Blessed Pope John Paul II presents:

Off The WallWinter IssueDecember 2013 Volume 30 Issue 2

Marian Sia, grade 12

We have been looking for this event to come since school started! Finally, the season of Christmas has come, and our Winter Break is only days away. Maybe looking back at what has happened over the winter season can add to our ap-preciation of what is to come - as they say, ‘bitterness adds sweetness to sweet.’So whether you read this while in class, while you’re getting ready to go trick-or-treating, or perhaps when you’re settling under a `blanket of protection’ ready for a marathon of horror movies, we hope that the content of this issue puts you in the Christmas spirit.

The school year has just begun and so many events have already transpired. I’m sure you have all heard about the Syr-ia Crisis, but have you heard about the shooting in a mall in Nairobi, or the capsizing of a boat in Nigeria? There are also local events right here in Toronto that sparked the interest of many citizens like Nuit Blanche, We Day, and the unveiling of Toronto`s newest, and tallest mural. How about in your community? As soon as school resumed, the Grade 9s went to Camp White Pine, the Environmental Council hosted an assembly that featured the MBM rock band, and Free the Children soon followed hosting an assembly that featured the Kenya Boys Choir. If you really feel like getting into the Halloween spirit, then read our new Short Story section: Cinnamon in Wonderland! Every issue this year will feature a short story relevant to the theme of the newspaper, for your entertainment. So read on and don’t miss out! Speaking of entertainment, in addition to our media reviews, this year, we have added an Advice section, where you can save money and have a blast on Halloween, and try a vegetarian recipe for a change. Lastly, for your convenience of reading pages that are of your interest, located at the right side or left side of each page is the name of the category of the articles. On behalf of the Off The Wall staff, we would like to thank you for your support and have a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!

Page 3 Council Blurbs Page 4 Inside Look Teacher Feature: Mr.Adams New Technology at Pope Third Teacher Project IB De-Stress Night Page 5 Environmental News What the Frack is Fracking? Adventure in Algonquin Development and Peace Swap-O-Rama

Page 6 International & Local News Pray for the Philippines Rob Ford Time and Its Standstill China Eases Their ‘One-Child’ Policy Page 7 International & Local News Fighting Crime: A Leukemia Survivor’s Wish I am a Girl Campaign An Addition to the Toronto Zoo’s Family

Page 8 School Highlights Pep Rally Page 9 School Highlights Starv-A-Thon Natalie Wins the Catholic Award

Page 10 Movie Reviews Thor: The Dark World Carrie Delivery Man Catching Fire Page 11 Media & Entertainment Better Call Saul Winter Break Reading List Short Story: Cinnamon in Wonderland Page 12 Health, Tips, & Lifestyle Things to do Over the Break Beautiful Lengths How to De-Stress Brownie in a Mug OreoTruffles Handy Sites (New)

Page 13 Health, Tips, & Lifestyle Getting in the Christmas Mood 7 Ways to Stay Fit & Healthy What’s on your To-Do List? Gingerbread Cookies Page 14 Sports Senior Girls Basketball An Interview with Jordan Hamilton

Page 15 La Plume Francaise Page 16 Artwork Horoscopes

Off The Wall Staff

Editor-In-ChiefMarian Sia

WritersShaenne AndalKhryss Anne AurelioDavid BenzonBethany BouchardMagdalene BouchardRael BridgeAnthonia IsiguzoD. Marin-Hernandez Carol LeMonica MendozaRedwan MajumderSophia MittmannArabie SathivelRavina SinghCamille Pandela

ProofreadersRichard D’AlmeidaMary RobinRavina SinghAngelica Vilela

Layout DesignersRachel BraganzaFranchesca DizonRachel D’SouzaLorenzo QueanoBarney Wei

Layout EditorsPrathab ArravinthanAdam GordonAramis PerezNeel Sood

Cover PageMarian Sia

IllustratorsMagdalene BouchardJennifer DizonJoy Uddin

ModeratorsMs. HorhagerMme. LiscioMrs. MaierMs. Silliker

Special thanks toMr. WetzelMr. AdamsMr. Burns

02 December 2013Off The Wall

Editor’s letter

Table of Contents

One of the most memorable nights of an IB student’s life is IB de-stress night. It is a whole night devoted to IB students and the hard

work they put in every day. Every afternoon when the clock strikes 2:30 p.m, most IB students sacrifice one of the following; their social life, homework, and/or sleep, in order to gain the benefits of the other two. However, during IB destress night an IB student can take time away from their busy lives and spend time with friends, do absolutely no homework AND get a good night’s sleep, without feeling guilty! Since, this was my first time at IB distress night, I was not sure what to expect; though the element of surprise helped me abide through the night. It was a night filled with games, food, and laughter. During capture the flag, the halls of Pope turned into no man’s land. Team-work was displayed as teams aspired to capture the flag. Mean-while, in the gym a heated game of dodge ball was played. After a cou-ple rounds it was a battle between the grade eleven dodge ball team and the grade twelve dodge ball team. It was a fierce match, but in the end the grade elevens’ skill and technique lead them to victory! After a delicious dinner, an up-coming project called “The Third

Teacher” was introduced to the IB students by Mr. Wetzel. We got to channel our creative side and design a potential learning space. Finally, to end off the night, we put on our dancing shoes and learned the steps to Thriller by Michael Jackson.Overall, I found IB destress night a blast! I am not sure how Mrs. Rob-ertson and Mr. Palazzo will top this off next year, but I am amped. Big thanks to the wonderful Mrs. Rob-ertson and Mr. Palazzo for planning such a fun night. Let’s get #getamped for next year’s IB Panthers!

*Fear not because de-stressing is not exclusive or limited to one day a year. Try for yourself and go to page 12 and learn ‘How to De-Stress’!

What is your best personal charac-teristic?

I am a people person. I love peo-ple. I love working with people, being around people and talking to people. Each morning, I wake up and I look forward to coming in. I could’ve retired seven years ago, but I choose to come in for work every day. I just really love my job.

Greatest strength/weakness?

My weakness is assuming things will take less time than they actually take! To avoid this, I now double the time I think a task will take. My greatest strength is working with people. You see, my parents are people people. I guess my sister and I took after them.

What do you do when you’re feel-ing stressed?

One thing I love to do is just sitting down and simply listening to my favourite music. Another thing I enjoy is sitting down with a couple of close friends. We’d chat about anything and everything. Lastly, sometimes I’ll go home, and play my piano to sooth me.

What’s your passion?

Music. I currently have 65 songs in my iTunes account! Also, before I began teaching, I was a touring mu-sician for three years. To me, music is everything. Golf is another pas-sion of mine. The green scenery you get to experience while golfing is amazing! Here in Canada, we have some of the most beautiful gold courses in the world! I love being out in the open air and focusing on the course. I have a couple of friends that I go golfing with. We meet up every week! However, when you golf, the person you’re competing against is yourself.

What’s your favourite holiday tra-dition?

Every Christmas, I play a little foot-ball game with my brother in law. We both have lots and lots of silly fun. When he and I first began, we started off with a little trophy, but every year it gets larger and larger! I’m one game ahead. This season will be our 40th year of the tradition!

What’s your favourite memory of Christmas’ past?

Every Christmas, I read to my three children on the couch. We’d settle on the couch and get into the

Christmas spirit. The story is one of my favourites, ‘Twas the Night Be-fore Christmas. Now, it’s a tradition in our family that I really enjoy.

If you could vacation anywhere in the world this holiday season, where would you choose to go?

I would love to travel to Europe because I’ve never been. At a young age, I never really appreciated all the time I had. Now, I don’t have any time! Although I speak French poor-ly, I’d especially like to visit France. One day I will definitely explore Europe, I promise.

Fun fact! In his old office, Mr.Adams had 87 moose! About every two weeks, Mr.Adams hides a new stuffed moose, so people can have some fun guessing. “When visitors come in, they look around and ask where the most recent one is!”

That’s a wrap! Welcome to Blessed Pope John Paull II, Mr. Adams and have a very Merry Christmas panthers!

Teacher Feature: Mr.AdamsCarol Le, grade 10

New Tech Here at Pope!Khryss Anne Aurelio, grade 12

Within the past decade, the ways in which students learn have been constantly changing, matching with the resources that are always

being created and made available to them. If you’ve had the opportuni-ty to explore a little bit around the school, new computers have been installed and ready to use by our business and computer technology classes, as well as use in the library. This is definitely a step forward from the relatively old computers that have been sitting around and take forever to load. Thanks to the Free the Children council, a hundred eReaders are now available to be checked out and used via the school library! If you hate having to carry heavy books around and don’t have any space to place them, but love to read, why not check it out? The eReaders already have tons of books installed, ready to be used. Ever heard of the “third teacher”? It’s the concept in which our envi-ronment helps our learning experi-ence. New desks, new computers, maybe replacing the chalkboards with white boards or having new smart boards in class. The main point in all of this is that we’re turning away from a culture of pens and paper to a more digital method of learning. This is just beginning of what has yet to come!

‘Tis the season to be jolly! At pope we have many blessing to be jolly about this holiday season, including our new vice principal: Mr.Adams. To get to know Mr.Adams better, here’s an interview just for you panthers.

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On November 14, 2013, Mr. Wetzel introduced a chal-lenge to the Blessed Pope John Paul II community: design the perfect

classroom. The challenge is inspired by the works of the Third Teacher +, a group of designers and educators who believe in using the classroom environment as a teaching tool. Sta-tioned in Chicago, the Third Teacher + has visited cities around the world like Shanghai, Mumbai and New York to inspire schools to re-invent their classrooms. Their next desti-nation is Toronto, more specifically, the Blessed Pope John Paul II com-munity! Mr. Wetzel hopes the school can develop an idea for what 21st centu-ry education should look like. Thus far, the school system is stuck with the ideals of the Industrial Revo-lution, a time when factories need-ed people to follow “a machine”. However, the world has changed and now needs students who are in-dependant, creative and innovative. Mr. Wetzel and the Third Teacher + believe that in order to allow students to think creatively and crtically, “education needs to pro-foundly change”. The Third Teacher + incorporates this new ideal in their designs. For example, a classroom might replace its desks and chairs with couches or all four walls could

be painted with whiteboard paint to enable students to share their ideas more efficiently. The possibilities are limitless and students are encour-aged to add their creative ideas to the project. The student voice is the biggest and most important aspect of the Third Teacher Project. If students are interested in volunteering their time and commitment, they are encour-aged to talk to the department heads or take the survey composed by Mr. Wetzel.

‘Third Teacher’ ProjectRachel D’Souza, grade 11

IB De-Stress NightSharon Nirmalakumar, grade 11

04 December 2013Off The Wall

Mr.Adams in his office with one of his many moose.

Missing breakfast at home? Still hungry when you get to school? You can drop by room 139 each morning of the week and have breakfast on us. The Health Action Team continues to organizing the running of our school Breakfast Club Monday through Friday. We would like to thank all of the councils, teams and clubs that

have jumped aboard to help us run this club. Our annual elementary tournament will be running at the beginning of January; when you see the youngins around, be sure to remind them how great Pope is! Also, look forward to some athlete visits in February! Merry Christmas, Panthers! Have a happy, healthy holiday!

ELCMelanie Lamarca, grade 10

The winter months are here and with that comes our Christmas cheer! Although the air is cold, our holiday spirit grows more and more. On behalf of ELC, we wish you a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year. We commend our fellow panthers for their generous attitude and

charitable donations that have helped to make our annual food drive a huge success! The same goes for all participants of STARV-A-THON! The event was a great way to educate students about the inhumane conditions third world countries are forced to live in. With the help of elves in ELC sweaters, we help find joy in spite of this cold weather. Santa photos were a great way to spread some cheer, let’s hope this season will be dear. The end of 2013 is right around the corner, we are about the cross the 2014 border. Camp Olympia is fast approaching, don’t let us catch you mopping. Huge events like International Night are on their way, make sure your cheer won’t go away. We’re decking the halls with smiles, they’ll make you go the mile. Make sure your grades don’t drop because we have many surprises in Santin’s work shop. So get amped and stay amped for the spirit never stops. ELC hopes that your year has been sweet, we’ll catch your Christmas tweets!

ESCSerriz Pena, grade 12

Christmas Break has arrived and we’re finally free! It’s been a magical Christmas season here at Pope and what a better way to top the week off before school with Winterlicious! From your favourite Christmas tunes, to warm hot chocolate and candy grams from your closest friends - the Christmas spirit couldn’t have gotten

around without you guys! Take care this Christmas break and save that Christmas money you got from Grandma and come out to E.S.C.’s semi-for-mal in February! We can’t wait to see you guys in 2014, may you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Hey Panthers, time passes by in a blink. It seems that PAC’s Soc-cer Intramural was only last friday! Not to worry, we have many events planned for you next year. Intramurals, open gyms, and if you want, you can approach one of our members to request a sport event!

Now although it may still seem far away, our annual Talent Night will come sooner than you think. So for those of you who want to participate, our auditions will begin in February. Listen to the announcements, look out for posters, and check out of PAC board situated by the cafeteria doors!On behalf of the Panthers Athletic Council, I would like to wish you a Hap-py Holiday, and a Happy New Year! Stay active, and stay safe everyone.

PACMarian Sia, grade 12

HATSerina Green, grade 12

GSAMonica Mendoza grade 12 Hey everybody! I hope you enjoyed this years pep rally featuring

Pope’s new FANTASTIC council The Gay Straight Alliance. My sister (Amanda Mendoza, Co- founder) and I hope that you en-joyed the short song, Love They Say by Tegan and Sara. This song explains what love really is. Love is shown in many ways and

it can make you feel invincible and it sometimes can hurt you. All we need to remember is that love is love and there’s nothing else love can do. Hawaii and New Zealand had legalized gay marriage rights where France is just falling right behind with the equality of marriage rights. In later updates the U.S president, Barack Obama believes that “same-sex couples should be able to marry. That’s my personal position. And, frankly, that’s the position that’s reflected — in the briefs that we filed — in the Supreme Court.” Not only do human beings have “gay” behavior but, there are over 1500 animal species that has this behavior including desert tortoise, common dolphins, King Penguins and including us, Homo sapiens. 40 % of Transgender teens would attempt suicide, shockingly that’s enough for the whole world to handle. All we need to do is accept different people of who “they” are and just remember this in your head, what if you were that person? Wouldn’t you want someone to understand where you are coming from? Lets all prevent this problem and make a change towards “them”. If you are really interested I highly recommend this website: revelandriot.com. Have a safe and great holiday and remember, love is love.

ECHey Panthers! Wheehw, it has been a pretty busy month for Pope’s very own Environmental Council. As you all know, we took part of the PEP RALLY, along with all the other clubs and councils. Kudos to the representatives who joined us in the game... good effort! In addition to that, 10 students from our council also went to the

Development and Peace Conference to learn more about mining companies and the implications associated with them. So get ready to help us with our campaign starting next year! We also had 4 students take part in the amazing weekend workshop “Forestry Connects” in Algonquin Park. Our students had the great oppor-tunity to be able to see forestry first hand and gain a new appreciation of the role that the forestry industry plays in our province. Ten dedicated students from our EC also went to the three-day down-town workshop at the University of Toronto, the “Beyond Green” Environ-mental Youth Summit. Together with other students and young profession-als, they were able to learn more about different aspects of our environment, such as our fossil fuel use and the marine ecosystem. We also had the chance to meet dedicated eco-activists such as Emily Hunter and Tom Rand. Last but not least, we also had our SWAP-O-RAMA, an eco-friendly and cost-efficient alternative to buying clothes at the store. Overall, it was a very successful event. Many students traded clothing and other items with each other, and even found cute Christmas gifts. Speaking of Christmas gifts, have you started looking yet? The time flies by fast. Just as the tons of gift wrap into the recycling. Remember guys, it’s what is inside that counts, so do not be wasteful on gift wrapping. Merry Christmas Everyone!

Selina Emmanuel, grade 12

DECA has some amazing events coming up while we are in the holiday spirit! The first event is Project Warmth! We are collecting donations of new or gently used winter clothing for the Project and this year, we’ve added a twist! Instead of donating JUST winter clothing, you can also donate clothing which is used during the

summer! This includes things such as t-shirts and shorts. The winter cloth-ing is going to be donated to those who are less fortunate living in Canada, but the summer clothing is going to go to the Philippines to help those who have lost so much after the typhoon hit. In addition, after the “Hoedown Throwdown” sneak peak during Pep Rally, DECA has rescheduled its winter dance to April! The new and re-vamped “Hoedown Throwdown” dance is going to include a county fair theme. This dance will have great finger foods, and many activities, such as a possible food-eating contest. To ensure that we know you are having a good time, we are also incorporating carnival-style games before the dance begins. Listen to the announcements in the upcoming months to find out more information on DECA’s dance and other events presented by your DECA council. On behalf of the DECA Executive Council, DECA Competitive Members, DECA General Members and the DECA Moderators, have a very merry and safe Christmas and a happy New Year!

DECALuke Sequeira, grade 12 Student C

ouncils

03December 2013 Off The Wall

Hey panthers, Free The Children would like to thank everyone who supported our backpack project. Special thanks to Mr. Stewart’s grade 10 and Ms. Palsore’s grade 12 homeroom classes for bringing the most items. As we said, most of the items will be shipped to Kenya for those kids who are in need and rest will be donated to lo-

cal charities in Scarborough. We already planed our next activity of the year which is the raffle contest. YAY!!!. We are going to start selling raphal ticke-cts soon! The second thing is that this entire fund will be used for building a school in Kenya. Support us further by joining with us in our next events and activities. We could make a change if we work together.

FTCShansuja Pathmalingam, grade 11

Development and Peace Shanique Foster, grade 11

On November 20th, ten members of the Environ-mental Council had the opportunity to attend the Development and Peace

Student Day workshop. Develop-ment and Peace is the official inter-national development organization of the Catholic Church in Canada and the Canadian member of Caritas Internationalis. The organization supports partners in the Global South by promoting alternatives to unethical behaviour. The purpose of the workshop was to learn about D&P’s 2013 campaign: A Voice for Justice. The campaign aims to create awareness about the issues that Canadian mining companies are causing in communities in third world countries. Canadian mining companies are going into communi-ties in these countries and exploiting the land and its people, without considering the negative impacts on the environment and the community itself. They are following unethical

practices by not delivering on their promise to compensate the people of the communities that they destroy. Consequently, the quality of life in these communities is deteriorating due to the vast amount of pollution created. Not only do the harmful chemicals from the pollution cause life-threatening illnesses, but it also gets into their food and water supply. Due to the power of these mining companies, the local people are unable to protest against the in-justice they experience. As a result of the mining companies’ actions, there is a negative image associated with our country. D&P is requesting that the Cana-dian government make it manda-tory for there to be an ombudsman (someone that investigates com-plaints made against a company) in countries where issues such as this one occur. More information is available on www.devp.org, includ-ing ways in which you can help.

Swap is theNew SwagSelina Emmanuel, grade 12

On Tuesday, November 19th, the Environmental Council held the occasion that you all have been waiting for! We hosted

Pope’s very own SWAP-O-RAMA in the cafeteria after school! If you haven’t heard of the event, you must live under a rock. For all you cave-men and women out there, it’s EC’s semi-annual item swap, where you can bring in new and gently used items that you do not need anymore. You then get an entry ticket to the event, where you can take up to ten items, regardless of the number of items you brought. Teachers make the call on a second round if there are leftovers, and you can grab even more items. Swapping is a great way to empty your closets and fill them with something new! Not to men-tion, it also reduces waste and recy-cles clothing, so you are doing some-thing good just by participating. The leftover clothes get sent to charity, so even if you can’t participate in the actual swap, you’re helping a good cause. This month’s SWAP-O-RAMA was a great success! Our students had lots of fun looking through the clothes and finding treasures, some with the tags still on them. Instead of popping tags with $20 in your pock-et, why not do it for free?

05Off The Wall

What The Frack is Fracking?Marcellus Singh, grade 12

In all the cool ecology cliques you might hear the term “fracking’ being thrown about. What is it? And is it more interesting than its name?

To understand fracking, let’s first understand some geology. Millions of years ago, ancient

plant and animal material were trapped thousands of feet below the surface by mud and silt. Eventually, this formed things such as mudstone and ‘shale’. This compressed debris created little pockets of gas wells and is known to be called a ‘gas reservoir’ today. Through, a process called fracking, large amounts of natural gas can be extracted from these reservoirs for society to use. Fracking is the process of extracting natural gas from these shale rock layers by drilling and injecting fluid into the ground at a high pressure in order to fracture shale rocks to release the natural gas inside. This process allows for the extraction of natural gas formally unat-tainable by conventional methods. With the consump-tion of natural gas being 82,480,000,000 cubic meters for Canada and rising, it can be argued that we as Canadi-ans must acquire natural gas by any means to meet our needs. However, how is the environment affected? And is it really worth it? Right from the beginning, fracking has a major issue. It uses an immense amount of water. It takes over 26.5 million liters of water to frack a single well. Because this water is so deep below the ground, a lot of it (about 30%) cannot evaporate or come back up to continue in the water cycle and so that water is gone forever. For the fracking process there are about six hundred chemicals used for the fracking fluid including known carcinogens and toxins. For example, lead, uranium, mercury, formaldehyde and radium can all be found in fracking fluid. These 600 chemicals are injected with high pressure thousands of feet below the surface where

they fracture the shale rock surrounding the natural gas. During this process methane gas and other toxic chem-icals can contaminate the surrounding soil and water system due to leaching. Contamination can also occur through accidents at well heads, and well blow outs. It doesn’t matter how these chemicals contaminate the neighbouring soil and water systems, what should be brought to light is the devastating effects they have on the environment. As aforementioned fracking contam-inates precious water supplies but it also decreases the ozone layer, increases smog levels and destroys wildlife habitats. Fracking has the propensity to devastate the surrounding environment, but it is still a legal practice done in North America. Exactly how close is this to your home and family? You may assume that the Government of Ontario would never allow fracking to happen near you, as Canada is never perceived as the oil hungry country its neighbour the United States is notoriously known to be. However this is where you are wrong. There are at least two com-panies; DRGN Resources and Dundee Energy Limited Partnership who are preparing to extract natural gas in Ontario by fracking. Habitats surrounding the Great Lakes near these fracking sites will be greatly affected. In the end fracking produces only 300,000 barrels of natural gas a day, but at the price of environmental safety, the ecosystems and habitats of critters and many health hazards. Is this worth it? Fracking certainly is more interesting than its name, but hopefully not for long as it would be cathartic to be able to say that it was simply a fad in the late 20th century. When there are infinite sources of energy like the sun’s solar energy, why bother digging up a pesticide to our fellow animals on Earth.

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Adventuresin AlgonquinChristarin Dilkumar, grade ?

Pack your bags, kids, we’re going on a field trip! Or at least the Environmen-tal Council did in October when they sent Dr.Clovis

and 4 students to a Forestry work-shop in Algonquin. This group of 5 braved the cold, northern weath-er in order to learn about logging throughout history, experience a day with real foresters, and even watch a few trees being cut down. Not only that, but they had great camping ex-periences with students and teachers from schools all across Ontario. Day one was a blast from the past. Our group went hiking and learnt about the forest, but most importantly, we visited a logging museum. I know what you’re think-ing - boring, right? In reality though the museum was not only educa-tional, but extremely interesting. Guided by a lumberjack, we took a walk through a lumber camp to understand what life was like for men back then. The visit was great, because it allowed us to see how logging changed, developed, and became safer. As far as introductions go, this was great as it allowed us to see that even though methods have changed, logging is still a huge part in our world. After waking up at 6 for an early start to the day, we set off to watch Forestry workers in action. Through today’s agenda we were able to understand tree markings, indenti-fy trees, and see how - contrary to popular beliefs - logging is a vital part of keeping our forests healthy and thriving. The highlight of my day was calling “Timber!” as we watched trees being cut down - now that is something one can never for-get. To end off a great day, everyone gathered around a huge campfire at night to play games, roast marsh-mallows, and tell spooky stories. Even when the fire had died, friends were still hanging out, creating great stories to share after returning home. Finally, the last day was here. Ev-eryone groggily packed their suit-cases and got ready for one last day in the great outdoors. Today was the day to remember. Starting off with a visit to the saw mill, we discovered that wood products can be found in the strangest places including make-up and our food. Next we took our place beside professional foresters, each with different experiences, and participated in activities they were tasked with everyday. Groups were able to tell how old a tree was, learn about careers in the forest, how to mark trees, and more. Unfortunately the moment of goodbyes had now arrived. In some ways it was sad; saying farewells to new friends, having to go back to school the next day. In other ways though, everyone was happy know-ing they did not only have new friends, but magnificent memories and experiences to share with ev-eryone at home; a once in a lifetime opportunity I will never regret.

Swap-O-Rama: Quickly look through your choices before the clothes disappear!

Development and Peace starts with us!

December 2013

Hey Panthers, I bring to you the latest news that has Toronto and the whole world abuzz. Our mayor, Rob ford has humiliated us,

Torontonians because of his lies, his immoral decisions, his relationship with gangs and illegal drugs and his foul language. A recent video of Rob Ford smoking cocaine was posted on the internet in February 2013. Although he denies that he has not taken any illegal drugs since a year ago recent documents states that the video was recorded covertly. Rob’s friend, Sandro Lisi, who was arrested for drug trafficking, is being accused of making threats against the peo-ple that have the video. Now, why would a politician, who is represent-ing Canada’s largest city, befriend a person that is likely to act in ways that contradicts the ethics of his job?Another video was posted on the-star.com of Rob Ford ranting in a drunken stupor about killing some-one. An article from The Star news-paper written on November 7 quotes Rob Ford “ All I can say is, again, I’ve made mistakes. I just wanted to come out and tell you I saw a video. It’s extremely embarrassing. The whole world’s going to see it. You know what? I don’t have a prob-lem with that.” He may not have a problem with his behavior but it is disgracing us. Our city is now the laughing stock of the world. As the saying goes “If you cannot do it in your mother’s presence then don’t do it at all”. Despite all the accusations made against Ford in court he is refusing to step down from his mayoral posi-tion. Many staff members have quit the office because of his recent lapse in judgment. While some have been fired or forced to resign for indirect-ly speaking against him but all the want is the best for Toronto. The Rob Ford scandal has placed many city related business on hold because everyone is talking about him that they can’t focus on more important issues. Rob is not helping his case by foolishly fighting for his position, which he lost the minute that crack video went viral. However justice has been served. On Tuesday, November 19, the city council stripped Ford of almost all his mayoral responsibilities. These responsibilities have been tempo-rarily given to Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly along with 60% of Ford’s may-or office budget and staff. We are all hoping that he will do right by us because Toronto deserves better.

Rob Ford06 December 2013Off The Wall

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On November 8th, 2013 Typhoon Haiyan hit the country’s eastern seaboard, leaving hideous destruction. An estimated 12.9 million

people have been affected by this tremendous storm that attached the Philippines. This Typhoon real-ly damaged the city of Tacloban. People are in great need of shelter, fresh water, and comfort. Many homes are flattened, CNN has even reported sighting of houses buried underground. The Typhoon has left such a graphic aftermath on the Philippines, just imagine being with your family and then BAM something like a Typhoon hits and you’re all separated from each other. I have seen videos on the news of people crying about how their loved ones are gone, even dead. Just swept away from them. It all happened so fast. But even though there is no

good outcome out of this situation, People of the Philippines are still strong in hope, they are in need of such a huge amount of help but they are still going with all the strength they can of overcoming this tragedy. Its actually amazing the pictures I’ve seen of people standing in the rubbish and streets with posters saying things like “ We Shall Over-come” and other positive sayings. Its amazing a situation as devastating as this is powerful enough to drain anyone out of hope and positive thoughts, but many are still trying to stay strong, and most of all survive. We as the community of BPJPII can all help with our prayers or even find places that are accepting dona-tions toward the Philippines. The touching thing in all this is that even though right now in the Philippines there isn’t anything to smile about at this time, yet you still see in pictures

of them smiling and not giving up. We can all learn from this situation that even when we are at times of our life where things hit the lowest and feel like there is no hope, keep the faith and your hope and keep pushing for a better tomorrow. Once again please keep the Philippines in your prayers.

Pray for the PhilippinesTianna Reno, grade 12 Anthonia Isiguzo, grade 9

It’s typically very heartbreaking when you dis-cover what is happening to our world because of humans do to one another, but you hardly do ever think about it, unless you’re watching something like a documentary. Personally, I

don’t blame anyone everyone has their own things to do assignments do busses to catch and places to be. Sometimes there are times where it feels like the world does indeed stop, because of what we do to one anoth-er. Like the Holocaust killings or the African massacres deaths, the El Salvadorian civil war, or something more recent- the 9\11. Everyone knows what happened then, and it was indeed devastating, and it did scar people for life. Scars don’t always fade, but just like child falling, the city of New York picked itself up, now donning a bloody scar. Its been more than a decade since two Boeing 767 crashed into the towers and snuffed out many lives, and destroyed many families. Still time goes on, and throughout the years since that unfaithful day, buildings were built and meetings where met, and now this year the final result has been unveiled- a monument to 9/11, two miniature versions of the towers standing where they stood, and dubbed the One World Trade Centre. Many people debated over rebuilding the tow-ers, or putting monumental art where the towers stood. These towers, a symbol of peace and remembrance in the city that never sleeps stands tall and proud and has now earned a spot as being the tallest building in the U.S. Not everyone is happy about the new monument though, as one British graffiti artist refers to the mon-ument as a ‘shyscraper’, commenting that the towers looked as though’ even they didn’t want to be built.’’ One man and a former firefighter who had lost his son to the 9/11 also commented “I think it’s a disgrace to New York City and all the families who lost loved ones on 9/11.’’ Despite this many people see the new World Trade as the same proud symbols that stood in the same spot almost thirteen years ago, and even though their loved ones are gone they will always be remembered and never forgotten. May they always be remembered, and may we finally realize the downfall negative ac-tions make, because in this world that freeze in time will always happen when someone we love is gone, and by then it’s to late. Imagine the pain that has been caused, finding out a relative died early at the hands of another, when they could have lived their lives to the fullest.

The Time and Its StandstillDiana Marin-Hernandez, grade 9

China’s one-child policy has been a controver-sial topic ever since it was placed around 1980. The policy was presented as a measure neces-sary to allow the Chinese economy to grow sus-tainably and to avoid the kind of social chaos

the country had regularly experienced over the previous century. However, the realization that the one-child policy has exacerbated the economic and fiscal prob-lem of China’s rapidly ageing society. At the moment around 10 per cent of the population is over 65. By the middle of the century that proportion could reach 25 per cent based on current trends. Paying for the care of that expanding cohort of elderly people will pose an increas-ing burden on China’s working-age population. But thanks to the low birth rate, the working-age population is already contracting. Today there are five taxpayers to every pensioner but by the end of the next decade the ratio could be just two to one. Those are the projections that lie behind the prevalent fear in Chinese government circles that the country could “grow old before it grows rich” and the desire to take corrective action. China now has the world’s second-largest economy, but its per capita GDP is still only a fifth of the level of the United States and a quarter of that of the UK. The fear is that without an increase in the birth rate the country’s eco-nomic catch-up with the developed world could stall. Due to these reasons, the Chinese has decided to ease up their notorious policy. Under the new policy, couples in which one member is an only child will be allowed to have two children. Also, while most Chinese people are still only allowed to have one child, some groups, including ethnic minorities and disabled people, are allowed to have two. The communist party still refuses to fully revoke the policy, however they may have to change their minds as the world moves forwards and they are left behind.

China Eases Their ‘One-child Policy’ Mahiya Habib, grade ?

offbeatchina.com ctvnews.ca

abc.net.au

07December 2013 Off The Wall

International &Local N

ews

They’re cute! They’re fuzzy! They’re polar bears! A new bear cub with an interesting ‘tail’ to tell has just recently arrived at the Toronto Zoo.

The eleven month old cub named is the newest addition to a family of cubs in the Zoo all placed in a spe-cial programs to train them to live in the wild. She was found wandering around Churchill’s airport alone. Authorities searched for a nearby mother cub but to no prevail; the cub was orphaned. The female cub, still considered a newborn weighed a mere thirty eight kilograms- which for baby cubs is quite small. She, along with two other bears is expect-ed to stay for quite a while in the Toronto Zoo. She is now at the zoo where she is getting along with the two other polar bear cubs, Hudson and Storm and is expecting a new sibling from Argentina sometime in the upcoming year. The polar bear has been dubbed Kaska short for ‘’Kaskatamagan Wildlife Manage-ment Area’’ which is located in the traditional territory of Shamattawa First Nation.

An Additionto the Toronto Zoo’s FamilyDiana Marin-Hernandez, grade 9

At the tender age of 5, Miles Scott had survived four long years of battling leukemia. In celebration of his remission, Miles had one wish – to become BatKid for a day, in order to save everyday citizens in Go-tham City (also known as San Francisco, California). His wish came true on November 15, 2013 thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Over 12,000 volunteers aided Miles in his crime-fighting day, which ranged from saving a woman tied to cable car tracks on a street, stopping a “robbery” with Batman and even disarming a fake bomb. According to San Francisco’s Police Chief Greg Suhr, volunteers had to be

turned away due to the massive response. Volunteers pleaded for Batkid’s help, cheered him on his journey and continuously showed their support throughout the day. “This wish has meant closure for our family and an end to over three years of putting toxic drugs in our son’s body.” Miles’ mother, Natalie Scott said. “All the other parents that have to deal with the same thing we’re going through, I hope they get a conclusion to their illnesses like we’re getting.” Nick Scott, Miles’ father said. The Make-A-Wish Foundation likened Miles’ Batkid-for-a-day event to “the scale of a military operation.” However, this military operation did not involve violence, tears or bloodshed; instead, it involved the fulfillment of a child’s dream to save a city. It’s amazing to see the involvement of complete strangers taking time out of their day in the hopes of making a leukemia survivor’s wish come true. In the midst of national disasters and controversies making world headlines, BatKid reminds us that no matter the size, age, or condition, anyone can make the world a better place.

Fighting Crime: A Leukemia Survivor’s WishAllison Gacad, grade ?

Girls in developed countries sometimes see their brothers getting the upper hand because for some reason society thinks males are “superior” to females. Girls in developing countries face the same problem, but to a much greater extent. Girls in third world countries are constantly underestimated and mistreated just for being girls. They are forced to starve so their brothers can be healthy and they are kept home from school because their parents think household chores are more important than an education. In these countries these girls get married around the age of fifteen and by the time they turn eighteen they already have at

least one child. Some girls don’t even make it to their eighteenth birthday, in some cases pregnancy and childbirth causes death. Due to the lack of education and nutrition girls are forced to live a helpless life of poverty with no chance of escaping it. Because I am a Girl is a campaign that was created by Plan International to spread the word about girls in third world countries. Supporters of the organization believe that if we invest in girls, we can remove them from poverty-stricken situations. About 66 million girls in developing countries do not attend school. How-ever, for every year a girl goes to school, her lifetime income increases by 10 to 20%. Investing in girls can’t do any harm. Just sending 10% more girls to school can increase their country’s GDP by approximately 3%. Sending a girl to school will make her 6x less likely to me married at a young age, and she will be able to share her knowledge from school with her children. So, what can you do about improving the future for these girls? You can donate to the organization by sponsoring a girl, or sending donations to the organization. You can also fundraise by creating a webpage or buy merchandise from the organization. Join the movement and break the cycle of female discrimina-tion. For more information please visit becauseiamagirl.ca.

Because I am a GirlRavina Singh, grade 11

Horoscopes Aquarius (January 21st - February 19th)

Take a chance and gift someone your kind honesty this holiday. There is something you need to say or do. You might be feeling out of sorts - this will pass.

Gemini (May 22nd - June 21st)

While the unexpected may happen over the break, you can make the best of it. This holiday is filled with comfort and joy as the cos-mos lights up with holiday spirit.

Libra (September 24th - October 23rd) Waiting for something? Today you’ll get a preview of the outcome. Treat opposition with sugar and spice - in other words, be nice and don’t push it.

Cancer (June 22nd –July 23rd)

You can accomplish a lot today as long as you take your time. It might be a good day to get your shopping done before the crowds get too crazy!

Pisces (February 20th -March 20th)

There are signs all around you - pay attention, especially to the new year! Even some-thing that seems too out there to be true very well could be the real deal. Life is dreamy.

Scorpio (October 22nd - November 21st)

Enjoy this peaceful day. Trust your heart and intuition. It’s a good day for reminisc-ing and indulging your sentimental side. Love is also in the air!

Aries (March 21st - April 20th)

It’s a sweet day! Mingle with friends, classmates - even strangers. You never know who you’ll cheer up and connect with. You’re simply enchanting!

Leo (July 24th - August 23rd)

The planets are on your side today, filling you with goodwill. You may see some-thing in a bright new light. You can revisit some-thing you love dearly.Take charge with forward planning and charm.

Sagittarius (November 23rd - December 21st)

People are not things that happen to you, they are influences that you can control. You are on a journey to discover yourself. Often this is seen through the eyes of others.

Taurus (April 21st - May 21st)

A good, well-balanced year ahead gives you plenty of time to relax. Aquarians can have their fill of love and learn to enjoy different aspects of romance.

Virgo (August 24th - September 23rd)

It is a big year for learning new things, and this applies as much to people as work. Keep an open mind and constantly look for opportunities.

Capricorn (December 22nd - January 20th)

Close relationships with loved ones spin delight right through this year. Even those who still seek love have moments of great content. It is a time to take charge of your own well-being and be honest with yourself about your needs.

Backpack? Check. Agenda? Check. Lunch money? Check. School spirit? Loaded. Bright and early on Monday, October 18th, our community raised its Panther spirit. Marked by the official start of Spirit Week

at 8:30am, your Executive Student Council kicked off “Mystery Music Monday.” Hungry for a street treat, classes fought with bold souls to conquer a box of Timbits. Mystery songs were played after 2nd and 4th period, followed by clues that directed

students to a location where they could confirm the song and

artist, and claim the class prize of mini doughnuts. Racing through the halls, only two classes prevailed; Mr. Lysak’s Grade 12 Math class and Ms.

Pantaleo’s Grade 11 Food and Nutrition class. Ending the day off on a high note, literally, Panthers welcomed Spirit Week 2013 with a definite bang. On Tuesday, hallways turned into runways and Panthers turned into fashion icons as students were encouraged to present their latest fads and trends in accessories. Dipped in hip, many displayed their tastes in leg warmers, hoop earrings, and bandanas. Wednesday took a creative turn in events, as we

08 School Highlights

Pep RallyDavid Benzon, grade 11

Jordan Hamilton: The Superstar

celebrated Watermelon Wednesday. A refresh-ing way to celebrate this fruit’s seasonal end and another reason to use the literary device of allit-eration, proved successful during both lunches. The aroma of 16 giant watermelons diffused throughout the cafeteria reminded students of the missed days of simmering summers. None-theless, it didn’t stop the fearless Panthers who stood up to the semi-humiliating task of eating four watermelon slices without the use of hands. Shaquille Samuels was crowned the “What-A-Melon King” by the end of second lunch, defeat-ing all competitors in four consecutive rounds. Throwback Thursday saw the transformation of our front doors to time portals, as the Civvies Day took us back to the past. The groovy 70s to the early 2000s seemed to be the most desirable eras. And so, on Throwback Thursday, as the Panthers receded back to their cozy households, ESC feverishly made their final adjustments to prepare for Pep Rally Friday. A high of antici-pation accompanied by an uncontrollable jitter of excitement brimmed the bodies of all BPJPII students, as they trekked to school. Filled with the pride of wearing their very own specialized pep rally t-shirts designed by ELC’s Christine Cambas, students flocked to the gym with high

See page 14 for OTW interview with Jordan

hopes of seeing something memorable, and Pope students certainly got what they asked for. Carol Le in Grade 10 stated, “I thought the two green H.A.T creatures were cool but when the teachers performed their flashmob, I was impressed, shocked, and happi-ly disturbed all at the same time.” The Pope Idol 2013 Award was given to the soulful Eirini Manatos and the Grade 9 girls’ tug-of-war team surprised everyone with their exceptional win over the Grade 12 girls. A week’s worth of positive energy mixed with a final boost of enthusiasm at Pep Rally got our Panthers pumped. And don’t forget, in the wise words of Christopher Thomas, “Get Amped, Stay Amped.”

“Always stay hungry. Never become complacent and

believe in yourself; no one willif you don’t. Humility is your

greatest attribute, work in silence, and let others scream

your accomplishments.”

-Jordan Hammilton

Starv-A-Thon 2013Melanie Lamarca, grade 10

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s our very own heroes against hunger! This years Starvathon theme was something near and dear

to everyone’s heart. ELC decided that this year all participants would get the chance to be a superhero. Whether you were on team Flash, Spiderman, Captain America, Green Lantern, The Hulk, Ironman, Wol-verine, Batman, Batgirl, Superman, Supergirl or Robin we all came together to form Pope’s Heroes Against Hunger. ELC’s council members knew that it would be evident in the collected donations as well as everyone’s enthusiastic participation that together, as a school, we could make a difference and work together to be heroes in somebody else’s life. Now, throwback real quick to No-vember 29th: a night our panthers will never forget. The night that our brave heroes rose to the challenge of the twen-ty-four hour famine! Although the event went by in a flash, there were enough memories made there to last a lifetime. So let’s take ourselves back, and remember a night without midnight snacks.

The day kicked off with breakfast in the café! Members of ELC worked together to serve our hungry participants a hearty breakfast intended to keep their stomachs satisfied. Later that day, during both lunches, all par-ticipants of Starve-a-thon met in the Chapel to get their mind off food, and their heart in the game. Icebreakers were played and friend-ships were made. Sadly, select few friendships were torn apart just like the newspapers they stood on!

Nevertheless, the real fun began when the 2:30 bell rang.Starve-a-thon participants filed into the café, hunger and all.

Favorite games like Huckle Buckle were played. The finale being four boys frantically trying to switch shirts with their partners in order to attain the title of Huckle Buckle champion. Participants were sur-prisingly competitive despite their grumbling stomachs.

Later that evening, games pertain-ing to the social justice aspect of the event were played. This was done in order to give participants an idea

of the struggles that are faced on a day-to-day basis in third world countries. Hopefully this insight into these inhumane living condi-tions taught people to feel compas-sion for those who lack the necessi-ties they need to live. However, fun and games aside, I think I can speak for everyone when I say that the liturgy was one of the most enlight-ening elements of the event. With a heart-wrenching question asking about “your greatest regrets”, it’s safe to say that there wasn’t dry eye in the room. In conclusion, Starva-thon 2013 went off without a hitch. Members of ELC were surprisingly sane after embarking on one of their most tiresome events. Thanks to all participants who came out and decided to take part in another one of Pope’s highly esteemed events. It was amazing to witness a building full of students smiling and laugh-ing in unison despite the fact that they were at school for more than 24 hours! But you know what they say, the school that starves together stays together! Remember panthers, get amped and stay amped for more events to come!

School Highlights

03December 2013 Off The Wall

Natalie Wins the Catholic AwardOn Saturday, October 26, 2013, at a black tie gala dinner, grade 12 student Natalie Yamal-Soufyan was presented with the provincial Catholic Student Award. Each year, the Catholic Education Foundation of Ontario asks Catholic High Schools in the province to nominate an outstanding student to be the recipient of the C.E.F.O. Catholic Student Award. This is a unique opportunity for the Catholic education community, in a provincial forum, to recognize and celebrate the excellence and accomplishments of our young Catholic men and women. It is a tribute to the positive influence, inspiration and work of our Catholic youth in their high schools and wider community. Natalie was chosen as our school’s recipient for the 2012-2013 school year! Congratulations Natalie!

The greatly anticipated Marvel movie, Thor: The Dark World has finally hit theatres! It had premiered at the Odeon Leicester Square in London on October 22, 2013, released internationally on October 30, 2013, and on November 8, 2013, in the United States. In its first weekend of release, Thor: The Dark World earned an out-standing $85.7 million and another $36.5 million the following week.Chris Hemsworth hammers his portrayal of Thor straight on, pleasing critics and his large fanbase without fail. Tom Hiddleston also does an amazing job of his portrayal of Loki, the God of Mischief, making it rather hard not to grow fond of the devious villain. Thor: The Dark World is the second Thor film, following the first 2011’s film Thor. The movie begins following the events of The Avengers with Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) returning to Asgard. Loki is imprisoned for his war crimes by the hand of his father Odin, and the Bifrost that serves as the portal between Yodenheim and Earth has been repaired. This, of course, leaves hope for the romantic reunion of Thor and his love interest Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) who waits rather impatiently on Earth. However, the peace in the Nine Realms doesn’t last too long as the vengeful Dark Elf Malekith returns after eons of lying dormant. His return introduces us to his army of warriors called the Kursed, along with the powerful weapon called the Aether; which he is set on using to destroy the entire universe. Thor must embark on his most dangerous and personal journey yet, reuniting him with his beloved Jane Foster, and leading him to seek help from a rather unexpected character - none other than his own evil brother Loki.Thor: The Dark World proves to be a spectac-ular addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Packed with action, adventure, humor, and plot twists, Thor: The Dark World is definitely a must see movie!

Watch out ladies and gentlemen, because do I have a movie review for you!Directed by Ken Scott, DreamWorks Pictures presents Delivery Man released in theatres on November 22, 2013. Chris Pratt, Dave Patten, Cobie Smulders and Britt Robertson also star in this movie. Delivery Man is a story of an aging slacker David Wozniak (Vince Vaughn) whose life is soon turned upside down when he discovers that he is the father of 533 children through sperm donations that he made twenty years ago, with a mix up at the clinic. He was a regular patient at the fertility clinic 20 years ago, and yet there is nothing extraordinary about Daniel. “Everyone has a purpose in life; I guess I just haven’t found mine yet. Just when things could not get any worse, he owes money to the mob and his pregnant girlfriend cannot stand the sight of him. Then David is hit with a lawsuit from the 142 of the 533 children to find the identity of their donor. As David questions himself twwwo either reveal his secret or keep it for himself to reveal his identity, he begins a quest that leads him to discover not only his true self but the father he could as well. David plans to find each child and try to be their guardian angels, to help him and even make their lives a little bit better by not reveal who he really is to them. For the first time in David’s life, he is doing the right thing, helping all his children, encouraging them or even doing the impossible for them. It would be impossible to be the father of 4 children, let alone 533 children, because they are all different with their lives, likes and dislikes, personalities, tastes and styles.” Does David have the skills to be a father? It is a must see! You’re never quite ready for what life delivers!

Blood, blood, and more blood. It happened again. On October 18th, 2013, a famous movie debuted itself for the third time. Yes, that’s right. Carrie! Carrie is a novel written by the renowned author, Stephen King. Written in 1974, it took Mr. King only two weeks to complete the novel. Mind-blowing! The entire storyline of the re-make centers around the life of Carrie White (Chloë Grace Moretz), an introvert young woman who constantly succumbs to the wraths of the taunts that are always being thrown her way. Although Carrie is a very shy girl, she happens to possess the amazing power of telekinesis. Her mother, Margaret White (Julianne Moore), is a strong advocate of Christianity. Throughout the movie, Margaret is portrayed as an overly protective mother who, daily, tries to protect her daughter from the rowdy individuals that surround their own private world. Together they are quiet girl and an overprotective mother who lives by the Bible word for word. Now, add in several bullies and a gory prom night. Little splashes of hardcore levitations. All of the components converge and create a splendid plot that leaves millions of people spellbound and wanting more; hence the reason for the multiple Carrie remakes that have taken place in the past three decades. Not hindering off the topic of this recent blockbuster, I recommend this recent flick to be watched by anyone who loves a good thriller with loads of bloody scenes and special effects. Additionally, if you know anyone who has seen the past Carrie films and can be deemed to be quite susceptible to wanting to relive the whole story with a new modern twist, I also sug-gest that you let them have a go at watching it. All in all, I give this movie four out of five stars.

Carrie

Delivery Man

Thor: The Dark World

Mov

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10 December 2013Off The Wall

The Christmas break is a great time to catch up with a series that you’ve put aside for a while or maybe start a new series that you’ve been

dying to read. Don’t have anything in mind yet? Indigo has created a list of the best 18 books of 2013 and it has books to entertain all types of readers. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell is the perfectly relatable for girls who obsess over their favorite books. It’s about a girl named Cath and her twin sister Wren and throughout their childhood they obsessed over Simon Snow’s books. As they get older Wren detaches herself from the books but Cath doesn’t change. When it is time for college Wren leaves Cath on her own to move on from Simon Snow’s books. For the gamers and fans of the Maze Runner series, James Dash-ner has come out with a new book called The Eye of Minds. In this book gaming is taken to the next level. Gamers can completely im-merse their bodies and minds in the VirtNet without the risk of getting injured or dying. But all the fun ends when one gamer takes things too far and starts holding players hostage. The government challenges a hack-er, Michael, to catch the hacker. But if he accepts the challenge, he will need to go off the VirtNet grid and into the unknown dark alleys of the cyber world. Rick Yancey has created The 5th Wave to captivate the action lovers of the world. This book is all about survival in a world where human lookalikes roam the countryside kill-ing anyone in sight. Cassie, one of the last survivors, meets the myste-rious Evan Walker and is conflicted to whether she should trust him or going about her life alone. There are many more great books of 2013, but these were just few of them. To see the full list of the best teen books of 2013, visit chapters.indigo.ca/Teens

Winter Break Reading List

11December 2013 Off The WallM

edia & Entertainm

ent

On September 9th 2013 “Breaking Bad” aired its last episode on TV. The finale concluded an outstanding television series with an

ending that just couldn’t be better. In case you already didn’t know the premise of the show is as follows, a high school chemistry teacher, Walter White, (portrayed by Bryan Cranston) is diagnosed with termi-nal lung cancer, in order to financial-ly sustain his family for the future, he breaks bad and turns to the drug world. He teams up with his former student, Jessie Pinkman (portrayed by Aaron Paul) and starts selling crystal methamphetamine. Despite how bland or cliché the synopsis may seem, the show is one to re-member. It builds up to a very sus-penseful drama with amazing char-acter development. Even though it ended in such a good way many

were still upset about the fact that Breaking Bad was over and gone for good. However, despite it be-ing over, Vince Gilligan, the show’s creator, announced a spinoff prequel of Breaking Bad named “Better Call Saul”. The plot of the show will be about the story of Saul Goodman before he met Walter White and be-came his lawyer. Saul is a big char-acter in Breaking Bad, therefore I be-lieve it will be very interesting to see his life before he met Walter White and Jesse Pinkman. The Breaking Bad spinoff was briefly announced by Vince Gilligan in April 2013, however more in depth information about the show has come out recent-ly. For instance it was just recently released that even though the show is a confirmed prequel, there are ideas of making it into a sequel, in whichever way Vince Gilligan does it, I entrust him in making another

amazing show. The show will be airing somewhere between August and October 2014, this is just about a year away. Just like Breaking Bad it will be produced by Sony Pictures Television and aired on AMC. Even before announcing the show publi-cally, Vince Gilligan stated in a 2012 interview of how he was thinking of the show, “I like the idea of a lawyer show in which the main lawyer will do anything it takes to stay out of a court of law. He’ll settle on the courthouse steps, what-ever it takes to stay out of the courtroom. That would be fun—I would like that.”

“Better Call Saul”Redwan Majumder, grade 9

Ravina Singh, grade 11

I found myself flopping around like a dying seal on snow in a panic in front of two equally alarmed people. I had just escaped from that

room Damon had taken me to when I arrived here in “wonderland”, where he explained mostly every-thing. The fact that it was “mostly everything” is a little unsettling. That and the fact that Damon is all of humanity’s wrath; in other words, a demon made by humans. Lucky, aren’t I? And yet he looked so depressing-

ly pretty… I should probably just sort through everything he said before I even look at the people in front of me or wonder how dead leaves turned into snow in a matter of days. So, apparently this “won-derland” and its creatures are made up of powerful beliefs, dreams, sto-ries, myths, and emotions emitted by humans. The three major crea-tures are Grimm reapers, demons (creatures of human darkness), and angels (creatures of human good-ness). One reaper, whom I guess I should refer to as “the red queen”, if I’m following Damon’s twisted but slightly funny joke, has taken hold of all the mirrors in wonderland which allow creatures to travel to a matching mirror on earth. Demons and angels need to go to earth so they can influence humans and the Grimm reapers need to go to...pro-mote fast food and death? My fingers throbbed painfully from the biting cold as I groaned, standing up lazily and staring with deer-about-to-become-road-kill dark eyes into two other pairs of eyes. One pair was wise, cloudy, grey eyes that matched the silvery long hair and dusting of strange, light freckles on ebony skin. It was another amazingly pretty person; a woman. (I’m surprised I have any self-esteem left.) The other pair was a familiar blood red that stood out on a pale face curtained with feath-

ery oily black hair. Damon looked furious.

“Get up,” he hissed. Well that’s unfair! I was the one who should be angry! I have to somehow kill a creature that lives off of death and I was locked in a room in the ground…which I escaped out of by

falling through a HOLE!! “Before I even acknowledge what you said, answer me three ques-tions.” I glared at Damon. “First, how did it become winter when earlier it was fall? How in the cheese did I escape to daylight by falling through a hole, inside a hole?! And, who is she?” “Insanity is strong. It makes sense not to make sense here.” Damon had a hint of amusement on his face. “Don’t get too bold, Cinnamon. You are human. Replaceable.” “Don’t believe him!” the woman cried, while power walking towards me like she had been Boxing Day shopping her whole life. “My name is Angelina! I am wisdom!” …So Angelina the angel? Hold on …Damon=demon and Angelina= angel…? “SERIOUSLY?!” I scoffed. “Do you guys have no creativity?!” “It’s easier for your simple mind,” Damon muttered, staring at Angelina murderously. “Now,” he growled. “Let’s go and kill the darn reaper before I end up killing an angel.” “Hey…No fighting on Christ-mas,” I ordered trying not to laugh at the craziness of me trying to scold a demon. He raised a skeptical eye-brow. “It’s snowing. THAT’S GOOD ENOUGH OF AN INDICATOR OF CHRISTMAS FOR ME.” “Fine.” Damon snarled menacing-ly, turned around and stalked away angrily, leaving behind the scent of smoke.“I will be back. And if you aren’t here, I will assume you’ve joined the angels and I will kill you.” With that the shadowy demon left me standing there with an anx-ious angel, completely empty except for my pounding heart and my chilled bones.

Cinnamon in Wonderland: Part 2 Magdalene Bouchard, grade 9

Hea

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& L

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Things to do Over the BreakMonica Mendoza, grade 12

The snow is finally falling down, Christmas songs are playing on the radio and in every mall, which means that Christmas is just right around the corner.

We all might have this question, what should I do over the holidays? Don’t fret because I’ve got plenty of things for you to do. #1: First things first, if you didn’t put up your Christmas decorations and trees then keep on reading (if you did just skip onto the next idea!). Christmas is all about being together as a family, lovers and all that cozy loving things. You can listen to Michael Buble’, She & Him, Marilyn Monroe’s Santa Baby or even classical tunes while decorat-ing your home. If you have terrible taste in Christmas music, I suggest

that you should use the app or go online to Songza. This music player will do all of the music selecting for you so you don’t have to! #2: Go ice skating in downtown Toronto, trust me you’ll enjoy it. Whether it’d be with someone of yourself you will have a great time ice skating at Nathan Phil-lips Square or Harboufront. These suggestions are coming from ex-perience. After ice-skating you can go catch some coffee, hot chocolate or tea at your local Café and cool down from the weather outside. #3: If the snow isn’t what you en-joy then stay home, get comfy, bake cookies and watch movies. Some movies that I would suggest would be Love Actually (2003), Elf (2003) and Home Alone (1990). #4: Baking will make your days

seem brighter and much yummier! Try baking a gingerbread cookie, attempt La Buche de Noel (Yule Log) or even a simple chocolate chip cookie with milk on the side. #5: Drive around downtown To-ronto (or walk whichever, you pre-fer) and see the lights at night. Its great to have some company with you while Toronto offers you their bright lights at night. It’s worth the watch if you’re into travelling. #6: Another event you should be sure to check out is the 47th annual Cavalcade of lights on November 30th 2013.

I hope these ideas will be on your to-do-list this year. Merry Christ-mas!

Oreo TrufflesRael Bridge, grade 12

Milen Melles, grade 11

Ingredients:10 Oreo Cookies2 cup- cream cheese 2 bars- white chocolate

1 bar of milk chocolate

Instructions: 1) Smash Oreo cookies in a sandwich bag until very fine. 2) Stir in cream cheese until well blended. 3) Form into small balls and refrigerate for 35 minutes 4) While the ball are setting, melt both of the chocolate bars in separate bowls 5) After the 35 minutes take out the balls and put

in white chocolate (make sure they are fully coated) 6) Drizzle milk choco-late over the balls. 7) Sit on baking sheet and put in the refrigerator or freezer for another 35 minutes. 8) Take out and enjoy!

Term two has begun, and slowly stress is tiptoeing upon us. As the holiday sea-son arises, the reality that semester one is almost at an end may be hitting some

of you. Parents are suddenly on our backs due to results from midterms, along with just the everyday stress that teenager’s experience, is be-ginning to overwhelm the growing minds of us high school kids. Well, sit back and attempt to relax as I explain ways to de-stress your life. When you’re frustrated with the ways things are working out, don’t speak harshly to others but rather shut everyone out and find your happy place. That could be found by watching a great movie, or enjoying a good book. Exercise your visual senses by looking at photography

or day dreaming, accompanied with some classical music. Although that may sound very uninteresting to some of you, classical music can help you calm your mind. Another great thing to do when you’re stressed is to go for a walk. As the season approaches, snow will soon be seeking comfort on the grounds of your nearest park. Put on a warm coat and get lost in the beauty of winter! Afterward go home, bake some cookies and get in the holiday spirit. High school is supposed to be one of the best times of your life. Worry-ing over assignments is understand-able and alright in moderation, but nothing good comes out of stressing over things you cannot change. So kick back and relax, because you won’t be able to do that for long!

????, grade ?Ingredients:Mug1/4 cup sugar1/4 cup flour2 tbsp cocoaPinch of salt

2 tbsp olive oil3 tbsp waterIce cream (optional)Chocolate Syrup (option-al)

Instructions: Carefully combine all of the dry ingredients in a regular size, micro-wave-safe mug. Once you are satisfied with your mixing, add the water and oil. Mix every-thing together (without spilling!). Now, place your mug in the microwave and set it for 1 minute and 40 seconds. Let sit for a little while, because it will be extremely hot. For best results, top your brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and chocolate syrup. Dig in!

How to De-Stress

Brownie in A Mug

Beautiful LengthsCaroline D’Souza, grade 12

If the saying “You feel good when you look good” is true, then an act as simple a donating your hair to can-cer goes a long way.On December 2, 2013 I

made the impulsive decision to cut 16 inches of my hair. Little did I know just how great the demand for hair as thick and long as mine was, in Canada. After careful research I ended up mailing my hair to Beautiful Lengths. Beautiful Lengths is a part-nership between Pantene and the Canadian Cancer Society, the largest non-profit health organization com-mitted to saving lives from every cancer and improving the quality of life for people facing the disease. But my hair alone will not be enough to create an entire wig. It takes at least 8-15 ponytails to make a Pantene Beautiful Lengths wig, and each one comes from a differ-ent person with a different shade of hair. For a realistic-looking wig that has consistent colour, these 8-15 po-nytails are processed and then dyed the same shade. Many female patients cancer that have lost their hair from the extensive chemo therapy claim to feel better more like themselves after putting on a wig. So, if your hair is naturally coloured, 8 inches or longer, and less than 5% grey, consider donating it to make a wig for a cancer patient in need.

It’s a new issue, and so I have a couple of new useful websites for you!

Prezi.comAn essential tool for creating stun-ning presentations online and offline, while having the opportuni-ty to work on it together with your friends and classmates.

Sparknotes.com Ever got puzzled about what to study for the upcoming test? Spark Notes provides detailed notes and hints to make sure that you’ll ace that test.

Handy SitesBarney Wei, grade 9

12 December 2013Off The Wall

Alright folks! It’s DECEMBER! Now I don’t know about you, but I absolutely LOVE Christmas. (I actually start preparing for Christmas during September—but shhh, we’ll keep that between us). Anyways, let’s help you get into the Christmas mood!

Bears hibernate, and birds fly to the south in the winter, but what are we suppose to do? As Christ-mas and New Year’s Day

are only two days from our winter break, what can you do for the rest? Start putting up your Christmas tree, hang up your stockings, and buy your presents or start preparing your New Year’s resolutions. Make this Christmas and New Year’s one that you will never forget! Winter is the coldest season, but does that mean we need to stay inside on the Internet all day? No! Family, friends, and neighbours, are all people you have, so why not spend some time with them? Make some plans, go shopping, watch a movie, have a snowball fight or just walk around your neighbourhood. Go outside enjoy the weather and the snow while it lasts! If you are the type of person who enjoys being alone at home, there are many things for you to do. If you have an artistic eye, why not draw, paint, colour, sketch, sculpt, you name it. Create something you have never created. Now, if you’re read-ing this, and you’re like, “Art is not my thing”, give it a try, or do some-thing you prefer. Those who are interested in cook-ing, why not bake a cake for Christ-mas this year? Make a homemade

pizza, or prepare a delicious meal. Cooking is something many of you tend to think our parents do, but why not switch the routine? Throw a party and invite some friends. Just because it’s not your birthday doesn’t mean you can’t throw a party. This will not just make your winter break memorable, but also the winter break of others’. Why not start, or continue vol-unteering! There are many places to volunteer over the winter break. Some places you can volunteer include: the food bank, a nursing home, library, daycares, museums and animal shelters. Why waste your break, when you could finish your hours? For all you sport lovers, there are many sports you can play in the winter. Bring a bunch of your friends out and start snowboard-ing, skiing, tobogganing, sledding or play some ice hockey! There are also many indoor activities that you could do such as swimming, bowling, and basketball. If you’re trying to find a place to attend these indoor activities, go to the YMCA! As you can see, you are going to have the time of your life this Christ-mas/New Year’s break, so look forward to it!

We all are excited for the upcoming season, Christ-mas! Christmas is a time for everyone to get together and enjoy the weeks off.

Christmas is also the season to bring in those dark coloured sweaters in. Sweaters actually help cover up last nights family dinner or a lunch with you’re friends and/or colleagues. So here are seven ways to stay fit & healthy over the season: First things first, ask yourself this “What did I eat for the past couple of days?” If you ate everything that are “Junk food” such as sugary foods or snack then its time to back off and find another healthy alterna-tive. My second tip is try to aim for 8- 10 glasses of water everyday. Water is proven to fire up your metabolism and it helps you to feel full instead of empty. Our body is made up of 60 percent water thus, water is the way to go if you want to stay healthy. In-stead of sitting down and watching those fluffy white snow fall down from your window, try doing 1 hour or 30 minutes of exercise everyday. This will help you feel energized and it can improve your stamina and metabolism. Researches say that exercise is the best way to reduce stress. Tip # 3 is its time for you to sleep an hour or so early. Try to aim for eleven or at least ten to ten thirty at the most. Sleep will heal your bones and your muscles from you previ-ous workouts. Sleep is such a great thing! Tip # 4, Have a goal. Try making salad one of your main meals and save some of the sugary sweets for the special days like Christmas or New Years Eve. Trust me, you wont feel too guilty. Tip # 5 is ask yourself this ques-tion “would you eat this, or that?” This will help you choose much wisely with whatever you would want to eat. Everybody loves a great cup of hot chocolate or the seasonal flavours from Starbucks, am I right? What I do is instead of just ordering the drink as regular, cut out the fats like the whipped cream and just order it as a skinny. A skinny drink will cut the calories in half and it will save you much more calories for later. My last tip is try to enjoy doing different activities even though it may be too chilly outside. You can try to go ice-skating or even brisk walking in a mall. Going shopping for the holidays will actually keep you occupied and it can help you torch those calories without you knowing it! So these are some tips on how to stay fit and healthy this season!

Ingredients:3/4 cup unsalted butter softened 3/4 cup packed brown sugar1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup cooking molasses1 cup shortening4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tsp ground ginger1 tsp cinnamon, 3/4 tsp baking soda1/2 cup water1/2 tsp ground cloves1/4 tsp baking powder1 pinch saltIcing

Instructions: In a medium bowl, mix together the ‘wet’ ingredients until smooth. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients, until they are completely absorbed. Divide dough into 3 pieces, pat down to 1 1/2 inch thickness, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cut-ters. Place cookies 1 inch apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool on dry rack. Then frost with the icing of your choice. Enjoy!

13December 2013 Off The WallH

ealth, Tips, & Lifestyle

7 Ways to Stay Fit & Healthy Monica Mendoza, grade 12

Getting In the Christmas MoodCamille Pandela, grade 12

1. Buy a Christmas TreeIf you’re Jewish and celebrate Hanukah (or

any other sort of annual celebration during the winter break), it wouldn’t hurt to put up a nice big evergreen tree, smack in the corner of your living room (pine, spruce, or fir—whatever you can buy at IKEA or Wal-Mart or wherever) because they just smell so wonderful and refreshing! And decorating it is just so much fun and the lights!

2. Scented CandlesOK, depending on the scent of the candle, you’ll get into all sorts of moods, so let’s start with the basics. So ensure you’ve maximized your Christmas mood, I advise you get scented candles that smell like Christmas! Now, think, what does Christmas smell like? Well, at my house, once my mom starts lighting up some apple cin-namon scented candles (from Costco in case you wanted to know), I’m immediately in the Christmas mood! Can-dles that smell like peppermint, cookies (gingerbread, sugar or chocolate chip), marshmallows, pumpkins, and heck, even candles that smell like burning wood!

3. Christmas songs!I’m pretty sure just about every major holiday out there have songs associated with them, and Christmas being one of the biggest of them, there are PLENTY of songs to listen to! From Mariah Carey to Justin Bieber, and numerous renditions of the classic, traditional carols like “Carol of the Bells” (my favourite rendition being by Pentatonix—WORTH listening to, go do so, right now!)

4. CHRISTMAS DECORATIONSYou can’t get in the Christmas mood without Christmas decorations! From candy canes to oversized socks on the edge of your bed, whatever you have at home, use it! String through popcorn to make popcorn garlands, green and red painted macaroni and cheese garlands, wreaths, pine cones… anything and everything!

5. Drinks!No, just to clarify a few things, I don’t mean alcohol (most of us aren’t allowed to buy that anyway). I’m talking warm hot cocoa or soothing cup of tea or what-ever fancy warm beverage you could think up of buying at Starbucks, something nice and hot and sweet. It’s the best way to end a hard day of decorating (determining where the tree would go, let alone what to put on it in itself, is a struggle, I know), drinking something nice and warm…curled up on the sofa…jamming to some Christ-mas music…smelling those wonderful candles…and just taking in how close Christmas is!If that doesn’t want to make you spread the gift giving mood to everyone, I don’t know what will! Maybe go out and sing carol songs with friends or throw snowballs at each other (I don’t promote violence; snowball fights are just the best—even though I lack hand-eye co-ordi-nation…) or start planning for Secret Santa (GIVE. PRES-ENTS. NOW)! Okay, I think I’m gonna stop writing now, I’m getting my own self hyped up over the Christ-mas holidays. Anyway, see you all on the next edition of OTW and don’t forget to tweet to @xoCamilleeon!Smiles All Around!

Adrianna Williams, grade ?G. Cookies

Arabie Sathivel, grade 9What’s on Your To-Do List?

Jordan Hamilton is one of Pope’s very own professional athletes. He’s played as a representative of Team Canada in many countries across the globe.

Why soccer of all sports?Soccer was the sport I was farthest in, when I had to choose a sport it was evident that I should choose soccer.

When did you start playing?I started when I was 2 years and 9 months old.

Do you have a pre-game ritual?Before every game, I recite the famous ‘My deepest fear’ speech over and over. I always pray before games as well.

What does your training routine consist of?I practice 6 times a week for 2 hours and spend time in he weight room too.

What keep you going when it gets tough?When it gets tough, I just work as hard as I can to contribute to my team.

Who is your inspiration?My brother is my inspiration.

What is the hardest part about being a profes-sional player?Staying focused at all times. Always being your best and setting examples all the time.

What are your plans for the future?One day, I hope to play in the English Premier League.

Have you been scouted by colleges for your talent? Which schools?I’ve been scouted by UCLA, UNC (University of North Carolina) and Maryland University. I’ve verbally commited to Maryland University.

What are your plans for this Christmas/ New Year?Just spend time with the family.

Any wise words to inspire future athletes?Always stay hungry. Never become complacent and belive in yourself; no one will if you don’t. Humility is your greatest attribute, work in silence and let others scream your accomplish-ments.

Hopefully, this short interview has allowed you to get to know him a little more, and hopeful-ly you can be inspired by his words and aspire to become the best of the best!

On December 1st, the Senior Girls’ Basketball team accomplished a feat that has never been done at BPJPII that is to capture the silver medal at the OFSAA Champion. Thanks to the many of you who followed us throughout the tourna-ment. A special thanks to Ms. Karunakar, Ms. Mclean, Ms. Ansell and Mr. Dalgarno for brving the winter storm to drive to Windsor and support the lady panthers! Please congratulate the ladies with the OFSAA hoodies and medals when you see them in the halls. They have represented our school very well on and off the court. Ladies, con-gratulations and be proud of your accomplish-ment! Thank you for a wonderful season.

Senior Girls’ Basketball14 December 2013Off The Wall

Jordan HamiltonAntonio Alcantara, grade 12

Spor

t Eve

nts

The Senior Girls’ Basketball team. Panther pride!

Hamilton fights for the ball!

ADVENT ANGEL APPRECIATIONAROMA ASSEMBLE AWEBAKING BEAUTY BELLSBELONGING BIRTH BLESSINGSBLITZEN BOWS

CANDLESCANDY CARDS CAROLS CELEBRATION CEREMONY CHILDREN CHOCOLATE CHRISTMAS COAL COMMUNITY COMPANIONSHIP COOKIESDANCER

DECORATIONDONATIONS DONNER EFFORTSENTERTAINMENT EVE EVERGREENSEXCHANGE FEAST FIREPLACEFORGIVENESS FRANKINCENSEFRIENDSHIP GINGERBREAD

GRATITUDE GREETINGS HAMICICLES ILLUMINATION LISTSLOVE MISTLETOE NOELSCROOGEYEAR

00 Off The Wall October 2013

Les Zinspirés

Une Noël à la françaiseRachel Braganza, grade 11

La Noël c’est un temps de famille, de joie, de généro-sité.. Partout dans le monde, les gens célèbrent la Noël, mais avec des traditions

différentes. Dans plusieurs parties de la France, la saison de Noël commence le 6 décembre avec la fête de St. Nico-las. St. Nicolas est le saint patron des enfants et il a été l’inspiration du Père Noël. Les enfants laissent leurs chaus-sures devant la cheminée et espèrent que St. Nicolas les remplira avec des cadeaux et des bonbons. Avec espoir, Père Fouettard ne rendra pas visite aux enfants vilains et leur donnera une fessée.

La messe de minuit à la veille de Noël est suivie du Réveillon. Le Réveillon est une célébration de la naissance de Jésus-Christ et il signifie la fin du jeûne d’avent. Les Français se réunissent avec leur famille et leurs

amis et mangent un festin élaboré qui se composent de pâtés de foie gras, du rôti de dinde gavée des pruneaux, des noisettes et bien sur de beaucoup de vin! Le dessert se compose de la bûche de Noël (le gâteau fait de chocolats et des marrons). Au Réveillon, c’est une coutume de partir d’une bougie en flamme au cas où la Vierge Marie passe.

Le 6 janvier, on célèbre la fête des Rois qui représente le temps lorsque les trois Rois Mages qui ont apporté des cadeaux à l’enfant Jé-sus. On mange la galette des rois. La tradition dit que si on trouve une fève dans le morceau que vous mangez on devient roi ou reine pour la journée. Cette fête signifie la fin de la saison de Noël. Il est très intéressant de voir les traditions uniques des cultures différentes d’une fête qui est célébrée autour du monde! Joyeux Noël!

La Tortière Authentique Bethany Bouchard, grade 11

Mercredi, le 20 novembre 2013, Madame Liscio et ses étudiants du BI sont allés voir la pièce «Les Zinspirés 2.0» au Théâtre Français de

Toronto.

Il s’agissait de cinq petites pièces; chacune écrite d’un écrivain dif-férent. Ce qui est incroyable, c’est que tous les auteurs sont étudiants aussi et habitent Toronto. La plupart des pièces se déroulaient dans un hôpital. De toutes les pièces, la majorité des spectateurs aimaient «Comment être une Heart-breaker» de Eleni Kolovos. L’actrice a fait une bonne représentation d’une femme, qui a un blog sur l’Internet et veut enseigner à ses partisans comment être une Heartbreaker. Pour ça, elle fait trois démonstrations avec trois types de garçons: le ‘wannabe,’ le ballot et le ‘Player’. Premièrement, elle capture

leurs cœurs et après qu’ils tombent amoureux, elle brise leurs cœurs. La fin était un tournant inattendu et triste, parce que les spectateurs découvrent que la protagoniste a mal au cœur avec une maladie sérieuse. Cette fin a donné de la profondeur à la pièce, parce que à ce moment, les spectateurs ont connu la raison pour laquelle la femme veut briser les cœurs; son cœur est déjà brisé littéralement. Les acteurs qui ont joué les garçons étaient très passionnants et étaient très drôles.

Les acteurs et les actrices étaient fantastiques et ils étaient en harmonie avec le thème de la pièce. J’aurais voulu que les costumes aient un peu plus style, particulièrement dans «Comment être une Heartbreaker,» mais je ne suis pas déçue. Je recommande la pièce «Les Zinspirés 2.0» à tous les jeunes qui sont au niveau intermédiaire en français, parce que la pièce est drôle. Après avoir vu cette pièce, je veux voir les autres pièces en français. Comme son nom indique « Les Zinspirés, » a été une vraie inspiration.

Selina Emannuel, grade 11

Les Ingrédients

1 ½ livres du porc haché1 d'oignon haché1 gousse d'ail émincée½ de la livre d'eau

½ cuillère à café du thym½ cuillère à café de la cannelle¼ cuillère à café de la sauge¼ cuillère à café du clou de girofle¼ cuillère à café du poivre½ cuillère à café du sella pâte pour un 9-pouce double croûte1 oeuf avec 2 cuillère à soupe d'eau pour vitrage à tarteLes Instructions

Préchauffe le four à 425 degrés F.Dans la casserole, mélange le porc, l'oignon, l'eau, le thym, la cannelle, la sauge, le clou de girofle, le poivre et le sel. Cuit en haut à feu moy-enne jusqu'au mélange est à ébulli-tion et mélange occasionnellement. Diminue le feu et mijote jusqu'au

porc est cuit. (Environ 5 minuits)Creuse le porc dans la pâte. Met la plus haute pâte et pince les bords de la pâte à sceller. Coupe les fentes dans la plus haute pâte, donc la vapeur échappera. Applique l'oeuf avec l'eau à la plus haute pâte pour vitrage à tarte. Couvre les bords de la pâte avec le papier d'aluminium.Cuit dans le four préchauffé pour 20 minuits. Enlève le papier d'alu-minium et cuit pour 15 - 20 minuits, jusqu'à la pâte est brune doré. Laisse la tourtière refroidir pour 10 minu-its. Voilà!EN PRIME!: Utilise d'autres pâte couper varié formes et met les formes sur la plus haute pâte. Cou-vre d'avec la mixture d'oeuf et d'eau.

Avant d'assister à la pièce « Les Zinspirés » au Théâtre Français de Toronto, Mme. Liscio et nous, les 11e et les 10e du BI sommes allés

au restaurant, Le Marché, pour le déjeuner. Ce jour-là, j’ai voulu m’aventurer et essayer quelque chose différente. Les crêpes tradition-nelles sont généralement douces et ont de nombreuses garnitures telles que les fruits et de la crème fouettée. Cette fois-ci, j'ai pensé que je pourrais changer les choses et commander une crêpe nouvelle -une délicieuse crêpe salée! C’était une crêpe régulière, mais il y avait des crevettes, des légumes mixtes, comme de la laitue, des carottes, du maïs et des concombres avec sauce au poivre. C'était vraiment très différente de la crêpe traditionnelle, mais je pense que c'était beaucoup mieux. Si vous n’avez pas la dent sucrée ou vous n'êtes pas si friands des aliments riches, cette crêpe est pour vous. Cette crêpe délicieuse va aussi très bien avec un verre de jus de fruits frais et ces saveurs ne se contrastent pas. Le Marché est l'un des plus chers restaurants de Toronto, mais le déjeuner valait vraiment le prix. Voici une astuce : demandez ce que les plats du jour sont. Ils sont généralement moins chers que les autres plats, mais ils

goutent aussi bien. Les crêpes salées ont également une grande variété de sauces qui peuvent être soit saines ou malsaines. En ce qui concerne les crêpes, ils peuvent s'adapter à toutes vos préférences. Donc, si vous êtes le genre de personne qui aime le sucré, le salé, les plats sains ou malsains, il y a une crêpe spécialement pour vous. Bon Appétit!

Crêpes: Salées vs SucréesRavina Singh, grade 11

Horoscopes Aquarius (January 21st - February 19th)

Take a chance and gift someone your kind honesty this holiday. There is something you need to say or do. You might be feeling out of sorts - this will pass.

Gemini (May 22nd - June 21st)

While the unexpected may happen over the break, you can make the best of it. This holiday is filled with comfort and joy as the cos-mos lights up with holiday spirit.

Libra (September 24th - October 23rd) Waiting for something? Today you’ll get a preview of the outcome. Treat opposition with sugar and spice - in other words, be nice and don’t push it.

Cancer (June 22nd –July 23rd)

You can accomplish a lot as long as you take your time. It might be a good idea to get your shopping done before the crowds get too crazy!

Pisces (February 20th -March 20th)

There are signs all around you - pay attention, especially to the new year! Even some-thing that seems too out there to be true very well could be the real deal. Life is dreamy.

Scorpio (October 22nd - November 21st)

Enjoy every day. Trust your heart and intuition. It’s a good day for reminiscing and indulging your sentimental side. Love is also in the air!

Aries (March 21st - April 20th)

Mingle with friends, classmates - even strangers. You never know who you’ll cheer up and connect with. You’re simply en-chanting!

Leo (July 24th - August 23rd)

The planets are on your side this lu-nar year, filling you with goodwill. You may see something in a bright new light. You can revisit something you love dearly.

Sagittarius (November 23rd - December 21st)

People are not things that happen to you, they are influences that you can control. You are on a journey to discover yourself. Often this is seen through the eyes of others.

Taurus (April 21st - May 21st)

A good, well-balanced year ahead gives you plenty of time to relax. Aquarians can have their fill of love and learn to enjoy different aspects of romance.

Virgo (August 24th - September 23rd)

It is a big year for learning new things, and this applies as much to people as work. Keep an open mind and constantly look for opportunities.

Capricorn (December 22nd - January 20th)

Close relationships with loved ones spin delight right through this year. It is a time to take charge of your own well-being and be honest with yourself about your needs.

16 October 2013Off The Wall

Movember is an annual charity event, involving growing of moustaches in the month of November, to raise awareness of men’s health issues such as Prostate Cancer. Here at BPJP II, some students and teachers took part in this event. Here they are:

Movember