Capitalism: A Love Story

Capitalism: A Love Story (120 mins)

Directed & Produced by Michael Moore

Review by Jenn Lin, Alumni

8.5/10

 It strikes me as obvious that most teenagers will not choose to see this movie on a Friday night.  That much is incredibly evident when you realize that it is two hours long and that it does not have any vampires or Transformers in it.  And even though the title mentions the words, “love story,” it is more of a tragedy than anything.  Yet I feel compelled to write this review because what is said in this documentary affects us all. 

Food For Thought

By: Jenn Lin, Alumni

A few weeks ago I stumbled upon a CNN blog (via wordpress.com) and saw a headline that read something like, “Organic food not as nutritious and costs more.” Apparently there were studies done to prove that conventionally grown food was just as nutritious as organic food. 90% of the article was devoted to explaining and proving that organic food is not more nutritious and you’re also getting ripped off; but 10% actually noted that indeed, most people would say they don’t buy it because of nutritional value.

Goodbye Editors, Hello Committee

If you’ve read the Editors’ Message in May, you may know that we have recently decided to form a committee. This means that starting in June and continuing on next year, The Word will be run and completed with a project leader, a main editor, our student writers, and several core teams of people, including Promotion, Distribution, Community, Website, Layout Design, Article Hunting, and Media Coverage. If you are ever interested in working for The Word, you only need to e-mail us! A brief summary of the teams’ duties are as follows:

Jenn and Chitha’s Top Ten Highlights of the Year

There is no order because they were equally great… well… most of them.

 - Arguing with each other and blaming each other for mistakes. See “Jenn and Chitha’s Top Ten Editing Screw Ups”

- The first time we ever really “Spread The Word” in a train-like fashion, we spanned the entire length of the cafeteria. And oh, seeing the look on people’s faces.

- One time, this guy came up to me (Chitha) and he said, “OMG! You have recipes now!? I’m going to read The Word all the time now!” That was December.

- Getting better at making it look good… as in… layout design. It was hard cramming everything using the fewest amount of paper possible…

Warrior of the Month

By Jenn Lin

This month, The Word would like two honour two grade 12 students for their work in organizing Pink Shirt Day at Windermere: Nora Tong and Kathy Nguyen.

Here is my interview with Nora and Kathy:

1) Congratulations, how do you feel about winning?

Chicken: Man’s New Best Friend?

By Jenny Ho, Grade 9

Ever thought about keeping a few chickens in your backyard for fresh eggs? Recently, Vancouver City Council introduced a new policy, which allows residents to keep backyard chickens. There are many cities in the United States and Canada with a similar bylaw, including Seattle, Washington D.C., New York City, and Victoria. Of course, within the bylaws, there are many points to consider. If this proposed bylaw passes, residents are able to raise chickens as early as June. The proposed by-law raises much debate from Vancourites. Some are in favour of this new policy, but some residents and animal welfare groups are against the idea.

The Future of Ethical Science

by Jenn Lin
 
Stem-cells have the potential to literally become any type of cell within the body; the very nature of cloning is derivative of these types of cells and can be found in multi-cellular organisms. Scientists have strived to further stem-cell research because it could also lead to “treatments for diabetes, heart disease, cancer, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s” (Payne, 2009), as well as spinal cord injuries by replacing those damaged or lost brain cells, vital organs, nerve tissue, etc.; the remedies for the aforementioned are all highly sought after. Yet the pursuit of stem-cell research is only one example of how scientific advancement at the disregard for ethics could potentially lead to the most frightening realities of tomorrow; when the preservation of one thing at the destruction of another is at stake, there’s no telling what the repercussions could be – Frankenstein, anyone?

 

Farewell Ms.Devilla

Some of you may have already heard or noticed, but Ms. Devilla has recently left her post as Head Secretary at Windermere. As students who have received her assistance on several occasions (especially with the photocopying machine), as well as her utmost support with The Word, Chitha and I felt that the least we could do to thank her is to interview her! Her joyful spirit and good nature will always be remembered at Windermere. So on behalf of the students and staff at Windermere, thank you Ms. Devilla for all your hard work and I hope you enjoy your new position at the VSB. For the rest of you readers, enjoy!

Editor Vs. Editor – Immorality vs. Neutrality

BBC (UK equivalent to CBC) recently refused to provide the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), which oversees 13 aid organizations, with free airtime for the international humanitarian Gaza charity appeal. The DEC hoped that BBC would follow through on their 1963 agreement to provide such service for relief agencies. Yet their decision was to reject the appeal on the grounds of impartiality and also the uncertainty concerning how they would deliver aid in such “volatile situations” (BBC release).

For argument purposes, Chitha and Jenn have intentionally taken up a side to explore the controversy regarding this topic.

Immorality vs. Neutrality

Jenn: Chitha, have you read the new January 23rd Media Alert on MediaLens.org?

Chitha: Yes, I have.

Jenn: And? What’s your take on it? Is BBC justified in rejecting the appeal or not?

Warrior of the Month (Interview)

by Jenn Lin, Grade 12

You nominated & you voted. Your Warrior of the Month is… JASON COSTA! Jason was nominated for being “always smiling and being such a positive role model, as well as his involvement in student council.”

From what I’ve learned, at school, Jason Costa is involved in the vocal ensemble, the school planning council, and is president of the student council. Meanwhile in the community, Jason still does a lot of volunteering at his church despite his current disability. He hopes to soon raise awareness in the community about cancer and spinal cord injuries, and help those with similar disability, youth in particular, to cope with it and share his experiences. Jason also loves reading, music, and spending time with friends.

Critical mass; Oct 31st

by Jenn Lin

This month’s Critical Mass Bike Ride: October 31st, HALLOWEEN NIGHT. 6:00PM at the Vancouver Art Gallery – suit up and ride your bike in your costumes! This is the best Mass of the Year!

Critical Mass has been occurring in places throughout the world since September 1992, the first ride occurring in San Francisco. It was originally called “Commute Clot,” but the name changed to Critical Mass by the time the second ride took place. The new name came from the idea that the bikers, once they reached a big enough mass, would be able to stop traffic completely. A “critical mass” is then achieved. It takes place every last Friday of the month and usually in places where it is evident that more appreciation for bikes is needed on and off the roads. Though it is somtimes negatively called a “rally” or “protest” against drivers and people using cars – the bikers do not purposely do anything to provoke authorities. On the contrary, it is meant to be a fun and peaceful ride.

Below is a journal entry that I wrote back in Grade 11. Hopefully after reading it you will gain some insight to what it is, why people do it, and why I myself enjoy it so much.

I went to my first critical mass on April 25th of 2008. At first I was a bit unsure if it was a good idea to go because I don’t consider myself the best bike rider, but when I arrived at the Vancouver Art Gallery and saw so many bright faces, I was instantly glad that I had gone. The weather was absolutely amazing, and there I was a part of this huge gathering of people that believe in alternative transport and that roads should belong to not only cars, but bikes as well. It was the closest thing to a radical movement I had ever been to and I enjoyed every bit of it.