fuddle duddle december 2012 - yrdsb du… · fuddle duddle page2 december 2012. ... kristen, gr. 11...

Fuddle Duddle December 2012

Contents

Recent Happenings at Trudeau

Christmas Wishes, New Year’s Resolutions

Back in the Day Bernice Ho

Live, Laugh and Play Ivy Yam

Preparing for Exams Srishti Sehgal

The End of the World … or Not Eleanor Jiang

Dear Teen Advisor Priscilla Wu

Strong is the New Beautiful Christine Tan

The Flu Shot … To Vaccinate or Not Srishti Sehgal

A Primer on OCD Ashley Wang

Leprosy—It’s Not What You Think Ashley Wang

Top 10 Deadliest Diseases

The Red Eye Disease Anne Liao

Berry Bonanza Cheesecake Srishti Sehgal

Let’s Call It Vogue Bernice Ho

Face to the Book Christine Tan

Newton’s Apple: The Falling Corporation Jack Ding

Skyfall: Bond is Back and Better Than Ever! Avinash N. Mukkala

Old Photographs Tiffany Ng

Editors

Anne Liao

Ashley Wang

Avinash N. Mukkala

Christine Tan

Crista Leung

Eleanor Jiang

Jack Ding

Raymond Ji

Srishti Sehgal

TeacherAdvisor

Mrs. Yun‐Lee

In this Issue

Fuddle Duddle Page2 December 2012

Last month, Mr. Kraemer, Mr. Picken, Mr. Kroetch, and Mr. Weber participated in Movember. By growing their “mo’s”, the teach‐ers raised almost $900 in support of men’s health, particularly prostate cancer and male mental health.

Students were wowed by the in‐credible annual teacher perform‐ance organized by STRUT. This year’s show was choreographed by Grade 11 student Jessica Zhu, and featured Mr. Shin and his energetic crew dancing gangnam‐style. All proceeds went towards finding a cure for breast cancer.

Recent Happenings at Trudeau

Octagon Club members have been busy this fall volunteering at many events including entertaining and serving lunch to seniors at Union‐ville Home Society, and decorating the school for the winter holidays.


Christmas Wishes

Name: Mr. Bolden

What you’d like to get for

Christmas:

A new squash racket.

What you’re most likely going

to receive:

Art from my daughters made

with red construction paper and

make‐up removing cotton balls.

New Year’s resolution:

Spend more time looking at the

stars.

Names: Seairra and Sharece, Gr. 10

What you’d like to get for Christmas:

Money and new phone (iPhone 5).

What you’re most likely going to receive:

Money.


Live life to the fullest.

Names: Ramy Elbakari,

Gr. 10


Christmas:

Bike.

What you’re most likely

going to receive:

Bike.


Study harder.


New Year’s Resolutions

Names: Adrian, Douglas, Denzel & Kumayl, Gr. 11


World peace, or a car.


Chicken nuggets and a protein shake.


Put more effort into school, but that’s not going to hap‐

pen, so make more homemade protein snacks.

Name: Ms. Finlay, Family Studies teacher


A one‐week all‐inclusive vacation to a five‐star ho‐

tel or resort in a tropical paradise.


Black socks, some chocolate, and a lot of hugs.


Try out a new recipe once a week.

Name: Kristen, Gr. 11


Christmas:

Clothes and money

What you’re most likely going

to receive:

Money.


Focus in school and get better

grades.


Names: Jodie & Huda, Gr. 12


Homemade gifts because they show that

someone is thinking of you.


Something we asked for within reason.


Stop procrastinating and get some time

management skills. Maybe become vege‐

tarians.

Name: Eric, Gr. 9


Chachi Mommas, but they’re too expen‐

sive.


Book or pants.


Study more and read more.

Name: Jamal, Gr. 12


Flight tickets to somewhere warm to es‐

cape the winter.


No flight tickets.


Becoming a better person by understand‐

ing myself better.


You see them everywhere…in classes, the halls, the office, and even in detention if you misbehave. It’s part of your school experience to interact with your teachers often, whether you talked to them last period, or at your last practice. However, have you ever wondered how your teachers looked back in the day? Sure, they’re all grown up now, but what were they like when they were just taking their first steps or getting potty trained? Right: Ms. Daleman

Bottom row: Ms. Thomas, Ms. Gilmore, Ms. Yun‐Lee

Life Bernice Ho

Back in the Day

“Give me a cookie, and I’ll behave, I promise!”

“When can I get up to get my book?”

“I see that you are amused by my singing.”

“But I don’t want to sit and take a picture. I want to play.”

How much does a hipster weigh? An instagram.

What is Michelle Obama’s favourite vegetable? Barackoli.

The lights at a Chinese restaurant were too bright, so the manager decided to dim sum.

I couldn’t quite remember how to throw a boomerang, but it eventually came back to me. Ivy Yam


By this time, most of you have probably fig‐ured out what high school life is all about. When I say this, I’m talking about Trudeau’s Niners. The important thing to remember is that you want to get the most out of high school, es‐pecially your grade nine year! Have fun‐‐‐participate in clubs, hang out with friends and attend class, but balance it with work. But what about exams, you ask? Firstly, exams are also not the worst thing in the semester because exam days are half‐days. After your exams, you can go home and relax, study some more, play, or even go out with friends and family.

Think of an exam as a big test. While it really isn’t that hard, preparing for exams requires continuous effort throughout the entire se‐mester. If you have good attendance and fol‐low the school rules, you are already halfway to victory. It’s quite simple: the less you miss school, the less missed work you need to catch up on. The lighter the workload, the more you learn and the better your marks will be in your term and on your exam! You should be organized for all your courses. Be prepared for class, use your agenda, and manage your locker and your binders for class. Create a study plan for homework and assignments. Hand in all coursework on time. Be active in the classroom. Ask ques‐tions and participate as much as you can be‐cause you will more easily grasp concepts that way. Take good notes and ask for notes when you are absent. Pay attention and write your own key ideas about the lesson in your notes. Know how to read a textbook; look over headings, bold/italic words and pic‐tures. Then summarize the reading into your notes. I highly recommend asking your teachers questions in class, outside of class, or even during the exam. The teacher may be able to clarify the question for you. At worst, the teacher will tell you that they don’t know or that “you should know the answer to that question.”

Life Srishti Sehgal

Preparing for Exams


Exams are all about knowing the key con‐cepts of the course. With a strong founda‐tion, nothing can stump you. As you prepare, don’t forget to go over previous unit tests. Make sure you understand the concepts cov‐ered in your notes. Do not try to simply memorize everything because this is very stressful and you probably won’t absorb any‐thing that way. Eat well and definitely, sleep well, too. If you prepare well, when you hand that fin‐ished exam to the teacher, you will walk out the door and say, “Wow, wasn’t that a piece of cake? I wonder what I will do today; go to mall, play soccer, or study a little bit more for tomorrow?”

Grade 12 student Louis advises, “After studying, test yourself to make sure you un‐derstand the material.”

“The two things I think all students would benefit from is learning to manage their time and staying focused,” suggests Stefan, a senior level student.

Grade 12 student Doris reminds all stu‐dents, “Don’t panic. When everyone else is cramming last minute, just stay calm. If you’ve studied, the answers will come.”


Apocalypticism exists in many forms around the world, whether in religious scriptures or simply in stories passed down from one gen‐eration to the next. So why does the recur‐ring theme of the destruction of the world appeal to so many? The definition of the word “apocalypse” means to reveal or unveil, and was originally used to refer to a revelation of God’s will. Nowadays, the word is used to describe the imminent destruction of the world as we know it, perhaps with catastrophic events such as wars. Yet, certain groups, such as the Masons, believe in the “great unveiling”, in which knowledge that will allow humans to surpass their natural limits will be revealed. Many religious groups believe in such prophecies, and throughout history prophetic belief has been shown to give people mean‐ing. According to Paul Boyer, a professor of history at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, “it gives a sense of drama to his‐tory. It gives an order and shape to human experience. We need beginnings. We need endings.” Throughout recorded history, people have examined what was going on during times of crises. They concluded that each crisis was in the time and place of the End of All Things. The people thought that the crisis was inevi‐table and believed that there would be a great change to come.

Life Eleanor Jiang

The End of the World...or Not

“We don’t think 2012 marks the end to the human race. It’s just the end of an old era. We’ll continue and move on to the future,” reassured Jonathan and Daniel, Grade 10.

“If 2012 were the end of the world, I would go home and pray. I would also go out to the grocery store to buy all of the food so that my family and I can survive as long as possible,” confides Raabiah, Grade 9.


The idea of the apocalypse also stems from ancient myths that tell of great clashes be‐tween the forces of good and evil. For exam‐ple, Norse mythology believe that at the end of the world, all the gods will wage a heroic war against all the forces of destruction pre‐sent in the world and lose, thus causing a new world to be born from the ashes of the former. Such beliefs give meaning to life. In spite of or perhaps due to the fact that people are born to die, many search for a deeper meaning to life. They use the apoca‐

lypse to justify their existence. Bernard McGinn, a professor of Historical Theology and the History of Christianity at the Divinity School at the University of Chicago explains that the “expectation of death gives structure to the way in which we live... [The] apoca‐lypse mentality [expands] that individual sense of process towards a goal and [tries] to incorporate history within that understand‐ing.” With the slow decline in the power of religion and the gradual growth of science, many be‐lieve that the apocalypse will reignite an in‐terest in faith. It will attract many more be‐lievers, as “tragedy unites human souls like nothing else” (Brown). Some believe that the apocalypse may be the result of punishment‐cast down by the divinities upon their un‐faithful advocates. In conclusion, although frightening, the apocalyptic worldview gives us a sense of meaning to life and strengthens our belief that we can escape the terrors ahead. Since every individual is unique, we each have our own view on the meaning life. The signifi‐cance of the apocalypse is for each to ponder and to find on his or her own.


Q. I work hard in school and my grades are generally good, but I can’t help but feel dis‐couraged every time my friend scores higher. I do well in most subjects, but no matter how hard I work, I just can’t seem to beat my friend. Why does he always place first and I end up being second in line? It makes me feel angry and jealous when I don’t see my hard work paying off. At the same time, I don’t want this to ruin our friendship. What should I do? How do I stop feeling this way? Waiting for your reply, I Can Never Beat Him

A. I know exactly how you feel. In fact, I’ve experienced the same issue in the past. My advice would be not to let those feelings of jealousy turn a friendship into a war. In this world, there will always be people better than you, so stop comparing yourself to your friend. Everyone strives to be first, but no one is per‐fect. Thus, you should neither be discour‐aged nor put so much pressure on yourself. In fact, since you are already getting high marks, you should be proud! Yes, you might place second, but whoever said being second is so bad? In truth, placing second has its advantages. If you were first, you’ll want to stay in first place. There would be a lot of pressure for you to maintain your rank. Even worse, if you lose your spot, you might feel as though

you’ve lost everything. On the other hand, by being second, you’re not only holding one of the top spots, but most importantly, you’ll always have a goal to strive towards. Try to look at the upside of your situation. Enjoy being at the top with your friend rather than being jealous of him. Hey, things may change. Perhaps on the day of graduation, you’ll be the one receiving the academic awards! Being first is nice, but don’t be greedy for it and don’t let your ego take over. Once in a while, you need to give someone else a chance to shine. I know you can do it, Teen Advisor

Q. I do well in school. I help out with chores at home. I generally get along with my parents and siblings. I have only one complaint: I need a cell phone! But my par‐ents won’t let me have one because they’re worried that I’ll be texting all the time and not focusing on school or family. My friends say that I should just get a cell phone and not tell my parents. I’m so desperate that I might just do that. Out of Touch

A. Cell phones are debatably a necessity once you get into high school, but it’s not im‐portant enough to have to lie to your par‐ents! If you really need that cell phone and

Dear Teen Advisor Priscilla Wu


your parents are opposed, there are plenty of ways to convince them otherwise. Right now, the main reason that your parents won’t permit you to have a cell phone is be‐cause they’re worried that you’ll be texting 24/7. Instead of telling a lie, try to come to an agreement with your parents. Approach the situation calmly at an appropriate time, behave maturely, and persuade your parents that you’re responsible enough to control the amount of time that you’ll spend on your phone. Reassure your parents that you’ll stay out of trouble and that you won’t neglect your duties just because you have a phone. To push the issue a little more, tell your par‐ents that you’re willing to start off with a sim‐ple phone. In fact, your parents can choose the phone and the plan. If you truly need a cell phone, now is not the time to complain about the type or the features of the phone. Ultimately, by letting your parents dictate the terms of your phone and plan now, you may work your way up to getting a better deal in the future. Try to understand your parents’ point of view. Discuss the matter in a mature and positive manner. Under no circum‐stances should you heed the advice of your friends. If you lie to your parents, you will forfeit your parents’ trust, and you probably won’t get a cell phone for a very long time! Good luck, Teen Advisor

Q. I like this guy. He doesn’t know, but all my friends know. The problem is the guy is now flirting with one of my friends. She

laughs off his hints, and hasn’t gone out with him or anything. But I’m so upset with my friend. Am I right to feel this way? What if she ends up liking the guy and going out with him? What should I do? Feeling Betrayed

A. It is perfectly natural to feel upset, but never let a boy break up a friendship! It’s normal for guys (and girls) to enjoy flirting, so don’t take it too much to heart. Even though the guy is flirting with your friend, remember that she did nothing wrong. Don’t let this ruin your friendship! There’s no reason for you to be discouraged just because he approached your friend first either. Hey, who said a girl can’t approach a guy? Challenge traditional values. If you like the guy, muster up the courage and talk to him! Act natural and be yourself. But if things don’t turn out the way you hope, keep in mind that there are plenty of fish in the sea! Even if he doesn’t end up being “the one”, have patience because your “lucky one” will eventually come around. Cheers, Teen Advisor

“I have an iPhone but I don’t keep it with me all the time because it dis‐tracts me from doing work. But it is very con‐venient for communica‐tion with my parents and my friends,” says Adam, Grade 11.


“Skinny is the new beautiful.” Celebrities such as Angelina Jolie, Victoria Beckham, and Paris Hilton are all beautiful and so thin! But does one need to be skinny in order to be beautiful? In our everyday lives, we are plagued by the emphasis to fit a certain mold in society. There are constant reminders by the media and other influences all around us. Turn on the television and beautiful actresses and ac‐tors swarm the screen. Open a magazine and models show off fashion in tiny sizes. It is natural to be influenced by these images and to exercise and eat a balanced diet to strive for better health. Certainly, participa‐tion in sports and learning about nutrition

are wonderful habits that should be encour‐aged. However, when these positive goals become twisted to impact upon one’s health negatively, a problem arises. According to a 2002 survey conducted by the government of Canada, 1.5% of Canadian women aged 15 – 24 years had an eating dis‐order. Even though the sufferers of eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder are primarily fe‐males, males are not exempt from the effects of negative body image. 4% of grades nine and ten males reported using anabolic ster‐oids to alter their physique. Given the staggering numbers of youth with eating disorders, it is not surprising that a high percentage of teenagers have low self‐confidence and negative attitudes towards their body size and mass. 40% of grade ten females perceived themselves as obese when half of those numbers were perfectly healthy. Let’s work backwards. What causes these numbers to begin with? Since childhood, we are bombarded by a cer‐tain physical image that is vigorously pro‐moted as the ideal by the media. Remember Barbie and Batman? Girls and boys around the world believe that Barbie is the penulti‐mate beauty, even though science has shown that she could not ever exist as a human. With a mass of only 45 kg (100 pounds) Bar‐

Health Christine Tan

Strong is the New Beautiful

“More than half of the people I know are on diets because they want to look thinner. Some take pills to lose weight. But I think they look fine just as they are,” comments Maggie, Grade 9.


bie stands at the impossible height of two meters. In real life, Barbie’s spine would not be able to support such a large chest and tiny waist. She would be reduced to crawl‐ing on her hands and knees. As for the action hero, Bat‐man, he features a muscle mass that is virtually impossible to reach without the aid of steroids. Children are exposed to these images since childhood. Furthermore, fashion models and celebrities on television are part of our daily our lives. The average fashion model is thinner than 98% of all women in the United States. 25% of Playboy centerfolds fall in the category of anorexic. Yet these are the figures women constantly compare them‐selves to. And the pressure to be thin never stops. It per‐sists through our entire lives. What people need to recognize is that everyone is beauti‐ful. While we may be unable to change the media situa‐tion, we can adapt so that we can stop eating disorders in their tracks before they become a problem. Awareness of the issue is vital. In conclusion, eating disorders are not publicized like the

warning labels on cigarette boxes. However, it is just as dangerous of a trap to fall into and harder to get out from. The definition of beautiful ac‐cording to Dictionary.com is “having beauty.” The definition of beauty is “the quality pre‐sent in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from sensory manifestations.” Where in the definition appears the word, “skinny”? No where. There‐fore, let us look at the facts and be more knowledgeable about eating disorders. Suffice to say, strong is the new beau‐tiful.

“It’s important to love your‐self. You are born this way, as Lady Gaga put it. Everyone loves you just the way you are,” declares Sammy, Grade 11.


According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, about 10% to 20% of the general population catches the flu each year. Af‐flicted patients suffer fever, chills, runny nose, sore throat, cough, body aches and fa‐tigue. The flu can lead to high‐risk diseases like pneumonia. In Canada, between 2 000 and 8 000 deaths are attributed to the flu and its complications annually. As many of you know, catching the flu or hav‐ing the flu vaccine one year does not grant you immunity the next year. This is because the influenza virus has many strains, and each strain can mutate into a different form each year. To create the flu vaccine, scientists must pre‐dict which flu strains are most likely to circu‐late during the coming flu season. To accom‐plish this goal, scientists combine statistic and genetic analysis of the DNA sequences of thousands of flu strains. The flu vaccine is then based on the three main strains that sci‐entists hypothesize would be most successful in spreading throughout the world popula‐tion. Because the prediction must be made a year in advance, there is the possibility of a miscalculation. In that case, the vaccine may offer little or no protection. During the production of the vaccine, the vi‐rus is replicated in chicken embryos. After an incubation period of two days, the viruses are harvested, killed and blended together into the vaccine. Chemicals are added to keep the

vaccine fresh and pure. The World Health Or‐ganization and Health Canada inspect the vaccine before it is distributed for use. The vaccine protects you and your family from the common strains of the flu virus. The person who is vaccinated is protected di‐rectly. The rest of the family is protected by association since the vaccine prevents those who are vaccinated from getting sick and spreading the infection to others. The vaccine works by injecting inactive flu vi‐ruses into you. While you cannot get the flu from the shot, your body will form antibodies against the virus, giving you immunity. With‐out the flu shot, you will not have the anti‐bodies and are more susceptible to a flu in‐fection. Complications of the flu may arise if the virus invades the lungs, multiplies and spreads. Some ways to prevent the flu are: • When coughing/sneezing, use a tissue to

cover your mouth and then throw it in the trash.

• Wash your hands properly and often with

Health Srishti Sehgal

The Flu Shot … To Vaccinate or Not

Did you know that… A vitamin D deficiency weakens the im‐mune system and creates susceptibility to influenza. Furthermore, influenza occurs in the winter when there is less sunlight. It rarely occurs near the equator, where there is lots of sun. A good reason to spend the winter in the tropics?


A Primer on OCD Ashley Wang Full name: Obsessive‐Compulsive Disor‐der Causes: Large amounts of stress. Generally strikes before the age of 40, most likely in adolescence. Effects: Compulsive rituals, generally based around the concepts of contamina‐tion and doubt. Often illogical. Anxiety, es‐pecially over the ritual or the way a task was performed. Deteriorating social life and re‐duced productivity, due to time being taken up by the rituals. Often accompanied by de‐pression and relationship problems. Treatment: Medications that affect the amount of serotonin in the brain, and cogni‐tive‐behavioural therapy. Cognitive‐behavioural therapy is recommended before medication in children. Like other mental illnesses and disorders, emotional support. Cognitive‐Behavioural Therapy: A psy‐chotherapy technique that is based on the idea of exposure and preventing a reaction to the object of the ritual. Involves having the patient be close to the materials in‐volved in their ritual, but not actually per‐forming the ritual. Considerations: Those diagnosed with OCD are under great stress, which may or may not still be around. Children with OCD also tend to have other psychiatric prob‐lems, such as social phobia, tics, and imag‐ined ugliness.

soap and warm water. If they are not available, use an alcohol‐based hand sani‐tizer.

• Avoid close contact with sick people. If you have flu‐like symptoms, see a doctor and avoid close contact with other people to reduce the spread of the infection.

• Follow the Canadian Food Guide and make sure your body receives enough vi‐tamins, minerals and water.

While the flu shot offers the best protection for many people, it may not be safe for some people. Serious reactions to the flu vaccine include life‐threatening allergies, blood and brain disorders, and Guillain‐Barré Syndrome, a potentially fatal disease of the nervous sys‐tem. In addition, it takes two weeks for im‐munity to develop, and even then, you are not guaranteed to be flu‐free for the season. Lastly, the flu vaccine has demonstrated little or no effect on hospital stays, time off work, or death from influenza and its complica‐tions. In the end, a vaccine does have the potential to help. However, it may also have little or no effect at all. It is your job to understand the pros and cons of the vaccine and to decide…to vaccinate or not to vaccinate, that is the question...


Have you ever heard of the disease “leprosy”? If you have a religious back‐ground, you might know that it was once considered to be a disease of sinners, and that a special building called a leprosarium was often built to house those affected. Maybe you even recall that lepers were re‐quired to ring a bell to announce their pres‐ence, to prevent others from catching their illness. Over the years, various mistaken assumptions have been made about the disease. Today, leprosy goes by the name “Hansen’s disease.” It is named after Dr. Armaur Hansen from Norway, who identified the causative agent of the disease in 1873 and determined that it was not a form of divine punishment. Han‐sen named the pathogenic bacterium Myco‐bacterium leprae. Since then, the perceived threat level that the disease poses has dropped quite dramatically, and patients are no longer viewed as “accursed lepers.”

In reality, leprosy isn’t particularly conta‐gious. It is nowhere near as contagious as the plague, even though they share the dubi‐ous distinction of being “Very Dangerous Dis‐eases of the Olden Days.” Though leprosy is still around, 95% of people in the world will never develop leprosy in their lifetimes. More common in warm climates, leprosy did appear in Canada for a brief stint in the 1800s. Owing to its long incubation period and the gradual appearance of symptoms, it is often difficult to know when someone is infected. The disease can disfigure the face and other parts of the body. Patients develop sores called lesions which tend to occur at the brow and chin areas. They are caused by ei‐ther very swollen nerve endings or clustering bacteria. The bumpy skin lesions often cause a reduction in feeling and can take several weeks to heal. However, in serious cases of untreated leprosy, the nose might begin to sink. One can imagine how a leper’s “monstrous appearance” can evoke severe social reactions. The nerve damage that is caused by leprosy is far more serious than the facial disfigure‐ment. There is a general loss of sensation in the arms and legs, leaving the victim unable to feel their hands or feet. Damaged nerves mean that victims may accidentally injure their hands, and continue to do so, lacking the pain response. This led to the gruesome belief that a leper’s hands and feet rotted

Health Ashley Wang

Leprosy—It’s Not What You Think

Leprosy is still prevalent in 24 countries in the world, most of which are in the tropics or subtropics.


away. Nerve damage is not restricted to the hands and feet. It can occur in the face, resulting in blank expressions and blindness. You can’t expect your facial muscles to respond well if you can’t feel them, can you? The loss of sight, however, is not directly due to M. leprae. It is actually caused by not blinking because blinking is easy to forget when pa‐tients cannot feel their eyelids. Without functional eyelids to wipe away dirt and to block unwanted light, blindness soon follows. Like other diseases, the earlier the diagnosis, the better. This involves taking samples of skin lesions and checking them for M. leprae. The side effect of muscle degeneration can be solved with a surgical procedure that redi‐rects healthy muscle to replace the functions of the weakened one. An interesting side ef‐fect of the operation is that the patient must get used to thinking, “twitch a finger” and “twitch your thumb,” at least until their brain understands that sending a signal to a nerve to a certain muscle now does something dif‐ferent. There are several drugs for treating leprosy, but like other bacteria, M. leprae can develop resistance to the medicine. The drug therapy may cause the patient to feel pain, which lep‐rosy had dampened previously, as well as the side effects of the actual drug. Unlike the illnesses with which we are more familiar, such as the twelve‐hour‐flu, leprosy can take six months to two years of constant medication to cure. Aren’t you glad that lep‐rosy is not one of the more contagious dis‐eases?

Top 10 Deadliest Diseases Ischemic heart disease: Organs such as the heart do not receive enough oxygen. Leads to heart failure and death. Affects 1 in 100 people.

Cerebrovascular disease (stroke): Blood flow to the brain is interrupted. Can cause permanent brain damage.

Lower respiratory infections: Includes bronchitis and pneumonia. May be caused by a viral or bacterial infection.

HIV / AIDS: Immune system is weakened such that it cannot fight off infection.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary dis‐ease: Includes chronic bronchitis and em‐physema. Severe breathing difficulties.

Perinatal conditions: About 500 000 women die during childbirth due to severe bleeding, infections, obstructed labor, etc. Correlated with inadequate medical care, poor nutrition and weak maternal health.

Diarrheal diseases: Severe dehydration may lead to death.

Tuberculosis: Contagious bacterial infec‐tion that affects the lungs and other organs.

Malaria: Major health concern in the trop‐ics and subtopics. 300 – 500 million cases and 1 million deaths annually.

Trachea, bronchus, lung cancers: Lung cancer is the deadliest type of cancer, result‐ing in more deaths than breast, colon, and prostate cancer combined.

Source: Science.Discovery.com


When I get to school every morning, it’s like being in Call of the Dead (COD). Red puffy eyes everywhere! No, we do not damage our eyes by playing too much COD. The real problem is that we do not get enough sleep. The average amount of sleep a teenager gets is around 7 to 8 hours. However, adolescents need 9 ¼ hours of sleep to reach ultimate alertness in the morning. With our school starting at 8:15am, most students don’t even get 7 hours! The lack of sleep not only leads to very unap‐pealing red puffy eyes; it also has a negative impact on our school work, as well as our physical and social state. So why don’t teen‐agers get enough sleep? First of all, it’s natural for teens to not be able to sleep before 11 pm! Teenagers have an unusual biological sleep pattern due to a sleep chemical called melatonin in our brains. Melatonin is released much later at night in the brain of an adolescent. As a result, many youths cannot fall asleep before 11 pm. However, sleeping at two in the morning is far too late. One of the most common rea‐sons for students to stay up late is home‐work. To be fair, that is because students of‐ten don’t start doing homework until 8pm. So my advice would be to stop procrastinat‐ing, do your homework when you get home,

and do not go onto Facebook every 5 min‐utes! Another reason why some students are up so late is because they have trouble falling asleep (myself included). While one may go to bed at 11 p.m., sleep may not happen until 1 a.m. I personally would lay the blame on my cell phone. Did you know that looking at your cell phone screen or any other elec‐tronic screen for one hour can reduce the melatonin in your brain by a whopping 10%? My advice would be for you to take 10 min‐ute breaks away from the computer, TV, iPad or cell phone screens frequently. By doing so, you can prevent your melatonin levels from dropping. Now armed with these helpful tips, go and get a deep, restful sleep (just not during class!).

Health Anne Liao

The Red Eye Disease


Preparation time: 20 minutes Total cooking time: approx. 3 hours

Ingredients: 1 ¼ cups Graham cracker crumbs/rolled oats

3 tablespoons of crushed almonds (optional)

¼ cup butter, melted

3 packages (250 g each) cream cheese, sof‐tened

¼ cup sugar

½ cup of your choice of berry

1 tablespoon of jam/purée of your choice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Fresh fruits or berries

Directions: 1. Double line the bottom of a 9‐inch (23 cm)

pan.

2. In a small bowl, combine the cracker crumbs/rolled oats, crushed almonds (optional) and butter. Press the mixture onto bottom of the pan and bake in 300°F (149 °C) oven for 6 minutes. After baking,

take out the pan and let it cool on the counter.

3. Separately, cut your berries (but reserve some berries for decorating the cheese‐cake at the end) into chunks and stir in 1 tablespoon of a jam of your choice.

4. In a large mixer bowl, beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy; gradually beat in ¼ cup of sugar. Stir in 1 tsp of vanilla extract. Add the berry mixture into the cream cheese mixture and stir well.

5. Top the Graham cracker mixture with the cream cheese mixture and use the back of a spoon to level the cheese.

6. Chill the cheesecake completely in the re‐frigerator for about 3 hours until the filling is firm.

7. When serving, carefully remove the cheesecake from the pan. Place the cheesecake on a dish, and top with fresh fruits or berries. If desired, spoon some jam around the cheesecake.

8. Serve at once and bon appétit!

Quick Facts: Berries are antioxidants that help boost the

immune system and promote a healthy

heart. They also contain vitamin C which

helps us fight against colds. Nuts are a good

source of protein. They help with digestion

and cleanse the blood. Oats are a fantastic

source of slow‐releasing energy and fiber.

The Recipe Corner: A Christmas Treat Srishti Sehgal

Berry Bonanza Cheesecake


The coldest season calls for slick leather looks, army‐inspired styles, neutral colours, and a cape? Take note as you look at how Hollywood’s finest are incorporating these winter fashion trends.

As simple as can be: You can never go wrong with a neutral palette. Take a look at how sophisticated and classy Scarlett Johann‐son from The Avengers and Taylor Swift, the “I Knew You Were Trouble” singer, appearing in their daily outfits for the holidays. This winter, be sure to wear colours like beige, white, or black for a simple, yet elegant look.

Leather weather: Edgy and chic, the leather look appealed to Blake Lively from Gossip Girl who rocked the style in a daily run around the city. Leather biker jackets, shiny leather pants, leather purses, clutches, cross‐bags, and totes are in this season. To com‐plement your outfit and keep yourself toasty this winter, add a simple accessory like Blake’s Burberry scarf.

Fashion Bernice Ho

Let’s Call It Vogue


Armed for the cold winter season: Go for an army‐inspired look like Gwyneth Paltrow from Glee and you’ll surely catch attention. Add solid tights to match a pair of combat boots and make sure to include an olive green cozy jacket to complete the look.

Winged: Take some style notes from Harry Potter or even Blair Waldorf from Gossip Girl and add a cape‐style winter coat for this season. Fancy and wearable, the cape keeps you warm from the chills of win‐ter. Not only it is one of the best layers you can get this season, but it comes in so many forms, from preppy to rocker, to even vintage!

Got the latest fashion scoop? Let us know by emailing your insight to [email protected].


For most teenagers, what’s the first website one goes on after booting up the computer? Facebook. Such an odd name, I mean, what does the word

“Facebook” really mean to a person who is unfamiliar with the world’s most popular me‐dia site? It is certainly not a book, but you do see many faces. Well, maybe it is like a book. I mean, it does have pages. In all seriousness, Facebook is a social net‐working site that’s been online since 2004. It came into existence less than a decade ago, yet has become a staple in many people’s everyday lives. Let’s take a moment to ana‐lyze Facebook and weigh its pros and cons. Now, you may be scratching your head and thinking, “What? There are no cons to Face‐book!” Ha! Got you there, because to give such a response means that you have already fallen for Facebook’s traps. It is fine to use Facebook, but to base your existence on your wall and newsfeed is a problem. It is so time‐consuming! You might start off thinking that you will just check your notifications and messages. However, your fingers begin to twitch as you click each noti‐fication and message to respond to every lit‐tle thing. Afterward, you see your newsfeed and scroll down. It never ends. You glance at

the clock periodically and tell yourself that you will log off Facebook soon, but somehow always manage to persuade yourself to stay on for another five minutes. Before you real‐ize it, an entire hour of your life has disap‐peared. And the guilty party? Facebook. Another cause for concern is your complete and utter lack of privacy, and the worst part is your ignorance of it! Almost everyone can access your information with the proper knowledge, and what you put on the Internet stays there forever. It is like digging your own grave. What is a fun, silly quote or picture at seventeen years of age may cause you to lose your bid for the dream job once your future employers have a look. But an even more pressing issue is cyber‐bullying. According to a 2011 Consumer Reports survey, one million children were harassed on Facebook in the preceding year. Lack of privacy and cyber‐bullying are but two of a long list of danger‐ous Internet safety concerns surrounding Facebook. On the other hand, Facebook is an amazing tool. This social networking site, which can be accessed more or less for free via the Internet (you need to pay for your router), is an awesome communication tool. Where else can you find almost everyone on at any given time? And it is so easy to add to your contacts (excuse me, I meant “friends” list). A click of a button is all that is needed. Face‐book even suggests people that you might

Technology Christine Tan

Face to the Book


know. Moreover, Facebook is easier than tex‐ting, for which Facebook has a chat box equivalent, or e‐mail because it acts as a so‐cial hub where anyone is just a click away! Thus, Facebook facilitates easy communica‐tion between friends both close and far. Another advantage of Facebook is the wealth of information that can be accessed about organizations and celebrities. Simply type the keywords in the search box. It is some‐what like Google, but faster, and the informa‐tion is more condensed. Groups and organi‐zations can alert you to parties and events. Say goodbye to the excuse of “the party in‐vite was lost in the mail.” The world of Facebook occurs at the speed of electrons. For those without Facebook, no one will force you to sign up. However, here is a piece of advice: try something new and experience all the opportunities it has to of‐fer. As the saying goes, “YOLO: You Only Live Once”, so take life by the horns. Virtually im‐possible to turn down, Facebook is a way to connect people around the world. This one simple website is a fantastic communication tool, photo and video sharing site, informa‐tion centre, and much more. Ever‐expanding and ever‐popular, Facebook is not going away anytime soon. What do you think this says about our society?

“Facebook can be a distraction if you want to be productive. It’s not a necessity, but it can be useful,” reflects Aria, Grade 12.

“I don’t have Facebook because my parents don’t allow it. There are a lot of reports about cyber‐bullying and people posting inappropriate things. I do miss Facebook a little bit because everywhere I go, people ask for your Facebook,” comments Simran, Grade 9.


On January 9, 2007, in a crowded San Fran‐cisco presentation room, Steve Jobs, the late CEO of Apple, released the original iPhone. He didn’t need to say much to impress the audience. The technology spoke for itself. Within a few weeks, the iPhone arrived on store shelves, and were quickly deemed the hottest tech toy of the year. People spent the night in sleeping bags to be the first in line to snag one of these “Jesus phones”. Today, the glorious innovation haven that was Apple is steadily declining. With recent dis‐appointing releases such as the iPhone 5 and the iPad Mini, technology experts and ordi‐nary consumers alike are questioning whether or not Apple has lost its magic. Like many, upon viewing the new iPhone 5 release, I asked myself, “Is this all?” Aside from some incremental increases in resolu‐tion and microprocessor, the only change that I could distinguish was that the figure of the phone seems to have stretched a little. It was a sad realization. When comparing Apple’s recent releases to those of other companies such as Microsoft, the future seems even bleaker. Windows 8, compared with its predecessors, is truly inno‐vative. With a redesigned logo and an en‐tirely new interface, it is clearly built for a tablet‐dominated future. From a company that was once mocked by Apple in its “Mac versus PC” ads for being too conservative and traditional, it would appear that the tables have turned.

Technology Jack Ding

Newton’s Apple: The Falling Corporation

“I love Apple. I have Apple everything!” enthuses Adalia, Grade 12.

“I don’t like Mac computers. I like PCs … Microsoft Word and Publisher are just eas‐ier to use. If I had to use an Apple product, I would. But I prefer normal, non‐Apple computers,” explains Madeleine, Grade 12.


The fading magic of Apple can be traced to the death of Steve Jobs, who was, arguably, one of the greatest CEOs in history. He had the ability to transform his product release keynotes into magic shows. His presence, his voice, and his words, combined with the technology that he presented, ensnared the hearts and minds of millions. Jobs was very much the soul of Apple. He led the company towards a brighter future, dis‐covering innovations that would ease us into a technology‐led life. When Jobs passed away, it seems that he took his aptitude for “creating the new” with him. As a company worth billions of dollars, Apple needs to figure something out quickly. Com‐petitors such as Microsoft, Samsung, Lenovo, and Google are pushing ever closer. It is only a matter of time before Apple’s once‐hallowed reputation for thinking outside of the box crumbles. Without some significant changes, Apple could well be on its way to becoming the humdrum desktop dinosaurs in the office.

“I like the iPhone because it’s different. Ap‐ple put a lot of thought into the software. The iPhone made the company very suc‐cessful. But I don’t think Apple will con‐tinue to be as successful in the future be‐cause many new ideas and products are coming out from other companies. Apple stocks are falling,” opines Zanir, Grade 10.


Skyfall is different, but... it functions. I was truly praying, hoping for a decent Bond film after 2008's Quantum of Disappointment (Quantum of Solace, if you prefer). I can safely say that my hopes were not simply ful‐filled; they were exceeded. My expectations for this film were fairly high to begin with as it needed to compensate for 2008. But I was not expecting a Bond film that paid tribute to the nostalgic Bond mythos. The twenty‐third installment justly commemorates the fiftieth anniversary of the Bond series. In actuality, Skyfall offers new life to the 007 genre. Specification, Cast And Acting Directed by Sam Mendes and produced by Eon Productions, Skyfall seems to have found a way to redeem the 007 name by reverting back to the genre's traditional plotline. Rated PG‐13, the film runs for nearly two and half hours of non‐stop, heart stopping, thrilling action. Most critics and Bond moviegoers thought that Daniel Craig was losing his Bond‐like touch, but he showed them. His performance was nothing short of stunning, moving at times, masculine (of course), and quite unex‐pected. Craig's acting was fair in comparison to his debut in the sensational Casino Royale and extraordinary in comparison to Quantum of Solace. Some may argue otherwise, but Craig is the best James Bond since Sean Con‐nery, probably even better. In fact, Daniel Craig is the best Bond actor ever. He's still

fresh. This time around the 007 rollercoaster, Bond moviegoers would be happy to know that the villain problem in Quantum of Solace has been successfully fixed. After all, James Bond is only as good as his enemies are bad. Skyfall offers us Silva (Javier Bardem), an ex‐agent who takes a liking to freelance killing. He truly is fascinating, stealing every scene he appears in. A marvelous Bond villain. Judi Dench (M) is splendid as usual, playing the mother figure of MI6 (British intelli‐gence). What is curious is that unlike most Bond flicks, this one contains two Bond girls: Naomie Harris as Eve Moneypenny and Béré‐nice Lim Marlohe as Sévérine; both ladies acting with verve. However, even though Marlohe's Bond girl impression was believ‐able, Harris's was simply better (sorry Mar‐lohe, you just don’t possess the requisite Bond girl sensuality). Q (as portrayed by Ben Whishaw) is back! Skyfall brings us the nerdy yet admired MI6 quartermaster. We have not seen the gadget‐tinkerer since Die Another Day in 2002. Rest assured Bond fans, Q is back, and boy, was he missed. Plot I can honestly say that this film was not sim‐ply another bloody action‐espionage picture. The plot flows with a fluidity unlike other

Entertainment Avinash N. Mukkala

Skyfall: Bond is Back and Better Than Ever!


Bond movies, and in comparison is far more meaningful. It features fabulously written scenes and a clever, poignant and significant plotline. The plot delves into the background of James Bond, revealing his intriguing vulnerabilities and flawed character. It hu‐manizes the cold spy. After Adele's epic vocal performance to open the movie, we meet a Bond who is dazed yet unstirred. The introductory chase ends badly for Bond, leaving him supposedly dead in the eyes of the British Intelligence Agency: a sac‐rifice of war. But after M is attacked by good ol' Silva, James returns (quite reluctantly) from his “vacation” of “death”. Silva steals a hard drive with all the British agents' infor‐mation in it (cheesy or nostalgic? You decide). M and Bond retreat to an old World War Two bunker from their steel fortress. Bond begins his mission and soon uncovers Silva's mystify‐ing past. The story follows the nostalgic plotline set in stone by the late Ian Fleming. If Fleming were alive today, he would have definitely ap‐proved the return to tradition. I do not want to give too much away, because the plot is what made this movie for me. In brief, it had handsome direction and great purpose. Mechanics of Cinematography The script of Skyfall was nearly flawless: it told a story; it did not overwhelm the audi‐ence with excessive conversation. The dia‐logue was beautiful. The script was to‐the‐point yet complex in all its details. Purvis, Wade and Logan should be proud to honour Fleming with such a masterpiece.

The setting was done with a stroke of cine‐matographic mastery. By moving from Shang‐hai to Istanbul and then to the Scottish High‐lands, the film was able to incorporate a vari‐ety of settings which enhanced the overall quality. The editing was average. There truly was not much to edit. But that does not mean that there was nothing. Stuart and Kate Baird had their work cut out for them. As for music, the soundtrack for this movie was amazing. It mixed the original Bond theme with epic slow portions and techno twists. It added a modern touch to a fifty year old theme. Thomas Newman, you did well, maybe you will finally win an Academy Award instead of merely being nominated. Costumes were average as no extravagance was required, but there was an obvious sen‐sual and classy air to all the actors. Box Office & Critical Response Raking in a decent $800 million worldwide as of November 29, 2012, Skyfall did quite well as it started off with a budget of about $150 million. In the United Kingdom, the film


grossed a hefty $32.4 million dollars in just the opening weekend. This makes the film second most earning Friday‐Sunday debut ever, behind the last instalment of the Harry Potter movie series (talk about home‐field advantage!). Skyfall became the top‐grossing James Bond film of all time in the UK. In North America, the film opened in 3 505 cinemas, the widest opening for a Bond film, ever.

Skyfall received a worthy 92% critical rating based on 276 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. It also earned an 8.1/10 on IMDB based on 141 082 users. Overall, it received positive critical reviews from various film critics. And no, it is not overrated; in fact, it is rated quite accu‐rately.

Memorable Dialogue

James Bond: Everyone needs a hobby... Raoul Silva: So what's yours? James Bond: Resurrection. M: Where the hell have you been? James Bond: Enjoying death. 007 reporting for duty.

Closing Comments

How many decent films have we gotten this

year? Very few. Skyfall is one of those few that make it into the "beyond decent" section of 2012 cinema. Quantum of Solace was a terrible downer. This film is a considerable rebound back. It is the finest Daniel Craig Bond movie with emotional profundity and all. Mendes' advance to action is traditional and stylish ‐ no overexcited editing and fuzzy incomprehensible images here. But what makes this motion picture exceptional is the consideration Mendes pays to his actors. Oc‐casionally, the old ways are best. This is a fre‐quent line that runs throughout the original James Bond film Skyfall and never has it been more true.

Skyfall does not simply satisfy; it exceeds ex‐pectations with flying colours. Craig is back as Bond again in October 2014. Let us pray for a sensual, stylish and remarkable return. Nos‐talgia may be key to some recoveries. Bond truly is back and better than ever.

"The name's Bond, James Bond."

My Overall Rating:

9.5/10 (Hey, there are no perfect films)


Sometimes there is a small mystery in the photos I find. I am minding my own business, scanning the stalls at the Sunday flea market. I wave hello to the food vendors who know me, and who know to save a cup of coffee with two sugars for me because I am a regu‐lar there. I'm always there, every week. I am looking at the trinkets and fingering the china tea cups with designs of pink and gold flow‐ers, when I see it. A box of old photographs, most of them with fading colours. My fingers sud‐denly twitch; they itch to touch and to find the sto‐ries behind the faces. There are the regular pho‐tos with the smiling kids and the family dog. How‐ever, those aren’t the pho‐tographs I'm looking for. I keep rifling. Near the bottom of the stack, there is always that one photograph that makes no sense to me, or to anyone other than the photographer and the people in the scene. Only the uncle or brother who took the photo would understand why the girl seems to be floating instead of standing on the ground or why the kids' bathing suits are dripping wet yet the ground around them is dry as the August sun. The funny faces pulled by the fiancée of the photographer and the crude smiles of the onlookers in the back‐ground must mean something special to them. Without the voice of the photographer

over my shoulder, who wears a worn smile, deep lines full of knowledge, melancholy and memories. I will never know their stories. Maybe the girl jumped out of the tree in the background, and somehow her legs straight‐ened out at exactly the right moment. Maybe that day the sun really was that hot, drying up the wooden boards of the dock and the sand by their feet. Maybe the fiancé told a dirty joke to his bride‐to‐be, as was their cus‐

tom every Saturday after‐noon after he came home from work, after he washed off the grime and dirt of the farm. I’ll never know why the people in the photos are doing what they are doing because those people are

gone. They will never see these photographs again. They are now forever floating particles of dust and ash. They are the victims of time, only remembered now by the shaky pencil marks naming them Robert, George and Anita. So I buy these photos. I hand over a couple coins for the stack, tied in an old, al‐most frayed rubber band. And I look the seller in the eye, the seller who found them in her basement and has no reason to keep the photos for sentimental value, and an‐nounce that the photographs are worth more than the quarters I paid because photographs are so much more than chemicals on paper. They are the remainders of the lost and for‐gotten. But I’ll remember them.

Short Story Tiffany Ng

Old Photographs


Joy, Peace and Love

fuddle duddle december 2012 - yrdsb du… · fuddle duddle page2 december 2012. ... kristen, gr. 11...

Documents