As National Indigenous History Day (Friday 21st) nears and Indigenous History Month comes to a close, let’s take the time to learn more about Indigenous culture, traditions, and experiences. An interesting part about National Indigenous History Month is that it has weekly themes:

• The first week, June 1st to June 9th, is about the traditional knowledge and territory of Indigenous peoples.

• The second week, June 10th to 16th, is about Indigenous children and youth. 

• The third week, June 17th to 23rd, is about Indigenous languages, cultures and arts.

• The last week, June 24th to 30th, is about women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people.

Today, there are a variety of ways to learn about Indigenous people and their history: documentaries, docuseries, literature, designated historical places and sites, and from Inuit, First Nations, and Metis people themselves.

Documentaries and Docuseries

Sometimes, the most entertaining way to learn is sitting down with a good documentary. Here are some Documentaries exploring Indigenous culture, heritage, and issues.

• The Pretendians

• Bimibatoo-WIn: Where I Ran 

• Spirit to Soar 

• Becoming Nakuset 

• Inendi

Literature

From storytelling to memoirs, fiction to nonfiction books are all ways to learn more about Indigenous culture and history. Here is a list of books written by Indigenous authors regarding culture, traditions, and heritage:

• Split Tooth by Tanya Tagaq

• Son of a Trickster by Eden Robinson

• Finding Izzy by Sheryl Doherty

• All the Quiet Places by Brian Thomas Issac

• Arctic Dreams and Nightmares by Alootook Ipellie

• Tilly by Monique Gray Smith

• Nobody Cries at BIngo By Dawn Dumont

• Highway of Tears: A True Story of Racism, Indifference, and the Pursuit of Justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls by Jessica McDiarmid (McDiarmid is not indigenous, but is an investigative journalist)

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Or, look for Indigenous artists who share their stories in the tradition of oral storytelling.

Designated Historical Sites, People, and Events

The rich history, heritage, and resilience of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people can be seen in Canada’s historical sites, places, people and events. Visit https://parks.canada.ca/culture/designation/autochtones-designations-indigenous to find more information about these historical places and remarkable Indigenous people. 

National Indigenous Peoples Day, a day to celebrate and honour Indigenous culture and heritage on the day of the summer solstice, has events all over the country to do so. Look at events here in Cambridge, or in Kitchener, Hamilton, Mississauga, and Waterloo on the government of Canada’s website: https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/list-events.html.

Lastly, you can also visit https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1621447127773/1621447157184 to find other general resources about Indigenous Heritage Month provided by the government of Canada.

You may be wondering, how did Pride Month begin? Well, this article shares how it began, what made it happen, and why it matters today. So let's rewind to June 28, 1969.

For years, LGBT+ people were victims of violence, cruelty, and even considered criminals. They were refused service everywhere they went (until a movement in 1966 made it possible to be served despite their queerness,) which made them seek places to gather and create a community. An example of this is gay bars.

A popular gay bar in New York, the Stonewall Inn, was a place for queer people to go and meet people like them. However, police raids at the Stonewall Inn and other gay bars were common. After countless raids, where queer people were attacked, violated, and even killed, these courageous people fought back in the form of a riot on June 28th.

This raid was different though. This bar - along with many others - was owned by the mafia. But that’s not what made this different from past raids, no. In the past, the mafia bribed police officers to give them warnings before raids. This time, they had no warning.

13 people were arrested, including employees and attendees. The people were angry and tired of these raids and what the police did to them. 

After one woman was hit over the head by a police officer, she started yelling for bystanders to pay attention to what was happening. This evoked bystanders to start throwing anything they had at the police officers and cars. Soon, hundreds of people were rioting and protesting about the cruelty they were subjected to.

This uprising, or previously known as a riot, was a life-changing event that lasted over five days. 

While this uprising isn’t how gay rights activism started, it plays a significant role in Pride Month history and the founding of LGBT+ rights organizations. Some of these organizations are still active today, such as the GLAAD organization, which is dedicated to sharing the voices of LGBT+ people.

Exactly one year later, on June 28th, 1970, thousands of people flooded the streets of Manhattan in the first pride parade. This parade was called “Christopher Street Liberation Day”. Every year since then, pride has been celebrated at the end of June to commemorate the Stonewall uprising. This uprising became a symbol for remembering the LGBT+ people who fought for the rights of LGBT+ people now. Their actions made it possible for LGBT+ people to express themselves without the worries of criminalization or dehumanization. 

But why does this matter? Because it’s important to understand the past and how it affects us today. Pride is more than a parade and rainbows; it’s a time for LGBT+ people to remember those who came before us and fought for us. It gives us a space to be ourselves and create a sense of community. Pride is important because people, no matter who they are or who they like, deserve to feel safe and seen.

Despite the actions of closed-minded people in this world, the Stonewall Uprising and other movements have made it possible for queer people to have the right to be themselves and love who they want to love, just like everyone else.

Looking for a way to occupy your many hours of free time this summer? Worried you’ll end up wasting away on the couch or on your phone? Try this list!

1.  Strawberry Picking

Feast your eyes upon the many strawberry patches that grace our province (and later feast literally), and enjoy a warm afternoon picking strawberries at one of the lovely locations listed below!

• Fays Strawberry Patch

• Gillespie’s Garden

• Marcy’s Berries

2. Hiking

Bask in the beauty and peacefulness of Southern Ontario’s many hiking trails, and turn to Mother Nature to ease your worries.

• Mill Run Trail

• Grand Trunk Trail

• Dumfries Conservation Area

3. Picnic

Pack a couple of snacks and drinks and head out to one of the three following locations with a group of friends!

• Valens Lake Conservation Area

• Riverside Park

• Chilligo Conservation Area

4. Camping

Spend a night under the stars, in front of a toasty campfire and enjoy the sweet warmth of smores. This can all be done under the beautiful canopy of forestry covering Southern Ontario:

• Flamboro Valley Camping Resort

• Pine Valley Park

• Pinehurst Lake

5. Canada’s Wonderland

Feel the adrenaline and rush of flying through the air at Canada’s Wonderland. Nothing can beat the sensation of a roller coaster taking your breath away and enjoying the thrill with all your friends.

6. Gardening

Take a breather and enjoy the serenity of gardening and bringing colour through a diverse array of flowers and vegetables. Nurture their growth and find joy in creating something so lively and rich from scratch. Below is a list of flowers that are easy to plant and maintain for beginners!

• Sunflowers

• Marigolds

• Cosmos

• Petunia

• Aster

• Zinnia

7. Spa

Press pause on the world around you and relax at the many spas available. From the saunas to the ice rooms, from the massages to the facials, let go of all troubles within the peaceful ambiance and come out anew.

• GoPlace Spa

• The Spa Cambridge

8. Butterfly Conservatory

Enjoy the luscious butterfly gardens, and take in the extent of Earth’s fascinating natural beauty through these unique creatures.

9. Pottery

Embrace your creativity and imagination through pottery making, challenge yourself and make something that encompasses the individuality of your mind.

• Play With Clay

• Glazed Expressions

10.  Art Crawl

Hamilton hosts a beautiful display of artistry and culture every year, where attendees of all ages can enjoy various food and drink, entertainment, shopping, and of course, many galleries. Check it out every second Friday of the month.

Sources:

https://www.hgtv.com/outdoors/flowers-and-plants/flowers/13-cant-kill-flowers-for-beginners-pictures

https://tourismhamilton.com/guide-to-hamiltons-art-crawl/

https://www.thespacambridge.ca/#

As the 2024 school year slowly comes to an end, students at Glenview Park Secondary School participated in our very own multicultural week. From May 27th to May 31st, events took place in the cafeteria during break. From representing cultural music, to introducing the school to various flavors of the world, our team consisting of Hania Fawad, Raiena Haque, Snehal Jain, and Karman Sandhu, as well as with the help of Sanaa Selby, took charge to make sure the week went by smoothly and enjoyable to all!

The beginning of the week, on Monday the 27th, consisted of a multicultural games day. Students were encouraged to come and participate in some games for a blast from the past! Whether it was a cultural board game like Ludo, or a card game like Loteria, excitement was a permanent part of the event as kids milled about and explored the different games and cultures they were derived from. Music was played in the background of each event during the week and Students were also encouraged to provide song recommendations to maximize inclusivity.

The next day, Tuesday the 28th, a photobooth was set up for students to come and make their flags with the craft supplies provided, and then pose with their flag at the photobooth. The flags that were made were put up around the photobooth for students who wanted to just take a photo and not make a flag, as well as symbolize and represent the diversity of our school. Props were also provided in case some students felt like exploring other cultures or just wanted to have some fun with their pictures! With some volunteers, we had amazing photo frames present as well to add some creativity to the photos!

Next came Wednesday the 29th. On this day, snacks and drinks were provided for students to consume and we had amazing volunteers come help to do henna during the break. Snacks related to culture like shortbread (Germany), cream crackers (Jamaica), salsa and chips (Mexico), as well as drinks related to culture such as rooh-afza (South Asia), lemonade (Egypt), and chai (South Asia), were all presented at the front of the cafeteria while students doing henna on other students took place in front of the foods table. Beautiful designs came from our volunteers as they worked hard to make their temporary clients happy. Delicious food and drinks were also provided to keep students refreshed and fulfilled. 

Thursday the 30th was a more relaxed day for students as a calm trivia game took place in the cafeteria. Sanaa Selby took charge for the day and indulged the students in a multicultural kahoot that asked questions from all cultures with candy as a prize for the winner.

Finally, Friday the 31st arrived. The final day of multicultural week consisted of a reappearance of the photobooth from Tuesday, plus a small fashion show for those who wished to come up on stage and show off their cultural clothing. Students could either take photos in their amazing clothing, get on stage and tell everyone about the country their representing, or both! Many amazing students came dressed up on this day to show off their culture and take pride in their heritage. 

Overall, the week went amazingly well and many students and staff were invested in all the events that took place. We are so proud of our fellow Panthers for coming to each event with excitement and interest!!

A class of 2024 spotlight

We asked the graduating members of the Panther Post team some questions about their future!

What is your name? (First, Last)

Ravneet Sandhu

What are your plans for next year? 

Engineering at McMaster University

What is a future goal you have? (This could be a future job, a trip you'd like to take, etc.....)

Be rich. Duh!

What is a favorite memory from being in the Panther Post? 

Writing about staff vs student dodgeball!

What is your name? (First, Last)

Hania Fawad

What are your plans for next year? 

McMaster University for Social Sciences

What is a future goal you have? (This could be a future job, a trip you'd like to take, etc.....)

Children’s mental health therapist

What is a favorite memory from being in the panther post? 

Leading it with such an amazing team of determined and focused people!

What is your name? (First, Last)

Raiena Haque

What are your plans for next year? 

Psychology at McMaster University!

What is a future goal you have? (This could be a future job, a trip you'd like to take, etc.....)

I want to be able to travel more!

What is a favorite memory from being in the panther post? 

Making comic strips and writing articles here and there!

What is your name? (First, Last)

Morgan Walker

What are your plans for next year? 

University Of Windsor to complete a BFA in Film Production

What is a future goal you have? (This could be a future job, a trip you'd like to take, etc.....)

I really want to become an Editor in the film industry. 

What is a favorite memory from being in the Panther Post? 

I think the friendships and openness and the love everyone has for each other!

What is your name? (First, Last)

Karman Sandhu

What are your plans for next year? 

McMaster University

What is a future goal you have? (This could be a future job, a trip you'd like to take, etc.....)

I want to work in the medical profession! I’m not sure where exactly I’ll end up, or what job I’ll have, but I hope that it’s in medicine. Also, I’d love to go on a Europe tour someday!

What is a favorite memory from being in the Panther Post? 

My favourite memory from being in the panther post is the brainstorming sessions we had before starting each new edition! They often resulted in us talking about shared interests, and it was always a nice way for the team to bond.

What is your name? (First, Last)

Faryal Ansari

What are your plans for next year? 

I'll be attending McMaster University for Integrated Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences :)

What is a future goal you have? (This could be a future job, a trip you'd like to take, etc.....)

I would like to hopefully help make healthcare technologies like surgical machines, artificial tissues, prosthetics, etc. in my career. I also want to visit Prague eventually in my life, because that's where one of my favourite books is set!

What is a favorite memory from being in the Panther Post? 

Just being in the meetings and Rav (and everybody else) cracking jokes while we're planning. I will definitely miss those moments!

Photos of our graduating team members can be seen here!

A monarch, a wife, and a mother. Queen Victoria was and did many things during her life. Now, she’s a celebrated individual who is honoured each year. One might ask why and well, one need ask no longer.

Early Life & Family:

Alexandrina Victoria became the last member of the House of Hanover on May 24th, 1819. The Royal House was of German origin, the descendants of George Louis whose reign lasted about 13 years (1714 - 1727). Victoria’s family was sparse, and while her relationship with most of them remained complicated in her childhood, she ceased all contact with them soon after ascending to the throne. She would go on to marry her husband who became Prince Consort Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, and have 5 daughters and 4 sons.

Reign:

Britain’s well known empire was well into its prime back then, and Victoria ruled over what was then called Great Britain and Ireland. Her reign , which lasted exactly 63 years, 7 months, and 2 days, was one of the longest reigns in history, second only to Queen Elizabeth II.

Historical & Current Significance:

We could all only hope to be so famous that they name an entire time period after us, alas, very few, Queen Victoria among them, were given that privilege. While Victoria was well known for her economic and industrial progression in Britain, she also played a part in solidifying Canada’s ties to British Monarchy, and the holiday symbolises not only that, but Canada’s growth as its own country.

Sources:

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Victoria-queen-of-United-Kingdom

https://www.mycism.com/2024/05/exploring-canadas-celebration-of-queen-victoria-what-is-victoria-day/#:~:text=This%20holiday%20began%20in%201845,monarchy%2C%20and%20its%20colonial%20past.

https://sencanada.ca/en/sencaplus/how-why/the-legacy-of-queen-victoria/#:~:text=She%20was%20the%20one%20who,end%20of%20the%20Senate%20Chamber.

At some point in all of our lives we’ve wanted, or had to, give a gift to another person since gift-giving is essential for reinforcing strong relationships and expressing our appreciation for our loved ones. But, we have all struggled with the gift-giving process and have felt stumped on what to get for the special people in our lives. So, this is a practical and comprehensive guide for gift-giving, which is appropriate for birthdays, Christmases, Father´s day, or any occasion to show your companionship and affection for the people in your life!

How to Become a Good Gifter?

Although scrolling through gift ideas can aid in finding inspiration for gifting your loved ones, it can also be beneficial to consider the intention, the object, and the effect of a gift. The intention of a gift is the purpose or the meaning of the gift. Are you giving something that the recipient will just like? Are you giving the recipient something that they can keep and use forever? Or a gift that you and the recipient can use together? The effect of a gift is the desired effect or the emotional impact on the receiver. Do you want the gift to have a long-lasting impact? Do you want the receiver to feel excited, happy, and ecstatic? Sad, sentimental, and nostalgic? Or amused and joyful? The object is the actual gift itself and for some people this is the most important part to consider in the gifting process, and for others it is the least important. Regardless, it is important to consider if the gift is practical, if the gift takes into consideration the recipient's likes and dislikes, or if it is even an appropriate gift to give. However, the object should be considered with all of the other aspects in mind. Many people mistakenly single out one aspect of giving a gift, and end up with a gift that falls short and isn't as meaningful or impactful. 

Can I Gift Cash?

Although giving cash as a present may seem as not being meaningful, gifting cash can  Personally, my favourite memories of celebrating my birthdays when I was younger were the ones where my grandma would give her gift to me, and it was the same gift every year; 50 dollars in cash. Cash can be a great gift for the loveable youngsters in your life. If we were to connect this back to the intention aspect of gift-giving, then you can imbue the gift with purpose by giving cash with the intention of going shopping with the recipient. This can be an impactful gift if the recipient enjoys shopping. Or instead of gifting loose change, dollar bills, or a cheque, you can give a gift card from their favourite store to shop at. Therefore, gifting cash can be a practical, and even meaningful gift, as long as you consider the recipients’ preferences.

Crafts & Arts

Purchase gifts which help support your loved one´s crafts or create something beautiful.

If the loved ones in your life enjoy expressing creativity through arts and crafts, then buying materials or classes for them can enrich their passions and make you seem thoughtful! To begin, your loved ones don't necessarily need to be into arts and crafts to begin with, and by buying a gift for them it can end up as being what gets them into crocheting, painting, pottery, embroidery, and more!. If you’re unsure if someone is willing to commit to an art form, then you can buy a book about it or buy a small kit. However, If your loved ones already enjoy art, then you can gift art or craft materials from a new discipline they wish to learn, for example watercolours, gouache, oil pastels or if they enjoy crafts more, then embroidery needles, hoop, and fabric or any of the necessary materials from a particular discipline. For a more practical gift, you can help restock on essential supplies; paints, canvases, sketchbooks, art pencils, or, yarn, fabric, and stitch markers. You can also give a gift you created which they can keep forever, such as a customised steel toolbox or pottery mug for them to store their art materials in. 

Recipes & Cooking

Cook or bake a recipe which is delicious!

Although food is not generally something people consider as a gift, it can provide the same effect of a gift since food is something you can enjoy and savour, as well as evoke memories with. Although we can’t provide you with recipes that are significant to your life, we can provide simple and delicious recipes that our Panther Post journalists have written for you! If you also want to give an avid home cook with a kitchen appliance, then you may consider products which allow people to cook with ease. This includes immersion blenders for making sauces without the fuss of other blender products, stand mixers for bakers or new stand mixer attachments, and a slow cooker for soups and overnight recipes. Although some home cooks enjoy fancy kitchen gadgets, it is important to be aware of the practicality of some products. However, if your loved ones enjoy kitchen gadgets, then it may be a thoughtful, or even funny gift!

That is the complete guide on how to give somebody a gift with some examples, and links with gift ideas! If this article did not cover gift ideas for all of the hobbies and interests of your loved ones, then hopefully it has given insight into how to think about giving a gift so that it is significant, relevant, and practical for your loved ones. 

References

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pd-LmlnE9QE 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9UUu2JBQB0  

Improvements. Surprises. Disappointments. Drama. This is Formula One. 

The Driver Market is getting more interesting by the day. We are getting more closure for the upcoming years in Formula One. Nico Hulkenberg, a Haas driver, has switched to the Stake F1 team. This means that either Valterri Bottas or Zhou Guan Yu will be in either a different seat or without a seat. Fernando Alonso, 2-time world champion, has re-signed with Aston Martin, ending the speculations of him taking the open seat at Mercedes. While his teammate, Lance Stroll, still has not confirmed anything, it is almost certain that he will stay in Aston Martin because his father, Lawrence Stroll, owns the team. Alexander Albon has re-signed with Williams as attention turns to who will be driving alongside him. With Carlos Sainz out of a seat for next year, the suspicions and rumours are flying high. As Sergio Perez’s performance has been dropping, there is a higher probability that Carlos Sainz will go to Red Bull. Also, with the news about Carlos Sainz rejecting the offer from Audi, the path is clear. 

Suzuka is a fan favourite Grand Prix, but it also holds devastating memories. During the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, F1 lost a young talent in Jules Bianchi. The rainy race seemed to be going smoothly until Adrian Sutil crashed with no fatal injuries. However, as the crane was picking up Sutil’s car, Jules Bianchi lost control of his car and crashed into the crane. He attained serious injuries and unfortunately succumbed to his injuries a few months later. Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc had a very close and personal connection with Jules Bianchi, so he honoured him by sporting his colours on his helmet. Although Leclerc hoped for a podium finish for Jules, he fell short and finished fourth, while his teammate Carlos Sainz finished third. Red Bull took home another 1-2 finish. 

The Chinese Grand Prix is making a comeback after five years as it was cancelled due to COVID-19. This is a new track for some, while it has only been a while for others. Zhou Guan Yu has never driven at his home race in China before this, so it holds great significant value to the Stake F1 driver. Lando Norris came in between the Red Bull drivers finishing second, as Max Verstappen took victory at the first Chinese Grand Prix since 2019.

The next race took place in Miami. Miami was a historic place for Ferrari, so they wanted to sport blue to tribute the old liveries. However, their blue was mainly because of their new sponsor HP, which would be a part of their name starting in 2025. While speculations went around on how much blue would be on the historic red car, everyone was shocked by the low amount of blue on the car. Although the race went as expected, with Max Verstappen leading the race, with some clever strategies and a yellow flag slowing the race, we were presented with a new race leader: Lando Norris. Although Norris has been a Mclaren driver since 2019, his bad luck got in the way and he has not won a race. The pressure was high, although it was a hopeful scenario, Max Verstappen was a dominating driver with a dominating car, it was a matter of when he would overtake Norris not if. However, Norris’s talent paid off and he won his very first race. This was unexpected and incredibly rewarding for him. The weekend ended on a high for the Mclaren team and Lando Norris. 

The Imola Grand Prix takes place in the home of Ferrari, Italy, Aston Martin made updates as the results they yielded the past few months were not up to par. However, although everything was working properly, they just were not good enough. The race was on track to have a Ferrari 3-4 finish, but with some faulty strategies, Carlos Sainz was pushed to fifth place  Charles Leclerc made the podium in third. Lando Norris, who was a fan favourite to win, put in all his efforts in the last few laps and came within 0.704 seconds to Verstappen but fell short. He finished a brave second and his teammate, Oscar Piastri, finished fourth despite valiant efforts. With Max Verstappen winning, he set a high bar for his teammate, Sergio Perez. Perez did not finish in the top five and finished in eighth. This made fans wonder why his performance was dropping and question whether or not he would still be in a Red Bull car for 2025.

Monaco is the home of Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc. The street circuit is a difficult and sometimes dull place to race, having very little space to overtake. This means that the pressure fell on qualifying. Saturday morning proved bleak for the Red Bull team having Segio Perez knocked out of Q1. The Aston Martin team had bad luck as well with Fernando Alonso being knocked out of Q1 as well. As Q3 began it became evident that the Red Bull of Max Verstappen was slower. He qualified sixth, a big difference from his usual pole position, this also ended his streak of pole positions. The teams with the most improvements were Alpine and Williams. Alpine driver Pierre Gasly qualified for Q3 for the first time in 2023. Williams driver Alex Albon had the same experience. The Mclaren team decided to honour their former driver, Aryton Senna, who passed away during the Monaco Grand Prix years ago. Sporting the world champion’s colours gave them some luck as Oscar Piastri qualified second and Lando Norris qualified fourth. The team that yielded the best result however, was the Ferrari team. As Carlos Sainz grabbed third, Charles Leclerc took pole in his home country. Although Leclerc was on track to win on Sunday, his home race was a place of bad luck for the Monegasque driver. Tensions were high as the race began. Sainz had a punctured tyre which could have put him out of the race or at least made him lose valuable positions. Lucky for some and unlucky for others, Magnussen and Perez had a nasty crash which led to a red flag, giving the Ferrari pit crew enough time to change the tyre and ensure a good position for Sainz. After the race began again, Ocon and Gasly had a small incident that caused Ocon to lose his race. The mistake proved to be Esteban Ocon’s fault and in the Canadian Grand Prix he will have a five-place grid penalty during qualifying. For many teams, the strategy was to not pit or change tyres, This helped a lot of drivers to maintain their positions. As the race drew to a close, it was evident that Charles Leclerc would not lose positions. Albeit being a dull race, Leclerc winning his first ever home race and being the first Monegasque to win in Monaco made it much more interesting. 

This season continues to prove itself as a very gripping one. Onto the next race.

In a time when our world is divided into so many pieces that from afar, it seems like a distorted picture, a Lithuanian dreamer had a vision of community and human connections forming across the globe.

An act of diplomacy in the form of a round sculpture, located in NYC’s Flatiron District with an identical version on North Earl Street in Dublin. Benediktas Gylys hoped to bring together two cities with a constant visual livestream through which citizens in each place could communicate and form connections with people thousands of kilometres away.

In the eyes of Benediktas and his design team, NYC and Dublin seemed like good subjects for this experiment. Given that the cities are already connected through immigration rates and culture. Their hope for human interaction was initially granted, and the portal was used by many passing by who waved in greeting to their fellow observers. Many took to the advantages of the livestream immediately, through acts that ranged from friendly waving, to holding up signs reading “Hello from NYC!” and “We Love Dublin”. Dance performances and other displays of culture were also common in the early stages of the portal’s opening.

However, it seems it may have only been a matter of time before what began as a friendly interaction across continents turned into an unnecessary source of hate. Eventually, many started to see other uses for the portal, and began partaking in abhorrent behaviour, ranging from vulgar gestures, references to 9/11, insulting the presidents of either country, and even a few cases of public nudity. Naturally, the portal was shut down about a week after its opening.

Though the initial run of this program was unsuccessful in a number of ways, there are plans to reopen from 6:00 AM to 4:00 PM with additional security measures to prevent any more inappropriate behaviour. There are even rumours of the use of AI to make the hand gestures people have been making appear as something more positive, like heart signs or emojis. But can that truly make a difference, or will this turn of events mark the end of this tale of two cities?

Sources:

https://www.curbed.com/article/nyc-dublin-portal-shut-down-obscenity.html

https://abc7ny.com/post/portal-nyc-new-art-installation-near-flatiron-building-provides-live-window-between-york-city-and-dublin-ireland/14783946/

https://www.cnn.com/travel/inappropriate-behavior-shuts-down-dublin-new-york-portal/index.html

May was Mental Health Awareness Month, and while one could have gained a wealth of things from this month, probably mostly intangible things like knowledge, Glenview gained perhaps the best library display it has seen yet. It featured a brain, a bottle, and numerous books that focused on mental wellness. It was a display that demonstrated the two halves of a brain. One half showed the average human brain and the other featured flowers growing from the brain, being nourished by a watering can, filled with mental health resources. 

Next, the bottle featured “Inside Out” characters escaping it with beautiful calligraphy saying “Don’t Bottle It Up”. The books on display were The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin, Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson, Made You Up by Francesca Zappia, I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver, We Are Okay by Nina LaCour, Where to Start: A Survival Guide to Anxiety, Depression, and Other Mental Health Challenges from, Under the Wolf, Under the Dog by Adam Rapp, All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven, Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman, Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Francesc Miralles and Hector Garcia.

Mental Health Awareness Month is pretty self-explanatory; a simple glance while passing the library display gives you the gist. However, there is more to learn beyond a simple understanding. So, without further ado, here is what Mental Health Month is about. In May, there is also Mental Health Week, May 6th to May 12th, whose theme for this year was “A call to be kind, compassion connects us all”. Which two puppets celebrated and promoted on TikTok (see here). However, Mental Health Awareness Month does not have a theme. Rather, it is a general, annual event to bring awareness to mental health, educate people about it, and also put an end to the stigma surrounding mental health. The month is also to support yourself and others with challenges surrounding their mental well-being, with resources and compassion. This can be done through open dialogue, empathy, and gaining an understanding of the journey to mental wellness. 

However, education is at the root of mental health month, accumulating knowledge to act on, advocate, and accomplish the purpose of Mental Health Awareness Month. Be that through this article, through the ideas and messages in a book, or anywhere or anyone else.

This article is more of a call to action to continue learning about mental illness and wellbeing as this article will be coming out at the very end of Mental Health Awareness Month. Also because, nothing happens during Mental Health Awareness Month, besides toolkits and borderline creepy puppets talking about it. It is more of a subjective experience, completely dependent on a person’s own level of awareness and knowledge of the topic and what they need to learn about. Some people may need to learn more about how to treat their mental health and themselves healthily or with a growth mindset. Some people may need to learn more to help remove their own perceptions or assumptions about mental illness or about the accessibility of support and treatment for those conditions. But here are some facts to get you started: 

• Mental illness indirectly affects anyone at some point in their life. Either through one’s own experience or that of a loved one, family member, friend, or colleague. 

• At every and any given year, 1 in 5 Canadians will personally experience a mental health problem. 

  • Everyone has mental health. At some point or another, everyone will experience challenges regarding their mental well-being. However, not everyone will experience a mental illness.

• By age 40, approximately 50% of Canadians will have or have had a mental illness.

• A mental illness or disorder affects approximately 20% of Canadian youth.

• Mental illness can affect people of any age, education or income levels, and culture. However, systemic inequalities like racism, poverty, homelessness, discrimination, colonial and gender-based violence can worsen mental health and symptoms of mental illness. This fact is especially true if support is difficult to access. 

• Each year, 1 in 5 American adults experience mental illness and only half receive treatment. 

  • Each year, 1 in 20 American adults experience a serious mental illness and only two-thirds receive treatment. 

• Each year, 1 in 6 American youth experience a mental health condition each year and only half of them receive treatment. 

• 50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14 and 75% of lifetime mental illnesses begin by age 24. 

• The delay between the beginning of mental illness symptoms and treatment, on average, is 11 years. 

• 122 million people live in Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas. 

Works Cited

https://www.nami.org/get-involved/awareness-events/mental-health-awareness-month/

https://www.nami.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/NAMI_MHAM_Toolkit_2024.pdf

https://cmha.ca/mental-health-week/ 

https://cmha.ca/brochure/fast-facts-about-mental-illness/

Have you ever noticed strange lights in the sky? Those would be the northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis. On May 10th-May 11th the northern lights were visible here in Cambridge. This geomagnetic storm was the strongest one there has been in about 20 years. This allowed for Canada, the United States, and Europe to be able to see the colourful lights. 

The northern lights occur when electrically charged particles from the Sun are carried by solar wind into the Earth's atmosphere. These particles are released through coronal mass ejections or solar flares. Coronal mass ejections are caused when the sun's magnetic field tries to realign itself. Over time its magnetic field gets twisted due to its rotation, so every now and then it has to fix itself. A majority of the time, Earth's magnetosphere, which is the area around the planet with its magnetic field, is able to block out these charged particles. However, when they do enter the atmosphere they are attracted to poles. They collide with the chemicals in the air which then creates the beautiful light shows. The green light is from the oxygen and the blue and purple is from the nitrogen. Lately, these solar flares have been more common because of the sun reaching the end of its solar maximum. The solar maximum is an 11 year cycle where the sun's geographic poles swap. During this period the sun will increase in solar activity. It's expected that there will be more activity until it reaches its peak in 2025. 

Many sightings of the northern lights have taken place throughout history, dating as far back as 500 BCE (BC). It wasn't until 1619 that the name Aurora Borealis came to be. The name was coined by Galileo Galilei and was derived from the Roman goddess of dawn, Aurora, and Boreas which means north wind. In 1859 the lights were finally connected to the sun by Richard Carrington. For years people didn’t know what exactly this strange phenomenon was. In Manitoba, Cree and Ojibway teachings say that it’s their ancestors celebrating life. 

Keep an eye on the sky for this spectacular, breathtaking view!

HOSA, originally ‘Health Occupations Students of America’ which changed in 2004, is North America’s largest health science conference. It offers students in both secondary and post-secondary to network with healthcare professionals, meet like-minded students, engage with the science industry and further develop their skills and knowledge about the health sciences and the healthcare field. Overall, it is a memorable and valuable experience for students. 

There are two components to HOSA: the competitive events side and the workshops and seminar side. Workshops and seminars take place throughout the year, which include health profession workshops, to introduce students to the various fields within healthcare, competitive events workshops which teaches HOSA members how to approach their event. The competition only takes place during November at the fall leadership conference (FLC), in May at the spring leadership conference (SLC), and in June at the international leadership conference (ILC). The FLC is an opportunity for HOSA members to practice and see what the SLC will look like, and the SLC is like the provincials of HOSA, with the top three of each event making it to ILC.

Glenview’s own HOSA club was relatively small, consisting of 9 students with various events. Events include medical terminology, behavioural health, clinical laboratory science, and pathophysiology. 

Kashvi Bajwa was one of our fellow Panthers that went to the SLC. She describes medical terminology where ”you write an hour-long test of medical terms, suffixes, prefixes, root words, and combining forms. A lot of memorising, but definitely a good experience.”

Srinija Garimella describes her event, Clinical Laboratory Science as having “a lot of things in it. There are various topics, there's hematosis, there’s urinalysis, there’s clinical microbiology, there’s parasitology, which is really interesting, there was immunology, which is how the immune system works, there was medical math, just a little bit, not too much. There was a little medical terminology, but, again, not too much. There were also clinical lab professions.”

Emily Ding explains that pathophysiology is “where you learn about physical and functional changes that occur during a disease process. It was really interesting to learn about, since it was much easier to remember what diseases are from their names and from their etiology.” 

Events can be divided into several categories: Health Science Events, Teamwork Events, Health Professions Events, Emergency Preparedness Events, and Leadership Events. Depending on which category you pick, you can sign up for an event with a friend! Once signed up for an event, you would receive an invitation to a Google Classroom for that event and gain access to some study materials.

On the Thursday of May 9th, the majority of Glenview’s HOSA club drove to Aldershot Station to meet together to go to the Toronto Convention Centre, with the option of going on the Friday of May 10th to attend more workshops and closing ceremonies. Or, if they qualified for round two of their event, if they had a round two. Although some people have an alternate date because of their IB exam. 

But was the Spring Leadership Conference good? Was it valuable? Can the same be said for the workshops? Let’s hear it from the members of the HOSA club.

When asked about the testing procedure for her event, Kashvi talked about the:

“Really large room with hundreds of desks everywhere. It was divided into 3 events, though, into sections. So I was at the very front row of that gigantic room and everyone was not allowed to flip over the test paper until we had the time. And we had about 90 minutes to write the test.” “On paper, it’s a very stressful environment, but not that bad once you realise it’s quite fun.”

Emily said:

“The testing procedure was very similar to an exam; there were rows of desks, with a supervisor at the front desk of every event. 

Srinijia adds on with:

“So, my opinion on it, it was pretty good, you know it was orderly, it wasn't terrifying.” “It wasn't intimidating or anything.” “It was very calm.”

Whether she liked her event, Kashvi, grade 9, said:
“Well, I liked that it was learning the meanings of words instead of how systems worked. I found that much easier than having to learn and understand how all the organ systems in our bodies work together and even overlap at times. That can be very difficult, especially for someone so young who is not used to that and who hasn’t even learned chemistry or biology. But I found learning the terms and things, was very interesting”

On the workshops, Srinijia, who attended five in total, said:

“I really liked the workshops, some of them were interactive whereas other ones were knowledge-based, but all of them were really thorough with what they were saying.”

The people who ran the workshops “were all medical students and I asked a couple of them for advice and they were very happy and willing to accommodate.”

Kashvi also attended a workshop, and she thought that:

“On the workshop, definitely really good, awesome. I think it's a super good learning experience and for someone who is interested in going into the medical field, definitely worth it”

What were their thoughts on HOSA?

Emily’s overall experience at HOSA was that: “HOSA was a fun trip to test your knowledge and try your hand at new things, such as the workshops they have”

Kashvi’s thoughts were: “All positive, 100%”, “Yeah, it was one of the funnest things I’ve done all year. First of all going to Toronto, going on the GO train for the first time, just being around all those like-minded people who wanted that experience for their future careers, I found that super positive and great. I would love to participate next year, if our school is participating in it because, again, a very good experience, great for learning, I would love to learn more about the medical field before going into it, in university.” And she advises people to “definitely sign up for your workshop early because those do book up very quick. Other than that, just don’t stress yourself out about it.” “Just take it easy, remember the fact that even participating is a great achievement because it’s not easy. You have that dedication. Just be proud of yourself””

Srinija’s thoughts were that it was: “Incredible. It was, I wouldn’t say life-changing, but it was the first time I got to experience a whole competition where there were so many people, there were more than a hundred students.” “It was a nice place to be in. Everyone was in business attire, we all felt like it was really nice to be surrounded by like-minded individuals because people weren’t forced to do this, people were just like “I want to do this.”” “I would recommend it because for one it is a good experience, competition is required for children growing up. You need that sort of spirit. Even if you have a small passion for it, I feel like you should just do it.”

We are proud of our panthers who represented Glenview at HOSA. We look forward to participating again and to welcoming new members next year! 

Our Co-Primes have done such an amazing job advertising and campaigning that they left us a bit stumped for questions. What even is there to know more about them? Find out more about who they are and their campaign in this article.

How is it right now? We’re so early in your co-priming, but is anything different?

Grace: It’s good. I feel like it was nice that they gave us a good week off after campaign week, since we’re so busy, before we really need to start doing stuff. But now, this week, we’re going to start figuring out SAC applications and what that’s going to look like. We’re also just prepping for the school year. I know we have the Grade 9 Day at the end of the summer, so just thinking a little bit about that. But, thankfully we got a little break after the campaign week, ‘cause now we’ll start chipping away at some of that stuff.

What is one thing you want your fellow students to know about you?

Debora: I want people to know that I didn’t come from a feeder school. I came from Hespeler Public, which is across town. So coming into Glenview, I didn’t know anyone. I didn’t have anyone except for one or two people. So acclimating into the environment was pretty hard. 

Grace: Same as me. I didn’t come from a feeder school as well. So I think a separate goal, getting ahead of ourselves for next year, is to make that environment just as good, but also to try to improve it for students coming in. It’s not easy.

To answer that question too, I just think one thing to know is that our overall goal is to improve school spirit. Obviously, we won’t be able to meet every single person here as hard as we try. But just that it’s our goal and unfortunately there are going to be times when people are going to disagree with our decisions and activities that we think could help.

What made you want to run for co-prime? What can you say to students who might want to run in the future?

Debora: For me, I genuinely just really like to help out at events. I like to see participation at our school. And I like to see that people are gaining memories and having fun through these events at school. I really like to be part of those activities and help out. Just being Co-prime allows me to have a bit of a stronger voice, to improve activities and provide more. 

Grace: The same for me too. I’ve had my eyes set on being Co-Prime since Grade 9. I think it’s such a cool opportunity. Same thing, to be able to voice your opinion and make a difference within your school community. And just help out and try to reach the needs of all the students. 

I would encourage Grade 11 students, if they’re interested or thinking about that, that their next step would be to get involved in programs like the student activities council or athletic council to see what it looks like, what it would look like to be Co-Prime, to oversee some of the rules. Even if they wanted to talk with us; I talked with Claudia about it to see what that role looks like and to have an idea on what that would be. 

What do you think is your most challenging goal? What goal are you looking forward to accomplishing the most?

Debora: For me, the most challenging goal of mine is the Google form that I had planned, gathering student input. Even though that is optional, there are definitely consequences, and I understand that. There can be negative feedback or there could be spam or it could be not useful, but I’m willing to decipher out what is what. And also the mental health emphasis that I’m working on. I’m very passionate about it and I really want it to work. But it’s just, in the meantime, I don’t know how to make it as safe of a space. I will put forth all my energy into it, but it’s, in the meantime, ‘How do I make it feel like it’s a safe environment? How do I display it? How do I supervise it?’ People might not be comfortable with it, but hopefully I can work towards that. 

Grace: One of the hardest goals would be focusing on having better advertising so that the events can, ultimately, just be better. We could have more participants and whatnot. So just trying to figure out how to reach out to each student and how they can best figure out what’s happening in the school. Going through that stuff is just tedious, like word of mouth, spreading each individual thing and trying to figure that out for each event. Because that can get repetitive, especially with the same Instagram posts. So we’re just trying to make that different. 

I also think organising SAC will be difficult, we’ll have to talk about that and figure out how we want to do that. We are trying to figure out a way because, since COVID, it hasn’t run as smoothly as it could. I’m trying to figure out the best strategy for that and how to make it easier for both of us, but also for the team members of SAC who want to join. 

I think one of the goals I’m the most excited to accomplish would be supporting in-school programs. We have a lot of programs within the school that don’t get funding from the board, or anything at all. So, definitely to be able to fundraise. Even when fundraising for the mascot, it was a school-wide fundraiser, which was so fun since everyone’s working towards the same goal and everyone wants that goal to improve the school. So, I think I’m excited about that because everyone can relate to it.

How are you going to collaborate together to accomplish both of your goals? Do you think you will be able to accomplish all of them?

Grace: We work well together and we have experience, which is nice. It’s not like two new people coming in and trying to work together. We already know each other’s skill sets. But we will have to meet during the summer to plan stuff. Also to have meetings, maybe even having meetings after the SAC meetings, meetings with Krysko. Just being in communication with each other a lot.

I think Debora’s goals are great. We’re going to work towards them and help each other achieve them. Of course, that’s the goal, but sometimes things come up and we can’t, but we’ll try. 

Debora: The goals we have for Glenview next year are pretty reasonable and we’re both passionate about each goal that we have set out. Grace’s goals are more organisation, mine are more… not. Our goals blend well, and we both want similar things, even though we might not directly say it. I want some of the organisational aspects that she wants, with some of the events that I have planned too. Instead of thinking of it as we’re both two different people, with completely different goals, it’s more that we have goals we both want. 

Grace: I think our goals will align to improve other goals, like the better advertising will help with the events and the mental health, and whatnot. We will work our goals together. 

Both of you have talked about having bigger and larger school events. What would that look like?

Grace: Currently in SAC we do a cafe event every Friday. In my experience, I found this can be repetitive. Instead of doing karaoke every month on Friday, we could come up with a new activity, one big activity to do each month that we can look forward to and anticipate. That might mean getting rid of a few of the smaller Friday events so we can make this event even bigger. So that could be a movie night, something after-school or something really larger at break. Like what the seniors did with Beach Day, instead of having a spirit day of just wearing beach clothes, making it so we have beach food, beach activities and let’s make it a fundraiser. Something bigger rather than it being a one, singular event. 

Debora: The Friday events we have are hit or miss. There’s varying amounts of participation, like karaoke can be a hit or miss. There’s also card making, which not a lot of people are interested in. By having bigger events periodically, collectively, that’s more school spirited than the individual events each Friday. For example, I had in mind to plan game tournaments, which encompass all populations and the different genres of the school; anyone can participate in. And I was also thinking of running more school-wide events. For one of the other ideas, Survivor, Jacob Hespler runs Sole Survivor, where each class has a representative and they  face off in mini games, and the victorious class comes out as the sole survivor. That kind of thing promotes school spirit amongst everyone instead of just a small group of people. 

How do you plan on raising funds for the school pantry?

Grace: One of the best ways to fundraise for the school is bake sales. Especially when we were going to OFSAA, we were able to make close to $1800 just from a bake sale. It’s a way a lot of people can help out by bringing stuff in, but it’s also effective because a lot of students love food. It’s a good way to support the Panther Pantry as well. Also fundraisers throughout the year, right now we’re planning the Glenview Games. What we could do is have some of that money go towards the Panther Pantry or use some money saved from the Semi-formal that could go to the Panther Pantry. 

Do you also plan on providing resources and funds for other school clubs?

Grace: For sure, that could be one of the things that goes into the Google Form. Like, ‘Hey, the band needs more instruments’ or ‘the band needs better this’. I know the track team is saying ‘Hey, we can’t even practise on our sandpit’. Using the Google Form, people can say ‘Hey, this is a need at our school’, then the school can work together to try to make that better.

Debora: Especially for the art department and the dramatics arts need funding. We will run small events dedicated to those departments, like what I mentioned in my campaign with Spotlight Days. To give an opportunity for clubs to take over and promote their club and fundraise, as an alternative to the weekly Friday events ran by SAC. 

Finally, is there anything you would like students to know?

Grace: Overall, we’re trying to continue what previous co-primes have started and try work off the steps they’ve been able to make. Just having the goal to have better school spirit, whether that be through fundraising for different groups or providing opportunities to reach out to students, to try to make a better school community.

“In 2013, history was made with April proclaimed as Sikh Heritage Month (SHM) by the Legislative Assembly of Ontario (Bill 52). The first of its kind in the world, Sikh Heritage Month is a celebration of arts, culture and heritage.” (Sikh Heritage Month Foundation)

What is Sikhism?

Sikhism is one of the world’s youngest religions, having only been founded a little over 500 years ago by Guru Nanak Dev Ji and later shaped by his nine successors during the 16th and 17th centuries. Today, Sikhism is the fifth-largest religion, with over 30 million followers. Below are some key aspects of Sikhism:

• “Sikh”: the term itself signifies a lifelong commitment to learning and spiritual growth

• Gurdwara: the Sikh place of worship

• Guru: the teacher

  • Sikhs have 10 human Gurus and one Guru which is the Holy book

• Guru Granth Sahib: the Holy book; the last Guru

• ੴ (pronounced Ek Onkar): the symbol that represents the "One God."

• Khanda ☬: a Sikh symbol depicting three swords and a kara which represents the Sikh responsibility to God and to protect others.

Why is Sikh Heritage Month in April?

April is an important month for the Sikh community. In April, Sikhs celebrate Vaisakhi, also known as Khalsa Day. Vaisakhi started as a spring harvest festival in Punjabi, the northern region of India. In 1699, the festival was chosen by Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the tenth Sikh Guru, to commemorate the establishment of the Khalsa. Ever since, the festival has been celebrated to honor the spring harvest and the year 1699, when Sikhism was founded as a universal religion.

Sikhs celebrate the festival of Vaisakhi by wearing colorful clothing (each colour having its own significance), visiting places of worship, known as Gurdwaras, and partaking in Nagar kirtans. Nagar kirtans are colorful processions that bring the message of God to the doorstep of the community by reading scriptures out loud and chanting hymns. 

After the religious services have been held, the day of celebration commences. This part of the celebration consists of Sikhs partaking in traditional folk dances and getting together with the community for langar. 

Celebrating Sikh Heritage Day in the WRDSB

WRDSB is collaborating with Kitchener Public Library to organize the first Sikh Heritage Day for Secondary Students! It's been three years in the making and is a result of the efforts of Sikh Educators. The event, organized by Cameron Heights Collegiate Institute students, will showcase Sikh heritage, featuring guest speakers, a celebration of Sikh faith and Punjabi culture, information booths, activity stations, and Bhangra.

How you can celebrate Sikh Heritage Month!

One of the primary goals of Sikh Heritage Month is for Sikhs and non-Sikhs alike to learn more about the Sikh faith and to promote intercultural understanding. You can join this celebration by reflecting on Sikh contributions in your community. Or, if you’re looking for an opportunity to immerse yourself in the religion, you can attend a Vaisakhi Parade, one of the most significant events during Sikh Heritage Month!

Leading Up To The Release

International pop sensation, dubbed “the music industry” by her fans.Taylor Swift announced her newest album, THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT (yes, stylized in all caps) on February 4th 2024 at the Grammys. 

That night, she won the Album Of The Year award for the fourth time, something never done before in Grammy history.

Before the Grammys, fans worldwide noticed changes in her website and social media presence. Many fans suspected the long awaited announcement of the release of her re-recorded album, “Reputation”. Once she announced TTPD, fans were shocked by the announcement and couldn’t wait until its release on April 19th 2024.

Leading up to the release, Swift began dropping clues about the new album, making fans around the globe curious. This includes hints in her already released songs, where she signals the number ‘2’ whenever she can.

While this may seem silly, we have to give her credit, not only for creatively hiding ‘easter eggs’, but also for generating interest in the upcoming album.

The Release

Once the clock struck midnight, fans worldwide flooded streaming services to listen to the new album.

Starting off strong with the release of 16 tracks, Swift created a countdown to 2 am with no explanation, leaving listeners confused and excited to see what would happen. Once 2 am rolled around, fans were shocked to see another version of TTPD, including an extra 15 songs, titled “The Anthology''.

Overall, this album had a strong build-up and did not disappoint. The album demonstrates descriptive lyricism, spanning across themes such as heartbreak (“Pulled him in tighter each time he was driftin' away”), the pressure that she has felt from the public (“You taught me, you caged me, and then you called me crazy,”), a feud (“I built a legacy which you can't undo”), and much more. This album shows emotional complexity at its finest.

Fans worldwide can personally relate to the various tracks, such as “I Can Do It With A Broken Heart”, “Down Bad”, “So Long London”, and much more, making this an overnight sensation.

This album, in my opinion, is one of her best. We cannot wait to follow Swift throughout the rest of her musical career.

On the 10th/11th of April, a global community of Muslims commenced their joyous celebration of Eid. This significant event follows the 30 days of Ramadan, a period of fasting from sunrise to sundown, and serves as a collective tribute to the spiritual journey undertaken. The Eid that commenced was one of two Eid’s. Eid al-Fitr takes place after the 30 days of Ramadan, while Eid al-Adha is near the latter half of the year and considered as the “bigger” Eid. Eid al-Fitr refers to the Arabic translation of “the feast of breaking the fast,” while Eid al-Adha refers to the Arabic translation of “the feast of sacrifice.”

Eid preparation starts mainly on the last day of Ramadan, a day people call “chaand raat,” which loosely translates to “night of the moon” or “night the moon is spotted.”  This night is where many families and friends gather to commemorate the final day of Ramadan and begin their Eid rituals. From women doing henna on one another and people eating large amounts of food to sitting down to pray and perform their last thanks to God. Many spend chaand raat with other people for a sense of connection and togetherness.

Many people will take the time during the month of Ramadan and on chaand raat to visit Eid Bazaars that are either local to them or far away. These vibrant Eid Bazaars are a hub of activity, carrying an array of jewelry, henna, clothing, shoes, food, prayer mats, decorations, and more. Thus, creating a festive atmosphere that adds to the joy of Eid.

The next day marks the beginning of Eid. The day starts with the Eid prayer, and many people often go to their local Masjid to pray as a group rather than on their own. Once the Eid prayer is over, people visit their families and meet up to wish each other “Eid Mubarak.” Children, young and old, are given “Eidi’s” (money), and families feast on a myriad of delicious dishes and drinks prepared by family members. 

The most important part of Eid is the religious aspect of the day. The end of Ramadan is celebrated, but it is also remembered as a time of spiritual change and the beginning of a closer relationship with one's religion. This can be done through increased prayer, good deeds, “Zakat” (charity), and an overall improvement in behaviour. 

Overall, Eid is a joyous day celebrated by millions of Muslims worldwide. A time for people to commemorate their hardships and efforts. Eid is never simply a “celebration”, rather, it is a moment for people to recall as they continue as changed people.

Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi, described as one of the most electrifying violinists in the early 18th century, created a legacy, The Four Seasons, that is still listened to today. But, what is it that is so captivating? How did Vivaldi grasp the attention of his 18th-century and 21st-century audience? When it was first published in Amsterdam in 1723, the music had accompanied poems. The words recited a story according to the musical imagery. And as you know it, each season has its own story. To have a deeper understanding of this impact, we shall listen to and analyze Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. 

The introduction is a playful and cheerful melody, representing the birds finally coming out amidst the spring air. One might say the high-pitched trills are the chirps of each bird calling out that spring is here! But when the song reaches 1:50, a thunderstorm breaks out. The birds are wet, frightened, and unhappy. One may interpret the rest of Spring in many ways, but here is how I see it: the playful melody accompanying the fast and deep notes represents the bird’s desperate cry for help among the rain and thunder. In an evident minor key at 2:20, the birds fly, raindrops pulling their wings down but not their perseverance. But at 2:56, the rain starts to clear up, and the birds are ecstatic. Maintaining a fast, slow, fast pattern, the passage is followed by a slow, bittersweet ballad from the violin. This is a gentle representation of the peaceful slumber of a shepherd and his dog by his side. Spirits are lifted at 6:01; we hear a joyous cry from the violin, accompanied by a harpsichord. The natural legatos bring out the clarity of each note, creating the atmosphere of an energetic spring dance. The beauty of spring is perfectly encapsulated in this last passage in Vivaldi’s Spring. 

Skipping forward to 10:31, the summer air has everyone in a haze. The humidity has intoxicated everyone. Their laziness is contagious. 

Presto (a musical term for “really fast") creates the mood of Summer at 11:41. This passage tells the story of a shepherd and his flock being caught in a sudden rainstorm. Another interpretation is the fear of a farmer losing their crops to the summer rainstorm. Nonetheless, Summer is a very intense part of the Four Seasons. The notes take long strides across the page, with the occasional solitude of the violin creating a rigid knot in your stomach. At 15:53, the switches between calm and intense create a unique atmosphere, and I think this is an amazing and accurate display of what Summer offers and the potential toll it has on people. At 17:56, the drastic change has an immense effect on a listener. A sudden gust of wind blows you off your feet. A storm has broken out, flattening the fields and distressing everything nearby. The inconsistency of it all delivers feelings of nervousness and also amazement.

At 21:00, autumn brings another level of competitiveness and eagerness of hunters. They march into the wilderness, trying to pursue their prey. Animals roam their habitat without worry while hunters plan their point of contact for a clean kill. Vivaldi took his inspiration for his music and poetry from his surroundings, nature, and people, being a great muse. The country folk reunite and rejoice to celebrate the harvest. The trills of the violin represent the falling of leaves, and the playful harmonies pause at 26:21, representing a peaceful sleep and the early nights to come. The ballad is a beautiful display of the calmness and gradual change of colours of the leaves. Skipping to 29:09, the jump in notes represents the waltz-like dance, in continuation to the country folk’s celebration of autumn. 

Snowflakes fall from the sky; winter is here. At 32:48, the final concerto, Winter, starts with chattering teeth in the cold. The shivers running from your spine all the way to the redness of your ears are represented by the running notes. You make desperate efforts for warmth to surge through your body by taking mighty steps amidst your shivering body caught in a chilling wind gust and snowfalls. 36:18 of Winter starts with a dancing rise and fall in the melody, describing the beauty that winter brings. The sparkling pitch-white surface brings an initial blind to the eye, and the comfort of the warm fireplace brings that toasty feeling when you know the freezing temperature outside. Vivaldi’s Winter is able to describe all the experiences of Winter, including the immense coldness, slipping on the ice, the strong winds in contrast to each other, and much, much more. 

Like several other violin concertos, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons has an expressive duration of about 42 minutes. The deep portrayal of the profound situations and feelings that come with seasons is all incorporated in this amazing piece of music, one of the most recognized baroque pieces globally. Antonio Vivaldi was a celebrated Baroque composer, and his influence during his lifetime has extended to the 21st century, from all of Europe to all listeners from around the world. 

Here’s a link to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons if you want to experience the piece yourself! →https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRxofEmo3HA

Earth Day is an annual holiday which originated in the USA during the 60s and 70s. Every year there is a new theme for Earth day which focuses on a specific environmental issue. This year, the theme is “Planet vs. Plastics” and is focused on fighting plastic pollution. During Earth Day, people were encouraged to pick up trash in their neighborhoods and cities, as well as to reduce their plastic use. For example, Cambridge held another annual community cleanup day where individuals could visit an Idea Exchange location and pick up trash cleanup supplies.

Another event which is often confused with Earth Day is Earth Hour, which is actually very different from Earth Day. Earth Hour is a movement which encourages the public to turn off their lights for an hour as an effort to reduce energy and the emissions of fossil fuels. Earth Hour has a huge focus on reducing energy consumption, while Earth Day has a wide variety of environmental focuses which change every year with a new theme. 

Earth Day is considered a very important holiday, which gave birth to a lot of the environmental ideas and organizations we still see today. Earth Day has its roots In the early 60s and 70s, where there were growing concerns about the health of the environment and wildlife after a series of catastrophic events, such as the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill (one of the largest oil spills ever recorded), the 1969 Cuyahoga river fire, and the detrimental effects that the insecticide DDT had on the environment and wildlife. Many communities were noticing and experiencing the impact of these events and many agreed that change was needed. It wasn’t until Senator Gaylord Nelson created Earth Day as a means of educating the public and people around the world about environmental issues.

The most important thing for Earth Day are the communities around the world who brought the day into fruition, continue its legacy, bring attention to these environmental issues and advocate for solutions. So what did our school community do for Earth Day? Glenview Park participated in an eco-competition held by WCI. Schools across WRDSB participated in eco-friendly activities throughout the week to earn points for their school. The activities for each day were Meatless-Monday, Take-a-Walk Tuesday, Wasteless Wednesday, Thermostat Thursday, Filter Friday. These activities expanded on this year's theme of Planet vs. Plastics and exposed students to a variety of individual habits and changes that they could make to become more environmentally conscious. 

Apart from participating in the challenges at Glenview or in local community cleanups, one of the most important things that you can do is to stay informed about the issues our environment faces. Earth Day was originally created to create environmental awareness in a time where information wasn't easily accessible and even today, when information has become a commodity, many still don’t recognize the environmental problems that we’re still battling. Which is why it is more important than ever to stay informed; subscribe to an environmental newsletter, read articles, or follow a credible creator on social media who makes learning about environmental issues entertaining.

*This was for a school project.

What’s the deal with apples? Like, they are all over the place, both literally and figuratively. They are even in places where they’re not supposed to be. Take the forbidden fruit; it wasn't an apple, but we as a Western audience chose to make it into an apple, whether it's because of a pun or a bad translation. The apple symbolizes immortality, temptation, and defiance. It's also a symbol of the acquisition of knowledge. In the bible, the forbidden fruit represents the forbidden knowledge that only God holds, and eating the fruit showcases that humans have this desire to pursue knowledge that seems out of bounds. Do you know who else wanted to pursue knowledge due to an apple? Our old friend, Sir Issac Newton. Isn’t it funny how an apple fell and he was like, “Why did this happen?” and then proceeded to invent calculus? We have a whole branch of math just because of an apple! Again, we see the apple appearing in a random place and being a symbol for people pursuing knowledge.

Not only were apples significant in the past, they’re still significant in the present. Ever since we were wee little lads, and to this day, we see worms in the apple throughout our school life. The worm represents students and the apple represents knowledge. The worm consumes its way through an apple, just like a student consuming knowledge in school. We also see the apple being much, MUCH bigger than the worm, showcasing that knowledge is bigger than it seems, and we students have this desire to be enlightened. The worm can't eat the whole apple, just as a single person can't know everything.

The apple is also a symbol of desire in the sense of achieving a goal. In Turkish culture, the red apple is a symbol of an unending quest, an ever-moving goal. It’s like a dream that seems distant. During the Ottoman Empire, the red apple first represented Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) as it was the ultimate city to conquer. Later on, different cities were called the red apples such as Rome, Vienna and Moscow. These cities were the ultimate goals of conquests, and calling them red apples was a way for the kingdom to visualize their desire for empire.

If we are going down the temptation route, we can’t forget our favourite company, Apple! The logo is such a captivating branding image of the company, making it iconic. It’s an allusion to the bible, as stated earlier. It symbolizes knowledge, but that's what Apple wants you to believe. It's really a symbol of temptation. Apple wants you to buy their product, tempting you so much that you can’t resist it. By taking a bite of the apple (or in this case buying their product), you have fallen for them. You can’t get enough of them and before you know it, you're their loyal fan without even realizing it. Not only the logo, but the whole symbolizes desire and temptation, captivating the customers at every chance they can get. They've got the products like no other, and once you're hooked, it's hard to break free.

Not only are apple symbols, but it can also be a metaphor. Take a second and read this, “Apple of my eye”. Of course, Shakespeare was the one who wrote it for the play “ A Midsummer Night's Dream”, but isn’t it strange that Shakespeare used apples? The idiom goes like “Flower of this purple dye, / Hit with Cupid's archery, / Sink in apple of his eye". The apple was referred to as pupils but wouldn’t it make more sense to say “pistil of my eye” (a pistil is the middle part of the flower) as it would be more romantic? But no, Shakespeare used an apple, and we still use it to this day, however, we now use it as a metaphor. It is used metaphorically to refer to someone or something cherished, beloved, or valued above all others, much like how we cherish and value apples. It is an expression used to convey deep affection for someone or something. 

This is just the tip of the iceberg, my friends. There’s still A LOT MORE apples to be seen. We only talked about apples being a symbol of knowledge and desire throughout human history. I haven’t even talked about the idiom “One rotten apple spoils the barrel” or the phrase “comparing apples to oranges”. Face it. Apples are everywhere. Wherever you go, whatever you read, it will be apples. Long live the apple.

Each year on Thursday March 21st, we celebrate our world’s poetry, and how it showcases our differences, while bringing us together. This year’s theme is ‘standing on the shoulders of giants’, a metaphor derived from Greek mythology. Its meaning lies in finding out the truth by using the discoveries of our past, quite similar to how World Poetry Day applauds the famous poets of our past while encouraging and teaching the poets of the future.

This celebration of expressive diversity was started by UNESCO, whose goal was to support poets and their work around the globe. Each year we acknowledge our poetic variety and bring different nations together through the power of words.

On this occasion, people around the world celebrate in a variety of ways. Schools hold poetry writing competitions and teach about the famous poets of our past, giving their students the opportunity to bask in the literary accomplishments of past generations.

In case you’re interested in some of the famous poets yourself, below is a list of them and some of their famous works!

1. Emily Dickinson

• Success is counted sweetest (1859)

• I’m Nobody! Who are you? (1861)

2. Maya Angelou

• I Know Why The Caged Birds Sing

• Phenomenal Women

3. Edgar Allen Poe

• The Raven

• The Bells

4. Sylvia Plath

• Mad Girl’s Love Song

• The Applicant

5. Oscar Wilde

• Her Voice

• Symphony In Yellow

6. Lewis Caroll

• Jabberwocky

• A Game of Fives

There are many complete works of famous poets in our school library as well! Take a look if you’re interested!

Sources

https://www.oliveboard.in/blog/world-poetry-day-2024/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CStanding%20on%20the%20Shoulders%20of,enlarged%20poetry's%20footprint%20across%20cultures.

https://www.deseret.com/2015/3/20/20479016/poets-famous-quotes-birthplace-writers-edgar-allen-poe-maya-angelou-emily-dickinson/

https://reedsy.com/discovery/blog/emily-dickinson-poems

https://mypoeticside.com/poets/maya-angelou-poems

February, known for really only three things: The month after your initial New Year Resolutions (which should, hopefully, still be going strong), Black History Month, and the day of Valentine. A day to celebrate all your loved ones, families and friends included, with gifts, chocolates, bouquets and cards, the list can go on. However, this isn’t a belated article focusing on Valentine’s Day. Rather, this article focuses on a couple of days that are created from Valentine’s Day. 

In some countries, Valentine’s Day is traditionally observed where women are the ones to give gifts. This is partly because of the existence of White Day. Celebrated a month later on March 14th, this day is dedicated to returning the gesture to the people who gave you a gift on Valentine’s Day. In South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and other countries in East and Southeast Asia, the partner returning the favour on White Day would be the man. This is because a woman gave him a gift, which is usually chocolates, back in February with the expectation of receiving something twice or thrice in value. 

Some people think that returning a gift of equal value means that you are ending the relationship, while others, both men and women, believe that the same amount is enough. As long as your present is an appropriately heartfelt response. However, many men still consider the “thrice rule” to be a rough guideline. On that topic, gifts can be flowers, candy, jewellery, and anything else. Sometimes they are given in the colour white (white flowers, white chocolate, etc). Similarly to Valentine’s Day, White Day can also be considered another opportunity to receive or give a confession, declaration of love, whatever you wish to call it.This day is celebrated in a number of countries, however, Japan is the one to thank for its origins. 

In comparison to Valentine’s Day, White Day is relatively new. As Valentine’s day grew in popularity in Japan in the late 1960s, a Fukuoka-based confectionery company, Ishimura Manseido, started marketing “Marshmallow Day” (マシュマロデー) to men, in 1977 on March 14th. “Marshmallow Day” was, unfortunately, not successful as a cultural phenomenon. Nonetheless, the National Confectionery Industry Association did establish White Day as an “answer day” or “reply day” to Valentine’s Day. Initially, White Day was named “Ai ni Kotaeru White Day” (Answer Love on White Day). The colour white was chosen because of the colour’s symbolism of purity, to evoke the idea of “pure, sweet teen love”. Another reason why white was chosen is because it’s the colour of sugar. The day would be celebrated for the first time in Japan the following year, 1978. 

Again, this isn’t just a Japanese tradition. Countries in East and Southeast Asia, like Vietnam, South Korea, China, and Taiwan, celebrate it. You may also consider White Day as an opportunity to learn more about various cultures, perhaps learn some romantic phrases in another language. Of course, if you choose to celebrate the sentiment of this day, you don’t have to be a woman to be the recipient of gifts or a man to be the gift giver on White Day. This is as true as the fact that your gift for White Day doesn’t have to be expensive. You might want to keep this date in mind if you ever receive a gift on Valentine’s Day and didn’t have a gift prepared for the other person. It’s truly the perfect back-up plan. Unfortunately, by the time this article comes out, White Day will have passed, but there is another day that has yet to be celebrated this year.

Celebrated two months after Valentine’s Day, on April 14th, there is Black Day, which is majorly celebrated in South Korea. Imagine this: you have to go through Valentine’s Day alone. Pretty tough, depending on who you are, but you still have some hope before or when White Day comes around. Then, it does, and you suffer through all the romantic gestures surrounding you again, while still being single. That’s it, your plans, future, destiny are set for April 14th. In the next month, you get an unofficial holiday to yourself, Black Day, to spend feeling pity or celebrating over the fact that you don't have a partner. Black Day is similar to the idea of Single Awareness Day (celebrated February 15th). 

Traditions for April 14th can include wearing, head to toe, black clothing for the occasion. The best-known tradition, however, is to eat black-themed food. The most popular dish being 짜장면 or Jjajangmyeon. On April 14th, this dish, unfortunately, sells out pretty fast in restaurants. So, yes, quite a few people go out in groups to restaurants, but some singles do just order takeout delivery for Black Day. There are also eating contests that are held for Jjajangmyeon that single people can participate in. Jjajangmyeon is a popular Chinese-style, comfort meal in Korea with noodles, diced pork, vegetables, and a black bean sauce. On April 14th, coffee is a common beverage to drink, if you’re feeling particularly bitter. If you’re feeling particularly hopeful, there are also matchmaking events held on this day. 

Initially, Black day was a day of sorrow, a day for single people to mourn their singleness together with comfort food. Which makes sense considering the name and the black clothes tradition. However, the emphasis of being in a relationship in South Korea has decreased over the years. So, in modern-day South Korea, Black Day is seen more as a celebration that still includes the tradition of black-themed food.

There are, in fact, romantic, unofficial days celebrated (specifically in South Korea) on the 14th for all the months in the calendar. Here are the rest of them with a short description for each:

• Diary Day, January - Also can be Candle day, blank diaries are given to partners and friends to record special occasions like anniversaries and birthdays. 

• Rose Day, May - Also Yellow Day, couples dress up in yellow clothing and matching outfits, exchanging bouquets of, preferably, yellow flowers. Singles have another chance to drown their sorrows in more comfort food with yellow curry to hope that their love life will "spice up".

• Kiss Day, June - It's self explanatory, it's also a good day to make a confession.  

• Silver Day, July - Couples exchange silver, promise rings and discuss any plans for marriage. This is also a day where parental introductions are made. 

• Green Day, August - A day for couples to drink soju, an alcoholic beverage made from rice that tastes similar to vodka and comes from a green bottle. Then they take a walk in the woods. 

• Photo Day, September - Also Music Day, this celebrates two of some of the favourite pastimes in South Korea, photo-taking and singing. Couples dominate photo booths, portrait studios, music stores and karaoke rooms.

• Wine Day, October - Couples drink a bottle of wine together. 

• Movie Day, November - A day where couples crowd movie theatres, rent movies, exchange DVDs or go to DVD rooms (where a small group of people can hangout). 

• Hug Day, December - Hug Day, simply a day where people hug. Sock Day is encouraged on Hug Day by companies to exchange socks

Bibliography

“White Day.” Days Of The Year, 24 Aug. 2023, www.daysoftheyear.com/days/white-day/. “Valentine’s Day vs White Day.” Diffen, www.diffen.com/difference/Valentine%27s_Day_vs_White_Day. Accessed 24 Mar. 2024. 

“「ホワイトデーは3倍返し」の由来とは｜3倍返しじゃなくてもいい？: 北の菓子 菓風.” 北の菓子　菓風, 19 Jan. 2022, kitanokashi--kafuu-com.translate.goog/%E3%80%8C%E3%83%9B%E3%83%AF%E3%82%A4%E3%83%88%E3%83%87%E3%83%BC%E3%81%AF3%E5%80%8D%E8%BF%94%E3%81%97%E3%80%8D%E3%81%AE%E7%94%B1%E6%9D%A5%E3%81%A8%E3%81%AF%EF%BD%9C3%E5%80%8D%E8%BF%94%E3%81%97%E3%81%98/?_x_tr_sl=ja&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc. 

Sidra.ghazali@topagency.com. “White Day.” National Today, 14 Mar. 2023, nationaltoday.com/white-day/. 

Osborne, Sherry. “Black Day in South Korea – Why April 14th Is a Day for Singles - Sherry Osborne : Korea.Net : The Official Website of the Republic of Korea.” Korea.Net, 10 Apr. 2023, www.korea.net/Events/Overseas/view?articleId=17773. 

Gerocs, Joseph. “Black Day in Korea - Everything You Need to Know about This Unique Holiday.” 90 Day Korean, 90 Day Korean, 6 Mar. 2024, www.90daykorean.com/black-day-in-korea/. 

Pickering, Brendan. “Valentine’s Day in Korea.” Asia Society, asiasociety.org/korea/valentine%E2%80%99s-day-korea. Accessed 24 Mar. 2024. 

Lowry, Tara. “The 14th of Every Month Is a Holiday in South Korea.” Matador Network, Matador Network, 27 Feb. 2013, matadornetwork.com/abroad/the-14th-of-every-month-in-south-korea-is-a-holiday/. 

Carmina, La. “South Korea Celebrates 14 Romantic Holidays Every Year. Here’s the Full Calendar.” Fodors Travel Guide, 31 Mar. 2021, www.fodors.com/world/asia/south-korea/experiences/news/photos/south-korea-celebrates-14-romantic-holidays-every-year-heres-the-full-calendar. 

Be prepared for an amazing phenomenon on April 8th 2024! On this date there will be a total solar eclipse over North America, stretching from Mexico through to North Eastern Canada. Although solar eclipses are not extremely rare around the world, it is incredibly rare that one gets to see a total eclipse. The last total solar eclipse in this area was in February 1979. The percentage of the sun covered by the moon depends on where someone is viewing this phenomenon from. This time it just so happens that the shadow falls right over Canada. The total eclipse will be visible in Cambridge, but the best place for viewing will be in Niagara Falls and Fort Erie. The eclipse will start at 2:04 pm and will reach totality at 3:20 pm and will last for about 3 minutes. Totality is when the moon completely covers the sun and the world is darkened. The eclipse will end at around 4:30 having taken 2 and a half hours from start to finish. 

A solar eclipse happens when the moon passes in front of the sun casting a shadow. The shadow from the moon has two parts. There’s the umbra and the penumbra. The umbra is a dark shadow outlined by the penumbra, a lighter shadow.. Those viewing the eclipse from where the umbra is will see the sun completely blocked. A solar eclipse is also the only time you can see the sun's corona, which is the outermost part of the sun's atmosphere. The corona will be more bright and vibrant than with previous eclipses because of all the solar storms happening at the same time. 

Although the total solar eclipse is a spectacular event to witness, it is important to have the right protection when viewing. Looking at a solar eclipse is extremely harmful to the eyes and causes serious damage to the retina which is the part of the eye that allows the brain to see. If someone wants to see the eclipse there are many forms of protection such as solar eclipse glasses or a special lens on a telescope. Even viewing through a camera lens is dangerous without the proper filter. Before viewing one should also make sure that the form of protection hasn’t been damaged in any way. 

Make sure to be safe when viewing the eclipse, but most of all have fun seeing this breathtaking event!

As we are nearing the end of March, it is time to think back and reflect on how the month of March went by celebrating the amazing world of being a woman. Looking back to the beginning of the month, one of the most important dates was Friday, March 8th. This was International Women’s Day. March itself is also celebrated as Women’s History Month in some countries. However, as the name suggests, Women’s Day is celebrated internationally, unlike Women’s History Month. From individuals to entire nations, everyone had a chance to celebrate International Women’s Day, in some capacity. Even at Glenview Park’s Library, we had a lovely display featuring books written by accomplished women. Including a particularly interesting book titled: Critical Insights: Virginia Woolf & 20th Century Women Writers. Before going any further, let’s talk about what exactly International Women’s Day is.

The first International Women's Day was held way back in March 1911, in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. The year 1975 was named International Women’s Year by the United Nations.  Since then, we’ve celebrated March 8th as International Women’s Day. March 8th is a global celebration and day of activism to recognize the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. To this day, Women’s Day is a reminder of the progress we’ve made for gender equality, and a call to action for what still needs to be done. 

This year, International Women’s Day had a theme of inspiring inclusion. The notion of this theme is that understanding and valuing the inclusion of women will help make the world a better place. This theme is also being used to create a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment for women. Therefore this specific call to action is about breaking barriers, challenging stereotypes, and creating environments where women, from all walks of life, are valued and respected. Another part of this campaign is recognizing the contributions, in all aspects of society, that women have made and also recognizing the various perspectives that each woman has to offer. Even with the specific theme, there are a variety of different ways to celebrate Women’s Day, even if it is simply taking the time to learn more. Something that you may want to learn more about is how people celebrate or observe Women’s Day and how these celebrations may differ from country, organization, group or individual. 

On International Women’s Day, at the entrance of the World Trade Center in the capital of Sri Lanka, a shampoo brand, Lifebuoy Shampoo, ignited conversations with their campaign addressing the lack of representation of women in public monuments. Lifebuoy Shampoo is a brand committed to celebrating strength and empowerment and inspiring inclusivity across generations, to empower mothers and ‘Growing Strong Girls’. The campaign highlighted the achievements, the timeless legacies, and the pivotal role that Sri Lankan women have played in shaping Sri Lanka’s narrative. The most important part, though, is the advocacy for construction of statutes that will honour these influential women. Despite the immense value these women have, they don’t have the same honour of a statue. The goal is simple: ensure that future generations will have this tangible reminder of these powerful, important women and, hopefully, cause a renewed sense of empowerment and inclusivity.

While Lifebuoy is a powerful example of activism and applying International Women’s Day’s theme. This isn’t the standard for how to celebrate International Women's Day, as this can be different for everyone. Ways that you can show awareness can include:

• Posting or sharing about Women’s Day,

• Taking a brief amount of time to learn more about the progress made, setbacks faced or what needs to be done around the world,

• Supporting various forms of media made by women or women-owned businesses,

• Acknowledging the women in your life,

• Or reflecting, identifying what parts of life there should be more inclusion or improvements are all great ways to celebrate Women’s Day. 

However, it is strongly encouraged that you should try to play your part in your community and beyond. In conclusion, choose whatever activity is most relevant and impactful for you, within the context of who you are, next International Women’s Day.

Bibliography

“International Women’s Day 2024 Campaign Theme: Inspire Inclusion.” International Women’s Day, www.internationalwomensday.com/. Accessed 25 Mar. 2024. 

“International Women’s Day 2024 Campaign Theme Is ‘Inspire Inclusion.’” International Women’s Day, www.internationalwomensday.com/Theme. Accessed 25 Mar. 2024. 

“What Does It Mean to Truly Inspire Inclusion?” International Women’s Day, www.internationalwomensday.com/Missions/20202/What-does-it-mean-to-truly-inspire-inclusion. Accessed 25 Mar. 2024. 

“Government of Canada.” Women and Gender Equality Canada, / Gouvernement du Canada, 16 Feb. 2024, women-gender-equality.canada.ca/en/commemorations-celebrations/international-womens-day.html. 

“Women’s Day Campaign Calls for Female Representation in Sri Lanka Promoting Gender Equality.” Daily FT, 25 Mar. 2024, www.ft.lk/front-page/Women-s-Day-Campaign-Calls-for-Female-Representation-in-Sri-Lanka-Promoting-Gender-Equality/44-759904. 

The 2024 Formula 1 season is on its way to becoming one of the most interesting so far. Only three races in, fans and drivers alike have seen new talents, injuries, surprises, and drama galore. Let’s go over the race results and things that have been happening off-track. 

Arguably, the best thing about this sport is that it is very unpredictable from season to season. The performance of the driver is dependent on the driver’s talents, the strategies used by the teams, and the livery itself. Predictions for the 2024 season based on the last season include Red Bull being the best-performing team of the season, Alpine having a better team due to the investors, and Ferrari having bad strategies as usual.

The first prediction has been accurate for the first two races, with the two Red Bull drivers, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, coming in first and second, respectively. Alpine has gotten multiple investors, including actor Ryan Reynolds and football player Travis Kelce. However, Alpine are now at the bottom of the constructors championship, scoring 0 points. They are even lower than the Haas F1 team, which has been yielding abysmal results. Last season, Alpine had a few bad races but they were a midfield team. This season, they are in last place. The drivers, Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly haven’t qualified for a place higher than P15. Let’s hope they can bring themselves back to a championship-winning team!

Last season, after Alpha Tauri driver Daniel Ricciardo faced an injury, F1 found a new talent in Liam Lawson. Although it was his first time in an F1 car, he performed spectacularly, earning points in an underperforming car. Similarly, after Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz had appendicitis and had to undergo an operation, Ferrari’s reserve driver, Oliver Bearman, took his place. Sainz drove for two practice sessions, but after that, he couldn’t drive anymore. Thus, the steering wheel was handed to Bearman. This was Bearman’s first time in an F1 car, putting aside the few practice sessions in a Haas car, which is a completely different experience from the Ferrari car. So, after one practice session, he headed to qualifying. After a valiant effort, he couldn’t make it to Q3 as his teammate did but topped the charts of Q2, qualifying an impressive P11. The next day was the race. Tensions were high as Ferrari needed to get crucial points, and Bearman did not disappoint, fighting his way up to P7 and bringing home 6 points. He made impressive overtakes, including one on Yuki Tsunoda by faking an overtake from the right and moving swiftly to the left. He is currently the highest points scorer on an F1 race debut. All in all, he certainly made his talents clear, earning praise from multiple drivers, including Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. He is definitely on some peoples’ minds to hire as a full-time F1 driver!

As mentioned before, Carlos Sainz had to miss a race due to appendicitis. After a mere two weeks, the doctors deemed him ready to get back into an F1 car for the Australian Grand Prix. This was a very interesting grand prix. For starters, after Williams driver Alex Albon crashed his car, Logan Sargeant was forced to give up his car and sit out of the race. This isn’t a common occurrence and has upset a lot of fans and drivers. No one was surprised when Max Verstappen raced his way to pole position, but it was a huge shock when Carlos Sainz put up a big fight and made his way to P2. On Sunday, the race day, everyone was expecting Max Verstappen to score another victory. However, only a few laps into the race, Carlos Sainz overtook him. Verstappen continued to lose positions; soon, it was evident that it was not a talent issue but a car issue. Verstappen entered the pits and retired the car. The right rear tire caught fire due to a mechanical error. Carlos Sainz managed to keep the number one position and led Ferrari to a well-needed victory. Charles Leclerc overtook Lando Norris and managed to bring home Ferrari the 1-2 position that Red Bull have kept so far. It was a great day for McLaren as well. Drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri took up the 3 and 4 positions. However, fans were upset that Norris and Piastri were told to switch positions, which yielded no results. The fans that were thoroughly disappointed were those of Mercedes. After Lewis Hamilton retired the car due to a mechanical issue, the hope was left to George Russell. Russell fought and stayed in the points for a long time, but unfortunately, he crashed the car in the last lap of the race. Overall, the Australian Grand Prix brought on a lot of emotions for everyone. 

As mentioned in the last edition, Lewis Hamilton is moving to Ferrari, so there is a seat open for Mercedes. Thus far, we’ve seen thoughts on Alonso, Antoinelli, and Sainz, but recently, there have been rumours about another world champion coming onto the Merc team. Max Verstappen. Who wouldn’t want a 3-time world champion who broke numerous records in the last year alone? The thing that sparked these rumours was the fact that Jos Verstappen, Max’s father, was seen having multiple interactions with Toto Wolff, the team principal at Mercedes. When Wolff was asked about the possibility, he vaguely responded that anyone would want Max. When Christian Horner was asked about this, he said that Max was sure to see out the contract, which has him in a Red Bull seat until 2028. Jos has lost hope in Horner after allegations have been made about him engaging in inappropriate behaviour with another employee. Jos has been seen bashing Horner and his attempts with Red Bull. However, these claims are completely inaccurate, considering the immense success the team had last season. This could very well be a huge turning point for the world of F1 if this does happen. 

The drama continues, on and off track.

Will you be turning off your lights this weekend, Panthers? Earth hour is a worldwide movement and annual event which is funded by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and occurs on the last Saturday of March every year. This year, Earth hour takes place this Saturday, March 23rd. For an hour, the public is encouraged to turn off all lights and participate in activities which align with personal interests and benefit the Earth.

If the public is encouraged to participate in Earth hour, then what is Glenview doing for Earth hour? Although Earth hour takes place over the weekend, this Friday Glenview is showing its support for Earth hour by encouraging its teachers to turn the lights off during D block and teach in the dark. In addition, classrooms which do reduce their energy in some way will be able to enter a draw for a prize provided by the eco club!

Why is it important for you to participate in Earth hour this upcoming weekend? Earth hour is critical for cutting down on our carbon footprint and contributing less to light pollution. As well, it is incredibly important for demonstrating our ability to make a commitment to the Earth by rallying our communities to do a simple act of turning all lights off for an hour. According to an article published by the UN environment programme, artificial lighting doesn’t only pollute our atmosphere, it also impacts our ecosystems and disrupts wildlife patterns. Species become more vulnerable to predators where lighting makes them more visible. This can, in turn, hinder the recovery of endangered species. Global lighting can also impact migration patterns, habitat formation, wake-sleep patterns in animals along with a plethora of other issues which impact both humans and animals. Advocating for people to participate in Earth hour is also important because it inspires others to take on more individual change and to learn about the more long-term solutions to reducing our energy use. The Members of the Panther Post and all of Glenview are relying on you to show your commitment to the Earth by partaking in the biggest hour for Earth this Friday and Saturday!

Check out the milestones achieved by this incredible movement from past years! To findmore information about Earth hour and other environmental issues visit www.earthhour.org. You can find everything from articles written about climate change and nature preservation, to handbooks on how to engage your community!

References

https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/global-light-pollution-affecting-ecosystems-what-can-we-do

https://www.earthhour.org/

https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/light-pollution/

Do you crochet? Or have you ever wanted to pick up crocheting, but you never did because you didn't know where to start? Glenview began a Crochet club earlier this semester for those who enjoy or have always wanted to begin crocheting! 

Crocheting is a craft technique which creates textiles by interlocking yarn with a hook. Although crochet is similar to knitting, they’re different. Knitting uses two needles while crochet uses only a single hook. In fact, many people actually find crochet easier than knitting once they learn the basics! People find crochet a better option because it's easier to pull apart your work and because you don't have to move the stitches back and forth between needles. In recent years, especially during the pandemic, there has been a huge boom in the popularity of crochet. Bucket hats, tote bags, and crop tops are especially popular items to crochet. These are just a few examples of what's popular in crochet, but you can create almost anything with this fiber art! Once you learn the 3 or 4 basic stitches of crochet, you can create anything that your creativity allows! This can include things like clothing, accessories, home decor, or adorable, tiny stuffed creatures (amigurumi). Crochet is also considered a form of slow fashion, while also being a great outlet for reducing stress because of the repetitive motions you make with your hands.

So, is the crochet club for you? Crochet club is held in A211 every Tuesday and Thursdays. Hooks and yarn are provided by the club, with there being a great variety in yarn sizes, textures and colors! If you want to work on your crochet outside of the crochet club, then you need to sign out yarn and hooks. If you’re a beginner in crochet, this club is for you! Many videos on the essential crochet stitches are provided as well as in-person instructions from Mrs. West if you need help. If you’re already an experienced crocheter, then the crochet club is the perfect place to provide a quiet space for you to create and take a break from school for a bit. Although you can make pieces for yourself to keep or to give to others, the Crochet club is also crocheting scarves, mittens, and blankets to potentially be donated towards charities. So if helping those with clothing insecurity is an issue that important to you, then all the more reason for you to join the Crochet club.

Crochet is a great technique for expressing your creativity as well as having more practical uses, such as helping individuals unwind and relieve their stress while creating tangible items that you can use in your home or share with others. So Panthers, will you join the crochet club and inspire your creativity with yarn?

Stepping onto the court with determination and a spirited drive, Glenview’s badminton players have ignited the first half of the season with unmatched passion and skill. From the very first serve, the camaraderie and determination of our badminton players have been unmistakable. Under the guidance of our dedicated coaches, Ms.Colbeck, Mr.McCarville, Mr.Nixon, Mr.Hoes, and Mr.McGrath, the team has shown incredible unity, supporting each other both on and off the court. 

The badminton court has witnessed some outstanding individual performances from our players. Starting with the senior Glenview tournament, held on March 5th, 2024, our senior girls have demonstrated impeccable skills and played with immense energy. With Snehal Jain being the Sr. Girls singles champion and Dawn LoyLoy and Emily Ding being the Sr. Girls Doubles champions, we could not be more panther proud! 

Our juniors were also not behind in demonstrating their strengths at the junior Glenview tournament on March 19, 2024. We are incredibly proud to announce the success of our doubles teams. Starting with the Boy's doubles team of Yash Patel and Gurshan Sindhu coming in second place and the girl's doubles team of Maya Keopapant and Bella Vargas-Coutinho also placing second, we are in extreme delight! 

Recently, our players enthusiastically participated in the Monsignor Doyle tournament held on March 26th and 27th, 2024. Our panthers were not shy in showing their sportsmanship and diligence towards the sports. Our senior doubles players have shown remarkable techniques and strategies with each match. With Dawn LoyLoy and Emily Ding being the Sr. Girl Doubles champion and Snehal Jain and Arish Farooq placing third in Mixed doubles, we are incredibly pleased with the ​​hard-earned victory and are celebrated with pride.

As we enter the second half of the season, our badminton team is poised for even greater achievements. With unwavering determination and a passion for badminton, we are ready to face whatever challenges lie ahead. As we eagerly anticipate WCSSAA, let us cheer them on to further success and glory. Let’s go, Panthers! 

Recent accounts reveal more sinister intentions behind the OFSAA money: lavish trips, expensive consultations, early-onset male pattern baldness, and more. 

In mid-February, the Glenview girls’ senior volleyball team stunned at the CWOSSA championships by qualifying for OFSAA, making all of us feel proud to be Panthers! However, this opportunity came along with a large fee of over $4000. As soon as the volleyball team qualified for OFSAA, fundraisers began being organised to help support them on their journey to OFSAA. Glenview raised funds through bake sales, classroom donations, and teacher activities to celebrate each milestone we reached. As we got closer and closer to our goal, teachers would take on hilarious challenges to celebrate and rally more people to donate to this important cause. We all remember Mrs. LeBeau having her hair dyed purple, the Kryskos having ice water poured over their heads, and most memorably, Mr. Shaw shaving his head. In the end, we succeeded in raising enough money for the volleyball team to go to OFSAA. 

Rumours are emerging that the OFSAA money may have not gone to the intended cause, and these rumours are all pointing in the direction of the math teacher and senior girls’ volleyball coach, Mr. Shaw. Personal accounts from others close to this scandal reveal that Mr. Shaw may have taken a portion of the donation money for himself, but what he used it for may have gone to another good cause. One statement, perhaps from another teacher, reveals that after Mr. Shaw shaved his head in front of the school, he realised that it would be too difficult for his hair to grow back: he was suffering from early male pattern baldness. This was a fate that Mr. Shaw could not accept, so he sought out treatments immediately. According to another individual, the specific treatment Mr. Shaw was looking at was a hair regrowth treatment called platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment. Concept Medical, a cosmetic medicine clinic in Ottawa describes PRP treatment as an “innovative, natural treatment in Ottawa for thinning hair, fine lines, and wrinkles”. PRP treatments involve a series of injections to the hair follicles to stimulate hair growth. These treatments were originally created to treat those with joint and muscle pain, however these injections provide many cosmetic benefits. PRP treatments can cost anywhere from $950-2000 per treatment. 

This scandal raises some important questions: Was a portion of the money taken? Did we even need the money at all? How many times has Mr. Shaw gone under the needle? To Mr. Shaw, who took advantage of the good nature of the students of Glenview for his own vanity: … APRIL FOOLS! This article was written in good fun to trick our fellow Panthers and to poke fun at our beloved teacher Mr. Shaw; please do not take any of the claims in the article seriously! Although, looking at the state of Mr. Shaw’s hair, perhaps the money was going to a good cause…

On the soccer field and the volleyball courts

She soars so high despite being short

With every victory, she writes her name,

Sena will forever be in the Hall of Fame.

But not just in sports, her mind is so bright,

In the IB realms, she scales the height.

With books and sports, she balances it all

Sena remains at the top as she will never fall.

Less than 18 months after beginning his reign, King Charles III was diagnosed at the age of 75 with a form of cancer that has not yet been revealed. The announcement of his diagnosis has been discussed globally, but especially in the UK, where most people shared reactions of shock and support and for some, even sadness. 

Before his diagnosis, King Charles was receiving treatment for a benign prostate that is said by the palace to be unrelated. However, it was during this treatment that another problem, his cancer, was noticed and diagnostic tests were performed as a result. Following King Charles’ diagnosis, he was suspended from public duties but continued with state business, paperwork and his other roles as head of state. Of course, he also started regular treatment. 

Now, nearly a month since his diagnosis, one of the few updates there is to talk about is the impact of the news and how people have responded. Since the announcement of his diagnosis, King Charles has received about 7000 cards of support. A selection of these cards are placed into red boxes that hold the King’s daily paperwork. In some of these cards, people share their stories of cancer and how it has affected them. Some of them are clearly handmade by children, drawn with crayons. But all of these letters are very positive, wishing a speedy recovery and include some sort of message of encouragement, sympathy or humour. He was particularly amused with a card that had a picture of a dog wearing a protective cone saying: “At least you don’t have to wear a cone!” 

Other than overwhelming support King Charles has received, there have been other responses to the King’s diagnosis. For example, some people are already thinking about who is next in line to inherit the throne. That would be the King’s son, William, Prince of Wales, who is 41 years old. Since the King’s temporary absence of his public duties, Prince William has taken over his public duties. 

Prince William has announced plans to build homes in southwestern England for the homeless. This housing project intends to build 24 homes on the land of the Duchy of Cornwall, a private estate owned by Prince William. The development is supposed to start in September and the first homes are to be completely built in the fall of 2025. Prince William also made a statement, which garnered a lot of attention, on the fighting in Gaza: “I, like so many others, want to see an end to the fighting as soon as possible. There is a desperate need for increased humanitarian support to Gaza. It’s critical that aid gets in.” 

As of recently, it’s said that this is the most active and engaged Prince William has ever been on pressing complex international issues. His recent actions have been considered defining and establishing his role and identity as the Prince of Wales and the heir to the throne, using the unfortunate circumstances as an opportunity to do so. However, it is believed that what he has publicly said was done after consulting King Charles.

Bibliography:

Coughlan, Sean. “King Charles Enjoys Jokes in Cards of Support.” BBC News, BBC, 23 Feb. 2024, www.bbc.com/news/uk-68383776.

Davison, Janet. “Prince William’s Role as a ‘king in Waiting’ in Sharper Focus as Charles Is Treated for Cancer | CBC News.” CBCnews, CBC/Radio Canada, 25 Feb. 2024, www.cbc.ca/news/world/prince-william-king-charles-royal-visit-prince-harry-1.7121054.

“King Charles Diagnosed with Cancer, Buckingham Palace Says | CBC News.” CBCnews, CBC/Radio Canada, 6 Feb. 2024, www.cbc.ca/news/world/king-charles-cancer-1.7105266.

Knox, Camille. “Royal Insider on King Charles’ Cancer Diagnosis and What It Means for Britain’s Royal Family.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 9 Feb. 2024, www.cbsnews.com/news/king-charles-cancer-diagnosis-royal-insider-on-what-we-know/.

History:

The first Grammys ceremony was held in two locations on May 4th, 1959: the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, and the Park Sheraton Hotel in New York City. There were only 28 categories in the beginning, as the purpose was to award musical achievements in a world where music genres were still emerging.

Categories & Winners:

If you don’t want to look it up, click here for a list of all the categories and winners from this year’s Grammy Awards!

Highlights:

There were many surprises and reasons for celebration throughout the evening, including Miley Cyrus winning her first Grammy for Record of the Year for her hit song Flowers. Another surprise was Taylor Swift’s announcement of her brand new album, The Tortured Poets Department, which will be released on April 19th this year. The women of the music industry continued to amaze us with their talent and achievements, as SZA received more nominations than any artist this year. She won Best R&B Song, Best Progressive R&B Album, and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, along with Phoebe Bridgers for her song Ghost In The Machine.

Olivia Rodrigo and Dua Lipa dazzled the crowd with performances of their hit songs Vampire and Training Season and Houdini. Fans of Barbie were delighted with Billie Eilish’s rendition of What Was I Made For? which brought most of the attendees close to tears, reminding us again of the movie’s importance to women’s struggles in society. Famous folk singer Joni Mitchell performed her song Both Sides Now, bringing her many old fans the pleasure of hearing the 1960s hit live for the first time in years.

Facts:

Here are some interesting facts about the highly anticipated awards show!

Beyonce has the most Grammys worldwide as of the 2023 ceremony, with 32 total.

Only 3 artists have ever won Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Best New Artist, also known as “The Big 4”. Billie Eilish, Adele, and Christopher Cross.

Billie Eilish and Christopher Cross are the only two artists to have won all 4 of these in one year

Sources:

https://www.grammy.com/news/2024-grammys-nominations-full-winners-nominees-list

https://www.britannica.com/art/Grammy-Award

https://www.sporcle.com/blog/2023/02/grammy-awards-trivia-facts/

Within the first two months of 2024, there have been incredibly significant changes being made in the world of F1. From people being fired, race tracks being extended, drivers re-signing and last, but certainly not least, a world champion changing teams. 

Every F1 fan has watched or at least knows about the show; Drive to Survive. One of the most prominent people was the, now-former, Haas team principal, Guenther Steiner. However, during the off-season of the 2023/2024 F1 season, Guenther was let go and this would be in effect immediately. Although at the time there wasn’t a specific reason, it was quite evident to all fans that it was due to the poor performance at Haas. Gene Haas, the owner of the F1 team stated in an interview that “it came down to performance”. In the decade that Guenther was team principal, the team hadn’t gotten a single podium finish, let alone a win. Although the past years have been brutal for the team, the event that inspired this sudden dismissal was Haas finishing last in the WCC (World’ Constructors Championship). The person replacing Guenther will be Ayao Komatsu, who was promoted from a senior engineer. Let’s hope that he helps Haas move up in the WCC!

Moving on to the essentials of F1; the circuits. The beloved Silverstone circuit has been extended to 2034. Another fan and driver favourite, the incredible circuit in Suzuka is going to be on the calendar until 2029. In 2025, Australia is going to be back as the season opener. The first 2 races on the calendar will be taking place on a Saturday instead of a Sunday. Until we know more, Singapore and Barcelona might not be on the calendar any longer. This is disappointing because this could be the end of the home races in Spain for drivers Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz. However, there is going to be a grand prix in Madrid starting in 2026. A rumour going around is something that is upsetting a lot of fans. There could be another grand prix in Chicago. If this does happen, as it stands there will be a total of 4 races in the United States alone. This is problematic because fans are yearning for races in different countries like Germany, India and more. In the 2024 season there are 24 races and the first one is in Bahrain. Fans can’t wait!

To the unanimous disappointment of fans all over the world, two teams have changed their names. Alpha Tauri has changed to Visa CashApp RB (Racing Bulls). This name has led fans to revert to calling Visa CashApp RB to its former name; Toro Rosso, which is arguably the more sophisticated name. Most fans are unhappy with how long the name is and how it has the name of a sponsor in the team name, while others prefer its previous names. Another team that has not only switched its name but has also completely rebranded with new colours is Alfa Romeo. Alfa Romeo is now called Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber. The colour is now a bright neon green which fans are jokingly calling it a highlighter colour. Similar to the Visa CashApp RB situation, fans are unhappy and call Stake its former name; Sauber. 

To the mixed disappointment and relief of fans and drivers alike, there were no changes from the 2023 driver line-up to the 2024 driver line-up. However, many drivers' contracts are ending in 2024. This includes Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, Red Bull driver Sergio Perez, 7-time world champion and Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, Mclaren driver Lando Norris, 2-time world champion and Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso, Alpine drivers Estaban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, Williams driver Logan Sargeant, RB drivers Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo, Stake drivers Zhou Guanyu and Valterri Bottas and finally the Haas drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen. As Daniel Ricciardo has named it, Silly Season has begun. Both Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc have resigned with their teams for ‘many seasons’. However the newest driver change is being called the biggest change of the decade. This is bigger than Micheal Schumacher coming out of retirement or Sebastian Vettel announcing his retirement. On February 1st, 2024, it was announced that Lewis Hamilton is going to be driving for Ferrari in 2025. Lewis Hamilton has won 6 out of the 7 world championships in Mercedes. He had countless podiums and wins in Mercedes, and broke numerous records. Looking to the future, he is replacing Carlos Sainz meaning that he needs to find a seat. Also, a driver needs to fill in the spot opened at Mercedes. Rumours and speculations are all we have at the moment. Fans want Carlos Sainz to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull in 2025. Seeing as he did the Red Bull Junior program, this is a viable option. The options for the second driver at Mercedes are Carlos Sainz, Fernando Alonso, Alex Albon, Esteban Ocon and an F2 driver Kimi Antoinelli. 

Here are all of the updates for the F1 season so far. You can expect more updates and exciting events to come. So here’s to hoping that this is going to be a great season. Ready for the light’s out. 

This year, the Glenview Panthers who went to Fed-PROV were split into two teams: The press team and the Saskatchewan team. Our Grade 11 Panthers this year were in charge of the Province of Saskatchewan, with the premier being Ali Naseer! The Panther Post sat Ali down for an interview today regarding his experience at Fed-PROV and about what incidents took place during the conference. 

To start, the first question asked was: “What were your responsibilities as the Premier of the Province of Saskatchewan at this year’s Fed-PROV conference?”

Ali: “Responsibilities included getting everybody organized in a timely manner, as it was very hard for people to stay on track for everything. Also, speaking in the first minister’s meeting and so regulating a lot of the things Saskatchewan would be interested in passing - laws and such. My responsibilities all in all were just managing the people and managing everyone to finish their work in a timely manner and also voicing Saskatchewan’s opinions at a bigger stage.”

Moving on to the next question, the Premier was asked: “What did Saskatchewan accomplish at the conference this year, or how were they involved in the meetings?”

Ali: “Saskatchewan achieved a lot of things, actually! They proposed a senate reform that got passed and was very successful. That [bill] entailed having the already established 105 senate representatives [as well as] adding upon Indigenous representatives to add on their voices as well. We also passed some rules about eliminating carbon tax for three years or so, and that would help us move away from carbon and to a more green industry as we are not getting taxed for using [carbon].”

*The proposed bill was different from what the Government had proposed, which would cut down the number of senators to 40, making it go against the constitution

Changing directions and aiming for some more personal experiences, Karman inquired: “What were some of the challenges you encountered perhaps leading up to, or during, the conference?”

Ali: “One of the problems was one our ministers barged into another minister meeting, and so it was a real kerfuffle, it was really bad. Everyone made a huge deal about it. Also, one of our ministers also said that “Indigenous people should not have housing in Saskatchewan” and that was something that we did not stand for, but he just said it because it was funny.  

Ali was prompted to explain: “How, as a Premier, did you deal with that?”

Ali: “One of the things [I did] was I reprimanded him for his actions. I told him to “get the facts straight” and to align with Saskatchewan's opinions and ideals and to formally apologize to the Indigenous ambassador for his opinions and we moved on from that in a timely, well-mannered way.”

Staying on course with the personal questions, Ali was then asked: “What was the biggest learning point you took away from the conference, whether that’s about Canadian politics or about law-making in general?”

Ali: “One of the main things I learned from the conference was managing a lot of people in many different areas of politics and it kind of made me realize how much work being a Premier of a province is and what that actually entails in the political system. It kind of just gave me a better insight to how our political system works and better educated me on that [topic].”

A more fun question ensued with: “What was your favourite part of participating in the conference?”

Ali: “My favourite part was being with my friends :)”

Karman then said he had no friends. Ali ominously said, “That group chat was something special, guys.” He did not elaborate.

Ali: “The most fun thing I did there was talking to new people and talking to them about Canadians, it was just a really interesting experience, all in all.”

Finally, the interview ended with some advice from the Premier: “Lastly, would you recommend participating in the Fed-PROV conference, and do you have a word of advice for Panthers who wish to be a part of this experience in the future?”

Ali: “I would 100% advise people to go into this conference as it’s a great simulation and it actually simulates what happens in Canadian politics and it really helps you understand more thoroughly about our political system. It gives you a better voice in the future on who you want dictating your community and your surrounding areas.”

As a final quote, Ali said “Thank you guys! I love my frie-,” he was then mysteriously cut off.

We thank the Premier of Saskatchewan, Ali, for taking the time out of his busy schedule to sit down and participate in this interview with us! We are so proud of the Saskatchewan team for doing an incredible job at Fed-PROV, and we hope to see similar efforts in the years to come! That’s all for this interview, and if you haven’t already, check out our interview with the Co-Chief editors of the press team on our website!!

On February 21 and 22, the Glenview students participated in the Federal-Provincial simulation held at Laurier University! The students had huge appraisals for the event, and so the Panther Post interviewed the co-chief editors of the Wild West Press, also known as, the reporting team. Hania Fawad and Ava Pierson were sat down and interviewed on their perceptions and feelings about the event, as well as some other questions regarding how the event was beneficial for them and any takeaways they may have.

To begin, the first question they were asked was: “What were your responsibilities as the co-chief editors of the Western Press at this year's Fed-PROV conference?”

Hania: “Basically, what we had to do was greenlight any articles that were given to us as well as edit any articles we chose to put ourselves under. [We] also had to advertise as well on social media” (greenlight the posts that were to go up.)

Ava: “We also had to choose which articles we thought were most important or most relevant to the federal conference.”

They were then asked: “What did the Western Press accomplish at the conference this year, or how were they involved?”

Hania: “To begin, the Western Press should have won [best press].”

Ava: “We wrote over 30 articles and they were all relatively long and very well-written!”

Karman asked to elaborate on the articles, inquiring: “And what were your articles covering?”

Hania: “Mostly everything that was currently happening during the conference, and we had one member of our team write mainly analysis-based articles.”

Continuing on, the next question was asked: “What were some of the challenges you encountered perhaps leading up to, or during the conference?”

Ava: “Because we were also [representing] Saskatchewan, our group got split down into ⅓ of what it used to be, so that was pretty difficult to manage, and then people eventually ended up joining again, but it was difficult to place them where they wanted to be [in the conference] and then, Hania and I also ended up having to switch rooms anyway because people didn’t want to sit where they were assigned.”

Hania: “On top of managing, we had a bunch of people join who we didn’t even know were going to be joining, so we had to keep watch on them, as well as a lot of the people who, sort of, wanted to do what they wanted to do but we couldn’t let them following fed-PROV regulations.”

Going more into their personal feelings about the conference, the next question was phrased as: “What was the biggest learning point you took away from the conference, whether that’s about Canadian politics or about reporting and publishing?”

Hania: “I think I learned - personally - that patience is definitely key when dealing with big groups, especially such as one with people you see everyday. You can’t lose your patience on them.”

Ava: “Especially problem-solving too, because we got kicked out because of a mistake that we made, so dealing with the fallout of that and also taking accountability for our actions and just figuring out how to manage that.”

Hania: “Also, on top of problem-solving - [there’s] thinking fast on your feet. People are going to ask you questions and you have to have an answer either immediately or within due time.”

Continuing with more personal questions, they were then asked: “What was your favourite part about participating in the conference this year?”

Hania: “Meeting new people, and sort of getting kicked out, because that gave us excitement!”

Ava: “I actually really liked asking that first question, even though I butchered it, but it was really fun to ask that question in front of all the people and see the Prime Minister scramble a little bit.”

Hania: “I also liked asking a question and having people go “ooooooh” in response.”

*For context, at the end of the first day, reporting teams were allowed to ask three questions directed towards any of the Premiers or the Prime Minister regarding anything about the events that took place that day. People going “ooooh” in response meant that the question was controversial.

The interview ended with the final question: “Lastly, would you recommend participating in the Fed-PROV conference, and do you have a word of advice for Panthers who wish to be part of this experience in the future?”

Hania: “I think it’s definitely something that you should participate in even if you don’t have any political relations or care for politics. It’s a great experience for leadership or even just general knowledge.”

Ava: “It’s a good way to gain skills that you wouldn’t have gotten otherwise like public speaking, leadership, and even just managing people. Even if you don’t have a leadership role - but I do suggest you go for one because they’re fun - you still get to participate in things and have your name accredited to them. You can achieve things without being a leader.”

We thank the two co-chief editors of the Wild West Press for taking the time to sit down and have an interview with us! Our Panthers are always achieving great things and we are so proud of their abilities! That’s all for the interview, and if you haven’t already, check out the interview of the Premier of Saskatchewan who was also present at Fed-PROV with his team on our website!

What took place at Fed-PROV 2023-2034!

This year, similar to other years, Glenview was given the opportunity to attend Fed-PROV and represent their school. This year's event was held at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo. It was a huge difference from where Fed-PROV took place for many years, which was Waterloo University. This time around, our school was given TWO objectives. Some members chose to take a role as part of Saskatchewan, and others chose to participate as press members. 

DAY 1:

The day started on the 21st of February at 8:30 AM sharp, and students were given the chance to roam around and mingle with other students from schools in the Waterloo region. Getting information, making connections, representing and promoting your school and team were just a few of the things that kids could do until 9:00 AM. After the mingling time was up, the assembly began, where opening remarks from the Co-Chairs of Fed-PROV - Sahil Kumar, Kiki Stefanidis, and Lindsay Stewart - were said. Then, the mayor of Waterloo, Dorothy McCabe, as well as the MPP, Catherine Fife, said some more informative and encouraging words. Additionally, the Assistant Professor, Political Science/ Director of the Centre of Public Ethics and past MPP for Kitchener Centre, John Milloy, also said some thoughtful words regarding how incredible the event was and how excited he was to witness it.

Once the opening remarks were over, each school's designated Premier of their province was given an opportunity to introduce themselves, eventually ending with the Prime Minister from Laurel Heights Secondary Schools, Sina Karbasi. Press teams, including Glenview’s team, were given a chance to ask a question directed towards anyone they would like to. Some jabs were thrown from each press towards the board of higher-up students, and some laughs arose from the subtle teasing. Finally, the assembly came to a close, and the meetings commenced. Each and every student went to their designated area to do their job, and you can check out the website made by the Glenview press team - The Wild West Press - to see all the events that took place on the first day of Fed-PROV!

https://thewildwest2024.neocities.org/

After a somewhat questionable lunch in terms of taste, the meetings resumed with multiple events taking place at this time. By 3:30, the meetings adjourned, and the press conference began in the same assembly hall as the morning. Little did anyone know, the press conference would be the beginning of a messy day 2…

DAY 2:

Day 2 started with a majority of the Wild West Press team being kicked out of nearly all the ministry meetings that were taking place. The reason was because Alberta was unhappy with one of the questions that they were asked:

“In the justice room, there was an argument focusing on decriminalizing prostitution, and Alberta made a direct comparison between suicide and sex work. Could you further elaborate on this perspective?”

The person who asked the question was corrected and informed that it was not Alberta who made the comparison but rather the Federal Government. Immediately, they went up to apologize to both the Premier of Alberta and the Minister of Justice (where the comparison was allegedly made). An apology was issued online as well. Yet, Alberta remained adamant and refused to accept the apologies issued by the Press team. And so, from 8:00 AM to 10:15 AM, Glenview’s press team was shunned from meetings and could only act as the bigger person in this situation, meaning they wrote articles clearing up their side of the story and attempting to find a way out of this unwarranted situation. The issue was finally resolved when the chief editors issued a verbal, formal apology to the Premier of Alberta, increasing the apology count from 2 to 3. The Wild West Press was then allowed back into the meetings!!

Another event that took place was Saskatchewan, creating a close bond with Alberta and causing many discrepancies within their meetings. Some trouble with the finance, health, housing, and justice ministries all involved the province in one way or another. Nevertheless, The grade 11s did an amazing job playing their role as Saskatchewan, making sure their voices were heard. 

Regardless of the hectic morning, the day ended with fewer eventful moments. You can read about these events on the Wild West Press website and watch the interviews on the Instagram page!

https://www.instagram.com/wildwestpress_fedprov/

The day ended with speeches by each Premier, including Glenview's own Muhammad Ali Naseer, who was Premier of Saskatchewan, and Sina Karbasi, the Primer Minister. Awards were allotted to the Prime Minister, the hardest-working deputy minister, the best environment action, the John Boulden award, and many others for those included in the history of Fed-PROV. The best press usually gets an award, but this year, they were given the short end of the stick as they announced that “[We] couldn’t decide who the best was, so we believe this year, everyone should win.” Each press “won,” but many people were rightfully upset by this as they had been working tirelessly for two days to show how organized and dedicated they were, only to have their main objective be given to everyone.

Overall, this year’s Fed-PROV was eventful yet still memorable for all students. For many grade 12s, this was their last year participating in an event like this with a team full of their friends, and so many memories and cherishable moments were created. GREAT WORK PANTHERS!

View pictures of Feb-PROV here!

As provincials in DECA ended in mid-February, it is great to know how our Panthers did in DECA. During an interview with The Panther Post, Ali Naseer was very talkative and enthusiastic about sharing his experiences, showcasing that he genuinely enjoyed his time at provincials.  

Before beginning to talk about DECA, one needs to know what DECA is. In Ali’s words, DECA is a “Business-themed event. It’s a simulation involving role play and actual business events that would happen.” DECA prepares emerging entrepreneurs in high schools and colleges around the world for careers in business such as: marketing, finance, hospitality and management. In DECA, there are two oral events where “you're speaking and running a role play and you [also] have a test on terms and conditions.” These oral events and tests are ranked on a score out of 100 where only the top 20 people get awarded. With 4000 students, 6 different sectors, and 120 students at a given sector, the competition is outrageously intense.

Ali comments on the fierce competition as Deca is “a huge thing that a lot of schools do and it's a very competitive environment.”  There are two levels:  “Regional and provincials. [In] regionals a lot of people get cut off and I believe out of the 25 or 30 people, we had only five make it through [provincials].”  He also recalls that one of his good friends Isaac  “got 97 on basically everything and he's not in top 20 at all.”

This year's provincials were held in Toronto, and Ali mainly focused on marketing as he was the only person to make it through to the sector. He recalls back on his experience as he “was given a situation Where I would have to take the things given to me and make a marking planner around it. The main thing I talked about was social media marketing and going into what it was and how to target ads to them.”  When asked what he did to prepare for DECA, he stated honestly that he didn’t go to the meeting as it was more of a “passive thing where you understand the business and the things as you go and so on, but mostly [it’s] the test you have to study for. Unfortunately, I did not study that much.” Forcing him to “lock-in on the role-play” as, in his words, “It was really fun to do that.”

Not only did Glenview students compete in DECA, but they also had fun in Toronto for the 2 days of their stay. Ali was very fond of the mall as it was “right beside [the Sheraton Hotel] so you can go into it whenever you want and you can hang out with friends and with a bunch of people.” He also commented that “knowing people from other school boards who also compete in Deca can greatly boost the fun experience Toronto has to offer.”

 Furthermore, on the Glenview deca page (@glenview_deca) one can clearly see the carefree atmosphere as everyone from Glenview is skating in their formal outfits. It’s the juxtaposition between them skating on ice and the formal attire that truly shows the close-knit community in DECA where they mix fun and business!

Moreover, Ali's aspirations for next year are to recruit more people so that “next year, we actually get a hotel to stay [at].” He also plans to be more involved in the DECA club at Glenview by being a co-leader. He aims to keep recruiting people to DECA as “it's a really fun experience and I think that everyone can learn from it!”

Keep up the good work, Panthers! Let’s hope someone from Glenview goes to ICDC next year!!

End of Our Winter Season:

As February comes to a close, many of our sports seasons have entered their finals or last few games. As we approach spring, you should listen to announcements for tryouts for the new spring sports. Some sports that may be offered in the spring season are badminton, soccer, girls' rugby, and track and field. Still, make sure to look out for any more opportunities!

Our girls' junior volleyball team has done quite well, making it out of WCSSAA competitions and taking the title of champions as they beat Jacob Hespeler 2-3. It was a close game, but a very well-performed one. This past Friday, they continued their winning streak by taking home the title of CWOSAA champions as well. Our senior volleyball team also did well, having a great season. They won many games and made a great effort as a team. While they lost in the semi-finals in the WCSAA competition, they won CWOSSAA last week and are looking forward to competing at OFSAA in early March.

The Glenview swim team also had a great season. Many of the swimmers made it to CWOSSA, and two qualified for OFSAA. It's a great conclusion to a long season! They will be able to represent our school and will hopefully do well in the event, possibly even winning medals for our school. 

Both of the boys’ basketball seasons have finished, and each team did well. The senior team had their last regular season game on February 6th, winning 48-39 against Southwood. The junior team played their last game of the season on February 8th, losing to KCI in a close game, 71-69. 

Outside of Glenview, a grand event took place: the Superbowl. This year was an extremely close game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs barely made it to overtime, then just barely came out on top, only tying the score or going above it in the end. It was a very long broadcast, but it was entertaining as so many people were watching at parties or with friends. It was sure to be a good game, no matter who you cheered for!

That concludes the sports updates for the month of February!

Back with another round of staff vs students - a chance for the students to put a point on the board. This is it. The match all the students have been eagerly anticipating. Ask anyone in the school, and the consensus is clear: the staff are destined to lose. It appears the teachers heard the school as allegedly, they have some sort of “staff meeting” causing a delay in the game. Apart from three people, no other staff are showing up. This “staff meeting”, seems like a cop-out answer as they were undoubtedly intimidated to face the students' strength and fury. 

While the match is delaying, students are playing their own round of dodgeball. For a full 30 minutes, the students are warming up and practising their throwing and catching skills. Finally, another teacher arrives, signalling the start of the official match. The rules are simple, four students against four teachers. First to win three rounds will be victorious. If the opposing team successfully catches the ball, the thrower will be eliminated and the opposing team is rewarded one of their eliminated players back in the game. And so, with anticipation in the air, the game begins.

Everyone lines up against the wall. Dodgeballs in the middle of the floor, ready to be taken. The audience is silent as a fish. The whistle blows, and everyone sprints towards the middle, grabbing as many balls as they can. A student lobs the first ball. BAM, goes to the teacher as he fails to catch it. BAM, goes to another as it caught her off guard. BAM, as two guys throw the dodgeball right at him. BAM, as the final teacher is just standing as balls are pummelling right at him ending the first round. The audience erupts with cheers for a quick first victory in the student's favour.

The second round starts with new players on the student side. The game starts with enthusiasm from the audience. An expectation of another quick victory. The whistle blows and it is a repeat start like last time. Both sides are stalling. Neither side wants to throw a ball. Eventually, the match ends with the teacher winning. An uneventful round with a crushing defeat for the students.

Round three. This round, everyone is catching. Mr. Vanderkolk throws a ball, but a student catches it. Mr. Smith returns the favour, catches a ball, and brings Mr. Vanderkolk back into the game. Ultimately, it’s 1 vs 2. Mr. Smith and Mr. Vanderkolk against a lone student. In unison, both hurl a ball right at him. It ricochets off his chest. His finger taps the ball as it goes in the air, finally landing on the ground putting an end to the round.

Potentially the last match. The student must win in order to keep the dream alive. The tension in the gym was thick enough to cut with a knife. Everyone lines up against the wall. Balls in the middle of the field, ready to be taken once more, but hopefully not the last time. The round begins with a bang. Both sides are whipping dodgeballs at one another. To any passerby entering the gym, they might mistake that this is a do-or-die scenario. But for the students on the field, this was do-or-die. They have to prove to the school that students ARE better than staff and that they ARE going to win. 

It seems like the teachers have a plan to focus all their shots on a specific child. With that, they all bombard the poor kid with dodgeball after dodgeball. Another volley of dodgeballs comes after another student. He runs to the left, not dodging once, not twice, not thrice, NOT EVEN QUINCE, BUT FIVE WHOLE TIMES. The audience howls in excitement for the young man. 

The battle continues with only one student left. The teacher tries their plans once again, against the same student who previously dodged the ball five times. A ball is hurled at him. THUD. The ball hits the ground. THUD. Holy moly, another dodge. THUD. THREE IN A ROW. THUD. This kid has moves like Jagger, and nobody can stop him. THUD. The efforts of the teachers go in vain as this student dodges another five times. With the adrenaline pumping in his blood, he retaliates, launching a ball right at Mr. Smith. The audience gasps as Mr. Smith falls to the ground… with a ball in his hands. He caught it. He caught the ball putting an end to this Staff vs Students game. 

The students were flabbergasted. This was the game they could have won, but in the end, they won nothing. It seems like there is nothing the students can win now. A bitter pill to swallow. A sharp contrast from the once glorious victory at the beginning to this devastating defeat. This puts staff 6 to nothing above the students, crushing all hope for a student comeback.

If I were a house,

I would be a home

I would have lots of rooms

all of the doors, huge and flung open

And big, open windows

Not dirty

Not broken

I would have candles for lighting

and birds uncaged

I would be so inspiring

With nothing said

It's just the feeling you get

Something so utterly impossible

to forget

And the world will inquire

"Where is she?"

their hearts burning with a fire

looking for peace

looking for me

Their hearts broken

like the drawer in between

I wish they knew

I am only found in dreams.

Are you sick and tired of having the same goals year after year? The same old, “I want to workout at least three times a week” or “I want to sleep 8 hours a day." It gets tiring, does it not? It is easy to lose motivation and to just throw in the towel two weeks later. The problem isn’t your resolutions, it’s not even you; it is the way you phrase your goals. Instead of quantifying your goals, try adopting a theme. Rather than saying “I want to read 1 book every week," try saying “This year is the theme of reading." By having a theme, you are not restricting yourself from completing your goals. It may seem broad, but that is the point, be vague. Being broad offers flexibility and allows improvement for one’s betterment. The exact amounts do not matter, only the trendline. If the trend is going in the right direction, so are you. The end goal is just wanting to be a better version of yourself. For example, if your New Year resolves to read more and you are sitting in your car, try opening a reading app instead of playing games on your phone. That is it. You had two choices and you chose the one that will improve yourself.

Creating a theme will uncover new opportunities that otherwise would go unnoticed with specific goals. This allows you to think in a new way, and in turn, changes your thinking and how you live. A theme, if done right, allows its meaning to change with you without the guilt of failing to meet a goal. The past you who created the theme will be different from the present you. Suppose your theme was reading; initially, in the past you might have thought that you would be reading more books. However, the present you are now listening to audiobooks. You are still in the theme of reading, but what reading means to you has transformed.

Overall, the point of a New Year's Resolution is to enhance yourself. It is not a competition with others to see who can read more, or who can lose the most weight. It is about incorporating small, but noticeable changes into your daily life, leading to an overall improvement in a year.

For more information, watch this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVGuFdX5guE 

According to Bell Let’s Talk, “Canada is experiencing a mental health crisis”

Statistics show:

• More than 200 Canadians will attempt suicide every day; 12 will die.

• 56% of people struggling in this country are not getting the help they need.

• 1 in 4 Canadians have been experiencing high levels of anxiety.

(Statistics from Bell Let's Talk)

With the vision of a Canada where everyone can get the mental health support they need, Bell Canada, a Canadian telecommunication company, launched Bell Let’s Talk Day to raise funds to support local organizations addressing the stigma surrounding mental health. Since Bell Let’s Talk began in 2010, they’ve created the world’s largest conversation about mental health. This annual campaign is built on the four key pillars of fighting stigma including improving access to care, supporting world-class research, and leading by example, which collectively promotes mental health awareness, acceptance, and action.

On Bell Let's Talk Day, people are encouraged to participate by using the hashtag #BellLetsTalk in their social media posts across various platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat. Bell tracks these interactions throughout the day, and for every eligible interaction on social media, Bell Canada makes a financial contribution to mental health initiatives. Beyond social media, Bell Let's Talk Day often involves various corporate initiatives, events, and activities to promote mental health awareness within organizations and communities.

When it comes to mental health, it’s important to support ourselves and each other. There are many actions big and small that we can do to improve our mental health and the lives of people living with mental health issues. Here are some actions we can all take:

• Choose a mental health organization to learn about or support.

• Help a friend struggling with their mental health by learning how to support them.

• Ask about how your school, workplace, or community is creating change in mental health.

• Nurture your well-being by practicing and learning mental health strategies.

• Get involved in a mental health initiative or organize an event to support mental health.

• Engage in conversations about mental health to fight stigma.

DISCLAIMER

And remember, as a part of the Panther community, you have access to many mental health supports in your school community, such as the CYWs and the mental health room. If you are in crisis, please go to the closest hospital or call 9-1-1. If you’re thinking about suicide, call or text 9-8-8 toll-free, anytime.

Work Cited

Bell Let's Talk. “Bell Let's Talk kicks off a new year of action for mental health on January 25.” Bell Let's Talk, 9 January 2023, https://letstalk.bell.ca/news/bell-lets-talk-kicks-off-a-new-year-of-action-for-mental-health-on-january-25/. Accessed 21 January 2024.

Of many movies that are coming out this 2024, one of the most anticipated movies was “Mean Girls”. If you didn’t know, Mean Girls originally came out in 2004, and this movie was a smash hit being written by SNL (Saturday Night Live) head writer Tina Fey and directed by Mark Waters. It became a huge box office sellout earning 130.1 million USD. This incredible movie starred many actors including Amanda Seyfried, Rachel McAdams, Lindsey Lohan, Lacey Chabert, Tina Fey, Jonathan Bennett, Lizzy Chaplan, Tim Meadows, Amy Poehler and many more. 20 years later this movie is making an interesting comeback in the form of a movie musical on January 12th. I went to see the movie and one thing I have to say before I start this review is to remember that this is a movie based on the Broadway musical and is very different from the original.  With Tina Fey at the helm, once again the new Mean Girls movie hopes to not be as much of a flop as the second Mean Girls movie was. Now I am saying this all before the movie and diving into this new Mean Girls movie written by the iconic Tina Fey. I have some hope for at least the scripts and music of this movie. 

This movie in my opinion was way better than I was expecting. The cast was incredible and the way the storyline was executed was even better. Now saying that, I should mention some things that were either missed or taken out from the plot. 

1 - The Fashion

For a movie which originally had top-tier fashion, I personally think that they missed the mark with the fashion. The clothes seemed like they were from stores like Shein or any fast fashion clothing chain. Although I know that this movie takes place in this current generation, it could have 100% been better by a more prominent stylist. 

2 - Famous Lines

Some of the more famous lines from Mean Girls including the “homeschooled jungle freak” have either been cut or just not thought about in general. This hurt my feelings because I think that these specific lines could have been kept to transfer some of the movie’s whimsical touch to the musical. 

3 - Music

A lot of the music in this movie is incredible but some of the arrangements have been changed and even some of the songs from the Broadway musical had been completely cut. I think for a movie based on the Broadway musical, the changes to the fashion have hurt this movie incredibly. 

4 - Cameos

Due to the fact that this movie had jumpstarted a lot of careers for the people in the movie, I was a little more disappointed to see that only one of the original cast members made a cameo. (Minus Tina Fey and Tim Meadows) because they were characters in the movie. This would have been a great opportunity for some of the original cast members to return and make appearances. 

Even though there were rough parts of this movie, overall there were some parts that I did find good and I even found some of the changes even better.

*SPOILERS FOR MEAN GIRLS*

1 - The Updated Relationship

If you can recall from the original Mean Girls, the characters of Ms. Norbury and the principal had some sort of chemistry that resulted in them by the end getting together. Well in this movie that relationship is still clearly there though not really mentioned until the scene where they all write apologies to each other. This excited me because it was like time had actually passed in years with the relationship but not with the school and the plastics. I found that this aspect was still kept intact for the movie. 

2 - Music

Though some of the changes to the music were interesting I did think that this movie stood up to the Broadway version. Since I knew what I was walking into I was expecting an amazing movie musical and that is what I got. I enjoyed so many of the songs including the rendition of “World Burn” which was just so amazing and if you add the cinematography to that song it just blew me away!

3 - The New Casting

Even though Regina George's role played by Renne Rapp was already established, the other casting was pretty interesting. Karen was just as dumb as before in the original movie and the people who cast Cady and her mom were incredible. Of course, you can’t forget about the unforgettable cameo of Lindsey Lohan as the commentator of the Mathletes which just shocked me.

Overall this film was a solid 7/10, some things were changed that just weren’t “it” but like I said this movie did have some unforgettable moments that make me want to rewatch the movie again and again. 

There are different ways someone can define intelligence. If you search “What defines intelligence” on Google it says, “the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills” and “intelligence is used by a person who can handle new situations and solve problems.” Some people, whom I know, do agree with Google, while others say, that being good at school, building resilience to adversity, and the amount of skill a person knows makes someone intelligent I agree with all of these, but there’s no exact definition to define intelligence, it’s all opinion based not facts. So there is no exact definition for intelligence, only opinions.

What is IQ?

Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon created the first “real” intelligence quotient (IQ) test in 1904. However, modern IQ tests in the United States are from the work of Henry Herbert Goddard who was a psychologist in 1899. IQ is a number. This number is a result of a score to measure intelligence. The average IQ score, which 70% of people fall into, is 85-115. The highest IQ recorded is 195 by Blaise Pascal. He is considered a super genius as his score is in the top 99.99 percentile. The IQ test isn’t always accurate because it only tests you on schooling, also known as “book smart”, but not knowledge out in the real-life world, called “streetsmart”. This is further seen when looking at race in the 1900s. Black people on average had an average IQ of 85 compared to white people who had a score of 103. Historically speaking, black people had fewer opportunities to revive education compared to their white counterparts This does not mean black people are less intelligent than white people, it means that IQ is based on the education received and not a measurement of intelligence. 

How Hard is School?

Saying how hard something is broad. To find something difficult, you have to see the percentages. If we look at the percentage of people graduating from school, it determines if it's easy or not. A lower graduation rate of a school can be considered a harder school, while if the graduation rate is higher then it’s considered as an easier school. Canada is the best-educated country with a 56.27 graduation rate. However, the passing grade in Canada is 55%-60%. This means Canada schools can be considered easier than a country with a higher passing grade such as Indonesia. Indonesia's passing grade is 85%, which is considered to have ‘harder’ schools and a graduation rate of 29%-40%. Determining how hard or easy something is, isn't very accurate. It varies from person to person, but if a school has a lower graduation rate it is determined as ‘hard’. So does that mean someone who failed school in Indonesia dumb? Not necessarily. When looking at grades and graduation rates it is very easy to assume someone is unintelligent for not graduating, but if the field is not fair for everyone, intelligence cannot be compared to one another. Thus, using school metrics to label someone intelligent or not is unreliable and showcases the ability to acquire knowledge, not apply the skills that came with the knowledge.

Are Animals dumb?

If you ask a fish to climb a tree chances are that they will not be able to. This is not an accurate way to calculate and receive data. Giving animals tools that their ancestors never adapted to is like telling a newborn baby to swim; the baby is not stupid for not knowing how to swim same way animals are not stupid for not knowing how to use scissors. Measuring animal intelligence is even more difficult than human intelligence. With humans, we can converse or give them a written test. The lack of language and thumbs makes it tricky to measure intelligence in animals. Animals related to humans, such as gorillas, are considered intelligent. Along with crows, ravens, and corvides. These birds are problem-solving animals with cause and effect. Researchers Nathan John Emercy and Christaphore David Bird put food in water and the only way they can get the food is by raising the water. All the crows, ravens, and rooks used stones to raise the water levels. The birds also knew that bigger stones would make the water rise higher than smaller stones. We can’t determine an animal's IQ in math, but we can know that some animals know the cause and effects of doing something. Clearly, these animals apply knowledge and skills they have acquired over their lifetime. So why are these animals considered inferior to humans when it comes to intelligence? When a person is creating the rules on what is considered intelligence, there is a need to be the best, better than everyone and everything. The truth is, when defining intelligence, there is no way to define it without creating exceptions. Everyone and everything is intelligent in their own way, it just depends on how intelligence is defined.

https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligence_quotient

https://www.123test.com/what-is-iq-what-is-intelligence/

https://www.google.com/search?q=what+defines+intelligence&rlz=1CARWXF_enCA877&oq=what+defines+intell&aqs=chrome.0.0j69i57j0l5j69i61.20570j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&safe=active&ssui=on 

https://www.google.com/search?q=what+defines+intelligence&rlz=1CARWXF_enCA877&oq=what+defines+intell&aqs=chrome.0.0j69i57j0l5j69i61.20570j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&safe=active&ssui=on 

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intelligent 

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/phenomena/2014/04/22/this-is-how-you-study-the-evolution-of-animal-intelligence/ 

https://m.phys.org/news/2013-10-animals-smart-dumb.html 

https://ourworldindata.org/intelligence  

The Christmas season is right around the corner and this year we are going to look at some top gift ideas. This is a list of some of the top gifts in each age category so everyone can have an opportunity to get a gift that they may like this year. This article is mainly centered towards kids, tweens, and teens because that is mainly the target for gifts people are looking for. 

Age 0-3

For gift ideas for the ages between 0-3 

https://afineparent.com/gift-guides/popular-gifts-for-infants-and-toddlers-0-1-2-3-year-olds.html Age 3-5

Gift ideas between ages 3-5

https://afineparent.com/gift-guides/100-popular-gifts-for-pre-schoolers-3-4-5-year-olds.html

Age 6-11

Gift ideas between 6-11

https://afineparent.com/gift-guides/popular-gifts-for-6-7-8-9-10-11-year-olds.html

Age 12-14

Gift ideas for tweens between 12-14

https://afineparent.com/gift-guides/popular-gifts-for-11-12-13-14-year-olds.html

Ages 15-18 

https://www.glamour.com/gallery/best-gifts-for-teens

Though the Christmas season can be stressful, hopefully, these lists for Christmas ideas can be helpful. Therefore if you need a gift for your sibling or cousin these are some ideas to help you get started!

Whether you are someone whose last thought is to pick up a book or you’ve recently looked at your books in 2023 on Goodreads, the topic of banned books can have an appeal for anybody. Due to people challenging books to be removed from circulation for more sensible reasons or for more absurd reasons. Something that is considered when looking over these complaints is intellectual freedom and our guaranteed fundamental freedoms. Some of these fundamental freedoms are, as described in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the freedom we have to think, hold beliefs and opinions, and the freedom of expression. 

Canada’s Freedom to Read Week is an event dedicated to freedom of expression that encourages Canadians to think about intellectual freedom and raise awareness of censorship. With Freedom to Read Week and its 40th anniversary around the corner, specifically in February, the week of 18th-24th, let’s look at some books that were challenged.

Maxine’s Tree by Diane Leger

An illustrated children’s book encouraging environmentalism about a girl trying to protect a tree in British Columbia’s rainforest. It was asked to be removed from elementary school libraries by an official of the woodworkers’ trade union, for promoting an anti-logging viewpoint in 1992. 

The Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling

In the year 2000, in Corner Brook, Newfoundland, a parent complained and objected to the depiction of wizardry and magic of the famous Harry Potter series asking it to be removed from the elementary school, which the school’s principal did. Even though neither parent nor principal had read the novels.

The Great Bear by David A. Robertson.

David A. Robertson, an Indigenous author who has written When We Were Alone, the Misewa Saga which includes the sequel to his book The Barren Grounds, The Great Bear. The Great Bear was removed from the Durham District School Board’s library and classroom shelves, in April 2022. The claim was that indigenous families flagged the book for potentially harmful content. Besides that, the board didn’t share any further details from there. Later into that month, the book would be recirculated after a review, including a consultation with the local indigenous community.

Barometer Rising by Hugh MacLennan

Barometer Rising explores life during World War I in Halifax, Nova Scotia, including the explosion in Halifax’s harbour and is written by Hugh MacLennan, a Canadian author. At a convention in 1960, members of the Manitoba School Trustees Association held a vote, the results of which would be unanimous. That they would ask Manitoba’s department of education for the removal of Barometer Rising from the high school curriculum. The trustees were objecting to the vulgarity and language used, despite most of them having never read the book. 

A Little Piece of Ground by Elizabeth Laird

This book, which is intended for teenage readers, tells the story of a 12-year-old Palestinian boy in an Israeli-occupied area. A Canadian bookseller asked the British Publisher of this book to consider not releasing it, writing that it was "a racist, inflammatory, and a totally one-sided piece of propaganda". Despite the objection, A Little Piece of Ground was released and even had a sales ranking of 161 from the publicity of this objection. 

Books, magazines and displays at libraries can be requested to be either removed, moved or labelled. The Intellectual Freedom Challenges Survey, formally known as Annual Challenges Survey, documents the nature and outcomes of these challenges from publicly-funded libraries. If you wish to look at more recent challenges on books, you can find the Intellectual Freedom Challenges Surveys here at https://cfla-fcab.ca/en/programs/intellectual-freedom-challenges-survey/. To find more information on Freedom to Read Week or view their resources, you can visit their website at https://www.freedomtoread.ca/.

Resources:

https://www.freedomtoread.ca/freedom-to-read-week/

https://www.freedomtoread.ca/

https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/Const/page-12.html

https://cfla-fcab.ca/en/programs/intellectual-freedom-challenges-survey/

https://cfla-fcab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/2022-Data-fnlE.docx.pdf

https://www.freedomtoread.ca/challenged-works/maxines-tree/

https://www.freedomtoread.ca/challenged-works/the-harry-potter-series/

https://www.freedomtoread.ca/challenged-works/the-great-bear/

https://www.freedomtoread.ca/challenged-works/barometer-rising/

https://www.freedomtoread.ca/challenged-works/a-little-piece-of-ground/

https://librarianship.ca/blog/bbw-ftr/

As we near the end of the semester, we are getting more and more overwhelmed. I’m not trying to be negative, it’s just a fact of life. But we need to be careful not to let that usual tiredness turn into a larger enemy: burnout.

‘What is burnout?’ you might be asking yourself, or maybe you’re already well acquainted with it. Burnout is when you have reached ‘the last straw’ with your responsibilities, social obligations or other stressors. And while it is understandable to feel that way, we want to avoid it as much as we can, so here’s how.

1. Setting boundaries.

While this might seem like common sense, it’s something we all need to do. Creating and laying down boundaries can keep others and yourself from expecting too much of yourself.

Saying no to others when you don’t want to do something can keep you from unnecessary stress. But that same rule applies to ourselves. We should be reasonable and realistic about what we can do. This will keep us from taking on too many responsibilities, clubs or teams than we can handle comfortably. By setting these boundaries and not letting anyone cross them, we are able to keep our lives under control and balance our mental, emotional, and physical health with our responsibilities.

2. Improving time management.

Now that you have created, set, and enforced boundaries, you need to put them to work and organize your time.

While it's important to not let our work falter, we need to make sure our mental health is on the schedule. During our week, we come across many events, and we forget to keep them in balance. So perhaps we can all try to plan a little personal time in our schedule, or maybe we can simply plan out our days. This can help all of us keep our lives on a manageable schedule.

3. Finding a supportive environment.

Your environment will always play a large role in your life, success, and you as a person; so it’s important to find a healthy and supportive environment that can help you keep your good habits.

You have put in the work, and make changes in your life; So it's important to find an environment or community that helps you stick to your goals. An example of that could be asking a friend to remind you to take a deep breath when you are overwhelmed, or mentioning to a friend you are dealing with a lot at the moment. Having a conversation about your feelings and mental health with someone who cares for you can do wonders for you.

In the end, I think the main message of this article is that nothing is more important than your mental health. So try and do your best to keep your health as your first priority over school, work, social obligations, or anything else.

If you, or someone else you know is struggling with burnout or other things affecting your mental health, please contact Mrs. Meadus, Mrs. Chard, or your guidance counselor.

I hope this helped Panthers!

Since the last staff vs students games, the students have been more eager to put a point on the scoreboard. If history were to repeat itself, volleyball is the students' game, just like last year. However, the teachers are not too keen on losing, especially when they dominate in every sport they play. Last game, there was tension in the air, both sides were bad-mouthing the other. When asked who will win, Mr. Heaps responds “never the students, they never win”.

On the student's side, they had players from both the girls and boys' volleyball teams. While on the other side were the volleyball coaches. Of course, other students and staff who did not play or coach for the school volleyball teams still participated. Could the students become the masters? There was only one way to find out.

The match was simple. Three sets were played; the first to fifteen points won. In each set, two teams of students played for a total of six different teams. The staff could substitute whenever they wanted to. The gym was filled with anticipation as the staff versus students volleyball match began. Cheers erupted through the audience as both sides battled furiously. The staff, surprisingly, showcased their agility despite their age, while the students were desperate to get a win. Incredible serves from Mr. McCarvile with even better serve-receive from students like Didi Maandig. Amazing rallies being executed by the teams showcased incredible teamwork and skills. Great precision, executing flawless passes and powerful spikes; it really was anybody's game.  

This was by far the closest match they have played this year. With what started off with the teachers winning the set, to the students creating one of the best comeback stories this year, it was difficult not to cheer for both sides. The score even got close to 14-11 in favour of the teachers. However, all good things must come to an end eventually. With one final thunderous spike, the gym erupted in cheers for the victorious staff, leaving the students in awe of their unexpected defeat.

It seems like Mr. Heaps was right, students never win. An unexpected result from an exhilarating match filled with intensity and friendly rivalry. The more the staff and students play against each other, the more likely it seems that the staff will easily get that clean sweep they desire.

On the last day of school before winter break, Glenview Park had a festive assembly with performances by both staff and students. There were also segments throughout the assembly where staff got to guess what’s in the bowl, finish songs lyrics, and even read mean treats written by students. This was the first Holiday assembly that any students currently attending Glenview got to experience.

Winners of the door decorating competition, cozy drive, reindeer tag were announced. Congratulations to the hairdressing class with an out-of-the-door idea! A hair dryer producing a gust of wind from one door blew a snowman’s hair away on the next door over. Really, it was us who had our wigs snatched by this creative idea and skillful execution! Ms. Pauze’s class donated the most winter clothing for the cozy drive, winning themselves a class breakfast. Thank you to everyone for donating whatever they could! Reindeer tag was a big hit this year, with the top three students collecting over 70 pins combined! Kudos to Brady Reeve collecting an astonishing 31 pins and taking first place. A shoutout goes to Max Huber and Manal Yanya for getting second and third respectively.  

What’s in the bowl was entertaining to watch for the students, though disgusting to the touch for the new staff. Imagine putting a hand in mashed bananas while blindfolded! Well Mr. Hoes didn’t have to; it was an unsettling combination of mushy, sticky and slimy consistency, as if someone had consumed and regurgitated the bananas back in the bowl. He truly is great for being able to guess it right. At least it wasn’t a living animal swimming around a box, of which Mr. Shantz undoubtedly has no fears. He put his hands straight in the water, searching for the object. When Mr. Shantz touched the fin he jumped, but regained his composure very quickly, grabbing the fish and showing everyone what a boss he is. 

Finishing the lyrics would seem to be easy with classic songs like Last Christmas and Snowman. However, this was not so simple a task for any teacher on the stage, causing each to be gifted some whipped cream to the face. Ms. Wiens was close to being the only one to get it right, but she made a costly mistake; Ms. Wiens pluralize the word “tree”, causing her to get whipped cream on her face just like her fellow staff members.

Mean tweets was definitely the fan favorite. Poor Ms. McNeil’s innocent, “crusty little white dog” got caught in the crossfire when it did absolutely nothing wrong! Absolutely hilarious roasts to Mr.McCarville by being compared to a Justin Bieber song and Super Why in a midlife crisis. The mean tweets were hysterical and a big thanks goes to the teachers who participated and showed great sportsmanship by not taking these tweets personally. 

Obviously it’s not a Glenview assembly without a segment where the students get to vote on a winner. This time it was to vote on the most ugly sweater among 14 contestants. With Glenview panthers cheering and roaring for every sweater, it was no wonder that a round two was needed. The remaining five contestants had to catwalk across the stage, showing off their dazzling, yet ugly sweaters. Mr. Smith won it all by strutting across the stage knowing he is the best.  

A big shout out to Ms. Hall and Star for performing their solo songs, captivating the audience with their angelic voices. A fantastic, heavenly acapella performance of Carol of the Bells by the vocal class performed by Danica, Lexis, Ash, McKayla, and Star, was equally beautiful.

The two dance performances were incredible to watch; Grace, Kaelyn, and Didi perfectly executed an enthusiastic dance to Sleigh Ride. Sam, Brady, Zeray & Brayden performed arguably one of the most iconic dances of them all; the Mean Girls Jingle Bell Rock. With the synchronized dancing and fearless embracing of their feminine sides, we can all agree they were so fetch. 

Overall, this assembly was definitely a new experience for all the students, both those taking part and those simply attending. A special thanks to our co-primes Claudia and Brayden for being great MC’s and providing great commentary throughout the assembly, and thank you to everyone who was involved in creating this masterpiece! This was a memorable experience for all students and staff and will certainly go down as a Glenview great.

As a high school student constantly surrounded by work, it can be challenging to occupy yourself once faced with free time, especially during the holidays. A common tactic is resorting to social media or other forms of online media; however, there are so many other ways to solve this problem. This article will review a few fun holiday activities that can help you relax and pass the time.

1. Baking something new

Baking sweet treats for your family and friends is a great way to keep yourself occupied and spread joy. If this is something you are trying for the first time it may seem intimidating, but there are so many recipes out there for a variety of skill levels. Some treats for beginners include muffins, cake, and cookies, such as sugar or chocolate chip. Some more complex treats include macarons, lemon meringue pie, and chocolate souffles. Not only can baking treats be fun but decorating them with different ingredients, such as sprinkles or frosting can make your experience more enjoyable. Another activity that involves baking is the blind, deaf, and mute challenge. In this activity, participants are given a role: those who are blind must be blindfolded, those who are deaf must wear headphones, and those who are mute are unable to talk. All the participants must work together to bake something. This can be a tough yet exciting activity!

2. Painting projects

There are many activities that can be enjoyed with a little bit of paint and a few other supplies. For instance, with some paper and paint you could make a holiday card for the people close to you. If you want to try something new, you could paint on other objects such as mugs or tote bags. This will allow your creations to be used in multiple ways. There are also a lot of challenges that can be done with paint, for instance speed painting. This is when an artist has a time limit while drawing to see what they can get done under a time constraint. Generally, this limit ranges from one to ten minutes but can vary. Another challenging activity that can be done with others is called painting switch. In this activity each participant starts by painting their own creation, and every five minutes the paintings are switched between participants. Since all the participants don’t know what each other's ideas are, this creates fun and unique works of art.

3. Developing your musical talents

An alternative way to pass the time is by developing their musical talents. Although not having access to an instrument can be a barrier, there are a variety of ways to play an instrument from home. An example is using buckets as a substitute for a drum set to learn your favourite songs. This is done by using sticks to hit different buckets or different parts of a bucket which creates different sounds. Additionally, you could use a device that has a keyboard, like a Chromebook or a computer to play the piano online. There are also many mobile apps that can be downloaded to create a similar effect. Singing or karaoke is another fun way to develop your musical skills. This can be done by yourself or with a group of friends. To mix things up, you could try blind karaoke which is a fun way to test your knowledge of your favourite songs. This is done by having someone sing a karaoke song without looking at the lyrics. 

4. Trying new crafts

Exploring different crafts is a great way to spend time and learn new skills. One craft that is commonly pursued is crocheting or knitting. This is an entertaining and relaxing activity that allows you to make your own creations. Some common beginner projects include a dishcloth, a bookmark, and a coaster. However, the possibilities are endless, as you can use these skills to make anything from sweaters to stuffed animals. Another fun craft is making jewelry, such as bracelets. This can be done with beads or simply with string to make friendship bracelets. With a few more materials, like head pins and wires, you can also make your own earrings. 

These are just a few activities that can be done as a way to relax and pass time!

I beg; they listen

I cry; they laugh

I die; they bury

I burn; they don't know

I'm alone; they're crowded

I want someone; they have everyone.

I miss them; they don't know

I disappear; they still don't know

I don't come back; they let me be

I forget them; they forget me.

~A.S.

Every may not know it, but the streets in Cambridge are filled with veterans. You may live on one of these streets (or you may not), but every street you see with a poppy has more of a meaning than you thought. Poppy streets became a thing in Cambridge in the 1980s. Cambridge has many veterans from both world wars, therefore to honor those veterans, a program called “Poppy Street Program'' was initiated. This program asked many developers to name certain streets after Cambridge Veterans from the World Wars. 

You may be curious if you live on one of these streets. There is a website directly from Cambridge that identifies these streets, but you can also take a peek at your street sign. If you have a little red poppy on your street sign, it is very likely that you are living on a street named after a Cambridge veteran. Researching some of this street information has been found to be very interesting and complicated, therefore some research is needed to find the stories of these veterans. See below for the stories behind some Streets of Poppies.

Schroeder Drive: Harry Schroeder was a WWII veteran from Preston. He was born on December 11th, 1924. Harry grew up and went to a local high school in Cambridge. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) in August of 1943. He was an armament mechanic in the war.  Although there was some information about his enlistment in 1943, there were some troubles with finding where he was during the war as well as finding a death certificate therefore, it is speculated that Harry Scroeder may still be alive to this day. 

Mosser Drive: Mosser Drive in Cambridge is actually named after 2 brothers who were in the war together. Andrew Mosser was a pilot officer from Preston Ontario. He left Preston High School in his final year in February 1943 to enlist in the RCAF. He became an aircraftman in the war and became a  pilot. He was born on July 25th, 1932, and died in battle as a pilot officer at 19 years old on April 22nd, 1943. His memorial is in Ottawa. His twin brother’s name is Robert Mosser. He also left school to enlist in the RCAF to go to war in 1943. He was a pilot officer and died in 1943. He and his brother are inseparable and are both buried with each other. 

Day Street: In Cambridge, there are many veterans who have the last name of Day. There are around 5 veterans counted who were in a world war with this last name. Due to this it was very hard to discover which veteran this street was dedicated to. Further research suggested that it was Robert Day. Robert Day was one of 3 siblings who enlisted in the Second World War in February of 1941. Also serving were his brothers Gerald and Frank. He and his brothers were from Preston Ontario. Robert was in the RCAF and he became a pilot officer during the war. He did not die in war and came home and retired; living the rest of his life in Cambridge until he died in 1989 at the Cambridge Hospital. He is survived by his brother Gerald and some sisters as well. 

These are only a few very randomly selected streets in Cambridge, however, there are so many more streets with a poppy in remembrance. If you can, please take the time to look and see if you live on one of those streets that are dedicated to a war veteran, and learn the story behind your Poppy Street. Use the Cambridge Poppy Street website  Or  The City of Cambridge Honors Veterans PDF  to find more information on your street or a random street you are also interested in and learn some interesting information about a war veteran from Cambridge.

Sources:

Cambridge Poppy Streets. (n.d.). City of Cambridge. Retrieved November 8, 2023, from 

https://www.cambridge.ca/en/learn-about/cambridge-poppy-streets.aspx

Charlton, S., & Houghton, P. (2015, January 11). The City of Cambridge Honors Our Veterans. City of Cambridge. Retrieved November 8, 2023, from 

https://www.cambridge.ca/en/learn-about/resources/The-City-of-Cambridge-Honours-Our-Veterans.pdf

How to Spot Fake News and Misinformation

It seems like every other week that you can find some sort of misinformation posted for everyone to see — or find fake news that proclaims “facts” that aren’t confirmed or states them through partial truths to get more clicks. Sometimes, these ‘news outlets’ can be outright false. What’s scary is that you may not realize you’re reading false information. According to a poll conducted between 2018 and 2019, 90% of Canadians have fallen for fake news at some point. 

So, how can you spot misinformation and fake news? An excellent way to combat fake news is to develop critical thinking skills. Specifically, a critical mindset that’ll use some basic principles to help you analyze whether what you’re reading is voracious. This article will outline some of those principles. 

First, check the content of the story. Look at the entire story. Does the content align with the headline, captions, or its first paragraph? Examine the story to see if it has characteristics consistent with a credible news story. Does it have data and statistics, witness accounts, and/or does it include quotes from experts? Check the date. Is it a relevant story, or is it outdated? 

Lastly, think to yourself whether the story you’re reading sounds right. Check to see if it sounds like the story is reporting on something that has happened or if it feels like it’s feeding into your biases, fears, or hopes. Think about if the way the story is presented is designed to affect your judgment. Perhaps the story you’re reading is just a joke or satirical. 

Then, check the source. Looking at your source’s website or page can tell you a lot about where your story is coming from. Look for the possibility of bias and what they regularly report on. Does the website have an “about us,” “mission statement,” or a “contact information” section? Is what they’re reporting aligned with their mission statement? While you’re at it, check the website's address. Does it end with “.com,” “.ca,” “.co.uk,” or something unfamiliar like “.infonet,” or “.offer”? 

Look outside the article you’re reading to see who else is reporting this story and search for more information on it. Furthermore, if your story is regarding a particular area or town, is your source the most reputable from that area? Then, take a look at the authors themselves, their experience, education, and expertise, if they have any. Take the time to search for more information on your source or the authors of your source online. Finally, check the supporting sources or the citations used for the story. Look at whether they support the story. 

Whenever in doubt, you can always verify stories with the ever-so-vast amount of the internet’s tools. Some websites recommended by the University of Toronto are: 

• https://www.factcheck.org/ is An unbiased or nonpartisan website that monitors factual accuracy, specifically about U.S. politics.

• https://www.politifact.com/ is a political fact-checking site that includes a truth-o-meter (where a story falls between Pants on Fire to True), editions for specific states, and much more. Looks into both fake news and misinformation that’s spreading on social media.

• https://www.snopes.com/   Fact checks, misinformation, rumours and fake news on whether they’ve been proven or whether they’re factual.

• https://ijnet.org/en/story/9-tools-verifying-images A collection of tools and websites that’ll help verify whether what we see in pictures is true or manipulated. 

Let’s go back to the subject of the internet. What’s great about the internet, social media, and the digital age is that it allows for so much exploration. Of course, that’s also the scary bit. If you were to search, let’s say, “What’s going on in the world right now?” into Google, you could get over 10,000,000,000 results in under half a second. The thing is that anyone can make a website, and they can put almost anything into their website name. They can make their website look vaguely or exactly like a publication that you would trust as a means to spread misinformation. Just the notion of that is terrifying. This is why having an awareness of these strategies to identify misinformation isn’t really a skill anymore. It’s a necessity.

"Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts." -Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Sources:

How Do I Spot Misinformation?, University of Toronto Libraries, onesearch.library.utoronto.ca/faq/how-do-i-spot-misinformation. Accessed 24 Nov. 2023.

“How to Spot Real and Fake News.” MindTools, www.mindtools.com/a0g6bjj/how-to-spot-real-and-fake-news. Accessed 25 Nov. 2023.

Bayer, Ben. “What Is the Source of This Story and What Do I Know about It?” Medium, Medium, 11 Dec. 2016, medium.com/@benbayer_62236/what-is-the-source-of-this-story-and-what-do-i-know-about-it-baefd043b7f6.

“Libguides: Misinformation, Disinformation, and Propaganda: Media Manipulation.” LibGuides at Cornell University, Cornell University Library, 16 Oct. 2023, guides.library.cornell.edu/c.php?g=620317&p=5888376.

Thompson, Elizabeth. “Poll Finds 90% of Canadians Have Fallen for Fake News.” CBCnews, CBC/Radio Canada, 11 June 2019, www.cbc.ca/news/politics/fake-news-facebook-twitter-poll-1.5169916.

“Fake News: A Global Epidemic Vast Majority (86%) of Online ... - Ipsos.” Ipsos, 11 June 2019, www.ipsos.com/en-ca/news-polls/cigi-fake-news-global-epidemic.

Origin

Ever since humans came into existence, women have had to fight to be heard, seen, and respected. They were not given the same opportunities and rights as their male peers, and though it made them stronger, it was stronger than they should have had to be. Back then, women were only seen as objects, meant to raise children and run a household and nothing more. But on November 1st 1848, we took a step towards equality. The New England Female Medical College was founded by Samuel Gregory in Boston Massachusetts. The school was open from 1848 to 1874, in a time when there were very few schools that allowed women to study at all, and none for them to study medicine. The original name of the college was Boston Female Medical College, and it also included the New England Hospital for Women and Children.

Education

The two year program had few requirements for enrollment, such as OBGYN training, which not many schools were teaching at the time, a good English education, and a thesis on a medical topic.

Originally when the women graduated, they were given what was then called a Doctress of Medicine degree. However they greatly disliked this title, as it sounded lesser than the Doctor of Medicine degree that the men were given. 12 years later, they were granted the same degree.

Students

98 students in total graduated from New England Female Medical College, one of the more well known being Rebecca Lee Crumpler, who travelled to Richmond after the Civil War and treated 10,000 freed slaves on the outskirts of the city for 4 - 5 years. The school sent supplies by train, because local hospitals refused to admit them for treatment. Rebecca also ended up writing the first medical textbook written by a black physician.

Susan Dimock was a surgeon at New England Hospital for Women and Children, and founded the Nursing School there as well. Dimock Street and Dimock Community Health Centre are both named after her. Another notable graduate of the college is Hannah E. Myers Longshore, who became the first female physician in Philadelphia and the first woman to be an instructor of anatomy. She was also the sister in law to one of the school founders.

Some of the other women to graduate from the college are listed below:

1. Bertha Van Hoosen

2. Amanda Sanford Hickey

3. Marie Elizabeth

4. Cordelia Agnes Greene

5. Mary Corinna Putnam Jacobi

6. Mary Harris Thompson

7. Mary Eliza Mahoney

Accomplishments

Being the first medical school to allow women to enroll, the college naturally produced the first women to earn Doctor of Medicine degrees. They are also responsible for training Rebecca Lee Crumpler, the first African American woman with a medical degree in the United States. Later on, once they merged with another medical college, they continued to be one of the most progressive schools in the states (for that time period) and trained one of the first Native American physicians.

Backlash & Obstacles

Aside from the hospital established by the medical college, all the hospitals in the area refused to employ women, so female doctors were trained and left with very limited options of places to work. Some of them managed to find work elsewhere, usually in their hometowns or places that were suffering and left with no alternatives.

After the Boston fire in 1870, it only took a couple of years for the school to go bankrupt. Samuel Gregory died of tuberculosis in 1872, when the college still had a mortgage of $27 000. Eventually, their only option was to merge the college with another previously established school. They received multiple offers, one being from Harvard that agreed to absorb the entire institution and debt, but they refused to allow women and any minorities to continue studying there. This was not an offer they could accept, as it would go against the very reason the school had been opened in the first place and everything they had worked so hard for. The Boston University School of Medicine offered to absorb the school and debt while allowing all students to train.

The two schools merged in 1874, and the hospital was renamed the Dimock Community Health Centre.

Sources:

https://www.historyplace.com/specials/calendar/november.htm

https://www.wgbh.org/lifestyle/2016-11-04/the-doctresses-of-medicine-the-worlds-1st-female-medical-school-was-established-in-boston

http://www.homeoint.org/cazalet/histo/newengland.htm

Diwali is the Indian festival of lights. The festival gets its name from the row (avali) of clay lamps (deepa) that Indians light outside their homes to symbolize the inner light that protects them from spiritual darkness. It’s one of the most important dates in the calendar for many Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains.

Every religion in India has distinctive traditions for commemorating this festival, but whatever the customs, there is agreement that Diwali represents the triumph of good over evil, light over darkness, and wisdom over ignorance.

For the Hindus, the holiday symbolizes the return of Prince Rama of Ayodhya with his wife, Sita, and brother, Lakshman, from a 14-year-long exile and a war in which Prince Rama stood victorious. 

To the Jains, it has a whole different meaning. For them, Diwali is the day when the last of the Jain Tirthankaras, attained nirvana, also known as complete knowledge and enlightenment. On the day now known as Diwali, Lord Mahavira established the dharma followed by the Jains worldwide.

For the Sikhs, Diwali is a story of the struggle for freedom. It celebrates the victory of the sixth guru, Guru Hargobind, from the designs of Emperor Jahangir, who had imprisoned him and 52 other princes in 1619. Guru Hargobind refused to leave the prison for freedom until he was able to bring all of the princes with him.

Even though their belief in it may be different, the enthusiasm, vivaciousness, and joy it brings to people's lives is how this festival binds everyone together. Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs all celebrate Diwali with worship, sharing sweets, fireworks, and lights. While the story varies from religion to religion, its essence remains the same.

Every year, the date for Diwali changes because it is based on the Hindu lunar calendar. This year, Diwali takes place on Sunday, November 12, 2023. You too can immerse yourself in Diwali celebrations  ̶  it's the best way to learn about a new culture! Wearing traditional clothes is one of the many ways you can join in on the celebration. 

On Diwali, men put on contemporary-styled kurtas and dhotis, while women often wear saris, lehengas, or a salwar kameez (this varies by region). Food is also a key aspect of this festival as it symbolizes unity, joy, and the essence of Diwali. There are many different dishes that might be eaten during this festival, but Diwali is most known for its sweets. Although the list can be quite extensive, the most common ones are gulab jamun, barfi, jalebi, and gajar ka halwa. At dusk, after the prayers have concluded, families and friends gather to celebrate by setting off fireworks to ward off evil spirits with the light and fire. This Diwali, make sure you follow the City of Cambridge’s rules and regulations pertaining to fireworks. Fireworks displays are permitted until 11:59 p.m. on Victoria Day, Canada Day and Diwali. You can find more information on the city’s official site (https://www.cambridge.ca/en/your-city/fireworks.aspx). Stay tuned to the news to learn more about designated sites for Diwali firework shows!

Sources:

“Diwali 2023 date: When is Diwali and how is it celebrated?” The Courier-Journal, 23 October 2023, https://www.courier-journal.com/story/life/2023/10/23/diwali-2023-date-when-is-deepavali/71281831007/. Accessed 26 October 2023.

“Diwali recipes.” BBC Good Food, https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/diwali-recipes. Accessed 26 October 2023.

The start of the year has been so eventful with the football games, dances, and spirit days that it’s hard to keep track of all the things that have happened! So let’s recap, shall we?

On October 25th, ASA, BSU, MSU, and LASA collaborated to put together a Global Gala! The purpose was to show people bits of cultures with traditional food, cultural songs and dances, and traditional clothes. Anyone who went to it would agree that it was a fun experience. Students were allowed to put up stalls and sell handmade items, including crocheted flowers, crocheted animals and pumpkins, jewelry, henna and so many more.

October is correlated with Halloween and the spooky season. To celebrate the season, SAC effectively organized a variety of events to get students and staff in a festive mood. On October 27th, there was a perfectly timed Halloween Fair. The fair not only had a pumpkin painting contest, but also a bake sale, pie the co-prime, raffle tickets, and so many other fun mini-games. The fun music, games, and food made the fair a fun experience for students and teachers alike! Then, the night of October 30th was the Monster Mash, Glenview’s annual Halloween dance! From 8-10, Panthers partook in the festive event by wearing their creative costumes and joining in on the dancing.

November started with Take Your Kids to Work Day, a day where kids went to their parents' jobs to see how things were run. I’m sure that it was a fun experience for everyone that went! Just a week later, the College Fair took place in the Panther’s den (the library). Multiple colleges set up stands to give information to hopefuls who were looking for a path in colleges or trades. The experience was extremely helpful and enlightening. 

Remembrance Day is on November 11th, but because the 11th was a Saturday and the prior two days were exam days, the Remembrance Day Assembly was held on the 8th. The grade 9 drama class, the senior drama class, and the drama club did movement pieces to honour the soldiers who served in the war. A slideshow was also presented to showcase different art forms, all representing poppies or other aspects of the war. Overall, the assembly was moving and a gesture of respect towards those who served in the war. 

November 16th marked the third Staff vs Student game. After two losses, the students aimed to make a comeback during this month’s basketball game. Despite the students trying their hardest, the staff dominated once again; earning their third victory in a row with the final score of 31-18. Stay tuned to see who wins next time in December for the volleyball game!

November is also Battle Month! The 17th was the Battle of the Grades where a trivia game was organized in the cafeteria. Students from different grades competed against one another in a series of trivia challenges. The Battle of Heights happened a week later on the 24th in the cafeteria! This battle month event consisted of fun mini-games like hobby horse, limbo, and cup pong to name a few. The next battle, the greatest of them all, will be in the west gym on the 30th: the Battle of Jarman! Will Jarman be defeated again or will he emerge victorious? Join the Panthers in the gym to find out!

In November, the IB Collaboration club also worked to create an IB Trivia Night. The evening consisted of a trivia contest, a paper airplane competition, cup pong, a bean bag toss, and an art station. 

Lastly, the 22nd and 23rd of November were Spirit Days! On Wednesday, students were encouraged to wear school colours like red, black and white as future students would be touring the school for their grade 8 orientation. Thursday was Rhyme Without Reason! Students were encouraged to coordinate outfits that rhymed but made no sense. For example, someone could be a referee and another person could be a bumblebee. We saw so many creative outfits!

This is all you need to know about special events in October and November, Panthers! Stay tuned for more updates and have a great December!

All the staff vs students games have been a thrilling competition to witness. Watching the staff vs students basketball game became more exhilarating after the loss of flag football and tug-of-war as Glenview students were more determined than ever to make a comeback and put a score on the scoreboard. With the Panthers roaring on the sidelines, and an energizing atmosphere, everybody was eager for the game to begin. 

As the whistle blew, the first of four quarters began. It seemed clear that the staff would not go easy against the students. There were plays being made left, right, and center by Mr. McCarville and Mr. Shaw. Ms. Pauze creating opportunities for her team while simultaneously defending like she was Kawhi Leonard, and Mr. Van Dam used his physics knowledge to calculate the trajectory of the basketball. They were truly an unstoppable force. Although it seemed nearly impossible for the students to win, the staff were getting tired; making more frequent substitutions when there was still one more quarter to play. 

This was it; the last quarter of the game. A lineup of rested students against a tired team of staff. Could this be the comeback the students were looking for? 

Sadly no. Despite holding possession for the majority of the last quarter, and scoring buckets after buckets, it still was not enough for the students to win. The students put up a great fight, not giving up until the very end, and showing great sportsmanship; wearing a smile on their faces in spite of losing a tough match. With a score of 31-18, the staff took home another victory, making the score for staff vs students 3-0 in favour of the staff. 

As the staff keeps winning game after game, it seems more and more likely as if the students will lose in a clean sweep this year. Will the students regain their strength and fight back in next month's game? Only time will tell.

On Tuesday, November 21st, Glenview Park had their annual grade eight magnet night here at the school! Each year, Glenview Park hosts a magnet night for the magnet schools to come over, scope out a possible secondary school option, and get the general gist of how things happen here at Glenview. That includes the IB program, the fast-forward program, and even the regular academic level. The school prides itself on its broad program levels as well as the abundant number of opportunities it provides for its students, welcoming people from anywhere and everywhere to the school. This night had a main focus on IB, which will be the focus on this recount as well.

The night began at around 3:00 PM, with a small event held by the IB Collab Club (IBC), one of the many clubs at Glenview. The event was for new and old IB students, and they participated in a trivia game with their classmates and then were allowed to play different games and compete against one another to build friendly competition and communication skills within themselves. These skills are ones necessary for any IB student, but also help students become more confident in their actions and when building relationships. All students were encouraged to participate and talk to each other, and they were given the opportunity to show off their strengths. Of course, small snacks were provided to ensure the kids kept their brains nourished and moving for the day!

Later on in the night, the real event began at 6:00 PM. Student volunteers were assigned a location in the hallway weeks before the magnet night. They were tasked with directing parents and future panthers toward the gym for the presentation or sending them to the location of the fast-forward program presentation. The parents filed into the west gym and were asked to provide their child's first and last name at the entrance. They were handed either a blue sheet or red sheet filled with school information and a QR code to the website. Once all the parents and children were seated, the head of IB, Ms. Caplin began her presentation. Her introduction included a welcome to the school and a few key “thank yous” from the Principal, Ms. Wood. For around 45 minutes, Ms. Caplin provided a general overview of the IB student life and what to expect from the program, including fees, classes, full/partial IB, and some comments from past IB students.

After her presentation was over, the audience was split up, with some families being led by student volunteers into the cafeteria and the rest staying in the gym. This was due to the fact that it was time for the student speakers to talk about their lives at Glenview in the IB program. The gym guest speakers were asked to answer questions regarding mostly IB life itself and the relationships developed in the program, whereas the students in the cafeteria were asked more general questions about aspects of IB life that could affect other areas in student life. The questioning period lasted around 15 minutes each, with each student doing their best to answer the questions with as much detail they can within the time period. After the 15 minutes were over, the group in the cafeteria switched into the gym and the gym group went to the cafeteria. The same questions were then answered by the students for another 15 minutes each until the night was over. Ms. Caplin then let the families go, letting them know that all the speakers and teachers present at the event were available to answer any questions that they had. 

All in all, the night was a success with around 53 families attending with curiosity towards a potential IB filled future. We encourage any fellow Panthers reading this recount to spread the news of IB and the magnet nights that occur every November to welcome new faces to a wonderful program here at Glenview!

Ones grief could fill oceans,

Ones tears become the stars,

and maybe one day,

these pitiful souls will

be the sky that embraces us.

and so she sits and thinks and

doesn’t know what to do,

because she feels like she’s

either dying,

Or already dead.

Everything is far too much,

but if she tells it all

just go away!

then, she’ll be telling everyone

to go away

because they’re a part of

everything, and if she tells

the ghosts to leave,

she’ll be alone again.

The leaves that 

dance 

to the voice of the wind

sounds like distant rain

upon her roof.

And vaguely, she pleads 

To   Be quiet,

because the voices are always too loud,

and the rain is always too sad.

This has to be

hell on earth,

because if it were heaven,

they would all be here too,

and she wouldn’t be alone.

But she’s not alone

with the ghosts and the wind

holding her gently,

and the grief and the guilt

grabbing her harshly.

Swear it,

she says

Swear you won’t leave 

but all she gets is

the consolation of the wind

and the rain that taps

a fresh headache into her mind.

Every year, Canada’s Wonderland hosts a night event called Halloween Haunt. The bright and open amusement park is turned into a roaming area for various actors and performers. The usual attractions are adjusted to compliment the spooky environment, and guests are entertained by a variety of scary mazes and performances.

Mazes:

The Necropolis maze is located in the Grande World Expo. It follows an Underworld theme full of tombs and twisting passages. The Cornstalkers maze has a more elaborate set up. Located in Frontier Canada, it includes an area for group pictures with a device that plays a loud sound to scare people and get an ‘authentic’ reaction. Many actors are hiding in corners and behind plants, and some will even follow you if you refuse to look at them. Scarecrows are placed all throughout the maze, and though most are fake, some are actors dressed up and standing the same way. A dragon head appears from the side near the end, and right before the exit, a man holding a chainsaw emerges from the cornstalks. This maze is usually a favourite of those who attend the Haunt.

The Spirit Manor is in Frontier Canada, a haunted estate full of actors portraying murder victims and house staff that perished over time. If you make it known that you can see them, they will often run towards you or follow you and wait until you aren’t looking. In the Medieval Faire, the ancient catacombs are filled with the remains of millions of people. Most actors are hiding behind curtains blending in with the walls, waiting for unsuspecting passersby to get too close. The final maze is The Ruins, located in Wonder Mountain. The ancient archeological theme provides an Indiana Jones effect, along with many actors disguised as statues throughout the winding passages.

Performances:

Of the many attractions at the Haunt, the live performances are a favourite to those who have been there multiple times.

The first is the Day of the Dead Fiesta, based on Mexico’s Dia De Los Muertos. The performance tells a story through a musical parade. The performers wear assorted traditional costumes, and perform a cultural dance. The second performance is the Deadly LED Drumline, in which a group of percussionists dressed in skeletal costumes wander through the streets entertaining passersby. At the International Festival, a show that’s not for the faint of heart takes place. The Freak Show includes a variety of acts, one being a woman pretending to drive a nail into her skull. The Haunt Live Music is a rock performance that takes place in the Lazy Bear Lodge.

The most elaborate performance is in the Inferno, located in Arthur’s Baye. The theme is centered around demons and hell, and it’s more plot heavy than the other live shows. Two “demons” battle using fire elements in their dances to decide which one of them will be banished, however, the culprit is proven to be someone that nobody had suspected. Said culprit is then set on fire and thrown into the water below. The final show is performed by the Skeleton Crew, a group of acrobats wearing illuminated skeleton costumes as they use trampoline elements to entertain guests.

At 12:01 am on May 2nd, 2023 the Writers Guild of America (WGA) announced that they would go on strike. The WGA represents over 11,500 writers from America, as well as around the world. This strike would eventually inspire the actors to go on strike as well. This was the first time since 1960 that both writers and actors were on strike at the same time. It was brought on by the demand for fair pay for writers as well as their demand to keep the writers safe from artificial intelligence (AI). 

Due to this strike many of your favorite TV shows and movies may be delayed. Some delayed movies include: Community The Movie, many Avatar movies and multiple Marvel movies. With this strike, you may have noticed that some movies that came out this summer, such as Barbie and Oppenheimer, did not have the premieres and press that you would have thought. This is all also due to the writers and actors strikes which prevents them from doing press for movies or acting. They all have to follow the WGA and SAG AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild Of America) rules. 

Furthermore, many TV shows were also delayed due to the strike.  TV shows including: Criminal Minds (season 17), Euphoria (Season 3), Loot (Season 2), Outer Banks (Season 4), Stranger Things (Season 5), That 90’s show (Season 2), Wednesday (Season 2), The White Lotus (Season2), Young Sheldon (Season 7), Ginny And Georgia  (Season 3) and many more! 

If you are at all interested in what shows and movies were delayed due to the strike go to this website to get some more information. 

These strikes went on for months until the end of the writers strike after 148 days on September 24th 2023. It was announced that a deal had been made to keep writers safe from AI as well as better payment from reruns and streaming platforms for the writers. 

Following up to that though, the actors are still currently on strike. They have not reached an agreement with studios as of right now. There were many reasons for the actors to also go on strike, including long term payment, consistency of employment as well as the control of AI. There are many reasons to try and support these unions to get better money and protection, so while you are scrolling and waiting for your favorite to return or for the actors to get off to the strike, go through some helpful websites (Linked Below) and see what you can learn! Make sure to check out the WGA and SAG AFTRA websites to see and hear about more on how to be supportive. (Linked below)

SAG AFTRA 

WGA

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_productions_impacted_by_the_2023_Writers_Guild_of_America_strike

https://apnews.com/article/actors-strike-100-days-explained-hollywood-40e0e325f7c92b6853bdc01c4c54b08c

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/is-hollywood-writers-strike-over-2023-09-25/

https://www.theverge.com/23802895/sag-aftra-writers-guild-strikes-hollywood-influencer-rules

https://www.nytimes.com/article/actors-strike-why.html

https://www.vox.com/culture/23696617/writers-strike-wga-2023-explained-residuals-streaming-ai

https://www.vox.com/culture/2023/9/24/23888673/wga-strike-end-sag-aftra-contract

Another month has passed, Panthers! Now, it’s time to talk about what’s to come next month. Of course, there is Remembrance Day (November 11th), Veterans Week (November 5th- 11th), and Indigenous Veterans Day (November 8th). It’s relatively safe to assume that Glenview will have Remembrance Day and Veterans Week well covered with: 

• An assembly

• Announcements, materials, and information posted by SAC

• Some lovely displays from the library.  

So, what else will be happening at Glenview? Well, we aren’t prepared to announce the monthly calendar just yet; however, there are some less-known commemorative dates going on in Canada during November. They are all thought-provoking and focus on broadening our knowledge and reflecting on Canadian history and society. Here is a brief summary of each commemorative date happening in the following month.

Overview

Hindu Heritage Month (& Dr. V.I. Lakshmanan)  -  Canada History Week  -  16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence  -  Holodomor Memorial Day 

Hindu Heritage Month

Let’s start with an event that runs all month long, Hindu Heritage Month. During Hindu Heritage Month, we acknowledge and celebrate Hinduism and the contributions of Canadians with Hindu heritage to all aspects of Canadian society. This includes social, economic, political, and cultural aspects, along with all the different fields within these aspects. This commemorative month was declared in Ontario in 2016 when Bill 56 was enacted to proclaim November as “Hindu Heritage Month.” 

Of course, there are various success stories and overall contributions to Canadian society from Hindu Canadians to talk about. One interesting individual is the highly and internationally regarded Doctor V.I. Lakshmanan. Born and Educated in India, Doctor V.I. Lakshmanan is a teacher, scientist, and innovator (in sustainable development, specifically with process technology). Lakshmanan taught at the University of Birmingham in England before moving to Canada in 1974. He has been bestowed many awards, one of them being the “Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.” Another award he was given is one of the highest civilian honours, the “Order of Canada Award.” The motto for this award is “They desire a better country.”

Doctor V.I. Lakshmanan came to be an officer of the Order of Canada for his achievements in science, social development, business, and advancements in research regarding the relationship between India and Canada. He is now in his 80s and has over 40 years of experience in skills development initiatives and technology commercialization. 

Now, if you got a call delivering the news that you are receiving the Order of Canada award, you might not believe it. Even so, Doctor V.I. Lakshmanan did realize he truly was being awarded with the Order of Canada. He would later respond with, “When the call came, I felt very humbled. God’s country has recognized one of its citizens. I feel very proud.”

Canada History Week

November 20th - 26th

Canada History Week is one of the more unique commemorative dates out there and has a yearly theme. In 2014, there were various daily themes throughout the week.

The Canada History Fund organizes Canada History Week to encourage reflection or research into Canadian history. How it works is that episodes produced for the week will be posted on both Historical Canada’s YouTube Channel and their website. Eventually, a digital magazine will be published on the Government of Canada’s website, where you can also find all the previous magazines. This year's theme involves the History of Black Achievement in Canada.

16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence

November 25th - December 10th

On a global scale, violence against women is still a perpetuating and significant problem. This is shown by how only two out of three countries have outlawed domestic violence. In 37 countries, rape perpetrators can avoid prosecution by being married to, or by eventually marrying their victim. The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is a time to take action against, acknowledge, or learn about Gender-Based Violence. 

The 16 Days of Activism starts on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. November 25th is designated as the day to honour the three Mirabal sisters. The Mirabal sisters, Patria, Minerva and María, were Dominican political activists who were, on November 25th, 1960, assassinated by the Dominican Republic’s dictator, Rael Trujillo. The murder of the Mirabal sisters was an outrage to the public, and, in turn, Trujillo was also assassinated.

During the 16 Days of Activism, Canadians observe the Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women (on December 6th). Over 30 years ago, on December 6th, 1989, 14 women were murdered in a misogynistic attack at Polytechnique Montréal (a university). The names of the victims are Geneviève Bergeron, Hélène Colgan, Nathalie Croteau, Barbara Daigneault, Anne-Marie Edward, Maud Haviernick, Maryse Laganière, Maryse Leclair, Anne-Marie Lemay, Sonia Pelletier, Michèle Richard, Annie St-Arneault, Annie Turcotte, and Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz. On December 6th, we mourn the loss of and remember their lives while also remembering others who have also experienced gender-based violence and those who have lost their lives to it. You may also wear a white ribbon to honour the victims of the Polytechnique Montréal mass shooting. 

The 16 days of Activism ends on Human Rights Day (the 10th). Human Rights Day celebrates December 10th, 1948, when the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. A document that holds the Guinness World Record as the most translated document (over 500 languages). As the document’s title suggests, it declares all human rights worldwide.

Holodomor Memorial Day

November 28th

Holodomor, in Ukrainian, means “death by hunger.” It refers to the famine-genocide perpetuated by Joseph Stalin (1932-1933) to essentially destroy the Ukrainian’s hopes of freedom and independence and their identities. Millions of Ukrainians died because of the Holodomor. Ukraine was under Moscow’s control for 70 years, and only in 1991, would Ukraine finally achieve independence from Soviet rule. 

Canada is home to the second-largest Ukrainian diaspora in the world, which means that Canada has the most Ukrainians who have migrated far from their ancestral homeland. In Canada, Holodomor Memorial Day is a time to remember and honour the millions of Ukrainians whose lives were slowly taken in the Holodomor. We also take Holodomor Memorial Day as a reminder to consciously be more inclusive and condemn any forms of prejudice, discrimination, racism, and hate.

Sources:

https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/important-commemorative-days.html

Hindu Heritage Month:

https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/news/2022/11/statement-by-minister-hussen-on-hindu-heritage-month.html

https://www.hcdsb.org/2022/10/november-is-hindu-heritage-month/

https://www.ola.org/en/legislative-business/bills/parliament-41/session-2/bill-56

https://www.thespec.com/news/hindu-heritage-council-of-hamilton-honours-dr-v-i-lakshmanan-for-order-of-canada-award/article_edf4b0be-96cd-5a40-a0ae-4a11343ce17a.html

https://canadaindiafoundation.com/dr-v-i-lucky-lakshmanan/

Canada History Week:

https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/history-week.html

https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/funding/canada-history-fund/program-details.html

https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/history-week.html

https://www.historicacanada.ca/productions/educational-videos/canada-history-week

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiE7YBxN9zmIOs6Q_cOUm6_v0hHuL82wJ

16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence:

https://women-gender-equality.canada.ca/en/commemorations-celebrations/16-days.html

https://www.un.org/en/observances/ending-violence-against-women-day/background

https://women-gender-equality.canada.ca/en/commemorations-celebrations/16-days/national-day-remembrance.html

https://time.com/5793594/mirabal-sisters-100-women-of-the-year/

Holodomer Memorial Day:

https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/news/2020/11/minister-chaggers-statement-on-holodomor-memorial-day0.html

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/ukraines-history-and-its-centuries-long-road-to-independence

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diaspora

https://www.gg.ca/en/honours/canadian-honours/order-canada

https://ontariokonkanis.com/2022/01/06/dr-lucky-lakshmanan-supporter-of-oka-receives-order-of-canada/#:~:text=V.%20I.,and%20Canada%2DIndia%20relations%E2%80%9D.

Since last month, our school teams have established themselves as very competent. They’ve won many games and lost a few, but have overall had a great start to their seasons. After many practices and a handful of games, we can see that each team has improved greatly and their camaraderie has grown. 

Both of our volleyball teams have both had very mixed seasons. Both seem to get a good amount of wins matched by losses. For the junior team, they’ve had ten games so far. Their best game was against ECI with 3 (25,25,25) - 0 (10,11,1). However, all of their games have been great, managing to win several games. For the senior team, their season has also been going well. Winning a few games and becoming head-to-head in others, their best was undoubtedly against SSS with 3 (25,25,27) - 0 (12,8,25). Overall both teams are having a good season.

Our field hockey team wrapped up their season by displaying some amazing plays and teamwork. Over the season they had seven games, ending two of them in a tie. However, unfortunately, not getting a win. But they still had a good season, whether they won or not, they got out there and represented our school. 

And who could forget the games against GCI at our school? Both of our teams out performed them by miles. The junior team finished the game with 36-14. They played in front of many of our students, whose teachers let them come out to watch the game. Luckily, those who did come out were able to watch quite a game. The seniors had an amazing game as well. The seniors didn’t even let GCI score, ending the game at 43-0, and represented our school spirit. Both football teams are looking forward to a good performance in their upcoming games.

The fall season is approaching its end, and our teams are entering the final weeks of their run. But, for the teams that we have, we have done amazing overall. New teams will be looking for members soon, so be sure to show up to tryouts of something you're interested in. Stay tuned for upcoming announcements about teams starting up in the coming weeks.

We’ll see you next month!

He chuckled as he watched her dance around, letting the raindrops soak her dress. 

“Dance with me,” she called out as she held her hand out to him.

“There’s no music and I can’t dance,” even though he was trying to make excuses, he couldn’t resist the look on her face. He slowly got up and made his way towards her, grabbing her outstretched hand.

“We don’t need music,” she said as she grabbed his other hand and began slow dancing with him. 

He quietly followed her lead, enjoying the close proximity between them. The sound of raindrops hitting the concrete slowed down, nearing a stop.

“You know I love you right?” She asked as she brought herself closer to him. 

He nodded and let out a soft laugh. “Of course, and you know I love you, right?”

She smiled sadly as she suddenly stopped dancing. 

He looked at her, waiting for her to start again. 

“You need to let go,” She whispered. He sighed as he engulfed her in a hug, resting his chin on top of her head. 

“I know,” he whispered as he kissed her forehead. He held back tears as he felt her fade away, only a quiet whisper of her remaining.

”I love you, I’ll see you in our next lives.”

Saturday, third weekend of March

My shift was finally over. It was nice to finally be walking home. I grabbed my things, wished my coworkers a good night, and left the pharmacy. The shift hadn’t been too bad, but it sure felt nice to finally be going home. I walked the fifteen minute walk back to my College residence. I must have been 2 minutes away when I noticed a poster on a streetlight. I walked closer to take a better look. “Looking for a dog sitter for one night. First weekend of April. 2000$. If interested, call this number.” The poster read. I thought it was some sort of prank. Who the hell is going to pay someone 2000$ just to watch a dog for one night? But the number looked real, and so did the poster. I took a picture of it on my phone, and continued walking home. I was getting ready to go to bed when I thought about that poster again. 

I’m working minimum wage at a pharmacy. I could use that money to pay off my student loans I thought to myself.

It certainly seemed sketchy, but I figured there couldn’t be much harm in giving it a try. After all, what’s the worst that could happen? Some teenager got a laugh over someone believing the poster was real? I didn’t think the effects could be disastrous, so I thought about what to say and dialed the number. A woman picked up the phone.

“Hello?” She said

“Hi. I saw a poster to call this number to watch over a dog for a night in April and I was interested in doing that.” I told her

“Well alright, thank you for calling. But it’s getting late. Can you please call me back tomorrow around 1:30 pm?” The woman said to me

I looked at my alarm clock. It was 10:40 pm. What the hell was I thinking? I should have waited a day to make the call. I felt foolish, but I had to continue the phone call.

“Yes, of course. I’m sorry for calling you this late.” I said.

“It’s fine. Just call me back tomorrow around 1:30.” The woman told me

“Sure thing. Have a good night.” I said before hanging up the phone.

I lied in bed to fall asleep and thought about the phone call. It was nice that it seemed real, but there had to be a catch. They were offering to pay someone 2000$ just to watch a dog. Maybe the dog had a lot of special needs, or it was just a really hard dog to watch over. Regardless, I love dogs and wanted to know more about this. I just went to sleep to make the phone call the next day.

The next day

When 1:30 came around, I took out my phone and dialed the number. The same woman from the previous night answered.

“Hello?” She greeted

“Hi. I called last night with regards to watching a dog during the first weekend of April.” I said

“Ah, yes. Thank you for calling back. What is your name, age, and address?” The woman asked

“Chrissie. I’m 22. I live at the local college campus.” I told her

“Hello Chrissie. My name is Grace. My husband and I are going to a computer science convention for that weekend and we’re offering 2000$ to the person who watches over our german shepherd during that time.” The woman told me.

“Alright. What are the details?” I asked.

“You must be free on that weekend. You’re expected to arrive around 5:45 pm. You will take care of our dog and watch over our house for the weekend. This will require you staying up very late as watching over our house is very difficult. Can you do that?” Grace asked.

“Certainly.” I said to her.

“Great. Do you have a free afternoon anytime soon?” Grace asked

I thought about my work schedule. I was free on Tuesday. 

“Does Tuesday work for you?” I asked.

“Yes it does. My husband will be at our house, and he will ask you some questions and go into further detail about taking care of the house. The address is 179 Pinkerton Rd. He will be very pleased that someone is willing to watch over our house.” Grace told me.

“Understood. What time should I arrive?” I asked as I wrote down the address.

“Around 3:30.” Grace said.

“3:30. Got it.” I said

“Great. Do you have any questions for me?” Grace asked

I thought about asking why the amount of money offered was so high, but I didn’t want to risk getting paid less, so I decided not to ask.

“No, everything sounds good.” I said

“Alright then. Thank you for calling Chrissie. Have a nice day.” Grace said

“Thanks so much. You as well.” I said before hanging up. I felt pretty good. I was hopefully going to make a good amount of money for just watching over a dog. That sounded awesome, but I had to wonder why it was so difficult.

Tuesday

I looked on the gps app on my phone to see how long it would take to get there. Once I saw that it was about twenty minutes away, I got prepared to leave when the time came. I left the campus and walked to the address. I noticed the neighbourhood was much nicer than my own. The houses were larger and more fancy. They weren’t the kind of houses you’d see a rapper or actor living in, but they were better than an average suburban house. I felt kind of stupid, because I was wearing a sweater and jeans. But it was far too late to turn back, so I figured it would just be best to go in as I was. I got to the house a minute before the scheduled time. I went up to ring the doorbell. A man of about forty-five answered wearing a fine business suit with a large smile on his face. I felt even more stupid about my outfit. I couldn’t believe I showed up to a fancy house wearing jeans and a sweater. What was this man going to think when a 22 year old showed up to his house like this? 

“You must be Chrissie.” The man said as he extended out his arm.

“Yes I am.” I said as I shook his hand.

“Great. My name is Henry Clark, and this is my house. Come in, leave your shoes on the mat.” The man said to me

I walked into the house and followed Henry.

“That’s a very nice suit.” I said

“Oh, thank you!” Henry said to me. He had a great attitude

“I feel a little underdressed.” I said with an awkward chuckle

“Oh, don’t worry about it.” Henry said

I followed Henry to his home office, where he told me to have a seat in a chair across from where he was sitting.

“Alright. It’s a pleasure to meet you. My wife and I will be going to a computer science convention for that weekend, and you have called with the hope of watching over our dog. Is that correct?” Henry asked me

“Yes.” I told him

“Do you have any previous experience taking care of dogs?” Henry asked

“My family has always owned dogs for as long as I can remember. I also used to babysit from time to time when I was a teenager, and some of the families had dogs who I also watched for them.” I explained

“Oh wonderful!” Henry said “So I’m assuming I won’t have to go through the basics of watching a dog then?”

“Probably not.” I said

“Well, how about I show you around the place?” Henry offered

“Sure.” I said

We walked out of the office and Henry showed me the various rooms. 

“By the way Chrissie, if you have any questions about this, please ask me. I would rather you ask me a question then do something wrong when we’re away.” Henry told me.

“I understand.” I said

“We have plenty of food here in the kitchen. Various meats are in the freezer, and you are welcome to help yourself to anything in the fridge on that night. Caffeine will help you a lot. We have pop, energy drinks, milk, carbonated water, and so many other drinks in the fridge. However, I do ask that you keep your alcohol consumption to a minimum. If you want a glass of wine or two, that’s fine, but keep it at that. We also have plenty of chips, chocolate and other snacks in the bottom cabinets. You are welcome to eat them, but don’t let the dog get into them.” Henry explained

“Understood.” I said

“Great. The next thing I wanted to show you - Oh! There’s Betsy! Come here girl!” Henry called out as a german shepherd walked in to the room

“That’s a cute dog!” I said.

“You can pet her, she won’t bite.” Henry told me

I got down on one knee to pet the dog. She was very friendly. I was going to enjoy watching over her.

“If she runs to the back door and starts frantically jumping on it, it probably means she needs to use the washroom. She knows a few tricks and will usually respond when you call her name. The dog food is in the far, top left cabinet in the kitchen. The dog toys are in a basket under the counter, and there’s a fenced off area in the room over there to put her when you’re eating. If you don’t put her there, she will go at all odds to get your food.” Henry explained

“Alright, sounds good.” I told him as I followed him to another room

“Here is the living room. We have a few streaming services if you want to watch any movies or tv shows. You can play music through the speakers, but don’t play it too loud or else it will hurt Betsy’s ears.” Henry told me

“Alright. Very fancy room.” I said

“Thank you. My home office will be locked. Do not try to get in there.” Henry said.

“Understood.” I said.

“If you follow me upstairs, I will show you a little more.” Henry said

“Alright.” I said as I followed him upstairs

“The laundry room is this room right here. We also keep our cleaning supplies in here, so if you spill a drink or something, please clean it up. We have bleach, sponges, and anything you might need.” Henry explained

“Alright. I’ll be very careful.” I assured him

“Over here is the outside deck. Feel free to kick back out here on the deck chairs before the invaders show up.” Henry explained

“Alright” I told him

“Let’s head back downstairs now.” Henry said to me.

Henry told me to have a seat at the kitchen table. He got very serious about what he was about to say.

“Now Chrissie, this might be difficult to understand, but it’s the reason you’re being paid 2000$.” Henry said.

“Alright.” I responded.

“This is usually a turn off for people, or they think I’m joking when I say this. I am a tech designer. I work on computer programs. About a year ago, I was in a computer lab with my team. We were working on a very complex program. While I left to grab an item that I forgot in another room, there was a horrible accident. The computers blew up. The program which we were working on was still extremely bugged. When the explosion happened, somehow the coders got infected. They were given these weird, glitchy powers.” Henry explained

“Um… Alright?” I said, “I’m sorry that happened, but what’s the connection?”

“They blame me because I did most of the coding. Now they try to invade my house every night. The police have tried countless times to stop them, but nothing ever works. They also manage to find my house every time we move. Because of this, my wife and I have to fend off the invaders ourselves. If you’re willing to do that, we will hire you to watch our house for that night.” Henry explained

“Sure.” I said with a chuckle, thinking he was trying to have some fun.

Henry’s expression remained serious.

“Chrissie, I’m dead serious.” Henry said in a serious tone

“Alright then. I suppose I can do that.” I said, somewhat confused.

“Good. Then if you could follow me to the garage, I will show you the gadgets you will need to fend them off.” Henry said as he stood up and walked to the garage.

I followed him to the garage where he showed me a table with two gadgets. Henry picked up the first gadget, which looked a bit like a wireless radio.

“This is a signal disruptor. If you press this red button, it will cause much pain to the glitchy attackers within a five metre radius. This will cause them to run away. Just point the antenna at them, press the button, and you’ll be good for around five to twenty minutes.” Henry explained

“Sounds simple enough.” I responded

Henry then showed me the larger gadget, which was about a metre long. It had a red end on it. The red end looked like the barrel of a space gun you’d see in a typical science fiction film that’s set in outer space. There was a handle on each side and two buttons on it.

“I call this the antivirus ray. This first button is the power button. The second button shoots essentially a ray of antivirus at the invaders. It will mess up their brains and usually makes them retreat. Just plug it into the wall and you’re good to go. The ray won’t hurt you or Betsy. It only hurts the invaders. Just go outside the back door with either gadget to use them. Don’t let Betsy or yourself get too close to the invaders, because they will try to bite you which will infect you in the same way they are infected.” Henry explained

“That’s pretty crazy, but I can do that.” I assured Henry. It was crazy that this happened to these poor coders.

“Another thing, be sure to periodically check outside. I’d say around every twenty minutes, starting around 7:30, and they rarely ever show up after 5:00 am. If you see anybody in the distance or hear glitchy technology sounds, be sure to check them out. Don’t get very close to them. If you smell something similar to burning computers, they’re near. There will be a very strong flashlight and binoculars near the door. Plenty of batteries will be right next to it if you need to change them. Unfortunately, these devices I’ve created to fend off the invaders take a lot of power, meaning I can’t use them as much as I want because I would probably go broke from the electricity bill. I’m working on better ways to conserve energy, but we have to make do with what we have.” Henry carefully explained

“I’ll make sure to only use them if it’s necessary.” I said

“Good. Another thing, there will be a pile of pebbles next to the backdoor. Throw the pebbles at the invaders if they come too close. If you knock them in the pool, that’s perfectly fine because they hate water due to the electric component to their bodies. There is also a pellet gun in the garage. Shoot the attackers. If you need training, I’m happy to teach you how to use it.” Henry told me

“I understand. I also used to shoot targets with my uncle so I think I can manage the pellet gun.” I told Henry. 

“Great. Do you have any questions? Please ask them now if you have any.” Cole told me

“Is this even legal?” I asked

“I can assure you, no laws are being broken.” Henry said

“All seems well.” I said

“One final note, if you lose cell reception or internet access, then the invaders are too close.” Henry explained

“I’ll keep an eye on that.” I said

“Do you want to pet the dog one more time?” Henry offered

“I would love to.” I responded with a smile.

We found Betsy in the living room. We both petted her and it was great.

“Well Chrissie, thank you for offering. Show up here around 5:45 pm next Saturday. We’ll be back around 10:00 am Sunday.” Henry told me

“Let me just set a reminder in my phone for that.” I said as I took out my phone to put in a reminder. 

“No problem. Oh Chrissie, I actually have one more thing for you before you go. Follow me.” Henry told me as he walked back to his home office. I followed him wondering what it was. He took out a small notebook and wrote something down.

“Earlier, you said you liked my suit. So here’s the number and address of my tailor if you want. His name is Thomas, he’s a great guy.” Henry said as he handed me the small slip of paper.

“Oh thank you.” I said as I took the paper slip and put it in my pocket. He stood up and we walked out of his office.

“Well Chrissie, thank you so much for doing this. Grace and I appreciate it very much. Have a good day. Show up around 5:45.” Henry said

“Thanks Mr. Clark. You as well.” I said to Henry

I was about to walk out the front when I remembered something. I didn’t know where I was going to be sleeping. 

“Oh Mr. Clark?” I said

“Yes?” He asked

“Where will I be sleeping?” I asked him

His expression changed slightly.

“Chrissie, you need to watch the house. You’re not going to sleep. You have to be up all night.” Henry explained

“Oh.” I said. That took me off guard. I didn’t think I was pulling an all-nighter. But I couldn’t resist 2000$.

“Are you still willing to do this?” Henry asked

“Absolutely.” I assured him.

I put my shoes on, said goodbye and left the house. 

“The day”

Today was the day. I was watching over a large house and an adorable dog. I was ready. I put on my outfit, grabbed all my things, and sent a text to my sister bragging about what I was doing because I knew she would get jealous. I walked to the house and rang the doorbell.

Henry answered wearing another fine tailored suit.

“Hello, Chrissie! Come in!” He said. He was in a very good mood once again. The convention must be very exciting for him.

“Hello Henry. I’m ready to pull an all-nighter!” I enthusiastically told him

“Wonderful. We should be leaving any minute now. My wife just has to finish doing her makeup.” Henry explained

“Alright.” I said.

We talked in the front lobby for a few minutes. It was so hard to contain my excitement. Then a woman in a fancy dress and makeup came down the stairs with what looked like a glass of champagne in her hand. I knew it was Grace.

“There you are honey.” Henry said “Let’s get going.” 

“Of course.” Grace said

Grace turned to me

“You must be Chrissie.” She said with an extension of her hand

“Yes I am.” I said as I shook her hand.

“It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Grace. I’m the one who answered the phone” Grace explained

“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well.” I said

“Well we must get going.” Grace said before finishing her drink “I’ll just put this in the dishwasher first.”

“I can do that.” I offered

“Really? Thank you Chrissie. Don’t worry about doing dishes. We’ll take care of that when we get back tomorrow.” Grace said

“Understood.” I said as I took the empty glass out of her hand.

Henry handed me a slip of paper.

“Here is the wifi password as well as numbers you can reach certain coders in the area who can help fend off against the invaders. But don’t call them unless it’s absolutely necessary.” Henry said

“I’ll make sure to keep everything under control.” I assured him

“Good. Thanks again for doing this. I’ll text you periodically to make sure everything is alright.” Henry said

“Goodbye Chrissie.” Grace said as they both walked out of the door.

With them being gone, I went to find Betsy. She was lying on her stomach in the kitchen. I put the empty glass in the dishwasher and pet Betsy on the head. She got up. She was very excited to see me. Betsy started jumping on me and licking my face. 

“Betsy!” I said, laughing.

When I got the dog off of me, I looked at my phone. It was 6:03. I had some time before the invaders showed up. I got a ball from the toys and took Betsy outside to toss a ball around the large backyard. We did this for several minutes. I missed playing with dogs. Ever since I moved out, I was so eager to own a dog. I still got to play with the dogs when I came down to visit, but I was going to be watching over Betsy for several hours which was different. She wasn’t even a difficult dog to watch. This all came to a halt when something happened. My stomach growled. I needed dinner. It took a bit of effort, but I managed to get Betsy inside. I locked the dog in a fenced off area to ensure she wouldn’t get into the kitchen to take food off the plate. I looked in the freezer. I stood there for a minute deciding on what to cook for myself. I was no fancy chef, but I knew how to cook a few things too. I decided on a porkchop and to have a side of sliced carrots and celery. When I finished cooking, I sat down to eat my dinner. I looked at my phone while I ate, reading news headlines and checking social media. Eventually, I finished my food and figured I might as well feed Betsy. I grabbed some dog food after putting my dishes away and filled her bowl in the fenced off area. I also grabbed her water bowl to fill it up. Things were going well. I watched random internet videos while Betsy ate and later played with her a bit. Then she started jumping at the back door. I knew what it meant. I let her out to do her thing on the grass. While I was waiting for her to finish, I heard a noise. It sounded like a voice but it was being interrupted. Like a video of someone on the internet talking when the internet was barely working. Then I looked at my phone. It was 7:31. The invaders must be here.

“Betsy, get inside.” I called out

She started running off in the opposite direction. I ran and grabbed her collar. The mysterious voice continued. I managed to wrestle Betsy into the house, all while hearing the voice. I couldn’t make out what it was saying. I figured I might as well try to get rid of the invaders. I grabbed a pebble after I shut the door.  I looked around the backyard but saw nobody. The glitching voice started to die down. I figured the invader had gone away for whatever reason. I started to walk back to the door to get in when I heard something behind me.

“HE-EEE-&$-EY–EE!” 

I turned around. I was horrified. Standing right across the pool staring right at me was a figure. It looked like a man in his thirties with scars covering his arms. His clothing was ripped. He was trying to say something but his voice and face kept getting disrupted. It was like looking at a face on a computer screen from how it was distorted. He charged around the pool to attack me. I screamed. I dashed to the door, opened it to let myself in and shut it just in time. The invader started frantically banging on the door, all while his whole body was getting distorted. It was terrifying, but I had to get rid of him. I realized I dropped the pebble when I ran inside. Now I had nothing. I was thinking about it when I remembered something: the deck. I could shoot the disruptor from the deck. I ran to the garage, grabbed the disruptor, and ran to the top deck. I aimed the disruptor at the invader, and pressed the button. It made a high pitched ringing sound.

“AAAUG-@%&-GGHH#HH!” The invader shouted out in pain. I almost felt bad about what I did, but he ran away. He was lagging while he ran, but he disappeared into the back forest. He was gone

“Thank God.” I thought to myself. 

Then I looked into the forest. I could’ve sworn I saw a few sets of eyes. One set of white eyes, another set of eyes that looked normal but were constantly blinking, and I couldn’t even describe what the other set looked like. This was serious, but it’s what I signed up for. I ran back downstairs and grabbed an energy drink out of the fridge. I was going to need energy to fight them off. I looked out the back window to see what was out there. I saw four invaders. They were hiding behind trees. I could see the computer glitches coming out of their bodies. It was creepy. I kept an eye on them for a few minutes but they ended up leaving. I thought that bought me some time, so I decided to relax. I grabbed a chocolate bar and sat down, ensuring that Betsy wouldn’t grab the bar. Twenty minutes went by with no issues. After that time, I went to check again and grab a root beer for the caffeine. I looked out the window and saw nothing. But I wasn’t completely sure if everything was clear. I slowly opened the back door to check for sounds. I thought I heard something, but I wasn’t sure if it was the sound of an invader or an animal. It almost sounded like rustling in the bushes, but not exactly. I then remembered there was a pair of binoculars and a flashlight I could use, so I grabbed them. The bushes were swaying in the wind, but there was one in particular that was moving more. It must have been an invader attempting to hide. I shined the flashlight on it, and saw what looked like something red. I didn’t eliminate the possibility of an animal, but I somewhat doubted it. I decided to shout at it.

“Hey, who’s there?” I shouted

I heard a voice for a split second that was cut off by a computer glitch sound. I knew for sure that it was an invader.

“Come on. Leave.” I shouted

I heard the same voice, this time for about three seconds. It sounded angry. I knew the invader wasn’t going to go away. I grabbed the pellet gun, and loaded it. 

“Hey, come on! I’m ready to fight you!” I shouted as I stepped a metre away from the door after shutting it. I saw a multicoloured glitch from the bush. I fired a shot. I wasn’t sure if I hit the invader or not, but then something else distracted me.

I heard a sudden charge from the left.

It was a woman who looked to be around 33. Her clothes were also torn and she had several scars on her body. Her glasses were split in half, with one side floating above her head, but she didn’t seem to care. She was charging right at me. She just barely missed me. 

“Get away!” I shouted

She showed her teeth. She was ready to bite. She jumped at me, almost like a tiger. Thinking quickly, I grabbed a lower deck chair and hit the invader. 

She fell back. Sparks fell out of her when it did.

She just laid there, groaning in pain. She didn’t look like she was going to get up. I knew I couldn’t just leave her there. But she was lying down, so I thought she wouldn’t be able to enter the house if I went inside quickly and shut the door. I did just that and it worked. But shortly after I did, she got up, lagging while doing so. She then started frantically banging her hands on the door and screaming. 

Projectiles weren’t going to work. I needed the disruptor. Betsy was visibly scared of the loud noises. I scratched her on the head in an attempt to calm her down. I ran to the garage, all while I heard the loud noises of the invader hitting the door and screaming. I grabbed the disruptor and ran back to the door. This was when I ran into a new problem. The invader was right at the door. I couldn’t open it, or she was going to likely get in. The only way I was going to be able to get rid of her was to get on the balcony and fire the disruptor. I quickly ran upstairs to the balcony. This is when I noticed a large problem. There were two more invaders coming towards the house. I pointed the disruptor at the invader banging on the door and fired it.

She yelled out in pain. She ran away, with lag. A puddle of blood laid in front of the door where she stood. While the invader who was just at the door ran away, the other two had started to get closer.

“I will fire this thing!” I threatened

“We-e-e-e will me*&# you up $to the poi@nt where you’re^ unrecogn#izable!” The invader on the left shouted

“I can barely understand you.” I shouted

“That’s because we’re corrupt#46%!” Shouted the other invader. I knew what he was trying to say. I didn’t realize just how glitchy their speech was.

The two invaders attempted to move closer. The right one then suddenly glitched back about two metres.

I laughed at his failed attempt to get closer.

“I W-w-will mess - mess, you up!” The left invader shouted.

“Back off!” I shouted.

The two invaders slowly stepped closer to the balcony. I fired the disruptor at them.

“Ouch!” Shouted the left invader as scars and smoke came out of skin.

The other invader screamed and covered his ears as if I had just blasted some really loud music.

“Leave the backyard!” I yelled at the two invaders.

Both invaders ran away, with extreme lag. They disappeared into the forest. I felt satisfied to see them go.

I walked back inside to grab the pellet gun. I slowly walked out the back door, ensuring Betsy wouldn’t get out. I was ready to shoot these invaders. I didn’t care where. I needed them gone.

Slowly, I walked to check around the side of the house. I checked the side, pellet gun loaded. Nothing. No invaders. They were gone. Just as I needed them. I slowly walked back around to the other side, remaining alert. I checked every tree in the distance from where I was. I saw no invaders. I approached the other end of the house. I took a quick step, with the gun pointed. Also nothing. The invaders were gone.

Perfect

I walked back inside, where Betsy was waiting at the door. I was really happy. The invaders were gone, and Betsy looked very excited. Feeling quite satisfied, I felt like I deserved a slight reward. I walked to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of white wine. I brought the bottle to the table, along with a wine glass. I sat down at the table, opened the bottle and poured myself a glass. I decided to listen to some nice music while I enjoyed my wine. I found a playlist on the internet, connected my phone to the speakers in the living room, and let the tunes play. I didn’t play it too loud. Betsy sat on the floor right next to the seat I was sitting on. She was a really good dog. 

Eighteen minutes passed. There was nothing. No interruptions. Just me and a german shepherd. I pet Betsy while she patiently sat there, staring at me. This was turning into a really good night.

Then the music abruptly stopped. Not for an advertisement or anything. It just stopped.

I took my phone off of the table to see what the issue was. No internet. The internet had stopped. 

My blood ran cold. Invaders were near. They needed to go. I didn’t know how many there were, but every single one of them had to be gone. 

I walked to the back door and looked out. Nothing. I saw no invaders. That made no sense. Why else would the internet suddenly cut out? But there were other windows. I looked through the window in the living room. I still saw no invaders. This was weird. Then I thought of a way I might be able to see them. The balcony.

I ran to the balcony, and Betsy followed me upstairs.

“Sit.” I ordered.

Betsy didn’t listen.

“Sit!” I ordered again.

This time, the dog listened.

I ran to the deck door when I realized I should have brought a weapon with me. I instantly ran back downstairs and grabbed the pellet gun, along with the flashlight and binoculars. I dashed back up the stairs in seconds. I ensured that Betsy wouldn’t get out, and stepped outside. It was a bit of a struggle, but I managed to do it. I stood on the balcony. The sky was dark. There was a slight breeze. I looked all around the backyard. I saw no invaders. I took another look at my phone. Still no internet. And no cell reception. This was weird. I then heard a sound. Static. It was faint, but I still heard it. I could also smell burning. I had the pellet gun ready. I was ready to shoot an invader.

I kept looking around the yard. It was about 11:50 at this point. Then the static turned into a young man’s voice cutting out. The invader must be getting closer. But I still saw nothing. I thought the invader might be under the balcony. I looked over the balcony. I knew it wasn’t the best view, but I still saw nothing. 

That was when I realized where the sound was coming from. Above me. I swiftly looked at the roof, and there he was. An invader. He looked about 23, and was covered in scars. His plaid green shirt was torn and faded. His jeans were loosely ripped off from the knees down. He trembled. Every inch of him was shaking.

He dove in an instant. Head first. I screamed. I just managed to dodge him by a few millimetres. Upon his body slamming into the balcony, green computer code oozed from his scars and disappeared.

“Back off!” I shouted at the invader as I pointed the pellet gun to his head. 

The invader tried to talk, but his voice kept cutting out to the point where I couldn’t make out what he was saying. He was about ten centimetres away from me.

I instantly grabbed a deck chair and pushed him back. This worked. More code came out of his scars, along with some sparks.

“Leave this property this instant!” I yelled.

He gave me an angry stare, his left eye twitching. Then he pounced at me. 

All of a sudden he was gone. But then I heard the sound of something hitting the grass accompanied by a static-filled scream of pain.

I turned to see the invader, lying on the ground a metre behind the deck. He had just tried to attack me and glitched farther away.

I’d had enough of this.

“GO AWAY!” I shouted at the invader.

He slowly got up, his body glitching all over. He was shaking much more vigorously now, but he ran away. It was slow, but he ran away. I watched from the balcony as he left the yard. I said nothing. I just watched.

I looked at my phone. It was 12:15. But I also had one bar of cell phone reception. Things were starting to get better.

I walked back inside, where Betsy was sitting. I gave her a head scratch. I walked downstairs, where Betsy followed. I sat in the kitchen to relax, Betsy sitting next to me. I continued to sit for a few minutes when my phone rang. It was Henry. I answered the phone to see what he needed.

“Hello?” I said.

“Hey Chrissie. I just wanted to see how everything is going.” Henry said.

“It’s going alright. I just fought off a few invaders, they’re gone now. Betsy is perfectly safe.” I explained.

“Good. Wonderful. And this isn’t too much for you?” Henry asked.

“It’s crazy, but I can do it. It’s worked out so far.” I told him.

“It’s great to hear. Grace and I will be heading to bed now. Only call if it’s an emergency.” Henry said.

“Understood.” I responded.

“Alright. Have a nice night.” Henry said before hanging up.

I put my phone back in my pocket and stood up to grab a snack. I decided to pour a bowl of chips for myself. At this point it was 12:28. 

I almost sat down before Betsy started jumping at the back door again. She was very well trained. I looked very closely for invaders, grabbed the pellet gun, and let the dog out when the coast was clear. She did her thing, while I watched closely. Nothing. No glitchy sounds. No burning smell. Nothing. I let Betsy inside and walked to the living room. 

At this point, Betsy was tired. She laid down in the living room to get some rest. 

Now I had to be more careful. I didn’t want to wake up the dog. Things went well for me before, but that was before noise was less of a concern. I knew I had to let the dog sleep. I sat on the couch to relax for about five minutes. I thought five minutes would be fine. And it was. No sign of invaders. Just pure silence. I was happy I remembered to bring a pair of earbuds with me. I plugged them into my phone, put on a playlist, and kicked back on the fancy living room couch. I was seriously considering another glass of wine, but I still had a few hours to go so I decided to play it safe and hold off. 

Minutes passed. Nothing. I just layed down on the couch, listening to song after song. I didn’t necessarily feel super tired since I had some caffeine to help me do this. Taking a long breather felt nice, especially when your favourite songs were playing. 

Twenty-five minutes passed. That was when I knew I had to check again. I stood up and tip-toed to the back door. I looked out the window in all directions the window allowed me to see in. No invaders. I was skeptical. But I still saw nothing. When I was completely sure I didn’t see anything, I opened the back door just a crack. The air smelt fine. I certainly didn’t smell the burning of the invaders. But I wasn’t convinced. I decided to go to the top deck. I grabbed the pellet gun and binoculars and walked up the stairs, all while making minimal noise to let Betsy get her sleep.

Nothing. I saw nothing and heard nothing. Nothing but the slow blowing wind and crickets in the distance. I cautiously stepped outside on the deck. I looked around. The backyard seemed void of any life. No animals. No invaders. Nothing. I was suspicious, but there was no sign of any invaders. My suspiciousness lowered. I had the pellet gun ready, and I was ready to fire. 

Twenty seconds passed.

Nothing.

Then I heard a scream, to the right. It sounded so human. I had the gun pointed at the bushes. I didn’t see any invaders. I considered the possibility of an animal. Maybe it was someone trespassing, which would be an equally big issue. 

“Who’s out there?” I shouted, not letting my guard down.

No response. Just the wind and some crickets in the distance. 

I turned to the right. No sign of anything either. I stepped closer to the right, not getting too far away from the house. I saw nothing. Then the crickets of the night stopped. It was abrupt. I jerked my head 90 degrees to the right, looking right out in the distance. I still saw nothing. 

That was when I heard something that sounded more fitting for the situation. The hum of a computer. I looked all around. There was nothing as far as the eye could see. I kept spinning, trying to find the source of the sound, but I couldn’t find it. I looked all around the backyard. No sign of the source.  It almost felt as if I were surrounded by the sound. I looked around for a solid three minutes, the sound only getting louder. 

Then I heard a shout. The shout that sounded like a zombie from a video game. I turned around instantly. Then I saw the source of the sounds. Another invader. A man who looked to be around thirty years old. His navy blue golf shirt was ripped and burned, blood staining parts of it. His khaki shorts were torn at the bottom of the legs. Scars covered his body. Then there was his eyes. His tired, shaking eyes. We made eye contact, only for a second. You could see the rage in his eyes. 

Suddenly the invader pounced at me, then froze right where he was less than a second after pouncing. The computer hum stopped. I was ready to attack, but he just stood there, looking like he was frozen. Then I looked up. There was a spinning pattern of translucent dots right in front of his face. He was lagging. 

Is this actually happening? I thought.

I began to laugh. Nothing was more funny at that moment in the world. This invader was trying to attack me, and he was just stuck there.

What happened next was what taught me to never let my guard down ever again. 

He became unfrozen. Then he glitched right in front of me. I was in shock. He went from standing two metres in front of me to twenty centimetres in front of me in less than a second. My moment of joy came to a screeching halt. 

“Back off!” I shouted as I hit him with the back of the pellet gun. 

The hit proved to be ineffective. 

“I’ll kill-!” The invader yelled before being cut off by a glitch inside his body.

He tackled me. I fell hard on my back in front of the pool. It was a miracle I didn’t get a concussion. 

I found all the strength in me to push him off and into the pool. I grunted and breathed hard. I wasn’t exactly the strongest girl in town. The splash was loud. The invader shouted and flailed about in the pool. I was panting from pushing him off of me. The invader kept shouting and flaining. I didn’t pay much attention as I was tired from pushing him off of me. I really needed to start working out. 

The invader managed to pull himself out of the backside of the pool. But he didn’t stand up. He just knelt with his upper body hunched over, his right hand on his chest. Tiny electric bolts shot out from his scars. 

“Water!” He shouted in pain. “This electric curse of m-”

His speech was interrupted again by his body glitching. Just for a second, the skin on his head disappeared, showing his skull. I was horrified. I had no idea what the extent of these glitches was. 

The invader started to stand up.

“You will-” His body glitched again. He shook for a second. Sparks and blood drops shot out of his scars, accompanied by a computer glitch sound.

“Back off!” I yelled.

I looked down. The pellet gun laid right in front of me. I picked it up and pointed it right at the invader. 

“Say goodbye!” I shouted as I fired a pellet at the invader.

He yelled in pain as it hit him right in the chest. He limped away. Shaking and glitching as he left the backyard.

My heart was racing. I was breathing heavily. I felt good about fighting off another invader, but goddamn I was exhausted. 

It felt good to have a rest break. Or so I thought.

Right when I thought I could rest, I heard a shock sound right behind me.

I turned around instantly. Another invader stood mere centimetres away from me, covered in scars and wearing torn clothes like the rest. She instantly clawed at me, knocking the pellet gun out of my hand. 

I instantly dashed to the left. The invader jumped at me and managed to push me to the ground. Then I felt a pain in my right elbow. I was hurt and couldn’t defend myself. I needed to get inside. 

The invader attempted to bite me. She quickly lowered her body on top of me, her mouth getting so close. At that moment I just did what I had to do. I punched her right in the head, my elbow still hurting. I just barely managed to escape her. I had not a second to spare. I quickly ran to the back door of the patio, my elbow still hurting. I could hear the invaders footsteps behind me. I dashed into the house and tried to shut the door. Then I ran into another problem. The invader managed to get her hand stuck in the door and was reaching at me.

Great

I thought of what to do. Then I remembered one thing: invaders hate water. That would get rid of her. The kitchen wasn’t far. All I had to do was run to the sink and fill a glass with water. 

BANG!

I didn’t have time to spare. The invader was hitting the window with her fists. I dashed over to the kitchen sink and reached to turn the tap on. When I did, something sudden happened to me. A pain in my elbow. I was so distracted by the invader trying to get in that I completely ignored the pain in my arm. I looked down at it. My elbow was bleeding. It stung like crazy. Now I was really processing my injury. 

BANG!

It didn’t matter now. She kept hitting the window with her hand. I reached for the cabinet with the glasses, grabbed one, filled it with water and ran to the back door.

The invader still stood there. I ran right back over. Her expression went from angry to horrified when she saw the glass of water. I splashed her forearm without hesitation.

She yelled in pain as she held her arm. I wasted no time shutting the door. That was when the pain really sunk in. I had to clean off this wound before it got infected. I quickly dashed to the upstairs washroom.

When I was in the washroom, I turned on the tap and put my elbow in. It stung like crazy. I was seriously worried it would leave a scar. But I still had a house and a dog to protect. The wound was clean. It hurt, but it was clean. I looked under the sink and sure enough I found a bandage big enough to cover it. I needed a break. This was tiring.

I walked out of the washroom and back downstairs. Then I took out my phone. It was 3:22 in the morning.

Almost over.

I walked to the patio door and looked out through the glass. No sign of any recent invaders. That was good. No burning odour or computer sounds. Just the sounds of the night. I was hoping to be able to rest. That was when I saw the Pellet gun, lying there on the deck. I knew I had to grab it. I did one final look around and made sure that there were no invaders nearby. 

I dashed over, grabbed the gun, and ran right back inside. It was so nice to have some time to rest. Then I remembered something. Betsy. I walked to the living room where Betsy was sleeping. There she laid, dreaming away in the early hours of the morning. I couldn’t believe it. She had just slept through all of what had just happened, meanwhile I was working hard as hell to protect this house, and I felt proud that I had been successful. 

It was almost time. The night was going to be over soon. I was happy the end was near, but my heart was still racing. 

I sat on the couch for about twelve minutes. I was starting to calm down. I figured that after twelve minutes, I should do a check for invaders. I grabbed the pellet gun and walked to the upstairs deck. I arrived at the door, quiet as a mouse. I slowly opened the door, prepared for anything. It didn’t look like there were any invaders, but I was prepared nonetheless. I slowly stepped out onto the deck and had the gun ready. I looked out at the wide backyard. Nothing. No invaders as far as the eye could see. Then I took a deep breath to relax. But when I did, I did it through my nose. Then I smelt it. Burning. I looked up in an instant and turned around. There was an invader, standing right on the roof, looking at me. He had just as many scars as the rest. I lifted the gun up and gave him a shot right to the stomach. Smoke and sparks poured right out of his scars and he jerked to the left, sounding like an overrun computer. He fell off the roof and left the property. I was calmer than I was before, but still alert. I looked back out in the backyard. Another invader emerged from the woods. I lifted the gun up, aimed it, and pulled the trigger. Then I ran into an issue I didn’t think of: The pellet gun was empty. 

I need to load this thing now.

The invader still ran. I didn’t have time to lose. I dashed inside, not even bothering to shut the door, and ran to the garage. I found the ammunition, loaded the magazine, and ran right back out, nearly tripping as I left the garage. I sprinted to the back door, where the running, glitching invader stood just 15 metres away, getting closer by the second. I fired a shot, made him stop, and sparks flew out of his body scars.

“Back off!” I yelled.

He stood up slowly, glitching and shaking. 

“I will shoot you again!”

He still continued to rise. He looked ready to charge at me. 

“I warned you!” I said as I fired a pellet at him.

The pellet hit him right in the chest. Sparks splattered about. 

“Iiii*)%6!” The invader said. I had no idea what he was trying to say, but it didn’t matter. The invader slowly glitched away, leaving behind a trail of smoke as he left the backyard. I didn’t have time to celebrate though, for as soon as the one invader left, three others appeared.

They were running at me from the left. I almost felt like I was in a first-person shooter zombie game. I quickly aimed and fired a shot. I hit the middle invader right in the leg. He fell down, sparks and blood shooting out of his body. He began to crawl, but my focus was on the other two invaders. They still ran, shaking and angry. I stepped back and nearly fell into the pool. I didn’t realize how close I was to getting wet. The invaders ran close and almost fell into the pool themselves, standing nearly right in front of me. That was when their computer glitches worked out in my favour. One invader glitched right into the pool. He became drenched in an instant. You could hear his screaming from a mile away. The 3rd invader was angry. She looked like she was my age, smoke-leaking scars and blood covered her from head to toe. I turned the gun around and hit her with the back of it, right in the head. I was lucky to have caught her off guard with that, causing her to get disoriented and be pushed back as sparks left her scars. I was pretty used to how their bodies worked at this point.

Almost over. I thought to myself. I’m going to get $2000 soon.

The invader regained her focus and tried to charge at me. I didn’t hesitate to run. I was being chased all around the backyard. Then the crawling invader managed to stand up during the chase.

How could you forget this guy?

My thoughts didn’t matter though. What mattered was me not being bitten by the invaders. The burning odour filled the air. I couldn’t tell you how long I ran. It felt like forever. 

I kept running. I could hear the invaders getting closer to me. If I didn’t get inside soon, I was going to fail at protecting the house. I needed to get inside. My life depended on it. I eventually had the common sense to run to the back patio door, but I closed it. So I ran straight into the glass like a bird. I did not feel smart. But the invaders did the same thing. 

We were all disoriented. But I instantly stood up and went inside, just barely managing to shut the door and lock it. The invaders kept hitting the glass with their fists. It was amazing that they didn’t break it. I looked to the left into the living room. Betsy was woken up and frightened by the noise. I knew I had to calm her down, so I walked over to her.

“Hey Betsy. It’s okay girl. You’re safe with me. Don’t worry.” I said as I patted her head to comfort her. But the invaders kept banging on the window. My comfort wasn’t enough. She needed to be far away from the invaders. 

I managed to get the tired dog to stand up and follow me upstairs, all while the invaders kept hitting the glass door. I brought Betsy as far away on the second floor as I could. She laid down and continued her unrightfully interrupted sleep. I felt relieved. But the banging continued downstairs.

I instantly ran to the back door. The invaders were still angry and continued to hit the glass. But then I was horrified at what I noticed next. 

Invaders. A few dozen of them. They were running from all around the backyard to the house. Their screaming filled the night, even with the door closed. 

I knew in an instant what I had to do. The antivirus ray. I ran faster than an athlete to the garage, and grabbed the antivirus ray. It was heavy. But it’s what I signed up for. I carried the heavy device to the back door. But then I had another problem. I couldn’t open the back door because of the group of invaders that had grown from 2 to 8. I stood there trying to think, but it was so hard because of what was happening. I stood there for five minutes, trying to figure out what to do and panicking. There was only one way out of this: The upper deck. I hauled the big device up the stairs, hoping that this would work. I opened the door and stepped out.

It was chaos. The invaders shouted. The smell of electric smoke filled the air. They were running all around the backyard, each invader covered in nasty scars. They glitched and glitched. I mounted the heavy device on the deck table, plugged it into an outlet inside and got ready. I pressed the power button. A noise played. Then I pressed the other button. The noise got louder. The orange end lit up and a laser sound played. The end got brighter and brighter. Then things went crazy. All the invaders glitched at once. Red code coming out of their scars. Sparks, blood, and smoke oozed out of their bodies. They screamed in pain. They shook and didn’t stop shaking. It was insane. They all began to retreat, leaving the backyard. Every invader glitched and lagged to no end. After seven minutes of me holding down the ray button, they were gone. All of them. The smell of smoke lingered in the air. When I made sure they were all gone, I let go of the button. I heard nothing. No invaders. It was quiet. I turned the antivirus ray off and walked inside to unplug it. Then I looked at my phone. It was 4:45 am. The invaders rarely showed up after 5. I was almost done. I slowly brought the antivirus ray back into the garage. I was still on alert though. I kept watch of the backyard from downstairs, but didn’t see another invader again. Eventually 5:00 am rolled around. I’d done it. They were gone. I’d protected the house and the dog. At that moment I crashed on the living room couch. I was tired. I’d just pulled an allnighter.

Three hours later

I woke to the sound of the front door opening. I instantly sat up and acted like I’d stayed awake.

“Good morning Chrissie!” Henry said as he and Grace walked in “How did it go?”

“It was crazy.” I responded.

“Yeah well, that’s how it goes. Any issues?” 

“I managed to fend them off and nothing got damaged.”

“Awesome. Was Betsy good?” 

“Yes she was. You’ve got one great dog.”

“Love to hear it. Where is she anyway?”

“She fell asleep upstairs.”

When I said that, Grace walked upstairs to find Betsy. She returned about twenty seconds later with Betsy following her. Betsy started jumping up on Henry, then on me. She was excited and happy again.

“Betsy likes you Chrissie. I can tell you did a great job.”

“Thank you Cole.”

“So for the payment, would you like cash, check, or e-transfer?”

I thought for a second.

“Cash works.”

“All right. Let me walk upstairs and get it.” Henry said as he walked to the stairwell.

Just then, Grace sat down beside me. 

“So Chrissie, did you enjoy watching Betsy?” She asked me.

“Yes I did.”

“Were the invaders hard to fight off?”

“It was a wild ride, that’s for sure.”

“Yes, well, that’s how things go for us. We’re working on more effective ways to fight them.”

“You definitely need that.” I said with a chuckle, which Grace also chuckled at.

Just then Henry walked back downstairs.

“All right Chrissie, here you go.” Henry said as he walked closer with the cash.

I stood up and grabbed the bills. Twenty Robert Bordens. I’d just become 2000 dollars richer. 

“Thank you so much.” I said

“Hey thank you Chrissie, I know how hard it is to fight off those invaders.” Henry responded.

I put the cash in my pocket.

“Well, I better be going now.” I said.

“Without breakfast?” Grace asked.

“I guess I could eat if it’s no trouble for you two.” I responded.

“Of course not Chrissie. You just fended off our house from corrupted invaders trying to kill you.” Grace responded.

“All right then. Does bacon and eggs work?” I asked.

“Certainly.” Henry said “I’ll get to it right away.”

Henry made a very good breakfast with nice, hot coffee for all of us, and we sat and ate. I told them all about fending off the invaders, and taking care of Betsy. The morning was nice. When I finished my food, I stood up to leave.

“Well, thanks for letting me do this.” I said.

“And thank you for protecting our house and dog.” Henry said as he extended his hand. I shook it, then I shook Grace’s hand, and left the house. I was feeling pretty good about what I’d just done. I was tired, but I felt good. And I made some good money. The rest of the day I laid in bed because of my tiredness from staying up all night.

The harsh reality of the world is that natural disasters are entirely unavoidable. Yes, there can be efforts to combat the more significant impacts caused by such catastrophic events. Still, at the end of the day, many countries, like Morocco, are one of multiple places in the world that have to deal with such atrocities. 

On September 8th, 2023, an earthquake hit Morocco around 11:00 PM. The earthquake's magnitude was a solid 6.8 (strong) on the Richter scale and 18.6 km in depth. The most devastating part is that most people, especially children, would be home and asleep when the earthquake hit, causing them to be more susceptible to injury due to the lack of consciousness to get themselves out of danger. The quake's epicentre was in the High Atlas Mountains, close to Marrakesh, a city with 840,000 residents. 

The death toll on the 9th of September totalled at 820 losses. Unfortunately, by the 10th, that number skyrocketed to 2,122 deaths and 2,421 injuries. Multiple homes, schools, and other buildings were destroyed in the aftermath of the earthquake, displacing many families and causing them all to be put in dangerous situations, especially at night when it is cold and dark. Medical facilities were not safe from the impacts either, causing even more harm as the need for healthcare increased from all the injuries. But with multiple casualties and few hospitals, it has been tricky for people to access the necessary care. 

The most impacted areas were the villages around Marrakesh, such as Adassil, with most of it being reduced to rubble and the residents either missing or, unfortunately, deceased.

Here is a link to a website with a map of the impacted areas. The red dots represent areas most likely to have severe damage, and the orange/yellow ones show less damaged places.

Raising awareness for such catastrophes is vital to garner attention and help from other people. What you can do to help out is spread awareness with reliable links on social media and by donating to places that are helping with relief efforts in Morocco.

Sources:

 https://reliefweb.int/disaster/eq-2023-000166-mar

Launched from the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on July 14th 2023, the Chandrayaan-3 was India’s 3rd moon exploration mission. It’s set to operate for 1 lunar day, which is about 14 earth days. It touched down on the moon’s surface on August 23rd 2023. The target landing point was the lunar’s southern region—India is the first country in the world to explore this part of the moon. The total cost of the mission was 6,150,000 rupees (approximately $99,000 CAD). The Chandrayaan-3 consists of the Vikram Lander and the Pragyan Rover.

Building & Preparation:

Both the lander and the rover are equipped with devices to deepen our understanding of the moon. Unlike its predecessor, the Chandrayaan 2, the lander does not include an orbiter to assist with navigation. However, the orbiter from the previous mission is still active and in use by ISRO. Instead of an orbiter, Chandrayaan-3 includes a device that will observe earth from the moon in the same way we observe other planets. This will provide information for future missions.

The Vikram Lander is box shaped with 4 landing legs and 4 thrusters, and it weighs about 1749.86 kg. It also has solar panels on the sides and a variety of sensors such as: star sensors, an inclinometer, and touchdown sensors. It is also equipped with many cameras, 4 engines, and an X-Band antenna for communication. The Lander has 4 main exploration devices which make up its payload. The first is the Radio Anatomy of Moon Bound Hypersensitive Ionosphere and Atmosphere (RAMBHA), which is used to measure how the gas and plasma environment changes overtime. The second is the Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment that measures the thermal properties of the surface. The third device is called the Instrument For Lunar Seismic Activity, its purpose is to measure the seismic activity at the landing site to precisely portray the crust of the subsurface. The final device is the Laser Retroreflector, which is used for laser ranging. Laser ranging is shooting a laser at a reflective surface and seeing how long it takes to bounce back. It’s a common way to assess the distance from earth to other planets and is often used on the moon itself.

The Pragyan Rover is rectangular in shape with 6 wheels. It is equipped with solar panels, navigation cameras, and an antenna to communicate with the lander. It also includes 2 devices for space exploration. One of these is called the Lander Induced Breakdown, which determines the minerals and chemical composition of the surface. The second device is the Alpha Particle X-Ray, used for identifying the elements that make up the surface. In total, the rover weighs about 26 kg.

The Rover’s payload is much more advanced and geared towards the details that couldn’t be identified at first glance. This is because the lander will be rooted to one spot and focused on communicating with ISRO back on earth while the Pragyan Rover explores the moon and assesses the environment.

Objective & Potential Obstacles:

The area the rover is meant to explore is the permanently shadowed regions in the lunar south pole. Scientists believe that frozen water can be found in these craters and could be used for future missions. However, this mission is especially difficult, as proven by the previous 2 failed missions to explore the same area. This is due to the lunar dust that has the potential to damage or jam mechanisms in both the lander and the rover. Lunar dust is not the same as dust found on earth; it can stick to objects and possibly interfere with the mission.

Chandrayaan 2:

Chandrayaan 2 was the initial failed mission to explore the southern region of the moon. It remains a disappointment for ISRO, but they were able to learn from it. Chandrayaan 2 was equipped with an orbiter which was dispatched en route to the landing site before the crash happened. Due to a software glitch the lander lost contact with ISRO and debris was found about 750 metres from the landing site. However, the orbiter is still active and now scans the moon’s craters for formed ice. Though these errors were difficult to predict and prevent, we have now learned from them, and ISRO has made improvements to Chandrayaan-3’s design and software in order to avoid making the same mistakes.

Citizens’ Reactions/Celebrations:

Many people across India watched a livestream of the launch, and it was played for students in most schools. Prayers took place in temples, and the Prime Minister has been congratulated by other world leaders. Not only is it India’s most significant scientific achievement, but it’s also considered a step forward for all of humanity. Some common newspaper headlines include: “The Moon is Indian”, “India Goes Where No Nation has Gone Before”, and “India Lights up the Dark Side of the Moon”. It was truly a moment of national pride.

Sources:

https://www.planetary.org/space-missions/chandrayaan-3

https://www.reuters.com/technology/space/moon-rover-exits-indias-chandrayaan-3-spacecraft-explore-lunar-surface-tv-2023-08-24/

https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=CHANDRYN3

https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/07/world/india-lunar-lander-chandryaan-mission-obit-scn/index.html

https://www.isro.gov.in/Chandrayaan3.html

Hey Grade 12’s, this article is for you! 

If you are a graduating student and looking to apply for post-secondary options.  Make sure to keep an eye out for the events coming up that can give you a better idea of what schools you may want to attend. 

For students who want to apply to university, there are multiple upcoming fairs and virtual information sessions that you may want to look into! The OUF is a fair that gathers multiple universities at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from 10 am to 5 pm from October 21st to the 22nd. It is the perfect opportunity to talk to university representatives and discover the many different university programs available. If you want to visit their website for more information, make sure to go to the guidance classroom or even the website  https://www.ontariouniversitiesevents.ca/ouf/ to check it out! 

Another university fair to look out for is the Region Fair which goes to multiple cities around the province to give you information about universities in Ontario. The fair gives you the chance to speak to many different people including current and past students from many different universities in Ontario.  This fair takes place starting September 25th to November 13th, stopping at many different cities. To find the closest city to you at which they are stopping, check out the grade 12 guidance classroom or you could go to the website  https://www.ontariouniversitiesevents.ca/regional. 

Along with the fairs, there are also other upcoming events that can help you get ready to apply for university, including a “how to apply to university” information session coming to Glenview on October 11th. Make sure to save the date!

Many students will also be looking into college applications, and if you’re that student, then here are some upcoming events you should be looking out for!

There is a college fair coming up at Conestoga College. If you are looking for some inspiration as to where to apply, then make sure to visit the fair on Monday October 30th from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. Here, you can learn more about the colleges in Ontario, as well as what schools and programs you may want to attend. This is a great fair to go to if you are unsure of where you want to go, but know you want to go to college! If you need any more information about this fair, such as what schools will be there, then make sure to check out the grade 12 guidance classroom! 

If you are interested in applying to college make sure to attend the“how to apply to college” presentation being given at our school on October 31st. This will be a great way to begin to understand how to apply to these schools. Hopefully, this article informs you on the many upcoming opportunities, so you don’t have to be as stressed as you probably are now! Make sure to keep an eye out on the calendar and the grade 12 guidance class for any important events!  Wishing all grade 12’s some luck in their upcoming applications! 

GPSS Sports! Back For The Season

Following the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year, sport teams have been gathering members. They may span across many fields and arenas and yet they are united through representation of our school. Now, only a couple weeks into the school year, we have a handful of teams. For our fall sports season, we are lucky to have a Jr. and Sr. football team, a field hockey team, a cross-country team, a Jr boys volleyball team, a Sr. boys volleyball team, and a Jr. and Sr. girls basketball team. Our athletes are hard at work practicing and preparing for the upcoming season and hopefully all their hours spent before school, at lunch, and after school will pay off. 

Though the games have only begun to start, the beginning of the season for the Sr. Football team has been great to say the least. Our seniors played against Preston and won by a landslide with 36 - 0, not letting them hope to see the end zone throughout the entire game. The Jr. Football team also had a good game on the 21st and they made many good plays, however the game ended at 20 - 36. They played well but it came down to a few slip-ups that decided the victor. 

The Girls Basketball teams have both had great starts to the season. The Jr. team has had two games so far. They had a great game on the 19th and they won 43-31, but on the 21st they lost 14-46. However our Senior team has been quite busy and successful. So far, they’ve had five games, including a tournament. In the tournament they won a game, but lost the next two. After that, in the regular season, they did awesome in both games. In their first game, they won 52-21 and did amazing in their next game, winning 64-8. Overall, their hard work has paid off and it looks like it will be a great season for them. 

Despite the season not having begun for them, the cross country team has been training and preparing. They have been doing practices and participating in “fun runs” throughout all of our region.  We’ve got a hard-working group of seventeen in that lineup, so be sure to cheer for them to continue to represent our proud school spirit.

From where we’re at, our sports seasons are looking great. All of our teams are putting in a lot of work and effort into the beginning of the season, and it will surely pay off down the line. We’re fortunate to have these great athletes, coaches, and students.

We’ll see you next month Panthers!

Spoiler Alert :o

The story of “Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood” follows the events of Edward Elric and his brother, Alphonse Elric, attempting to get their bodies back after using alchemy as a means to bring their dead mother back to life. What is alchemy, you ask? Alchemy is the science of creating nearly anything in exchange for something else of equal value. In order to get their bodies back, Alphonse and Edward must find the philosophers’ stone, which is the one thing able to bypass equivalent exchange to get their bodies back. The anime is set up in a way that grasps the audience's attention and makes it easy to follow along with the story. The plot is engaging, with the concepts of science, brotherhood, mystery, magic, and loss of innocence all playing an important role in how the characters progress, which, in turn, adds more depth to the world-building. The show captivates the audience's interest from an early start when introducing the tragedies of the brother's past alongside their losses. The first episode shows the brothers heading to Central City and helping out with the defeat of rampage alchemists, only for it to be revealed that the brothers had committed an alchemist's greatest act of taboo. They performed “Human Transmutation.” The anime goes into grave detail about their past relationships that slowly are revealed as you spend more time watching the show. The concepts are very entertaining, and the show also has a touch of humour and mystery. Unlike other anime, FMAB has a clear route it follows to make all sorts of fans happy, ranging from its great character arcs/developments to mystery, story-telling, and world-building. The show also covers lots of important issues, such as the consequences of war and one's own actions, the misuse of power, the importance of maintaining proper relationships, and so on. The characters in FMAB are incredibly written; the main characters all have enticing backstories alongside development that does them justice, which flows perfectly with the arc and plot in mind. Specifically, the female characters are represented excellently, unlike many animes where there is poor representation of well-written female characters due to excessive amounts of fan service and misogynistic views on how women should act. The relationships of the characters in the show are well thought out as the two brothers come to understand one another better through each and every sacrifice they make to compensate for the consequences of their past mistakes. There are amazingly written dynamics within plenty of the characters where you see unusual and opposing personalities come together, creating great storytelling. Using character building also adds to character redemptions and developments by understanding the perspectives of their enemies or counterparts. Biblical references such as the seven deadly sins are referenced in the show, but the way they are integrated into the plot feels natural rather than a forced religious idea. The plot twists mixed in with sudden comedic relief tie into the perfection of how the series creates balance and caters to a wide array of fans to please everyone. The show's ending feels like a gift wrapped with a ribbon on top, with everything having a satisfactory solution. FMAB does not leave uncompleted characters and always goes into depth behind character arcs by explaining the primary basis or motives of the characters while also not straying too far from the plot and vibe the anime is trying to set. Having that build-up of little unsolved questions leads to a great finale where many of the characters end up being involved in a similar situation but for different reasons. The show deals with different perspectives and story-telling narratives while also keeping a consistent level of curiosity for the audience, leaving fans at the edge of their seats every episode. Besides the plot and characters, the show also has excellent pacing in terms of how each arc is set out in a way where the show still seems interesting after the 20th or so episode. FMAB is a reboot of the first series, Fullmetal Alchemist. FMAB has shown the original manga justice by following several of the manga's events rather than making up a story as the show progresses. The show is just right in terms of series length, making sure to really touch on the depth of the story and resulting in a perfect anime for beginner fans and long-running watchers as well. If there is time in your day to start watching FMAB, I suggest you start now!

Are you interested in anime? Here are a couple of shows for you!

T.V and entertainment have always been something many enjoy around the world collectively, and with the rising popularity of anime, loads of new shows have come out waiting to be picked up by people wanting to watch them. If you’re a new anime fan, or even just someone looking for new shows, this list is for you. Here are four action-based anime that I would recommend to anyone interested.

1. Yona of the Dawn

We’ll start with a classic genre: romance involving action. For this, viewers recommend “Yona Of the Dawn”, a female lead action/romance anime with humor and sadness mixed into 24 episodes. The show revolves around the main character, Yona, who is a sheltered young girl who, after witnessing her crush, Suwon, execute her father, has to run away from him with her childhood friend Hak to survive. Throughout the show you see her build new relationships and grow stronger as a character, showing true development, especially in an industry where it is mostly male-dominated. Of course, it has some romance incorporated, but overall is great for anyone looking for some light-hearted action.

2. Demon Slayer

From light-hearted, to heavy, this show revolves around Tanjiro, the main character, who after discovering his family slain at home by a demon, goes on a journey to find the murderer and execute him. He takes along with him his now demon sister who he intends to cure after she survived an attack by the antagonist and assailant, Kibutsuji Muzan. Although, on the more gory side, you see so many characters come into play with heartbreaking backgrounds, funny relationships and interactions, as well as, of course, some action that has you on the edge of your seat due to phenomenal animation and dialogue. 

3. Jujutsu Kaisen

Follow Itadori Yuji, a 15-year-old high school student who ends up swallowing a cursed finger possessed by “The King of Curses”, Sukuna, and the action-packed intensity that follows. Here we have empowering female characters and strong antagonists paired, with fight scenes that are intense, and stories that make you think. The show has gore, but humor as well with the occasional serious moment, and a fantastic soundtrack to go along with it.

4. Spy x Family

Do you enjoy a casual show with a cute plotline and the occasional action? Well, Spy x Family is the show for you! Fun? Check. Cute? Check. Action? Check. Was cute mentioned? Well, a check for that again! The show is based on an undercover spy “Twilight” who has to start a family to complete a mission. He adopts the name “Loid Forger”, adopts a kid named Anya who can read minds, and spontaneously marries Yor Briar, a government worker by day, and an assassin by night, all for this one mission. A spy, an assassin, and a telepathist, what could go wrong? Follow this makeshift family as they try to navigate through life. Oh, and only one of the three family members knows everyone's true identity… can you guess who?

Some honourable mentions are; Bungo Stray Dogs, Naruto/Shippuden, Assassination Classroom, 91 Days, Saiki K, B: The Beginning, Moriarty the Patriot, and many more. These are just a few shows that on average have high ratings from viewers. The list could go on forever, but this is it for today. Have fun and enjoy watching!

Coming across good fantasy books with engaging stories can be hard to find these days, especially when there’s so much variety of books to choose from. In this article, I’ll briefly go through some good fantasy book series that I personally enjoyed and a quick summary of each.

Just a reminder that this isn’t written in any specific order.

1. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter is one of the well-known ones on this list, with more than 500 million copies of the book sold worldwide, you can probably understand why it’s hyped up so much. The series consists of seven books, all very well-written and constructed. The first book starts with a 10-11 year-old boy named Harry Potter, whom his whole life lived with his abusive aunt and uncle, believing that both his parent's death and the mysterious scar on his forehead were because of a car accident. Little did Harry know that he was a wizard, and he was invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. From that point on, Harry’s whole life changed, from taking magical classes to unveiling a darker plot taking place in the shadows. One thing I love about the Harry Potter series is that you get to read through Harry growing up, since every book is one year apart, letting the readers have an insight into how Harry goes from a little boy to one of the most astonishing wizards in all of history. I would definitely recommend this book, for its creativity and amazing plot.

2. The Hobbit + Lord of The Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

This is also a very well-known series on the list, and many have at least heard of it before if not have watched the movies or read the books. “The Hobbit” is technically not part of the Lord of the Rings series (which has three books), but it’s a stand-alone novel that takes place a few years before Lord of the Rings and I personally recommend reading it before the series to understand some points made in it. Both books take place in a high fantasy world full of dwarves, elves, hobbits, orcs, wizards, men etc. The Hobbit follows a simple hobbit named Bilbo on an adventure from fighting monsters to slaying dragons, all for the conquest of gold. Lord of the Rings is about another hobbit named Frodo (Bilbo’s nephew), who finds himself having to protect a ring against evil enemies, and ultimately adventure through many places to destroy its sinister power. That’s just a brief recap of what it’s about, and I definitely recommend reading it, the plot is very well thought of and is worth reading. 

3. Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan 

Probably another well-known one, Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a great book series to read when you’re in the mood for fantasy/action. The series has seven books that revolve around Greek mythology. The books are about the adventures and hardships of a boy named Percy Jackson, his father is the water god Poseidon and his mother is a human, making him a half blood. Half bloods in the normal world are targets for monsters, since the stronger they become, the more monsters come after them, which is why they usually go to a camp called “Camp Half Blood'' that keeps them safe from the monsters. After Percy goes to the camp after an unfortunate incident, he realizes that many great yet dangerous quests lie ahead of him. I personally liked the Percy Jackson series a lot, for both the characters and the plot. I would definitely recommend reading this if you’re into Greek mythology, fantasy or action.

4. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Personally, I haven’t read this book, but I’ve heard lots of good reviews about it, so I decided to list it here. The series has nine books in total, and the genre is high fantasy based on Celtic mythology. The story starts with an assassin named Celaena Sardothien, who is imprisoned for her crimes in the world’s most treacherous prison, but when she strikes a deal with the King’s son, she enters a survival competition that decides her fate, although there are far more secrets behind Celaena than meets the eye. Read through this series to go through a large adventure full of magic and action. Although I haven’t read it yet, the plot sounds promising and I’d definitely recommend trying this book series out.

5. Shadow and Bone + Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

This is another one I haven’t read, but have heard that it’s really good! Shadow and Bone has four books that are all high fantasy. Shadow and Bone follows a world torn apart by war, and a country separated by a massive strip of darkness called the fold, which possesses monstrous creatures in it called Volcra. The only hope to get rid of the fold is an alleged legend of a Grisha (magical beings) that is a sun summoner, someone who can finally destroy the fold to stop the war. An ordinary cartographer named Alina Starkov soon realizes that she is the sun summoner, and now she must use her powers for the better good, or risk getting caught with the wrong side. Six of crows only has two books, but I decided to list it as a series anyways, since a lot of people like it. The book is about Kaz Brekker and his crew, who attempt to pull off an impossible heist for a large reward. Little did they know that their mission could prevent the destruction of the world. The Six of Crows events take place after Shadow and Bone, so I’d recommend you read Shadow and Bone first. Although I haven’t read both yet, they sound really interesting, and I’d definitely recommend these books to people who like fantasy and action!

That’s the end of the list for now, I hope you guys have a chance to try out some of these books!

Hey Panthers! Do you want some incredible suggestions for movies releasing this year? There are a bunch of Incredible movies that are coming out to theaters in 2024, so here is a list and a description of some of the most exciting releases of 2024, some of which are already out, and some that are coming out soon!

  The first movie is Dune Part 2, following Dune Part 1. This incredible movie stars Timothy Chalamat, Zendaya, Josh Brolin, Rebecca, Ferguson, Florence Pugh and many more incredible actors. This movie will come out on March 1st. The movie will follow the events of Dune Part 1 as Paul at Reed's continues his journey and then reunites with Chain and Fremen. He seeks to find revenge on the conspirators who completely destroyed his family, and he also wants to prevent a horrible future even though he's the only one who can predict it.

The next movie is the Bob Marley movie. This movie came out on February 14th. It's called Bob Marley One Love and it's about the well-known famous singer Bob Marley who overcomes his hardships in the world to become one of the most famous Reggae musicians ever. This movie will tell his story, and it stars Kingsley Ben-Adier, Lashana Lynch, Michael Gandolfini, James Norton and many more stars.

Looking ahead, we are adding another Despicable Me movie to the franchise. Coming this summer is Despicable Me 4. This movie continues after the first three Despicable Me movies. It stars original actors Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Dana Guier and Miranda Cosgrove along with many other very famous stars. Following the events of the first three movies, Gru is now a father who wants to keep a peaceful existence after stopping his criminal adventures. Still, he soon gets dragged back into it when another criminal mastermind escapes from prison and vows revenge against him. This movie comes out on July 3rd, 2024 and is definitely going to be a big hit with the crowds!

  Another movie that we can get excited about that has been a long time coming is actually Inside Out 2. This movie comes out on June 14th, and oh boy, is it going to be an interesting one. This movie takes place after the events of the first Inside Out movie. Riley, the main character, is now becoming a teenager, and her emotions are running wild. Joy, sadness, anger, fear, and disgust have kept it running extremely smoothly since the events of Inside Out, but when another new emotion shows up called anxiety, they aren't too sure how they feel about it. This movie stars Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black, Tony Hale, Maya Hawk and many different more big names. This movie is an exciting one for a lot of people because it gives them Nostalgia for those many years ago when we all first watched that first movie.

Therefore don't forget Panthers, to go out and see so many interesting and new movies in the months coming up. There, of course, are many other movies that are coming out this year, so attached below is a link if you are interested in keeping an eye out on some of your favorites Panthers!

Top Movies 2024!

With March break beginning tomorrow, many people plan to travel for a vacation or visit family. However, if you don't already have any plans over March break, here are some activities that the Panther Post has put together so that you have something to occupy yourself with, apart from staying inside on your phone all day or sleeping in.

1. Lose yourself in a novel. Either an educational non-fiction book or a book that you’ve been meaning to read for a while! There’s truly no secret to becoming a reader; just open a book and start reading! Check out Glen's Picks for inspiration. 

2. Feeling nostalgic? Bake a treat from your childhood! You can also bake some recipes your fellow panthers created here.

3. Grab your favourite blanket, a tray, and hold a picnic or an outdoor potluck with your friends or family! Try and go the extra mile and designate a particular theme for the potluck, such as everyone bringing their own coloured food tray or a ¨breakfast for dinner¨ theme!

4. Read an educational article or an article that piques your interest. If you´re struggling with sitting down and reading a book - or if you don't like reading books in general, then articles may be a better option than books. You can explore articles related to sports, psychology, or even the articles on our website!

5. Call an old friend you haven't seen in a while or a family member who lives far away. They’ll appreciate hearing a heartfelt message from you!

6. Get outdoors! Go on a walk, visit a park or a trail, or walk along the Grand river. Connect with and enjoy nature! 

7. If you don't like spending time outside, try doing something that you like, but outdoors! For example, you could read, knit, eat, or even paint outside.

8. Draw or paint something beautiful! Such as drawing a portrait of your pet or a tall, beautiful tree outside. Don't just stop there! If you’re experiencing art block, then explore various sketchbook prompts online!

9. If you’re not very artistic, crafts may be more suitable for you. These could be crocheting, knitting, embroidering, or paper crafts, which you can find on the internet!

10. Practice mindful scrolling. Instead of mindlessly scrolling on the internet to pass time, practice being more mindful when scrolling. This means paying more attention to what you consume on the internet and reflecting on why you are scrolling. So instead of consuming random content online, only consume content which is important to you. This could be content related to art, literature, philosophy, or math. 

11. Take the time to journal. Although many of the items on this list are entertaining or exciting, sometimes you need to take the time to relax, unwind, and express your thoughts. Journaling can be the perfect outlet for this!

12. Start your morning or afternoon with a wordle or a crossword puzzle. Doing a word game or a puzzle can allow you to wake yourself up, be creative, and improve your concentration. 

13. Practice or hone in a skill that you’re learning. This could be a language, a particular technique from a sport that you play, drawing, or even the charleston dance! 

These are just a few ideas on how to pass the time over the March break. Whatever you may choose to do over the break, hopefully, you still take the time to be mindful and do something good for your mental and physical well-being. Enjoy your March break, Panthers! 

I Hate It Here is a poetic song about the practical and passionate routes one can take in life, and how longing for the past often creates distorted images in our mind of the things we think we miss.

Swift first addresses how many are forced to give up their passions in life in lieu of taking the more practical route, through the following lyric:

Quick, quick

Tell me something awful

Like you are a poet trapped inside the body of a finance guy

She goes on to explore the way life often forces us into a shell as we grow older, changing our personalities and making us more ashamed of what makes us who we are.

You see I was a debutante in another life but

Now I seem to be scared to go outside

This causes us to seek refuge in our minds, not feeling at home anywhere in the real world;

I hate it here so I will go to

Secret gardens in my mind

People need a key to

The only one is mine

I read about it in a book when I was a precocious child

An additional meaning to this verse could be a reference to the novel, The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, the story of a young girl who faces a terrible tragedy and finds her happiness again by discovering a garden that she accesses with a key.

The next theme Swift delves into is the idea of nostalgia, and how it can often play tricks on our minds. This feeling is more common in older generations, who often refer to certain time periods as the “good old days”, when in reality, things were changed for a reason.

My friends used to play a game where

We would pick a decade

We wish we could live in instead of this

I’d say the 1830s but without all the racists and getting married off for the highest bid

Our minds often romanticise the past as a coping mechanism for our current problems, but it’s important to recognize that the times we find ourselves wishing we could go back to have valid reasons for having been left behind. Swift emphasises this in her next lyric,

Nostalgia is a mind’s trick

If I’d been there, I’d hate it

It was freezing in the palace

The palace she’s referring to is the times we think we miss, but were actually terrible, especially for women. A palace seems beautiful and grand from first glance, but inside the only thing you can feel is the cold.

Like many of us, Swift dreams of a place where kindness thrives, rather than the dog eat dog world we currently live in.

When they found a better planet

Only the gentle survive

I dreamed about it in the dark

The night I felt like I might die

She expresses her longing for a world that contradicts the idea of ‘survival of the toughest’ and hopes that one day we will all find our peace with ourselves and each other.

There could be many interpretations for this song’s meaning (like many of her songs), this is just the way I interpret it, as a commentary on the world we live in and feeling a constant longing for a home that may not exist.

Action, Stunts and Drama! What more can you ask for from a summer blockbuster? Well, that is exactly what the movie “The Fall Guy” brought to the table. This movie came out with fire and blaring music on May 3rd, in Canada. With a stunning cast including Ryan Gosling (Barbie), Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Marvel Cinematic Universe, Bullet Train) and Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso). This movie hit it out of the park with its impressive stunts and music. To prove that this blockbuster is just amazing in every single way, I will break down some of the amazing things that this movie has brought to the table.

#1 - The Cast.

What more convincing do you need than Ryan Gosling being in yet another huge movie? He may be just Ken, but him being in a movie after winning his Oscar nomination makes him just that much better. Ryan Gosling continues to shock his fans by the crazy amount of talent he has and him being right next to Blunt in this movie makes it just 100 times better! 

Emily Blunt brings her A-game to her acting as she stands out in yet another movie. Her character in “The Fall Guy” breaks all sorts of standards for women in film as the director of an action movie; she stands out as an inspiration for aspiring women filmmakers. 

Aaron Taylor-Johnson makes a great addition to the cast as he continues to prove himself as an excellent film actor and action man. Playing alongside the main star in this movie, he proves himself time and time again to be excellent in action comedies, as he has continued to excel in his acting since being inducted into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Having been in David Leitch’s previous movie “Bullet Train”, he brings plenty of action and acting experience to this movie. Taylor-Johnson makes the watcher hate his rude and passive aggressive character, but loves him as an actor. 

As her fame and success continues, Hannah Waddingham makes another huge appearance in this movie as Gail, the wayward producer. After her success on the Emmy winning show “Ted Lasso”, where she earned herself an Emmy for her role, Waddingham rose to fame. As a result, she has been included in some of the biggest movies of 2024, one of those being this movie. As many know her from “Game Of Thrones”, playing a villain comes very easily to her as she manages to just absolutely nail her role. 

#2 - The Music.

With an excellent movie comes an excellent soundtrack, which is what this movie brought. This soundtrack is super catchy, including songs from Taylor Swift, to songs from DJ Khaled. A movie with so much action needs some powerful songs, and that is exactly what we get.

These songs included:

• “I Was Made for Lovin’ You” performed by KISS & YUNGBLUD.

• “Thunderstruck” performed by AC/DC.

• “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” performed by Taylor Swift.

• “All I Do Is Win” performed by DJ Khaled.

• “Any Way You Want It” performed by Journey.

• “Genie in a Bottle” performed by Christina Aguilera.

All of these songs are global hits and due to this, it makes this movie so much more entertaining! 

#3 - The Romance

In this movie there is a romantic side to Ryan Gosling’s character, Colt Seavers. Colt Seavers used to date Emily Blunt’s character, Jody Moreno and comes back to the movie industry after being a stunt guy to try to save his ex-girlfriend’s movie that she has now become a director of. 

This movie had it all! Stunts, romance and laughs. Therefore, making this movie super incredible to watch for the love plot, as you can tell, he really does like her and he really wants to help her save her movie. By the end of this movie, they get back together and manage to save the movie.

There are numerous points I can make about why this movie is probably going to be one of the biggest summer movies of the year. Obviously, I think this movie was one of the better movies I have seen recently, as it had everything I was looking for going into a summer blockbuster. From the cast of amazing award-winning actors to the soundtrack to the romance, this movie was a great package. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who’s interested in the world of action, as well as the world of filmmaking. 

Looking for a way to occupy your many hours of free time this summer? Worried you’ll end up wasting away on the couch or on your phone? Try this list!

1.  Strawberry Picking

Feast your eyes upon the many strawberry patches that grace our province (and later feast literally), and enjoy a warm afternoon picking strawberries at one of the lovely locations listed below!

• Fays Strawberry Patch

• Gillespie’s Garden

• Marcy’s Berries

2. Hiking

Bask in the beauty and peacefulness of Southern Ontario’s many hiking trails, and turn to Mother Nature to ease your worries.

• Mill Run Trail

• Grand Trunk Trail

• Dumfries Conservation Area

3. Picnic

Pack a couple of snacks and drinks and head out to one of the three following locations with a group of friends!

• Valens Lake Conservation Area

• Riverside Park

• Chilligo Conservation Area

4. Camping

Spend a night under the stars, in front of a toasty campfire and enjoy the sweet warmth of smores. This can all be done under the beautiful canopy of forestry covering Southern Ontario:

• Flamboro Valley Camping Resort

• Pine Valley Park

• Pinehurst Lake

5. Canada’s Wonderland

Feel the adrenaline and rush of flying through the air at Canada’s Wonderland. Nothing can beat the sensation of a roller coaster taking your breath away and enjoying the thrill with all your friends.

6. Gardening

Take a breather and enjoy the serenity of gardening and bringing colour through a diverse array of flowers and vegetables. Nurture their growth and find joy in creating something so lively and rich from scratch. Below is a list of flowers that are easy to plant and maintain for beginners!

• Sunflowers

• Marigolds

• Cosmos

• Petunia

• Aster

• Zinnia

7. Spa

Press pause on the world around you and relax at the many spas available. From the saunas to the ice rooms, from the massages to the facials, let go of all troubles within the peaceful ambiance and come out anew.

• GoPlace Spa

• The Spa Cambridge

8. Butterfly Conservatory

Enjoy the luscious butterfly gardens, and take in the extent of Earth’s fascinating natural beauty through these unique creatures.

9. Pottery

Embrace your creativity and imagination through pottery making, challenge yourself and make something that encompasses the individuality of your mind.

• Play With Clay

• Glazed Expressions

10.  Art Crawl

Hamilton hosts a beautiful display of artistry and culture every year, where attendees of all ages can enjoy various food and drink, entertainment, shopping, and of course, many galleries. Check it out every second Friday of the month.

Sources:

https://www.hgtv.com/outdoors/flowers-and-plants/flowers/13-cant-kill-flowers-for-beginners-pictures

https://tourismhamilton.com/guide-to-hamiltons-art-crawl/

https://www.thespacambridge.ca/#

Sugar Cookies

Easy, fragrant with butter, and topped with colourful sprinkles, these three-ingredient cookies are perfect for any day and make a fantastic Holiday sweet treat!

Ingredients 

• 1 stick of room temperature butter (114g) 

• ⅓ cup granulated sugar 

• 1 cup all-purpose flour 

Recipe 

1. Preheat the oven to 325℉. 

2. Add the butter and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl. 

3. Cream the butter and sugar using a hand mixer until light and fluffy (you can also do this by hand with a whisk) 

4. Now add the all-purpose flour and mix until combined. The texture will be slightly crumbly, but that’s okay. 

5. Using your hands, form and roll around 1”  balls of dough and place them on a lined cookie sheet. 

6. Pat the balls down so they form a disk shape, and add sprinkles if you would like, or just leave them bare. 

7. Bake them for about 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Serve and enjoy! 

Banana Bread

This is a perfect, simple, and delicious recipe if you’re craving some banana bread but only have one or two bananas sitting in your kitchen! 

Ingredients 

• One large banana or two small bananas (ripened) 

• One egg 

• Milk 

• One teaspoon of vanilla extract

• One stick of butter 

• One cup of sugar 

• One and a half cups of all-purpose flour 

• One teaspoon of baking soda 

• ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder (optional) 

• ⅓ cup walnuts (optional) 

• ⅓ cup chocolate chips (optional) 

• Brown sugar (optional) 

Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 350℉. 

2. Crack one egg in a measuring cup and fill it with milk until it reaches the one-cup mark. 

3. Put the egg & milk mixture in a mixing bowl, then add the butter & bananas to the mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer/food mixture until well combined. 

4. Add all the dry ingredients (sugar, all-purpose flour, baking soda) in a different bowl and stir them well. 

5. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix. Add the cinnamon powder and vanilla extract and combine well. 

6. Add crushed walnuts and chocolate chips and combine (optional)

7. Butter your loaf pan with melted butter and sprinkle some sugar and cinnamon powder inside the pan. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 50-60 minutes (to check if the bread is baked insert a toothpick in the middle of the bread and take it out, if the toothpick is clean, the bread is baked). 

8. Serve fresh from the oven with a cup of hot chocolate or coffee!

Earlier in the school year, I remember walking into the nutrition for learning room and smelling the delicious, sweet, and nutty aroma of Thai coconut curry soup being served. After tasting it, I planned on finding a recipe as close to the real thing as soon as I got home! Here is that recipe, which I’ve been making for months and months. This is the perfect recipe for a fun meal at the end of the week or to bring to a potluck dinner.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon or large drizzle of olive oil

• 1 ½ pounds or 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 1 onion, diced

• 1 red bell pepper, diced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 3 tablespoons red curry paste

• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

• 3-6 cups chicken broth (depending on how thick you like your soup)

• 1 can coconut milk

• 4 ounces rice noodles

• 1 tablespoon fish sauce

• ½ cup or a handful of chopped fresh cilantro leaves

• 1 squeezed lime or 2 tablespoons lime juice

• 2 teaspoons brown sugar (optional)