P1

www.thereckoner.caPlease recycle

February 2014 VOL. 2 NO. 4

CelebratingBlack History Month

Displays in the library were part of a travelling exhibit, educating students on Black History Month. Photo: Jackie Ho

by DEIFILIA TO

Post-Examination Relief?

by TAKHLIQ AMIR

Though the start of second semester ought to bring about a sense of relief for the students of Marc Garneau CI, that was not the case for many Grade 12s. Stress levels are rising and late nights have become the norm for those hopeful graduates aiming to get into colleges and universities, especially the ones that take marks into serious consideration. As such, many have been left even more stressed and dis-appointed this January due to the tight exam schedule. “I found it really stressful that we have exams back to back and that we do not get enough studying time in be-tween. I know that if I were given a day or two between those exams, I could have performed better,” said Muham-mad Farooqui, a senior student. Mary Getachew, another student set to graduate this coming June, felt the same way. “This exam schedule took all the heavily application-based sub-jects and had them one after the other, from 27-29 January. For those with back to back exams, it became quite difficult to prepare well for all. Stress is natural, but piling on exams like that unnecessarily adds to it.” When asked how she felt this af-fected her progress prior to the exams, Mary said, “Exams are supposed to be a reflection of how much we have learned, but by having back to back

exams, it can be very unnerving. You may be a great student, but inade-quate time for preparation could alter your final mark drastically. That is not an accurate reflection. If I had gotten more revision time in class with the teachers, I would have felt a lot more confident and prepared, especially since whole months had passed since the semester began.” Though the exam schedule itself was taxing, some felt that the closeness of university application deadlines to exams added to the stress. “It’s quite ironic: if we don’t get our applica-tions in on time and instead focus on our studies, we’ll do well but won’t get in, but if we focus on our applica-tions and not enough on our studies, we’ll be registered, but there goes our chance at the scholarships we might have wanted. For some, this could be a deal-breaker,” stated Kristina Akhtari, another Grade 12 student. When looking at the exam sched-ule, however, one must also keep in mind that exams hold different levels of significance for various students. Whereas there are students who are extremely rigorous in their studies, there are still others who give more im-portance to clubs and external events.

See EXAMS on P4

Youth Discuss Concernsby KHADIJA AZIZ

What are the essential characteristics and skills a person needs when they graduate from high school? That’s what the Cougar Initiative sought to find out.On 11 February, the MGCI Cougar Initiative surveyed as many students and staff as possible for their answers to this question, to pin down which traits and skills are most valued by stu-dents and staff at Marc Garneau. The initiative was led by Ms. Goldenberg and Mr. Phambri from guidance, and members of Student Council. Other student leaders are also taking part to help collect this data.The surveying occurred during Block D classes and in the cafeteria. Once the results are tabulated, the most fre-quently mentioned qualities and skills will be sent to the Art Department to craft a visual representation that em-bodies these values that are specific to Marc Garneau students. The artwork will be unveiled in May and will be dis-played in the school as an exemplary model, reminding students what to continue striving for.Mr. Phambri acknowledged, “School is more than just academics. It’s a place where students can practice and learn to display these characteristics and skills to prepare them for life and work after.”“We want this model to reflect the stu-dents – they should be able to see a piece of themselves when they look at this model,” he said.The Transition Team, which consists of administration, guidance and stu-dent success, also hopes this model will assist students’ transition through high school.“When a student walks in the building, they will know what our school values, and they can plan their growth over their high school years.” ■

The MGCICougar

Initiativeby ERIC SU

On 4 February 2014, youth from the local community were invited to a talk shop at Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office (TNO) Youth Centre. Seven youth along with two TNO Youth Centre’s staff discussed concerns of various topics with lead facil-itator Kerisha Bascon, an Everest College student focusing on mental health and addictions within the community. All discussed topics were being recorded and would be passed on to Cur-tis Nash, the youth centre’s coordinator, which will then be passed on to the rest of TNO and then finally the local agencies. After ice breakers to create a friendly and welcoming environment, the first topic discussed was about labeling one-self. Youth discussed how they view themselves based on their culture, reli-gion, sexual orientation, age, and eth-nicity. They also discussed whether they

would repeat their family values – specif-ically their parents’ parenting style – to their own children. Most answered that they wouldn’t. They then discussed issues they en-counter at home, school, workplace, and in the community. Some major topics were curfews at home and hard to trust teachers at school. It was suggested that students politely speak for themselves to their teachers if they feel they’re being treated unfairly by them. Everybody agreed that a large issue within the community was lack of partic-ipation at events, especially of youth. Although TNO Youth Centre hands flyers and does an outreach on their Facebook page, attendance has been an issues. Some solutions were more active outreach to local schools, assigning a youth volunteer to create appealing ad-

vertisements, and have youth-run pro-grams. When discussing healthy relation-ships, trust and communication were key words. Kerisha stated that because of advanced technology, youth have a different style of a “bonding time” and of expressing themselves through actions. For example, it is easier to text “I love you” with a heart beside it, but it’s an-other thing to actually spend time with friends. However, somebody pointed out that one may be judged, especially guys, for being too “sensitive”. Lastly, mental health issues in “reg-ular people” versus celebrities were dis-cussed. Celebrities, who are open with a diagnosed mental illness have more re-sources and support from many people. For other people, it is hard to even admit to perhaps having a mental illness. How-ever it was accepted that both will suffer from stigma. In the end, all youth completed a sur-vey and listed opportunities and pro-grams they would like to receive from the centre. TNO Youth Centre can be found on Facebook or students can visit them at East York Towne Centre Unit 108- 45 Overlea Blvd, M4H 1C3, from 3 PM to 7 PM from Monday to Friday and 11 AM to 3 PM on Saturdays. A wide variety of pro-grams and opportunities are offered and free access to computer is also available. Youth may also update themselves with current job and volunteering opportuni-ties through TNO Youth Centre. ■

MGCI is highly involved in running events for Black History Month, with nine events in the first week alone. Mr. Alexander, Garneau’s equity repre-sentative, is responsible for planning the events. He has planned numerous events that are spaced out periodically so that students can enjoy the celebra-tions for the full month of February, rather than in, say, a one-day assembly. Many students believe that Black His-tory Month is important to the school because it helps raise awareness about the importance of different ethnic back-grounds. Rashad Brugmann, in Grade 12, said that it was “important for our student body and staff to be conscious of the implications of racial history on

social challenges that different groups face today.” The first of Marc Garneau’s many events to celebrate Black History Month began on Monday 3 February. Mr. Al-exander organized a viewing of a docu-mentary entitled “On the Shoulders of Giants” in the library after school. As an introduction to the month, the doc-umentary focused on the struggles of African American basketball players in the 1930s. However, due to insufficient preparations in promoting the event, only two students and three teachers were present for the documentary. The following day, the International African Inventors Museum was set up in the school’s library. This consisted

of nearly one hundred displays lined up, a monumental African featured in each one, displaying the contributions of the African community in Western society. The booths covered everything from historians to astronauts, scientists to engineers, inventors to doctors. The museum was a travelling one, meaning that it contained portable exhibits that would move on to another school at the end of the day. The exhibit’s curator, Mr. Jeffers, walked around the displays talking to interested students and high-lighting key aspects of the museum.

See BLACK HISTORY MONTH on P4

Hey, you there. Do you have your man-datory 40 volunteer hours yet? If not, lucky you, because volunteer hours have never been as easy to obtain as they are now. There’s never been a wider range of opportunities for you to gather your hours. In fact, you barely have to do anything; you can just join one of the many clubs offering 40 hours for a year’s participation. There’s no ex-cuse to not have your hours anymore, is there? This school year, staff advisors of school clubs were given the go ahead to sign off volunteer hours for club mem-bers at their own discretion. Previously, volunteer hours offered by clubs had to be cleared by SAC during the club reg-istration process. The need for approval was eliminated this year, as it was seen as somewhat redundant. Last year, MGCI also quietly dropped the Garneau Gold system that the school had offered for a number of years, due to a general consensus that the award itself had no real merit beyond face value. Af-ter Garneau Gold’s removal, volunteer hours for clubs became a substantially more prominent incentive for students to consider. As a result, many clubs be-gan offering hours to draw in members, since now all that was necessary was the staff advisor’s signature.

See VOLUNTEER HOURS on P3

Volunteer Hours for Sale

by DAVID HAO

ARTWORK ON P2

Attendees of the talk shop; missing one youth. Photo courtesy of Khadija Aziz.

www.thereckoner.ca

There was one light burning in the dim room. A feeble flame – it flickered and spluttered from the inconstant draft blowing across the hall. The man sat in an uncomfortable chair across the table, and stared resentfully at the candle. There were several other unlit ones scattered around else-where, but he’d burned his hand while trying to light one, and didn’t dare to try again. It was 14 February, and he had a date for the first time in several months. His previous rela-tionships had always broken off quite abruptly, leaving him devastated. He was a man with a problem – some might go so far as to say that he was a man with an addiction. The connections he made never lasted long. He’d tried to make them work, to hold on, but to no avail. Their hot, greasy tears always clung ac-cusingly to his palms as he lifted them to his face in a bid of adieu. “I’m sorry,” he’d cry, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, but I can’t help myself.” (Though sorry for them, or for himself, who could say?) He knew that noth-ing he touched could ever end well, and though he’d tried to stop, he always found himself tear-ing them to pieces. He could not stop until he’d consumed them whole, every bit and piece, leav-ing nothing in their wake but a hint of their sweet scent to accompany him in his solitude. The smell would oftentimes keep him up at night (he could never sate the hunger for long).

He heard the doorbell ring, a light, airy sound that rang through the house and made the back of his neck tingle. He in-haled deeply, composed his face, and walked to the foyer with an exaggerated casualness in the lope of his step. The sight of the person at his door made him smile. He smiled wider when he noticed the rectangular box in her hands. “Thanks for coming on such a short notice,” he said. “Anytime, Mr. Gendry.” He handed her a wad of bills and told her to keep the change. Then he closed the door and made his way back, the box tucked lov-ingly under his arm. With a sigh, he dropped it onto his table, and carefully lifted off the lid. The scent was intoxicat-ing: the smell of tomato sauce and pepperoni and peppers and cheese overwhelmed him. The push and pull of their destructive connec-tion was a powerful force in of itself. He thought of forgotten days of sweeter weather, dream-like days - the two of them basking in the warm glow of the shining sun. The world sparkled, until he reached forward and ate a slice. And then an-

other. And another. Eventually, all he’d have left to contend with were an empty box of crumbs, and his own sorrow. He couldn’t help himself. He needed more. One perfect tear leaked from the corner of his eye. “Oh, pizza,” he murmured. “I’ve missed you.” His date was with a gooey, cheesy, inanimate cut of heaven, but did it matter? No. It was 14 February, and he was not alone. ■

February 2014P2 VOL. 2 NO. 4

LIFEASK THE RECKONER

What do you do when someone you care about calls you self-cen-tered?

- #15

The short answer is to simply try being less self-centred. Selfishness is a natural inclination that we all possess as human beings, and while it’s im-portant to value yourself, it’s also important to be mindful of others around you. Take a step back and re-assess yourself honestly. You do not want to be a mantis. The praying mantis, that pious green insect pop-ular in children’s literature and animated cartoon, is an exemplary instance of animal selfishness. The female mantis, after mating, often cannibalizes, or attempts to cannibalize the male with which she has just copulated. We can observe a human parallel to the mating of the female mantis in the exploits of people commonly known as “gold-diggers”. Just as the male mantis will tend to avoid hungry female mantises for fear of meeting an unsavoury (savoury for the female, I guess) end, we as humans tend to try to avoid people who are just trying to profit off of us. Be an elephant, not a mantis.

What’s with the divide between TOPS and non-TOPS students? Can’t we all just get along? Wu-Tang is for the children.- Chef Raekwon

Your question has probably been around since the TOPS program began. But I don’t think it’s a matter of getting along. Personally, I think a part of this stems from the way the TOPS program is struc-tured. Students are cored for most of their classes until the senior years, and consequently spend the majority of their time around their 60-ish other program-mates. I’m sure this is a common social phenomenon: we all tend to become close to those with whom we spend the most time, and high school students are no exception. In fact, I’m sure this hap-pens among your friend circles too. Spending time together leads to shared experiences, which leads to bonding and stronger friendships! Of course, individual variances do exist. A number of non-TOPS students make tremendously gratify-ing and meaningful friendships with students of the program especially through clubs and sports teams. To be honest, I think the two groups get along just fine. In a school as diverse as Marc Garneau, there’s always going to be different groups of friends. But don’t let that discourage you from saying hello to an unfamiliar face in the hallway-- we might all be crazy high school students, but we’re not crazy enough to bite.

I’ve always wanted to be good at singing but no one likes it. I practice a lot too but my friends all say I suck. How can I make people like my voice?- failedsinger

I think that the root of the problem is in your name: “Failedsinger.” How can you expect people to appre-ciate your singing when you, yourself, have declared it unworthy? Remember that self-confidence is one of the foundations of success. If you’re really serious about singing and are very passionate about it, why not ask your parents to send you to voice lessons? Yes, they are expensive, but your voice will sound much better, you will learn proper technique, and your friends will be satisfied. If that doesn’t work out, maybe you should prac-tice more often at home. If you know how to play an instrument such as the guitar or piano, try throwing that into the mix as you belt out some tunes. Even if you can’t hit all the notes, the accompanying instru-ment will soothe everyone’s ears and make your per-formance sound better. Once you practice enough, your voice will have improved and you will be able to display your vocals proudly (and confidently!) in front of your friends and an audience. Make them rue the day they told you that you sucked! If all else fails, always remain confident. If you really like to sing, sing your heart out and disregard what other people say, even if those people happen to be your own friends. Singing is fun, and you have the right to enjoy it. If your friends are being partic-ularly grumpy about your singing habits, ask them to join you. Chances are, their voices are no better than your own -- and if you’re all singing off-key? Even better! There’s nothing quite so satisfying as dissonance shared for amusement. Take pride in your collectively embarrassing voices! And if your friends actually have voices that are not-so-bad, they will enjoy the brief second in the spotlight that courtesy of your being tone-deaf . Hopefully this will help you and your vocals. Per-haps someday, instead of putting you down and in-sulting your voice, your friends will be singing along to a different, more supportive, tune.

P.S. Remember that the shower doesn’t judge, and it never will. If you seek counsel from The Reckoner like the individuals above, send us a question at

www.thereckoner.ca/ask-thereckoner

As I entered the serene library,The rich smells of old books,Mixed with the scents of new ones,Enveloped me in an intimate embrace. The crinkly sound of ancient pagesAccompanied the crispy turn of fresh ones,Laughing with each flip.

The silence was a cold night’s fog,Eerie, yet calming.The walls chuckled quietly,Watching the books that conversed,Following the people that strolled around.

The shelves groaned,Pouting prettilyUnder the weight of the books,As old booksWelcomed the new ones.

Thousands of pagesSurrounded me,Each a creative mysteryIn its own way.

Thousands of books,By thousands of authorsFrom all over the world,With unique life stories,Are stories moulded.

So many unknown novels,Just waiting to be devoured.So many talented authors,Just waiting to be appreciated.

And so many aspiring writers,Just waiting to be inspired.

Stories Untoldby TAKHLIQ AMIR

A Table for Twoby CINDY ZENG

Ophelia

Noise Over the Sunset

by KHADIJA

AZIZ

Illustration: Mara Gagiu

by AN

AN

NA

RA

FA

www.thereckoner.ca

With the new policy, volunteer hours have practically been rebranded as a type of currency to attract new members. While events like the Thirty Hour Fam-ine and Eliminate Night promote worthy causes, their promise of a relatively sub-stantial amount of hours included with the commitment of a monetary pledge makes it tremendously easy for students

lacking hours to simply hand over some cash and receive a checkmark on their record with minimal effort. It’s true that offering hours does in fact increase par-ticipation for charitable events, resulting in more funds and awareness. How-ever, obtaining volunteer hours really shouldn’t be as simple as indirectly buy-ing them. Volunteer hours should reflect

your commitment to the community. Their current representation not only obscures commitment but also erodes existing value, as a mass of volunteer hours becomes less and less impressive. Volunteer hours should be a general rep-resentation of an individual’s dedication across a variety of outlets. Can you truly be proud of the hours you’ve obtained by spending the night at school or pledging not to eat for 30 hours? Likewise, should hours obtained with inadequate com-mitment count towards the mandatory requirement? Just like real currency, a sudden in-crease in opportunities for hours also re-sults in depreciation. The 40 minimum hours become dwarfed in comparison as more and more students attain hundreds of hours on record. If hours have become so easy to attain, a minimum amount is also essentially pointless. All this leads us to question the fun-damental concept of volunteer hours. If volunteer hours can be obtained as eas-ily as eating lunch in a certain room once a week, then what value do they retain? Volunteer hours, by definition, entail time put in to volunteerism. However,

there are a great number of ways through which these hours can be attained, fur-ther and further stretching what one may consider “volunteerism” in the first place. The numerical measurement be-comes redundant once the minimum re-quirement has been achieved, no matter where these hours came from. However, it is still noteworthy to point out that a great number of hours in one single place can nonetheless show commit-ment and dedication. If volunteer hours should remain a mandatory requirement to graduate in order to inspire students to take on community involvement, then the hours themselves should be more strictly con-trolled to ensure what is done to reach that requirement is indeed worthy of that ideal. Currently, there are guidelines for what qualifies as community service but these guidelines seem not to be for-mally considered, in light of the fact that sitting in a room designated a “charity club” once a week is sufficient to gather hours. Stricter and more well-defined criteria for what activities qualify as vol-unteerism would ensure hours recorded for the purpose of fulfilling the require-

ment are productive and meaningful. While volunteer hours themselves don’t do much harm to anyone, what should be recognized is that the system has transitioned from just a regulated record for school administrations to check off, to a fluffed up ego boost for students, granting them shallow merit for their actions. Volunteer hours are not a genuine reflection of a student’s com-munity involvement, but rather a more formal way to promote involvement. The hours themselves are obtained too easily for there to be a coherent sense of achievement in receiving them; none-theless, they remain an incentive to coax students into joining activities they might not otherwise consider. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but their lack of legitimacy makes it hard to justify their place on the list of requirements to grad-uate. If there is genuine desire by the current education system to see earnest community involvement by each and ev-ery student, the mandatory requirement should be reformed to precisely define volunteering. ■

EDITORIAL

February 2014 P3VOL. 2 NO. 4

Do you have a response to an article in this issue? Make your voice heard! Contact us at editor@thereckoner.ca.

He is ridiculed by almost everyone who has heard of him, constantly bombarded by the press on every forum of social media, and still Rob Ford believes that he is “the best mayor Toronto has ever had.” To the majority of people, his ca-reer has been on a steep slide down the mountain. He has been nothing but the laughing stock of the world for the bet-ter part of two years, but he sees no rea-son not to run for reelection. Starting in May of 2013, a video alleg-edly depicting Rob Ford smoking crack cocaine was declared to be in possession of an anonymous source. For the better part of the year, Ford was heckled about this incident, and it was in November of 2013 that he finally admitted to smoking

crack cocaine. To further ruin his repu-tation, Ford also claimed it was possible that he performed the act in one of his “drunken stupors.” This incident drew international attention, and made To-ronto the butt of many jokes. Shortly after this revelation, Toronto City Coun-cil stripped Mayor Ford of several of his mayoral powers. In December of 2013, Toronto and much of southern Ontario was struck with a severe ice storm that cut power to pockets of neighbourhoods in the city. The lack of power lasted, in some areas, more than a week. Rob Ford’s decision not to call a state of emergency caused uproar within the population. Despite the tidal wave of demands, Ford with-held the declaration and stated that “…there [was] no reason to do that.” Cit-izens were suspicious of his motives, knowing that recently Ford had been stripped of his power should a state of emergency be declared. Only after the storm did he call for a meeting with Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne to demand for the province to pay for the $171 million in damages caused by the storm. Premier Wynne has expressed disinterest in meeting with Mayor Ford, and further enforced her decision by de-ferring her communication to Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly about various issues within Toronto. After mistakes, blunders, and multi-ple leaked videos that would have a reg-ular, more vulnerable, person cowering

in shame, Ford still maintains during an interview that he’s “been the best mayor that this city’s ever had” after filing for re-election. Just recently, Ford has objected to the raising of the Pride flag over city hall. The flag had been raised to express sup-port for gay athletes competing in Sochi for the 2014 Winter Olympics. Not only was his bid to remove it denied, but he drew the attention and disapproval of city council members and the public alike. Despite news on Rob Ford that has become a cascading series of embarrass-ments, 49% of Toronto residents would still vote for him in the next election. To-ronto needs to wake up and think for a moment about its future, and consider who they want to run this city. If Ford somehow gets re-elected into office, it would be nothing but another four years of ridiculous stunts as our mayor contin-ues to embarrass himself and our city. Ford has had his chance, and botched it completely. It’s time for someone more responsible, honest, and humble to take the stage and pull Toronto out of the me-dia cesspool Ford has dropped us into. From “drunken stupors” to fraterniz-ing with drug dealers, attention on Rob Ford has become increasingly regular and progressively more upsetting for Torontonians. Toronto is a city of cul-ture, diversity, and acceptance. It’s time we elect a mayor who represents that. ■

The 2014 Winter Olympics began on 7 February, in case you’ve been living un-der a glacier. Though not as quaint as our own little display or as bombastic as the Chinese’s, Russia’s Sochi is shaping up to be a fine show. That’s not to say they went about it the right way. The Sochi Olympics are rife with controversy. Before we begin, let’s re-fresh our memories. First off, they are ridiculously, tremendously expensive. Clocking in at over $50 billion USD. For reference Vancouver was $8 billion, and even the notoriously expensive games in Beijing were estimated near $45 billion. How much of that is underestimation by contractors (as Russian President Putin claims), corruption (as many detractors of the Russian government claim), or old-school Soviet bravado, is up for de-bate. Next, the security concerns. Many extremist groups in the region have issued bomb threats to both the Rus-

sian organizers and individual Olympic teams. Among them is Vilayat Dagestan, the group that has claimed responsibil-ity for the recent Volgograd bombings, which killed dozens. In response, Putin has promised a “ring of steel” to protect the games. Looks like the iron curtain’s coming back into vogue. Lastly, Russia recently passed anti-gay legislation. Consisting of laws prevent-ing the spread of “gay propaganda”, the bill has been thrust into the limelight by the Olympics. This has resulted in pro-test around the world; the pride flag was raised at Toronto City Hall, and Google’s Olympic doodle featured an excerpt from the Olympic Charter declaring the right of athletes to practice without dis-crimination. These issues are in the spotlight right now. In a year or two, they may not be. Too often, the issues surrounding the Olympics are blotted out by the bril-liance of the Games themselves. Thou-sands of people were evicted from their homes, which were demolished, to pro-vide space for the Beijing Olympics. Is that what we remember from 2008? Or is it the brilliant Opening Ceremony? Such is the power of the Games. Their status as a symbol of international coop-eration gives them a lot of leeway when less than savoury details emerge. These details are almost always forgotten. Leaving Sochi, we must be careful that the same thing doesn’t happen again. Important problems are present in the Motherland, ranging from social issues to geopolitics. Neglecting them in favour of some sparkly lights will not do. ■

The only thing more frustrating than us-ing a slow computer in one class is us-ing a slow computer in all your classes. In an era where computers are becoming increasingly important, having a reli-able and efficient machine is vital. Un-fortunately, at Marc Garneau, finding a computer that satisfies your expecta-tions is something of a challenge. Fre-quent crashing of applications and lack of speed are common issues students ex-perience every day.

Several classes at Marc Garneau, in-cluding computer science, accounting, and technological design utilise com-puters to teach, practice, and evaluate course material, and students rely on being able to use our computer system to access and complete work. However, this is a pain due to the fact that our com-puters are slow to access, load, and open anything. Input from the user is slow to process and slow to be carried out. Even once the intended file or website has

been opened, the worst isn’t over. Our aging computers have the tendency to stop running applications unexpectedly. Aside from the risk of losing work, stu-dents also have to put up with having to reopen applications several times, which is frustrating in itself. Irritated students are often forced to bring their laptops to school in order to work efficiently. How-ever, not all students are willing or able to bring a computer to school, leaving those provided by the school as the only

choice. Inefficient computers create a lack of productivity and decrease the capac-ity of course material learned each pe-riod. Students lose a significant amount of time while they are waiting for their computers to load and reload. With a better computer students could be learn-ing, practicing, or clarifying the day’s les-son and thus have a better understand-ing of the material. Essentially, faster computers will enable students to learn

more each day. This situation is compa-rable to being late to class – those who are late to class miss out from learning some material and have to make it up on their own time. Unfortunately, students are limited by a lack of a sufficient com-puters. The TDSB should make an effort to upgrade the computers in use today so that students can have access to more reliable and efficient computers in their courses. ■

“Community” ServiceVOLUNTEER HOURS

Continued from P1

Illustration: Cathy Zhang

Toronto Beneath the Snow

by DAVID LI

by BOBBY CHIANG

Computers: A Crash Courseby KAARTHIC PULOGARAJAH

Photo: Susie Liu

Robbed of Our Dignity

Illustration: Susie Liu

www.thereckoner.ca Please recycle

February 2014VOL. 2 NO. 4P4

NEWS

Photos by Jackie HoFor more Humans of Garneau, visit www.thereckoner.ca/category/hog/

If you could give a piece of advice, what would it be? The Reckonerof Marc Garneau C.I.

EDITOR IN CHIEFKASRA KOUSHAN

NEWS MANAGER &DEPUTY EDITOR IN CHIEF

SABRINA BERTSCH

LIFE MANAGERVASILI MANIKAS

EDITORIAL MANAGERALIE TEACHMAN

DIRECTOR OF PRINT DEVELOPMENT

SUSIE LIU

BUSINESS MANAGERLILY SONG

MEDIA MANAGERJACKIE HO

DIRECTOR OF WEB DEVELOPMENT

QUINCY LAM

STAFF MEMBERSABIGAIL CHAU

ANANNA RAFABOBBY CHIANG

BOSHEN CUICATHY ZHANG

CHRISTINA CHENCINDY CUI

CINDY ZENGCLAIRE HAMILTON

CLARENCE LAMDAVID HAO

DAVID TANGDEIFILIA TO

ERIC SUFARZEEN SALEHEEN

FRIEDA RONGGABRIEL IPHENRY HE

INDRANEEL SARKARJOY WANG

KAARTHIC PULOGARAJAHKAI HUANG

KEVIN JIANGKHADIJA AZIZMARA GAGIU

MICHELLE YEUNGNAWAL ALIM

NICHOLAS BLAKENOOR MAHSHELA QIU

SOPHIA SONGTAKHLIQ AMIR

TIANYI MATOM WEI

VAIBHAV SINGHVALIANT CHANWANRU ZHANG

YANING TAN

APPRENTICESADELA LAMCINDY ZENG

DAVID LIDAVID LU

EMMA WHEATONEVA LIU

JENNA WONGKASHIFA AHMED

MORRIS CHENNICHOLAS VADIVELUPARNIKA GODKHINDI

REBECCA WONGRILING CHEN

RYAN LINSHERRIE CHENG

SOPHIA LIUTIANYU LU

UPAL RUSHDEE-HAQUEYILIN ZHU

Nabeel Ahsen, Student Council Presi-dent and senior student, had a different perspective. “I feel that as you progress through high school, you realize there’s a lot more expected of you. Sometimes you have two exams in a day, and feel like it isn’t fair – and I feel that’s subjec-tive. As a student in Grade 12, I can only speak for myself when I say that marks don’t hold the same precedence for all students. There are those students who might not consider applying to univer-sity or college, and there are those who might not have such tight mark cut-offs.” Despite their frustration with the rigid exam schedule, some seniors had several suggestions. Muhammad said, “Grade 12 students should have our ex-ams more spread out so we can perform our best. After all, this is the year that counts. As well, teachers should perhaps

be here early on exam days so we can ask for help.” “I think that teachers should try to teach all their lessons before the winter break, so there’s more time to revise af-ter it. Also, exam schedules should be more complementary than contradic-tory. Perhaps the science and math ex-ams should be placed closer to the week-ends, but with decent gaps between them so as not to overwhelm students,” said Mary. Exams for semester one however are now done and over with, and many hope for some changes in the exam schedule this coming June. The marks of senior students for the first semester will be sent to colleges and universities on 10 February 2014. To those twelfth graders who have applied or are applying to uni-versities: good luck. ■

3 February marked the beginning of MGCI’s Black History Month. Many special events were planned to com-memorate the historic celebration and to educate Garneau students on the im-portance of Black History. This month holds many opportunities for students to learn more about the African Heri-tage. On 4 February, Marc Garneau Col-legiate Institute received a very spe-cial visit from the Honourable Michael Coteau, MPP of Don Valley East. Mr. Coteau had previously attended MGCI for a semester. The audience included Ms. Munro’s Grade 11 Leadership class

and Ms. Speirs’ Gr. 10 English class. “Black people have played a signifi-cant role in the history of Canada, from participating in all of the wars and de-fending the country, to sports and ath-leticism, to business and entrepreneur-ship, inventions…” said Coteau. “I think it’s important for people to recognize that Blacks have been in Ontario since its beginning.” Coteau is currently the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration for the province of Ontario. “I brought them because Black History Month should be taught in all courses possible.” commented Ms. Munro. She added that the Minister would be a good

role model for the students. The following day, 100 students gath-ered in the main library and were intro-duced to Mark Saunders, Deputy Chief of Toronto Police Services. Saunders is in his 30th year with the police force. “Diversity is very important. Diver-sity, it’s why we learn. Black History Month, it teaches us something very im-portant.” Saunders said. “In life, if you don’t know where you come from, you don’t know why you’re here. If you don’t know why you’re here, you don’t know where you’re going to be going.” To wrap up the action-packed week, Journalist Morgan Campbell from the Toronto Star visited the school to speak to students on Friday. “Black History Month is important all year round.” Campbell said. “As white as Canada has been and has white as history books are, you can’t tell the story of Canada without telling the story of multiculturalism and the different cul-tures that have existed here.” Other planned activities included a Black Shorts Film Festival; however, due to lack of attendance, the event was cancelled. “I think it’s pretty cool and I like how we’re dedicating a whole month to the African Heritage.” remarked Farahnosh Hashimi, a Grade 11 student. Students are encouraged to be on the lookout for more upcoming events this month. ■

Revisiting the Past

by DEIFILIA TO

BLACK HISTORY MONTHContinued from P1

Exam PressureEXAMS

Continued from P1

This

month a

t g

arnea

uThe Story of Multiculturalism

by SOPHIA SONG

Grade 12 student Hajra Memy com-mented that the museum “really makes a difference” in “promoting awareness” about Black History Month. Not all of the visitors present were students. Mr. Christopher Harding, a former teacher at MGCI, visited the travelling museum and said that he thought the museum was able to pro-mote the truth about the history of black citizens in North America. “It gets students thinking…the media portrays blacks poorly.” He said that events such as Black History Month will give stu-dents insight on the truth of the matter. Three classes gathered in one class-room on 4 February to listen to moti-vational speaker Sean Mauricette, also known as Subliminal. Subliminal is an experienced presenter and has spoken for many different presentations. Using his personal life experiences as a guide,

his goal has been to connect with the students to encouraged them to encour-age new things. As he put it, “You never know where things can take you. Don’t be afraid to try.” On 6 February, Marika Fraser, TTC Special Placement Services Officer, spoke to Mr. Skara’s Grade 12 class. She focused on the power of resilience, and every student’s ability to achieve any-thing they want to do with hard work and perseverance. She hoped that stu-dents could use this message to be em-powered for post-secondary life – be it in college, university, or in the work force. By using anecdotes about her own personal experiences as a Black immi-grant woman, she was able to get her message across loud and clear. Fraser strongly believed in the importance of Black History month. As she put it, “Black History month encourages you

to see the differences of where people came from, and it encourages you, since you are all working in the same direc-tion.” Mr. Alexander anticipates that MG-CI’s celebration of Black History Month will allow students to gain exposure in the contributions of the members of the African community. As well, he hopes that students will be able to enjoy the celebrations of Black History Month together. He commented that “What I do know is that each event, like each student and teacher and community, has a pulsating positive vibe at its core, brought together by both the speaker, the audience, and the situation -- and it is up to each of us to tap into it and then keep it alive. We are our own Black History Month celebration, and we are, together, making history.” ■

Deputy Chief of Toronto Police Services delivered a talk about diversity on 5 February 2014. Photo: Valiant Chan

“Don't run with scissors.” “Go with your gut.”“Stay in school.”

The intramural dodgeball league attracts crowds. Photo: Vasili Manikas

Students attend the DECA Ontario provincial competition. Re-sults will be available at thereckoner.ca Wednesday night. Photo: Susie Liu

Snickerdoodles appear in the cafeteria; students rejoice. Also pictured: banana for scale. Photo: Vasili Manikas.