Editors’ Message

Hello Warriors! We hope that you’ve had a great winter break and that you’re excited about the January Issue of the Word. You may have noticed that we’ve added and improved quite a bit since our first September Issue. Hopefully, you like what we’ve done and will continue to support us until the very end! As always, each issue can be read online at whsword.wordpress.com. As of January 13, 2009, our hit count has surpassed 17 000 hits. We appreciate all your comments and feedback that you’ve been giving us online and hope you enjoy reading this issue of the Word as much as we enjoyed making it. It’s never too late to write for us or contribute something you think is worth sharing; just email us at whs_word@yahoo.ca! WORD.

- Jenn Lin & Chitha Manoranjan

For more campaigning videos, click on “Our Writers” at the top

Special Promotion!

Leave a comment on any article on this entire website with your FULL NAME and GRADE, and you’ll be entered to win a year-end prize draw! Winners will be announced and prizes will be given out in May.

1. Each comment counts as one entry (with the exception of comments that are too short or only read “LOL” or something of that nature).

1.a. Comments that are negative and hurtful will not be counted unless it is regarded as ‘constructive criticism.’ Any comments that are of the first nature will be removed immediately.

2. This contest is on-going until the end of the year! So feel free to comment all year round

2.a. Spread the Word!

Editor VS Editor

Humans make resolutions… except ones about themselves?

Jenn: You know what our problem is, Chitha? I mean, the problem with humans being humans.

Chitha: What are you even talking about?

Jenn: We get away with this phase called “growing up.”

Chitha: I’m lost – explain…

A Not So Happy New Year: The Tar Sands Take Over

By: Neelam Khare, Grade 12

As much as I would like to say Happy New Year, I’d be lying if I did. Among many issues becoming worse across the world, the expansion of the tar sands in Alberta is one of them.
Tar sands are a mixture of clay, sand, and a heavy crude oil. In order to extract the oil you have to superheat the tar in steam; the unwanted materials are dumped into ponds. You need about 2-4.5 barrels of water to make one barrel of oil. In 2007, Alberta allowed 119.5 billion gallons of water to be used primarily from the Athabasca River, an important river to Native tribes living there.

The January Blues

by Kaitlyn Fung

Not so long ago, school was out and we could sleep in, but now we must settle back into our normal routines. With a brand new year ahead, the beginning of the first month, January, is here. However, late January is often said to be a very depressing time of year for various reasons, and it’s easy to get a case of the January blues.

One reason why people might be depressed is because the holidays (Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year’s Day and others) are over, which means no more celebrations with family and friends. These are some of the things that most people look forward to in the month of December, and many will miss the spirit and cheer (and in some cases, the gifts and treats) when it’s over. Also, some might be quite bored or lonely after all the activity of the holidays. Visiting friends, spending time with family and shopping for gifts are all things that most people do more often during the holiday season, so the schedule might not be as busy as before.

Proposition 8

by Eric Lam

What is Proposition 8? Proposition 8 is a proposition that applies in California that restricts the right for homosexuals to legally marry in California. It was put forth in response to Proposition 22, which proposed that marriage was officially defined as strictly being between a male and female. When Proposition 22 was turned down, Proposition 8 was put forth in appeal of the judge’s decision.

“In California, Proposition 8 has taken away rights for homosexuals to marry. In California you have to be legally married to even adopt a child,” said Matt Dillahunty from The Atheist Experience.

Questionaire

by Cassandra Ly

Purple snow or orange snow?

Lina Phan – Grade 10
-Purple snow

Chitha Manoranjan – Grade 12
-Purple Snow. Orange snow looks too much like something else. – _ -

Clean Doesn’t HAVE A Scent!

by Emily Chan

Smell the cleanness, surrounding you. Smell the freshness, filling up your lungs. Inhale the poisons that come along with it. Wait a second. “Clean” and “fresh” do not have a scent. Think about it; if a table is clean, what does it smell like? You may jump to conclusions, stating that it smells like lemons and other wonderful scents. The fact is, the table should be odorless. If it smells like lemons and bleach, then that equals more chemicals added to give it that scent. It’s pretty ironic! The “cleaner” it smells, the more chemicals are being added. So, what’s the price? For nice-smelling rooms and appliances, you’re killing yourself.

Let’s start at square one. What’s a household cleaner, anyway? A household cleaner is a substance that is used in your house to get rid of all those germs and bacteria. For example: any detergents (laundry, dish), fabric softeners, air fresheners, surface cleaners (bathrooms, ovens, windows, floors), and many more. Some brands include: Tide, Windex, Mr. Clean, Febreze, Vim, Dawn, Lysol, and more!

January Warriors of the Month

This month, The Windermere Word would like to honour two very dedicated and hardworking students. Aside from the other various volunteer activities that they are involved in, such as the Organic Garden and ACTION, they’ve recently managed to organize Windermere’s Annual Canned Food Drive and surpassed their goal of collecting 2008 cans. They definitely show warrior spirit and bring optimism to everything they do. This month’s issue proudly presents Emily Chan and Brendan Chan (not blood -related)! They are to be commended for their organization and leadership skills.

2009: Still No Flying Cars

by Mitchell Agostinho

I would like to be the first to welcome all you readers to the year 2009! This is a big year for a lot of people. For our local government; it means they have less time to prep for the 2010 Olympics. For the grade 12 students it means they have 6 months until they graduate. Some pretty cool events are happening this year. For example, Slovakia will adopt the Euro as the official currency; this year marks Lincoln’s 200th birthday; lastly, the Women’s Professional Soccer League will debut. The world is being updated (and downgraded), but in which ways?

Greek Chaos Triggers Insurrection Across Europe

by Peggy Lam

On December 6th 2008, the murder of 15-year-old Alexandros Grigoropoulos, in Athens, was the trigger to a massive series of revolts that broke out in Greece and all across Europe. A quarrel took place between a group of youngsters and two police officers as one officer took out his gun and fired straight at Grigoropoulos. Although the officer claimed that it was an act of self-defence, witnesses reported that there was no threat to the officers’ safety and that the verbal abuse was initiated by the police to provoke the teenagers. Witnesses also believed that the policemen had purposely targeted them. After forensic tests and investigations, it was proven that the bullet was shot directly into the boy’s body. The defendant’s lawyer, Alexis Kougias, stated that the boy’s death was the “will of God” and that it is the job of the court to decide “if the death should have happened.”

Democracy in Action: Coaliton Yes!

by Kevin Chan

It seems like you need a political glossary to read the headlines in a Canadian newspaper these days. Words like ‘prorogue,’ which half of us probably didn’t even know existed, have been flying out of the television, off the radio, and screaming at us from the headlines of local and national newspapers; all part of a massive public relations (PR) machine attempting to influence our opinions one way or another about the proposed NDP-Liberal Coalition. It’s something you are going to be hearing a lot more about in coming months. I attended a rally on Thursday December 4th in support of the Coalition. Before I get to the partisan part of the article, I’ll briefly explain the basis of our parliamentary system in order for you to understand why a coalition is perfectly legal and democratic. If you stick with me, I think you will come out the other side of this article more knowledgeable about how our government works and about some of the interesting political events taking place across the country.

New Years Resolutions Questionaire

by Nicole Yu

Kylie Rondpre, Grade 9: Oh. I will give more to the needy; I will help raise awareness [for] poverty, not only other countries, but also our own; I will reduce waste; I will gain super powers and save the helpless; I will show my appreciation for others, [and] I will accept what comes to me.
Nicole: That’s great!
Kylie: I will also read to old people, hahaha.

Allison Ferreira, Grade 8: In 2009, I will… hm… I will try to volunteer in the community more!

Canucks Update

by Gurjita Gadey

The Canucks are past the half-way point of their season, having played 44 games and with a current record of 22-17-5. They have 49 points and are currently sitting in 2nd place in the Northwest Division and 5th in the Western Conference. However, it is a close race with the teams behind them who are just down a few points and who also have some games in hand…

The Journal of a Young Artist

by Nikki Siu

I attended my first portfolio viewing at Emily Carr University on December 6th, 2008. As many of you already know, this used-to-be institute had been running portfolio viewing for quite a while now. It was used to recruit students who have an interest in art, whether it be fine art or graphic design, as long as you have a portfolio of some sort, you are invited to this annual function. Representatives from almost all of the world’s art institutes, colleges, schools, and universities, were placed in different rooms each with their own line-up. I can personally tell you, I could have sworn there was at least 900 people contained within this building.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Book Review

Many of you have probably heard of “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” on television or movie theatres. What many of you might not know is that the movie is based on a short story of the same title by F. Scott Fitzgerald, who is famous for his greatest novel, The Great Gatsby. Although “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” was written in the 1920s, it is evident that it has captured so many audiences with its simple, yet poignant plot.

The book opens with Mr. Button arriving at the hospital. He is excited that his wife has given birth to a child and is eager to know its gender. However, when he introduces himself as Mr. Button to Dr. Keene and several nurses, their reactions are outrageously unprofessional. This shocks Mr. Button. Demanding to see his child, one nurse finally complies. What he sees shocks him: an old grown man, whose legs are dangling out of a crib, is claiming to be his son. After this discovery, Mr. Button attempts to ignore the issue and acknowledges Benjamin as an infant instead of an intelligent old man. From there, Benjamin begins an absurd life, in which he becomes physically and mentally younger the longer he lives.

{stylewatch

by Cheryl Loh

Target: Mr. Zitka

What are you wearing today?
Pretty much all Gap, some H & M: sweater, jeans, big boots.

What can you say about your personal style?
First of all, for me, it’s function over style. My style is very limited, because I commute to work on my motorcycle and I change [my pants] at work. Being a chemistry teacher also limits what I wear, because I get holes in my sweaters from acids. I like more subdued and drab colours.

Eco-tips

by Jenny Ho

Even though it’s chilly outside, there are a few things we can do to reduce our energy usage while keeping our feet nice and toasty!

- Lower your thermostats in the evening and while you’re out of the house. Just by turning it down a couple of degrees, you can reduce heating costs by about 5%.
- Bundle on the sweaters! By wearing a few more shirts and a pair of cozy slippers, you can keep your thermostat lower all the time.
- Make the most use out of your windows. In the daytime, open your blinds to allow the sunlight to warm your house naturally. At night, be sure to close them to maximize their insulating ability.

Frost/Nixon Movie Review & Golden Globe Picks

by Mitchell Agostinho

Before we get into the movie: a bit of American History. On June 17 1972, five men were arrested for breaking and entering into the Watergate Hotel, which “coincidentally” was the location of the Democratic National Committee headquarters. They were found to be trying to plant “bugs” – hearing devices – around the hotel in order to eavesdrop on what the Democratic party was planning, seeing as there was an election coming up. The FBI investigated the break in and discovered that it was one of the illegal activities both authorized and planned out by President Richard Nixon’s staff. Though there was no hard evidence at the time, a set of tapes were discovered that had President Nixon discussing the events with his staff. This was evidence that he had full knowledge of the break-in. In the case of The United States VS. Nixon, the US supreme court voted that Richard Nixon be impeached as President and for him to resign. Now that you’re caught up on the basics, let’s get into the movie.

Horoscopes, Sudoku, & WordGrams

Horoscope Designs by Cheryl Loh
Theme: Bundle Up!

Welcome to the New Year

by Jemar Ebreo

Once again it comes and it goes, a new year arrives at last.
What was once the present has now become the past.
New events will take place, new faces in our lives, memories to unfold,
More chapters to be written, in a book that is untold.
With a new year,comes new experiences come our way,
each minute, each hour, we learn day by day.
Its time to get rid of the useless, and replace it with something much deserved,
old hidden memories in your mind, set free like a caged bird.
With this I do embrace the coming of the new year, with arms full of positivity & Joy.
Just like a child on christmas morning, opening her very first toy.
So cheers to the new year, I hope it welcomes us too,
Do anything you want, maybe starting fresh is something you wish to do…

Mathical Review

By Cassandra Ly

Who ever knew adding together a few feet-tapping, hip-shaking beats along with some brain-racking math formulas and rules could make a musical? In this case, a “high school mathical?” Windermere’s Athena Arts program hosted its first ever musical with its creative storyline written and produced by Maggie Przyborowska, directed by Mitchell Agostinho, and choreographed by Aiden Farrell and Natasha Pheko; the masterminds behind this successful production. Parents, teachers, administrators and other students also made great contributions. “The Number Devil,” a fiction, fun kids’ book written by Hans Magnus Enzensberger about a young boy who has dreams of the number devil visiting him was the inspiration to the creation of the mathical. Songs ranged from old-school classics including “Beat it” to “YMCA” to modern catchy beats including “Rehab.” Instead though, these songs were drastically altered from “Beat it” to “Cheat it,” from “YMCA” to “mx + b,” and from “Rehab” to “Math class.” The hard work of more than 30 grade 8 & 9 Athena students along with the help of a few Nootka students paid off with their great dance moves, acting, singing, and overall presentation. High School Mathical is definitely a one-of-a-kind production and was entertaining and a joy to watch.

Comic Strip

VOTE for your Warrior of the Month

Thank you all for voting for your Warrior of the Month. The Warrior .. for the month of January… is… in the January Issue of the Windermere Word! Goodluck to all the nominees! 
Keep a lookout for our release on January 14, 2009!!!