An Evening with Brian Mulroney

By Kira D.

St. Francis Xavier University is a small university located in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. Every year it hosts a national dinner in a different Canadian city to celebrate everything that St. FX represents to the Canadian identity. This year, on October 23rd, the national dinner was held at the Telus Convention Centre in Calgary and it gave six high school students from Calgary, of which I was one, the opportunity of a lifetime: to interview former Prime Minister of Canada, the Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney, who graduated from St. Francis Xavier University in 1959. Mr. Mulroney was the leader of the Conservative Party from 1983 to 1993. He was elected into office in 1984, and served as our Prime Minister from 1984 to 1993. Some of his most notable contributions to our country are the Canada-U.S Free Trade Agreement and the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

Mr. Mulroney, when he walked into the room, commanded the attention of everyone present. He smiled at the high school reporters and made everyone feel comfortable as we moved into a close circle and introduced ourselves. We had twenty minutes to ask him anything we wanted. The first question posed was asking Mr. Mulroney for his advice for young citizens who are interested in politics. He didn’t need any time to think and immediately stated that the most important thing is for students to focus on is their studies. Politics is something that can be done later on, whereas education is needed to open any doors into future careers. For any political standing you need high grades, and to graduate with honours, which cultivates the respect that you will need to make it in this highly competitive field. When asked about what extra-curricular programs are helpful for future hopeful politicians, Mr. Mulroney once again knew exactly what to say. He declared that Debate and Drama programs are the most important. When asked why, he stated that politicians are all actors, and both drama and debate include improvisation, theatrics and a thorough understanding of what you are doing.

The conversation turned more political when the former Prime Minister was questioned on how the Progressive Conservative Party has evolved since he was in office. Mr. Mulroney shook his head and laughed and said that the party has become more right of centre and that split was brought around by the Reform Party. However, the Progressive Conservative Party is still ideologically consistent with his Conservative Party, since both have the same thoughts on major issues and use the same political techniques and reasoning. The conversation was brought into the present and the near future when Justin Trudeau was brought up. Mr. Mulroney kept the smile on his face, however, his demeanour turned slightly to the aggressive side, and he became the politician that I was expecting at the start of the interview. Mr. Mulroney stated that Trudeau is a nice, young man, who has no opposition in the Liberal Party. The former Prime Minister has gone on public record before this interview and said that anyone who underestimates Mr. Trudeau will do so at his own peril.

The last question posed to Mr. Mulroney was about the problems of high school students all over the country; more specifically, those of students who are not yet of legal age to vote, but who wish to make a contribution to political change. Mr. Mulroney said that there is a voting age for a reason; however, there is a high school senate for students under the voting age to deal with issues that come to their attention. One of the current issues brought to the table was bullying, and Mr. Mulroney declared that bullies should be dealt with severely, not just with a slap on the wrist. He also noted that young people are part of the bullying problem as well as part of the solution, and for any change to come about, it needs to come from our generation.

With those words of wisdom, our interview with the former Prime Minister ended; however, we were all still invited to attend the dinner seminar, with Mr. Mulroney as the keynote speaker. Along with the former Prime Minister, Naheed Nenshi, the mayor of Calgary; Katie Lang, an economist on CNN; and Frank McKenna, former premier of New Brunswick and ambassador to the United States, spoke in favour of Western Canada, of Calgary and what we in Alberta have done for the rest of Calgary.

This entire experience was amazing, and one I will never forget. It was incredible to attend an event with so many innovators and history-makers and to hear them speak. I am so thankful to St. Francis Xavier University, to Mr. Brian Mulroney and to Western Canada High School, who allowed me to represent them as a high school reporter.

Do Girls Really Like Jerks?

By Eric C.

I think we all know that saying: “Girls like jerks”. Well, in writing for the school newspaper, I think I’d bring up a topic we’d really find interesting. Whether you’re a desperate guy who’s considering pitiful corruption, or a gal who’s just reading for kicks, this is one of those simple questions in modern-day teenage society that nobody ever bothers to answer. So do girls really like jerks? This is the big question, and thus I shall begin my investigation with a brief explanation of female and male psychology.

We can say that all human beings have a need to express themselves. In other words, we need someone to talk to, to spill the events of our day to: the anger, the joy, the sadness, the fear, the surprise. We need, as human beings, the opportunity to convey our concerns to our peers. But when it comes to girls, they seem to have an internal need for verbal communication that goes way beyond that of their boyish counterparts. Why else do girls congregate to engage in lengthly, non-stop conversations? Why else do girls tell their secrets so much more easily than guys do? Why else do girls plant hugs and kisses on each other when, for guys, a little praise and a nod of approval seems to suffice? It is because girls need to have a stronger sense of trust, and, ironically, it is in jerks that they find it.

I’d like you to first consider any “jerk” friends you may have. You know, the ones who are a lot more capable of being mercilessly insulting than random samplings from the average population. If you’re a little sensitive, then you might find this hard to follow, but for those who can take an insult and have the willpower to retaliate, you might realize that jerks, in general, are easier to approach and encounter than average human beings. Before you challenge my claims, let me tell you why they are so approachable. Jerks, because of their harsh attitude and expressive personalities, disarm the desire to use the manners and the carefulness that you would usually use with someone you respect. Why use manners when, to this person, they seem to be a foreign concept? Why be nice when their offensive behaviour shows that they, in turn, shouldn’t be offended by anything you say? Would you spend time thinking up something nice when something horrible is on the tip of your tongue? No, because in this case, there is absolutely no need. You too show no mercy around jerks, and with them, you can be that jerk you’ve always wanted to be. Therefore, clearly, jerks are easier to approach, easier to get to know, and because they’re less awkward to be around, they’re more interesting, whether you’re a girl or a guy. I think it is now that you begin to see the connection.

Now, let us not forget that girls themselves still need trust. And even when time and time again they find themselves attracted to a jerk and his methods, you very commonly see them break up, with the girl ultimately complaining about how she just can’t seem to find a nice guy. This is the turning point of my article. In truth, even if you can approach a jerk much more easily, he is still a jerk. A jerk, you’ll have to remember, will always be insulting, and even when the girl has had a bad day, the jerk won’t care and he’ll continue to be his horrible little self. I think what I’m getting at here, is that girls, by logic, really yearn for a nice guy who are there for them and keeps them happy while knowing that it is the nice guys they can trust. What I’m really trying to get at, is that even though a jerk may be more attractive, he won’t be there for his girlfriend when she needs him. Ultimately, my “thesis” here is that it is best for a guy have a few characteristics from both the good and bad sides. The most successful tip a guy could ever receive is to make sure his conversations stay natural and funny. If you’re a nice guy but you want to be a jerk just for fun, don’t cross the line; just treat a girl like you’d treat a close friend. Be obnoxious at times, but be yourself, and never, never, never be awkward. Of course, I’m not saying that being a nice guy won’t work, but if you start out as somebody with an edge, and then show her your true colours as someone who is truly dependable and caring, then you’ll have succeeded. In sum, be mysterious at the beginning, but be nice later on.

Eh-hem, so in conclusion, I suppose if you are a nice guy, don’t lose hope, because contrary to popular belief, you are really what a girl wants in life. If you just learn to tune it the right way and use a little practice, then you will go far; that, I guarantee.

A New Twist on an Old Fall Classic - Beets

By: Laurie L.

Beets happen to be one of the few vegetables that Canadians manage to grow successfully, or, in other words, in great excess. Other vegetables in the beet family include Swiss chard, which is a stronger tasting beet green, and potatoes. This limited variety provides for a not particularly inspiring assortment. Beets are also one of the few vegetables that manage to last into September and beyond, once out of the ground and inside the fridge.

I had rarely come into contact with beets until four years ago when my parents discovered that they grew several times more successfully than carrots. I felt very unfortunate then, as suddenly, I found myself eating boiled beets every day. I concede that, yes, sometimes it was golden beets, red beets, or the occasional serving of striped beet, but the repetition eventually led me to desperately try and find other methods of consumption; the following recipes are among those that resulted.

Both of the recipes attached use a combination of beets and chocolate, the most popular pairing that I have heard of. It makes sense as well, since chocolate is assertive enough in its own right to stand up to beets. Recipes, other than the ones I have included, can contain beets solely on their own. I have also tried a mille crêpe that introduces beets alongside some more delicate flavors.

I don’t mind the taste of beets now - although candied beets are still a bit beyond me. To be honest, the current issue at hand is the Swiss chard influx (which is the new vegetable that graces the table every evening). Nonetheless, I’m still left with the same lingering sentiments of finding yet another way to eat the infamous beet.

Chocolate Beet Cake

This was the first beet-related endeavor I made, a couple years ago. Neither beet cakes nor chocolate and beets are particularly new ideas. This recipe is loosely adapted from “Golden Layer Cake” recipe from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman.

• ¼ cup butter
• 1/3 cup + 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup red beet puree (from approx. 4 beets)
• 1.5 oz dark chocolate, melted
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• a generous pinch of salt
• ½ cup milk
• 1 egg white

1. Beat egg white until it reaches firm peaks (but not stiff), and set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugar, beat in egg, and then melted chocolate.
3. Ensure beet puree is at room temperature before adding to butter mixture.
4. Sift together cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt.
5. Alternate adding flour mixture and milk in a few additions.
6. Fold in egg white.
7. Bake at 350°F. Batter fills around 10 cupcakes for around 20 minutes, or one buttered and floured loaf pan or 8” cake pan for around 40 minutes. Check the cake with a skewer; it is done when there are only a few crumbs clinging.

 

Beet Mille-Crêpe

I made this particular favourite of mine last month. Have I ever mentioned I adore my crêpe pan – self-seasoned and all? It is my pride and joy.

This crêpe recipe is slightly adapted from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman, and the pastry cream recipe is generously adapted from Laura Calder (http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipes/
recipe.html?dishid=9013). In retrospect, to ensure the lavender can be tasted, I would sprinkle extra, dried, crumbled, lavender flowers over the occasional layer.


Crêpes (approx. 24)

• 2 cups flour
• a pinch of salt
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 ½ cups milk
• ½ cup water
• 4 eggs
• 4 tbsp neutral oil

1. Sift together flour, salt and sugar. Add milk, water and eggs, beat until mostly lump free, however also trying to avoid beating in air. Let rest, refrigerated, for at least an hour.
2. Skim off foam that rises to the top; this can be used to make the first crêpe to test the temperature of the pan. Mix in oil.
3. Heat a 9” pan, either well seasoned or non-stick over medium heat. Brush with a thin layer of oil.
4. Ladle in enough batter to swirl and cover the bottom of the pan (if there is excess, pour out). Let cook until set and edges are slightly dry. Loosen edges with a spatula, and flip with fingertips. Allow batter to cook until both sides are fully set, remove to a plate.
5. Repeat until all the batter has been used up. If batter browns too quickly, lower the heat, and if the batter takes too long to set, raise the heat.

Pastry Cream

• 3 tbsp cream
• 4 oz white chocolate, finely chopped
• A few sprigs of lavender
• 1 ¼ cups milk
• 5 egg yolks
• 1 tbsp sugar
• Scant 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/2 cup beet puree
• ½ cup heavy cream, whipped

1. In a small bowl, heat 3 tbsp cream until boiling, and pour over white chocolate, stir until melted.
2. Remove lavender flowers from stem and add to milk in a small saucepan. Heat milk until steaming, and gradually add to chocolate, whisking until smooth.
3. Whisk together eggs, sugar, and cornstarch until smooth.
4. Reheat milk until steaming, gradually pour into eggs in order to temper and prevent curdling.
5. Return to pan, and cook over med-low heat, whisking constantly, until pastry cream is thickened. Transfer to bowl, beat in beet puree, cover, and let cool.
6. Fold in whipped cream. Chill until ready to assemble.

Assembly

1. Spread each crêpe with a thin layer of pastry cream, and stack another on top. Repeat until all crêpes have been used.
2. Chill for at least a couple hours before serving to allow everything to set.

Need Advice?

The Western World Advice Column:

Adolescence is a life stage whose defining characteristic is, unfortunately, confusion. Teenagers find themselves asking many questions: Why do girls expect guys to be telepathic? Why can’t guys ever pick up on incredibly obvious hints? Why is trigonometry so difficult? These questions plague us daily with their unanswerability, mocking us with the profundities from which we remain forever inaccessible.

But fear not! Write to the Western World Advice Column, which will have a name that slaps you across the face with its ingenuity, but at present cringes with embarrassment at having been given a moniker that could never be accused of anything remotely resembling originality. This section of the Western World is dedicated to answering your questions and showing you how to do those things that are worth knowing how to do. Queries will be answered and ignorance will be vanquished!

If you have a question that you’d like us to answer, or a topic you’d like us to explore, send us a message at advice.westernworld@gmail.com. All submissions will be kept anonymous, but if you would prefer not to have your question published, let us know in your message. We’d like to think of ourselves as honest and open-minded, so even if your questions is: “Help me find my baby sister before my parents find out that I’ve lost her,” we will not judge you but instead suggest that you hire a babysitter in the future, because honestly, what kind of DECENT human being loses a SMALL CHILD? (In all seriousness, though, we have put ourselves through more self-inflicted humiliation than you may have thought humanly possible, so, no need to be embarrassed.) We’ll be answering some of your questions soon, but in the meantime, we will post a few of our own just to prove that we are, in fact, capable of answering questions. Soon, we will see the confusion of being a teenager will become less and less as your deepest questions get our own deeply considered answers.

Planning For Your Future

By: Chloe A. and Thea H.

University application time is quickly coming upon us. It is a stressful, but exciting time of year. Grade twelve students are nervous about which major to choose, where to apply, and whether or not their marks are up to par. As you may know, our school recently had a post-secondary fair that featured many Canadian universities. Hopefully, students now have all the information they need, but if not, there are always student counsellors who can help to fill in the gaps. It is sometimes hard to decide whether to go away to university, to stay in Calgary and go to school, or to make a big jump and go abroad for post-secondary education. However, the application process is quite similar for any university. Here is a short summary of all you need to know about planning for post-secondary education.

The first step is to choose a school. Since it costs money to apply, it is best to choose only universities that really appeal to you, which will require research; this could include campus tours, university information booklets, and, of course, word of mouth.

One perk of staying in Calgary is having the comfort of knowing your surroundings and living at home. A lot of students stay for their first year of university or for their first degree and transfer for the rest of their education. This can save both a lot of money and a lot of stress compared to moving to a new city right away and living on your own. Nonetheless, some people want a change after high school. Moving to a new part of the country can give you a new experience that you would never get living at home; it forces you to be independent and to make a new life for yourself. While it is true, that it is more expensive than staying home, going away to another province to school can offer a lot of benefits to you as an individual. Additionally, going abroad to another country is an option. This can be stressful due to the new environment, and can also require extra testing like the SATs in the US, but that is a small price to pay for the unique and enlightening experience you can have. It is up to you to weigh the pros and cons and decide whether the comfortable life back home or the exciting world of a new country is the right place for you.

Once you have picked the few universities in which you are really interested, it is time to start applying. This can be done either online or via mail. Online application is much more efficient and allows you to keep up with the latest updates. You can also track the status of your application online, and some universities will even give price discounts if you do it this way. You will usually hear back by November, at the earliest, and at the latest, in May, depending on when you apply. Once you have been accepted, it will be time to make the final decision on where you want to go.

These and other factors will play a huge role in your post-secondary planning, but no matter what, remember that you are doing this for yourself. We’re talking about your future, and these are some very important steps in the journey of the rest of your life, so don’t be afraid to pick that which is best for you. Remember to have lots of fun and surely, it will be a great experience!

Student Speak: Making New Friends

By: Hailey S.

The Student Speak section allows you to gain a sense of what your peers at Western Canada High School feel about particular issues or activities that interest them in our school or around the community. Particularly, this article explores how four students felt when transitioning from junior high to high school!

Question: 
Has it been easy this year to make new friends at Western? Have you kept up previous friendships from other schools? How have you been introduced to new people? In your opinion, has everything gone the way you thought it would?

Alison D.
Grade 10 Student – Yes, for me it’s been easy because I came from a junior high that a lot of people here didn’t come from, so pretty much all the friends I have at Western are new friends. And yes, as well because we share the same likes and dislikes. I’ve been introduced to them mostly through Band and IB classes.  Pretty much; everything has gone the way I thought it would here.

Matt A.
Grade 10 Student- Yeah, [it has been] pretty easy. Everybody here is more accepting then a lot of other places, so even if you come from a school where not a lot of kids came to Western, it would still stay pretty easy, especially if you get involved in many of the activities you can. That helps a lot. I’ve still maintained the old friendships I already had, because only two of the kids at my old school, not including myself, go here. The new friends I’ve made, I’ve met through sports and being introduced to other people from those new people. Everything has gone better then I thought it would, since high school hasn’t been as hard as I thought it would be.

Graham G.
Grade 10 Student– Definitively, it’s been easy! I think that because it’s such a big school, everyone can get to know each other better, enjoy new people and make new friends. It’s really cool; I’ve met some really neat new people through option classes, walking around school, through trips and just talking to everyone. It’s great to meet new people! So far it’s been better then I thought it would be! Better – because I came here as a “newbie” from a school with only five new junior high kids that came, so [the experience here] has been great!

Danielle L.
Grade 11 Student- It’s been very easy for me to make new friends here. Everyone is so accepting and there are a lot of different groups so it’s easy to find new friends! I still have really strong friendships as well, from my other school, but I’ve met new friends mostly through other classes and through a lot of clubs throughout Western. There are a lot of clubs; it’s a great way of meeting people! I would say that so far, it has been a great experience for me at Western because everything has gone the way I thought it would!

From the voices of these four students, it seems that they all share the same positive attitude towards their experience at Western when it comes to forming new friendships so far. It definitely requires risk-taking skills to encounter new people; however, we all have the ability to break these barriers over which we evidently have in control. Once you venture out and take advantage of this new opportunity, it’s much easier than your mind may perceive. Make your Western Canada High School experience worth it, because seconds pass instantaneously and soon you’ll be graduating!

Procrastination: It’s Always a Bad Idea

By: Emma W.

Admit it, we all do it: procrastinate. Hey, I even procrastinated writing this article over the last five months. For most people, it’s something we’d like to change, but the problem is that some of us don’t even realize that it’s a problem. It all starts when you’re bestowed with a complicated and undesirable task: your English teacher assigns you a 2000-word essay on existentialism in Grendel, and it’s due in two months. You forget about it until the weekend before it’s due. Sound familiar?

Of course, you didn’t mean to leave it for this long. You even fantasized planning it out and finishing it a month early. However, you wanted to make it really good this time, maybe even pass the paper, but you never really had the time to spare with your busy schedule and all. How did this happen? AGAIN? Well, I have the answer. It’s really quite simple. You ready for it? Here goes...

Just write the freaking paper. It’s really not nearly as dreadful as you think; in fact, the less you think about how stressful it is, the less stress you’re inflicting upon yourself. Stop over-thinking and sit down, take out a sheet of paper, along with a pencil and your copy of Grendel, and start doing it. If you need to plan your time, schedule a realistic timeline for completing everything. Check your agenda to see when you can actually work on it. After this incredibly difficult task, start your essay. Plan an outline if you need to. Since everybody works differently, figure out what kind of a student you are. If you like listening to music, then put on some music. For big projects, like the 2000-word essay on existentialism, it may be slow and since there’s little motivation for your progress, it’s easy to give up and keep refreshing Facebook for notifications. Hang in there. Just turn off what distracts you (log off of Facebook). When you finish, (and you can, believe me) you will be surprised that it was that simple. “Holy cow, that took me only thirty minutes?” Hooray! Now you can review it twelve times (just kidding). It may take you a while to realize this, but there really isn’t much to assignments. Don’t think about how much work you have. Why stress out over something that reasonable teachers assign you and fully expect you to be able to finish in the time they give you? I know students in full IB who are involved in eight hundred school clubs and extracurricular activities, on top of FULL IB and they’re getting by (just scraping by their 99s). They’re superheroes, I admit, but the main aspect that sets them apart from underachievers is their inhuman mastery of time management. You’ll understand by the time you learn to manage time that that’s all there is to it: you will get stuff done and have virtually no stress, and let’s not forget the comforting knowledge that you can do it.

All inspired and pumped up now? Good. Go and get ‘em! Your glimmering future awaits! Now if you’ll excuse me, I should take my own advice and go and start that extended essay...