with them. The experience really opened my eyes to the truth: in reality, we aren’t doing enough for the homeless. We have dehumanized them to the extent that we see them as a burden, or something to cross off our checklist; donating a couple of bucks is our “good deed of the day.” We forget that the homeless are human beings just like us. It could be any of us out there. Although we think our education or family will sustain us, none of us are immune to fate. So why is it that we never interact with the
Illustration: Jeffrey Liu
homeless first hand, never try more than we absolutely have to? Working with Ve’ahavta allowed me to do more. Shifts in the van last almost five hours, not including the time it takes to make the food. The workers also bring coffee, clothing, sleeping bags, and even food for the homeless’ pets. As I went around downtown in the Ve’ahavta van, distributing these supplies, I became aware of things I had not noticed before. I realized that I take the warmth of my home for granted, while the homeless sleep on top of vents to maintain their body heat. While I turn on my thermostat whenever I feel a draft, the homeless cannot even get up for the fear of losing their warmth. It breaks my heart to think about how much suffering we overlook because we are desensitized to it. But not all of us are this way. Mukhtar Nalayeh, one of the outreach workers that drove around with us, has been volunteering with Ve’ahavta for only three months. He already knows where most of the homeless people stay. He even keeps in contact with some through text or calling. He remembers what each of them wants, and promises to bring it the next time. I deeply admire him for his strength and patience while helping people who sometimes do not even want to help themselves. People like Mukhtar keep the movement going. Some of the most insightful conversations I have had are with homeless people. A devout, homeless Jewish man—one of the gentlest people I have ever met—told me to remain hopeful, because only once you lose hope is humanity truly lost. I figured that if someone who has been through so much can have hope, then so can the rest of us. Ve’ahavta fosters this hope within individuals. While it may not provide the homeless with homes or shelters, the compassion that its members show saves just as many lives, if not more. The outreach workers within this organization still have love for humanity, and are able to bring about change day-by-day, one person at a time. While some may believe that the homeless are not worth it, Ve’ahavta sees people for what they can be—regardless of religion, race or circumstance. We are all humans and we are made with an unbelievable capacity for caring. So yes, we shall love. ■