Eight Inspired Wish-list Items You Didn’t Know Existed

By: Asra
Christmas may be over until 300-something days into the future, but it’s never too early to start creating a list for when your relatives or friends ask what you want for the holidays coming up once again in 2013! I did some digging around, looking at ideas I first heard from OMG Facts, at school, or out in the city, and there are tons of great gifts to discover, from those under ten dollars to more substantial birthday/celebration/Christmas presents.

De Père en flic -$14.99 in HD on iTunes
This one of the most popular Québécois comedies in years. Don’t be discouraged by the French title. I can’t even count how many non-Francophones I have forced to sit on my couch and watch this film with English subtitles. For a bit of a synopsis, a father-son cop duo, who can’t stand one another, go undercover on a sort of father-son therapy camping trip to get information out of a criminal defence lawyer, who’s also on the trip with his suicidal son. Along the way, the cop son, played by comedian, Louis-Jose Houde (who I may or may not have spotted in Montreal on the SSUNS trip!), is pushed into a lake by his father, screaming «J’ai un têtard dans mes culottes! » (“There’s a tadpole in my underwear!”). The movie continues with its comedic plot, featuring many misadventures for the protagonists. This movie is available on Blu-ray and on iTunes, and is a lot more entertaining than most French movies. And you thought Brice de Nice was funny!

Inkless Metal Pen - $27.99
Those of us in IB know that with the HI, G4, P1, EE, etc. due sometime in the next several months, long-lasting pens are of the essence. A Seven-Year Pen from Indigo? It only lasts that long if you write a mere two metres of text a day. That’s optimistic. Here’s where this neat invention comes in. It supposedly lasts a lifetime (until we snap it in a fit of stress) since it writes with a metal alloy that uses minuscule bits of metal, so small that you can’t notice they’re gone from the tip of the pen. It writes just like a pencil, but won’t smudge (yes!). So there you go, the Everlasting Gobstopper for we academics!

Extra Dessert Delights Gum
To everyone that I’ve turned into a gum addict this year, I have two things to say: one, I’m sorry, and two, put it on your wish-list because we Canadians can now buy it off Amazon, as opposed to having to stock up in the US every summer! Extra Dessert Delights Gum costs $14.51 and up for a case of ten packs that come in flavours like Root Beer Float, Rainbow Sherbet, and Key Lime Pie. Who wouldn’t want an edible gift that lasts months, even if consumed daily?

David’s Tea Stainless Steel Travel Press - $34.99 and/or Noble Glass Travel Mug – $24.50
The travel mug above is genius. Bet you didn’t know that it keeps tea/coffee/other caffeinated drinks warm from your six am bus ride, to Theory of Knowledge until lunch. Both mugs have removable mesh filters to keep your loose-leaf tea brewing all day without those annoying mesh balls that are impossible to close. If you already have plenty of travel mugs, ask for a tin of David’s Tea, perfect for homemade tea lattes. Some great flavours include Birthday Cake (you can smell it for miles), Cookie Dough, Crème Brulee, Cinnamon Heart, and Lime Gelato (which happens to taste like Key Lime Pie. Think I’m obsessed yet? You will be too.

Tetris Animated Alarm Clock - $29.99 and/or Clocky Robotic Alarm $38.99+
Sleep. The lack of sleep is one of the biggest problems plaguing students nowadays. Unfortunately, no one can give you a guaranteed first period spare or a nap time at school, but these two creative alarm clocks can make waking up more entertaining and even more effective. For those of you stuck in the Breakfast Club era, there is a Tetris-themed animated alarm clock that wakes you up with the Tetris theme song and measures minutes passing with blocks falling down the display screen. If that’s not incentive enough to get up and finish last night’s homework, then consider the Clocky Robotic Alarm. Clocky will jump off your bedside table, roll away from your bed in the morning, and shriek until you get up and chase after it. It sounds nearly as effective as a sibling running in and grabbing your phone, only Clocky won’t text all your friends!

Pottery Barn Teen Liquid Image Video Snow Goggles - $299.99
These could be a great gift for anyone who loves skiing, snowboarding or making action videos. These goggles do more than just shield your eyes; they have a camera that records up to two hours of HD video. If you already have an iPod, phone, laptop, and so on, these would make a great new tech gadget for taking videos at C.O.P. or in the mountains. These state-of-the art goggles are destined to make all your friends extremely jealous!

Grow Your Own Coffee Kit - $7.99
Pfft. Who needs Starbucks? Well, I do. If you’re tired of waiting in line to pay three to five dollars for whatever it is you need to wake up before class, growing your own coffee at home might be a great experience and even a way to get CAS hours. This unique gift requires creativity and patience, but imagine becoming that special person who can give extra cups of coffee to the needy on a cold winter’s day. Or maybe not. But either way, it’ll get you your caffeine for much less than the overpriced coffee shops of today.

Zwipes Notebooks and Binders (Various prices under $15)
Do you love to doodle but hate having little drawings everywhere, creeping over your notes? The Zwipes line of stationary is like your own personal whiteboard. Draw all you like on the cover and take notes inside. The markers come with a coloured felt side and an eraser that wipes the marker off, or even Sharpie on some surfaces. Just don’t try to erase the Zwipes markers off of paper. It won’t work. I tried.

So basically, my point is, there’s something for everyone out there, available either in stores we have here in Calgary or within a few days’ shipping distance. So next time your parents/grandparents/ (insert other family member here) ask you what you’d like, there’s no reason to answer with the uninspired answer of “a mall gift card” or, even worse, “money,” because you’ll have a list of way cooler gadgets just for you.

Model United Nations Conference

By: Romany N.
Western Canada High School’s Model United Nations team has had an ongoing rivalry with Sir Winston Churchill’s Model United Nations team for some time now, and on February 23rd and 24th at the University of Calgary High School Model United Nations Conference, Western received the Best Delegation Award for their strong efforts and unwavering dedication to success, as well as a Verbal Commendation for the Delegation of Indonesia.

The decorum and diplomacy that was displayed by Western Canada High School’s delegates during the conference was well above the expected level. Each delegate had thoroughly researched the policies of his or her respective country, as well as that of other states to ensure he or she was adequately prepared for intellectual debate on foreign affairs. However, the strength these students had did not go unnoticed, as many single delegates won the Best Delegate award in their council in addition to receiving Verbal Commendations and Honorable Mentions.

Although the University of Calgary HSMUN conference was the last of the season, Western Canada High School is very adamant about remaining one of the upmost competitive HSMUN committees in Alberta and is always welcoming new students who are interested in politics and debate, and who would like to become a part of this excellent organization.

Simple Steps to Finding a Job

By: Ankita K.
A lot of students prefer to work during the school year or in the summer. How does one find a reliable and interesting job? In 2011, the employment rate of youth between the ages 15 to 24 was 55.4 percent. This number suggests that finding a job is not only possible, but students have a very good chance of obtaining a job they want. The website, www.youth.gc.ca, provides some educating guidelines for students who are looking for a job. Students just have to follow several steps from the guidelines.

The first step in finding a job is to identify your goals and interests. It is important that you look for a job that will be beneficial for your future career and will help in identifying your personal values. Try to ask a question, “Which job will be best for me?” or “Is this job suitable for me?” These questions might help when deciding on which type of job to pursue.

The next step in finding a job is acquiring a Social Insurance Number or SIN. SIN is a nine-digit number that you will need in order to work in Canada. Children over 12 years of age can apply for their own SIN.

Writing a résumé and a cover letter is one of the major steps in the hunt for a job. They are your first contacts with a potential employer. A résumé is a short, point-form document that describes your experience, education, and skills. There are three types of résumés: a functional résumé that focuses on your skills, a chronological résumé that describes your experience, and a combination of both. It is important that you make your résumé presentable, clear, and concise, indicating honesty and professionalism. A cover letter is a formal letter that accompanies a résumé. You will use it to describe yourself and explain the reason why you are applying for the job. You will also make a request for the interview. Make your letter personal, but use a professional tone and be concise.

After submitting your résumé and cover letter, you should identify a reference, someone who an employer may contact to prove your qualifications. There are two types of references: character references and professional reference. Usually, you should wait for the employer to request a reference, and then give a list.

The most important step in acquiring a job is the interview process. The interview is the last step in making an impression and proving that you are fit for the job. It is crucial that you prepare yourself for the interview. For instance, one of the good ways to prepare yourself is to think about the questions that the employer might ask and to prepare possible answers. This will allow you to give deeper and more thoughtful answers, which can be advantageous. You should also research some background information on the company to which you applied to work. Remember to be confident, professional, punctual, and to dress appropriately.

These tips make the process of finding a job much easier for an inexperienced student. They allow a student to be more successful at acquiring a desirable job. The Youth Canada website provides detailed suggestions for this process. The website is highly beneficial for students with different cultural backgrounds and experience, as finding a job can be a very long and difficult process.

Why “Professional” Art and Literature is a Dying Cause

By: Eric Chen
Now, before you rage at me about my title, I would first like to explain myself. I grew up in a household fond of professional, Baroque-style artwork, I was pulled into the world of classical music and I remerged from the other side as a glorified pianist, and I took my English courses to the IB level, studying Shakespeare just a bit more than everyone else, and, amazingly, I really enjoyed it. This is not an article hating on professional, historical or classical arts, (whatever name pleases you) but a story about the tragic future we are to face if we do not embrace the reality of our human situation.

Let us take a moment to admire the productivity of our twenty-first century mainstream society. As a majority, what do we listen to in the car? Is it something recent like Taylor Swift? Something a bit less recent, like the Blues? Or maybe it’s Justin Bieber, because you know, well, he’s Justin Bieber. But how many of us really bother to sit down and enjoy a Beethoven symphony, or a Haydn string quartet, or even a Chopin nocturne? I doubt many of you would even know what those things are, or who I’m even talking about. Let’s take another moment to consider the books we read. What did you read in the last week or month? Was it an Elizabethan play, or something even older, possibly by Aeschylus? Or maybe something contemporary, such as a poem by Margaret Atwood. No? Yeah…probably not. It was more likely a recipe book, or a short novel, or even a celebrity news magazine, or, my favourite one so far, this article I just happen to be writing….

But with all jokes aside, why does the professional world glorify classical music, and adore centuries-old texts if the general population does not bother to enjoy them? Why is Beethoven considered to be more of a musical genius than Elvis? Why is Shakespeare the master writer when we have J.K. Rowling? The answer is very simple: It is because these old texts really are the key to the ultimate creations in art. I can’t provide you with a proper answer about why these classics are “superior” as compared to their popular modern counterparts, but I can tell you from my personal experience that the age-old favourites hold vast amounts of information, detail, meaning and philosophy. Hours upon hours of thought and effort are combined towards their creation; this is vastly more than what happens today. But why do we not enjoy these old, sophisticated marvels? I’m pretty sure the answer is quite obvious, and it is because they are BORING. But to better clarify that claim, it is boring only because we do not understand them, as they do not as obviously link to our modern lives.

And these are the horrifying truths I believe: what was once is no more relatable to the modern world, and the modern world somehow isn’t completely capable of creating creations as sophisticated as their classical counterparts. To sum this all up, we must realize that the true purpose of all art, whether it is literature, music, theatre, drama, or visual arts, is to appeal to its audience. In other words, art must reflect the culture and the community in which people live. If classical arts are to be studied only in classrooms, and listened to only by those who took the burdensome time to actually understand and appreciate them, then why do they exist? Do they exist simply to stand as the epitome of human achievement of the past? Every day we witness the bankruptcy of professional orchestras. Every day more and more writers are going homeless. And everyday movie cinemas are further replacing opera houses and dramatic theatres. The root of the problem is actually quite complicated, but it has to do with our media, how it manipulates our general population and makes it believe something is better, because it has not come to understand the whole reality.

There’s more to all of this, but I think it is disrespectful to centuries of development to simply let all of these monuments slip away from our values and belief system. Others disagree, and say it is better to just let go, and let the past be rediscovered at another point in time. I do not lend my support completely to one side or the other, but I will give one piece of advice. I believe that the classics are becoming more and more divided from the contemporary, and if the classic works aren’t brought to universal attention by being made more relatable and accessible to the general population, they will be lost and studied only by the most isolated scholars, reading off manuscripts that have lost their meaning. I suggest you watch Tom and Jerry; the music is a good way of reliving those old moments. Watch Romeo and Juliet again, even if you still don’t quite understand half the things they recite to each other in their Elizabethan English. This is how the old world is exhumed and brought to the attention of the new, and in doing so, it has survived.

Nobody speaks Latin anymore. Nobody worships Ancient Greek mythology anymore. Nobody even performs human sacrifices anymore. Although this might be a bizarre list of extinct practices, they were once valuable at a time in history. Let us hope that the “professional” arts do not suffer the same fate, but instead, find themselves intermingled amongst the “popular” ideas of our mainstream society, so they may live on as integral pieces of our everyday lives.

Western’s February Formal

By: Hailey S.

Recently, Western held its first formal school dance of the 2012/2013 school year. Students could come either dressed up or in casual wear.  The purpose of this dance was to encourage everyone to have some fun and get into the fancy, dressing up spirit! If you had the opportunity to experience this night for yourself, or you did not attend and would like to hear about how well it went, look no further. I had the chance to chat with three attendees of this year’s event, and I found out their opinions of how the night “went down.”

In your opinion, how was the overall experience of the night?
Taylor C.: It was pretty good! It started off really slow when I arrived there with my friend Annika. We didn’t think it was going to be as good as we had hoped because there weren’t as many people as I thought there would be, but by the end of the night, it turned out to be really fun! We all had a great time!

Klara H.: It was fun but I think it would have been even more fun if there were more people. It would have had a greater atmosphere.

Geneva B.: It was awesome because I came with a whole bunch of my friends, which made it a lot of fun! 


What made this dance unique or different from any other dance you’ve been to?
Taylor C.: Well, the committee that organized the dance really went full out on the lights, and the DJ was really good. The space and the ambiance were a lot better then some of the other dances I’ve been to.

Klara H.: The photo shoot that was at the dance was really cool because you could take group pictures with your friends and you could just goof around and be silly.

Geneva B.: You actually had to get dressed up in formal clothing so that was something different! I was wearing heels, which made it really hard for me to dance in. Tough life I know! Haha!


What was the highlight of the night?
Answer:
Taylor C.: I don’t know if I could pick a specific moment. The entire night was pretty good in its entirety. Probably, the part was when everyone was dancing all together to Gangnam Style; that was so funny!

Klara H.: The picture taking was the really great part! The professional photographer that came brought props so my friends and I were really happy with the photos afterwards.

Geneva B.: Surprisingly, the pictures we took were really good quality and turned out great, which I was not expecting! The only thing that could have made the night better would have had to be, fans! It was so warm in there so maybe even one door open and some fans could have cooled the room down a bit!.

As you can see, the photos taken during this exciting night were a big hit amongst the students who attended.  The photos allowed each attendee to remember the enjoyable times that occurred during this night.  These three interviewees definitely danced up a storm and had a great time. All in all, the February Formal Western Canada High School Dance resulted in smiles all around.  It was a perfect gathering to meet new people, or maybe, even ask that special someone, whom you’ve had your eye on, to dance. Because hey, the following day was Valentine’s Day after all! Based on these testimonials, you can see that the next dance truly will be a hit!