Dear Swami Girl and Swami Boy,
I think I like my best friend. Problem is she just broke up with her boyfriend, and she thinks we're just friends. I want to make a move, but I am not sure if I should. It doesn't feel really serious. Help me?
-Crush
Swami Boy: Ask her out, you wimp! The longer you wait, the better possibility some other person will ask her out.
Swami Girl: I think you should wait a bit so that she is over he ex. You don't want to be the rebound guy. She is vulnerable right now and if your feelings for her aren't that serious, then you should wait a bit. Don't break your friendship just for a crush.
Dear Swami Boy and Swami Girl,
I am in bug trouble. I did not get accepted into the program I want. My marks are too low. My parents are not going to like this. They want me to become a lawyer and get into U of T. I really don't know what to do. I told my parents that I did get accepted so that they don't get mad. I even faked my marks. How am I going to get out of this?
-Liar Liar
Swami Boy: Well, be prepared to get into a lot of trouble because your lies are going to catch up with you. Try some honesty and see how that works out. And trust me, you're too young for your life to be ruined by this.
Swami Girl: The only way out of this mess is to tell the truth. Sorry, there is no other way. Tell your parents the truth as fast as possible. I think you should have a long talk with them though. You sound really stressed out about marks and if you went as far as to fake them, then you might have a problem. If you really want to get into U of T, then take an extra year and improve your marks. If you want to get into U of T just because of your parents, then have a talk with them and let them know what you want to do. It's your future, so whatever you choose now affects your life.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Levels or Percentages?
Recently the newspaper did a poll asking what students preferred when being marked levels or percentags. Not surprisingly percentages won by a landslide. “I hate levels because I never know how well I’m doing. If I get a level four I don’t know if it’s 80% or 100%.” says a 12th grade student. Levels are so vague and students like to know exactly what mark they are receiving in a class, especially in grade 12 when a single percent can make all the difference on university and scolarship applications.
Another students said “I don’t see the point of using levels, I mean the teachers have to convert all the marks into percentages for report cards anyway.” Which is so true, what’s the point of levels if the teacher has to change them all come report card time anyway. Wouldn’t that take longer than just assigning a percent in the first place?
But the question still remains, if students prefer percentages so much, why are levels being used at an increasing rate? One reason levels may be used is because of it’s efficiency. It’s much faster for a teacher to give you a level from one to four on an assignment than to figure out a percentage out a hundred. This is especially true for smaller assignments.
By Jackie Barry
Winter Fashion 2006: The Year Where Chic meets street
Winter Fashion
Fashion, once used as a weapon against social herding has now morphed itself into a means of producing carbon copies of one another. At this school, it is becoming increasingly difficult to pick out your friend amongst all the black jackets adorned with fur hoods. The general female school population is becoming one another’s mirror image as everyone dresses alike. Why is it that no one questions this absurdity? After all, we are all not identical twins dressing alike because of our mother’s sheer desire. Among all the carbon copies you can find a unique style to call your own. How do you do this you ask? The answer is quite simple: Don’t dress the exact same as the mannequin in the store.
This winter dare is to be the ‘black sheep’ amidst the crowd of clothing clones and wear the latest trends in a different way rather than following what everyone else wears. The winter of 2006-2007 is one that cuts a cleaner silhouette, toying with the concept of shape. Skillful layering of different textures of predominantly dark colours is chic, feminine and totally this winter.
This winter’s colours are as mentioned, predominantly dark but with electrifying explosions of colour, red being the most preferable. Long cardigans shaped with belts, tunics paired with leggings, chunky knits and shorter cropped jackets show the gorgeous feminity of a female. This season’s black and white range from clean lines to bold stripes and optical waves, monochrome combinations are the seductively simple route to smart dressing. Restrained, chic and edgy all describe this winter new look which is adding a feminine flare to the typical masculine tailoring. All of these fashions can of course be purchased at the nearest Stitches or Sirens closet to you girls.
This winter’s fashion for the young men of our school has been built around the notion of ‘rough and ready’. Cable knit sweaters, plaid, checkered, and solid coloured shirts resemble a relaxed yet put together individual. The boys likewise are wearing clothes of better fit, solid and striped polos are designed with a vintage fit in mind. Outerwear, depending on the individual’s style, is either one that has a loose fit or one that is of a close fit. This winter’s fashion trend for the men is one that allows them to be laid back but has a definite air of refined masculinity.
By: Abina Thayanithi
Getting To Know Your SAC President: Dylan Bradbury
This year at Thomson we have an SAC president that possesses many talents: he is very motivated, isn’t afraid to speak in front of a big audience, and plans to do a hell of a good job at every obstacle that is presented to him. I’m talking about Dylan Bradbury. Most of you students might already have seen him, walking around the school, looking like just any other student, but I bet you that you don’t know him quite well. Well the school newspaper was given the opportunity to interview our president to tell you students, especially the grade nines, some things that you might not know about him.
What made you want to run for SAC president?
I was encouraged by my teachers and the former president Tushar Chadha.
What makes do you think the difference is between you and our previous president?
Well, I was only in the SAC for one year before becoming president while Tushar was in there for two. Also I feel that I am more motivated and I have what I like to call the Dylan factor.
How did you feel when you have head that you won the SAC elections?
That day I was in Ms. Mabson’s science class doing an experiment. When I heard that I won the elections my class applauded me and told me congratulations for winning. I also turned red as usual.
Other than being in the SAC what other extra curricular activities or school clubs were or are you involved in?
In Gr.10 I was involved with the Prefects. I was also at the Reach For The Top trivia team and recently I was involved with the homework club in my Gr. 11 year.
What awards have you achieved through out your years here in Thomson?
Well in Gr.9 I received an award for drama. I got the award for Gr.10 business because of my excellent marks and I was in the Honour T in grades 9 and 10.
What are your post secondary plans right after high school?
Right after high school I plan to study in either U of T or at Ryerson University. Then after I graduate I want to get a career in journalism and hopefully become a reporter for CityTV. If that doesn’t work out I can always be a motivational speaker because I have always been good at that. Or if that fails I can always try and go into politics and become a politician. If all of that fails I could always become a pimp….ha-ha just kidding.
Do you have any hidden talents that your peers don’t know about?
There are quite a few talents my peers don’t know about me, but I’ll just share a few. One talent that I have is that I can sing a song involving all 50 presidents of the United States, but that’s only a song that I sing in the shower. Another talent that you might not know about is that I’m a trivia genius.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how high would you rate yourself when it comes to trivia?
I would have to say 9 or close to 10 and I’m not bragging.
Do you have anything weird about you?
Oh yes, absolutely. First of all I’m allergic to denim. That’s why you will never see me wearing denim and if I do wear it I break out into hives. I don’t know if you would consider this weird, but every time I take a shower, I really have to sing a song.
Where do you see yourself right after your term in office is done?
I see my self as the 2006-2007 David and Mary Thomson valedictorian. I know that it’s not going to be easy to get it because we have so many students that are really eligible to get the title, but hopefully this interview will gain me the publicity to gain that title.
Getting to Know Ms. Mantini
This new school year has brought many new faces to Thomson. Ms Mantini, our new principal, has many experiences after being in about 10 schools, including our neighbour Bendale. She has interacted with a wide range of people, from those university and college to those in apprenticeships. Ms. Mantini feels very positive towards our school, and says, “The students are friendly, warm, and very involved. Many of them introduced themselves to me in the hallways …”
Throughout the interview, Ms. Mantini talks a lot about various school programs and activities. This leads to her praise on Thomson’s new program - the Link Crew - in which she notices that the Grade 9’s this year are fitting in very well. Moreover, she is very happy about this year’s Graduation Ceremony brought many good reviews from teachers and parents.
In every school, certain things are done for many years, and eventually lose the reason behind them. In this aspect, Ms. Mantini is confident in providing “ new eyes” for Thomson and bringing new methods of operation into the school. In regards to the alliance of Thomson and Bendale, Ms. Mantini explained that the main goal is to expand the access to various program choices for students from both schools, such as the tech-programs at Bendale and our academic and physical courses at Thomson. Ms. Mantini also added that she understands the main concern is keeping the history and identity of Thomson, but she stressed that she sees it as “Thomson plus”, rather than a complete merge of the two schools.
When it came to Thomson’s weak point, Ms. Mantini answered, “I haven’t discovered any weak point yet.” However, with her belief in giving students a chance to understand their career areas more in depth, she would like to have more programs in the school, especially those relating to work and career fields. One focus to administration improvement is choosing and hiring the right staffs and teachers. Another change Ms. Mantini mentioned, which takes place in every school in the TDSB, is shifting the head of each curriculum every three years according to the School Board’s policy.
Ms. Mantini’s own values and principles focus on providing a variety of experiences and a respectful and safe environment for the students. “I believe that every child can succeed and it is our responsibility to help.”
How to be a Scene Queen
I know you’re wondering: What on earth is a scene queen? I’ll just summarize it for you. A scene queen is a girl who gains popularity with her sense of style and the guys she dates. It wouldn’t help that they’re easy on the eyes as well. A scene queen is all the rage, didn’t you know?!
Since you are oh so interested in tips on becoming a scene queen yourself, I’ll let you on a few hints.
- ‘Clown Vomit’ Style
The scene queens shop at stores like Kitson, American Apparel, and Right in the Family Jewels on Myspace. Out of your budget? Try mixing and matching bright coloured clothing. Scene queens always were metallic bikini tops underneath they’re clothes. They’re style is self-described as ‘clown vomit.’ Get a ripped, striped tube top pulled over a bikini top, a tutu, fish net stockings, and a tiara on your head to top it all off.
- Hair!
A scene queen isn’t complete without eccentric, scene hair. Get funky coloured extensions in colours like pink, platinum blonde, and dark red. Put them all in at the same time. Fusion extensions are the best for this kind of look. Tease it immensely and don’t wash it for a couple of days. That ought to smell great.
- Makeup
To go along with the ‘clown vomit’ theme, your makeup should somewhat resemble a clown’s. Go overboard with the blush, and wear lots of foundation to achieve perfect skin. Pile on the eye shadow, either in black or an eye shadow that corresponds with your outfit. Gigantic false lashes should be applied to the top and bottom lashes. Dark or bright colours can be worn as lip colours.
- Famous Boyfriends
This tip here is the most important. Most scene queens get famous this way, by dating a guy in a band. Panic! At the Disco and From First to Last pretty much create scene queens. Almost every girl they’ve dated recently has become a scene queen. Audrey Kitching (the most famous scene queen and in the photo) dated Brendon Urie, the lead singer of Panic! At the Disco.
- Accessories
A scene queen’s look is finally complete with some accessories added. A scene queen doesn’t go anywhere with her Sidekick 3. They also wear big, extravagant jewelry, especially Hello Kitty jewelry. Hair accessories are added too, like bows in the front of the hair.
- Networking
Meet other scene queens and photographers. Scene queens always have elaborate photo shoots, so it’s important for them to network and find photographers that they connect with.
- Be Yourself!
Be yourself! And by that, I mean ignore my tips and do what you feel is right for you. Originality made these girls who they are. Being yourself will obviously show others the true you and not some person who ripped off someone else.
So, if you really think you have what it takes to be a scene queen, follow these steps and you will well on your way.
By Khadija KingThe Wonders of Fanfiction
Welcome to one of the most popular components of pop culture: fanfiction. Fanfiction is the fusion of fan imagination with the most popular TV series, movies, and books. In fan fiction, fans, like you, can let your greatest desires soar, and dream up whatever ending or storyline you want to have. The best part of fanfiction is that you can even create a character like you and pair yourself up with the hero of your dreams.
Not everyone chooses to write fanfiction to translate their dream duos into writing. Some take it up as a part time writing gig or more of an experiment in another writer’s world before they create their own. With fan fiction, there is a wider scope to experiment your writing skills on and it also helps that you can write anonymously and get feedback from people who don’t really know you (and therefore, can only judge you based on your writing skills).
Before I thrust you into the world of fan fiction, I need to give you a map of sorts to fall back on in case you get lost (which you will). First of all, you should be aware that there’s canon and fanon. Canon is the type of fanfic that remains true to the story and fanon is based on everything invented in the fanfiction world. It will take some time for you to get used to fanon and actually find out what on earth is going on.
Fanfics, just like novels, have different categories; the categories range from action/adventure to drama to parodies. The summary that the author provides usually let you know what kind of story it is and which characters are paired in the story. A little bit of advice here, watch out for summaries that contain the words ‘I suck at summaries. So yeah, just read and review.’ In my opinion, the skill of a good author is in providing an alluring summary and the lack of it sends glaring warning signals for the reader.
Like all aspects of pop culture, fan fiction has it’s own language, well abbreviations more like. Here’s a bunch you will find handy:
· Crossover- This means that the fanfic has been combined with another fandom. For example, Buffy, all of a sudden killing Lupin means that you are reading a Buffy fanfic with a Harry Potter crossover.
· Slash- This term means that the fanfic is based on same-sex pairings and sometimes change the sexual orientation of the character to make the story work.
· OOC (out of character)- If you find that you cannot understand what is wrong with character, that this because the author with the omniscient power that they have, has changed the character’s personality.
· AU (alternate universe)- This type of fic usually contains same characters but different setting and consequently, different background stories.
· Mary Sue- The annoyingly perfect character that every amateur author uses to end all the conflicts in the fanfiction.
Now that we have cleared these up, dive in! Below is a list of sites to get you started on reading fanfiction:
This is the biggest site out there for fan fictions. This site has fanfiction on everything from cartoons to books to movies. Beware though, this site is painstakingly slow and some of the works of writing are equivalent to primary school English.
Þ www.harrypotterfanfiction.com
Groan if you will, but yes, Harry Potter is one of the most popular stories when it comes to fanfiction. Perhaps it is because J.K. Rowling still has to publish the seventh book that the budding writers feel that there is freedom for them to twitch and tweak her world as they see fit.
This site is described as the Tolkein Loving Community and love Tolkein they do. They cover everything from LOTR, from books to movies and even fanfics on the actors.
If you are looking for special fandom fanfiction, such as fanfics about Buffy the Vampire Slayer or even Jane Austin, follow these three steps:
- Go to google.com.
- Type in ‘[insert fandom here] + fanfiction’.
- Voila! And you have thousands of fanfics waiting for you to read them.
Happy reading!
By Sarah Ahmed
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