The Chronicle
NOVEMBER 2011
ISSUE # 1
Ontario Election: It’s all over, what now?
By Adam Smith
http://charrois.files.wordpress.com/201
1/04/vote3.jpg?w=500&h=391
The Ontario Elections are now over and the
Liberals are our guiding force for another
term- or at least until the NDP and the Tories
decide to try and oust them with a NonConfidence vote. When one source was asked
about their thoughts on the election, they
spoke candidly. "Yup, I voted Liberal. They
were the party that seemed most genuine to
me, even through what was a rollercoaster
term they just had." The first question is this:
is Ontario any better off after this election?
The answer, unfortunately no, but Ontario is
no worse off either. The fact is this, everything
that McGuinty said in his commercial is true:
the Liberals have increased the number of
wind turbines in the province, they do have the
right to claim the first all-day kindergarten in
Canada, and they have created jobs. While
Ontarians do pay taxes that seem, on the
surface, to be a little bit higher than necessary,
the taxes are what have allowed the Liberals to
do what they have done so far.
What the Liberals should be worried about,
besides the fact that they have a minority
government this time around, is that they did
not win a single new seat. Every seat that the
Liberals currently hold at Queen's Park is one
that they held last term as well. Both of their
biggest competition, the Tories and the NDP,
won new seats previously held by the Liberals.
The only real positive outlook they have
regarding this part of the election is that they
still have their red grip on Toronto.
What stands out most of this election from
previous ones is not the manner in which the
Liberals won, but how every party claimed
victory. The Liberals won because they actually
held on to their government. The Tories won
because they stole seats from the Liberals while
retaining their previous ridings.
Finally, the NDP won because they gained
seven more seats than the last term, again
stealing from the Liberals. In this sense
everybody won, except Ontarians. If the leaders
of the Ontario provincial parties in opposition of
the Liberal government cannot agree what the
definition of ―victory‖ is, there are some serious
problems. At least the man in charge has some
grasp of this for now, anyways. A few
questions must now be answered by the
Liberals. Will the voters in Ontario come to
regret their decision to elect the Liberals for
another term? Or, were all of the advances just
because the election was around the corner?
Will the Liberals continue to improve the
Province?
These questions are the big ones and only time
will tell if they have a happy or miserable
answer, and the Liberals have the power to
decide which it is.
>FULL INDEX ON A2
A2 · THE CHRONICLE · NOVEMBER 2011
WORLD NEWS
INDEX
A World News
Elections, A1 Greece, A2
Editorial, A3 Egypt, A3
___________________________________
H Human Interest
The Art of Friendship, H1
Advice Column, H2
Bullying, H3 Seniors, H3
Book review, H4
TV Review, H4
___________________________________
O Opinion Pieces
Labels, O1
Young Canadians, O2
Comics, O2
Sudoku, O2
___________________________________
X St. Francis Xavier
Pressures of High school, X1
“Bloody Roses”, X2
Council News, X1
Greek Economic Turmoil Leaves
Citizens Unruly and Tourists
Fearful
By: Eric Flockhart
http://hansafx.net/blog/?p=13062
The arrival of 2010 was accompanied by a fear
of
the consequences
arising from the excessive
Column
1, X2
amounts
of national debt in Greece. Since this
___________________________________
time the beautiful and historic Greek capital of
Athens has turned into a city of demonstration
and protest. Years of overspending and cheap
lending has left the country with a national
debt level of over $ 400 Billion. The global
economic crisis has left Greek Prime Minister
George Papandreou with the burden of
restoring a once admired economy. Changes
have already been implemented such as raised
taxes on tobacco and fuel, and applied pay cuts
to many employees of the public sector.
Undoubtedly, Greek citizens are not pleased
with the state of the country’s economy, nor
are they impressed with the government’s
―solutions‖ to the problem. The uprising of
anger and hatred has plagued the city of
Coming Soon…
3 for 5
Theatre
Athens with months of protests. Leaving 3
dead and over 400 injured, mass protests
lamenting the government with anti-austerity
movements have devastated the capital.
The economic uncertainty along with the fear
of citizen uprising has drastically decreased
tourism to a previous number one tourist
destination. This comes at a time when the
country could use as much internationally
generated revenue as possible in order to
quicken the return to a respectable debt level.
The country of Greece, and its capital Athens,
once recognized as the City of the Gods, a
place where early civilization once thrived,
now faces a daunting future of rebuilding, in
the hopes that tourists may once again return
to explore the beauty of Greece, and that
citizens may once again respect the system
they are governed by.
January 11th – 14th 2012
7:00 PM
Room 106
Three Plays for $ 5.00
http://www.threadbombing.com/details.php?image_id=1198
A3 · THE CHRONICLE · NOVEMBER 2011
WORLD NEWS
Religious Intolerance in Egypt Worsens
After Bloody Revolution
By Mark Mansour
On October 10th, thousands of Coptic Christians
started to riot against the ruling Egyptian army after
a church burning. 25 people were killed and 329
were wounded as a result of the brawl.
After the demolishing of a church in Aswan, the
Copts accused Muslim radicals for being responsible
for the incident. They began to riot in Cairo, during
which time, a clash with the army occurred.
Christians were reportedly shot and run over by
soldiers. The army was criticized by politicians for
handling the situation inadequately and called for
increased control over these types of protests.
A proper democratic government was not formed
soon after the revolution due to concerns over antidemocratic plots by extremists.
There have always been clashes between Muslim
and Coptic citizens in Egypt, including a drive-by
shooting of a Coptic church which killed 6 people on
Christmas day last year. Though, tensions have
grown exponentially since the revolution which
forced former president Hosni Mubarak out of
power earlier this year. Although being the largest
Christian community in the Middle East, Copts only
represent approximately 10%-12% of the overall
population of 80 million.
Since then, the Egyptian army has taken control of
the country until an election can be held. While
Mubarak had previously repressed Islamic extremist
groups, the army has failed to do so. This has
politicians questioning whether the army is capable
of forming a free democracy within Egypt.
The entire situation has brought about much
criticism in the Western world where United States
representatives and European Union ministers
claimed that the right to peaceful protest and
religious freedom should be preserved.
A lot of support was asked of the Coptic community
worldwide. Coptic Pope Shenouda III asked all
Copts to fast for three days for peace to return to
Egypt. In addition, funerals were held in mourning
for the victims. Protests worldwide, including one in
Toronto which happened on October 16th, asked
foreign governments to give aid in Egypt.
Editorial
The Essence of Occupy
By Ritika Chakrabarty
Who amongst us has not felt frustration with authority?
I know I have. Recently, there have been stirrings
within our community-rallies, if you will, and raised
voices. These angry voices belong to people very
similar to most of us: students, parents, workers, some
people not in the labour force (this includes
discouraged workers who have given up looking for
jobs), and the overwhelming majority, people who are
not being represented clearly. They are all protesting,
unhappy with two monumental parts of Canadian
society: the political and economic systems. Unified in
philosophies and goals, these ambitious protestors have
caused an enormous buzz, and have pointed fingers in
all the right places. The Occupy protestors advocate
that the government ought to put time, money, and
effort into repairing the areas of society which need it
the most, and are the most important to the majority of
people, that is, education (directly related to us),
healthcare, environment, and the unstable economy.
Internationally, Canada is viewed as one of the thriving,
and advanced countries, but corruption still existswithin the political system; our Federal Government.
The line separating money and politics is becoming
increasingly blurry. The protestors (and rightfully so)
insist that these two are and should be separate. The
bottom line is that these people are voicing concerns
that I believe we all (at some point or another) think
and should be aware of.
http://media.cnbc.com/i/CNBC/Sections/News_And_Analysis/
_News/_SLIDESHOWS/ScenesFromTheProtests/CNBCoccupy-scenes-toronto-41.jpg
H1 · THE CHRONICLE · NOVEMBER 2011
HUMAN INTEREST
Like Cats and Dogs
The Subtle Art of Friendship
By C. Perrotta Pooler
The art of true friendship is a subtle one:
there is no one to grade or judge your
performance as a friend, no impartial party to
wave a flag when you have broken a friendship
rule, and if someone decides not to be your
friend there is no authority where you can file a
complaint or take action. Friendship is a gamble,
where two people play their best cards and
hopefully both end up with something
worthwhile from the experience.
I have often heard the phrase ―fighting like
cats and dogs‖ and having never encountered a
cat and a dog interacting until very recently,
always assumed this meant absolute chaos and
mayhem. I pictured teeth bared, claws slashing,
growls and hissing, and the guttural sounds that
these animals reserve only for serious battle.
What I have found after living for the past
four months with a cat and a dog, is that we can
learn a thing or two about how to all get along
from these very different creatures.
Cats and dogs do fight and are natural
opposites, I am not attempting to dispel this, but
I have found that these two unique animals have
it right when it comes to disagreements or
problems.
For example, the dog somehow manages to
bite the cat’s tail, and the cat responds with a
hiss, and the dog with a growl, and the cat runs
away and the dog takes chase. There is a
commotion; something may come dangerously
close to falling over.
Mrs. Perrotta Pooler’s pets Pinky (cat) and Charlie (dog)
have mastered all the finer points of friendship
Ten minutes later the dog is laying sprawled out
on the couch and the cat is lovingly grooming
his face.
They will do it again, and maybe the cat will
instigate next time.
The point is that they will not throw each
other under the bus to place blame, and will not
tweet about, facebook post or bbm broadcast
mean or hurtful things about one another. They
will still be friends.
The world would be a better place if we all
got along like cats and dogs.
100-Year Old Breaks Record
By Vanessa Moonilal
Our youth need to be inspired; we are usually sidetracked by our peers, the media and celebrities.
Here is an inspiring story found in the media that
guarantees a positive message that will inspire.
Recently there was a story in the news regarding
a 100 year old runner, by the name of Fauja Singh,
―who was named the world’s oldest marathoner,‖ as
quoted in the CTV news article. Mr. Singh ran for
approximately eight hours and twenty-five minutes,
completing the Scotia bank Toronto Waterfront
Marathon. Now, in my opinion this little Indian man
had courage to strive for something impossible. I’m
not saying to go and run for eight hours and twentyfive minutes, but do the impossible; try out for Unity
Live, volunteer in different organizations or try
something new that is completely out of your
comfort zone.
This is my fourth year in high school, and at one
point I was a shy person who needed some motivation.
The teachers at our school are great motivators - always
encouraging everyone to be the best they can be. Every
once in a while an inspiring story like Mr. Singh’s
shows true deter-mination and will power, which
young individuals need. Here is something I would like
you all to think about, which is the saying, ―once you
have the taste of success that taste will never go‖.
http://www.trepaning.com/blog/wpcontent/uploads/2011/10/fauja-singh-100-year-old-marathonrunner.jpg
H2 · THE CHRONICLE · NOVEMBER 2011
HUMAN INTEREST
The Devil’s Advocate: Who’s Advice Will
You Take?
One letter desperate for advice, two responses: one from Big T, the devil on
your shoulder, and the other from KG, the angel on your other shoulder.
Whose advice will you follow?
Dear Betty,
There's this boy, and you know... I just really, really DON'T like him. Like at
all. But he seems to really, REALLY not understand my signals...like, at all.
I'll go "NO, I do not want to go on a date with you this weekend," and then,
that weekend, he'll come to my house to pick me up! How can I make myself
clear to him?
Signed, The Obvious
Dear The Obvious,
I think you should at least give this guy a
chance. Get to know him y'know? Perhaps he's
not all that bad! It's just like picking out a couch
in a furniture store; you buy it, you get to know
it, then suddenly you're taking naps on it
...although I'm not sure how that works. Alright,
bad comparison. I'm sure you're catching my
drift though, right? And if that doesn't work out
then I suggest you move schools -I'm kidding. I
guess what you could try to do is articulate your
answer better. Maybe this is all but a mere case
of miscommunication. Good luck, cool cat!
Signed, KG
Dear The Obvious,
As I see it you have a big problem, but you
know, get over it; other people have way
bigger problems. But I guess if I have to give
you advice I’d say you have one of two
courses of action: the first is to agree to go out
with this guy, but don’t shower for at least 3
days prior to the date, and don’t groom
yourself at all. Aim to give him the most
disgusting date of his life - if he’s had any
others at all. Or you could get yourself a
boyfriend and maybe he’ll keep this kid away
from you. Signed, Big T
Dear Betty,
I have this friend, and he just won't accept himself for who he is. He wears
plaid with stripey cardigans. His jeans are tighter than mine, and do not get
me started on The Beard. I'd love him the way he was...If he didn't think he
was a rebel. How can I help him to accept himself?
Signed, I'm More Rebel Than He Is.
Dear I'm More Rebel Than He Is,
First off, I'd just like to mention that you have a pretty
cool name. But now let's get on to the good stuff. This
friend of yours seems to be quite the character.
Although I feel your pain about the whole "rebel"
thing, he seems to be happy the way he is, and as a
friend I think you should accept that. But, if it's really
bugging you that much you should confront him about
it. Take him on a trip through Toronto or something.
There's actually a perfect place I know where you
could bring him. It's an intersection called "Jane &
Finch", it's known to have the highest rebel activity in
the GTA! Maybe a walk through the neighborhood
will change his mind about the whole "rebel" lifestyle.
Good luck, cool cat!
Signed, KG
Dear rebel,
Sounds like you have a big problem on your hands, but
you might need to cut him some slack. You see, as a
trained hipsterologist I know that most hipsters don’t
realize that they are hipsters at all, especially if he has
other friends that are also hipsters because then it
seems like others share his views. I suggest taping him
to a chair, showing him pictures of how he dresses and
then pictures of how common garden variety hipsters
dress. If you give him time to compare, he will
eventually notice that he shares many similarities with
them. Alternatively you can do the hipster loop test:
ask him to describe a hipster, then apply the definition
to him. Other than that there isn’t much else to do, just
move along and give up on the topic.
Signed, Big T
H3 · THE CHRONICLE · NOVEMBER 2011
HUMAN INTEREST
Bullying: Who’s at
Fault?
By Vanessa Azizian
Bullying has many sides which could be
debated. In such situations, some feel it is the
bully’s fault for making the victim feel
uncomfortable in their surroundings. However,
others feel as if it is the victim’s fault for being
different, or over the top. Well, which one is
it? Could society be placing judgments on the
wrong crowd? As children, we grow up
learning from our elders that we are only
humans who make mistakes from time to time
and that it’s okay to be yourself. Yet as
children grow up, they are expected to forget
that saying. We are all placed into stereotypes
which many a person has tried to get out
of. We look at ourselves differently and more
harshly. As a society, we criticize more than
just the weather man on TV whose lies ruins
every girls ―perfect‖ hair day. We are
constantly judged on aspects of ourselves we
can’t control, or can we? Life is a gift, but the
decisions we make throughout our lives is a
choice. No one forces us to act, dress or speak
in the manner that we do. All we do is point
fingers and place blame onto others. The
victims blame the bullies for playing the role
of the big bad wolf and blowing their selfesteems out the door. The bullies on the other
hand, blame the victims for being over
dramatic emotional beings that like Flounder,
are still little guppies in the food chain, and are
scared of every little dilemma that comes their
way.
Well, the truth is kept secret and is swept
under the rug. Think of the situation of a cat
and a dog. Society portrays them as two
creatures that are unable to get along. Yet there
are some cases which prove otherwise. If
people learned to take the media into account
as a minority rather than a priority there would
be less stress of how to be, act, and dress ...
HOW TO LIVE!!! Therefore, the fear of not
being good enough wouldn’t be an issue
making everyone content with themselves not
having to take their insecurities and place them
upon other peoples laps. If you ask me I think
there are two sides to a conflict just like a
proper sandwich could not be complete
without the second slice of bread If bullies
tried to keep their negative thoughts of others
in their heads, and if victims tried not to be as
over the top as some may be we wouldn’t have
Ursula’s trying to give unrealistic antidotes to
Ariel’s who want to be a part of your world.
http://blog.syracuse.com/news/2008/08/lhsauggrad08.jpg
Being a Senior
By Mansee Bubber
Being a senior at St. Francis Xavier Secondary
School is nothing like the glamorized,
overdramatic portrayal of being one on an
American TV show.
As grade 12 students, we have so many things to
worry about. Competition is become more ―cut
throat‖ every year and the percentage range of
acceptance increases every year because of this.
We also need be involved in extra curricular
activities as post secondary schools highly regard
―all rounder‖ students. The key to achieve all of
this is to maintain a balanced lifestyle. Don’t spend
too much time on one thing. No one can
concentrate on memorizing volumes of a textbook
for more than one hour. Take a break! Go outside
for a run or take part in something that you enjoy
doing. The biggest wastes of time however are
social networking websites like Facebook, Twitter
etc. It is completely understandable to go and
browse around your account for recent updates for
lets say half an hour a day. But does a person really
need to go through their friend’s album the
millionth time? Using time wisely will immensely
help accomplish whatever goals may be set in place
for the future. This helps to prepare for any
upcoming tests and reduce the procrastination. The
last thing a grade 12 student needs is to cram a
month’s load of work the night before the huge unit
test! This is just the beginning and we have so
many things to be anxious about and also look
forward to. Everything has a level of excitement to
it, whether it may be dreaming about prom dresses
or getting back marks from our teachers. Working
hard this year will set us up for university or
college and ensure that our post-secondary journey
is off to an amazing start.
Go
Green
Xavier
H4 · THE CHRONICLE · NOVEMBER 2011
HUMAN INTEREST
The Garden is fine, so is the
Plot, the rest of it however…
By Chloe Melo
Garden Plot by Kristen McKendry seems to
be very promising at first. You have mystery
and humour. The story is even set in
Mississauga, seemingly a great catch! Yet when
you start to read it, you’ll eventually find out
that the humour isn’t so humorous. The mystery,
though mysterious, is played out. The setting of
Mississauga is not well represented.
However, that’s not to say the story wasn’t
interesting, or that the writing was boring or
hard to follow. The plot was quite captivating.
It’s the story of an ex-social worker finding a
body in her garden patch and inserting herself
into the investigation: certainly an interesting
idea. It could be a perfect read, once you get
your head around the mild sexism, the not-sosubtle religious overtones (though the religious
details may have been more the fault of the
publisher’s than the author’s, but with a
publishing company called ―Covenant,‖ what
else would you expect?) Then there’s the
strange fact that out of a main cast of thirty, only
one of them is not white and only three of them,
to my knowledge are not Anglo-Saxon.
Where in Mississauga you would find a place
where eighty-seven percent of the population is
Anglo-Saxon and ninety-seven percent is white,
I don’t know.
The fact that the main character Erin lives on
a property that is big enough for not only a tenbedroom wellness centre, yet another house
behind the wellness centre, a horse stable, and a
horse pasture, that is all conveniently located
right next to a library and several other houses,
is a little suspicious.
The description is lacking, and though the
main character is believable, the actions of the
other characters are not.
In short, if you want to read a book where you
will escape into a believable and hilarious
world, fraught with locally grown tidbits and
mystery, this is not the book for you. Nor is this
the book to make you realize the literature
you’ve been missing out on or restore your faith
in novels. And it is certainly not the book you
should read if you are easily offended, if you
loath being preached at, or are easily annoyed.
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705391472/
Book-review-Garden-Plot-is-great-readingdessert.html
The Fall of Dramas: Can
this year’s new dramas find
success?
By Mathura Thiyagarajah
The fall TV season is in full swing and
already several new dramas have become
casualties of early cancellations. Many
shows were abruptly cancelled, it didn’t
take long for Charlie’s Angels (ABC) and
two comedies (NBC’s Free Agents and
CBS’ How to Be a Gentlemen) to follow
suit.
The crop of new dramas this year has been
disappointing. While every pilot season
includes some cringe-worthy television and
other short-lived shows, this year has not
been outweighing the failures with new
hits.
STORY CONTINUED ON H5…
H5 · THE CHRONICLE · NOVEMBER 2011
HUMAN INTEREST
The Fall of Dramas: Can this year’s
new dramas find success? Contd.
For those who enjoy teen dramas, The
Secret Circle is fairing quite well (for a CW
drama) but it was never much of a risk
since it’s made for a pre-made audience
(the show is based on L.J. Smith’s book
series of the same name) and adds to the
slew of paranormal teen shows. Its strong
connection with The Vampire Diaries
obviously gives it a leg up, considering the
books were written by the same author, the
show airs right after TVD, and it’s produced
by the TVD’s Kevin Williamson.
Many of this year’s freshman shows are
relying on star power. CW’s Ringer has
Buffy-alum Sarah Michelle-Gellar, CW’s
Hart of Dixie stars Rachel Bilson of The
O.C. fame, Fox’s comedy The New Girl has
Zooey Deschanel gracing the small screen
instead of her usual quirky flicks, and
CBS’s Person of Interest has Michael
Emerson, who made his mark as the
ambiguous Ben Linus on Lost.
With the impending finales of several
shows that once garnered networks high
ratings, – though have now dwindled in
numbers - there is pressure to replace ones
like Desperate Housewives (ABC) and
Fox’s House. CW’s One Tree Hill will air
its last thirteen episodes (just when you
thought the CW would never let it go) and
NBC’s Chuck will do the same. The future
for Fox’s Fringe looks troubling and who
knows how much longer Gossip Girl can
hold on, especially considering its actors do
not seem to be in a hurry to renew their
contracts.
The state of scripted dramas is bleak as
ratings standards have declined over the
years while audiences instead turn their
attention towards procedurals, which attract
casual viewers, and reality TV, a much
cheaper alternative. There are still some
dramas that possess strong potential that
you may not have heard of yet.
Revenge (ABC)
Claiming to be an adaptation of Alexandre
Dumas’ classic novel, The Count of Monte
Cristo, Revenge focuses on Amanda Clarke
(Canada’s Emily VanCamp, Everwood) who
returns to the Hamptons after being forced into
a juvenile detention centre with one purpose:
to seek revenge on the people who destroyed
her life. The show is off to a promising start,
beating both Law and Order: Special Victims
Unit and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation in the
10:00 PM time-slot for Wednesdays. Another
familiar face, Connor Paolo who played
Gossip Girl’s Eric van der Woodsen, also
stars.
Awake (NBC)
This high-concept drama may seem better
suited for a feature film but only time will tell
if it can draw in viewers. It stars Jason Isaacs
(known for numerous film roles but you
probably recognize him as Lucius Malfoy)
playing a police detective who, after being
caught in a car accident, is stuck in alternating
realities: one in which his wife survived and
the other with his son alive. Obviously, he
does not want to let either of them go, so he
continues to live in both realities. Watch out
for this show as a mid-season replacement.
Once Upon a Time (ABC)
Another high-concept fantasy drama gracing
our screens this year is Once Upon a Time.
The show bears striking similarities to NBC’s
Grimm, as it also deals with fairy-tale inspired
characters. It centres on a fictional (clearly)
town called Storybrooke (yes, it’s a bit
obvious) that is a parallel world where fairytale characters live unawares of their true
identities. You may find it easier to believe in
vampires and zombies but this show is at least
unique and could prove to be a fun addition to
the TV season. Catch episodes on Sunday
nights at 8:00 PM.
O1 · THE CHRONICLE · NOVEMBER 2011
OPINION PIECES
Labels
By Kelly Ngyuen
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hopefulhero/4341357672
/
Modern society has invented a fairly simple
way to determine the name of every single one
of us. Some people take pride in this friendly
gesture, others think it is a blasphemy—and of
course, people of indifference will just ―go
with the flow.‖ Ladies and gentlemen, this
ingenious method of classification is what we
call ―labels.‖
My two cents on the idea? People have
made up labels because it is an easier way to
identify themselves and each other, but it’s
completely unnecessary to do so. The twisted
mind of society has led us to a terrible
misconception: individuals are twodimensional. While you’re wearing that baby
blue tag that says ―Hello My Name is [insert
name here]‖, you want to be known as [insert
name here] because you are a three
dimensional figure that has as many sides and
colours as an unfinished Rubik’s cube, not a
tiny postage note.
Someone who listens to Avenge Sevenfold
or Dismember will not always be dressed from
head to toe in a spectrum of dark colours
striped with an excessive amount of black, and
you don’t have to call them a Goth. Goth is a
funny word that rhymes with moth. Those
people that always wear Lacoste and Hollister
could be a fountain of depression, but since
they’re popping their collars and looking like a
baller, you may think they are the preppiest of
the prep. As for those strange individuals
whose beliefs startle you with their progressive
politics, wise way of thinking and a neverending collection of music, they aren’t called
hipsters, my friends, they are something that I
think we all should aspire to be: individuals who
are well informed of the world outside these
four-walls.
Figuring out what our label is a daunting
prospect, dictating everything about us. A sense
of belonging should not come at the price of
self-expression. I will not take a red cherry
slushy to the face because I auditioned for café
night. My intelligence doesn’t mean I will wear
pants that show my ankles as much as capris
do—I will be fashionable at my best. I refuse to
be called a nerdy-gleek-hipster-weirdo by others
don’t really know me, because they never spend
a minute trying to.
Although labels may have some truth to
them they become especially outrageous and
fake when people try to become the ―it‖ label
for the year just to be cool or well known. It not
only degrades people who are just being
themselves, but for those sad individuals who
are struggling to be a part of the in-crowd.
So if you don’t really like break-dancing,
wearing owl-inspired accessories or listening to
the main stream, here are my last words of
wisdom: labels are for soup cans.
Our Young Canadians
Resistance to Domination
has been Subdued
By Nicolas Gonzalez
Throughout history, young people have always been the
leaders in revolution and democratic movement. So, it is
with an agenda that the ruling elite take all dissenters
and take away their spirit of revolution from youth.
Young North Americans seem to have consented to the
idea that large corporate companies can completely
beguile and swindle and that they are helpless to do
anything about it. In the 2010 Gallup Poll, Americans
were asked if they thought that the Social Security
system would pay them a benefit when they retire and
amongst the 18 - 34 year olds, 76 percent said no.
Instead of demanding the offset to come from payrolltaxing the obscenely wealthy, they resign to having the
money be deducted from their paychecks-even though
they do not believe it will be around for them in the
future. In the 2011 Gallup1, 7 in 10 college students are
underemployed but no form of action has been taken.
How have the elite broken North America’s young?
O2 · THE CHRONICLE · NOVEMBER 2011
OPINION PIECES
Our Young Canadians Resistance to
Domination has been Subdued Contd.
If we look at the millions of young Iranians that
risked getting shot protesting the 2009 presidential
elections, the millions of Egyptians who recently
risked their lives to defy Mubarak and the millions of
young Americans who were against the Vietnam War,
we see something they all had in common: the
absence of student loan debt. Education unbinds us.
Plunging young people into large debt, and the fear it
creates, quickly snuffs out any fire of revolt. Over 62
percent of university graduates have debt between
$25, 000 to the increasingly more common $100, 000
dollar mark. At a time when there are no family
responsibilities, students end up worrying about the
inability to pay an infinitely increasing debt.
John Taylor Gatto upset many when he said ―the truth
is that schools don’t really teach anything except how
to obey orders. This is a great mystery to me because
thousands of humane, caring people work in schools
as teachers and aides and administrators, but the
abstract logic of the institution overwhelms their
individual contributions.‖ Children begin in the
classroom.
Here they are socialized to be passive and to be
directed by others. The nature of the classroom is to
demand compliance. They are taught that everything
happens in neat little stages or chapters, grade school,
middle school, secondary school, all the way to
adulthood.
Institution and aspects of our culture are all hacking
away at the young people of North America. The food
industry complex has created a terrible cycle of
childhood obesity, depression and passivity. The
prison and law complex keep all the anti-authorial and
self thinkers ―in line‖. Our society’s tendency to
ostracize those who swim against the flow tends to
break them and have them drown in the undertow.
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, ―All our things are right
and wrong together. The wave of evil washes all our
institutions alike.‖
COMICS
Giranimals: Great at business, but spelling? Not so much.
PUZZLES
Can you Sudoku?
Every Sudoku has a unique solution that can be
reached logically. Enter numbers into the blank
spaces so that each row, column and 3x3 box
contains the numbers 1 to 9.
Taken from: http://www.websudoku.com/
X1 · THE CHRONICLE · NOVEMBER 2011
ST. FRANCIS XAVIER
The Pressures of High School
By Ashley Le
We’ve all heard about this before, yada
yada yada. But sometimes, the pressure to
do well on a test or assignment is just too
much. It’s hard on all of us: that gutwrenching feeling before the teacher is
handing back a test, the devastation you feel
as you hold a bad test in your hands. Your
teachers assure you that it’s okay, it’s not
the end of the world, blab blah blah.
However, the biggest reason you are so sad
is because of...the parents.
I’m not saying that kids don’t care about
their grades and only their parents do, it’s
just that parents are the ones who add the
heap of pressure that causes some to break
down crying.
I do not understand why they do this. I
mean, I know they care about our grades,
but they don’t really have to make us feel
bad about it.
It’s high school, the step before university, a
big part for our careers: the pressure is bad
enough. Weren’t they kids once too? Didn’t
they ever feel this when they were applying
to universities?
Sure, parents’ lectures don’t last forever, but
it is still hard to have them disappointed in
you. It’s heartbreaking, and you end up
feeling bad about yourself.
So it’s not our fault if we get bad grades
sometimes. It could be the pressure from
parents which causes kids to make stupid
mistakes (I know this from personal
experience). So here is some advice for
parents: lay off!
:00
X2 · THE CHRONICLE · NOVEMBER 2011
ST. FRANCIS XAVIER
Bloody Roses
By Abanoub Graiss
Remember, Remember
That day in September
When terror and treason hit a twin for no reason
I see it day after a day
How both of them equally lay
My white roses where in crimson drenched
But you see, I do not really quite remember
Was it blood, Oh I tremble
Or the shock of September
That morning her laugh rang sound and clear
It was her birthday for nine whole years
I went down
I found her, gave her a big hug
Oh! How tall my rose has become
I drove her to a site of national pride
Two high towers bathed in shining light
Her eyes lit up and she jumped out
In her hands, she held the white roses that made her morning bright
Her friend was waiting for her down the hall
And I her guardian angel went to see a friend
But then I heard the news and left all
I ran there to see what I left an hour ago
A plane! The Tower! Quick boys-An ecstasy of fumbling
Fitting the masks on just in time
But some still were yelling out and stumbling
And traumatized as man in an apocalypse come before time
Dim, through the misty panes and thick heavy dust
A under a huge rock, I saw them break down
Walking down that road
Golgotha all over again
I bear the cross on my shoulder
A cross of guilt and pain
I see her
I run
She wants a big hug
Sir, Sir! You don’t come in here
Please let me in mister
The girl who died is my sister
Remember, Remember
That day in September
When terror and treason took her life for no reason
I see it day after a day
X3 · THE CHRONICLE · NOVEMBER 2011
ST. FRANCIS XAVIER
A Word on Behalf of the Arts
By Michael Zoff
It is an honour to be the Arts and Culture representative on the Student
Advisory Council, 2011-2012.
To start, I am extremely proud of all of the beautiful faces that I see around
the school. With great pleasure, I am proud to welcome The Arts Council to
St. Francis Xavier CSS.
Our strong community boasts a growing artistic circle;
from drama to visual arts, you can find your form of expression within
our four walls. With the help of a supportive and competent staff, we,
as students of St. Francis Xavier, are able to explore our creative
personalities. We have infinite possibilities, and with our God-given
gifts, we are able to pursue our dreams.
Hence, the creation of this group is solely based on the
idea of freedom. Yet, when we think of freedom, we often confuse it
with independence. This group is based on the principle of building a
strong creative community -- the freedom of ideas and inspiration with
our brothers and sisters.
I am quite proud to know that there are individuals at
this school who care about forming a creative circle, as I do. You are
the reason why St. Francis Xavier has school plays, music
performances, art shows, and participates in Skills Canada. You are
the driving force towards excellence at this school.
YOU spread hope at St. Francis Xavier.
My biggest wish for this group is that each creative
person may form contacts and bonds with other creative people, within
our school. Therefore, we may work together on projects with the
highest degree of professionalism.
We can proclaim our vision.
We are the people who make change.
Thank you for being beautiful in your way,
Michael Zoffranieri
XAVIER STUDENT COUNCIL
A Word From Your Prime Minister
On behalf of St. Francis Xavier’s Student Council we congratulate ―The
Chronicle‖ for publishing their first issue. We plan to keep all students
updated on upcoming events through this newspaper. The first upcoming
event is the REAL ME campaign that takes place on Friday November 25 th.
Please keep on reading for more info regarding upcoming events this school
year. We, your Student Council, aim to better your school experience in any
way that we can, and this newspaper is a wonderful contributor to the big
picture.
-Juliano Carrelli, Student Council Prime Minister
How to reach the Editors:
Dalia Naser and
Ritika Chakrabarty
stfxschoolpaper@gmail.com
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