By: Madison Craske

Hindu Heritage Month was created in 2016 to recognize and celebrate Hindu Canadians in arts, sciences, medicine, teaching and politics that has been brought to Canada by Hindu people.  

Hinduism is a vibrant range of religious and spiritual traditions united by Dharma, a cosmic order continued by its followers through practice and righteous living. This is done in generally the same way as first shown in the Vedas, who are called as a collective. The Veda is a large compilation of the oldest Sanskrit texts and most ancient scriptures in Hinduism.

November is a part of two months on the Hindu calendar. These months are known as Kartik and Margashirsha. Kartik is a month of transition, festivity, and spiritual awakening, making November the perfect month to learn about and celebrate Hindu culture.

1 billion people in the world are Hindu, that means that one eighth of the people on earth from different countries, cultures and backgrounds are all a part of the same sublime religion. Hinduism is celebrated by an eighth of the world's population and is also the third largest religion in the world.

The first Hindu people came to Canada in 1903, and have since become one of the key parts of Canada with 830,000 Hindu people living all over Canada. Most Canadian Hindus have come from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, East Africa and Mauritius. All these people bring art, tradition and culture from all of these places. Because there are so many Hindu people in the world, there are  many languages spoken by Hindu people. The most widespread languages are Hindi, Bengali, and Marathi.

There are many Hindu artisans around Canada who create art with different mediums ranging from painting and sculpting to music and literature, with a lot of Hindu artists drawing from Hindu culture. Considering Hinduism has been around for more than 5000 years, there is literally thousands of years of history and people to be inspired by.

On top of artisans, Hindu people have contributed to philosophy  over the last 5000 years, with hundreds of philosophers across this time.

Vasishtha was the first sage ever at the Vedanta school of philosophy, which was started by Adi Shankara. Vasishtha is credited as being the chief author of Mandala 7 of the Rigveda,which is one of the four sacred Hindu texts. Stories centering Vasishtha are often about how he was in possession of Kamadhenu, the divine cow, and Nandini, or his famous quarrels with fellow sage Vishvamitra. He was mentioned in the Ramayana, which is a Smriti text or Sanskrit epic from ancient India. He was not only the family priest of the Raghu dynasty, but also the teacher of Rama, who is a major deity in Hinduism, and his brothers. 

Hindu people have helped shape Canada as it is today, with religious teachings relevant today, and over 800,000 Hindu people in Canada. That makes Hindu Heritage Month an amazing opportunity to celebrate and learn about how Hindu culture has helped shape Canada since 1903.

By: Maeve Ludmer

Photo taken and edited by Maeve Ludmer

Cranking up the volume and embracing the power—National Metal Day celebrates a genre that is bold, rebellious, and as loud as it gets. From electrifying riffs to thunderous beats, metal continues to shake up the world, and at St. Pius X High School, it fuels a community that is united by music and driven by passion.

National Metal Day, which takes place on the 11th of November each year, is a holiday that celebrates metal music’s independence from the “ordinary” and “conventional” genres, as well as the extraordinary talent and range of metal artists. This holiday was first celebrated in 2011, by a 24-hour music network called VH1 Classic, later known as MTV Classic: an American cable channel that aired music videos. For the 11 days leading up to the big day, VH1 Classic played all things metal-related: concerts, movies, videos, and more.

The man behind the creation of this national day is American musician Michael Fennelly – of bands such as The Millenium and Crabby Appleton– as a way of honouring his favourite movie: This is Spinal Tap. The 1984 mockumentary, which follows a struggling band, talks about having amps that go one louder than 10; they go to 11. Hence, the date of the first celebration: November 11th, 2011 or 11/11/11.

The genre of metal is very complex and has a lot more depth than one may think. Given that there is not nearly enough room in this article to properly explain the genre, here is a presentation that takes a proper, in-depth look at metal music:

Metal For Dummies(not finished)

While metal isn’t typically seen as a “popular genre,” its fans certainly exist. Yes, even the St. Pius X community has metalheads, both new and experienced.

How people discover heavy metal often plays a key role in their experience with the genre. Some hear it through shows or radio, while others, like Tianna DAngelo, are introduced by friends. DAngelo said, “[My friend] Maeve showed me when we were working on a religion presentation, and she was listening to music. She asked ‘Do you want to join?’ So I was like, ‘Yes, of course.’”

A first metal song often leaves a lasting impression. DAngelo recalled, “We were listening to different bands, and [Maeve] showed me the band KoЯn. The first song I remember is ‘Twist,’ and it was this guy making these weird noises. But, you know, it was actually very nice. I’ve never heard a song like that one, and it was very interesting to see that side of the genre.”

As stated earlier, metal isn’t necessarily considered a “popular genre” of music. Even though it isn’t popular, it does not mean this genre lacks the ability to stand out from other types of music. When asked what makes metal music stand out from other genres, one Andrew Blommesteijn had an interesting perspective to share: “Metal music stands out because there’s so much emotion. It’s a great way to express yourself, I would say. It’s just like classical music, but with more screaming and anger; it’s a good way of letting out your anger, and I feel more calm when I listen to metal music.”

If you are someone looking to get into metal, it may be intimidating. But have no fear, as M. Boucher has some helpful advice. Boucher had some helpful insight when asked about advice for those who are new to metal: “First of all, don’t be afraid of saying that you like metal… it’s a great music genre.” Then, M. Boucher added, “Be curious. There are so many subgenres; see what’s going on in other countries. My advice would be to get out of the American mainstream; I enjoy them, but there’s so much more.” And one final, and by far the most important piece of advice, “Don’t judge.”

National Metal Day serves as a reminder to explore and appreciate the depth of metal music, a sentiment shared by the St. Pius X High School community.

Madison Craske

Photo credits: Islamichistorymonth.ca 

Islamic History Month was created to showcase and celebrate the contributions of Muslim people in Canada. It was introduced to Canada in 2007 by our parliament.

The theme of this year's Islamic History Month is Health and Healing in order to showcase the medicinal and scientific contributions of Muslim Canadians.  

Someone who has been highlighted by the government of Canada for his medical contributions and innovation is Ibn Sina (Avicenna), (980 CE– 22 June 1037 CE), who wrote what is regarded as one of the most influential medical texts written. His text, The Canon of Medicine, was used for centuries in both Uzbekistan, where he was born, and throughout Europe. He not only furthered many existing fields, such as clinical observation, but also pioneered various therapeutic practices.

Another Muslim medical pioneer is Al-Razi (Rhazes) (865 CE- Oct 27 925 CE), who is renowned for Kitab al-Hawi and Kitab al-Mansuri, two medical texts that pioneered the systematic way of thinking towards medical practices. He played a major role in discovering the diagnosis and treatment for smallpox using methods of observation, which also led to the discovery of measles.

Ibn al-Nafis discovered pulmonary circulation, which advanced the understanding of the human cardiovascular system significantly. Although many similar discoveries have been made by scientists and medical practitioners in the Western world, if Ibn al-Nafis hadn't made the discovery,  so many medical procedures of today would be set back by decades or even centuries due to his discovery being at least 600 years older than other versions of this discovery.

When asked what she thinks of islamic history month, student Tara-Louise Reffet said, “Islamic History Month is Important because of how many Muslim people there are in this country.Islamic History Month is a way to shed light on the achievements Muslim people in Canada and in the world. It can also help Muslim people in our country feel recognized as well as show how good immigration is for Canada.”

St. Pius X student, Maria Ray has said that "I had never known about Islamic History month until about a few weeks ago. It's great to have a month dedicated to such a cool culture.”

Islamic History Month was an amazing creation that, due to the contributions of many dedicated historians, workers, and volunteers, has been able to become more vibrant and highlighted throughout the years. From the website and facts themselves to the dedicated themes for each year (this year's being Health and Healing), to the highlighted persons, Islamic History Month and the way it has been executed and curated has made this month educational and inspirational.

Maeve Ludmer 

Canada’s Capital Cappies is celebrating its 20th year of shining a spotlight on high school theatre. Once again, St. Pius X High School will be taking part in this season of theatre. 

The most common question received about this programme is, “What is Cappies?” Well, Cappies is a writing and awards program in which teams of high schoolers watch student-led productions from local schools and write reviews that celebrate the performances. Schools that are a part of Cappies must have a team of critics as well as a performance in order to participate. 

Critics must attend at least four shows with a mentor who guides them through each production. During discussions, school crew members share highlights and points of focus. Since the program is student-driven, all production elements are student-made. Critics then write and submit their reviews, with the top six published in the Ottawa Citizen. At the season's end, critics vote on favourites in categories like acting, sets, and costumes. The season concludes with a Tony-style gala at the NAC, featuring a red carpet, performances, and awards.

Running a Cappies team is a large task to take on, but luckily for the Pius team, Ms. Klement has taken charge this year. One of the biggest duties of running a team is setting goals for them. When asked about how she sets goals for the critics, Ms. Klement said, “As a team, we're hoping to maybe get that title again of the best writing team. With that in mind, [we are] making sure that we have students that submit their reviews on time and that they attend all their shows; maybe even some bonus shows. Hopefully, at least four people get published.”

Additionally, as with any team, there are going to be some challenges. When asked about the challenges of supervising a Cappies team, Klement remarked, “A challenge for anybody writing is finding their voice, you know, not trying to sound like someone else or trying to sound a certain way so that your review is picked, but maybe staying true to your own voice. and, like, figuring out how to get that on paper and cultivating that, I think that's a challenge for me because you have to follow certain rules, but also, you want to hear the student’s voice in the review.”

Another key part of managing a Cappies critic team is the Lead Critic. St. Pius’ team is very fortunate to have Chiara Frangione as their leader. While discussing what it is like to be the lead of a critic team, Frangione stated, “I put a lot of extra time and effort into the Cappies program at Pius and try my best to fulfill my responsibilities as Lead; however, seeing the smiles on the faces of our critics each year as we crush our goals and witness how far we've come together makes this so-called 'extra work' feel like pure fun.”

The Cappies season is nothing if not an emotional whirlwind, in a good way, of course. There are so many things to be proud of at the end of a season. When asked about her favourite moment of being the lead critic, Frangione answered, “My favourite moment of being a Lead Cappies Critic was when the 2023-24 St. Pius Cappies Critics team won the Top Critic Award at the CCC Gala. I felt an overwhelming sense of pride for the Cappies team; every team member worked incredibly hard to attain not only their individual goals but also our team goal.”

Stay tuned for an exciting 2024-25 Cappies season!

Tilly Pilarski

(Photo credit- Mrs. Harris)

Over the span of 66 years, St. Pius X High School has never had a yearbook course, until now. This new course is run by Mrs. Harris and Editor-in-Chief Ollie Milling. When discussing the position Milling stated, “[I got the job] after talking to Ms. Harris about some of the art initiatives I have taken on.” The two are helped by a team of students in the course, as well as some volunteers during lunch and outside of class hours. The course itself takes place during period 1 in semester 1 and period 3 in semester 2. Currently, the members of Yearbook who are not in the period 1 class have meetings in room A101 during lunch on Mondays. The members of Yearbook go around taking photos at all events in order to represent everything, so you will see them all over with their cameras. Then, the team meets back in Mrs. Harris’ room to upload their photos and insert them into a phenomenal yearbook that is to come.

This is one of, if not the first, Yearbook clubs to exist during the day as a course. It is very new and very exciting, and it allows the yearbook to be completed even more efficiently than it was previously. It is a much more efficient, lower-pressure, and just fun way of running a yearbook. You can even get involved yourself. There are many incredible opportunities for leaving your mark on this year’s yearbook. 

When asked what hopes she has for the yearbook, Mrs. Harris said, “I hope that every student is represented three times. And I hope that every student, all 900 plus, purchases a yearbook. And that they feel like they’re represented. And also, that we have fun making it.” 

When asked how many yearbooks she wants to sell, Mrs. Harris said, “[I want to sell] all of them.” So make sure to pay your student fee, to receive a yearbook.

If you are curious about the reason why Yearbook became a course, Mrs. Harris explains that “When it was a club, it was hard to get people to stay interested and responsible for their roles. And a lot of times the responsibilities fell on just a handful of people instead of multiple.” As for getting a good mark in Yearbook, Mrs. Harris says this is all it takes: “Just showing up, working hard, and making sure that [your] roles are filled.” 

According to Milling, “[this new way of running things is] an amazing decision. A lot more students are interested in the yearbook because they can earn credit with it. This means that there are more people on the yearbook team. We went from having five yearbook staff to having over forty yearbook staff! It is a huge achievement for the school because more people can be featured in our yearbook.”

If you would like to see the final product of this new way of running things, make sure to get your yearbook. This year’s exciting theme is, drum roll, please… Spotify! 

By: Chiara Frangione

(Photos by Chiara Frangione) 

Money wasn’t the only thing raised at the St. Pius Club Tables; so was school spirit! On September 27th, 2024, the quad of St. Pius X High School was transformed into a display of culture, diversity, art, and Pius Pride in honour of Terry Fox and his legacy. 

Numerous clubs such as the Black Student Association, Indigenous Student Association, Asian Student Association, St. Pius Cappies Critics, Hello Pius, SPXpresso, Gender Sexuality Alliance, Swiftie Club, Mrs. Gant’s art students, Mr. Robertson’s Rockstars, and the St. Pius RNB band demonstrated what it means to be proud Pius community members during their involvement at the 2024 St. Pius Club Tables event. A few clubs sold assorted food items, such as the Jamaican patties sold by the BSA; some clubs gave away cultural items, such as the ISA’s medicine wheels; while others provided unique experiences, such as the interactive writing activities done by the St. Pius Cappies Critics and Hello Pius, as well as the face painting done by Mrs. Gant’s art students.  

The various clubs present at the event were all united through their common cause to raise funds for Terry Fox, and all displayed the diversity Pius has to offer. When asked about her experiences during the event, ISA member Samantha Murray answered, “[I enjoy] getting to share Indigenous culture with others.” BSA lead Hillary Olatunji replied, “It was nice having all the people come to buy our food and tell us how much they liked it. It’s also nice to have a leadership role where you’re helping out other people.” 

Many clubs also participated in this event for the first time this year, such as the SPXpresso and ASA. Mrs. Barnes explains the preparations and impact that the Diversity and Inclusion crew’s involvement will have on the program, stating, “We usually only sell to the staff: coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. The students only use cash, developing their monetary skills, reading skills, and social skills. They come up with a recipe, read the ingredients, and make instructions to bake the treats. At the end of the year with all the money we make, we take the kids on a field trip.” The ASA has also had a very successful first event. ASA member David Truong says, “[I enjoyed] getting to show off our culture while raising money for a good cause.” 

The staff and students involved in this event worked incredibly hard, and it shows. The St. Pius X High School club tables raised significant amounts for the Terry Fox Foundation, all while forming a vivid rainbow with the colours of St. Pius diversity worth millions.

By David Truong

The R&B members performing at Terry Fox Run!

The R&B band is back, and they have come back hot with an awesome performance during Terry Fox of songs from all different genres. From Miles Davis’ “All Blues” to Pharell Williams’ “Double Life” to the classic Bob Dylan song “Knocking on Heaven’s Door,” the band took these songs and killed them with their interpretations, complete with guitars, trumpets, and saxophones. With the grooviest cast of musicians present this year, the band is more than ready to rock out and is excited for their next big performances. To top it all off, they are led by Mr. Sasso, the amazing music teacher at St. Pius X, who is more than capable and ready to lead the band into greatness.

Other band members have thoroughly enjoyed the experience of R&B in the few short weeks that it has been up. They’ve very much enjoyed the music being played and being in a band that fosters a sense of community with one another. For example, when guitarist Blommesteijn was asked what he liked about R&B band, he commented, “I like being surrounded by like-minded people and building connections through music in general, and generally, I really love jamming out and just having fun with the music I am playing. Also, I really love playing the dang guitar!”

The Music Room, a place of happiness, peace, and joy for many R&B band members and other aspiring musicians!

A few other members have commented on how R&B band has helped build important skills and strengthened their musical capabilities, and how they enjoy a lot of the genre of the music being played. For example, when asked what he liked about R&B, guitarist Ludmer said, “I think it’s an interesting place to learn lots of things about music and to help you improve. Learning a musical instrument in an R&B band can help you improve things like your muscle memory, dexterity, and how you think. Overall, I think it is a very interesting experience, and it has enriched me a lot.” 

Currently, the R&B band is working on their song list from last year, accompanied by a new piece called “Just the Two of Us” by Bill Withers and Grover Washington Jr. Throughout the last meetings, they have been working tirelessly on this song, jamming on it to get the feel of the song and trying to emulate the original feel as much as possible, while also being creative with their own interpretations. Mr. Sasso, in particular, has been working very hard on bringing this new musical piece to life and bringing it all together. 

Along with this, they are also preparing for their next big performance. When asked what he wants the R&B band to do in the foreseeable future, Mr. Sasso replied, “We are very excited for our next performance at the ATC Halloween Dance that is coming up October 25th. We are looking forward to playing some classic spooky Halloween songs, like ‘Thriller’ by Michael Jackson, and overall playing anything that we and other people can jam over and groove to!”

So, watch out for the R&B band, X-men, as they will come back better and groovier for the ATC Halloween dance and knock it out of the park!