Jarret “Stoll” the Show
By Matthew Inouye, Grade 11
First is better than last, one is higher than eight, and 111 points is more than 95. So the Canucks beat the Kings, right? Well, despite having the superior roster and regular-season record, the Vancouver Canucks were shown the door by Jared Stoll, who scored the series-winning goal in the overtime period of Game 5.
Monsanto vs. Vermont
By Sydney Emo, Grade 10
It’s true that we are what we eat, and anyone that can understand the significance of that statement would have to agree that it’s extremely important to know exactly what we are eating. People wouldn’t knowingly go out of their way to buy food with ingredients that could cause cancer, yet we buy food like that all the time because those cancer causing ingredients aren’t labelled. What about genetically modified food? Does that sound appetizing?
Thanks to Monsanto, the company ruling the agricultural industry with their genetically modified seeds, much of the food we eat is probably not as “natural” as we think it is. 93% of the population is in favour of having any GMO food products clearly labelled, and the State of Vermont is the first state to bring forth a bill that would force companies to label all of their GMO products properly. Of course, as always, multi-billion dollar corporations really do not have the public’s best interests at heart, so for them, this proposed bill is nothing but a danger of them losing profit. Monsanto has wasted no time in defending its profits and is now threatening to sue the state of Vermont if the bill passes. (more…)
May Horoscopes
Aries: The taste of strange, new food may just be what you will be craving this month. Experiment! And enjoy!
Taurus: Just think. The beachy, summery days are at your fingertips. Just wait till you finish your exams first!
Gemini: It’s your birthday soon, and you’re not ready to grow up yet. Cherish your childhood or you’ll regret it!
Cancer: (more…)
The Death of Honesty
By Kelly Ninh, Grade 11
I would like to think that all human beings are born with honesty being a trait engraved within them. When it is stripped from us, it is most likely due to the occurrence of desirable life events. For instance, we may interact negatively with others around us as a result of the desire to follow the social status quo or to pursue other priorities in life.
When we were young, we were taught that it was important to tell the truth—that being “good” was the equivalent of being truthful. As we grow up, however, we may begin to recognize some loopholes. Sometimes, it just seems better to conceal reality in an act of compassion, or it may appear harmless to tell “a little white lie.” The fact is that everybody in today’s society lies every now and then. All the more reason for us to avoid taking what others say at face value: it is hardly possible for an average person to detect lies with a considerable degree of accuracy.
The Importance of Language and Literature
By Sharan Pawa, Alumnus
Language can be seen as more than just a method of expression. It is a shared language that connects different individuals, while producing a large community with shared ideas. Literature can be viewed as an expression of perspective, and literary traditions develop over time. I believe that both language and literature are major components of cultural preservation.
Embedded in language is cultural perspective. Different languages encapsulate differing world views, and learning a new language means learning how a different way to organize ideas. Continue reading here…
Gender Representation and the Media
By Nichoson Nguyen, Grade 11
In a workshop held during a meeting for Peer Facilitators, there were guest speakers from a non-profit organization named Check Your Head. The topic of the day was “Gender Representation and the Media.”
To start off, what is gender representation? Gender representation is the set of characteristics that the society typically attributes to each gender. So, if I were to ask, “What characteristics would a masculine person have?” Words like “tough,” “big,” “tall,” “short hair,” “sports,” and “cars” would probably fly through your head. How about if I were to ask, “What characteristics would a feminine person have?” People would normally come up with answers like “long hair,” “sensitive,” “housework,” “Barbie,” “heels,” and “dresses.” This sort of stereotypical attributes is the type of issues addressed during the workshop.
Posthumous Baptism
By Thea Sample, Grade 11
Baptism is a ritual that represents the initiation or acceptance of an individual into a religion. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (also known as the LDF Church or the Mormon Church) believes that only people who have been baptized into their religion can go through the gates of heaven. In other religions, baptism mostly occurs when one is still a baby. The Mormon Church, however, believes that only adults, who can give actual consent to their own baptism, can undergo baptism and, therefore, gain entry to heaven. Another controversial practice is the Mormon Church’s baptism for the dead (posthumous baptism). Mormons have been known, in many cases, to baptize people via “proxy” many years after the deaths of the subjects. Essentially, the ceremony requires someone to stand in for the deceased as a “proxy” and be baptized in his or her place. Members of the Mormon Church are encouraged to research their family history, so that they may baptize those who died before being converted in Mormonism.
The Windermere List
Highest grossing actor of all time: Samuel L. Jackson
Top grossing book series of all time: Harry Potter
Highest grossing movie of all time: Avatar
Top paid app for the iPad: Angry Birds
Top selling record album: “Their Greatest Hits” – Eagles (Elektra)
Second top selling record album: Michael Jackson (“Epic”)
Top grossing professional sports club in the world: Real Madrid
Highest paid athlete in the world: Tiger Woods
Top grossing wedding movie in the U.S.: My Big Fat Greek Wedding
An Education Crisis (Part 1)
The effects of school on high school students’ creativityBy Brendan Chan, Alumnus
It is well known that creativity is important in all aspects of life. It not only stimulates the creation of new and innovative ideas but also plays a large role in students’ development, especially during high school. As defined by the National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education, creativity is an “imaginative activity fashioned so as to produce outcomes that are both original and of value.”
An Education Crisis (Part 2)
By Brendan Chan, Alumnus
Scholarly Conflict and Key Players
Education lacks the ability to nurture creativity in children needed to adapt to our changing world. In his article, “Fostering creativity or teaching to the test? Implications of state testing on the delivery of science instruction,” Christopher Longo suggested that standardized curriculums are teaching high school students in the United States for the test rather than stimulating creativity and self-motivational learning. By reviewing and analysing research done by others, he outlined his paper, beginning with a lengthy history of standardized testing. Then, he moved on to talk about its implications and how state testing could go hand in hand with creativity. What Longo found was that students were being spoon fed information in order to score well on tests, in turn reducing the motivation in students to inquire into their own learning. (more…)
An Education Crisis (Part 3)
By Brendan Chan, Alumnus
Discussion
Schools in North America are teaching an outdated curriculum that is not only preventing students from keeping up with the changing world, but also fails to encourage self-learning, a crucial component of creativity. The North American education system was born out of the capitalistic model of the economy, in which education systems resemble assembly factories where large groups of students move from teacher to teacher, class to class, and grade to grade. The system’s rigid use of standardized testing to produce students with set skills and standards contributes to the reduction of flexibility in, and the commodification of, education. (more…)
