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Spyglass — June 2010

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The first 2010 issue of the Spyglass student newspaper
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PICTURES COURTESY OF GAGAMONSTER .COM GREEK ECONOMY? WHAT BY TAE-HU KIM Keep the earth green. Please recycle. Brought to you by the RHHS Spyglass Team. A t the peak of his power, the empire of Alexander the Great stretched from the western edge of modern- day India to Egypt. Fast-forward almost 2300 years to today and the world is being overtaken yet again by another superpow- er- albeit one very different from Alexander the Great. is time the tools of domination are not swords, spears, and shields, but a husky contralto voice, an electrifying sense of style, a disco stick, and a great number of extremely pointed shoulder pads. Who is this mighty conqueror? Her name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Ger- manotta, more commonly known as Lady Gaga, hailing from the suburb of Yonkers on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Starting piano by ear at the age of four, she grew up to become one of twenty people ever to get early accep- tance to the prestigious Tisch School of Music in New York. After working in the underground New York club circuit, Lady Gaga burst into the music scene with her LADY ARRIVED THE HAS infectious debut single “Just Dance” in 2008, marking her first step in becoming the next “Queen of Pop”. Massive pop anthems such as “Pokerface” and “Bad Romance” soon followed, topping charts and breaking records. After just two short years, Lady Gaga has managed to achieve six hit singles off of her diamond certified debut album, “e Fame”, perform live for the Queen, win two Grammys, and garner multitudes of adoring fans from all over the globe. At the mo- ment, Lady Gaga reigns at the top of Time’s 100 Most Influ- ential People of 2010 online poll, being compared to the likes of Madonna and Michael Jackson. Despite her great success, Lady Gaga remains one of the most polarizing musi- cal figures alive today. As with any celeb- rity, there are her detractors who criticize her for her theatricality, who argue that her outlandish costumes and props are just a ploy to shock and grab attention. T he Greek economy, second only to the Irish, has fallen on bad times. Greece recently revealed that the fictitious-sound- ing claims of the previous government in regards to their checkbook were, in fact, fictitious. Greece had borrowed more than it could ever pay back alone. Trusting that Greece would be incen- tivized into magically making more mon- ey than it ever could feasibly, and that it would eventually pay back the money and never default on its loans, the European Union promised to loan Greece hundreds of billions of euros, totaling €750 billion for all European Union countries suffering similar problems. is is, of course, a capital solution. I t’s another Sunday night and you’re chilling at home on Facebook. Sud- denly, while posting pictures up from your weekend, you receive an instant message from your friend: “hey, did you finish your ISP essay? It’s due tomorrow, right?” A moment of panic. You pause, then look over guiltily at your unopened backpack lying dutifully right where you left it on Friday afternoon. Right, that essay, the one your teacher assigned two weeks back. You were planning on getting to it, really, you were—the clock tolls, its 11:00 PM and you stare at a blank Microsoft Word page. And so it begins; you grab your binder and frantically flip through it for your notes. It slips, and dozens of sheets are now strewn across the floor; that’s okay, you’ll get those in the morning. You start typing and get about two sentences into your 6 page es- say, before you decide it’s a good time for a break. Once you make a sandwich and get back to your essay, you ask yourself, why? Why did I leave this to the last minute? What’s wrong with me? PHOTO COURTESY OF WWW.EMU.EDU.TR BY DERAKHSHAN QURBAN-ALI JUNE ISSUE NEWSPAPER.RHHSWEB.COM BY EDWARD WANG CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 THE ART of PROCRASTINATION TO: HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM: BILL GATES ............................... 2 SHUT-EYE SHORTFALL ........................... 3 GOT EXCHANGE ON THE BRAIN? ............... 3 CHANGE THE BALLOT WITHOUT A VOTE .............................................. 4 MAKE THE MOST OF IT: A GUIDE TO SUMMER ............................ 4 FIGHT OR FLIGHT ................................. 5 DESTINATION SHANGHAI ........................ 6 THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF TEENAGE ROMANCE .......................... 7 UNEXPECTED DEVALUATION .................... 8 IN THIS ISSUE: AND MORE! CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 PHOTO BY SALLY XIE F or many of us who grew up with Japanese anime shows like Pokémon, Digimon, and Cardcaptors, these shows along with other cartoons summed up our weekly dose of Saturday morning televi- sion. You may still remember our favou- rite characters like Pikachu, Sailor Moon, and Team Rocket. e familiarity of an- ime varies from person to person, but its influence on North American viewers is undeniable. e majority of us have casually watched anime shows throughout our lives and would agree that most of us are nor- mal. We enjoy anime as much as the next person, but it’s not like it’s an addiction or anything. e occasional anime watchers are engaged mostly to alleviate their bore- dom. Admit it, watching pretty pictures on a screen is much less of a hassle than reading a book. But there is a small minority among us, a group of people who are more immersed in the screen than the real world. BY TIMOTHY LEE CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 ANIME ADDICTIONS DANGEROUS OR JUST PLAIN BIZARRE? TUESDAY JUNE 1, 2010
Transcript
Page 1: Spyglass — June 2010

pictures courtesy of gagamonster.com

GREEK ECONOMY?WHAT

BY TAE-HU KIM

Keep the earth green. Please recycle. Brought to you by the RHHS Spyglass Team.

At the peak of his power, the empire of Alexander the Great stretched from the western edge of modern-

day India to Egypt. Fast-forward almost 2300 years to today and the world is being overtaken yet again by another superpow-er- albeit one very different from Alexander the Great. This time the tools of domination are not swords, spears, and shields, but a husky contralto voice, an electrifying sense of style, a disco stick, and a great number of extremely pointed shoulder pads.

Who is this mighty conqueror? Her name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Ger-manotta, more commonly known as Lady Gaga, hailing from the suburb of Yonkers on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Starting piano by ear at the age of four, she grew up to become one of twenty people ever to get early accep-tance to the prestigious Tisch School of Music in New York. After working in the underground New York club circuit, Lady Gaga burst into the music scene with her

LADYARRIVED

THEHAS

infectious debut single “Just Dance” in 2008, marking her first step in becoming the next “Queen of Pop”. Massive pop anthems such as “Pokerface” and “Bad Romance” soon followed, topping charts and breaking records. After just two short

years, Lady Gaga has managed to achieve six hit singles off

of her diamond certified debut album, “The

Fame”, perform live for the Queen, win two Grammys, and garner multitudes of adoring fans from all over the globe. At the mo-

ment, Lady Gaga reigns at the top of

Time’s 100 Most Influ-ential People of 2010 online

poll, being compared to the likes of Madonna and Michael Jackson.

Despite her great success, Lady Gaga remains one of the most polarizing musi-cal figures alive today. As with any celeb-rity, there are her detractors who criticize her for her theatricality, who argue that her outlandish costumes and props are just a ploy to shock and grab attention.

The Greek economy, second only to the Irish, has fallen on bad times. Greece

recently revealed that the fictitious-sound-ing claims of the previous government in regards to their checkbook were, in fact, fictitious. Greece had borrowed more than it could ever pay back alone.

Trusting that Greece would be incen-tivized into magically making more mon-ey than it ever could feasibly, and that it would eventually pay back the money and never default on its loans, the European Union promised to loan Greece hundreds of billions of euros, totaling €750 billion for all European Union countries suffering similar problems.

This is, of course, a capital solution.

It’s another Sunday night and you’re chilling at home on Facebook. Sud-

denly, while posting pictures up from your weekend, you receive an instant message from your friend: “hey, did you finish your ISP essay? It’s due tomorrow, right?” A moment of panic. You pause, then look over guiltily at your unopened backpack lying dutifully right where you left it on Friday afternoon. Right, that essay, the one your teacher assigned two weeks back. You were planning on getting to it, really, you were—the clock tolls, its 11:00 PM and you stare at a blank Microsoft Word page. And so it begins; you grab your binder and frantically flip through it for your notes. It slips, and dozens of sheets are now strewn across the floor; that’s okay, you’ll get those in the morning. You start typing and get about two sentences into your 6 page es-say, before you decide it’s a good time for a break. Once you make a sandwich and get back to your essay, you ask yourself, why? Why did I leave this to the last minute? What’s wrong with me?

photo courtesy of www.emu.edu.tr

BY DERAKHSHAN QURBAN-ALI

JUNE ISSUE

NEWSPAPER.RHHSWEB.COM

BY EDWARD WANG

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

THE ART ofPROCRASTINATION

to: high school students from: bill gates ............................... 2

shut-eye shortfall ........................... 3

got exchange on the brain? ............... 3

change the ballot without a vote .............................................. 4

make the most of it: a guide to summer ............................ 4

fight or flight ................................. 5

destination shanghai ........................ 6

the highs and lows of teenage romance .......................... 7

unexpected devaluation .................... 8

IN THIS ISSUE:

AND MORE!

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

photo by sally xie

For many of us who grew up with Japanese anime shows like Pokémon,

Digimon, and Cardcaptors, these shows along with other cartoons summed up our weekly dose of Saturday morning televi-sion. You may still remember our favou-rite characters like Pikachu, Sailor Moon, and Team Rocket. The familiarity of an-ime varies from person to person, but its influence on North American viewers is undeniable.

The majority of us have casually watched anime shows throughout our lives and would agree that most of us are nor-mal. We enjoy anime as much as the next person, but it’s not like it’s an addiction or anything. The occasional anime watchers are engaged mostly to alleviate their bore-dom. Admit it, watching pretty pictures on a screen is much less of a hassle than reading a book.

But there is a small minority among us, a group of people who are more immersed in the screen than the real world.

BY TIMOTHY LEE

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

a n i m e a d d i c t i o n s

DANGEROUS OR JUST PLAIN BIZARRE?

TUESDAY

JUNE 1, 2010

Page 2: Spyglass — June 2010

Keep the earth green. Please recycle. Brought to you by the RHHS Spyglass Team.

Well, nothing is wrong with you. Un-less you classify procrastination as a disease, that is. Many of us wish we could blame our chronic stalling on a medical condition, and if you are a student reading this (or even a teacher!) it is likely you have been in a simi-lar scenario at some point in your life. So why do we do it? There are many different reasons why we procrastinate, but for the most part, it’s because we simply don’t want to do it at that moment in time. We don’t want to do things for a variety of reasons, but when boiled down, it usually comes down to the following situations: when something is difficult, when something is time-consuming, when you feel you don’t have the ability to do something, or when you are simply afraid of doing it. It’s impor-tant to understand why you don’t want to do something, because it makes it easier to either identify or avoid these situations.

Alright, so now you know why you pro-crastinate, but what can you do about it? Surprisingly, a lot. Firstly, start small; you can’t get it all done at once, so don’t over-whelm yourself trying! Remember, it took months to perfect the art of procrastination, so it will be difficult to change your hab-its all at once. Start by breaking your tasks into small segments, and make a to-do list of all the different things you have to do. Prioritize what needs to get done first, and reward yourself when you accomplish a task. Find a quiet area to work, where you won’t be tempted by distractions (cough cough, Facebook). Lastly, motivate yourself; imag-ine yourself accomplishing your goal. Two things have been proven to motivate people: pleasure and pain. Think about how good you will feel and all the free time you will have (more time to hang with friends, read a book, or play COD); or on the other hand, imagine the consequences of not accom-plishing your goal (i.e. living in your mom’s

Undoubtedly an internationally rec-ognized brand name, Microsoft has

brought about a computer revolution that has carried through to this day. Microsoft Office, one of the company’s most com-monly used product, is a collection of soft-ware that aids the day-to-day activities of many businesses and has also gained stu-dent dependence and reliance for the com-pletion of school work. The convenience and practicality of Microsoft’s products have resulted in one of the most successful companies of the century.

As the Chairman of Microsoft and the person with the highest net worth in the world, Bill Gates has a life beyond satisfac-tory. However, he has personally revealed to the media that his life was not without bumps along the road – just like every oth-er person. No matter what the mistakes he has made before, it is apparent that he has surpassed them and moved further along the road of success. What’s more is that Bill Gates seems to have grasped what life is all about and has established his exper-tise on the “secret” ingredients to success. Through various speeches given to high school students around the world, he has provided 11 useful tips about success for students.

1. Life is not fair, so get used to it! “It’s not fair! It’s not fair!”This is perhaps the most banal phrase in a high school stu-dent’s vocabulary. What is not fair? Did the teacher take marks off your test? That

was because your answer was incorrect. Did you not get selected to be part of the team? That was because other people ex-hibited talents superior to yours, or at least the teacher thought so. So what? This is life and it certainly isn’t a game you can win every time! Life isn’t fair – yes – so get used to it!

2. The world will expect you to accom-plish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

The world will not care about your self-esteem. The world also does not have the time to listen to your moans and objec-tions to the way some things turned out. However, it hopes you can first obtain achievements, and it is greatly concerned about that. Emphasize on your own feel-ings afterwards.

3. When you first walk out of the school, you cannot have a 6 or 7-figure salary right away. You especially cannot become some company’s CEO right away and also have a nice car, until the day you earn these luxuries through hard work.

The day you get out of high school, a 6-figure salary will not be waiting for you outside the graduation hall. Even the best people of the bunch do not start very high. You may be wondering how they end up there and the answer to that is their dili-gence. Did Mr. Gates start off as a bil-lionaire? Absolutely not. He started as a

university drop-out starting a company called Microsoft with his friends. That’s all.

4. If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

If you thought teachers at your school were overly strict, then come back and think about that when you have a boss. Chances are, your boss is not going to be any more lenient than your teacher already is. You are there to help the boss earn money, so there would be no reason for the boss to give you leniency. The boss wants you to be productive! With this in mind, thank your teachers!

5. Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: opportunity.

6. If you mess up, it’s not your parents’ fault, so don’t whine about your mistakes but learn from them.

7. Before you were born, your parents weren’t as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills and listen-ing to you talk about how cool you are.

8. Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life has NOT.

9. Life is not divided into semesters or terms. You don’t get summers off, and very few employers are interested in help-ing you “find yourself ”. Do that in your own time.

10. TV is not real life. In real life, peo-ple have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

11. Be nice to nerds. Chances are you’ll end up working for one!

The bottom line is, wake up from “Planet Imaginary” and move to Planet Reality if you haven’t already done so. As harsh as these may sound, they are merely the life lessons that multi-billionaire Bill Gates has summed up for students in the world.

basement at the age of 30). Whatever works!

Chances are that you’ve probably heard this advice dozens of times. That’s because these are tried and true methods, but if they aren’t working for you or if you want to try something a little different, there are hundreds of other ways to break the habit. Where better to get tips than from fellow students? I had the opportunity to attend Richmond Hill High School’s alumni meet-ing a few weeks ago, where I had a chance to ask first year university students for advice on how to beat procrastination. All of them had useful and interesting tips; one student suggested rewarding yourself with stickers and others lived by calendars and daily plan-ners. But what all of them agreed upon was the fact that you need help to stop procrasti-nating; you should get help from friends or family, or anyone that you can trust and rely on. Let’s face it, nothing is going to get done if we rely on ourselves, because we will keep making up excuses for ourselves; you need someone to keep you accountable. Choose someone who won’t easily back off; they can motivate you by only hanging out with you after you finish a certain task, or they can use more drastic measures and threaten you if you don’t complete a task (just joking…or am I?) Either way, it really helps when someone is supporting you.

Taking occasional breaks can actually im-prove the quality of your work, so remember to take a breather every once in a while, to help you stay on track. As a side note, pro-crastination is not always a terrible thing; I wrote this article while procrastinating, in-stead of studying for my test tomorrow. Art or disease, call it what you will, but procras-tination is not going to go away on its own; you need to do something about it. So stop procrastinating and get started right now! … Or in a bit, I think Glee is on!

To: HigH ScHool STudenTS

From: Bill gaTeS

some more tips:

2 \\ JUNE ISSUE

CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE NEWS

by alice you

photo by sally xie

Far from the grasps of procrastination, these chemistry students are diligently working.

photo courtesy of sharidar.com

Page 3: Spyglass — June 2010

Keep the earth green. Please recycle. Brought to you by the RHHS Spyglass Team.

GOT EXCHANGE

ON THE BRAIN?

In today’s changing world, teenagers face various problems that previous generations hardly encountered in

their daily lives. A large number of them are stressed over increasing pressure from school and families to perform well in order to succeed in life. They also often find it challenging to fit in for various so-ciocultural reasons. The changing school environment, according to recently con-ducted research studies, is taking a toll on their lives: teenagers in North America are sleep deprived – a cause for concern for parents, health care professionals, policy-makers, students and teachers. What con-cerns people is the empirical evidence that lack of sleep in teens affects their mental and physical health as well their academic performance.

High school students like us are ex-pected to get 8 and a half to 9 hours of sleep every night. What this means is that students would sleep a total of 56-60 hours per week. This seems to be a feasible target, but not often carried out. Recent research from Consumer Affairs indicates that 45% of students aged 11-17 get much less than eight hours of sleep per night. It is no wonder that more and more students catch up on sleep at home in the morning and end up missing their first class. Teach-ers across North America have also noticed that some students will ‘compromise’ by taking naps inside the classroom. What are the real effects of these habits in the long-term?

A recent medical study reported by CBC News claims that prolonged sleep deprivation can lead to mental instabil-ity, depression and even brain damage. Apart from its negative effects on health, sleep deprivation can also impact the lives of others. Did you know that 100 000 car accidents are caused each year by fatigued drivers, 50% of which are in the age group of 16-25?

Most people experiencing the genera-tion’s “Shut-eye Shortfall” said that they have little choice but to stay up late, as school assignments and commitment to part-time jobs take up the majority of their time each day. One student told The Spy-glass,

A student exchange can be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life. Not only will you get to

see and explore foreign locales, make new friends, and discover new cultures, a for-eign exchange can mark the first real step in achieving your own independence. But despite all these perks, many students still shy away from this opportunity. As a former participant on a student exchange myself, I can relate to some of the hesitations and fears of prospective participants. And so, compiled below are several key pieces of in-formation and commonly asked questions that will hopefully help you make this big decision.

What is a student exchange?

Most often, you will find that there are two different types of exchanges offered. Your first option would be to go on a work exchange where you would live with a host family while working during the day and earning money. Many students find this type of exchange a great method of gener-ating income during the summer months. The second type of exchange is where you are paired with a partner and both of you live in each other’s houses for a period of time. Your partner would travel to your house and live and to go to school with you for a few weeks to several months and you in turn, would travel to his or her house and live with your partner for the same amount of time. The purpose of participating in one of these exchanges can range from master-ing a foreign language to simply experienc-ing a different way of life.

How does the process work?

When you have decided that you want to participate on a student exchange, the first thing that you will usually be required to complete is an information booklet. If you are participating in a student exchange you will be asked to talk about your hob-bies, your likes and dislikes, your school, etc. You may also be asked to include several photos of yourself and your home. All of this is done to ensure that you will be paired with another student who is most compat-ible with yourself – someone you are likely to get a along with. After you have submit-ted the booklet, you will be interviewed by the exchange coordinator and pretty soon, if all works out, you will be paired with an exchange partner.

How much does it cost?

With exchanges, you are usually only paying for airfare, travel expenses, and med-ical insurance since you will be living with a host family who is obligated to pay for your food and shelter necessities. To get a more accurate idea of how much you will be

paying, a good method of estimating would be finding out how much a round ticket to your destination will cost – chances are, your exchange will cost somewhere in that neighborhood.

Where can I go?

There are many exchange opportunities offered by our school. Students can choose to go on a work exchange to Quebec during the summer or go on a regular exchange to countries such as France, Germany, Swit-zerland, Belgium, and Spain for either two months or three months during the school year. There are also opportunities to go to other countries such as Ecuador.

What if we can’t communicate?

It is very likely that when your partner comes, he or she will not be able to speak English very well. The purpose of them coming to live with you is probably to learn how to speak more fluently. In the begin-ning, there may be communication difficul-ties but always remember to speak slowly and clearly – using gestures helps. As your partner is exposed more and more to the language, their English skills will improve and soon you will be able to converse with them normally. You will find the same thing happening to you when you go to their home; for the first few weeks you will have difficulty saying anything at all, but as you get more familiar with the language, your abilities and confidence will grow and flour-ish. Many students come back from foreign exchanges with greatly improved language skills and most importantly, greater confi-dence in their speaking abilities.

What is there to do for fun?

The best part of going on a foreign ex-change is all the exciting new things you’ll be able to experience. Many of the coun-tries that you can visit have lush, vibrant cultures and histories much older than Canada’s. Visiting one of these countries is a great way to see firsthand some of the things others can only read about in text-books. Apart from the great historic desti-nations, you’ll also get the opportunity to see world famous landmarks and interna-tionally celebrated museums and art galler-ies. On a smaller scale, you might get the chance to see a movie in a foreign language, or go visit a public library, or even just hang out with kids your own age at parties and get-togethers.

If you are interested in participating in an exchange, you can contact Mme. Bolton in Portable 6 (exchanges to France, Germa-ny, Spain, etc. and work exchanges to Que-bec) or go to the Guidance office to find more information.

“I’d really benefit from just one extra hour of sleep in the morn-ing. I could focus better in morn-ing classes and have more time to study for tests and do home-work. I could come to school

feeling good.”

Some schools in the United States, af-ter receiving similar input from students, took part in a sleep-study project last year. The plan was to start first period one hour later than usual. After a few months of experiments, administrators noticed that attendance and student grades improved significantly. Furthermore, the number of accidents caused by students dropped by more than 16.5%. Eastern Collegiate In-stitute is the first Canadian school to try it out this year and they are also expecting similar results.

Schools, however, are not the only ones who can help to improve the situa-tion. Parents also play an instrumental role in assuring that their child gets enough sleep. Some parents do not know that the biological clock of children changes when they reach their teen years. Unaware of the new sleeping patterns, parents often con-fuse their child’s reluctance to get up in the morning with laziness. Students also make the situation worse by not recognizing the limits of their bodies. When students stay up late to text friends, play games or use the computer, they let their brains suffer from over stimulation.

Students, parents and teachers play im-portant parts in helping to exterminate the Shut-eye Shortfall. Although the picture is a worrisome one, the future is unlikely to be gloomy if all parties are willing to make an effort to change the current state of sleep deprivation of teenagers. If par-ents let their kids sleep in for reasonable amount of time during the weekends, stu-dents turn off their electronics at night, and the School Board changes the current schedule, things will surely begin to im-prove soon.

But the question is: is the school board ready to take the initiative?

The author with his exchange partner in France. COURTESY OF EDWARD WANG

A RHHS student takes a quick nap.

A sleep deprived teenager.

BY RUHAMA QUADIR

JUNE ISSUE // 3

BY EDWARD WANG

THE SHUT EYE SHORTFALL Z

Z Z

photo by sally xie

photo by sally xie

Page 4: Spyglass — June 2010

There comes a cer-

tain time of each year when monogrammed posters

blossom with spring across the walls and lockers of Richmond Hill High with the namesakes of each promising to be the change they wish to see in the school. By the time this issue of The Spy-glass is in your hands, you will have elect-ed the coming year’s Student Council. Those posters will have been torn down and recycled (or framed in bedrooms for the truly avid); your chosen representa-tives will have donned their black polos and new titles. That’s how things run at RHHS.

But this year, politics don’t end there in Richmond Hill.

In due time, you’ll start seeing signs for a different campaign springing up. This isn’t quite StuCo – the stakes are being raised, just as surely as they’re being plant-ed on your neighbours’ lawns. On Octo-ber 25th, 2010, the Town of Richmond Hill will be holding a municipal election for the first time in four years.

Residents will elect to office our May-or, Regional & Local Councillor (two po-sitions), Ward Councillor (one for each of Wards 1 to 6; see left for a full Ward map) and Trustee for the English Public (two

positions), English Separate, French Public and French Separate

School Boards. There are many candidates

vying for

To be held on Yonge St. between Major Mackenzie Dr. and Crosby Ave., Richmond Hill will be throwing this year’s annual Vil-lage Heritage Festival on a (hopefully!) sunny Saturday afternoon. The street will be closed off to vehicles, to make way for a plethora of food stalls, arts and crafts vendors, and live entertainment. It’s about as local as you can get, and there’s no cost to join in the fun, so get down to Yonge on the 12th and see what Richmond Hill has to offer!

RICHMOND HILL HERITAGE FESTIVAL:

JUNE 12, 9AM-5PM. ADMISSION: FREE.

Toronto will be holding its fourth annual Just for Laughs comedy festival at the begin-ning of July. This year’s line up hasn’t been announced, but with past line-ups featuring the likes of Sarah Silverman, Danny Bhoy and the Monty Python legend John Cleese, Just for Laughs is going to have a hard time topping itself. The prices vary for individual events, but if you like to think you’ve got a good sense of humour, mark these dates on your calendar.

JUST FOR LAUGHS FESTIVAL:

JULY 6-11. ADMISSION: TBA.

For the more adventurous readers, here’s something you could go at all year around: the urban sport of Parkour. What is it? It’s the ability to get from point A to point B as fast as possible, by doing things like jumping fences, vaulting over benches, and so on. Par-kour was featured in the game Mirror’s Edge, and the game does the sport justice. In To-ronto, there’s a group known as the PKTO, which is the biggest, most well-organized parkour group in the GTA. They have events all the time, inviting everyone and anyone to come and join in on the ‘running rampant in downtown Toronto’ fun. If you’re the sporty type, you should definitely check them out.

PARKOUR/PKTO:

ADMISSION: FREE.

For almost ten days in July, Queen Street E. will be alive with the sounds of jazz and Latin music; bands on the street itself, along with in Kew Gardens and Woodbine Park, will entertain you for the most reasonable price of nothing. Local artists and bands such as Blue Room, Jay Douglas, Dr. Draw, Menew, and so many more will be attend-ing to make these days a roaring good time. To all the music aficionados out there, this toe-tapping, shoulder-shimmying festival is an event you won’t want to miss.

BEACHES INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL:

JULY 16-25. ADMISSION: FREE.

Make the most of it:BY SIENNA WARECKI

these roles; applica-tions to run remain open until

September 10th. Of these, fourteen will go on to represent the Town based on the votes of constituents.

And yet, only a fraction of RHHS’ population is of age to vote – so how could the biggest political event in Rich-mond Hill even be relevant to the remain-ing majority of us? How does the election affect us? And just as importantly, how can we affect the election? Well, who bet-

ter to ask than the Town’s inaugu-rated authority himself?

Mayor Dave Barrow, himself a gradu-ate of Richmond Hill High, has a message for its students on election involvement. Mayor Barrow told The Spyglass, “The Town is the level of government that is the closest to all aspects of your life, so it is important that you pay attention to the election and get involved in electing its leaders.”

Richmond Hill Council is responsible for addressing issues that will impact all of us living in the Town at one point or another. Traffic and transit is one of such. The environment in terms of ur-ban sustainability, the preservation of lo-cal landmarks such as Rouge Park. Fiscal management, alongside with the control of rising municipal taxes are among the rising issues of the township. Community safety and the role of the York Regional Police is another topic of discussion. The quality of life that ties our town together makes it not only the second most diverse in Canada, but also among the Confer-ence Board of Canada’s best places to live.

This year, have your say. The most di-rect way to reach out to a local politician is to participate in their campaign. Find a candidate in your ward or one running for the Regional & Local Councillor or may-oral positions whose objectives you stand behind – the list is updated with each new applicant at www.richmondhill.ca/documents/2010_election_unofficial_can-

didate_list.pdf, and contains the websites and contact information of each. Candi-dates are always in need of volunteers to put up lawn signs, and

to pro-mote the cam-paign door-to-door. Volunteers help organize and run events and get a peek into the busy life of municipal office. (And of course, earn community service hours.)

Campaigns have been progressing since January 2010, and don’t end until Election Day in October. Sign up to help out with a campaign, and start seeing Richmond Hill from a new perspective – it takes a lot of behind-the-scenes work to keep this town going. The representatives you support are going to be your voice at the Town for the next four years. Make it worth your while!

Richmond Hill’s six electoral wards. http://www.richmondhill.ca/webmaps/2006_wards_webmap.pdf

PHOTO COURTESY OF CBC.CAhttp://www.cbc.ca/radio2/r2morning/images/signs1.jpg

A man plays his trumpet at the Beaches In-ternational Jazz Festival. The festival runs July 16-17 with free admission.

Keep the earth green. Please recycle. Brought to you by the RHHS Spyglass Team.

Let’s face it: we’ve all been to Canada’s Wonderland a hundred times over.

For a student, summer is the time you get to relax and adventure. Pool parties, shopping, late nights out: all of these and more are the hallmarks of a good vacation. But where’s the variety?

Where are the days that will stand out, unique, amongst the blur of summer fun? Well right here, of course – for those of you beginning to get bored with the same old summer activities, here are a few things that are worth checking out in the summer of 2010!

So there you have four fresh, local, reasonably priced opportunities for those who are looking for something new! Good food, good humour, bright-eyed energy and fantastic music—what more could a summer need? Just throw any of these titles into your favourite internet search to take a closer look at what they have to offer for the sum-mer of 2010, and remember: Canada’s Wonderland will always be there the next day.

A Guide to Summer 2010

2010

PHOTO COURTESY OF RB3M flickr.com/photos/rb3m

BY SILKEN CHAN

4 \\ JUNE ISSUE

WITHOUT A BALLOTChange the Vote

M

UNICIPAL ELECTIONS IN RICHMOND HILL

Page 5: Spyglass — June 2010

Keep the earth green. Please recycle. Brought to you by the RHHS Spyglass Team.

2010

2010

Some even believe that Lady Gaga is not in fact a lady, but a hermaphrodite, no doubt sparked by rampant online rumours.

But whether or not you’re a fan of hers, Lady Gaga’s image has become unavoid-ably omnipresent. So just how did Lady Gaga create her household name? It cer-tainly didn’t rely on mainstream music’s traditional marketing model for female artists - often very heavy on sex appeal and pretty faces and less so on actual musical merit. With her large, obtrusive nose and heavy eyebrows, Lady Gaga does not pos-sess a particularly beautiful face, yet she more than manages to make up for it with her musical talent. Amidst a sea of auto-tuners and lip-syncers it is exceedingly rare to find a successful mainstream artist like Lady Gaga with such a high degree of vo-cal calibre and musicianship – performing all of her tours completely live and wowing audiences with her acoustic renditions.

But what truly sets Lady Gaga apart from all others is her attitude. Both fierce

and edgy, Lady Gaga has managed to es-tablish a persona so weird and removed that it no longer matters whether or not she fits the stereotypes. Her trademark has become her eccentricity; a modern pop chameleon – you’ll never know what she’ll show up wearing, what antics she’ll pull, how she’ll perform her songs, but you’ll always know it’s her. Lady Gaga is living proof that to make it in the pop music world, one does not have to be a greasy, half-naked bimbo grinding the floor. It is her ability to break stereotypes that at-tract her multitudes of adoring, almost religiously fervent fans. She represents to them the idea that one does not have to fit the preconceived mould created by in-dustry bigwigs, but that one can be unique and self-expressive while at the same time successful. This reigning “Queen of Pop” has taken the world by storm and captured the hearts of millions; singing, dancing, and voguing her way to the top – all while wearing pant-less leotards and high heels.

Could Alexander ever have done that? One is inclined to think not.

JUNE ISSUE // 5

WITHOUT A BALLOT

CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE NEWS

CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE NEWS

The cheerful picnicker runs happily through the woods,

gathering berries and such. Suddenly, the sky turns cloudy, dramatic music is played, and he turns around to find a massive, fuming black bear about to attack him for stealing her berries. The camera zooms in as the innocent man’s eyes widen, the fran-tic pounding of his heart is heard, then, just as you’re biting your nails, screaming at him to run, he reacts by doing the most normal and instinctive thing possible in this situation – he stands frozen and pees.

It’s not surprising that many of us have seen this sort of scene played out – wheth-er it be in a movie, or from real life experi-ences. Of course, this naturally leads us to wonder about the cause of this odd result. Why waste time gaping at the bear and letting nature do its calling when those precious five seconds could be put to use running for one’s life?

It turns out that this seemingly strange reaction is all part of a subconscious re-sponse stemming from prehistoric times. Unlike us, our cavemen and women an-cestors had to deal with a lot scarier things than angry bears — foes like famished sa-bre tooth tigers poking into their caves. To respond to the dangers that lay rampant, humans developed the fight or flight re-sponse, similar to many other vertebrates. That is, when a threat is recognized, the body chooses one of two options: to fight or to flee.

If fighting, the body immediately pre-pares for aggressive combative behaviour. The cardiovascular system works harder and faster to bring more blood and oxy-gen to body cells, while the arteries con-strict to increase blood pressure. Nutrients normally stored, such as fat and glucose,

Some of us have watched over thirty series. Some of us have spent entire days watching anime instead of doing home-work or studying for tomorrow’s test. Some think of imaginary situations about their favourite characters wishing they were real.

The Japanese term otaku is used to de-scribe obsessed anime fans, but many wear the label proudly. Anime fans can range from the innocent to the truly bizarre. The strangest of otaku can make even Star Trek fans seem normal.

One Japanese man was obsessed to the point where he was in love. He allegedly wanted to marry an anime character and argued that Japan should change its laws to allow such a thing to happen. He even created an online petition supporting his cause.

“I am no longer interested in three di-mensions,” he says, “I would even like to become a resident of the two-dimensional world.”

But before you start pitying this man, understand that his petition attracted more than 1000 signatories.

“Even if she is fictional, it is still lov-ing someone. I would like to have legal ap-proval for this system at any cost” says one signatory.

One can look to the characteristics of anime that make it so appealing. In the world of anime, there is something for ev-eryone. Looking for a show about trav-elling pirates and a talking blue-nosed reindeer? Check. A show about a family cursed to turn into their animal forms if they are embraced by anyone of the oppo-site sex? Check. Shows about a tragic ro-

mance where one tragically dies because of cancer or some rare disease? Triple check.

Much like other artistic mediums, an-ime explores all aspects of the human emo-tions. Sports, magic, romance, larger than life characters, and fantastical settings all provide a sense of escapism for watchers. Even the way the characters are drawn, with their enormous eyes and outrageous hairstyles (think Yugi from Yu-Gi-Oh), have an out of this world sense about them.

Another factor is that an anime series has the ability to continuously churn out episodes for an indeterminate amount of time. Pokémon has already dragged on for over ten seasons with its characters seem-ingly unable to age. With new episodes being released every other week, an avid follower feels the urge to follow the story in order to find out what happens next.

In a single anime series, tie-in products may include figurines, posters, books, vid-eo games, and trading cards to keep you hooked. There are entire conventions that attract thousands of fans each year devoted to showcasing anime products. Hardcore fans create extensive online encyclopaedias and write lengthy fan fictions the size of novellas. Fan fictions are stories written by fans where they have the chance to be in control of the story. On top of the main series, many of us spend hours reading these stories. Don’t be surprised to find many fan fictions in which fans explore the sexual tension between characters that the original work has failed to address.

If you’re ever looking for an addiction but are too scared to try something dan-gerous, picking anime may seem like a safe bet. But be warned. Before you know it, you may find yourself married to a blue-nosed talking reindeer.

are metabolized to power the muscles. Reflexes are accelerated and irrelevant bodily functions like digestion are stopped.

Similarly, if taking flight, the body re-sponds by developing tunnel vision (a loss of peripheral vision) to keep one focused on their path. A loss of hearing might en-sue to keep distractions away. The pupils dilate to see better in the dark, endorphins are released to dull any pain, and if need be, urination or defecation occurs literally to “empty the load” and let us run faster.

Although we no longer need to face the dangers of the wild, our body’s response to perceived threat is still present. Today, psy-chologists call it the “acute stress response”. This is what gives mothers the superhu-man strength to lift cars and rescue their trapped children, or heroes the courage to face danger head-on.

Nowadays, the threats that trigger our primitive response systems are overly stress-ful situations, for example, a fight with our boss after a particularly tiring day and road rage. Suddenly, we are overcome with ag-gressiveness and hyper vigilance, which is counter-productive. As a result, we hold it in, which is counterintuitive. Afterwards, we do not take measures to calm down and relieve our stress hormones, which is counter-intelligent.

Thankfully, the solution to dealing with our primitive, violent reactions is much simpler than attempting to defeat a ti-ger. Taking time to relax and thinking of something pleasant, exercising to release endorphins, and learning to avoid violent situations will all help reduce stress, which in turn will reduce the need for such a des-perate response.

FIGHT OR FLIGHT?

Does anybody else remember the drinking fountain? That free, readily

available source of water to students every-where? Apparently nobody does, because when it comes to hydration, bottled water is all the rage these days. We have spring water, mineral water, flavoured water, even vitamin water, all for a price range between $1–5. High, but reasonable for such good water, right?

Before you crack open another bottle of Aquafina, here are a few facts, taken from reports written by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) about tap vs. bottled water:

• City tap water can have no confirmed E. coli or fecal coliform bacteria. FDA bot-tled water rules include no such prohibi-tion (a certain amount of any type of coli-form bacteria is allowed in bottled water).

• City tap water must be filtered and disinfected. In contrast, there are no fed-eral filtration or disinfection requirements for bottled water.

• Most cities have to test their water for Cryptosporidium or Giardia, two com-mon water pathogens that can cause intes-tinal problems, yet bottled water compa-nies do not have to do this.

• City tap water must meet standards for certain toxic or carcinogenic chemicals, such as phthalate, a chemical that can leach from plastic, including plastic bottles; the bottled water industry has managed to ex-empt bottled water from these regulations.

On top of all that, bottled water is a waste of plastic. In fact, the bottled water industry poses one of the biggest threats to the environment because of their packag-ing — seventeen million barrels of oil are used in the production of water bottles an-nually. That’s enough to fuel a million cars for a year, yet we wonder why oil prices are so high. In addition, only one in five water bottles are recycled. The other four contribute to the three billion pounds of waste produced solely from plastic bottles.

My recommendation? Install a filter at home and buy a reusable water bottle. You won’t have to look far; there are dozens of filter models on the market, all for a good price. As for the water bottles, why, we sell them right here at RHHS — good, stur-dy metal water bottles, for a price of five dollars. Five dollars is absolutely nothing compared to what you will save if you stop drinking bottled water.

If your bottle ever runs empty at school, there is always the drinking fountain.

Secrets of theWater Bottle Industry

BY SIENNA WARECKI

PHOTO BY JASON LAU

THE LADY HAS ARRIVED

ANIME ADDICTION

BY JOYCE TAN

the above picture is courtesy of mattisokay2 www.flickr.com/photos/mattisokay

Page 6: Spyglass — June 2010

After all, loaning money to those who could never feasibly pay back such loans had been the cornerstone of the Ameri-can banking industry for years (at least, up to the 2007-2010 recession), as well as the major business model for successful and charitable individuals such as Bernie Madoff and Charles Ponzi.

Yet one of the truly magical things about the European Union’s plans for Greece is that they would solve the issue of transparency. Surely, by being so be-nevolent and kind to Greece, its govern-ment won’t make little white lies about its checkbooks anymore and, surely, Greece can now be trusted. After all, why else would China, South Korea and the Unit-ed States send billions in aid to North Korea?

It is also clear that the approach by the European Union, which would more-or-less send Greece into eternal debt unless it demands a lot more from its taxpayers (which it is now doing), has largely been met with happiness, frivolity and joy from the citizens as Greeks take to the streets of Athens and revel in the police batons, riot shields, and tear-gas grenades being flung about at the birthplace of democ-racy. Greeks all across the country are cel-ebrating the genius of their government and the wonders the European Union has done for its euro-zone, by making bonfires out of old public buildings and cheerfully chanting “Come out, thieves!” in front of

the Greek parliament.

After all, the principles and ideas be-hind the European Union’s “not a bailout” bailout are sound. The Greek economy isn’t doing well, so the other members of the union should give money to Greece to go to the doctor and get fixed. In this case, “money” means “over a hundred billion euros”, the “doctors” are other foreign creditors, and “fixed” means “pay back its previous loans, so they can borrow even more money”.

Of course, such plans are so divine that they should surely be implemented in other sectors. If banks were to lend money to the homeless, surely the home-less would pay that money back and live successful lives. If nations were to be more reconciliatory, if South Korea disarmed at their border with North Korea, surely then others would do the same. If teachers were to give perfect marks on poorly writ-ten tests, surely students would be incen-tivized by such unwarranted benevolence into working harder to meet up to such expectations.

If there is a moral behind this story, surely it is that throwing extravagant amounts of money at problems makes all the problems go away and leaves the world a peaceful, happy, and more joyous place.

*In terms of debt**Happiness is subjective

CANADA PAVILLION The living city be-ing inclusive, sustain-able, and creative is the theme that Canadians bring to the world stage. Through this C-shaped structure with an open public square, Canada focuses on changing the impression of it being cold and vast to warm and inviting.

CHINA PAVILLIONNamed “The Crown of the East”, the architec-ture is in a traditional Dougong style dating back more than 2000 years. The pavilion shows China’s plan of sustainability for the future with low-carbon technologies at the core of the structure.

UNITED KINGDOM PAVILLION This seed cathedral’s theme is “Building on the past, Shaping our future”. The first ever world exposition was held in the Crystal Pal-ace at Hyde Park de-stroyed half a century ago. This is the trans-formation of the Crystal Palace made with more than 60 000 transparent rods containing seeds of different plants.

GERMANY PAVILLION “Balancity”, the idea of a city of harmony and balance, contrasts the seemingly chaotic design of the pavilion. However, the message is that with the busy lives that people now lead, everything has to bal-ance thus creating a har-monious and stable life.

RUSSIA: CITY AND CITIZEN

ISRAEL: INNOVATION FOR BETTER LIFE COCA-COLA: A WORLD REFRESHED

IRAN: BLENDING OF DIVERSE CULTURES IN THE CITY

REPUBLIC OF KOREA: FRIENDLY CITY, COLOURFUL LIFE

INDIA PAVILLION: CITIES OF HARMONY

THE EUROPEAN UNION HAS A MAGICAL PLAN REMINISCENT OF AMER-ICA’S HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL FISCAL COMPLICATIONS IN 2007.

GREEK ECONOMY?WHAT

SEE EN.EXPO2010.CN FOR MORE INFORMATION!

Keep the earth green. Please recycle. Brought to you by the RHHS Spyglass Team.

In the eye of the western world, it is pizzazz. Stunning night views, record-

breaking skyscrapers, and bustling finan-cial districts are trademark characteristics of the “Paris of the East”. Shanghai, lo-cated on the east coast of the rising super-power of China, is, at the least, a pleasing eye-opener to foreign visitors.

Besides the usual tour route of the Oriental Pearl Tower, the Bund, and the Nanjing Road shopping district, 2010 gives visitors another unique experience in Shanghai – a “revolutionary” world ex-position; revolutionary in the sense that it is the first expo hosted in a developing country, the first expo to have urbania as its theme, and the largest world expo site ever with 5.28 square kilometres of awe-inspiring architecture.

Shanghai Expo 2010, accompanied by the slogan “Better City, Better Life” has received attention worldwide due to its transformation of the world exposition. It breaks away from the traditional view that expos are gatherings and conferences for technological advancement. Reason-ing behind such a change, stated by the

Shanghai Expo Committee, is due to the inevitable speed of urbanization. With the ongoing pursuit of a better quality of life including environmental campaigns, the Shanghai Expo focuses on showcasing different solutions and responses to a bet-ter life in the city. The question is: how do we upgrade city life in the new era?

In addition, Shanghai Expo 2010 is a “grand gathering of cultures” says the committee. With 200 participants and 70 million visitors expected, the Shanghai Expo is by far the largest of its kind. On May 1, 2010, the Shanghai Expo opened its doors with the largest light show ever attempted. The emblem, representing the large family of mankind, is only one of the welcoming aspects of this expo.

Walking through the pavilions is an enjoyable and thought-provoking adven-ture. Not only would it be a chance to look at each country‘s interpretation of “Better City, Better Life”, but it would also be a chance to feel the contemporary air of Shanghai. It is definitely an experi-ence not to be missed!

6 \\ JUNE ISSUE

BY TAE-HU KIM

CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE NEWS

shanghai!destinationBY ALICE YOU

A SNEAK PEAK OF THE SHANGHAI EXPO 2010 (MAY 1, 2010 – OCTOBER 31, 2010)

Page 7: Spyglass — June 2010

JUNE 1ST

The price of pearls have been drop-ping in China. Just take a look at the

price tags that contour the display cases of Shanghai’s jewelry stores: dozens of pearls can be purchased for under 10 yuan, or a mere $1.50 Canadian, and that is without bargaining.

Recently, the pearling industry in Southeast Asia and China has been facing a decrease in sales. This is partly due to the global economic reces-sion, but the main problem behind the industry’s af-flictions is a supply glut. Due to the surplus of

unwanted goods caused by the rapid expansion of the pearling in-dustry, the value of the pearls fell and many employees of pearl-ing companies have since lost their jobs. Many economists and individuals in-volved in the pearling industry are of the opinion that a quota should have been ap-plied in Southeast Asian economies since good quality strands made from Australian South-Sea pearls still command prices of $100,000 or more—the same as ten years

Unexpected Devaluation

TEENAGE romanceThe highs and lows of

ago. The quota would have prevented the supply glut from wrenching jobs away from the already impoverished Southeast Asians and Chinese.

In southern China, pearling companies are beginning to worry about the plum-meting prices and the resulting damage to the pearls’ image of exclusivity. In re-

sponse, the Chinese government has begun to rein in pro-

duction. As well, sci-entists have noticed

that the excessive pearl cultivation

has had a neg-ative impact on the en-

vironment, as a mixture of pollu-tion and

fertilizers are dumped

into the water to encourage

the mussels and oysters to produce

pearls faster.

Although the Southeast Asian countries, especially Myanmar, are more along the lines of command, they have been too laissez-faire in terms of the pearl-ing industry. A quota should be placed on pearl production in Southeast Asia to pre-vent a further supply glut from devastating the market.

The tentative hand holding. The sweet glances. The afterschool dates. For

many people, romance in high school is a given. The rush of euphoria that a po-tential sweetheart brings is hardly compa-rable to any other joy—yet, the brilliance of young love can turn sour quite quickly. Intriguing conversations can evaporate into brief greets as the inevitable fall-out occurs, but the doubt remains: is fleeting young love worth pursuing?

The ecstasy of your first serious rela-tionship is hard to forget. Even though high school relationships are usually brief, moments created by these mile-stones in your life undoubtedly bring short-term satisfaction. You’ll reflect on your life, and think, ‘boy, everything’s fi-nally picture perfect’. Amazingly enough, just the presence of a significant other is enough to raise your spirits to new highs. Naturally, it feels like you’re on the top of the world.

Dating in high school allows you to broaden your social circle of friends, which is generally beneficial. You may make new friends, develop new hobbies, and gain significant insight on differ-ent kinds of people. Perhaps you’ll even make new connections with people you wouldn’t have normally approached.

Teen relationships also help you de-velop emotionally and socially. Going out with your special someone broadens your understanding of the expectations and

feelings of your peers. It also lends you insight and experience for the fu-

ture, when a relationship becomes more of a life-long commitment. High school ro-

mances offer you the opportunity to learn from your mistakes, and strengthen your problem-solving skills when it comes to drama and conflict in the romance depart-ment. In your future relationships, you’ll know exactly how to avoid the romantic

mistakes committed in your past.

With the initial contentedness of young love, comes an almost-inevitable breakup. Casual flirting leads into a cautious crush, which may or may not escalate into a fresh, budding relationship. But this excit-ing new commitment eventually fades. Af-

ter the fall-out, feelings will be hurt, and bitter opinions may ensue. The emotional carnage that occurs post-breakup will also hinder happiness to some extent. As we’re all teens, something so traumatic can feel like the end of the world. Be it sexism or not, much of the blame is hauled onto the shoulders of the male, while the female is left to grieve with a group of protective friends. This unbalanced distribution of blame and guilt usually leads to hostility between the ex-couple, which severs ties with the two united social circles. Need-less to say, breakups rarely go smoothly.

The fallout between a couple leads to an uncomfortable awkwardness in their separate social circles- a difficult obstacle to work around in high school. Connec-tions may be lost, new friends may dis-tance themselves; the after effects of a breakup will significantly affect who you still keep in touch with.

The blunt truth is, teen romances rarely last. They also rarely end amicably. To some, it may seem pointless to delve into a commitment that will ultimately reap no reward. Yet, if we were all logical and coldly calculative, we wouldn’t be the teens we are. The whole point of youth is to experiment with the intriguing--this includes learning when you get burnt, as well as smiling at the wonderful memories made. Even though a young relationship might eventually dwindle and die, the ex-periences, both good and bad, help you grow as a person. If you’re lucky, the pain will dim, and you’ll only have to smile back at the memories of precarious, mar-velous young love.

Beijing, China

On June 1st, 1215, the four-year-long war for control of Beijing between the Mongols and the Jurchen Jin dynasty was ended with the Battle of Beijing. For the first two years of war, the Jin was able to keep their enemies at bay, but the Mon-gol army had soon become powerful enough to seize all the Jin terri-tory, apart from the Great Wall of China and Bei-jing. The Mongols, led by Genghis Khan, defeated the Jurchen ruler Em-peror Xuan-zong’s forces by strategi-cally divid-ing his own army into three and at-tacking three different points of the Great Wall.

Anne Boleyn, second wife of the memorable King Henry VIII and mother of the celebrated Queen Elizabeth I, was crowned Queen of England on June 1st, 1533 at a lavish ceremony at Westminster Abbey. She reigned for three years, and was later called the “most influential and

most important queen consort England has ever had” due to her sway over King Henry VIII, who declared independence from Rome and then divorced (and lat-er killed) his first wife in order to marry Anne. After the birth of their daughter Elizabeth and three miscarriages, King Henry VIII accused Anne of adultery, had her beheaded, and married his third wife, Jane Seymour, the next day.

June 1st, 2008 marked the death

of French fash-ion designer Yves Saint

Laurent, heralded as one of the greatest de-signers in 20th cen-

tury French mode. His

strong influ-ence on fashion

can be seen from the popularity of wearing

silhouettes in the 20s-40s, the famous Le Smoking tuxedo for

women in the 60s (pictured left), and his well-liked Prêt-à-Porter line, among many other achievements. Though he passed away due to a battle with brain cancer, his fans remain loyal, and his brand lives on under the direction of YSL Creative Di-rector Stefano Pilati.

Keep the earth green. Please recycle. Brought to you by the RHHS Spyglass Team.

BY QIAN SHI

BY IMELDA LOBY JOYCE TAN

London, England

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IN HISTORY

Page 8: Spyglass — June 2010

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? SUGGESTIONS?

DOWN

EASY MEDIUM HARD

by sam bellotto jr. ACROSS

crossword courtesy of lansingstar.com

A Kakuro puzzle is a cross-word which uses numbers. The clues are in the small triangles.The blank squares must be filled with digits 1 through 9. The numbers in an answer mustadd up to the clue (Left for rows, top for columns). However, no number can be duplicatedin an answer. For example, two squares that add up to 6 may be 1+5 or 2+4 but not 3+3.

We would love to hear them!Email us at [email protected] visit us on Facebook:RHHS Spyglass group

Keep the earth green. Please recycle. Brought to you by the RHHS Spyglass Team.

1 Come down in torrents5 Clunky shoes10 Prefix for content13 Sacco-Vanzetti case org.14 Not too difficult15 Just make (with “out”)16 “Oyster”18 Estuary19 Start20 Entomology study22 Unbury25 Reward for Rover26 Acknowledge29 Giverny denial30 After the ball?31 Rubber trees32 City on the Miss.33 Sham36 Part of ASCAP37 Science of life

1 Shell food2 Computer color3 Israeli oil port4 Mytilidae5 Romaine6 Cicero's lang.7 Conan of TV8 Hidden valley9 "Moby-Dick," for example10 "Quahog"11 Muscular dog12 Not in the ___14 Accomplisheth17 Foxy21 Asteroid discovered in 189823 Golden Rule word24 Squid or octopus26 Corrode27 Morlock victim28 "Scallop"

39 Pooh’s pal40 “Diana and Callisto” painter42 GI rec hall43 Appearance44 Factory sec.45 Unpaid TV ad46 Let up47 Church law49 Definitely not the cheap seats51 Naha locale53 Emulate Icarus57 Schenk of Winter Olympic fame58 “Blue crab”61 Suited ___ tee62 Highway postings63 Verily64 Tchaikovsky’s “Symphony No. 5 ___ Minor”65 Borden’s cash cow?66 nada

32 Sloth, for one33 It's subject to inflation34 The eohippus had fourteen35 Quarter37 Tenacious clinger38 Anthem opener41 Club for Mickelson43 Like refried beans45 Follower of Job46 Shoreline recess47 Nasua narica48 City on the Little Cuyahoga50 Interdicts52 Cry54 Air: Comb. form55 Rock fancier56 He quit working long ago59 Half of CIV60 Suffix for Harlem

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A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

We hope you enjoyed this issue of The Spyglass. Our goal for next year is to promote school spirit and provide students with the opportunity to publish and share their writ-

ten work on a bi-monthly basis. Next year’s issues will have more school involvement, which will mean more school events, club information, and student interviews published. Please feel free to give us feedback on our Facebook group, “RHHS Spyglass.” The Spyglass team would like to thank Mr. Garner and Mr. Mitchell and our previous editors for allowing The Spyglass to continue.

- Katie

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JUNE ISSUE // 8

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Seafood Science


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