staffEditor in Chief

Charlotte Hayes

Managing Editor

Mariella Rubenson

Teacher Moderator

Mary Katherine De Giorgio

Features and Opinions Staff

Natalie Cazes

Jayce McMillan

Ana Rodriguez

Antonia Rubenson

Roshel Anton Winsles

Myrian Ashor

Kayla Burzese

Chiara De Medeiros

Tiffany Hua

Entertainment and Arts Staff

Rowa Ahmed

Lisa Li

Chiara Marchesano

Lucy Pinili

Photo and Art Staff

Sophia Galarza

Selina Alora

Sports Staff

Cindy Xu

News Staff

Janina Badiong

Samantha Jargaille

Emily McGee

Jasmine Mitha

Dear Editor: I’m not a student but a

parent. I just finished reading this

issue of the Bearbuzz and had to

write to let you know that it’s

fabulous! There is such a wide

variety of great content and I’m

sure that everyone will find

something to interest them. I

especially loved gaining insight into

the lives of people who make up

the St Joe’s community, like

“Humans of St Joes”, the interview

with Mr Sabyan and “Starting high

school in the middle of the

pandemic”. I’m already looking

forward to reading the next edition.

Keep up the good work!

- Natasha M

If you would like to submit a Letter

to the Editor, visit our website

(https://bearbuzzadvice.wixsite.co

m/bearbuzz).

the Bearbuzz

Cover design by Selina Alora

Letter to the Editor

from theeditor's desk

Welcome to the second edition of Bearbuzz and the first edition of 2021!

After the firestorm that was 2020, we wanted to provide a space for

journalists to reflect on something that is truly meaningful to them, their

culture and heritage.

As you read through the articles you’ll see flags beside each person‘s

name. The flags represent the cultural backgrounds of our journalists and

photographers.

A massive thank you to the writing and photography staff for compiling

an amazing selection of articles, stories, photos and games for this issue.

Thank you to Mariella Rubenson for assisting me in editing and formatting

this issue and a special thank you to Ms. De Giorgio for being our Teacher

Moderator.

We hope you enjoy this issue and have an amazing 2021!

Editor in Chief

Charlotte Hayes

In this issue

Issue 2, January 2021

International Students of St Joe's

By Cindy Xu

Bearbuzz Book Club

By Charlotte Hayes And Mariella Rubenson

Virtual February fun

By Chiara Marchesano

Will 2021 be Any Better Than 2020?

By Chiara De Medeiros

Eat Your Way Around Toronto

By Ana Rodriguez

The Land Back Movement

By Samantha Jargaille

"Don't go down to the valley," my mom said. She always told me such foolish things. Deep down I knew the things she told

me were for my own safety. But why would I listen to her? Why listen to her when I could soar through a valley full of trees

and run my hands through the soft spring water? Why listen to her when I could be free from my father's cruel grasp? Why

listen to her when I didn't have to? I went. Of course I went. It felt so much better when I didn't listen; when I did listen I'd just

end up sitting in an empty room with only my thoughts to consume me. I've done that too many times before—I'll sit alone

thinking and spiralling until I destroy myself to the point of self harm. When I got to the valley I started to run. I don't know

why I ran—maybe to run away from the terrors of what became my home or maybe because I wanted to take advantage of

the fact that the nature around me was ephemeral. I ended up in a familiar field of flowers. My surroundings were simply

breathtaking. I'm not sure why humans view nature as beautiful, it's just trees and rocks. Maybe we think nature is so

magnificent since we know it won't last forever. Maybe we're scared that one day we'll wake up and it will have disappeared,

never to be seen again. I'm not scared of those things. But if I were scared, it wouldn't just be the feeling of being scared of

the shadow in my room at night. It would be the feeling of pure terror; the feeling of when you're lost and go through the list

of every single person in your life before you realize that you're truly alone. He used to bring me to this spot when I was little.

He'd whisper in my ear "this will all be gone soon," and he was right. I was so stupid to ignore my father's boast. So I sat

looking at all the trees because I knew that too enough, we will be living like the people in The Lorax, with plastic trees and

people to deliver oxygen instead of milk. So I remain, staring at the sky until stars fill the atmosphere, I don’t intend to leave

my spot until daylight. I know very well when I get home my parents won’t care. I'm still sitting alone but it doesn't feel that

way. It almost feels that I'm with someone, but I don't know who. I'm not thinking of the horrible things in the universe, I'm

not thinking about the terrors of my home. Instead I'm thinking about the wonders of the universe the people who fill the

world with love and joy, the things in the cosmos that make each one of us smile when we think of them, the people of our

past. I wonder what would happen if nothing of this ever happened; no I'm not talking about the universe, I'm talking about

my parents, what would happen if they never existed. I know very well that it wouldn't affect anyone besides me. I recognize

that I wouldn't exist. But that doesn't matter, I don't matter. It's late now, I can see all the stars in the world from where I sit,

I have the moon to lead me home and even if it doesn't it's not like it matters anyway. So I stay, staring at the sky until

stars fill the atmosphere, I don’t intend to leave my spot until daylight. I know very well when I get home my parents won’t

care. I want to absorb the whole thing because this might be one of the last times we could ever sit and take advantage of

the nature surrounding us. I want to stay here and never leave. I knew deep down inside that at some point in time these

thoughts that consume me will come back and never leave. I knew that soon enough I would never come back. That's why I

come here for the purpose of not spiralling down thinking of every little mistake and finding the tiny details and making

them a thousand times worse than they are. It's true we only have one life but you are the one that makes your life long or

short. I don't mean by doing unhealthy things, I mean that if you have a joyous life, a life full of wonder and adventure it

would be the best and the shortest life. It would feel so full. By having so much fun, your life flashes by before your eyes. If

you have a dreaded life thinking at any moment you could get up and end it, then your life would be horrible and long. I look

up, trying not to think those consuming thoughts. Instead I see a sea of stars and a world shielded away from me. The stars

were arranged so perfectly. The glow of the moon reflected off the pond next to me, revealing a single lily pad. I take a deep

breath, in then out. It's not warm but not cold enough that I can see my breath. I shiver and decide to get up and go for a

walk. I walk past the alpine trees. There's a small path, big enough for my tiny feet to fit. I keep on walking, not recognizing

my surroundings, not recognizing my faults, not recognizing the consequences of my actions. I keep walking until I truly

realize that I am lost and don't know my way back. Surrounded by things that are dying, I close my eyes, never to be opened

again.

The Valley

A short story by Antonia Rubenson

Land Back, put simply, is the movement thatIndigenous people want ownership of their land toensure Indigenous rights, food sovereignty, clean air,clean water, and housing, and that Indigenouslanguage and culture are respected. This movementhas existed in many forms since colonial governmentsstole the land. Recently it has seen success with thereturn of 1,200 acres of land to the Esselen tribe inBig Sur, California, and the removal of dams alongthe Klamath River in Oregon. Nikita Longman, who is a community organizerfrom George Gordon First Nation, Saskatchewan,defines Land Back as “a return to our languages."She also stated that “#LandBack has been so widelypopular because it’s a term that is accessible foreveryone… LandBack cannot be co-opted by thegovernment and turned into a performance… in theway we have seen with ‘reconciliation.'" As of 2017, only 0.2% of Canadian land isdedicated to reserves. This leads to systematicimpoverishment and a lack of access to programs andservices which harms Indigenous communities overtime. Until the issue of land is resolved andIndigenous communities have enough land andresources to protect their language and culture andexercise their rights to their land, reconciliation isn’tpossible. In 2019 the Intergovernmental Panel onClimate Change recognized that Land Back andclimate action are closely linked. This is because overgenerations, Indigenous peoples have accumulatedvaluable knowledge on how to live sustainably fromthe land. Marcus Briggs-Cloud, co-founder of Maskoke eco-village says that “the ways that our Indigenousancestors defined relationships to land are sparselyknown today because of the impacts of colonialism…LandBack affords the opportunity to decolonize ourrelationship with land… By decolonizing, I mean thatwe have to reject the commodification andexploitation of land… If it’s not the land we’re living onthat’s being abused and exploited for capital, it’ssome other Indigenous peoples traditionalhomelands.”

The Arctic Refuge located in Alaska, USA has anissue that has arisen in the past few weeks. TheTrump administration has auctioned off pieces of theland because of oil and gas leaks in the reserve. Theauction was set in order to make a large sum ofmoney. Trump’s administration predicted to earn$14.4 million by selling 550,000 acres of the reserveand this is only for a fraction of the land they wantedto lease. Trump's administration is rushing thisprocess before his presidential term ends due to theamount of power he currently has as well as themoney he will gain and before Biden takes office anddecides to end this setback to our environment. Theauction has accounted for one of the largestenvironmental setbacks the world has seen in a longtime. In 2017, Congress authorized drilling in therefuge, taking away thousands of homes to migratingcaribous, polar bears, arctic foxes and many otherspecies of arctic animals. If these lands are drilled intoagain this rupture in the ecosystem will not only affectthe animals, it could also have drastic effects onpeople as well due to the lack of population in theanimals, the rising temperatures and the pollutionbeing caused by the gas and oil drilling. There aremany supporting the destruction of this reserve,although this may not be enough due to the socialmedia exposure it has been experiencing. Socialmedia has had an impact on the delays of theauctions and the views of people involved in the plansof destroying the Arctic reserve. People have beenspreading awareness on platforms such as TikTokand Instagram, which is allowing people to expresstheir opinion on the Arctic refuge as well as signpetitions and donate money to this cause. Manyvoices were heard because of social media and themajority of them want the Arctic reserve in Alaska tostay protected. People from all over the worldincluding Canada and countries in Europe have madeit clear that they support Biden and everyone elsewho are helping protect this amazing reserve that isfull of living creatures. Without people standing up forwhat they believe in this ecosystem it may havegotten destroyed a lot sooner but with social media,everyone is standing to protect it.

Features Staff Jasmine Mitha

Land BackFeatures Staff Samantha Jargaille

The Arctic Wildlife Refuge

For this edition of Bearbuzz teacher interviews, we asked Ms. Marroum to shed some

light on what life has been like as an online teacher. Despite the luxury of rolling out of

bed and into class, virtual learning presents a new set of obstacles for us to overcome.

Communication with other teachers has become significantly more challenging for Ms.

Marroum: gone are the days of popping into another teacher’s classroom to ask a

question. Ms. Marroum stays organized by setting reminders for herself in order to

prioritize and complete her many tasks. To maintain a positive attitude despite the

many challenges, Ms. Marroum takes her dog on frequent walks, reads and exercises at

home. Taking time away from the bright screen allows her to be productive, spend

virtual time with family and appreciate her amazing colleagues. Events put on by the

fitness club and PALS trivia nights remind her of St. Joe’s strong community and

perseverance. By teaching co-ed classes over the past two quadmesters, Ms.

Marroum has learned the importance of variety and perspective. Although she misses

the girls at St. Joe’s, virtual learning has allowed her to meet students she otherwise

would not have had the opportunity to work with. Ms. Marroum reminds the St. Joe’s

community to be adaptable, optimistic and that this year is a learning experience.

Overall, she rates these past two quads eight out of ten for growth and appreciates

not having to pack a lunch each day.

an interview with msmarroum Features Staff Chiara De Medeiros

weirdsportsaround

the

wor

ld •

In chess-boxing, participants go head-to-head in alternate

rounds of chess games and boxing. The game begins with a

four-minute chess game. Players then go for a three-minute

round of boxing in the ring before moving back to the chess

board. This weird sport is made of eleven rounds, six of which

are chess rounds and the rest are boxing. Participants remove

their boxing gloves and are given noise-cancelling headphones

for the chess rounds. This aspect of the sport is simply 'speed

chess.' If officials think a player is delaying the chess rounds to

pressure their opponent to move within ten seconds, they will

intervene.

Toe wrestling is identical to arm wrestling with a few

changes made to accommodate the physiology of the toe.

Before wrestling, the two players must remove their socks

and shoes in order to reveal their toes. In the modern form

of the game, players' feet are placed on mats or panels. The

feet must remain above a line set in the centre of the board.

After the two players have properly positioned their feet,

one player will connect their big toe to the big toe of the

other player by putting it between the big toe and second

toe of their opponent.

While we all wait with bated breath to

see if there will in fact be Olympic

Games in 2021, we thought we would

take a look at other sports that

probably never make it into any

Olympic Games... or will they?

Sports Staff Cindy Xu

Toe Wrestling, England

Chess Boxing, the Netherlands

Extreme ironing is characterized as an uncommon extreme sport

in which people choose a remote ironing venue. This

comparatively straightforward sport has a few guidelines. The

first collection of rules is concerned with the ironing board. The

board must be 30 centimeters wide and one meter long and

should have legs. The next regulation is that a plastic iron is not

permitted to be used; instead, it must be a true one. The clothing

that one uses for ironing must be at least the size of a tea towel.

And lastly, the event should take place outdoors. DE Waterman

Diving Club, which had 173 people ironing underwater at one time,

holds the world record for intense ironing.

A pillow fight battle lasts a mere five minutes. The

judging panel, comprised of three members, announces

the winner if the time limit has passed without a clear

winner. During the battle, leg drops, submission holds,

punching and other movements are forbidden as long

as the fighter uses a pillow to strike. If they try to

attack with a pillow, the competitor is not permitted to

grasp the attacker's arm. If this occurs, they will be

alerted and/or excluded form the game.

This beloved local event comes to the Tualatin Commons

every October with a set of races. Comprising of paddlers

flying gigantic pumpkins across a body of water on Tualatin

Commons Lake, the episode is just what it seems. The event

starts with a grand pumpkin parade and weigh-off, followed by

a long day of costumed participants in 1,000-pound pumpkin

boats crossing the shallow lake. The race itself is pretty

simple. Growers cut out their pumpkins, and with a paddle they

hop in. Members of the group get a chance at sailing a giant

pumpkin themselves after the first heat.

Pillow Fight League, canada

Windsor Pumpkin Regatta, canada

Extreme Ironing, England

eat your way around Torontoeat your way around Torontoeat your way around TorontoGeorge Street DinerAddress: 129 George St, Toronto

George Street Diner is one of Toronto's exemplary diners

with genuine old fashioned allure, spotted by its brilliant red

brick outside and road confronting the kitchen picture

window. Expect Irish morning meals and soft drink bread,

alongside coffee shop works of art reluctant to settle on

quality with regards to neighborhood, natural fixings to an

astonishing level.

The Irish Breakfast ($9.95) plates up two organic eggs with

sausage, ham or peameal (we go sausage), a seared tomato,

beans, slightly spicy home fries and Irish soda bread.

Address: 1400 O'Connor Dr., East York

Slayer Burger is a raving success burger joint with a wild

rock and roll theme. It's a place of worship to carbs that

serves top of the line privately made Famiglia Baldassarre

pasta as well as burgers, shakes and of course salads.

While they are marked as smash burgers and the patties

are generally thin, these are somewhat thicker than your

normal smash burger with a decent covering, however less

of a firm flimsy edge like numerous others.

The Slayer Burger ($14.99) has two Canadian AAA beef

patties, cheddar, caramelized onions, bacon and Slayer

sauce on sesame buns made locally by Padaria.

Pii Nong ThaiCho Sun Ok

Slayer Burger

Address: 7353 Yonge St, Toronto

Cho Sun Ok is a purveyor of fine, natively constructed Korean

food and is most popular for their meager arrowroot noodles

served over cold stock. Known as naengmyeon, the dish

started in the northern region of Korea, and is presented with

julienne cucumbers, radishes, a boiled egg, and an

assortment of different fixings. In the sea of numerous

astounding Toronto Korean restaurants, Cho Sun Ok stands

out with the quality of their dishes. All the food here is

produced using homemade ingredients, and their cool

noodles are an absolute necessity.

With regards to cold noodles, we recommend Bibim

Naengmyun ($11.95). As opposed to the standard form, this

dish accompanies a fiery sauce rather than stock.

Address: 1677 Bayview Ave., East York

Pii Nong Thai, in Leaside, sells Bangkok-style street food

and pastries. The café is helmed by Chef Nana, who had

been working at Thai staple Khao San Road for a long time

before.

Nana's experience working in a food stall with her mom as

a kid indicates the degree of expertise exhibited. Beside

the standard top picks like penang green curry, the menu

incorporates some Thai dishes that are less common.

Nana is one of the only ones in the city who makes

khanom buang. This crepe-like dish, produced using

pandan meringue and an egg yolk sugar blend, should be

requested ahead of time.

Gai satay ($7) is chicken skewers that have marinated in

coconut milk for 24 hours. They're definitely not stingy

with the peanut satay sauce.

Mooring Eats

Address: 2481 Lake Shore Blvd., Etobicoke

Mooring Eats is an easygoing Syrian spot presenting Middle

Eastern top choices like shawarma, kebabs and shish tawook.

Situated in a little square in Mimico, the parking area of this

nautical-themed spot is certainly limited, however the inside

of the café is open and brilliantly lit. Owners and siblings, Spiro

Abdalnor and Jean Kaloosian, used to own a café in Latakia, a

port city in Syria, before they chose to move their families to

Canada in 2013.

Chicken shawarma nachos ($10): It's certainly not a virtuous

request: Singles cheddar is put on the chicken while on the

barbecue

Address: 61 Kensington Ave., Toronto

Rasta Pasta got its name from combining customary

Italian and Caribbean dishes however it's the Jamaican

side of the eatery that has taken off as Kensington

Market local people know to come here for their fill of

natively constructed snap chicken and pork.

The restaurant ranges two next to each other take-out

spaces on Kensington Avenue. Despite the fact that the

menu (and name) brags an assortment pasta, because of

time requirements and the superseding notoriety of the

Jamaican dishes, the two sides present basically

Jamaican dishes, with the Italian side demonstrating just

as panini and a periodic meat or veggie lasagna.

Rasta Pasta

Features Staff Ana Rodriguez

George Street Diner

Slayer Burger

Cho Sun Ok

Pii Nong Thai

Mooring Eats

Rasta Pasta

During the last ten months while we've been stuck athome, I have had a lot of time to think and reflect. Ithought about the past but the future was what I wasfocused on. I kept thinking about my plans and hopes forafter the pandemic. One thing that I was looking forward towas my cousin’s wedding. It was supposed to happenApril of this year and I was going to be a bridesmaid. Likemany other events, the wedding has been postponed.Another thing I plan for after the pandemic is joining mysoccer league again. The 2020 soccer season was a hugemess and it ended up getting canceled which was difficultfor me. I’ve been playing soccer every year since I wasfour years old so it is something I can't wait to get backinto. My family tries to travel as much as we can becausewe have so many family members overseas.Unfortunately this year we were unable to visit them andgo on the trip we had planned. It had always been mydream to visit Spain! My dad was also supposed to go toDenmark at the beginning of 2021 to celebrate mygrandmother’s 100th birthday! Sadly, he was unable to goand we had to have a video call instead. At least we couldsee and hear her. This is the unfortunate case for manyfamilies this year so I am looking forward to traveling andbeing able to see my family again. Since I have been athome for so long I started creating a long-term bucket listand I found new interests. Some things that I includedwere traveling to Japan, seeing the Northern Lights andgetting my university degree. Along with the new interestsI have discovered, I started creating monthly goals. Somegoals I have are stretching daily, meditating and readingpoems. The thing a lot of people across the world arethinking about right now is returning to their regular life. Iplan to get back to my “normal” life. By “normal” I meangoing to the mall, to Canada’s Wonderland, being able totravel again, go out with friends and back to the usualschool environment. Since we barely celebrated birthdaysand special events during this time, I plan to have hugecelebrations for all my family and friends after thispandemic is over. I am hoping that after this pandemic theworld comes back stronger and we treat everyone equally.Another one of my hopes for after the pandemic is thateveryone will leave with a lesson from this. For me, it tooka long time to get into a good place but everyone has toremember we are only human and we have our ups anddowns. I learned the importance of the people around meand the love and care I have for them and myself. Whathave you learned?

Hundreds of movies come out annually, so how canwe truly say a movie is brilliantly unpredictable to reachthe box office that year? Oftentimes, any new major filmis deemed a masterpiece, however, I can say withcertainty that this movie was truly, unquestionably oneof the best movies of 2019. This South Korean thrillerfilm was directed by Bong Joon-Ho (who also co-wrotethe screenplay with Han Jin-Won) and this may be hismost bold take on a modern-day economic issue. It firstfeels like satire: a comedy of lovable con artists thatseem as though they have finally caught a break withthis wealthy family. Yet they slowly become entangledin a string of their own lies. And then it falls apart. Whenit seems as though they finally have everything set inplace, the story turns bloodshed. As the viewer, you feelas though the film is constantly on the brink of fallingapart; however, director Joon-Ho somehow manages tokeep it together by a fine thread, and the result isastonishing. Kim Ki-Woo and his family are on aconstant brink of poverty. They fold delivery boxes inorder to make some cash and steal wifi from a localcoffee shop. A friend of Ki-Woo’s has to leave thecountry for a bit, so he recommends Ki-Woo to fill in asan English tutor for a girl he had been working with. Theyoung man later goes to the house, claiming his nameis Kevin and begins tutoring Park Da-Hye, whoimmediately falls for him, of course. However, Kevin hasalready devised a plan—he is going to get his wholefamily to work at this house. He quickly convinces themother of the house, Yeon-Kyo, that her son needs anart tutor, which thus leads Kevin’s sister “Jessica” intoentering the picture. Before long, mom and dad haveboth managed to secure jobs in the Park house as well,and it seems that for once, life is going perfectly for theKim family, and the Park family is happy too. But theneverything changes. Parasite is a spectacular,entertaining film that has even managed to go beyondlanguage barriers, as it is the first foreign film to win thetop prize for best picture at the Oscars. It digs deeperinto the ways of our society, and how the wealthy liveoff the labour of the poor. Even down to the symbolismbehind the contrasting ways of living in both houses—the poor Kim family living in a small apartment halfwayunderground, whilst the rich Park family lives in aspacious mansion with plenty of room to spare. This istruly, and I say this with no bias, a cinematic, thought-provoking masterpiece that all should considerwatching.

Features Staff Myrian Ashor

post-covid plansreview of parasiteEntertainment Staff Tiffany Hua

From late December 2020 until early January 2021, the SJCS PALs ran a series of workshops called

PALs 101. The workshops were created and run by the PALs core and executive teams with

members in grades 10 to 12, and were designed for grades 9 and 10 students throughout the board.

The workshops covered a variety of topics from wellness to motivation. Features Staff Kayla

Burzese had a chance to sit down with PALs co-chair Agnes McGinnis and talk about PALs 101 in

early January.

Kayla: What is PALs 101?Agnes: PALs 101 was an idea that our team came up with and a way to kinda do an ongoing

orientation as a connection for grade 9s. Usually, when we do in-school learning we’re always in the

hallway and they have more of that personal connection to be able to come up to us and talk to us.

We wanted to kinda give that question and answer experience but virtually so it had to be more

organized. We planned out seminars that would focus on different topics that would give grade 9s

information on stuff like mental health, personal wellness, course selection, and getting involved in

the school community. So those are the four that we ended up picking and kind of giving everyone an

opportunity to learn about upperclassmen and ask unrelated questions if they wanted about anything

since they never really experienced high school in person so they can get their fears out of the way.

K: That sounds great! What are the benefits of joining PALs 101?A: It gives them an opportunity to connect with older students. We have students in grades 10 to 12

in PALs and so it gives the grade 9s an opportunity to connect with grade 10s who are closer in age

and also the grades 11s and 12s who have more experience in school and also can connect them

with peers outside of the classroom environment. It’s really nice to have them in small groups so they

can have really good personal discussions.

K: That’s amazing! What would you want to say to anyone considering joining a workshop?A: PALs 101 is honestly the best way right now to connect with older students. There’s no pressure

to show up and participate, you can choose not to, you don’t even have to turn on your camera or

talk since you can just type in the chat. It’s a really nice no-pressure way to meet new people and just

have fun.

K: That’s great, and that’s all the questions!A: Awesome, have a good day!

PALs 101 Features Staff Kayla Burzese

I’m in the middle of doing homework and my mind is drifting

towards the existential. What is trigonometry? What is life? Who

am I? I glance at the globe on my shelf and my eyes land squarely

on Kunlun Shan, the long mountain chain in Asia. Is a teenager

there also trying to find the value of cosine using a Pythagorean

identity?

I spin the globe and I am again looking at China, but this time the

province of Fujian pops out at me. I find Xiamen, a city on the

coast, and think of how this place is a part of my story. I know this

from having done extensive research for a presentation in 10th

grade history. I told my classmates the story of Lim Chuaco, a

poor baker who left Xiamen in the late 1800s to seek his fortune

on a small, heart-shaped island in the Philippines. He built a bakery,

married a local woman and raised a family. Their son became a

lawyer and diplomat who married the daughter of the town mayor,

had six children and moved them around the world - to Pakistan,

Korea, Egypt and Italy. Their only daughter married the son of an

Iraqi general, who back in the 1700s had Jewish and West African

ancestors. Their daughter married the son of a Dutch Jew, whose

parents survived the concentration camps in World War II and a

Swedish Jew, who also, in the 1700s had West African ancestors.

That daughter had me.

As soon as I finished telling this story, a classmate exclaimed in

disbelief, “you’re Wasian?!”

It took me a second to realize what they were talking about.

Wasian? What does that even mean? Then it clicked. Wasian:

white and Asian. I never thought about race all that much before -

not mine and not others. But at that moment, I realized that my

classmates were looking at me a little bit differently, as though

opening up about my origins reframed the picture. I was still the

same person I was a moment before but the image they now saw

was, let’s say, a bit less cropped.

reflections: thinking aboutmy place in the world

This spring, following the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna

Taylor and George Floyd and the growing importance of the Black

Lives Matter movement, I started to reflect more on race and how

critical it is to acknowledge it as a part of people’s identities. I

realized that recognizing race is a way of understanding people

better, where they’re from and what their experience might be.

Every time I step outside, walk down the street, enter a classroom

or attend a family event, I am presented with a tapestry of colour.

It's been like that ever since I can remember and I haven't

reflected on it. It's who I am and where I live. But as someone from

a multicultural family living in one of the most diverse cities in the

world, it occurs to me how absurd it is that I hadn’t given it that

much thought before.

The colour of one's skin is the very fabric of one's being. It’s the

face that stares back from the mirror, the image captured in a

selfie. There is no way of avoiding it. I share my blue eyes with

some of my white ancestors and their almond shape is something

I’ve inherited from my Asian forebears. These eyes help me

navigate my way in this world, just as his, hers and theirs do. If I

don’t see my race or that of others, what else am I missing?

Framed another way, by being mindless of race, am I denying

someone an essential part of who they are?

I am curious about the world and eager to learn about the

challenges it faces. I am fascinated by people’s decision-making

and am interested in what motivates people to act the way they

do. When I leave St Joe's, I plan to study economics and

psychology to be able to examine decision-making up close.

Beyond the classroom, I want to explore far-flung corners of the

earth and understand the people who live there. What motivates

them? What do they believe is true? If I ignore race, I ignore origins.

And I would miss so much. By Mariella Rubenson

Harry Potter Book Night Quiz (Diagon Alley theme) Feb 4 18-19 GMT

Star Wars Trivia On Instagram Livestream Feb 18 7:30-8:30 ET

ToF Production Presents: Magnolia Boulevard (a performance by Kentucky rock and soul band Magnolia

Boulevard that will perform their new EP New Illusion live) Feb 25 7:45 - 11:00 PM EST ($10-$89 per

ticket)

Jazz streaming on Youtube by pianist Gerald Clayton and Gilbert Castellanos Feb 1 7-8:30pm EST

($15-20 per ticket)

Valentines Chocolate Donuts Class on Facebook and Instagram

Feb 7 2:00- 2:30PM EST

French Macarons Class on Zoom Feb 5 6PM-8PM ($50 per ticket)

Global Cuisine: Lunar New Year-Dumplings Hands on class via Zoom Feb 12 5:30 - 8:00 PM EST ($7

per ticket)

Since the Covid-19 State of Emergency, many people have been looking for ways to entertain themselves at

home. Here are some fun virtual activities happening this February.

Eventbrite: Eventbrite is an online platform that hosts events on several different subjects, from music performances to

exercise to cooking classes to inspirational talks. Here are just a few of the events happening this February.

1) Quizzes

2) Music

3) Cooking:

4)Talk with Bill Gates on his new book How to Avoid a Climate Change Disaster Feb 17 7PM ($35 per ticket)

5) Virtual Among Us Gaming Days (having several Saturdays in February)

6) Beginner Online Coding Class Feb 6 11AM-3PM

7) Galentine's Day Wellness Party (yoga/exercise session for girls taught by four health and wellness

professionals) Feb 12 7-8:30 PM EST

8) Movie ShowingsA lot of production companies are now streaming

their movies online. Check out this list of movies

coming out in February 2021.

Arts Staff Chiara-Marie Marchesano virtual February fun

February 5, 2021

Malcom and Marie

Cinderella

February 19, 2021

Flora & Ulysses’

‘I Care A Lot’

Nomadland

Friday February 12th

Judas and the Black Messiah

To All The Boys: Always And Forever

The United States vs. Billie Holiday

What About Love

Friday February 26th

Cherry

Tom and Jerry

Tom Clancy's Without Remorse

Daisy is currently a grade 11 international

student studying at SJCS. During my interview

with her, she said "I like the teachers and staff in

SJCS. They are understanding, kind, respectful

and caring to us international students. I'm really

grateful that my teachers always understood my

difficulties to read and write in a foreign

language when I was in the ESL program and they

gave me extra time in quizzes and tests. I also

appreciate the help and support of our school

staff. For example, I remembered the caretakers

carried a desk from the fifth floor to the music

room in the basement for me to put my

instrument on when I practised it last year. Other

examples of help and support I got from my

teachers during the pandemic period are that

Ms. Ramdath talked with me in Zoom to give me

the mental support and Ms. Pregelj helped me to

find a tutor to improve my English skills. I also

wanted to mention the adorable teacher in the

studying hall and after-class snack distribution

program who, to my surprise, remembered my

favourite snack is cheese and gave me a handful

of MARBELICIOUS on the day I left my class late

and missed the snack cart. I would never forget

the help and support from all my teachers and

the school staff which proves that I have made

the best decision to become a student in SJCS.”

vibe has impressed her a lot, especially the ISA

(International Student Association) that has

helped her a lot by answering questions and

concerns. She loved the friendly guidance

counsellor team who helped her to choose the

course to better suit her passion and future

career. Overall, she said SJCS is like a big family

where everyone is there to support each other

and she liked it very much.

Yvette is an international student alumna of

SJCS and currently studying at Ryerson

University. When she first came to SJCS in the

second semester of grade 10, she used to worry

that she might not be able to make many friends

because of her introverted personality. This kind

of feeling immediately disappeared after the

first week because she felt like all of her

Chinese compatriots, the teacher and staff are

all very friendly and help her to conquer the

language barrier. She suffered from some

mental depression after coming from China at

the beginning of 2020 so a teacher helped her to

find a psychologist who led her to open her mind

and help her get back on track within a short

period of time. Even though after the lockdown

all courses have been moved online, she really

wishes to come back to SJCS and talk to

teachers and friends. In the end, she emphasizes

that thanks to all of her friends who keep on

chatting with her during the lockdown to keep

her loved and positive. She sincerely wishes

every fellow SJCS student good luck and best

utilizes their high school time to find their

passion and realize their dream.

international students of st joe'sSports Staff Cindy Xu

Daisy Sheng Wang

Gaoxian Zhao

Gaoxian is a current grade 11 student at SJCS.

As an international student coming from China,

she had a great rich and meaningful experience

for both in-class studying and extracurricular

activities. The cultural diversity and

inclusiveness

Yvette Yuexuan Zhang

Bearbuzz book club

Night, Elie Wiesel

A memoir detailing one Jewish

Romanian boy's experience of

the Holocaust.

The House on Mango Street,

Sandra Cisneros

The Namesake, Jhumpa Lahiri

Editor -in-Chief Charlotte Hayes Managing Editor Mariella Rubenson

Annie John, Jamaica Kincaid

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,

Maya Angelou

My Brilliant Friend, Elena Ferrante

Song of Solomon, Toni Morrison

The Monk of Mokha, Dave Eggers

A series of vignettes telling the

story of a 12-year old Chicana girl

growing up in the Hispanic quarter of

Chicago.

A novel following the life of

Milkman Dead, an African-

American man living in Michigan.

The story of two generations of a

family of Indian immigrants to the

United States.

A classic coming of age story

detailing the coming-of-age of a

girl in Antigua.

A modern masterpiece about two

friends growing up in a poor

neighbourhood on the outskirts

of Naples.

The true story of a Yemeni

American trying to resurrect

Yemeni coffee while getting

trapped in a civil war.

An autobiography describing the

early years of Angelou's life.

Bless Me, Ultima, Rudolfo Anaya

A classic Chicano novel following

a boy who questions his beliefs

as he is mentored by his

curandera.

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich,

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyan

The Autobiography of Malcolm X,

Alex Haley and Malcolm X

Everything I Never Told You, Celeste Ng

The Black God's Drums, P. Djèlí Clark

The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan

Emergency Skin, N.K. Jemisin

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-

Time Indian, Sherman Alexie

A novel telling the story of a single

day in a Soviet labour camp.

Told in the first person, this novel is

about a teenage boy's life on the

Spokane Indian Reservation and his

choice to go to an all-white high school.

Malcolm X, Muslim leader, firebrand

and anti-integrationist tells the story

of his life and the growth of the

Black Muslim movement.

This novel is about a mixed-race

Chinese-American family whose

middle daughter Lydia is found

drowned in a lake.

A novel focusing on four Chinese-

American immigrant families who

form a club to play mahjong.

An explorer returns to gather

information from a climate-

ravaged Earth that his ancestors,

and others among the planet’s

finest, fled centuries ago.

A teen wants to escape living on the

streets of New Orleans so she sets her

sights on a smuggler airship.

Fitting with January's multicultural theme, Charlotte and Mariella give their recommendations for

books with diverse characters and authors that they have read and loved. If you read or have

read any of these, DM us on Instagram and tell us what you thought!

A 15-year-old Colorado high school scientist who has used man-

made consciousness and made applications to handle debased

drinking water, cyberbullying, narcotic dependence and other social

issues has been named Time Magazine's first-since forever "Kid of

the Year." Gitanjali Rao, a sophomore at STEM School Highlands

Ranch in rural Denver, was chosen from more than 5000 candidates

in a process that ended with a finalists' board of trustees of

students, Time for Kids correspondents and comedian Trevor Noah.

Time said that, alongside Nickelodeon, it needed to find "the rising

heads of America's most youthful age" in choosing the honour. For

a many years, Time has published a "Person of the Year," the

youngest being Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg,

who was 16 when she graced the magazine's cover a year ago. Time

said Rao stood out for inspiring other young trend-setters and

rousing them to seek their goals. Rao demands that starting small

is okay, as long as you're enthusiastic about it.

Rao's development began early. At age 12, she built a versatile

gadget to identify lead in water. She's made a gadget called Epione

that analyzes remedy narcotic fixation at an early stage. Likewise,

she's concocted an application that uses computerized reasoning

to help stop cyberbullying. It permits youth to type in a word or

expression to see whether the words they're using are appropriate

and allows them to choose to alter what they're sending or to

continue.

We can all agree that Rao's accomplishments at such a young

age are impressive. It will be interesting to see what she does next!

Maryam Tsegaye, 17, used her adoration for science to win

first prize in the Breakthrough Junior Challenge last year, an

competition in which teenagers across the world make short

recordings to communicate a science or math concept. “It

was really crazy, I didn’t believe it at all when I found out,”

Tsegaye told CTV News. She thought about her success for

two weeks, however needed to keep it on "the down low,"

until the champ was reported on December third. The grand

prize included $250,000 to go towards her education, a

$100,000 science lab for her high school, and $50,000 for

her science teacher. Tsegaye said she was "totally" amazed

by the success. She was in class at her school, Ecole

McTavish Public High School, in Fort McMurray, when she was

surprised with a video message from two of the judges for

the challenge. “My favourite [entry] was this absolutely

remarkable explanation of a complex topic called quantum

tunnelling,” astronaut Scott Kelly said in the video. At the

point when the two reported that she had won, Tsegaye

applauded over her mouth, stunned. It wasn't long before she

was in tears. The inspiring moment was caught on camera and

shared on the challenge's site this month.

“I picked quantum tunnelling because it’s a quantum

phenomenon that I’d never heard of until I was researching for

the competition, and I was completely taken away with the

whole topic and fell down a spiral of articles and everything.”

So what is quantum tunnelling? In her winning video, Tsegaye

began by referring to a cheat code in a computer game her

sibling had played which permitted characters to travel

through walls. “Imagine if you could walk through walls in real

life!” she said in the video. “And it turns out you can -- at a

quantum level.” Using drawings and short movements, she

clarified ideas that are difficult for even adults to understand.

Quantum mechanics concerns particles smaller than iotas

which can move in very curious manners. If this sounds

confusing, just watch Tsegaye's video. “I tried to explain it

with video games and dice and things like that as an analogy,”

she said. To win the prize, she needed to stand apart among

the approximately 5,600 teens from around the world. Be that

as it may, she pulled it off. “[The judges] said that it was a

really good explanation,” Tsegaye said.

Girls who've done amazing thingsFeatures Staff Ana Rodriguez

Gitanjali Rao Maryam Tsegaye

Features Staff Sophia Galarza

Hello SJCS! Want to become educated on current environmental issues? On January 27th at 4:30pm there is an Eco Talk on

Zoom. You can find the link in the Eco Club Instagram bio. This week's topic will be on Preserving the Great Lakes. The Great

Lakes are an intercall to the habitat of the area surrounding and have been greatly threatened by reckless pollution from the

surrounding populations. Did you know that over 3,500 species call the Great Lakes home? These plants and animals are

some of the most at risk, especially in Lakes Ontario and Erie, since they are the most polluted lakes in North America. It also

contains 20% of the earth’s surface fresh water, and contributes half of Canada’s manufacturing output. We all know one of

the Great Lakes very well, Lake Ontario. As Lake Ontario is a 30 minute walk from our school the beauty of it is something

close to home. The Great Lakes get infected with 1.2 million Olympic swimming pools of DDT, Mercury, and other horrible

pollutants. But we can help to stop this! Find out how you can help and make a difference at our Eco Talk this Wednesday!

Find the link and password at

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FChCwWOsUjhI8VarhNtRlNAg59d_A7YAvDjoScvNlkg/edit

While the riots only occurred recently, this has seemingly been brewing for the four years Trump has been in office. All of his

tweets and comments in press conferences have been gathering a lot of attention with his supporters and now it has blown up

in everyone's face. Rioters had started to gather on capitol lawns at 10 am and after Trump’s speech at the White House, more

joined. At 12:53 pm the first barricades were breached by the rioters. The few police that were on guard were overwhelmed as

the rioters moved closer to the building. By 2:11 pm the rioters entered the capitol building and then once more at 2:26 pm. The

house chamber wasn’t evacuated until 2:39 pm, when the rioters had already entered the building with firearms. In the end, five

people died and over 54 people were arrested. The Senate resumed that evening at around 8:00 pm to finish verifying Arizona’s

votes before dispersing for the evening. In the aftermath, Trump was banned from all social media and was later impeached on

"incitement to insurrection." There is evidence to support that the rioters had been planning this attack for months, even years

on social media, though it is unclear how much he knew though it is certain he insisted the attack. Trump's impeachment has no

direct effect on Canada thankfully. If he had time, he could have possibly stopped trading with us, which would have hurt both

countries especially during Covid. If I had to guess, he is staying on Truedeau’s good side so he can hide out in the prairies for a

while. Not a likely situation, but you never know in this day and age. All we know for certain is once Joe Biden, the elected winner

of the 2020 presidential race, is inaugurated on January 20th, Trump will be officially out of the White House. Frankly, that’s all

we need to worry about.

I'm sure by now, everyone has heard about the invasion of the capitol

building in Washington on January 6. People watched on their

televisions as the one building that we all thought was impenetrable

was stormed and vandalized by rioters. It was disturbing, terrifying

and sad to see live, and even worse when you compare their

treatment to the Black Lives Matter protests that happened last

year. In this article, I will break down the timeline of the attack, the

aftermath, and what it means for us.

SJCS ECO TALKs

All The President's Crimes Features Staff Emily McGee

Want to start meal-prepping like a pro in 2021? Looking to jump-start your cooking this

new year? Look no further as Bearbuzz brings you four recipes that are very delicious

and simple to make! From Filipino spring rolls to Spanish-style milkfish --we’ve got you

covered!

Features Staff Janina Izoebelle Badiong

Four Quick and Easy Family Recipes

Four Quick and Easy Family Recipes

Recipe #1: Teriyaki Salmon

Short on time but want something delicious?

Teriyaki salmon is the ideal meal for you! It’s

flavourful and doesn’t take a long time to

marinate. Here’s an easy salmon recipe idea your

whole family will love.

Salt

Pepper

Olive oil

Salmon slices

3 tbsp of rice wine (mirin)

2 tbsp of soy sauce

1 tbsp of brown sugar

Green onions and sesame seeds (optional)

Ingredients:

Put salt, pepper and a little bit of olive oil in a bowl. Mix, pour over salmon slices, and

marinate for 15 minutes

Cook the marinated salmon slices in a skillet over medium high heat for five minutes

Add three tablespoons of rice wine (mirin).

Add two tablespoons of soy sauce and one tablespoon of brown sugar and cook for

another two minutes

Serve immediately with green onions and sesame seeds for garnish, if desired.

Directions:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

1 pack of edible rice paper

1 pack of cooked rice vermicelli noodles

½ lb boiled shrimp

½ lb thinly - sliced boiled pork belly (or pork

shoulder for a leaner choice)

An assortment of vegetables and/or herbs such

as green lettuce, cucumber slices, mint leaves and

bean sprouts

2 tbsp of oil

3 garlic cloves (minced)

7-8 tbsp of hoisin sauce

2-3 tbsp of peanut butter

1 cup of water

Ingredients

Peanut Dipping Sauce

Take one piece of rice paper and soak it in a bowl of warm water for a second or two. Wait a

few seconds for the rice paper to become soft before placing it flat on a plate.

Layer your vegetables starting with green lettuce on the bottom of the rice paper. Leave

about an inch of space on either side of the rice paper. Be careful not to add too many items

or else the rice paper will tear as you roll it.

Add three to four pieces of shrimp in the middle of the rice paper.

Add the sliced pork on the row above the shrimp.

Evenly spread vermicelli noodles on top of the whole rice paper.

Fold both the right and left side of the rice paper towards the middle.

Slowly and carefully roll the rice paper like the way you would roll a burrito. Remember to keep

the roll snug but not too tight to keep everything in place.

Serve with the peanut dipping sauce.

Saute garlic in oil on medium heat in a pan until golden brown.

Add the water, hoisin sauce and peanut butter into the pan.

Mix well.

As soon as it comes to a boil, turn off the heat and wait for the sauce to cool.

You can add additional pieces of crushed peanuts or chilli sauce on top.

Directions

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Directions for peanut dipping sauce

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Recipe #2: Gỏi Cuốn với Tương Chấm (Vietnamese Cold

Spring Roll With Peanut Dipping Sauce)

Vietnamese Spring Rolls are a refreshing break from the regular fried variety and have become

family staples. They make a light meal that can be packed full of all types of vegetables to help you

soak up all that delicious sauce.

Place a wok or a large skillet over medium-high heat, and pour two tablespoon of cooking

oil.

Sauté the crushed garlic and onion until it’s slightly translucent.

Add the ground pork and cook until cooked through.

Mix in the large minced carrot followed by the chopped beans. Then, add the mongo

sprouts and pour one tablespoon of chicken powder. Stir for three to five minutes or until

the ground pork and the vegetables are cooked.

Remove the wok or skillet from the heat. Set aside until cool enough to handle.

Pour it on a strainer with a large bowl at the bottom until the oil from the cooked pork and

vegetables is drained.

Lay out one lumpia wrapper in a square or diamond shape and spoon 1-1 1/2 tablespoon of

filling at the bottom of the wrapper in the middle and leave about an inch and a half (3 cm)

of space from the bottom point.

Fold the bottom point over the filling, then fold in the edges. Roll the wrapper toward the

top point. Brush the top with egg wash and finish the roll to seal the end.

Place a small deep frying pot over medium to medium-high heat and pour one to two cups

of cooking oil, or heat 2-3 cups of cooking oil on a deep fryer to 375 degrees F (190

degrees C).

Deep fry four to six lumpia at a time, turning once, until the rolls float and turn golden

brown, about three minutes.

Serve hot and enjoy!

Directions:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

Lumpiang Shanghai is a popular Filipino deep-fried appetizer and is known for being a hit at

every Filipino gathering! These Filipino Spring Rolls are filled with pork, shrimp and vegetables,

and are fun to make as much as they are to eat.

3 cups of cooking oil for frying (can differ)

2 tablespoon of cooking oil

1 tablespoon chicken power

Salt and ground black pepper (to taste)

1 large egg (egg white)

1 bulb of garlic, crushed

1 large chopped red onion

1 large minced carrot

1 kilo of mongo sprouts

1 kilo of chopped beans

1/2 kilo of ground pork

100 lumpia wrappers

Ingredients:

Recipe #3: Lumpiang Shanghai

Slice milkfish in half inch pieces.

Prepare brine solution (1 liter water and 1 cup rock salt).

Add the washed and sliced milkfish in the brine solution and let it rest for 15 minutes.

Rinse milkfish after 15 minutes.

Drain fish and prepare sterilized bottle for canning.

Put five slices of milkfish in the bottle.

Add carrots, bayleaf, garlic, pickles, whole pepper, chili, rosemary, fish sauce (½ tsp), salt

(½ tsp) and corn oil.

Cap the bottle and cook milkfish in a pressure cooker for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

One large piece of milkfish can make two jars.

Store in a jar and give it to your friends and family as a gift!

Directions:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Want to make something special for people in your

life? Spanish-style milkfish are perfect homemade

food presents! This ready to eat food is made with

spicy sardines in oil and herbs. It can be stored in jars

to give to your friends and family or to sell.

5 pieces of Milkfish

2 heads of garlic (minced)

Carrots (sliced)

Bayleaf

Whole black pepper

Green olives

Rosemary (dried)

Pickles (sliced)

Corn oil

Salt

Fish sauce

Red chili

Ingredients:

Recipe #4: Spanish Style Milkfish

Ms. Mehta says “there are so many things I can talk about when it comes to Indian heritage and the culture that I

am so proud of. The culture in India is very rich, with people from many different religions, a variety of festivals, and

ethnic groups, it is truly a vibrant and diverse country. Family is a large priority in the culture, the majority of the

population lives in a close knit family, with most families having three generations living under one roof. Many

customs and traditions are passed down for generations such as Yoga, Vadic Math, and historic

monuments/palaces. Almost every state has their own music as there are so many different languages that are

spoken in the country, with 22 official languages to be exact! Dance and music are also a large part of any

celebration, classical dance forms like Kathak, Bharatnatyam, and odissi to name a few. I also can’t forget about

the amazing food, with so many different flavors and spices, it is something that everyone can enjoy! Being an

immigrant in Canada, I have also picked up on all that Canadian culture has to offer, which just like India has molded

me into the person I am today. I can go on all day about how much my heritage means to me but these are a few

things from my heritage that have made a large impact on my life.”

Suchana Regmi, Grade 11, says “I am Nepali and I was born in

Nepal but raised in Canada. I’ve realized my heritage has grown

to become a big part of my identity. When someone asks me

where I’m from I can easily say that I am from Canada because

it’s the only place I know extremely well. However, I still always

say that I’m Nepali. I don’t really know why this is but perhaps

it's because it’s a part of who I am and I can't shake it off that

easily, regardless of who’s asking.”

Tuong Dinh, Grade 11, says “heritage is a term that has

different meanings to different people. It could mean one’s

culture, traditions, values or beliefs. Heritage to me are the

things that were done in the past that resonate and give

meaning to me. They are the things that my ancestors have

done and passed down to my family and I. It includes the

languages I speak, the food I eat, the music I listen to, the

religion I follow and so much more. Heritage is inherited and is

part of my identity.”

Ms. Montano says “heritage is the symphony and sum of

all the influences and values, which makes a person

UNIQUE.”

What Does Heritage Mean To You?Features Staff Lucy Pinili

Jayce's Advice

More and more cases of Covid have been reported and we have been made to stay home until at least

February 19th. Some people needed advice on how to stay motivated and other activities to do off-

screen. I hope this helps everyone with online school and their relationships.

“I’m having trouble staying self-motivated during online school. How can I push myself to do the

work?”

I struggle with this too and my friends and I all procrastinate even more now that we're online. What I’ve

been doing is getting to the root of the problem and why I’m not doing the work. Think about why it’s

important to do your work and make sure you have a balanced schedule and implement a daily routine (you

don’t have to follow it exactly but it’s good to roughly plan your day). Your mental health does always come

first, so make sure you're in a good place mentally and it’s okay to hand things in late if you aren’t feeling

well.

“I get so tired of looking at a screen during online learning. How can I take breaks from the screen?”

I know this is a problem for so many people screens can really hurt the eyes and give headaches. Some

activities I’ve heard people use are drawing, journaling, and learning how to bake or cook. I tried baking a

few new things and they turned out decent. Personally, my favourite off screen pass-time is doing my

makeup. It’s calming, relaxing, and there are so many ways to do it. I know it’s accessible for everyone but

it gave me the motivation to actually want to get out of bed in the morning. Going for a walk to a coffee

shop or a picnic is a nice way to stay outside for a little while.

“I really like doing things with my friends but because of lockdown I can’t see them, how can we

stay together?”

IWhat I do with my friends is Facetime every week. We also have a group chat where we text almost every

day. It really helps by just sending each other random messages, TikToks, or even memes. As long as you

message them at least once a week, your relationships should be fine.

I hope this advice helped everyone or at least someone and you all do great. Until next time!

If you want Jayce to answer your question in the next issue of the Bearbuzz visit

https://bearbuzzadvice.wixsite.com/bearbuzz/advice-column.

Features Staff Jayce McMillan

There comes a time in everyone’s high school career where we must take a civics class. You might be asking yourself why

we even need this class. Well by the end of this article you will learn why it is so important to take a civics class.

To start off, what even is civics? Civics is a course that is normally taken in grade 10 and in this course students will learn how

to be active citizens, equipping them with knowledge about our democracy and constitution. It gives everyone a chance to

change the world around us and it’s probably the only course where you won’t be asking yourself “When will I need to know

this?"

Civics education is important because it helps us understand how to vote so in the future when election time comes around

you can have a say on who becomes in charge. Civics is here to equip you with knowledge so in the future you vote for the

person that would best represent your community or nation.

Civics teaches you how to have a voice in your community. In your civics course, you will learn different ways you can have a

say in political matters and how you can help make a positive change in the world.

Civics education helps us better understand our roles and responsibilities as citizens and this allows us to change the world

for the better by using the knowledge that we have to make a positive difference in our community and nation.

Features Staff Natalie Cazes

Fitness Club is an afterschool program where people can workout

together. It runs Mondays after school from 3:00-3:30 and during

virtual school, it runs Thursdays at lunch from 11:30-12:00. Fitness

club is for all levels and grades, it gives an opportunity to meet new

friends and get some exercise in. There are various workouts done--

all equipment free-- including bodyweight circuits, dance, yoga,

kickboxing, etc. In the google classroom, there is a fitness tracker to

measure your personal progress, a google sheet to post workouts

you would like to do and a workout log to show which workouts will

be done that week.

“Fitness club is really inclusive and it’s an enjoyable way to workout with people”-Cassandra Aman

“Something I like about fitness club is that you can workout with the other grades and get motivated to by the teachers”-Naima

Niles

“I joined fitness club to do workouts with a team rather than by yourself because I find it easier to follow through with it.”-

Cassandra Machado

“I like that it’s just a bunch of girls coming out to workout and have fun. It’s a mix of all grades and all athletic levels which makes

it fun and gets you out of your comfort zone. I joined fitness club as a way to make friends and also as an encouraging way to

workout while at home. I personally find it a lot easier to workout with people around and fitness club does just that!”- Mikaela

Ranieri

I like the idea of fitness club because I think that staying healthy and active is very important. I like the fact that you decided to

moderate this club and get other members of SJCS involved. I think that this offers students both an opportunity to stay fit

and connected during such unusual times. I also think it offers both inspiration and support for students struggling with

isolation at the moment. Overall, I think it is a really great idea and it promotes positive community engagement.”-Ms. Ruberto

Join the Google Classroom! Class code: mlgnvqf

The Importance of Having CivicsClass in School

Features Staff Bohan Li

Fitness Club

You’ve probably seen a diagram of a Covid

molecule with all of the spikes on it. The new

vaccine holds the coding for one spike of the

SARS-COVID-19 molecule. After being injected

with the vaccine the mRNA will make its way to

the cytoplasm of your cell where the ribosomes

will read the information and start to create the

spike proteins. After that it goes to the cell

membrane and then your cell breaks it down,

breaking down and destroying the injection.

What this means is that now you have a new part

of your DNA that knows how to fight off the

virus. So if you ever do come into contact with

Covid your immune system will have already had

a preview of what the virus looks like and will

now know how to fight it off.

In a regular cell of your body you have

something called DNA. DNA stores all the

important information and instructions to the

functioning of your body. Inside of yourself

you have machinery that reads your DNA and

converts it into mRNA. The mRNA then leaves

the nuclear us where the DNA is stored and

goes into the cell cytoplasm. It’s here where

the ribosomes read the cell RNA and

depending on the individual codes build a

series of amino acids which folding to make

proteins to keep you alive and functioning. The

mRNA vaccine contains coding for a small part

of the virus.

Editor-in-Chief Charlotte Hayes

Vaccines- What Are They and How They AreDeveloped

Traditional vaccines work by administering a

small amount of a weakened or inactive virus

into someone’s immune system so that their

immune system can build up the proper

defences and learn how to fight against the

disease. mRNA vaccines work by changing the

immunity response at the genetic level rather

than in the immune system.

Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine are a

new type of immunization called an mRNA

vaccine. mRNA vaccines are a relatively new

technology developed within the last 30

years. They’re special because they don’t use

any part of the virus so they are easy to

replicate outside of a lab on a factory line.

Vaccines are injections that help to prevent

against infectious diseases like COVID-19.

What are vaccines?

How are they different from

regular vaccines?

How do they work?What makes the COVID-19

Vaccines so special?

Aries - March 21 to April 19

Element: Fire

Symbol: The Ram

Famous Celebrity Aries: Reese Witherspoon, Jessica

Chastain and Mariah Carey

You are a passionate, confident, determined and

enthusiastic individual, enabling you to be comfortable

taking leadership roles. Aries enjoy taking risks to

achieve their goals. However, one of your weaknesses

is that you don’t like laziness in others.

Taurus - April 20 to May 20

Element: Earth

Symbol: The Bull

Famous Taureans: Barbra Streisand, Renée Zellweger

and Queen Elizabeth II

You are reliable, practical and patient. Taureans like to

work with their hands and will spend as much time on

any given task as is necessary. However, Taureans do

not like sudden changes or being put on the spot.

Gemini - May 21 to June 20

Element: Air

Symbol: Twins

Famous Geminis: Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams and

Helena Bonham Carter

You are very loyal friends. Geminis are curious and

open-minded, making them particularly good writers

and artists. However, they can be indecisive. Geminis

dislike repetition and routine, preferring to adapt to

different people and schedules.

Cancer - June 21 to July 22

Element: Water

Symbol: Crab

Famous Cancers: Princess Diana, Nelson Mandela and

Meryl Streep

You are loyal and sympathetic. Cancers are caring and

find it easy to empathize with people going through

hard times. However, you can lack patience and

sometimes let emotion alter your decisions.

Leo - July 23 to August 22

Element: Fire

Symbol: Lion

Famous Leos: Jennifer Lopez, Madonna and Sandra

Bullock

You are spontaneous, creative and funny. Leos enjoy

having fun with friends, being in the spotlight and

expensive things. However, one of the downsides of

Leos, is that they despise being ignored, as they love

to be the centre of attention.

Virgo - August 23 to September 23

Element: Earth

Symbol: Young maiden

Famous Virgos: Mother Teresa, Beyonce, Amy

Winehouse

You are analytical, hardworking, loyal, empathetic and

well-organized. However, one of your weaknesses

includes that Virgos are often too critical of

themselves, putting themselves under huge pressure

to achieve the best results.

horoscopeshoroscopes

Entertainment Staff Rowa Ahmed

Libra - September 23 - October 22

Element: Air

Symbol: Scales

Famous Libras: Serena Williams, Julie Andrews and

Susan Sarandon

You are social, outgoing and hate to be alone. Libras

value individuality and are proud to be themselves.

They’re fair-minded and gentle, and they will avoid

conflict at all costs. One of your weaknesses is that

you are indecisive, taking ages to make decisions.

Scorpio, 24 October - 22 November

Element: Water

Symbol: Scorpion

Famous Scorpios: Julia Roberts, Winona Ryder and

Anne Hathaway

You are resourceful and passionate, making you a good

leader. Scorpios are trustworthy and will keep a secret

when asked. However, if someone betrays you, you will

find it hard to trust them again.

Sagittarius - November 22 to December 21

Element: Fire

Symbol: Archer

Famous Sagittarians: Tina Turner, Jane Fonda and

Taylor Swift

You are open-minded and have a great sense of

humour. Sagittarians are enthusiastic about exploring

new places with new people, as they love to travel.

They prefer to be free and independent, rather than

have others hold them back.

Capricorn - December 22 to January 19

Element: Earth

Symbol: Goat

Famous Capricorns: Kate Middleton, Kate Moss and

January Jones

You are responsible and disciplined, allowing you to

excel in management roles because of your ability to

make plans and follow through with them. Capricorns

have great self-control, which can sometimes make

others believe that they are stand-offish (which is not

true)

Aquarius - January 20 to February 18

Element: Air

Symbol: Water-bearer

Famous Aquarians: Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Aniston and

Sheryl Crow

You are deep thinkers and are always happy to help

others. Aquarians enjoy conversations, and live to carry

out humanitarian work. You will thrive within a

community setting and care deeply for people.

Pisces - February 19 to March 20

Element: Water

Symbol: Fish

Famous Pisces: Elizabeth Taylor, Rihanna and Albert

Einstein

You are kind and caring. Pisces will do anything to make

someone else’s life easier, demonstrating compassion

to everyone they meet. One of your weaknesses is that

you are overly-trusting and can be taken advantage of

easily. Nevertheless, Pisces are also very forgiving.

Word ScrambleRearrange the letters below to find as

many four or more letter words as

possible. Each letter can be used more

than once and there is one word that uses

all seven letters. All words must include

the red letter. No proper nouns or

hyphenated or obscure words are allowed.

If you think you've found all 45 possible

words, check your words with the solution

on the last page of this issue.

BELNOTV

Will 2021 be any better

than 2020?

Could 2020 get any worse? At some point or another, we’ve all asked

ourselves this question. Although last year’s series of unfortunate events

have spilled over into 2021, the new year holds much potential. In honor of

new beginnings, here’s a list of tentative upcoming events that are sure to

make 2021 a total upgrade from 2020 (we hope). Starting strong on February

8th, Serena Williams returns to the Grand Slam women’s singles, hungry for

the 24th win of her career. Only ten days later NASA’s Perseverance rover is

set to land on Mars, in Jezero Crater, and will be sending images back to Earth

each day. Both a live commentary of landing and images will be available on

the mission’s website and is sure to be a sight to see. With the rollout of

COVID-19 vaccines, our class of '21 graduates may be able to celebrate their

successes with loved ones under less strict lockdown measures. By July, the

European Union’s single use plastic ban is to be put into effect. Currently,

non-recyclable plastics such as straws make up 80% of ocean pollutants.

From July 23rd to August 8th, the summer Tokyo Olympics are scheduled to

take place despite the current pandemic. Canadian athletes to look out for

include Rosie MacLennan, a gymnast who won Canada’s only gold medal at

London’s 2012 and Aaron Brown, a bronze medalist from Rio 2016 who has

competed alongside Andree De Grasse. While you cheer on team Canada,

2021 is bringing in some highly anticipated albums from Drake, Lorde, Billie

Eilish, Roddy Rich, Adele, Lana Del Rey and many more! Finally, if all our

sacrifices pay off, we’ll be able to see (and more importantly, hug) the people

we love most. Remember, we’re all in this together. Here’s to a better 2021.

2021Features Staff Chiara De Medeiros 2020

Collected by Managing Editor Mariella Rubenson

new year'sresolutions

going out of my comfort zone

drink more water andcomplain less

become more involved inmy religion

do more things that make mehappy

read more books

compliment more strangers

cut out beef

tell my family I love themmore often

procrastinate less (timemanage)

move more

to go out of my comfortzone more

read a book a month

to go out of my comfortzone more

not leave my homework til thelast minute

eat less sugar

make my bed every day

call my grandparents every week

cook for my family weekly

learn how to cook and bake

be able to run 5k

learn how to speak Korean

teach myself the guitar

stay on top of my homework

be able to do the splits

save 50% of the money I make

bring a travel cup to reduce mycarbon footprint

thrift my clothes

J

a

n

u

a

r

y

F

e

b

r

u

a

r

y

M

a

r

c

h

A

p

r

i

l

M

a

y

J

u

n

e

J

u

l

y

A

u

g

u

s

t

S

e

p

t

e

m

b

e

r

O

c

t

o

b

e

r

N

o

v

e

m

b

e

r

D

e

c

e

m

b

e

r

20

15

10

5

0

70% were born in Canada.

The other 30% were born in:

Uganda, Philippines, Nigeria,

Mexico, Cuba, Korea, United States

of America, Portugal, Russia,

Thailand, Italy, England, China,

Indonesia, Dominican Republic,

Colombia

who are st joe's

Percent of students born each month

73% prefer dogs

over cats

73% prefer

Instagram over

Snapchat

55% prefer pizza

over pasta

55% prefer

computers over

tablets

66% prefer Tim

Hortons over

Starbucks

Where students live

Students speak: English, French, Spanish,

Portuguese, Italian, Chinese, Tagalog, Korean,

Tibetan, Tamil, Japanese, Ukrainian, Bisaya,

Vietnamese, Romanian, Tigrinya, Indonesian, Urdu,

Polish

33% prefer kilts

25% prefer pants

42% like both kilts and pants

W

h

i

t

e

B

l

a

c

k

F

i

r

s

t

N

a

t

i

o

n

,

I

n

d

i

g

e

n

o

u

s

,

M

é

t

i

s

,

I

n

u

i

t

M

i

d

d

l

e

E

a

s

t

e

r

n

o

r

N

o

r

t

h

A

f

r

i

c

a

n

H

i

s

p

a

n

i

c

,

L

a

t

i

n

o

o

r

S

p

a

n

i

s

h

J

a

p

a

n

e

s

e

C

h

i

n

e

s

e

F

i

l

i

p

i

n

o

O

t

h

e

r

A

s

i

a

n

O

t

h

e

r

e

t

h

n

i

c

i

t

y

40

30

20

10

0

students?For quad two:

62% chose St Joe's hybrid model

20% chose St Anne's virtual model

18% chose St Joe's virtual model

4.19Average number of people per household

Catholicism

71% 5% 1% 2% 2% 1%Other Christianity Judaism Islam Buddhism Hinduism

3% atheism, 4% agnosticism, 3% other, 8% no religion

Percent of students who

identify as...

Information taken from a survey conducted from January 6th-15th, 2021

distributed on Google Classroom. All students were asked to participate,

but 145 students completed the survey.

Survey and infographic by Managing Editor Mariella Rubenson

#1Antonia Rubenson, grade nine

My family comes from around the globe: my Jiddo is from Iraq, my Farfar is from Sweden, my Oma

is from Holland and my Lola is from the Philippines. Each one of them has interesting stories to tell.

For example, when my Jiddo was born, they didn't keep proper records of babies births in Iraq.

When a child was born, they only marked down the year and not the day. For a time, his parents would

use January 6th as his birthday those rare times they were asked, but then for one reason or

another, they switched it to December 29th, which is, basically, a whole calendar year later. So we

don't really know for sure which one is correct (if either of them are even right) or what his exact age

is. This year, we celebrated his birthday on December 29th and for fun, we celebrated him turning a

year older just a week later!

My Oma, who was born in Amsterdam, had one parent who belonged to the Sephardic Jewish

community and one who belonged to the Ashkenazi community. She grew up in a traditional Jewish

home but with many Dutch traditions. So for example, she would go to synagogue and observe

Shabbat (the sabbath) every Friday but like most Dutch people, her family would celebrate

Sinterklaas (St. Nicholas's day) on the 5th of December with special food and gift exchanges.

Like my Oma, my Farfar is also Jewish, but he was born in Gothenburg, Sweden. His grandfather

arrived in Sweden from Russia after a pogrom (a riot where they killed Jews). He originally intended to

go to America via Finland but ended up in Sweden instead. It's interesting that a few generations

later, we are in Canada. Maybe it's not the America my great-great grandfather had in mind, but it's

the same continent!

My Lola was born on a small Island in the Philippines called Marinduque but she grew up all over the

world because her dad was a lawyer and diplomat. She lived in Pakistan, Korea, Egypt and Italy and

then after she married my Jiddo, she lived in the United Arab Emirates before moving to Canada.

All four of my grandparents live in Vancouver and they are all good friends with one another. I've

noticed that even though they all come from different cultures and religions, they have so much in

common. It just goes to show how easily we can all be connected to each other. Someone who was

born somewhere halfway around the world could end up being your best friend or even your family!

Like the Disneyland song goes, "it's a small world after all."

heritageIn honour of our multicultural issue, we asked three grade nines to write an essay about what

their heritage means to them. They were given little to no instructions and asked to take an

honest reflection on how where they come from and their heritage affects the people that

they are.

#2 My heritage is something that I am immensely proud of. The origins of my heritage begins on a tiny

island called Sri Lanka located at the bottom of South Asia. Most of my culture is represented

through rich Tamil cuisine and tons of celebrations. Other than Christmas, Easter and New Years',

Tamil people have a lot of celebrations. For example Pongal. Pongal is a celebration by Hindus but as

Catholic Tamils, we also like to take part in it. Pongal is where farmers thank the sun and the bull for

the crops since bulls were once used to plow the crops. On Pongal, Hindus go to church and make

sweet rice which is also called Pongal. We Catholics go over to Hindu people's homes to make and

eat Pongal rice. There are many different factors that my heritage is composed of other than

holidays. One aspect of my heritage that I am incredibly proud of is the exquisite cuisine. Sri Lanka

has a wide variety of cuisines. Vegetarian dishes like rice served on a nice ripe banana leaf along with

spinach curry, daal curry, squash curry, tomato sambal, eggplant curry, papadum, buttermilk dry chilli

and yogurt. There are also dishes that are a bit more rich and thick like puttu or string hoppers (made

out of flour) along with a rich and thick crab curry that contains the secret to every Sri Lankan’s dish,

coconut milk. One of my favourites is a rich lamb curry made of coconut milk along with some rice.

Sri Lankan cuisine also consists of amazing desserts. My favourite is murukku. Murukku is a deep-

fried, savoury and crunchy snack originating from the Indian subcontinent, popular in southern India,

and Sri Lanka. The snack's name derives from the Tamil word for "twisted," which refers to its shape.

Payasam, Modhahum, Rava Laddoo and Vada are also some of the amazing desserts I have tasted.

Payasam is a type of pudding from Sri Lanka, made by boiling milk, sugar, and rice. Mothagam is one

of the favourites and religious dishes of Lord Ganesha (a Hindu god), which is also offered during

prayers. The sweet filling on the inside consists of freshly grated coconut and jaggery, while the

outer softshell is mainly made of rice flour. Rava Laddoo (or laddu) is a popular South Indian sweet-

treat enjoyed during festivities this creamy, crunchy fudge ball is made with roasted semolina,

coconut, ghee, milk and sugar. Vada is a category of savoury fried snacks from South India. Different

types of vadas can be described variously as fritters, cutlets, doughnuts, or dumplings. The aroma

from this culinary concoction sends my mind into euphoric tranquillity. In addition to food and

celebrations, religion plays an important role in my heritage as well. Catholicism is one of the

predominant religions of Sri Lanka other than Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam. Going to church every

Sunday has become a part of my routine since growing up; my parents never missed a Sunday at

church. Although I am respectful of all religions, Catholicism plays an important part in my life and

allows me to flourish. Among the many rituals practised, Catholic holidays are very important.

Catholic holidays are very ceremonial events that are glorified among my family. Once a year my

family gathers to celebrate the birth of Jesus, Christmas. In some households, this day is known to

be filled with folktales about a gift-giving Santa Claus living in the North Pole. In my family, we were

taught about Jesus Christ, and the many miracles and sacrifices he had to endure for us. Another

part of this tradition is to attend midnight mass with my whole family. This religion and holiday are

not only pertinent to my culture but also a large part of what I consider to be my heritage today.

Overall, my heritage is drawn from different factors which all depend on the influences in my life. The

parts of my heritage I consider important include the gastronomical and cuisine roots of Sri Lanka,

Catholicism and lastly the celebration of an important religious holiday. These combinations have

greatly influenced me on what I consider my heritage today.

Roshel Winsles, grade nine

#3 I am the daughter of two immigrants, both of whom were born in Vietnam. In order to truly appreciate

the struggles they, and many others, had endured so that I could live in Canada, it's important to

understand the traditions and roots of my heritage. I would not be here if not for my ancestors. Because

of this, we continue to implement new and old traditions from our culture in our daily lives. My dad was

the eldest son of the family so he lived with his grandparents. His great grandparents were considered

royalty in a part of Vietnam (similar to a Premier in Canada). However, due to the fact that they were

Chinese and the war had just ended—and the poor communists were stealing from the rich—the

landowners kicked them out, giving them 24 hours to pack and leave. After being evicted, my dad, his

grandparents and his father all fled by boat. My father had to pose as my uncle because he lived with

the rest of the family in another region (unlike my father and grandparents) and was not considered a

part of the region that allowed for this transportation. They were refugees who fled from Vietnam by

boat and ship known as Vietnamese boat people. They blindly set adrift, not knowing when and where

they would land. Finally, they arrived in Thailand where they awaited in a refugee camp whilst applying for

immigration. Their next stop was Canada, where my father was thrown into foreign territory, while also

having to learn English. Although he has not explicitly said this, I could imagine that this was an

extremely difficult task for my father, especially as he did not see many people besides South-East and

East Asians in Vietnam; he must have been wary in such a strange place compared to what he was used

to. My grandfather did not need to learn English as my dad did because he had been a translator for the

U.S. Army during the war. Growing up, my dad went through a lot of hardships; his stepmother even

kicked him out onto the streets when he was a teenager. He then had to rent a small room at a relative’s

house and work difficult hours, balancing both school and work. He also faced some racial prejudices.

However, he rose above it all and is now attempting to make amends with his family. My mother’s past is

quite similar to that of my father’s. Her father had fled on a boat as well, leaving my grandmother,

mother and uncle behind until he could afford to sponsor them. He witnessed a lot of terrible things: my

grandmother’s sister’s husband had died, and the boat had been ransacked by pirates. However, they

were eventually spotted and saved by the Italian Navy. My mother arrived in Italy when she was 9 years

old; she had not seen her dad for six years. Although it was a bit difficult, she said that she enjoyed

rising up to the challenges that awaited her whenever she went to school, and she was able to adapt

quickly. She went to an art school, specializing in drawing architecture and being able to look at

something, then sketch it with ease. When she was 18, she went to Canada to help her uncle with his

new shop. She then realized that she wanted to live in Canada for better opportunities for herself, so

she moved to Canada when she was 21, with no knowledge of English. Again, she was faced with a

language barrier. However, she overcame this and she is now trilingual. My parents met a few years

after my mom had come to Toronto, as the Vietnamese community was very involved with one another,

and they would often go out in a group. My family has overcome many obstacles in their lives, and I will

forever be grateful because these hardships have led us to where we are today. Learning about the

difference in lifestyles in Vietnam and Canada has made me much more appreciative and proud of my

roots and heritage. I would not have been able to have so many opportunities if I weren't here in Canada,

which is something one may take for granted. I am closely connected with people of all different

backgrounds, histories and cultures. I am forever grateful and fortunate for our cultural heritage, and I

would not change it for the world.

Tiffany Hua, grade nine

It is time for parents to teach young

people early on that in diversity there is

beauty and there is strength.

-- Maya Angelou

Word Scramble solutionbeen

benevolent

bent

bento

bonbon

bone

bonnet

bonobo

boon

lone

loon

nene

neon

nettle

noble

noel

none

nonet

telnet

tenet

tenon

tent

tone

tonne

toon

velveteen

vent

botnet

ebon

eleven

ennoble

entente

even

event

lent

lento

nonevent

noob

noon

note

novel

novelette

onto

oven

teen