The Western World: February 2014

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Less Buzz in the Air this Spring

By: Emma G.

It is being noted by scientists, for quite some time now, that wild bumblebee populations have been declining worldwide. Therefore, less buzz. There are multiple ideas out there as to why, but scientists have found no definite answer. Still, looking at the various ideas is a great way to begin to tackle this issue.

I mentioned how wild bumblebees are important, but equally important are the honeybees and bumblebees raised commercially by farmers. Looking at reports by the British Beekeeping association, and the Canadian Honey council, the populations of honeybees fluctuate. These associations are still concerned for the loss of their bees, as they are still subject to many problems that also challenge wild bees.

Under the many problems that challenge bees, a mysterious problem called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), is a major reason of why bee populations are declining.The USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) defines the symptoms as “very low or no adult honey bees... with a live queen and no dead honey bees present.”1 Many worker bees just simply leave, and the hive cannot function. Causes are still not definite. Possible causes may be parasites, diseases, and stressors from management of the bee hierarchy or from the environment (like pollution for example)1. Research is still ongoing into the causes.

The first cause is thought to be pesticides, in particular, neonicotinoids. Neonicotinoids are used to control minor pests and do so by attacking the nervous system of insects. The bees come in contact with it because of pollen, and although it is typically in low amounts, the exposure to it makes bees easier to be attacked by viruses and other pests 2. Fungicides, herbicides and other toxins in the environment also cause damage to bees. This pesticide doesn’t kill a bee , but it makes it very vulnerable. It is widely agreed that pesticides are a contributing factor to CCD. This is worrisome. We are causing the decline of bees. Pesticides exist to increase food production, but if bees keep declining, then don’t we lose food production?

Next, other pests or parasites, especially the Varroa mite have killed many bees. The Varroa mite is a small parasite that clings to the outside of bees, transmits viruses and feeds off of the bee. They can kill entire colonies 3, and almost all hives contain these mites. Farmers have methods for dealing with these mites, but they are still a pest.

There is a unique idea put out there by a German Landau university. Their study provides evidence that with cell phones on near the hive, the bees would not return to the hives 4. It seems unlikely, but it is one of the many theories out there to explain CCD.

Another theory put out there, has nothing to do with CCD. This piece of news has come to light recently regarding declining populations of wild bumblebees. A article published wednesday by the Nature journal talks about a study by Mark Brown of the University of London that tracks bee sites all across the UK. The study shows that diseases (mostly from honeybees) are transmitted by flowers to wild bumblebees, as the commercial honeybees typically contain more Varroa mite which is thought to transmit the disease 5. It also shows that bumblebees are more affected as they live shorter life spans and have smaller colonies 6. This is a interesting idea on movement of diseases for bees.

Why should we care? Bees are a major pollinator. Californian almond orchards rely on 1.6 million bees to pollinate the flowers, for example 7. They pollinate Canadian fruits, nuts, canola, and much more 8. Loss of bees can lead to loss of food production and a rise in food prices. Bees, though seemingly insignificant are important to everyone. We should care about these small insects because they do a lot for us.

Sources:

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Is The Canadian Senate Useless?

By: Molly D

The Senate has been a part of Canada’s democratic system longer than Canada has been an independent nation. The Senate consists of 105 senators, who are appointed by the Governor General upon the Prime Minister’s request. It is the Senate’s purpose to re-examine bills and protect the interests of Canadians. Anyone with an elementary education should know these basic facts about Canadian Government. Whether or not you were awake when the teacher was going over this material is a completely different matter.

Politics and the workings of government does not usually grab the attention of the average person, and the politics we do see tend to be centred more on the unfortunate crack cocaine addiction of a certain mayor. Another big political scandal that caught media attention was the 2013 Senate scandal. Two senators thus far have been arrested for illegally claiming thousands of dollars for personal expenses. The faith of many Canadians in the Senate has been lost after the 2013 Senate scandal. Although the aftermath of the scandal is still playing out, the discontent with the Senate is found nationwide, and a little bit of research shows that this unhappiness with our ancienct democratic institution is not unfounded.

For years, Canadians have asked for reform concerning the Senate, and Stephen Harper has promised these reforms to make the Senate more effiecient, but other political parties want to take it a step further. One of the NDP’s main platforms for the upcoming 2015 to abolish the Senate, and their website hosts a petition called ‘Roll Up The Red Carpet’, in which they intend to remove the Senate from Canada’s democratic system entirely. The petition has just under 30,000 signitures.

It is known that the Senate is not exactly the picture of efficiency, but the NDP petition states some very surprising facts about this piece of our parliament.

For example, the cost of the senate is over 92 million dollars per year.
With Canadians throwing millions, and I mean this quite literally, at the Senate one would assume that the money is going to good use. Considering that the last year the Senators worked approximately 71 days out of the year, it’s getting harder to believe that all the money that is put into the Senate is being put to good use.

The Senate does not consist only of bad qualities. It’s purpose is to represent the interests of all Canadians, and this includes minority groups, and gives a sober second thought to a bill that is well on its way to being passed. It’s easy to look at the Senate and only see the political scandals, the staggering amount of money getting pumped into it and the lovely salary that’s attached to only 71 working days, but the Senate is more than that.

We have senators raising awareness for human rights violations, giving minorities a voice and caused great things in the past. The fate of the Senate depends on which party comes into power next.

Monday, February 24, 2014

Good God it’s Grad; Graduation 2014

By: Lindsay K.

Each year, Western Canada High School (WCHS) sees over 500 students graduate and receive their high-school diplomas. WCHS is known as one of the top academic and athletic public schools in Calgary and surrounding areas. But, what is truly behind this amazing legacy? The student body.

This year, we will be saying goodbye to our graduating class of 2014; another incredible group of leaders, athletes, comedians, performers and philanthropists. These students have grown over the past three years here at Western, and matured from kids to phenomenal young adults.

The conclusion of 12 years of education is an exciting and nerve-racking time for our graduates, as well as their families and friends. Life seems to be moving at lightning speed as we approach the year’s graduation festivities. We, as the community of Western Canada High School, could not be more proud of our graduating class of 2014.

This year’s ceremony will be held the morning of May 24, 2014 at Calgary Stampede Park in the Stampede Corral at 8:45 am. There, the students will be presented with their high school diplomas; surrounded by family, friends and their fellow classmates. This ceremony will conclude by 12 pm.

Following the ceremonies, in the evening, will be the reception, dinner and dance. These festivities will take place in Hall E of the Bank of Montreal Centre. The reception will begin at 5:30 pm, followed by the dinner at 6:30 pm and the dance at 8:30 pm. The students will be able to celebrate their achievements with their families, friends and dates, and be together one last time as a graduating class.

For the graduates of 2014, this is a time to reflect on what Western means to us as a class. Western is a community, a place of achievement and learning. We are a team. By travelling through high school together - but also as individuals – we have all grown into who we are today.
Graduation is also a time to thank all of the teachers, parents, role models, and friends who have guided these students through this journey. They will forever be a part of who these young adults were, who they are and, most importantly, who they would like to become.

Here is to the graduating class of 2014; may they share the extraordinary talents they learned at Western with the world.

*After-Grad tickets can be purchased from Nikki A., Sam D., Eric C. or Jackson M. in the café during lunch for 70 dollars.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Western Canada High School Head Shave

By: Ellen L.

According to the Canadian Cancer Society twenty one people are diagnosed with cancer each hour, and nine people die. With each donation the cure becomes closer, and this is why Western Canada High Schools Husky Leadership committee will be hosting the "Head shave for Cancer" on March 6th 2014. Not only will their be participants shaving their heads, but also participants donating their ponytail to the "Pantene for Beautiful lengths" program.This program uses ponytails of the minimum length of eight inches to provide wigs for many women who have lost their hair due to cancer treatments. The shave (and cut) will take place between nine thirty and eleven thirty in the main gym. All morning classes are greatly encouraged to come to the event to watch, and support not only classmates, friends, and teachers, but also the Canadian Cancer society and all they do. Throughout the morning event Westerns very own Jam club will be providing the entertainment , and Global televisions Gord Gillies will be the MC for the event.

The main goal of the head shave is to raise as much money and awareness as possible for the Canadian Cancer Society. Everyone involved in the Western Canada Community is encouraged to give what you can for the good of the cause and for the support of peers cutting or shaving hair. Donations need to be handed in to students period one teacher by March seventh at the latest, or donations can be made online on the Canadian Cancer Society website under Western's profile. As well as pledge forms which are available. Not only will the school raise money for the cause, but the first period class that raises the most money will be rewarded with a class pizza party.

An astonishing two in five people will develop cancer at some point in their lives, and the Canadian Cancer Society has been doing all they can through prevention, and research since 1938. The societies vision is to "create world where no Canadian fears cancer"

For more information on the event please contact Ms. Price or visit www.cancer.ca.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Masquerade Ball

By: Eleanor G.

As I am sure you are all aware, Valentine’s Day, also known as Singles Awareness Day, was last week. And with it came the annual Valentine’s Day Dance. This year’s theme was a Masquerade. Although this idea was far from original, I personally thought it was a welcome change from last year’s theme: a winter formal. While not very different, it gave students an item of clothing to focus on other than the short dresses sported by most girls. The masks worn varied from the basic dollar store kind given out by the students’ union to elaborate Venetian masks, covered in ribbons and glitter. I was wearing the latter. Opting for a more formal theme gave the students a chance to dress up, something that doesn’t come around very often.

Nearly everyone present was dressed in formal attire. Most girls, myself included, were in short but fancy dresses and high heels. The heels however didn’t last the whole night. Most girls ended up leaving them against a wall or under chairs. There were a few exceptions: such as a girl wearing a floor length, light pink dress and a couple smart girls who chose to wear flat shoes. All the boys were dressed in button down shirts and some even opted for ties. Almost everyone cooperated with the theme and wore masks. But after an hour of dancing in a relatively small gym, wearing a mask got a tad too uncomfortable. There was a wall where everyone dropped their masks so they wouldn’t have to carry them. This wasn’t an organized idea but it was a smart one.

Though the dance was well attended, most of the students arrived around 7:45. Before then there was a lull. Dancing was awkward with so few people. They were self-conscious. The doors closed at 8:00 and by then, the gym was two thirds full. Everyone stayed relatively close to the DJ, leaving only the seating area and the photo booth empty. It was quite fluid. Everyone moved from group to group. There were even a couple impromptu conga lines. The music significantly influenced the style of dance and the amount of people dancing. When they played a song that was popular in 2008, nostalgia took over and the dance floor became crowded with people dancing like they did back in grade 5 or 6. And when the DJ chose a country song, all those who remembered the line-dancing unit from PE 10 ran onto the dance floor and showed their Western Pride. A few songs, of course, fell flat. They’re good songs but the beat wasn’t good to dance to and it became a little awkward – leaving many people to leave the gym and try to get some cooler air. I am proud to say that when Blurred Lines began playing, many people left the gym and those who didn’t seemed to dance with less vigour. As expected, feelings on the choice of music were mixed. Everyone had their own opinions. When asked about what could be improved about the dance, a grade 10 girl said, “Well the music could be better.” However a grade 11 girl said the she thought the music was well chosen, a “nice mix of slightly older music and new hits but a couple songs didn’t work.”

The dance ended at 10:00 but many people cleared out at 9:45. Only about a quarter of the people who attended were still present during the last song. The coat check was incredibly crowed but well organized and we were out after only 5 minutes.

It was, overall, a hit. Enough people showed up for it not to be awkward. The majority liked the music. Though not everyone knew how to dance, they got by with swaying. It was well organized but still managed to feel organic.

I will end it here with one piece of advice that I know will not be accepted: girls, don’t wear heels.