The Most Wonderful Time of The Year - Well, Almost…

By Hailey S.

It’s winter again! ‘Tis the season your winter jacket becomes your new best friend. These are the months that have us all posing the same question: Why aren’t we living in Hawaii?

Yes folks: it is winter. You will go to school while it’s still dark and get back home when darkness has come again. Brrrr! Well I’m about to remind you of some of the best parts of wintertime that somehow, can also turn into the worst parts of wintertime and it is impossible to avoid.

1. Sipping a Warm Drink by the Fire.
   It has been a long week and you have had a ton of exams to study for and all you want is some time to unwind. Sitting next to the fireplace, you indulge in your newly bought Starbucks grande-mocha-extra-hot-chocolate-something drink. Nothing could go wrong, right? Right…that is until you burn your tongue because you did not expect your beloved beverage to be that hot. Ouch! Burning your tongue is one of the worst feelings ever, especially when you have the yummiest drink in your hand. All you wanted to do was enjoy your beverage in peace, but instead, you suffer in pain and regret that you took a sip too quickly. The rest of your drink is impossible to enjoy without causing more pain, and this memory may even haunt you every time you eat or drink something warm. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
   
2. Hat Hair
   To leave the house during winter (especially in Calgary), you need a sweater, a winter coat, winter boots, a scarf, mittens, leg warmers, fuzzy socks and of course, the dreaded tuque. You can’t deny that hats are the worst of the suffocating warm clothes necessary during the winter season. You can’t feel your ears while you are waiting for the bus in the mornings, so you have no choice but to throw one on. All is fine, until you reach your locker at school where you are unaware of the mess just waiting to be uncovered. You know that under that wool chapeau of yours, there is a mane of static-lathered hair that will stick out in every direction possible. The best you can do is smile, and try to be proud of the new frizzy hair you’ve acquired for the rest of the day.
   
3. Wishing to Have a Lazy Day
   The snow never stops falling and your alarm clock keeps on ringing. You imagine how badly you would love to simply roll to the other side of the bed and forget the fact that you need to be at school in a couple of hours. The thought of completely wasting away the cold day by spending it in your pjs whilst watching your favourite movie on the couch is too good to ignore. But no, there are papers to be written and notes to be taken in the boring atmosphere that is the classroom, so you decide to get up and make your way to school. The snow piles over top the black ice on the roads. Your car decides to stall and get stuck in the alley about twenty metres from your house. Maybe you even slip and fall while walking to school and get mocking looks from strangers you have never even met! You immediately regret starting your day and wish you were right back at home, in your bed where you first began.

If you encounter these unfortunate turn of events this winter, you know you are doing something right. This just means you have been hit with a case of the authentic winter familiarity that is all too common to some. What choice do you have but to laugh? All in all, you should be glad to have spring break to look forward to (a MUCH safer time of year) after you survive another long chilly season that Calgary is more than willing to offer.

Best of luck this winter!

We Day

By: Laura R.

'We Day' in Calgary

One crucial quality that some believe is lacking in many of today's youth is a certain motivational drive. This consists of the drive to do the dishes when their moms repeatedly ask them, the drive to finish their homework when their teachers emphasise the importance of deadlines, and lastly, the drive to make a tangible difference in our society. This is mostly because they have this perception that youth are incapable of making an impact in society. After all, how much change can one kid make? Well, the good news is, this lack of inspiration is fixable; We Day, an organization aiming to inspire and motivate youth to get involved locally and globally, has proven to change this self-doubt into confidence, by gathering more than 18, 000 youth into one stadium. With star-studded dance, light, and music performances (do Justin Bieber or Hedley ring a bell?), two upbeat hosts, and famous motivational speakers that in the past have included Jane Goodall, the honourable 14th Dalai Lama, and Larry King, young people are engaged and excited throughout the whole five hours. The short five hours are only a pittance of time to educate, motivate, and finally create a lasting legacy of charitable values in youth. You may even be muttering to yourself in disbelief, that "Nobody could change that drastically in a couple hours!" but testimonials speak for themselves.

A member of Western's Interact club, Chloe A. described We Day as "inspiring”. “I definitely feel motivated to go out in my community and help out,” she said, “It doesn't matter what I am doing, I just want to know that I am making a difference." All the attendees of We Day feel changes in their mindsets; they leave the stadium (in Calgary it was held at the Saddledome) with a new attribute: the motivational drive.

A notable speaker was the extraordinarily driven Liz Murray. She grew up in the Bronx, and at age fifteen was left orphaned and homeless by her parents who were addicted to drugs and infected with HIV. Even with all odds against her, she not only got through high school, but also earned a full scholarship to Harvard. She is currently a New York Times bestselling author and the founder/director of Manifest Living, a company based around helping those who want to achieve success and complete their life goals. Even Oprah has recognized her achievements, awarding her a Chutzpah award in 2004, meaning that Liz was publicly admired for being audacious and confident. The fact that someone who had to struggle through her early life can even get recognition by one such as Oprah is proof that no matter where you start, it is possible to make a markable difference in your community.

As helpful, exciting, kind-hearted and beneficial as We Day is, one does not have to attend in order to perform something selfless. I encourage you, to take a walk around our hallways and simply choose to do a little something remarkable. Maybe it's picking up a piece of neglected trash or holding the door for someone, or even giving somebody the right of way on those ridiculously overcrowded stairwells - or perhaps, you have your sights set on something bigger, such as charity work. But whatever the deed, big or small, we need more generous, driven people like you in order to prepare for the future. Youth are the next generation and yes, you have the ability to make a difference.

Sugar Cookies with a Holiday Touch!

By Myra K.

Winter holidays are just around the corner and whether that means going on a tropical Caribbean getaway or simply staying home and enjoying a couple of good reads, seasonal cookies are always a must for this special time of year. Let’s face it: cookies are always a great idea, but Winter Break gives us an extra excuse to indulge! The recipe I am about to share with you is a long-celebrated tradition in my family, and brings with it fond memories of laughter and of happiness. This simple, yet delicious recipe will unite family members with tons of kitchen fun! It will truly completely this most wonderful time of the year. I guarantee that you will savour every bite. But please eat with caution: overdose WILL lead to tummy ache.

Recipe for Sugar Cookies:

Ingredients:

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups butter or margarine
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter or margarine and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients until just blended. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls and roll the balls in the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar. Place cookies 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets and flatten slightly.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly browned at the edges. Allow cookies to cool on a baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

For Reindeer Decoration 

Ingredients:

• Whipped Cream or Vanilla Frosting
• Red M&Ms
• Brown Frosting

Directions:

1. Once the sugar cookies have cooled, cover them with whipped cream or vanilla frosting.
2. Add the antlers and eyes using the brown frosting.
3. Finally, use a red M&M to make the nose of each reindeer. Enjoy!

Apocalypse Week, Episode 1: What is the Apocalypse?

By Jillian K.

We’ve been hearing about the Apocalypse all year, and the day is almost upon us! So just what is supposed to happen, and why?

Some people believe that on December 21st, the earth will collide with Planet X (also known as Nibiru), destroying Earth’s delicate ecological balance and all life, save the cockroaches. However, Planet X has never been sighted, and at this stage in the game, if it did, in fact, exist, it would likely be visible to scientists. Others claim that Earth will undergo geomagnetic reversal (the magnetic field would flip 180 degrees). However, scientists say that even if that did occur, it would not prove fatal. Others say that Nostradamus predicted the end of the world, but this is becoming less and less plausible as his vague prophecies continue to lose credibility, and regardless, no such prophecies concerning the upcoming day have been specifically identified as of yet.

Another theory suggests that abnormally large solar flares will engulf, and subsequently incinerate the planet. But solar flares have been happening for years, and result in nothing more than an interruption in satellite communications. Scientists agree that this point in the 11-year solar cycle is typically one of heightened activity, but any flares that happen to be directed at Earth are deflected by our magnetosphere (resulting in the beautiful aurora borealis and aurora australis). So if invisible planets or centuries-old horoscopes fail to give proof, what’s all the hype about?

Many believe that the Mayan calendar has predicted the end of the world. The Mayans followed two calendars. There was the Tzolkin, a short, 260-day calendar that regulated religious ceremonies and divinations throughout the year. The second calendar, called the Haab, was 365 days long - 18 months of twenty days each plus 5 “unlucky” days. This calendar was used to regulate agricultural events, such as plantings and harvests. The Mayans used these two calendars to create varying series of longer counts. One of these long cycles is going to end on the 21st.

Considering its accuracy in predicting various astronomical events down to the day, the Mayan calendar theory is arguably the strongest. However, there are also other signs that seem to point to the end of the world. For instance, the fact that the 21st is the winter solstice is valuable to some people. From an astronomical angle, the 21st is a rare day where Earth and the Sun will line up with the centre of the Milky Way galaxy. While many see 12/21/2012 as the end of the world, others view it as a day that will usher in the beginning of a new era for mankind.

The sum of these theories has been said to add up to something like this: aliens made the Mayan calendar to warn us Earthlings of the lineup of several cosmological bodies, which apparently would result in a powerful beam radiating from the “Galactic Centre”, which would affect our minds in some great and terrible way (grant us omniscience, lobotomize us, etc.) and possibly cause devastating physical changes on the planet. Chaos will ensue.

Are YOU ready?

Shopping Scents

By Amber P.

Every December, people shell out a fair portion of their income for gifts, gifts and more gifts. For retailers, this means profit, profit and more profit. With the vast competition in today’s market, companies are scrambling for anything and everything that will give them even a slight edge. Every company wants to know exactly what it is that will get them out on top. Believe it or not, these tactics include not only advertising and the hugely popular discounts we saw with Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but also the scents in stores.

What is it that motivates consumers to buy? This has been largely explored from an audio-visual perspective, with music and colour on television, with the popular establishment of the internet and clever merchandising in stores. Just fifty or sixty years ago, marketing was done very differently, with advertising that would simply discuss cost and performance of a given product. Nowadays, however, corporations have learned through neuroscience and consumer studies that decisions are not made rationally, but are instead influenced by various complex factors of emotion and association that do not occur on the rational level. Largely, the human subconscious is influenced by the senses, but one that hasn’t seemed to get enough attention on the marketing front is the human sense of smell.

Washington State University recently published a study with three sets of four hundred subjects who, when shopping, were exposed to a variety of tests. The first group was exposed to a simple orange scent, the second group to a more complex orange, basil and green tea scent, and finally, the last group, was subjected to no scent at all. The researchers found that those who were exposed to the simple orange scent, as opposed to the two other sets of test subjects spent 20% more. In today’s measures, that’s a pretty significant difference. The reason believed for the results is that the scent is unconsciously calming and pleasant. "Most people are processing it at an unconscious level,” says Spangenberg, one of the scientists, “but it is impacting them.” However, as they found with the complex scent, a scent being pleasing doesn’t mean it’s effective in terms of stimulating people to spend money. The theory behind the results with the complex orange-basil-tea scent is that it is distracting. With so many different undertones, consumers spend more time trying to identify the scents than focusing on shopping; while the simple orange scent contributed to a certain “processing fluency,” the complex scent was taking up the customers’ cognitive “bandwidth.”

Whether you are buying or selling, it is important to understand how people are manipulated into making certain decisions. Even those factors that seem the most banal can make a significant difference when it comes to business. As the business of persuasion becomes more and more complex, there are more and more factors to understand, but when you do, you are no longer a victim of those factors and can become more in control of your decisions.

Reference:

Washington State University website. http://news.wsu.edu/pages/publications.asp?Action=Detail&PublicationID=34039&TypeID=1. Retrieved on Sunday, December 9, 2012.

Boys of the Fall

By: Drake C.

Redmen Football. That name doesn’t seem to carry much weight in Calgary High School football, compared to the teams from Notre Dame or Saint Francis. Well, at least on the scoreboards, anyway. Despite the numbers, there is more to our team than meets the eye. The Redmen underwent a rough season in a tough division, which our small team could hardly manage. A disappointing season of no wins and seven losses, which included two forfeits due to lack of players, left the team devastated. The Redmen were bent but not broken.

Through all the turmoil, what held this team together? Perhaps it was the bond created by the core players who were at practice every day, no matter how cold or how sore they were. Many of us knew that this year would be our last season of football, so we couldn’t turn our backs on the game. Furthermore, the leadership shown by key players such as Misha Drury and Nolan O’Reilly gave others an emotional boost when it was needed the most, after a tough loss or even after a rough practice. We grew to count on these guys to be there for us the next day and for the next week.

Now, don’t get me wrong, our team boasts some fairly skilled players, such as running back Jared Pitzel, defensive end Henry Suh, and cornerback Perry Yung, as well as the previously stated linebacker, Misha Drury and safety/receiver Nolan O’Reilly. Our only downfall was that with capable players like David Choi playing on both sides of the ball, we simply didn’t have the number of players needed to field a team properly, and that was shown by our two forfeits.

Despite our many losses, this past season was a great one. Ask any player and he can easily tell you a story about the season, be it achieving personal success on the field, breaking tackles or making them. Or perhaps it’s the memories of the coaches, who, on a side note, volunteered for their positions and stuck them out with us the whole season. Football is about more than winning. It is about being part of the team, having dozens of brothers by your side, for the coveted three-month season throughout the whole year. Football is about learning discipline, and overcoming obstacles. Thinking of Redmen football in that light, our team was a grand success.

This season has left room for opportunity. Take our grade eleven’s for example, not to be too cliché, but there is nowhere to go but up. Players like Eric Britton and Sage Sharma, our two grade eleven captains, will do all they can to secure a larger team next year. We all pray for our remaining players to have a better season next year, and in saying so I vouch for all grade twelve’s sadly leaving the Redmen Football program. Hopefully they can pass on the lessons we have learned to our prospective grade ten’s joining the senior team next year and have just as many stories and memories as we do.

A Retro Look at Time and Space

4 out of 5 stars

 

By Diane H.

The Hitch-Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy was written in the 1980s by a creative man named Douglas Adams. It is a trilogy in five parts containing The Hitch-hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy; The Restaurant at the End of the Universe; Life, the Universe and Everything; Mostly Harmless and So Long and Thanks for all the Fish.

The Hitch-Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy opens with a brief history of the Guide, before moving to the story of a man named Arthur Dent. He is simply sitting at home just before he realizes that his house is about to be demolished. He gets into an altercation with the demolisher, who, coincidentally, is a descendant of Genghis Khan, and both men reach an impasse with Arthur sitting in the mud, and the demolition man trying to tear down his house.

Meanwhile, a friend of Arthur’s has received news on his Sub-Etha Sens-O-Matic not only that a spaceship is in the area, but also that planet Earth is approximately twelve minutes from destruction. Ford Prefect drags Arthur Dent to the bar for a drink and waits for the world to end. And it does: Earth is demolished in order to make way for a new hyperspace bypass.

On the other side of the Galaxy, Zaphod Beeblebrox, the President of the Imperial Galactic Government, is holding a ceremony for the christening of the newest ship, The Heart of Gold. It uses an Infinite Improbability Drive to determine where it goes. This means that it operates by calculating the improbability of a given thing, feeds that figure into the machine, and just lets it work its magic. Meanwhile, back on Earth, or where Earth used to be, Arthur Dent has hitched a ride on the spaceship that blew up his planet. Now, he is about to start the adventure of his life.

What makes this series so good is the way everything connects. Not a single detail mentioned is insignificant, every tidbit has a way of connecting to the over-arching story. This grand story reveals that those things we wouldn’t ever expect to happen, do happen, and nothing is ever what it seems. There is always so much more to know. But we must learn to accept the way things are, and luckily even the unhappiest of situations have a solution. This book teaches the readers acceptance, makes us laugh and helps us to relax for a bit. This is a book I would definitely recommend. Douglas Adams creates a universe where anything can happen!