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
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:
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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
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Directions for peanut dipping sauce
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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:
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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:
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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
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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
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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