December’s Warrior of the Month
AAAANNDD here are your December Warriors of the Month: Tiffany Tran, Darius Davidson and Max Miller in Grade Ten!
CONGRATS TIF, DARIUS AND MAX! HOW DO YOU GUYS FEEL?
M: Surprised. I didn’t even know I was nominated – does that make me a bad person? Anyways, my ego is inflated enough as it is. This isn’t helping.
D: Surprised, like a little boy walking upon his parents putting presents in the tree
and eating the milk & cookies specially prepared for Santa. I’d like to give a special shout out to all the kitties in the world! Especially one kitty~ : )
T: Um kind of surprised?
LOL@ THE COOKIES THING! MY DAD EATS THE COOKIES I LEAVE OUT FOR SANTA!
NEXT QUESTION: WHY DO YOU GUYS THINK YOU WERE NOMINATED?
M: I don’t know but let me tell you, it’s long overdue - hey, see?! It’s the ego!
D: I think we we’re nominated because of Max. He’s got like secret connections in the underworld and he’s always making these shady deals with men in big, scruffy, black suits. Yoh, wait a minute! Why are you asking this question? You already told all of us why we were nominated! We were nominated because us three devoted students (With the exception of Tiffany because I like to exclude her for fun) had organized the canned food drive that was on Halloween.
T: no idea?
HOW MANY LICKS DOES IT TAKE TO GET TO THE MIDDLE OF A TOOTSIE POP?
THE BERLIN WALL
By Puneet Riar Gr. 12
At the end of World War Two, what remained of Nazi Germany was divided into four; each Allied powers claiming an area for its own. Britain, America and France took territories to the West and the Soviets took to the East. Berlin, the capital, was subdivided into four parts, even though it was deep in the Soviet territory. Because of Cold War tensions, the American, French and British territories became the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) and the Soviet side became the German Democratic Republic (East Germany).
West Germany became a capitalistic country with a market economy and a democratic government. The East created an authoritarian government with a Soviet-style economy. As the West’s economy and standard of life improved, many people, living in East Germany at the time, wanted to cross over. They feared that a Stalin-type ruling was going to take place and in 1950, 1951 and 1952, some 544,000 people fled. In the first six months of 1953, 226,000 fled to West Germany.
11-year-old Mom
By: Angela Ho & Nicole Yu
Imagine that you are an 11-year-old girl who is six months pregnant. You have no idea how babies are made, let alone what contraception is and how to use it. You are not ready to be a mother, nor are you ready to leave your childhood behind so early. You will have to raise your child when you are still a child yourself…
Wait, what?
This is exactly what happened to 11-year-old Kordeza Zhelyazkova.
When Kordeza’s grandmother noticed that her granddaughter was putting on some weight, she also found out that her granddaughter was seeing a boy. She immediately went out and purchased a pregnancy test. The result left the two stunned. “I just thought I’d been eating too many burgers,” said Kordeza, when she found out that she was about six months pregnant.
A Boy In The Hood
By: Kevin Liu, Grade 10
A boy in the hood,
Nothing he could understood.
He just hear the people scream,
Laughing, licking the ice cream
And he just stand aside,
Always something to hide.
Nothing comes out,
Cause every time he tries
He always cries.
The sight he sees, the things he sees.
He cannot describe,
It’s killing inside.
Every second, every moment,
The world is dying,
And we need people to be trying.
He’s hanging by the thread,
Wishing he could start all over again.
A new life.
Facial Care 101
By: Athina Pilarinos, Grade 11
Throughout the years, we have been targeted by large corporations in many different ways. One way that seems to affect and impact us greatly is the pursuit for healthy skin. For adults, corporations are telling them they need to look younger and push sales of anti-aging products. Corporations push zit zappers for teens, whom experience problems with acne and dry skin. How many of the products actually work? On average, a family of four spends about $12 000 on skin care products in one year! For starters, do we actually know what we’re rubbing onto our faces? Every skin care product that you put on your body is composed of many different chemicals. These chemicals, which are meant to clear up your acne, do their job for a short period of time. Afterward, the product ceases to be effective because your body becomes immune to the chemicals. In this case, skin care corporations recommend their other products that have a similar, if not equal, result. This process goes on forever, leaving the person always searching for a new product to help their skin, which is probably what those corporations want; more money!
Handle Your Pandemics Well
By: Valerie Wong, Grade 11
Anyone who’s seen the newspaper headlines in the last few months knows that H1N1 pandemic is no joke; hence being 
classified as a pandemic by WHO (World Health Organization). There have been reported cases of patient mortality [not representing a large percentage of reported infections] – but aside from avoiding going out and large crowds [and civilization entirely] have we all thought about more modest, suitable methods of protecting ourselves that do not involve becoming a hermit?
You might ask yourself when the last time was that you saw your neighbour. Then you realize he’s locked himself in his house, turned off all the curtains and hiding under his bed. There’s hardly a day that you can take a stroll and not spot those conformity rectangular face masks, concealing the mouth and nose of its wearer from that ‘nasty, contaminated air’ that you’re breathing. It’s a ridiculous precaution – you’ll quickly learn in first aid – those paper-thin masks do not do much in filtering the air you breathe when wearing one. It’s a scam that allows companies to get away with the customer’s money, selling them something that doctors and nurses do not wear for the same reason. You’d think, with the more-or-less recent Avian Flu and SARS outbreaks in the past few years, citizens would be less likely to freak out, panic and take drastic measures and more likely to pick up that bottle of hand-sanitizer at their local grocery store and stop avoiding pork! Eating pork will not increase your chances of contracting H1N1! It’s important to figure out what is fact and fiction when it concerns your health and lifestyle.
A Statement
By Riya Talwar, Grade 9
In a perfect world where there is no war and no drama, everything is in peace. In actual reality, we live in a world where people make mistakes. Yet none of us can imagine what life is like for people living in war-torn countries.
I have no more tolerance for what’s going on. Too many people have died. Too many families have been left to suffer and too many kids have been deprived of proper education. Having just one of these problems is already too much.
We are spoiled. We walk a few steps to the kitchen to get a drink of water; while others walk several kilometres for contaminated water. We walk to the fridge and eat in gluttony; while others are dying from malnourishment.
I know the world needs improvement; don’t we all? So let go of all the small problems in your life; forgive and forget them. Think about the bigger picture.
Not ‘Hopenhagen’ Anymore.
By: Emily Chan, Grade 11
To Whom It May Concern,
I’m writing this letter on behalf of environmentalists across the world. If you’re unaware, there will a world meeting taking place from December 11th – December 18th of this year. It’s taking place in Copenhagen, Denmark, and is meant to create a replacement for the 2005 Kyoto Protocol.
This protocol was an international agreement to lower the amount of global production of greenhouse. In 2005, there were 187 states that agreed to follow a list of guidelines to reduce their carbon footprint. There were three mechanisms to the protocol.
The first was the Carbon Market. Its idea was to only allow each country to produce a certain amount of carbon. They were given “carbon credits,” which allowed each nation to produce a certain amount of greenhouse gasses. Otherwise, they would be destructing the environment because of these emissions. However, the wealthier countries were allowed to buy these carbon credits from the poorer countries, therefore enabling these richer countries to continue unreasonable carbon production.
The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) was the second mechanism to be deployed. It allowed countries pledged to Kyoto to implement projects to minimize the gas produced. Some alternative-energy initiatives include solar panels or energy-efficient boilers.
December Horoscopes
Aries – It’s been raining a lot lately, but don’t despair! If you look hard enough, you’ll see the silver lining in even the darkest of clouds!
Taurus – Lucky You! This month, every test will seem easy, though that doesn’t mean you can give up on studying. So study hard! That way, when you get your cake, you can eat it too.
Gemini – Have you ever been afraid of something? This month your fears are going to end up in one of your dreams. Don’t be scared; stare your fear in the eyes and laugh in its face.
Crossword Puzzle
Crossword Puzzle
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ACROSS
1. 84 % of all household _____ can be recycled.
3. Every ton of recycled _____ saves 17 trees, 7,000 gallons of water, and 4,100 kilowatts of electricity.
7. ___________ can reduce your trash and improve plant health and retain soil moisture.
8. 6.4 billion kilograms of trash is dumped into the ocean _____ year.
10. Americans use 2.5 million _______ bottles per hour.
Nicole’s Guide to Making a Better Password
By: Nicole Yu, Grade 9
Nowadays, the internet can be a scary place. It’s full of hackers, imposters and all sorts of suspicious activity. The key to staying safe on the internet is to make an excellent, secure password. How do you make a secure password? Follow these steps to find out.
Step 1: Pick a random word, preferably in a different language.
Example: pleut
Step 2: Scramble the letters so that they are unintelligible.
Example: tlepu
POLITICANS: THE PEOPLE OR THE PRIVILEGED?
By: Puneet Riar, Grade 12
What’s another word for a politician? A liar? A saviour? Call them what you want, but the one thing that is for sure is 
they are supposed to represent the people. They are supposed to lead by example and practice what they preach. And underneath the suits and ties and promises, they really are just like us, common citizens. They don’t receive anything extra. Or do they?
On November 3rd, federal New Democrat Leader Jack Layton refused the offer to get access to about 65 tickets for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games that were reserved for members of Parliament and senators. He said, “I think that members of Parliament shouldn’t be jumping in line in front of ordinary Canadians who would like to participate. We should get in line like anybody else.” The NDP said they were told that about 750 tickets would be available, about 350 for the Conservatives, 240 for the Liberals, and 90 for the Bloc Quebecois. The NDP would have been expected to have received 65 tickets.
Putting the Scissors Away
By: Kaitlyn Fung, Grade 9
Dedicated to Nickel; a toast to our thoughts.
For me, the beginning of second term marks the end of those chaotic weeks of taking tests and completing projects. I can allow myself to relax for a while. Things will be easier for the next couple of weeks as I get back to my normal pace. This also allows me a bit of time to rest and prepare for the next term. Unfortunately, this is also the period of time when I start getting lazy. Several times in the past, my procrastination has cost me dearly, but I usually wake up and get to work in the nick of time.
I wonder why I become so lazy during these periods of time. Why do I work harder when the term is about to end versus the start of a term? I figure it’s because working extra hard toward the end will give a little boost to my percentage. It’s true: working hard does give you better results. Though if I’m concerned about getting a certain grade, why don’t I do my best regardless of where we stand in the term? In my case and perhaps in other’s as well, it’s a lack of motivation. Without the encroaching ‘last day to hand in work’, there seems to be no reason for the extra stress. (more…)
Style Watch – Mr. Tryssenaar
By: Kimmy Basra & Gurjita Gadey, Grade 12
Describe your style.
My style is very casual, cool and comfortable.
Where do you buy your clothes?
I buy my clothes from Sears, Costco, The Bay, and Old Navy.
What is the one thing that everyone should own?
Everybody should own a good T-shirt.
Does anyone influence your style?
No!
How do you make your hair so beautiful? What’s your secret?
I simply, wash and rinse once a day.
What teacher, besides Mr. Beetlestone and Ms. Singh, do you think has good style?
Mr. Ng has a very good style. It is very casual. He wears a lot of European T-shirts and soccer uniforms which are mostly Dutch soccer jerseys.
