Run Ze Cao, Grade 12

The Martingrove

BEACON

As an MCI student, it’s hard to have missed all of the one-liners, punny names and quirky posters that have been taped over every crevice of the school. SAC Core Exec Elections occur annually at the end of every school year, when the new SAC core exec members must be selected for the upcoming school year. There were remarkable candidates running this year, all exemplary students of Martingrove C.I. and beary well-suited for their contested positions.

The Beacon would like to reach a congratulatory and welcoming paw out to the newly elected SAC core exec for the year of 2012-2013. We have Stefen Arulampalam as President, Alec Goodwin as Vice-President, Rushabh Shah as Social Convenor, and Jessica Kim as Secretary.

Your New SAC Core Exec!In the Bear Country boardroomAPRIL QU

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A Thrill-Seeker’s Dream

Martingrove’s Most Influential PeoplePositive Potential Personified

BY: JELENA BELENZADA

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From left: Stefen Arulampalam, President and Alec Goodwin, Vice-President

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At 93 metres tall, there’s nothing delicate about The Leviathan, the newest member of the Canada’s Wonderland family. It appears to hold up the sky, standing tall and proud as its steel blue ribbons enchant thrill-seekers and KidZone lurkers alike. It’s the first thing you see on the horizon as you approach the park in your car. Its hammerhead turn, twisting seductively above the park in front of the entrance, taunts you from the moment your feet touch Wonderland cement. The gauntlet is thrown. There is no turning back now.

Oh, but the scaly blue beast makes you wait. The line is a monster in its own right: Its coiled body writhing in the heat, it extends for what feels like miles. And just as you’re about to give up hope of ever making it out alive, you enter the Leviathan’s treacherous

Wonderland unleashes the LeviathanJELENA BELENZADA

Sara Shahriari’s got an adventurer’s soul deeply rooted in humility and tenacity. This year, she’s the co-management editor here at the Beacon after working her way up from layout general council in grade 10 and layout editor in grade 11. She is also the publicity head for Amnesty Martingrove, the head of fundraising for the SAC, and a peer tutor for science and math, something she’s been involved with since the tenth grade. Her peers respect her as an idea factory, a hard worker, and an invaluable asset to every team.

Outside of school, Sara continues to be a role model. She was an assistant teacher of Farsi at Islington Middle School for two years, before crossing the ocean to Minab, Iran during the summer of 2010 to teach English to kids who were “at that age where they give attitude.”

An adventurer at heart, Sara glows as she talks about her future plans to travel the world not as a tourist, but as an explorer – in a perfect world, she says, she would know every language on Earth and beyond.

Sara Shahriari, Grade 12BY: JELENA BELENZADA

Self-proclaimed “social nerd” Run Ze Cao has established quite a name for himself. At school, he served as Vice President for the 2010/2011 school year, and won first place at this year’s Engineering Idol as a member of Martingrove’s team.

But Run Ze’s true claim to fame is his remarkable scientific and mathematical prowess. He taught himself AP chemistry,

biology, and physics. He’s won a whole heap of math awards and science awards including 2nd place at the 2010 International Biology Olympiad. This year, MCI is proud to send Run Ze off to both the International Biology and Chemistry Olympiads.

When he’s not exploring his passion for science or debating furiously with his blond arch-nemesis, he’s writing whole new worlds into existence: A huge fan of gaming, Run Ze has written over 2 million words of fan fiction– that’s more than all the Harry Potter books combined!

Perhaps he’s spent his whole life in this universe of his – one driven by an explosive spark of passion and a taste for adventure. He speaks of his lifelong dream with certainty and delight: “I’ve always wanted to be a professor.”

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Wednesday, June 6, 2012CONTINUED ON P. 4

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In April, Julie Markham and Michelle Cho, from the TDSB’s Gender-Based Violence Prevention Office, visited MCI. The GBVP Office has been a part of the TDSB for three years. They lead workshops that inform students about the meaning of gender-based violence, and what the school can do to stop it from happening.

Gender-based violence is any negative action toward a person due to their sexuality or gender. This is constantly being encouraged by background noise in schools, consisting of the ever-popular derogatory slurs and phrases such as “That’s so gay!” During the workshop, it was emphasized how this type of language can make people feel uncomfortable and fearful as to what the reaction would be if they were to act like their true selves.

Another reason that gender-based violence occurs is the fact that people stereotype others. If someone is blonde, it does not mean that they are less intelligent. If a boy is gay, it does not mean that he is more feminine than others. The main message of this workshop was to avoid putting people into boxes. It can be difficult to change the habit of negatively stereotyping people, but it is a shift that has to be made.

A recent survey showed that the three main reasons why students feel excluded are: body image, perceived intelligence and sexual orientation. These issues can affect anyone. For example, girls and boys alike are reminded daily by media about how they should look.

According to Markham, the first step towards a more accepting school community is by raising awareness. If everyone chose their words more carefully and stood up to others who didn’t, then part of the issues that cause gender-based violence would be eliminated. Students need to realize that language can be offensive, regardless of whether it was meant to be a joke or not.

With the implementation of a Positive Space (a designated area that is free of stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination) led by Ms. Archer, MCI is certainly on the right track. In addition to that, a Gay-Straight Alliance is currently in the works, spearheaded by student Elektra Bauer. As attendees to the workshop found out, A vast majority of students are uncomfortable seeking guidance when it comes to things such as their sexuality or gender identification. The GSA will help to bridge this gap and promote acceptance at MCI.

Dear Summer,I am counting down the days…one by one. June 27th marks the beginning of endless mischief and lazy days by the pool. At least it is supposed to. For me, you give me the opportunity to sleep in more and to be lazier than usual. But this year things will be different. Summer, you will be glad to know that I will be travelling around the world in sixty days! Here’s the plan:

OPINION2

STAFF ADVISORSMr. Kay

Mrs. Parsonson Mr. Sommerfelt

MANAGEMENT EDITORS

April Qu, Sara Shahriari

EDITORS OF LAYOUTSanchari Banerjee

Berber Xue

EDITORS OF COPYJelena Belenzada Hana Carrozza

HEAD OF SPORTSCatherine Gao

PHOTOGRAPHYChristine Chung

Manpreet CheemaJeanette Cooper

Tancred Yip

HEAD OF PRODUCTIONEmily Pollock

HEADS OF PUBLICITYLaina Timberg Jenny Williams

EXECUTIVE SECRETARYSharleen Fisher

FEATURED COLUMNISTS

Sarah Jama, Lily Liao Abdullah Manzoor

STAFF WRITERSRawan Ali

Senuri AponsoSiera CarrozzaMichelle HanGina KwonMariel Lepra

Marko MarkovicRachel PollockSuhasini Rao,Anny Tang

Isaac Thiessen

Editor’s Notes

July 1st: I will be making a quick stop in Ottawa to celebrate Canada Day at Parliament Hill. I hear the fireworks are particularly nice this time of year.

July 4th: Independence Day, AKA our southern neighbour’s birthday. Where better to party than in the nation’s capital, Washington D.C?

July 7th: The Big Apple—the city that never sleeps. Now is my chance to go on an endless shopping escapade. Fifth Avenue, here I come!

July 14th: I will be chillaxing in Maldives, where every beach looks like a screensaver. I’ll see the coral reefs and swim with tropical fish. And at the end of the day there is nothing better to do than sit on the sandy beach, relax, breath, and stare at the sunset.

July 25th: London Calling! And just in time for the 2012 Summer Olympics. Say hello to red double-decker buses, Big Ben and that enchanting British accent.

August 4th: Bonjour Paris! I will visit the Eiffel Tower, analyze the “Mona Lisa” at the Louvre, eat fresh baguettes, walk down the Champs-Élysées, and sit at a café and people-watch just like the Parisians. Oui, I will do all that cliché tourist stuff.

August 11th: I will arrive in Egypt, a land filled with sand, ancient history, mystique and more sand. I’ll see the Pyramids of Giza, sail down the Nile River to Cairo and stop off in Luxor.

August 25th: I will spend the final days of this beautiful summer in China. I will gaze at the beautiful architecture of The Forbidden City in Beijing and marvel at Shanghai’s modern Pudong skyline. Not to mention, visiting the Great Wall.

Who am I kidding? I should really get a job this summer! Now where’s that résumé?See you next year Summer!Yours truly,

Sara Shahriari

Presidential Address

No HOMO(phobia)Breaking stereotypes, one school at a timeSIERA CARROZZA

Recently I was faced with the dilemma of picking between Western and McGill. Both universities have attractive qualities and admission to either school is no walk in the park. If you know anything about me though, it’s that I have a hard time making up my mind. I eventually committed, though I had a serious case of cold feet for a couple of weeks.

My dad graduated from Western’s Ivey program with an MBA, and had, quote unquote, “one of the wildest nights of my life at Western.” Sounds pretty awesome right? Before you start picturing things that happen in Las Vegas, my dad’s version of the wild nights is ‘breaking the law’ by going in a cab at 9 PM with five people instead of four. Despite his somewhat skewed definition, Western has a reputation for being a place where fun has been known to breakout, sometimes spontaneously. Interestingly enough, excluding last year, the past two student body presidents of MCI have both gone to Western, so maybe there is something to London after all.

McGill, on the other hand, sounded like the perfect place for a pretentious flasses-wearing hipster. Located in Montreal, it is the birthplace of too-cool, artsy-fartsy kids with enough time on their hands to hold protests for weeks. It is hard to ignore the fact that it has been ranked the number one university in Canada by McLean’s magazine two years in a row. Given its prestige, it is no wonder McGill is often referred to as the ‘Harvard of the North.’ I’m a music nerd, and it helps to know that the Schulich School of Music at McGill is the best music program in the nation, home to one of the best viola teachers in Canada. A friend of mine, the student trustee of the Peel School Board, made a good point that McGill is a jack of all trades; if you can’t make up your mind about what to do yet, you can’t go wrong with McGill. Plus, if anyone needs another reason to go, one word: Montreal. Need I say more?

I never ended up making a list of pros and cons, like my parents suggested. I never ended up going on campus tours, like the universities suggested. Instead, I went on Youtube and found a video of a sassy eight-year-old girl who convinced me not to go to McGill because “the French people will just go blah blah blah.”

That’s not the real reason, of course. Maybe it was Western’s relative proximity to Toronto (and some home-cooked meals), maybe it was the reputation of the business school, maybe it was the fact that I look great in purple. All I know is that Western felt right for me, which is all that matters in the end.

Moral of the story? Bear today, Mustang tomorrow.

LILY LIAO

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

The Martingrove Beacon

MCI NEWSRobert Rotenberg, author of Old City Hall, The Guilty Plea and Stray Bullets, is talking about setting. It’s a topic that he has been justifiably praised for his knowledge of. All his stories are set in Toronto, and being true to the city is clearly something he’s passionate about, as anyone who has read the vivid descriptions of the city in his books would be able to tell.

“When I was in Grade 13,” he says, “I wrote this essay about a movie called The Last Picture Show, set in a tiny town in Texas. It had this fantastic sense of setting, and that’s when it clicked for me that anywhere can be interesting.” He goes on to talk about how so many Canadian works of fiction are set in “Nowheresville, Canada”—theoretically set in Canada but lacking any identifying

Canadian features. He avoids this at all costs when writing, preferring to evoke images of real places.

He’s never experienced any difficulty with writing the setting, or the vibrant characters that populate his fiction. But when asked about which part of the writing process is the hardest, he was adamant. “The plot, definitely.” He cut sixteen chapters of material in the editing phase of Old City Hall, so he knows what he’s talking about. “I think that everybody thinks they have a book in them,” he said. “But they get stuck on the plot, and end up with half a book sitting in a drawer at home.”

Because of all the touring he has been doing for the launch of his new book, he hasn’t been able to write as much as he wants to, which frustrates

Tell us something about yourself that no one else knows about you. I like school. What do you like to do during your spare time? I like playing musical instruments and reading, I read Catch-22 recently which is currently one of my favourite books. Who is someone that you look up to? I look up to Theodore Roosevelt because he’s the epitome of a man. He is a genuine role model and someone that we can all aspire to be. Why did you choose to run for Vice-President? I wanted to take on a bigger role in MCI and the student council, and to make MCI a better place. We often get a lot of flak from other schools like Richview about being a depressing school and not having windows, so I wanted to help make this school into something that students can be proud of. What are some changes would you like to see in the school?I’d like to have the Grade Reps meet regularly so that they can take on a bigger role on the student council. I’d also like to see an improvement in school assemblies.

What inspired you to run for this position?Well, I’ve always been really interested in planning events and helping around the school, and this year I decided to run for a position. How do you plan on incorporating MCI students’ ideas next year?Well, before I ran I was talking to my friends a lot to find out what they wanted to change. I heard a lot of the same things, and I figured that I could represent their opinions really well. I’m a really approachable person, and I think I’m pretty easy to talk to. I hope that people can just approach me in the halls and tell me stuff about what they want me to add or do.Do you have any ideas?When I was talking to my friends, a lot of people were saying stuff about making the dances better by creating a better atmosphere and having more buyouts because they’re cheaper. I don’t have any major ideas right now, because I plan on mostly just suggesting what people tell me.Do you wish to become a politician?Not really. I don’t really see this as a career path, just as a way to gain experience from working with other people.

What part of being secretary are you most excited for?I guess I should be excited to take notes and send emails. But I’m more excited to actually contribute to organizing school events, like semi, prom, talent shows and carnival. I’m looking forward to discussing ideas with other exec members and gathering ideas from people in school. Basically, I’m just pumped to be a part of the SAC next year.If you could have a conversation with any person, living or dead, who would it be?There are so many people I admire that I can’t pick just one. [Maybe] Buddha so that I can learn some meditation techniques.You’re trapped in a room with a roll of paper towels, a former U.S. president and some pipe cleaners. What do you do?I’ll tickle the U.S. president with pipe cleaners so that he laughs like a mad man, and then the people who locked us up will get curious and come in. Then I’ll kill them with the pipe cleaners (details are gruesome) and escape. Then I’ll have earned myself a free roll of paper towels to give my mom for Mother’s Day.

If you could sum up your platform for the election in one issue, what would it be?I feel like there should be more in the school for seniors. There used to be so much more stuff for them—they had their own hall of lockers, barbecues, and etcetera. I feel like by the time you get to your senior year, you just want school to be awesome.Who and what inspired you to run for the position?I really motivated myself to become president. I was the president of my middle school, and I wanted to achieve the same level at Martingrove. But my family and my friends were also really supportive, and they all encouraged me. And when I won, it was totally amazing—people were coming out of classrooms and screaming when they heard the news. Why do you think that people voted for you?Well, I feel that people could relate to me almost one-one-one, like a friend rather than like someone who would look down on them. I guess that I’m pretty down to earth, and people liked that I focused on core issues that were really important to them.

Stefen Arulampalam, President Alec Goodwin, Vice-President Jessica Kim, Secretary Rushabh Shah, Social Convenor

him. “Writing is like exercising,” he says. “If you want to be any good, you have to practice all the time. The less you do it, the harder it gets.” The fact that he had only missed three days of writing speaks to an internal dedication.

When asked about the difference between being an author and a lawyer, he waxes eloquent. “When you’re a lawyer, you can keep yourself busy; it’s a very social job. With writing, nothing else is there. You’re staring at a blank screen, and you have to do it all on your own.” But despite this, they aren’t completely dissimilar. “Being an author and a lawyer, the core of both of them is really the same. You have to really be able to tell a story.”

Stray Bullets, Mr. Rotenberg’s latest novel, came out in stores on May 1st, 2012.

No HOMO(phobia)

CONTINUED FROM P.1

Robert Rotenberg Visits MCIThe importance of setting and dedicationEMILY POLLOCK

BY: EMILY POLLOCK BY: APRIL QU BY: SUHASINI RAO BY: EMILY POLLOCK

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Wednesday, June 6, 2012

The Martingrove Beacon 3

FEATURES

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Emily Pollock

Austin Cronkite

Frankco Ta

Rawan Ali

Mariel Lepra

Isaac Thiessen

Isaac, also known as Timmy, is a one of a kind type of student. He is part of Reach for the Top, Chamber Strings and Beacon. He has been playing the cello for ten years. His favourite subjects are history and geography. Isaac’s dream jobs include becoming a journalist, a lawyer or a meteorologist. He is best described as an intelligent, hard-working and friendly extrovert. If Isaac could go anywhere in the world, he would go to South Korea. If Isaac had 24 hours to live, he would go sky diving and assuming he survived, he would throw himself off the CN Tower because he would not be able to live with the fact that he will die in one day. Also, Isaac would like to know who nominated him. So do him a favor and tell him.

Words can’t quite capture the tranquil and genuinely inspiring girl, Mariel Lepra. She recently entered grade nine last September and was inspired by all the opportunities the school had, claiming that this concluding school year was distinctively better than grade eight. Mariel, otherwise more commonly known as “Bean” due to her exceptional sense of humour amongst her friends, is an avid member of Martingrove’s Key Club, MOD, and the Beacon. She maintains an enthusiastic and empathetic perspective on life and school, as well as having a fantastic flair for fashion. This school year wasn’t the zenith of her high school experience, as she hopes to further improve her grades and involvement, taking on leadership roles in clubs like the Beacon.

Rawan Ali, or Dabdobah (Arabic for ‘teddy bear’) to those close to her, is very involved in the Martingrove school community. She is only in grade 10 and yet she is already actively involved in many clubs, including Beacon, Amnesty and the Martingrove Environment Club. She also has volunteered in the library and played in the stage band. Outside of school, Rawan tutors others in Arabic. In her free time, Rawan likes to sing, write, eat many sweet things including cake, chocolate, and ice cream, and amuse herself with Spongebob and his laugh.

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Honourable Mentions Grade 9: Starre McKibbon, Gina KwonGrade 10: Harsimran Grewal, Jessica Kim, Rushabh ShahGrade 11: Jovanna Momic, Diana Pham, Jennifer Waddell Grade 12: Maria Alexiou, Sanchari Banerjee, Christine Chung, Ashish Jain, Rory O’Loghlin, Abdul Raheem

BY: RAWAN ALI

BY: GINA KWON

BY: ISAAC THIESSEN

BY: MICHELLE HAN

Heather Nuttall

Drini Cami

When asked how he felt about being an MIP, Drini thought for a second and then replied that it made him feel good, like he was doing something right. Drini proceeded to briefly describe what makes a person a role model in his eyes- someone who does the right thing even though it might not be easy. His personal role models are characters in books, though no specific one came to mind. When asked what he would change if given the chance to run the school, Drini explained that he would love to have the grade 11s more involved in the school so a higher degree of community could be achieved. Lastly, confronted with a last minute question of whether he had any nicknames, he replied “Not really, my friends just call me Drini.”

Here at Martingrove, Austin is involved in several extracurricular activities: Cross Country, Track, Ultimate Frisbee, Leadership, Multicultural Club and Martingrove’s Environment Club. If you didn’t already gather from his name, Mr. Cronkite is Austin’s father. Like his son, Mr. Cronkite was also in a play put on by the Etobicoke Musical Production.Austin’s proudest moment was qualifying for the OFSAA Track and Field Championships last year and winning the Ontario championship team medal. Austin would like to be a zoologist; he donates to the World Wildlife Fund every year.

Heather is an enthusiastic leader who will be a Head Counsellor at the Grade 10 Leadership Camp next year. She is very involved in sport teams in her community and here at MCI. Heather is captain of her representative volleyball team, the Etobicoke Titans. In addition, she coaches a novice select fast-pitch team. She also plays on the MCI senior volleyball team and is captain of the MCI slow-pitch team. With all of this in hand, Heather gets the time to play the French horn. She is a positive, caring and hard working student. In the future, Heather would like to obtain a master’s degree in Child Psychology in order to understand children’s behaviour and to help them work through their problems. She would like to volunteer for Free the Children.

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12 Emily Pollock is seen frequently around the school attending meetings for clubs like Beacon and Amnesty. If she could travel back in time she would want to meet Chiune Suighara. Suighara was a secret hero, who saved nearly 6000 Jews from the Nazis by providing them with travel documents. In 10 years, Emily sees herself working as a psychologist and writing her own novel. Emily is most influenced by Anne LeMott, an author who gave really witty writing tips in her books, and her parents who taught Emily to be hardworking and committed. If she could choose any one place to vacation, she would go to Wales. She wanted to live up to the honour of being titled a Most Influential Person.

BY: MARIEL LEPRA

BY: SHARLEEN FISHER

BY: ANNY TANG

BY: SENURI APONSO

Frankco is an avid member of the Martingrove Environment Club. He was also a part of the Martingrove Science and Math Society. He is known for his incredible honesty. “If students are toying with a supply teacher, I will tell the teacher the truth, even if it means we actually have to do work for the supply teacher,” Frankco says.You can trust him on doing the right thing! Fankco is always trying to be as helpful as possible to his peers. Not to mention, he received the greatest amount of MIP nominations!

Great Expectations...

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

The Martingrove Beacon4

(No pressure)CONTINUED FROM P. 1

I’m turning eighteen this summer, which means I’m allegedly an adult. And, while I’m not entirely sure how valid that is, it means I’ll be going away to university in the fall. So this summer I have the twofold goal of having a ton of fun and saving as much money as possible to throw at my looming student debt. Whether you’re saving for university or you’re just cheap, here are some ideas for an awesome summer that won’t break the bank.

After dancing around the fires of your textbooks and study notes post-exams, it’s understandable that you might never want to read again. But you’re going to have to read again sometime, and going to the library over the summer is a good way to ease back into it. If nothing else, you get to hang out in an air-conditioned room with Internet access for free.

The Cheap Student’s Guide to the Summer

Authors are like food, and everyone has different preferences. This may be true and yet someone decided that a large part of our English curriculum should consist of studying plays written by one man: William Shakespeare. Since this is my last year of high school and I feel morally obliged to do whatever I want, I have composed a list of the three reasons why Shakespeare should not be studied in school.

One: The guy talks too much. From the beginning to the end of our essay writing, story composing, and in some cases play writing, experiences in high school we’ve had it drilled in our heads that less is more, that the condensing of thoughts is the key to well written work. Okay fine, but then there’s Shakespeare, who completely fails at condensing. You think the “to be or not to be” speech in Hamlet is long? Try the ridiculous, 60-something lined monologue in Henry V in which a drunken archbishop rambles about the history and geography of France; it’s nearly twice as long as the Hamlet speech. I’m sure if Shakespeare knew we were being forced to dissect this stuff he’d have taken pity on us and cut it down.

Two: Let’s be honest, few people know how to properly put on the plays that we’re reading. Unless the actors can do more than memorize the excessive lines in each Shakespearean play, the live performances end up being unbearable. The trips to go see the live shows sound like a good idea at first, but do little to improve our understanding of the plays. So, we can hardly stand the plays live and we can’t bear ploughing through the things on our own. Remind me again why we bother to study this stuff at all?

Three: Shakespeare really isn’t that good. Romeo kills himself, Hamlet gets stabbed, and Othello chokes a white chick to death. Yes, I know I failed to add that the beauty of his writing forged new frontiers for the English language, but many people don’t realize that his famous phrases were common in his day, such as “Oh, what fools these mortals be.” There must be modern playwrights who deserve to be studied, but how would we know? We’re only exposed to Shakespeare.

In conclusion, get Shakespeare the heck out of high school and give us something that doesn’t need a side-by-side translation.

Canada Day is when we celebrate the birth of our modest and peaceful country bythrowing parties and blowing stuff up. On the upside, it’s a good night for fireworks—try Centennial Park, the Lakeshore or a neighbour’s backyard for a pyrotechnic spectacle. If you’re more interested in celebrating Canada’s diversity, then the Festival of South Asia (July 7th - 8th) or Caribana (August 2nd - 5th) would also be a good bet.

For those of you who haven’t seen the light of day for the past few weeks, unless you want to end up like eyeless cavefish, you’ll be spending some time outside this summer. And, no, the blue glow from your monitor doesn’t count as “light.” Have a picnic, throw around a ball and make sure to pack sunscreen, so that your sun-deprived skin doesn’t spontaneously combust.

In the end, whether you end the summer broke or as a proud cheapskate, the choice is yours. Let other people advise you but not determine your choices – after all, that’s what adulthood’s about.

Rant on ShakespeareFEATURES

The Bard takes a beatingSARAH JAMA

A savvy way to spend summerEMILY POLLOCK

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lair. You take the front row, obviously, and from there you scale the seemingly endless hill, wondering the whole way if perhaps you should have tried the merry-go-round first.

It turns out, the leviathan sea monster, in religious contexts, is the gatekeeper to hell. You won’t have to have read this on Wikipedia to figure it out for yourself: When the beast finally takes you to the top of its legendary 80-degree drop, it teases gravity for a few moments, and in those moments, heart pounding and stomach lurching, you are a single hero in a sea of Leviathan-fearing mortals, staring straight into the yellow eyes of the sea monster as its sapphire ribbons become slimy tentacles and the stairway to heaven becomes the highway to hell.

And then you drop, ripping the sky in half as you tear down the track at unholy speeds. The blood leaves the thinking part of your brain entirely, and you become a mess of adrenaline and butterflies and general badassery. The rest of the ride is a blur of screams and tears, but by the time the yellow-eyed fiend races back to its lair, you will have feared for your life on two or three occasions, your tush will have lost contact with your seat twice, and your hair will look fabulous.

If you don’t already, the Leviathan will make you love roller coasters. It’s aggression without pain, speed without clumsiness. There’s none of the grayout – momentary dizziness and confusion – that might be expected at the bottom of such an insane drop. It’s smooth like chocolate and gentle like a summer breeze while also being totally, bone-shatteringly awesome. Before you even get the chance to regain your land legs and fix your ‘do, you’ll be craving another go. And another. Because you’ll know it’s worth the wait.

Compared to the Behemoth, the Leviathan has a little more variety in its track – it’s complete with barrel rolls, hammerhead turns, high-speed curves, camelback hills, and even a cute little tunnel near the bottom of the first drop that captures your screams so that they thunder deeply in your ears, reminding you of how much fun you’re having. Not to mention, it’s taller, faster, and bluer. But the Behemoth gets you more air time and is perhaps a tad friendlier to amateur thrill-seekers. In any case, it’s far from a has-been; between the two, you could have the single greatest day in amusement park history!

CONTINUED FROM P. 1Great Expectations...

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

The Martingrove Beacon 5

Above: Some great reads for the summer!

MCI SPORTSSitting down with Mr. Cronkite, head coach of the track team, and two members of the team, Grace Babatunde and Shavon Harding, we talked about training, inspiration and accomplishments. Both Grace and Shavon are sprinters who also belong to local track clubs, training three or four times a week all year long.

Grace, in addition to running the 100 metre sprint and 4x100 metre relay, is a hurdler, like Perdita Felicien and Priscilla Lopes-Schliep, two of Canada’s premier track athletes. Slim, yet powerful, Grace has been running since elementary school. She takes great pride in MCI’s accomplishments as a team. She is looking forward to watching the Summer Olympics this August, in particular to see if Usain Bolt can repeat his dominance from Beijing.

Shavon has been running for years, but just recently joined a track club. He has dedicated himself to improving his technique, hoping to compete when Toronto hosts the Pan-Am Games in 2015. According to Mr. Cronkite, Shavon is a contender for a 100 metre title, having recently won a race against many of the top sprinters in the GTA. Having put together the relay squad, Shavon has begun to take on a leadership role on the team. His recent impressive training times bode well, particularly as the warmer weather usually brings with it faster results.

Led by Mr. Cronkite, an NCAA star at the University of Alabama, the team is positioned to send between five to ten athletes to OFSSA. Having raced in Europe and Asia in seven consecutive world championships, Mr. Cronkite realizes the importance of dedication and sacrifice to reach one’s goals.

If you’re wondering just how one even gets to represent Canada at a world championship meet, remember that for Mr. Cronkite, it all began with the dreaded 12 minute run in phys-ed class. He outran everyone and has never looked back.

Track and Field TeamRunning towards successMARKO MARKOVIC

Top Picture: Nick Bonks on MCI’s Rugby Team Bottom Picture: Kevin Cox on MCI’s Ultimate Frisbee Team

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Interviewer- What do you know about the upcoming EURO 2012? Do you have a favorite?Beacon Staff #1 – What’s a Yuro? Does it come with a choice of soup, salad or fries?Beacon Staff#2- (With a superior look) He’s talking about the European soccer championships, right? The Spanish, hands down. Have you seen Lionel Messi? The man is unstoppable.Interviewer- He’s Argentinian. He only plays in Spain.Beacon Staff#2-Okay, smart guy, … then Netherlands. I love those orange uniforms.Interviewer- Moving on to the next topic. Given the disappointing season turned in by the Raptors, who do you think you’d like to see them select in the upcoming draft. They have the 8th overall pick.Beacon Staff#1- That’s easy. We need the unibrow guy. He would be a good fit. Someone his height will be able to dunk for sure.Beacon Staff#2- Anthony Davis? No chance. He’ll be long gone by the time we get to pick. I like Fab Melo. He’s tall too and you can never have too many tall people on a basketball team. Besides, his name is Fab Melo.Beacon Staff#1-Is that even his real name? That’s so cool.Interviewer- Seriously? Why do I even bother? What about Moe Harkless? We need a dynamic scorer and he may be a good fit with DeMar DeDerozan.Beacon Staff#1-Is that the Mo from our Functions class. Beacon Staff#2-No, that guy’s name is Bynum.Interviewer- Forget it. Let’s try the French Open. Who do you think has a chance to defeat Rafa Nadal?Beacon Staff#1-Which sport is this now?Beacon Staff#2-Tennis. You know Nadal. The guy with the biceps.Beacon Staff#1-Oh, that guy. I want him to win.Interviewer-That wasn’t the question. I asked who can beat him?Beacon Staff#2-I think Federer has a chance, but his hair bugs me. He touches it way too much.Beacon Staff#1-I want to know why that tall, blond Russian girl shrieks so much. It drives me crazy.Beacon Staff#2- That’s Sharapova. She’s really loud, but I love the outfits she wears. I heard she designs them herself.Interviewer-I give up.Maybe we should just stick to school sports. Good luck to our Ultimate Frisbee and Junior Boys Soccer teams, as well as members of the track team competing at OFSAA.

A Sporting ConversationSeveral senior members of the Beacon sat down to discuss major sports stories currently developing. This is an edited version.BEACON COPY

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

The Martingrove Beacon

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LIFESTYLEFrance 2012

What do cider farms, cold hands, historical monuments and long bus rides all have in common? They were all a part of the Martingrove Music Department’s France Trip. During the week of March 30 to April 7 almost seventy of Martingrove’s students and teachers set off on a whirlwind tour of Paris and the Normandy countryside.

During the three days spent in Paris the group managed to cram in a visit to almost everymajor monument, including the Eiffel Tower, L’Opera Garnier, The Louvre and Sacre Coeur, aswell as leaving some time for shopping. Then even more history and culture was absorbed as thegroup travelled to the province of Normandy, visiting the towns of St. Malo, Caen, Mt. St.Michel and Bayeux, as well as the famous historical site of Juno Beach.If all of that wasn’t enough, the students also managed to brave numb fingers and coldweather to perform in both the Jardin du Luxembourg and the small village of St. Contest forwonderful audiences.

On their last day the group got a wonderful surprise. They arrived at the airport and foundout that their flight back to Toronto had been cancelled. No one complained about the extra dayin Paris. All in all, the trip was a wonderful experience and the memories made there will last alifetime.

It’s another start, yet another story.And in this never ending rainI find solace that I am thoroughly soaked.Having caught all those falling stars,The ones with heavy hearts.Reflect upon my faceWhile it’s got you by the ears.We all have days where the sun never rises.And at times the only sweetnessIs in self pity and denial.But let me ask you, is it warm?Do you truly feel the emotional climaxIn life’s vulgar violations?

You’re not alone you know.There are many many victims.Victims of rape, drugs, heartbreak.Victims of temper, violence and madness.Each story descending from the heavensFrom the palms of innocence clouded with doubt.Please, don’t cry, we are all here for you.And your story is not so sad and gloomy.From heavy hearted rain, to a beautiful snowflake.Come with me, smile, and we shall danceInto the wind.

I keep feeling for my pulsebecause the fact that it’s thereis an endless wonderin a world filled with questions.Always remember that allour cells are replaced every seven yearsas we burn up time and our minds,but we remain and every moment, we increase the entropyof the universe, our neurons fire to communicate

that we’re bored by it all.The dance of the planets swallowed up by this vast indifferenceinto the empty space between atoms(the trackless gaps in our worldbetween ask and answer).It’s an empirical fact that I’m still alivebut sometimes I forget.

Track and Field Team

Bon Voyage, MCI!Dix jours d’amusement!JEANETTE COOPER

ISAAK MACHIDA, THIRD PLACE

Poets’ CornerCongratulations to the first place winner in the Live Poets’ Society Contest, Emilija Lafond for her poem The Simple Things in Life, We Take for Granted.Life’s Vulgar Violations Scientific Method

EMILY POLLOCK, SECOND PLACE

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Beacon Grads 2012Four years’ worth of wonderful memories with Mrs. Parsonson

Farewell, Thank You and Good Luck!

MCI Carnival!THE LAST PAGE

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

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