Arts Week (:

Today marks the beginning of Arts Week. From December 6th to the 10th, Colonel By Secondary School students interested in showcasing their artistic talents will be given the opportunity to perform for their piers at lunch time in the atrium. Students new and old to the school have been welcomed to join in on the fun. It's not only a great opportunity for students to do something they're interested in and good at, but it spreads awareness of the arts. Those that may have not performed in previous years will perhaps choose to step forward in hopes of trying something different. Considering some students who excel more in the arts may not be given the chance to showcase their talent on a regualr basis, Arts Week gives them the opportunity to show off their skills.

From poets to singers, musicians to dancers, and artists to rappers, students are given the chance to partake in something they enjoy and feel passionate about. Not to mention, the events scheduled every lunch, provide other students with a different form of entertainment than the usual. Good luck to all those performing during Arts Week. Break a leg!

Ali (: xo

Reaction to First Term Report Card Marks

     Honestly speaking, I'm not sure how others are feeling with regards to marks right now, but I'm already freaking out. Personally, Grade 12 has been a successful year so far for various reasons. Mainly, I think the reason my marks have been as high as they have been is due to the fact that we've been granted more freedom in course selections. Because I'm in classes that I enjoy, my own self-expectations are higher because I want to succeed not only academically but I feel the need to excel in things that I have cherished more than previous courses. My marks are probably the highest I've had throughout my entire High School career, and it's motivating and rewarding, however now I have higher expectations. Considering the fact that I'm already falling behind, I'm concerned that my second report card wont be as impressive or ill feel as though I failed to improve. The problem will be trying to maintain my grades and improving them. So considering my own situation, it's intimidating to think that Universities will be more focused on my second report card than my first. What if my grades drop? What if one class brings down my entire average? Of course I'm not the only one concerned, but the fact it, the programs I wish to apply too are highly competative and if I want to make it, I need any last percent that I can.

What the Heck is That Smell?

Curdled milk, vomit, body odour, or all of the above? One of the hallways at Colonel By Secondary School, smells overwhelmingly of something peculiar, intrusive and nauseating. Arriving at school early, walking down the hall towards my tech class room, when I was hit by a smell that made my stomach turn. At first, as I made my way down the hall, I suspected it was body odour. The track team happened to be in that morning, and because the weather wasn't suitable, they were using the upstairs halls as there track. So maybe someone forgot to use deoderant? Nope, that couldn't be right. The smell was far too strong. Maybe someone threw up in the garbage? Yeah, that had to be it. However, the smell didn't subside, rather it got worse, and for days rumors spread. One girl claimed it was someone's stinky gym shoes in the locker next to hers. Another rumoured that someone had spilled hot chocolate in their locker and had never bothered to clean it up. Eventually the school had to get involved and after questioning a few students who had lockers in the infected hallway, the scent was washed away and the school was back to normal.

So, what do you think the peculiar smell was?

smell ya later!

Ali (: xo

Winter!

Winter is quickly approaching, and with the sale of winter apparel and Christmas decor, people are beginning to dread the coming winter months more and more. For many, winter means having to take part in painful weekly and sometimes daily shoveling, dressing in marshmallow-like clothing in order to avoid freezing their butts off, and trying to tame staticky hair when wearing fussy mitts. No one wants to shovel and salt the driveway, wait an hour before getting into the car as it heats up, and having to clean the windows every morning before heading out onto the treacherous slippy roads in order to get to work. Others have to worry about dressing their kids appropriately for the winter months, or providing childcare for weather that sometimes results in the cancellation of school and the announcement of 'snowday'.

It almost makes me wonder if winter is something that can be associated with age. The older you get, the more you want to run away from it, the more you dread it. But growing up, it's brilliant. Making snow angels, dressing snowmen, and building forts, Not to mention sledding and skating. There's something mystical, and magical about it all.

Sure winter can be a headache for obvious reasons, but personally, winter means Christmas. The month of December holds a certain magic too it. Along with the colourful lights, familiar Christmas carols, and tinge of excitement in the air, winter is magical. It's exciting, chilly yet warm. It brings families closer, and sometimes even brings the best out of people. I'll embrace my Canadian side. Bring on winter. As long as I focus on the positive, everything else we hate about winter doesn't seem to matter as much anymore. Besides, time flies, and before you know it, spring will come.

The New KFC DOUBLE DOWN SANDWICH!!

       Okay so picture this; 2 slices of bacon, 2 slices of Montery Jack cheese and pepper jack cheese, and Colonel's Jack sauce smushed between two thick pieces of boneless white meat chicken breast. Sound good? Okay so maybe it sounds kinda apetizing, i mean honestly you'd be lieing if you weren't slightly curious to try a bite of that. But honestly speaking, we know that there's no way in hell they can call this healthy. I mean imagine what a couple of those a week would do to you.

      With 1380 to 1430 mgs of sodium, and 23 to 32 grams of fat, this could not be any healthier. Okay, obviously i'm kidding. This sandwhich is basically half of your callorie intact for the day and thats not including fries and your beverage choice. The original recipe contains around approximatly 540 calories. The sad thing is; those who decide to buy the grilled version probably believe there making a healthier choice considering it contains 'only' 460 calories. Unfortuantly it's just as bad, as it contains even more sodium then the original recipe.

    So would you sink your teeth into one of these bad boys, or would you ditch the greese and salt for a healthier option. Come to think of it, if you're choosing to eat at KFC, you're not looking for a healthy lunch or dinner in the first place, so why not?

Water - A Fundamental Personal Right or a Basic Economic Good?

     Clean drinking water is essential in order to live. Everyone is entitled to drink water, to use it i order to bathe or clean clothes or dishes. However because it is such a necessity, over the next couple of decades, the need for more water will increase greatly. Though everyone should be entitled to clean drinkable water, it is increasingly used as an economic good. Drinking water, which we should be entitled too, is bottled and packaged and sold to consumers all over the world.

     Sadly, underdevelopped countries are lacking in "filtered" water. Is it our duty as human beings to provide them with our resources? Or is it up to them to fend for themselves? There are other options, such as building wells for communties to thrive off of. To provide them with the technology and knowledge they need in order to retrieve safe water, but they are costly and time consuming.

     So, is water not a fundamental personal right? Something each indvidual should forever be entitled too? Or is it a money making gimick? A economic good bought and sold to consumers, without any other options?

Oakley Sunglasses and the Chilean Miners

      In the past week, we've seen Oakley sunglasses everywhere. What are Oakley sunglasses, you're probably wondering. Well Did you watch the news, read the newspaper or listen to the radio recently? The Chilean miners as we all know, have finally been saved from the darkness and reunited with the rest of the world. Since August, this story has captured the attention of people all around the world. Not only were family members and loved ones awaiting the return of the miners, but the rest of the world was too. If you've turned on your TV, scrolled through the most recent news headlines, or read the front page of the Citizen, it is guaranteed that you've not only come across stories describing there escape from the darkness, but there images. Around 33 men, forever chaged from there experience. However if you haven't paid much attention, you may not have noticed the sleek black glasses sported by each one of the miners.

     Oakley claims that they were approached by a Chilean Journalist who asked to supply all the miners with glasses in order to protect there eyes from the sun once they asscended back to the surface. Oakley accepted, donating 35 pairs of 'Oakley Radar path' glasses with black iridium lenses. They claim to block out 100% of all UVA/harmful blue light up too 400nm, due to the fact that the miners pupils will be dilated and at risk of further UV damage.

     Of course Oakley would accept the free publicity and advertisement. With more attention in the last 2 days than the average month, there's no reason not to be esctatic. Within the following weeks proceeding the release of the Chilean miners, the company would sell tons. People all over the world would know their name, their brand, and want a pair to call there own.

Nudity Vs Sexuality

In today's society, there's plenty of controversy when it comes too nudity. Many are affended by the display of nudity in society. Many find it innapropriate, too provocative and sexual. However is it really? I mean, everyone comes into this world naturally in the way they were created to be. Why is it so wrong to display the bodies we were given. People tend to be affended by the display of the human body, becasue perhaps they find it way of implying sexuality. There's a great difference between nudity and sexuality. One can artistically make a statement, whether in a painting or a performance, or a film, having nothinge to do with sexuality.

Until next time,

Ali (:

Activity Day

     For the past four years, the restrictions as too which grade is allowed to participate in Activity Day, have been changed, causing much frustration amongst the present Senior High School student. Activity Day, is a day in which the students are permitted a day dedicated to physical activity. This, for many students, is exciting because it means getting out of School for the day and enjoying a fun form of physical activity with friends with no studies attached. However, the current senior class of 2010 has been quite frustrated with the fact that they were only permitted to participate in grade 9, where as the rest of the grades have been given 3 years to participate...in grade 9, 10, and 11. You can understand the way it feels when you;re the only grade not allowed to participate in the exciting day off. The school board has changed the regulations for the outing, three years in a row now. This obviously had the largest affect on the senior class as they were robbed of two outings now. Come to think of it, why would the school board deside that grade twelves should not be granted this outing as well. If everyone in the school is given the same oppertunity would that not make it equal, and fair that every student be permitted to have the day to dedicate to physical activity?

Fretting Over the Future

            The future, for many young aspiring students, tends to draw up a blank. There are so many questions to be answered, various options to choose from, and strenuous decisions to be made. A large majority ofsenior students are constantly seeking answers to both academic and non-academic questions regarding colleges, universities and career choices. Students ask themselves; What is my passion and what is that one thing I want to study and make my career?, and then Where can I go to get my education and get the foundation I need to move towards my career goals?, and lastly How do I get there? Then there are other decisions to be made concerning location and financial matters. Am I going to attend University or College from home?, or Will I live on campus a couple of hours away? It’s no wonder students are constantly stressing…there’s too much to take into consideration.

            We questioned grade eleven, Gloucester High School student, Mackenzie Cooke what her thoughts were, pertaining to attending University. Mackenzie shared her concerns regarding the subject, stating with obvious unease; “getting to class on time, time managing, finding classes..." and it doesn't stop there. The school board requires all grade ten students to take a careers course, in order to better prepare students for their future by providing them with the knowledge they need to make there own decisions. One of the course requirements is to research and present your findings regarding a University of your choice. This is done in order to get students thinking about their own future and so that they can begin to consider their own options and goals in life.

            It can get very difficult for students that aren’t yet decided on what they want to do, as there are pre-requisites, admittance requirements, and scholarships to apply for before-hand. Not to mention, there’s also a chance that they might want to change career paths, and in order to successfully do so, go back and take other courses required for the program of interest. Sadly, even after you graduate from University, there isn’t a guarantee that you’ll get a well paid job, or a job at all for that matter. Anna Gut, a stay at home mom, cared to share a couple words of wisdom with us; stating that the scariest thing about finishing university, is finding a job. “I never got a job in my field; I didn’t know the system. I was living in Montreal and couldn’t speak French, so that made it harder to find a job as well” Finding adequate employment prior to university is a major stepping stone to becoming successful.

 

            It doesn’t stop here, education and career choices aren’t the only worries crossing the minds of many young adults. Not only are students concerned about their future education, but they’re already being pressured into thinking beyond that. Society expects the majority of people to get married, have 2.5 kids, live in a respectable house, and own genuinely nice things. Of course that sounds like a pretty decent life plan to the majority of us, however the reality of it all is, is that finding the perfect mate isn’t as easy as displayed in romantic comedies. Families sometimes break apart, and there are things called mortgages, loans, taxes, and bills. Love may come easy to television characters, but the “Prince Charming” that most girls dream of some day meeting and living “happily ever after” with, is simply an unrealistic vision Disney brainwashed us into believing from a very young age. Realistically, most girls tend to set themselves up for disappointment, and a whole lot of emotional damage. In fact, *“According to the Department of Justice, Child Support Initiative, Evaluation Report, August 1997, divorce rate in Canada is about 48%. What it means is one marriage out of every two marriages, ends in divorce.” Once married, couples are expected to buy a home and fill it with nice things and eventually a family. However so many couples go into debt. Some are forced to go on welfare, others can barely afford to send there kids to school and provide them the education they need to be successful to achieve their dreams.

 

            It’s hard to believe that sixteen/seventeen-year-olds would be concerned about marriage and kids, and contemplating how many children they’d want, what they’d name them, and how they would discipline them, but it happens. Everyone contemplates the future, no matter how intimidating or undetermined it may seem. From Universities, to career choices to societal pressures, High School Students and even adults feel anxiety when it comes to the future. The future is scary, and though it may seem far away, it’s only right around the corner. Before you know it, you’ll wish you could be a worry-free kid again.

*=http://divorcerate.ca

A Dozen Online Writing Tips - Summary and Personal Opinion

Jonathan Dube's article, A Dozen Online Writing Tips, lists twelve tips regarding Online Writing…which I should probably take into consideration when writing my blogs :)

A quick summary of the article:

1. Know Your Audience

·   Basically, when writing, keep in mind the audience you’re trying to reach, and know who you’re talking too and what you want to get across to your readers.

2. Think First and Think Different

·   This tip tells you that before writing, you should really think about what message you would like to come across in the story you are telling or reporting and then how you can best portray that. Considering that there are different forms of media to aid you in this process, it’s also best to take that factor into consideration as well.

3. Tailor Your News Gathering

·   This tip suggests the use of online interaction such as photography, and videos, to further convey the information you are trying to display. This way you will grab he interest of more online readers and keep it more interesting and professional.

4. Write Lively and Tight

·   It is suggested that online journalists write with attitude or in a conversational form, however it is still very important to keep to the point and on topic, avoiding run-on sentences, or ‘sloppy’ writing.

5. Explain

·   In writing, be sure not to tell just the story but to explain the reasons behind the story and why it’s important. Therefore giving readers the answers they seek.

6. Never Bury the Lead

·   This tip implies that when writing online, it’s important to inform the readers what you’re talking about and why they should keep reading, or else they could quickly loose interest.

7. Don't Pile On

·   This basically informs writers not to add developing news onto the same story in the hopes that readers have been following the story for however long it had come into focus. It’s important to separate each update to some extent and keep the most important information at the top.

8. Short but Sweet

·   It’s best to keep it short because readers could genuinely loose interest and may decide not to finish reading the article if it begins to become to wordy, however if the topic is something of great interest to both the author and reader, than it may be all right to add more.

9. Break It Up

·   This basically suggests that online journalists should pay attention to the appearance of the article or story they are writing and insure that it is broken up, and more visually appealing to readers. The more broken-up and simplified it looks, the more people will stop and take the time to read all that you have to say.

10. Eliminate the Guesswork

·   Let people know what they’re reading before-hand. Keep headlines simple and clear so that readers know what they’re about to read.

11. Do Not Fear the Link
     ·   Links could help enhance your article by giving more information on the story  at hand, however the links  must be reliable and must contain trustworthy information that will enhance your own writing.

12. Take Risks... But Remember the Basics

·   This is pretty straight forward. Take risks in your writing, but always remember the basics, insuring that what you’re writing is the truth and that there are other sources that will back you up.

My Opinion:

I agree with all of the tips Dube covers in this article. To me, this is common sense. In order to keep readers happy and satisfied, you must follow the majority of these tips. It’s the only way to be successful and to ensure that you are doing your job properly. It’s not so much about you as a writer, rather than the audience you are speaking too, and the people who are hearing your words. Therefore I find these online writing tips to be valid and useful to anyone aspiring to be a successful online writer or journalist.


If you're interested in reading the entire article by Jonathan Dube, feel free to follow the link below:
http://www.cyberjournalist.net/news/000118.php


Until next time,

Ali (:

My First Blog

So this is my official first blog, and I have  no idea what to write about. I guess I'll start off by saying a little bit about myself. My name's Alissandre, or to keep it simple; Ali. Umm...my interests include dancing, writing, reading, and music. If i had to choose a word to describe myself it would probably be...? Okay scratch that, I have no idea.So that's all I can really think about at the moment, but i'm looking forward to seeing how this works out. I've always been interested in starting a YouTube channel, but never thought I'd have enough time to film and edit videos like Shane Dawson...so I guess this is kinda like a step towards Youtube...okay not really but whatever :P The whole blogging thing is interesting, though it's kinda sad, because i'm sure people have better things to do besides reading what I'm doing or what my opinion is about something. In any case, I'll give it a shot. I guess that's it for now, i'm sure my blogs will improve with time...at least I hope.

Until next time,

Ali (: