To Whom It May Concern
By: Henry Lau, Grade 11
As the summery, care-free days of summer break come to an end, a whole new environment presents itself; let alone just advancing another grade. Going to high school is comparable to going to a new school. You might not know anyone, where your classrooms are, and just trying to make new friends, while still pulling off the workload. In short, the very first weeks of high school can be a mess. I say weeks and not the full year, because realistically, it may sound like a whole lot to worry about. Keep in mind that you’re not alone as you have a few hundred other classmates facing the same hesitation as you. As you progress through the first few bits of school, things start to mellow out; I although it may not seem like it at first. I want to say: Don’t worry! But there’s a very good chance that you are worrying, and those two words won’t hold enough strength to guide you through grade 8. Worrying is perfectly normal, and the fact that you’re even reading this shows that you do have some hesitation, even if it’s in the least bit. It shows that you care and that’s why you can succeed in high school. The fact that you care goes a long way. It means you want to succeed.
My Eighth-Grade Self
High school students were asked the question: What advice would you give your eighth-grade self?
- Moderation is your god. – Justin Fok, alumni
- BE YOURSELF… too many people are pretending to be who they’re not, changing for all the wrong reasons, to be accepted by all the wrong people. – Jenny Ho, grade 12
- Enjoy your time in high school while you can. Try to be productive but at the same time, be at a steady pace so that you can enjoy and appreciate everything around you. Try as many things are you can while you’re still in school… – Tammy Lee, Grade 11
- Worry less about finding that one ‘special’ person and focus on studies. – Matthew Le, grade 11
- Get a catchphrase; something funny that won’t wear off until late grade 10. – Mitchell Agostinho, alumni
- You think you have something to be angsty about? Wait another few years. – Jessica Poon, grade 12
Student Council 2010-2011 – ARE YOU READY?
Summer is over, school is back in session, but hey, that doesn’t mean the fun is over! Student Council is planning exciting events, fundraisers, and theme days for the whole year, so stay in touch with what’s going on by checking the student council bulletin board in front of the office, posters around the school, and morning announcements, or by talking to council members who are always walking around the halls. We also want to hear your thoughts and suggestions for everything from dance themes to theme days with our monthly surveys this school year. Student council is here for you; it’s going to be a fun year, so get ready!
Budget Cuts 101: For those who want the facts
By: Emily Chan, Grade 12
Hi there. My name is Emily Chan, grade 12. I live an average life in an average house with average interests. I care about the world, and I care about my friends. Point is, everyone is affected by budget cuts, whether you like it or not. So if you care for our education system, read on. I’m sure that by this time, you’ve heard about the cuts that have seemed to engulf our media for the past few months – so why not learn a few things about them?
The Vancouver School Board has declared numerous means that they can use to make back the $18.12 million deficit that they’ve found themselves in. They’ve taken millions of dollars from arts programs, created a new schedule to save $1.2 million per year, planned to lay off 162-full time staff positions, and introduced preliminary closures of 11 elementary schools. But let’s take it step-by-step.
1.) New Schedule: Let’s begin with the new schedule that all schools in the Vancouver School District will have to follow. Each school has to start at 8:35am and end at 3:07pm on every school day. The 45-minute lunchtime is also set, from 11:40 – 12:25pm daily. This is meant to help the TOCs (Teachers on call), as they will be able to alternate around the schools on a regular and comparable schedule. To decrease the expense of supplying heating, lighting, and custodial staff across the city, they have also promised more regular four-day weekends and a two-week-long Spring Break, both of which will “increase student and staff productivity” and will be “contributing to the wellness of employees and students of the district.” What I find personally amusing is that in the next paragraph, they state that, “Trustees stressed the decision to adopt the local school calendar was not done because of a clear educational benefit to students, but rather, the need to save money at a time when the district must address an $18.12-million deficit.” At what point did money start coming before our educational benefit? To me, the fact that they are able to admit that on the VSB website seems to foreshadow a dim future.
2.) Charging After-School Groups: Secondly, they have decided to raise the rate for groups to rent out their rooms after school hours – something that hadn’t been an issue up until now. Starting in September, these groups will have to pay at flat $25/year cost, along with a $23.70/hour cost after 6pm. As a Girl Guide myself, I know that groups are already pressured to fundraise to pay for the current rental costs, camps, supplies, and other expenses. This is just too much to ask for.
Vicki Fanous, the Council Field Executive of Scouts Canada (Boy Scouts), eloquently responded that, “it would have a detrimental impact on the ability of our groups and programs to operate, and youth who benefit most from the programs would no longer be able to participate.” Most of these programs will leave the schools and find a facility somewhere else that would be more accommodating. So, in the end, the school board isn’t saving money at all – they’re merely rearranging the groups elsewhere.
3.) School Closures: Of course, who could forget about the school closures; the preliminary list of 11 schools in Vancouver that are on the possible chopping block. Among these schools are Bruce, Carleton, and Collingwood – three of Windermere’s seven feeder schools. Adrian Dix, Vancouver-Kingsway’s MLA, held a meeting on July 15th to talk about the closures and what will happen next. Attended by 75 people, this meeting allowed the public to voice their opinions and concerns on this issue. The VSB estimates that closing an annex would save around $200,000, while closing an elementary school would save approximately $400,000.
After June 23rd, the day that the closures were first publicized, the District Management Team had 60 days to produce a report of each school, including closure evaluation criteria, public consultation processes and school closure decision timelines. Things will be decided from there whether the school will be closed or not. Unfortunately, the VSB won’t tell us why those schools are chosen to be shut down. There have been speculations, such as choosing Carleton because of the extensive cost to maintain it, but nothing has been official. It makes it hard to advocate for the schools to stay open if we don’t know exactly why they’re being closed in the first place!
However, although we may not know the exact reason why each school was chosen, we do know that the choices were based on low enrolment, how often it’s used, and if there’s space at neighboring schools. One attendee at the meeting suggested having more community groups utilize the schools to justify the necessity of the school. However, if they charge these groups money to use the spaces, the school will lose its eligibility as a heavily-utilized school!
Point blank, Adrian said it best: “closing schools will come at too high a cost for minimal savings.” So, let’s work together to figure out a solution. If the VSB can save $1.5 million by moving around some investments, there must be a way of fixing this mess without sacrificing our education system.
SOURCES:
http://vsb.bc.ca/district-news/vsb-adopts-local-school-calendar-2010-11
http://www.vsb.bc.ca/manualfiles/boardreports/Agendas/CommitteeII/10June29_commII_ItemC2.pdf
http://www.vancourier.com/questions+list+East+Side+school+closures/3297314/story.html
10 Things I Love about Going Back to School
By: Valerie Wong, Grade 12
Regardless of whether you love going back to school, hate it, or are indifferent to the feeling, remember this: the public education system is a gift. Millions upon millions of dollars are spent every year to ensure that we don’t have to pay to go to school. Be grateful for the numerous textbooks and limitless stationary at your disposal. A lot of people in other parts of the world would love to have the same opportunities that you do! So instead of compiling your own list of things you hate about going back to school, think positively! What are the ten things you like about going back to school? Here are mine:
1. Seeing my Friends. Where else can I spend six to seven hours a day surrounded by my ‘homies’? None other than school, of course! In the adult world, a get-together only happens during the rare times when everyone is available. In the student world, a get-together happens in the morning, at break, lunchtime, and the five minute breaks between classes. Not to mention during classes as well!
2. Meeting New People. A new school year means that there will also be new students which create opportunities to make new friends. Nice.
3. New Goals to Conquer. As a generation of young adults who have grown up on fast-moving video games and television, our attention spans are sometimes limited; we like diverse mental stimulation. School is the place that provides us with that. No two years of high school are ever the same; I welcome changes and obstacles and quickly set about accomplishing fresh feats. Whether my accomplishments are academic or extra-curricular, I always look forward to new challenges.
4. Cooler Weather. Summer has always been my least favourite season for one reason. It’s too warm! Since I’ve spent a lot of June, July, and August soaking up the sun, I won’t claim to openly dislike the summer weather. Although when autumn rolls around, I’m usually the first to abandon my shorts and t-shirt attire for jeans and sweaters; no more SPF 60+ for me!
5. Freshly Sharpened Pencils. Even though a majority of the student population has abandoned yellow number two pencils for mechanical ones in the twenty-first century, I still prefer to use the old fashioned, wooden kind. They’re aesthetically pleasing and they feel more wholesome when you hold one in your hand. And I won’t deny the feeling of accomplishment after sharpening my number two pencil to pointed perfection.
6. Sharing Sun-Soaked Summer Memories. It’s inevitable that we’ll be sitting in classrooms by the first Wednesday that we’re back at school, so it’s good to have something to talk about with the people surrounding us in our perpetual classroom seats. What better to discuss than the long months that we spent away from said seat? There’s a lot to catch up on; we were apart for two months, after all! Also, summer memories make great conversation when we’re out of other things to say. Just ask the question: “How was your summer?”
7. New Textbooks. Remember those things that we carried around in our backpacks for 10 months? Yes, those heavy textbooks that held more information than we would ever learn in a single school year. The great thing about new textbooks is that I’m not fed up with carrying them and seeing them around… yet!
8. Motivation. Summer time is a period in our life where we are required, if we choose, to do nothing at all. Though this lack of purpose might be nice for the first couple of weeks, but it gets old fast. For me, I like to have something like an impending due date or a looming chapter test to keep me on my toes.
9. Extra Curricular Activities. I’m a person who likes motivation and purpose. And what is better to motivate me than a group of little people who await their leader (me) at their respective after school clubs? What gives me more purpose than working backstage at school performances, benevolent Phantom of the Opera style? Or being a part of student council? Or ACTION? Or all the other fun and awesome clubs offered at school? Nothing; that’s what!
10. Clean School. I can’t deny the relaxing, serene feeling I get when I pad down the hallways on freshly waxed doors, or when I gaze out clear glass windows. It’s up to us, the students, to keep the school as beautiful and sparkling clean as it is when we walk through the doors in September!
Monsanto’s Planned Deceit
By: Winnie Liang, Grade 11
What is food? To us, food is something that provides us with nutrients, energy, and life; to Monsanto, a U.S.-based multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation, the food that we consume every single day is a new form of poison that can provide the corporation’s high echelon with virtually limitless amount of wealth.
“Monsanto is an agricultural company. We apply innovation and technology to help farmers around the world produce more while conserving more. We help farmers grow yield sustainably so they can be successful, produce healthier foods, better animal feeds and more fiber, while also reducing agriculture’s impact on our environment.” On Monsanto’s homepage, this excerpt introduces the corporation with great rhetoric… and with zero truth.
Monsanto is well-known for products called genetically engineered seeds, which are modified using insertion or deletion of specific genes to make the crops resistant to the Round-Up herbicide. This allows farmers to spray Round-Up – another product from Monsanto – to kill weeds and all other unwanted plant life while preserving their crops. With these genetically modified organisms (GMOs), Monsanto has linked itself to “life sciences”. Already, about 90% of the plant gene pool in America is genetically modified.
Five pure myths that Monsanto designed for its GMOs to gain public interest are: 1) they are needed to feed the world’s huge population; 2) they have been thoroughly tested and proven safe; 3) they increase crop yield; 4) they reduce the amount of agricultural chemicals that is used; and 5) they can be contained, therefore capable of coexisting with natural crops. As fantastic as the words might sound, every single one of the five has been proven to be false. For instance, a former Monsanto employee named Kirk Azevedo was recruited in 1996 to sell GM cotton, mostly fed to cattle. When he found out that no safety studies were conducted on the new, unintended proteins in Roundup Ready cotton plants, he stressed the necessity of either conducting safety tests or destroying the GM cotton due to possible toxicity. To his utter astonishment, people shunned him and paid no mind to the issue. That was when Kirk Azevedo, feeling disgusted, resigned. “I am not going to be part of this disaster,” he said.
You may ask, “Isn’t the government supposed to protect us?” Contrary to our common belief, this protection is not guaranteed. To get government approvals to sell GM products in countries worldwide, Monsanto, with mountains of cash, coerced and bribed government officials, and even successfully infiltrated the upper echelons by placing former corporate officials into government positions. In Indonesia, at least 140 officials were bribed or given questionable payments for an approval of GM products in the country. In India, official report on Monsanto’s Bt cotton was falsified to show increase in crop yields. Moreover, faces that once appeared in the Monsanto administration continually reappeared in important government positions in America, India, Brazil, Europe, and other countries. In the U.S., GM foods were declared to be “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) by the FDA in 1992 without undergoing the required testing procedures. The policy of self-policing, in which products are believed to be safe in the FDA as long as Monsanto “says so,” was overseen by the Deputy Commissioner for Policy, Michael Taylor, who just “coincidentally” happened to be a former outside attorney for Monsanto and the Food Biotechnology Council.
When it comes to scientific research, Monsanto is definitely brilliant in creating flawed experiments to avoid showing negative effects that would otherwise be present if correct scientific methods were used. Flaws in duration, tested subjects, and amount of variables such as the amount of digestive enzymes are common. For instance, the GM protein in Monsanto’s high-lysine GM corn was labeled as safe because its presence in the soil was consumed as tiny residues in regular human diet. However, the company neglected to mention that the corn’s protein amount is actually 30,000,000,000 to 4,000,000,000,000 times more of what is consumed by an average U.S. citizen, meaning that 22,000 pounds of soil are eaten every second of every day. Do you think 22,000 pounds is the weight of the small, hardly detectable soil residues that a fruit or vegetable has?
Nowadays, desperate farmers in India are forced to buy GM products due to the elimination of non-GM cotton seeds in many regions. No matter how hard they work, the high interest rates of four times the original price only add to a debt that is impossible to pay off, especially when the farmers’ bodies are weakened by the large amount of pesticides used. The number of Bt cotton-related suicides in India exceeds 125,000, often committed by drinking unused pesticides. Although in our much more comfortable lifestyle, we do not handle deadly chemicals everyday, GM foods still affect our health if consumed regularly. The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) testified that consuming GM foods, which is hard for us to identify with the lack of labels, can cause health issues such as infertility, immune problems, accelerated aging, insulin regulation, and changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system.
After reading about the negative effects of Monsanto’s products, I returned to its homepage and read the so-called Monsanto Pledge under the “Corporate Responsibility” section. What I saw immediately was several bolded key words such as integrity, transparency (of information), sharing, and benefits (to customers and the environment). Any one of these words would contradict the truth of Monsanto’s lack of care for anything other than financial profit. After being proven guilty of covering up a 50-year-long poisoning of a town in Anniston, Alabama, on February 22, 2002, Monsanto’s documents were released to the public. One of the corporation’s best quotations is: “We can’t afford to lose one dollar of business.” Way back in 1991, Monsanto had already been planning for its goal of achieving industrial dominance in a world where there are virtually no natural seeds, but over 100 GM and patented foods. They hope to realize this future around 2015 or 2020. Their goal is very difficult to achieve, but not impossible, especially considering they know controlling global food sources is more powerful and more destructive than nuclear weapons. By controlling what we eat, they control us.
Steven Slater: A Folk Hero?
By: Jenny Ho, Grade 12
On August 9th, flight attendant of JetBlue Airlines, Steven Slater, was engaged in a conflict with a female passenger.
Slater claims that she was trying to remove her belongings from the overhead compartment. He asked her to remain in her seat for safety reasons. However, as she continued to remove the bag, it struck him in the head. When he asked for an apology, the passenger rudely swore at Slater. Soon after, Slater spoke over the plane’s public address system with profanity. Soon after, he activated the aircraft’s emergency inflatable slide. Before sliding down and reportedly running into his car and driving home, he grabbed two beers from the plane.
Overnight, he became an internet phenomenon. He was on the top of many search engines, and has a dedicated Facebook fan page with over 200,000 people who “liked” the page (myself included). Many of those fans fantasize how they wish they could walk out on their employer like Slater. Also, Slater has been offered a reality TV series, and a free one-year gym membership. Despite his newfound fame, he still faces criminal charges. He was arrested at his home in Belle Harbour, Queens, with charges of criminal mischief and reckless endangerment. Many fans on the Facebook page will raise money, in the case of a lawsuit.
How did the public react to this bizarre incident? To many, he is seen as a working class hero, standing up to ungrateful and rude customers. In a time where unemployment levels are so high, some people will take on any job they can find. However, some employers believe that all employees are desperate, and overwork them for very little pay. To make matters worse, the ideology that the “customer is always right” has taken its toll on many people. Workers can totally relate to this; particularly those employed in the customer service industry. All that stress builds up over time, and is what lead to this blow up on JetBlue. The minority of people see him as an ungrateful, rude employee. Some passengers claim that he was already drunk before the incident, and was the one initiating the argument.
What do I think? He was doing his job, protecting the wellbeing of other passengers. The female passenger, who remains unnamed the entire time, should be arrested. She was engaged in risky activities, which could potentially injure other customers. We might not know until later if Slater will have any post-injury issues. We should all be grateful that he took a less disastrous exit out of his job, than to take a gun to work and shoot people, as seen in many other cases.
In a time where jobs are sacred, I’m glad that someone finally had the guts to take a stand. He represents millions of people, who are fed up with rude customers and less than ideal working conditions, and all they dream about is to have an emergency slide somewhere at work.
Sources:
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/jetblue_flight_attendant_turns_into_KRcSR96c7unZxJDXZ5LoFL
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/pages/Steven-Slater/145469768806134?ref=ts
http://www.canada.com/business/Take+this+shove/3404281/story.html
Hogwood vs. Dogweed
By: Nicole Yu, Grade 10
Another summer has passed and now it’s time for a new year at high school, whether it is for the first time or for the
second, third, fourth or fifth. Wow, pretty soon you’re going to be graduating! Wait, what do you graduate with, again? There’s that name for the special diploma all British Columbians graduate high school with. What was it called? The… Hogweed? Hogwood? Dogweed? No, wait. It’s the Dogwood. How could you have mistaken a dogwood for a hogweed? They’re very different plants!
The two do share some similarities, however. For example, the two very similar sounding words are both plants that grow across Canada, and both produce white flowers. Although the words are mixed up frequently, the dogwood and hogweed are fairly different. The dogwood is a tree, and its flower is the provincial flower of British Columbia. Students in this province graduate with their high school diploma, semi-formally called the Dogwood. The giant hogweed is an extremely toxic plant that contains a sap that can cause painful blistering, swelling, and lifelong skin damage. If it comes in contact with eyes, the sap can cause permanent blindness.
The giant hogweed plant, formally known as the Heracleum mantegazzianum, was first introduced to England from Russia in the 1800s. Because of its size it was very popular as a decorative plant before its toxic effects were commonly known. The hogweed plant is very tall; it can grow up to 7 metres, though usually its final height ranges from 2 to 5 metres. The plant has compound leaves, which means that its leaves are made up of different parts. The leaves are very big; they can grow up to 1 meter in diameter. The leaf itself separates into leaflets which have rough, serrated edges. The stems of the weed are wide and hollow, with reddish purple flecks. Commit its appearance to memory; it can be easily mixed up with other plants, such as the wild carrot and the water-parsnip.
Currently, the weed is spreading across the US and Canada, making lovers of nature cautious. People are told to remember what the plant looks like so they will not accidentally touch it and harm themselves, because the plant is phototoxic. This means that the sap contains photosensitizing compounds (furanocoumarins). When it comes into contact with human skin along with UV radiation, like that in sunlight, it leaves a painful chemical reaction. After about 24 hours of contact with the sap, the skin begins to redden and swell, and after 72 hours, an inflammatory reaction will occur. Effects can last for several months, leaving the skin sensitive to UV light for years. If you get the sap on your skin, avoid sunlight and wash it off immediately. The Giant Hogweed is a pest for field owners. They try to get rid of it, but the plant grows back. Hopefully, nature will take care of the phototoxic plant with natural causes, wiping the plant out sooner or later.
Resources:
http://www.ontarioweeds.com/weed.php?w=HERMZ
http://www.wildaboutgardening.org/en/features/section5/dogwood/dogwood.htm
Interthugs: Viral Videos
By: Kaitlyn Fung and Nicole Yu, Grade 10
We’re baaaaaaaack! Nicole Yu and Kaitlyn Fung are here again, now dubbed as the ‘Interthugs’! Every month of this
school year, we will bring you some new tidbits about fantastic things on the internet. Last year, we showed you our top 20 memes, but that’s not all that the amazing global network has to offer! There are many other things, including viral videos, social networking sites, webcomics, and other even more glorious things! Hopefully, this year, the Interthugs will help you get in touch with your computer. We’d love suggestions from you Warriors, so go ahead and tell us if you want us to research and write about a topic in particular! We don’t want our readers to be bored!
This year, we’re going to start off with a bang, a factor of the internet that almost everyone knows: Viral videos! So, what exactly is a viral video? Here’s what a viral video is NOT: A video containing a virus that will attack your computer. However, it does have something to do with the way viruses spread. Basically, a viral video is a clip that has gained so much popularity on the internet that it spreads rapidly in a way like viruses in a host. This month, we will examine what we think are the top ten most popular viral videos!
1) Rick Roll
This is one of our most favourite memes! “But we’re never gonna give it up. We’re never gonna make it cry. We’re never gonna run around and desert it.” Do those lyrics sound familiar to you? If yes, congratulations! If not, you need to spend more time on the internet. Rick Roll is simply the 1987 music video for ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ by Rick Astley. People use Rick Roll by linking somebody to the video under the name of something else, which means that it would be completely irrelevant to what people would expect to see. For instance, Internet User A would say “Look at this picture of Obama!”, but in fact it is a picture of Rick Astley singing. Most likely, the users of 4chan (an infamous image board website consisting of many other memes) came up with this meme and had promoted it into a famous viral video.
2) Old Spice:
On February 8th, 2010, more history was made for viral videos. Old Spice, a brand of grooming products for men, launched what was one of the most entertaining, creative and successful advertising campaigns. The commercial called “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” features actor Isaiah Mustafa who quickly demonstrates that “anything is possible”, if you use Old Spice body wash. It starts off with Mustafa in the shower before suddenly transitioning to a scene of him being in a boat as though he just teleported. Then, the scene smoothly moves into showing Mustafa on a horse. All the while, Mustafa holds an Old Spice body wash and explains how it supposedly makes amazing things happen. The clever and witty viral marketing campaign worked like a charm and has now inspired more “sequels” and many parodies.
3) Numa Numa:
“Nu mă, nu mă iei, nu mă, nu mă, nu mă iei.” Does that line sound familiar? If you’ve been on the internet for a while, then you should know it very well. “Dragostea din tei”, better known as ”The Numa Numa Song”, is a Romanian song by O-Zone that is frequently associated with Gary Brolsma’s “Numa Numa Dance” video. This video, released in December 2004 on a website called Newgrounds, features Brolsma lip-syncing to the song with hilariously exaggerated facial expressions and body movements. The lively video, being an instant hit, was reposted, parodied, and copied countless times. The original Newgrounds video itself has over eighteen million views.
4) Chocolate Rain:
Is there something wrong with the weather? Or have scientists finally done it? Actually, it’s neither. “Chocolate Rain” is a song and music video by Adam Bahner, who is better known as TayZonday on YouTube. Posted on April 27th, 2007, Adam was shown singing into a microphone, in a repetitive tune and with an unforgettably deep voice, about racism. In addition, the caption near the beginning of the song – “**I move away from the mic to breathe in” – has become quite memorable. Although the reason of its popularity is not clear, the video began to be shared and parodied many times, quickly sending the song on its way to viral video status. Since posting the video, TayZonday has become an internet celebrity and gained lots of attention from the media.
5) Pants on the Ground:
What’s the best part about American Idol? Is it finding the best singer in the batch or just listening to all the great singing? Some might argue that the audition reel is the real highlight of the reality TV series. While there are many unique, inspiring, and ridiculous auditions to recall, there is one in particular that has become quite a phenomenon. During the auditions in the 9th season of American Idol, a then-sixty-two-year-old ”General” Larry Platt decided to present something fresh to the judges, so he sang his own original song called “Pants on the Ground”, which mainly said: “Pants on the ground, pants on the ground. Lookin’ like a fool with your pants on the ground!” Furthermore, the effortful dancing that accompanied the singing made the video even more wildly popular. This video was heavily shared and remixed over and over again, and the song was released as a single on iTunes (although without his knowledge).
6) Double Rainbow:
Do you recall hearing the phrase ‘so intense’, ‘so vivid,’ ‘what does this mean’, or ‘double rainbow all the way across the sky’? Or even hearing all four of them? Nevertheless, you probably have heard of Hungrybear9562′s famous video of himself filming a giant double rainbow. He became so awestruck and emotional that he started to cry and yelled ‘What does this mean’. The video was taken in January, but its entry was added to KnowYourMeme.com in July. The video was so popular that a user, Schmoyoho, created an auto-tuned remix of the video. Soon, different remixes of the video were made all over YouTube. The meme was even popular enough to be referenced in a couple webcomics. The next time you see a double rainbow, make sure you film and channel a video of it and your sob about how intense it is. To find the video, simply look up “Double Rainbow original” on YouTube.
7) Trololo
“Ahhhhhh yah yah yaaah, yah yah yah yaaaah yah yah.” Recognize this anyone? And what about ‘I am very glad because I am finally home’? No? Oh well. This video was first posted in November 2009 by RealPapaPit. The video is of a Russian vocalist, Edward Anatolevich Hill, poorly lip-syncing to his own voice track. During the chorus, it seems that he is pronouncing ‘LOL’ over and over again, as though he is laughing at the viewers. And, laughing at the viewers he is! Near the end, he starts singing ‘Hahahahaha!’ four times and points at the audience. Although the singing could be seen as just plain weird, he is singing in a type of style – vokaliz. Vokaliz (pronounced like the word ‘vocalize’ in English) is the singing of vocal exercises. Trololo may be dying in popularity now, but it will always have a special place in our hearts.
8) Charlie Bit My Finger:
In this video, there are two cute little English brothers sitting together in a chair. The younger one, who isn’t old enough to know better, bites the finger of his older brother and the bitten brother says: “Charlie bit me.” Very shortly after, the elder boy manages to get his finger bitten by his brother again. This time, however, he makes more of a commotion by yelling “Ouch! Oh! Ow! Charlie, that really hurt!” before repeating his famous line “Charlie bit me.” The adorable exchange between these two siblings was all captured on camera by their father and uploaded to YouTube in May 2007. The video, with over 220 million views, has now become both an instant classic on the internet and a great way to get a little laugh.
9) Leekspin:
Have you tried twirling a leek around lately? If so, did you feel like singing a Finnish folk song sung by a Finnish quartet named Loituma? If you do, you probably have seen the “Leekspin”, or the “Loituma Girl”, viral video. This video first appeared in 2006, showing the main girl character Orihime from the Japanese animation Bleach spinning a leek to an audio loop of Loituma’s performance. Since then, a loop of the audio with a timer began popping up in many websites, counting how long she’s been spinning the leek. Remixes of the video and videos with Orihime being replaced by other characters have been made. It’s actually quite entertaining to watch her spinning the leek, and frankly, Loituma’s sound is almost addicting.
10) Leeroy Jenkins:
“Alright, it’s time! We’re ready to go back in! Leeroy, make sure you don’t screw up again. So, if we just go in from here and make sure we kill all of these and then avoid these we will last the raid for sure. Make sure you’re stocked up on potions and stuff, get all your gear checked and your armour brushed up. Okay, let’s go over the plan again, just so everyone knows. But first, everyone should go take a break just in case you need to go to the washroom, Leeroy, what are you doing? Alright, times up, let’s do this. LEEROOOOOOOOOY JENNNKINNNNSSS! That IDIOT! He ruined your plan again! He totally disregarded our plan and dove in! Now we’re ALL going to die!” Believe it or not, this popular meme is a viral video, too! And, it is hilarious!
Alright everyone, that was our list of the top ten viral videos. We hope you enjoyed educating yourself just a little bit more about the crazy topics on the internet. Now that you know, you might just be the one to create the next big online sensation. Will you twirl leeks or audition for a reality TV show? Oh, maybe you’ll become a lip-syncing master! “Anything is possible,” right?
See you next month!
The Interthugs
Are Your Suds Really Duds?
By: Tammy Lee, Grade 11
Not all soaps are made equally, and not all soaps are equally good for your body. It probably doesn’t really trouble you, but have you ever looked at the ingredient list on a bar of soap? Considering the largest organ in our bodies is our skin, you should try to get the best for it. But if you looked at the ingredient list for a bar of Dove Soap, the highest-recommended mild soap (soap supposedly made without harsh chemicals), you would be surprised at how many times the word “sodium” pops up. Without knowing anything about all those ingredients, I first thought I was smothering salt all over my skin with this soap. Am I… preserving myself? And that’s moderate? Is this really soap? Will I eventually end up like a snail and shrivel up? What madness is this?!
I lied to you.
Dove isn’t actually soap. It’s a detergent by law. I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to lie to you like that. Soaps are created by a chemical reaction between water, lye and oils. Companies make their products look like soap when they’re actually detergents. Go; find the list of ingredients for the so-called “soap” you buy at the market. How many times to you see the word “sodium” in the ingredients list? Do you even know what the ingredients are? How many of the ingredients can you even pronounce? Do you know if it will actually clean your skin without harming it with chemicals? I certainly don’t.
Detergent bars strip the natural moisturizing oils from your skin. If your skin feels dry after taking a delightful shower, you can either blame it on the extremely blistering shower you just took…or you can blame your soap. Another terrifying fact is that numerous mass produced soaps are made from petroleum. Gee, that rings a bell! Where have I heard that word before? Oh, that’s right; petroleum is one of the primary ingredients for gasoline… which fuels vehicles! Are you a bit frightened to hear what else is in that detergent camouflaged as soap that you conveniently purchase at the store? Alkali is also found in many detergents, which is almost certainly the cause of your dry, itchy, irritated skin. This is just another reason to why we ought to read and comprehend the labels on the goods we buy prior to when we actually make use of them.
So, what’s an alternative we can use rather than these detergent bars? My recommendation would be glycerin-based soaps. These soaps are known for their translucent, rich amber color. These soaps are produced with glycerol, a naturally occurring biochemical substance that is a component of fats and oils, which makes it safe for sensitive skin. Glycerol exists in our bodies in a form of sugar alcohol; it helps break down the nutrients from the food we eat into a useable form of energy. In our case with soaps, glycerol is preferably extracted from vegetable oils through a rendering process which requires the use of lye. Mass-produced soaps remove the glycerol so that it can be used in other industries. The benefits to using glycerin include leaving your skin hydrated and soft. As well, glycerin can be beneficial for those with skin disorders such as eczema and acne.
After I learned what was really in those detergent soaps I bought at the stores, I immediately switched to glycerin soaps. I regret nothing!
Resources:
http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandcraft.com/whatinsop.htm
http://www.pioneerthinking.com/cd_soap.html
http://www.articlesbase.com/skin-care-articles/all-about-glycerin-soap-451341.html
What’s new in the Organic Garden?!
By: Angela Ho, Grade 10
Over the past year, Windermere’s organic garden has drastically evolved, with new additions attracting the attention of not only the Windermere student body, but also of neighbourhood schools and of other members all over the community. If you have ever looked at the garden through the windows surrounding the courtyard, you might have noticed a big, commercial, hot-tub-looking object sitting on one side. Well, that is in fact an Earth Tub, which is an enclosed composting machine that features powered mixing that speeds up the decomposing processes. After digging trenches around the garden in August, electricity was installed, meaning that the Earth Tub will finally be put into use starting this school year! If properly managed, fresh compost should be available for use in a matter of 3-4 weeks. And, how can you be a part of this? Simple! You can contribute just by tossing your fruit and vegetable leftovers into the compost bins located around the school.
During the hot months of summer, student volunteers dedicated their time to maintain the garden. All the days of watering, fertilizing, and weeding have paid off as plants are flourishing and productive. Some of the things that were harvested include tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, garlic, potatoes, cilantro, basil, and a wide range of berries. It doesn’t end there; other crops such as radishes and squash have yet to be harvested! Some produce had been donated to a Collingwood program and to the Renfrew-Collingwood Senior Society, and some had been taken home for volunteers to enjoy. The garden is currently run by two grade-12 students, Brendan Chan and Cassandra Ly, as their leadership project. This school year will bring exciting new projects. We promise students not only tasty treats, but also the opportunity to experiment and discover.
SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD
By: Max Miller, Grade 11
Meet 23-year-old Scott Pilgrim. He is unemployed, lives in a squalid, one-bed apartment with his “cool gay roommate”
Wallace, plays bass in a band with a whopping two fans, and is dating a 17-year-old Catholic school girl whom he hasn’t held hands with yet. In short, Scott’s precious little life seems to be going nowhere, and he’s more than happy with that.
This all changes when Scott meets the literal girl of his dreams – a fashionable hipster named Ramona Flowers. Inexplicably, the attraction is mutual, but Happily Ever After doesn’t come quite so easily. Ramona has seven evil, bitter exes who are bent on ruining her love life forever. Scott must defeat the exes in Mortal Kombat or risk losing Ramona forever.
If this all sounds a little zany, that’s because it is, but writer/director Edgar Wright (other notable work includes Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead) has already proved he has a deft hand for this sort of thing. The script is, for the most part, taken directly out of the comic. That’s a very good thing. Brian O’Malley’s source material is as hilarious, irreverent and poignant as it was in 2004, and hearing the books brought to life should be incentive enough for fans to buy a ticket. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World also looks about as close to the comic as one could hope. There’s always something happening on-screen; self-aware boxes of text, comic book sound effects, video game statuses and health bars. The fantastic choreography in the fights works brilliantly with the visuals and soundtrack, composed by Beck and Radiohead’s Nigel Godrich. This is filmmaking at its most ADD – as likely to exhaust you as it is to delight you.
Interestingly enough, the actors take the opposite route, beautifully deadpanning their way throughout the entire thing. Kieran Culkin, as Wallace, is the highlight that steals the show at absolutely every possible opportunity. The seven exes, ranging from a popular action-movie star to a vegan whose diet gives him superpowers, give seven great performances, almost making their outlandish characters believable. The only real disappointment is Michael Cera himself, who plays, well, Michael Cera – it’s the same awkwardly charming performance he’s been doing since Arrested Development. Because the script is so close to the comic, though, Scott is written with a very self-assured attitude and Cera just can’t keep up with it.
Nevertheless, on the whole, the film is one big FTW. Whereas most summer movies recycle, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World creates. It’s a world of pixels and bass strings and superheroes that may not make sense to everyone who sees it, but for those of us who are “in on it”, it will satisfy like no other movie this season.
8/10
September Horoscopes
Aries – School’s back, and don’t feel great about it. You’re not happy, but not sad either; you’re in the middle, perhaps
apathetic. You’re just “okay” with it. Once you’re in the routine of school once more, you’ll be back to normal.
Taurus – This September, your legs may not listen to you at all. You might fumble, stumble and trip on the tiniest things, even the smallest grain of sand. It’s temporary, though; it’ll go away! Until then, avoid stairs.
Gemini – All these projects, assignments and tests might make you a bit moody this month. Just try not to snap at your friends and especially not your teachers. Explain and they’ll understand.
Cancer – This drastic change from sleeping in to waking up early every morning might make you a bit grumpy, maybe even crabby. Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it. You still have 9 more months…
Leo – This month, you might feel very playful and energetic, which is a good thing to start the school year with! The assignments and projects may get you down, but it’s okay! You’ll bounce back!
Virgo – You might find yourself in the middle of a problem between two friends. It may be meddlesome, but trust me: don’t take sides. Stay as neutral as possible and let them deal with it.
Scorpio – This month, you will be abnormally attracted to the colour blue. Not just one shade of blue, but all of the blues. It may be strange, but it’ll go away soon.
Libra – You may feel a strong need for justice and fairness this month. If something isn’t fair, you may want to speak up! Just remember who you are speaking up to and whether it is appropriate or not.
Sagittarius – In this coming September, especially during PE class, you will feel incredibly strong, like you can do anything. It may push you to try new things, and it might prompt you to complete anything you haven’t finished.
Capricorn – You are totally prepared to dive back into the daily routine. You’re relaxed, and you know you can do it! Just hope that you’ll feel like this all year…
Aquarius – Yes, school’s back, and you’re not exactly happy. You may feel a tiny bit depressed, but just think! You’ll be able to see your friends everyday, and that’s what really counts, right?
Pisces – You’re back at school and you’re probably very excited! Maybe you haven’t been able to hang out with your friends as much, or maybe you miss being busy. Whatever it is, you’re happy to be back.
Ask Betty: Advice Column
Q: My boyfriend says he loves me, but every time I try to do something like kiss him or hug him or anything, he always brushes me off. What should I do? I can’t help but think that maybe he doesn’t love me anymore.
A: He needs to justify his words with action. It’s just like our motto, facta non verba (actions not words). You should talk to him about why he brushes off your affectionate actions towards him. If he really loves you, then he should be able to accept those kinds of actions, unless there’s some kind of personal reason behind why he brushes them off. Either way, a talk will clear matters up.
Q: I just met this girl, and I have to say, she’s fantastic. I feel as if we’re on the same beat all the time, and she laughs at all my jokes. We recently began dating because of our great chemistry. The only thing that’s bugging me, is that she hangs out with all these other guys, and it’s really bugging me. How can I tell her that I don’t want her to do that?
A: Nowadays, many of our friends are of the opposite sex. The fact that you don’t want her hanging out with her guy friends doesn’t mean she shouldn’t. Trust her that those other guys are just friends and will only be just friends, nothing more. You’ll just have to grow a high tolerance for her hanging with them, and besides, you probably have friends that are girls whom you hang out with. Telling her how you feel is the most important thing, though.
Q: There’s someone I like, but I’m not sure if I should tell him. He’s been showing all the right signals and everything around me, but the other day, my best friend told me she liked him too. We’ve usually been together around him. What if he actually likes her and not me?
A: It can’t be helped if he likes her and not you. The best you can do is to tell him, and hope it’s you he likes. If he does, then good for you, but you’ll need to go comfort your best friend who will probably be upset that he doesn’t like her. If he likes her though, go cry a river, but don’t drown yourself because you should go and support your best friend who won his heart.
Q: My boyfriend says he loves me, but every time I try to do something like kiss him or hug him or anything, he always brushes me off. What should I do? I can’t help but think that maybe he doesn’t love me anymore.
A: He needs to justify his words with action. It’s just like our motto, facta non verba (actions not words). You should talk to him about why he brushes off your affectionate actions towards him. If he really loves you, then he should be able to accept those kinds of actions, unless there’s some kind of personal reason behind why he brushes them off. Either way, a talk will clear matters up.
Q: I just met this girl, and I have to say, she’s fantastic. I feel as if we’re on the same beat all the time, and she laughs at all my jokes. We recently began dating because of our great chemistry. The only thing that’s bugging me, is that she hangs out with all these other guys, and it’s really bugging me. How can I tell her that I don’t want her to do that?
A: Nowadays, many of our friends are of the opposite sex. The fact that you don’t want her hanging out with her guy friends doesn’t mean she shouldn’t. Trust her that those other guys are just friends and will only be just friends, nothing more. You’ll just have to grow a high tolerance for her hanging with them, and besides, you probably have friends that are girls whom you hang out with. Telling her how you feel is the most important thing, though.
Q: There’s someone I like, but I’m not sure if I should tell him. He’s been showing all the right signals and everything around me, but the other day, my best friend told me she liked him too. We’ve usually been together around him. What if he actually likes her and not me?
A: It can’t be helped if he likes her and not you. The best you can do is to tell him, and hope it’s you he likes. If he does, then good for you, but you’ll need to go comfort your best friend who will probably be upset that he doesn’t like her. If he likes her though, go cry a river, but don’t drown yourself because you should go and support your best friend who won his heart.
