SCHOOL EVENTS Meet the people in your Neighborhood: New teacher Edition By: Pakeeza Mushtaq and Rebecca Nielsen
Miss Bonora 1.Where did you teach before BCHS? I taught Grade five in Rosemary for five months and in high school math and physics in Bassano for 2.5 years.
2. What was your first job? My first job was in the UK outside of London teaching Math and Science.
3. What are your hobbies? My main hobby is reading.
4. What was your favourite movie you saw in 2017/18? Beauty and the Beast. I loved the live action as much as I loved the original Disney animated one!
5. Can you tell us a memorable or funny childhood memory? When my family and I went to Disneyland! I had a great time. I love Disney in general and rides! I can't wait to go back!
6.What is your favourite sports to watch during the Winter Olympics and why? I think this year it was definitely Figure Skating! Especially the ice dancing with Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue.
7. What are you looking to accomplish at BCHS? To grow in my knowledge of curriculum and pedagogy as a teacher. I also want my room to be a safe space for students.
Mr. Graham 1. Where did you teach before BCHS? I ran cooking courses at the Medicine Hat College Brooks Campus for adults, but more recently I taught at the Brooks Junior High School.
2. What was your first job? My first job as a teenager was at A&W, but as an adult I worked in a series of bakeries.
3. What are your hobbies? I cook at home do some light woodworking. The cop out answer would also be that I take care of and play with my two children.
4. What is the best movie that you saw in 2017/2018? I can't remember the last movie I watched, sorry.
5. Can you tell us about a memorable or funny childhood memory? When I was in Mr. Nelson's computer class one of my friends put Starcraft on the school servers and we could play it over LAN (I think he knew and didn't bust us)
6. What is your favorite sport to watch during the Winter Olympics and why? I like to watch the Bobsleigh. It's the fastest moving sport.
Mr. Hammel 1. Where did you teach before BCHS? I taught at Drapers' Academy in London, England last year.
2. What was your first job? Drapers' was my first teaching position out of University, but my first job ever was a farm hand on our farm SE of Bow Island.
3. What are your hobbies? I enjoy staying active, whether that be playing hockey, volleyball, badminton, hiking or anything else that gets me out of the house.
4.What was your favourite movie you saw in 2017/18? I think Thor: Ragnarok was probably the best movie I saw (I love Marvel!)
5.Can you tell us a memorable or funny childhood memory? Going to Provincials multiple times in both hockey and volleyball.
6. What is your favourite sports to watch during the Winter Olympics and why? I enjoy watching the ski/snowboard cross because anything can happen, and I also enjoy watching the hockey because it is my favourite sport.
7.What are you looking to accomplish at BCHS? I hope to make a difference with every student I come across, whether that be just being able to reach out to them as a mentor, or help them reach goals they never thought they could.
Mr. Brown 1. Where did you teach before BCHS? I have taught at Emerald Ridge Elementary School for my internship and Vibank Regional School teaching science and math from grades 6 - 12.
2. What was your first job? My first job was mowing grass for local businesses in my hometown. My first "real" job was a summer job doing manual labour at the Colonsay Potash Mine.
3. What are your hobbies? I love sports and video games! When I say sports, I mean all sports. I'm more of a coach now than a player, but I still find tons of enjoyment out of sport.
4. What is the best movie that you saw in 2017/2018? What's a movie... Just kidding, but honestly I haven't had time to sit and watch a movie with teaching and my wonderful daughter at home. The last movie I watched was Moana, so I'll say that one.
5. Can you tell us about a memorable or funny childhood memory? One that I can recall at this moment that is really funny to me, is that when I was about 6, we were on a family trip to Saskatoon. As a child I took everything very literally and so when my dad reached down to open and drink his can of Diet Coke I exclaimed "Dad! You can't drink and drive!".
6. What is your favorite sport to watch during the Winter Olympics and why? I don't really watch the olympics these days. With the internet I catch highlights of everything, but I'd have to say hockey is at the top of the list, followed closely by the skiing and snowboarding events, especially ski/snow cross. 7. What are you looking to accomplish at BCHS? I'm really hoping to instill a love of science in BCHS students. I would love nothing more than to inspire the next generation of thinkers and problem solvers in Southern Alberta. Beyond that I'd love to be a part of a provincial attending volleyball team, coach a track champion, and launch an e Sports program
Black History Month By: Bilan Abdulkadir February was Black History Month, and in honour of this event I have decided to create an article that provides information, gives awareness, and has a few fun facts. In 1926, the first variation of Black History Month was created by Carter G. Woodson and the ASALH (Association for the Study of African American Life and History). This week was created because Woodson felt as if black people were extremely underrepresented in history books, so he wanted to bring attention to all the things black people had contributed to modern day society. He chose the second week in February because it contained both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas’ birthdays (February 12 and 14 respectively). In the 1960’s the month transformed from a week to a month, and people felt as if the absence of black people from history books could no longer be ignored.The point of this month is not to point fingers or blame, it is rather to educate and celebrate. Another benefit of this month is to give young people the chance to learn on their roots and reflect on the past. Did you know that Jackie Robinson helped to create the African-American owned and controlled Freedom Bank? Or that mashed potatoes, cooling units, and disposable syringes were all invented by black inventors? Contrary to popular belief, this month is not just for African Americans or black people, everyone can participate in Black History Month by doing a multitude of things, anything from attending an event to getting a history lesson.
JV Girls Play a Nail Biting Playoff Game By:Rebecca Nielsen
On February 28th 2018 our JV Buffalos played an exciting playoff game against the Bassano Broncos. The two teams have squared off against each other in multiple tournaments and league games, each game being quite close, and this game proved to be no exception. At the end of the first quarter the score was tied 4-4. All of Brooks’ points in the first quarter were scored by one player; post Caitlyn O’Keefe. The scoring opened up a bit in the second quarter, but not by much. At half time the score was 8-13 in favour of Bassano. Despite the score not falling their way, our JVs played exceptional defence and worked as a single unit, forcing the Broncos to take outside shots or to turn over the ball. Rebounding was another strength for our Buffalos, especially post Hannah Dingwall who pulled down many of Brooks’ rebounds. Third quarters have consistently been a struggle for our girls this year and that was reflected in the score. This third quarter was especially tough on Brooks when guard Kaitlyn Heninger took a hard tumble after a screen and was injured, unable to play the rest of the game. The score for this quarter was 15-25 in favour of the Broncos. However our JV girls did not let this score affect their playing in the fourth and managed to set up multiple plays during the fourth. The most memorable of these was a Laker cut executed by guard Jemaih Dominguez and post Caitlyn O’Keefe. The team has been practicing these cuts all year, and it was a testament to all their hard work to see one pulled off in such an important game. In the closing minute of this difficult game Co-captain Emerson Timmons managed to draw a shooting foul and made one of her shots bringing the score to 32-35 against the Buffalos. Unfortunately, our JV girls did not have enough time on the clock to score three more points and lost the game with the final score being 32-35. Despite this being a disappointing loss for our Buffalos coach Michelle Slenders said “The girls junior varsity team put in a great effort in their final league game against Bassano. They are now focusing on preparing for Zones next weekend in Cochrane.” Assistant coach Scott Veronally was also quite proud of the JV girls and said “They played a hard fought game against the Broncos. Even though the girls ended up losing, they had a great second half coming back from a ten point deficit. The team’s leading scorer, Kaitlyn Heninger, was injured in the third quarter, which sparked to team to fight for her. The team now turns their focus to Zones in Cochrane.”
Zones in Cochrane was a short, but hard fight for the junior varsity girls. The girls lost both of their games. Coach Slenders can be quoted saying this about the games: “While I am disappointed in the results, am I am in no way disappointed in the team. There are certain events like injuries and weather that no one can control. It was impossible for the girls to focus on their playing when they had so many curve balls thrown at them, from terrible road conditions that waylaid most of the team and the coaches, and then having to play two games in a short time space. I saw huge improvements over the season, not just in individual skills but in their ability to work together as team, All of our girls should take a lot of pride in that. I do.”
world events
Parkland Shooting By: Jenae Harahus Six minutes. That was how long it took to kill fifteen students, two staff members, and wound fourteen others in a high school in Parkland Florida. The shooting occurred on Wednesday, February 14th from 2:21 pm to 2:27 pm at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The shooter was identified as former student Nikolas Cruz, who was nineteen years old. The Security footage that was later used to identify Cruz showed him entering the building and then purposely setting off the fire alarm. This caused confusion among staff and students due to the fire drill they participated in earlier that day. It was as they were leaving the classrooms that he opened fire. The gunman then fled using the crowd before being arrested by police hours later.
The weapon used was a AR-15 style semi automatic rifle bought legally by Cruz from a store in the nearby City of Coral Springs. This design was originally developed for military purposes before being made available to the public. The American National Rifle Association believes there is up to 8 million of these weapons currently in circulation. The name of this rifle may sound familiar because it was the same style used in some of this decades most deadly shootings. These include: The 2012 Sandy Hook Shooting, The 2016 Pulse Nightclub Shooting, and the 2017 Las Vegas Shooting. All of which had over twenty casualties (casualties included both victims killed and injured.). It is the average citizen's access to weapons such as these that has once again brought up the discussion of gun control in America.
The highly discussed Second Amendment in the United States Constitution was added in 1791 along with the other nine amendments contained in the Bill of Rights. James Madison, the author of the bill, was apart of a group called the federalists, a group who supported the constitution. There are two different versions of this amendment, the only main difference being punctuation which has lead to debates over the true meaning. However they both contain the same phrase; “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”. This phrase allows Americans to carry and own weapons for the purpose of self defence. Gun control laws on the other hand range from state to state making it difficult to supervise those with and without proper registration. These laws have been under frequent scrutiny due to recent events such as the MSD shooting.
Students present at the Parkland shooting have had a major voice in the call for increased gun control. They are lead by senior Emma Gonzalez; the head of her school’s GSA as well as several other projects. One of the many ways the Cuban activist has brought attention to their cause was through a public discussion with the NRA’s spokesperson Dana Loesch. When asked by Gonzalez whether or not she personally believed it should be harder to obtain the semi-automatic weapons and the modifications for them Loesch proceeded to avoid the question by stating: “I nor the millions of people that I represent as a part of this organization that I’m here speaking for, none of us support people who are crazy, who are a danger to themselves, who are danger to others, getting their hands on a firearm.”. Loesch continued to use phrases such as “nuts”, “crazy people”, and “madman” when referring to the shooter throughout her response. Gonzalez then went on to remind her of the original question which did not involve the mental state of the shooter. This has become a common occurrence throughout debates on gun control, with politicians avoiding and changing the subject to the issue of mental health in America. Many believe this is due to the annual payments politicians such as Florida senator Marco Rubio receive from the NRA.
The effects of this tragedy will be felt for years to come. Currently there are plans for removal of the building in which the shooting took place along with all funerals for the deceased victims of the shooting being paid for by the state. An attempt at recovery has started, but the discussion is still ongoing, with more progress being made every day by the voices of those affected. Nevertheless the battle is still far from over. Armed with first hand stories and perspectives the staff, students, and parents of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School are poised to take on the Goliath that is the NRA. Only when the matter can be addressed honestly without the involvement of lobby groups will the necessary changes be made to ensure the safety of students in America.
Interest Articles
Pyeongchang 2018: A Year Of History By: Aislyn McDonald
The 23rd Olympic Winter Games have been filled with excitement. From the first openly gay gold medalist to a Nigerian women’s bobsled team, this year is full of history in the making. The history made began at the opening ceremonies with Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, Canadian Ice Dancers who were Canada's flag bearers. They became Canada’s first dual flag bearers and are the most decorated figure skaters in Olympic history with five medals; two silver (from Sochi 2014) and three gold medals (from Vancouver in 2010 and Pyeongchang in 2018). Virtue and Moir considered to be one of the greatest ice dance teams the world has ever seen.
Anyone remember the movie “Cool Runnings”? It pictured Jamaica's bobsled team and this year Nigeria has their own team. Akuoma Omeoga, Ngozi Owumere and Seun Adigun compose the African continent’s very first bobsled team. Nigeria is one of the eight African teams competing at the 2018 winter games. These three ladies might have left the Olympics without a medal but definitely had their entire nations support.
Eric Radford is the first openly gay athlete to win a gold medal. This was earned in the figure skating team event by the Canadian team which was comprised of Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir (Ice Dance), Kaetlyn Osmond (Women’s), Gabrielle Daleman (Women’s), Patrick Chan (Men’s) and Megan Duhamel and Eric Radford (Pair’s). Duhamel and Radford placed second in the pair’s short program for the team event and first in the free skate. This helped Canada score the gold medal in team, a step up from their silver finish in Sochi. Duhamel and Radford also won themselves a bronze medal in pair figure skating at the 2018 Olympics.
Canada closes of the games with a new record in medal haul. With a third place finish overall behind Norway (39) and Germany (31), Canada had medals from all over the table. The 10 bronze medals were won in Freestyle Skiing (1), Figure Skating (2), Snowboard (1), Short Track Speed Skating (3), Bobsled (1), Men’s Ice Hockey (1) and Luge (1). Canada’s 8 silver were won in Luge (1), Women’s Ice Hockey (1), Speed Skating (1), Short Track Speed Skating (1), Snowboard (2), Freestyle Skiing (2). Lastly, Canada came away with 11 gold medals in Freestyle Skiing (4), Figure Skating (2), Snowboard (1), Short Track Speed Skating (1), Speed Skating (1), Bobsled (1), and Curling (1). Kim Boutin, who came away from the 2018 Olympics with three medals carried out the flag for Canada at the closing ceremonies.
North and South Korea Unite For Pyeongchang 2018: By: Jessa Tanner This year's Winter Olympics showcased athletes from around the world and their athletic talents in winter sporting events. However, this year we were able to see two nations unite for the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.
Both North and South Korea marched under one flag at the winter olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Athletes from both countries had entered the Pyeongchang Olympic stadium together, while joining hands under the Unified Korean flag. This flags white backdrop and blue silhouette of Korea had been used at other sporting events in the past. This includes making several summer and winter appearances such as the 1990 Asian games, 41st World Table Tennis Championship, as well as the 2004 summer olympics. However because of the current nuclear activities of North Korea as well as threats proposed by North Korean president Kim Jong-un this particular event was said to be an “act of unity” between both nations by many throughout the world.
Athletes representing Korea had participated in numerous events including a joint women's ice hockey team as a unified nation for this years Winter Olympics. North Korea had sent out 230 supporters out to the games in Pyeongchang to cheer on their athletes in unity with South Korea. The first athletes to ever receive medals for Korea did so at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany. The gold medal was won by Sohn Kee-chung and Nam Sung-yung in the men’s marathon. Where as Korea received a total of 17 metals at the most previous Winter Olympics. This included 5 gold medals, 8 silver, as well as 4 bronze. What does this mean for North and South Korea? This may indicate a break in conflict between both countries and a act of moving forward from past conflict.