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Transcript of April Falcon Talon
CA Girls Soccer, 2010
BY KATIE MEIKLE
Some recent examples:
Shanghai American School, 2009, Girls Soccer APAC: 4th place
Concordia International School Shanghai, 2009, Girls Volleyball APAC: 4th place
Seoul Foreign School, 2010, Girls Basketball Super APAC: 9th place
last game of the tournament, landing us an unfortunate fourth place or worse. But this year that is going to change with the girls soccer team. APAC is at Canadian Academy, our home turf, and it is the last APAC, in any sport, for seven players out of the eleven in the starting lineup. None of the athletes, one of whom has participated
of high school, have won a medal for volleyball, basketball, or soccer. This is a last chance for many of us and the pressure is on. have, in previous years, had the mindset of losers. When it comes down to that crucial set, important
confidence, started bickering amongst ourselves, fallen apart as a team and missed the shots that count the most. Something has been seriously wrong.
ut have never won a medal. In years past, the taken seriouslyshiny new uniforms every few years, and they can wash their uniforms in the washing machine conveniently located in their locker room, which is nearly way. They used to have cheerleaders at basketball games the cheerleaders never once cheered at a
devoted girl managers that clean up, pump up balls, fill water bottles, laundry, or do whatever needs to be done to keep the team in working order. The managers take the biggest bulletin board in the PE hallway and cover it with inspirational quotes and
ever have managers.
matter: that a good team is a good team regardless of the size of their locker room, or whether or not they have managers or a nice-‐looking bulletin board. But this favoritism takes its toll on our teams nonetheless we had no publicity, we had no support, and we had no legitimacy because we thought like losers, played like losers, and no one really cared about us anyway.
This year, this APAC, things are finally going to be different. The reason is simple we have two driving forces that will take us all the way and finally
win us the medal that we all want, and many of us have been wanting for years. Those two things are strong leadership and self-‐belief.
Compared to other sports and other years, has strong leadership and the
will to win. We have brand new uniforms with customized names and numbers. We look, and feel, like a team. We have organized locker-‐room clean up duty, team water bottles, and team lunches before important games. We are organized like a team, so we act like a team.
Secondly, we have self-‐belief. We have at least five girls on the team that would each be capable of and happy to be captain. And that gives our entire team confidence. We won the Dodds Tournament in Iwakuni, defeating several tough teams in four exhausting matches over two days in
satisfying victory. We won every other season game up until our final match in the Nagoya tournament, in which we fought hard and came in an admirable second place anyway. This year, we are a winning team. We know we can fight. We know that we can
hungry for another. We made our own damn bulletin
purely invidious teams to come out on top time and time again.
APAC Soccer 2010 is a chance for us to finally
are in it to win it just as much as the boys. This APAC, this year, we have the power to get a medal, and we are going to work as hard as we can to do just that. We own the field. We can pass, we can shoot, and we can work the ball. We need a win at APAC, a win being a medal, so that we can show ourselves, our coaches, and our school that CA female athletes have come a long, long way these past years.
Think like a champion, play like a champion.
P.E. hallway to know our starting lineup.
The Good, the nothing, and the bad: what the U.S. healthcare bill means long term
BY DAN WESSON
Source: http://urlifeblog.com/content/wp-‐content/uploads/2009/08/healthcare.jpg
passed through the House with a vote of 219-‐213. Republicans at the time shouted bloody murder upon its passing, with House Representatives like John Boehner saying that this healthcare bill is
of Republican rhetoric has been on an upward swing in recent months with not only politicians, but conservative political pundits like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh. They enjoy flinging accusations at Democrats and President Obama. Outside observers like myself enjoy making fun of their ridiculous claims.
Numerous people have accused the healthcare plan Obama pushed for as communist or fascist or even evil on some other level. Consider this Sarah Palin quote:
"The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama's 'death panel' so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their 'level of productivity in society,'
death panels in it. Actually, the plan is neither the beginning of Nazism nor Communism. On the topic of misinformation, Obama is not a fascist or racist, and Democrats are not seeking totalitarian control of the United States. So we clearly see that the Republicans and Democrats do not work well together. The Democrats have been trying to push for a nationwide healthcare bill for decades now and this bill almost failed too after being on the debate floor in the Senate and in the House for the past year. The Democrats breathed a sigh of relief because they just passed expensive legislation that would insure over 30 million Americans who are currently uninsured, eliminate inefficiencies in Medicare, and make it illegal for insurance companies to deny care for pre-‐existing conditions. All this was accomplished in addition to the creation of the public option a non-‐profit company, run by the government that would keep the market for healthcare competitive that caused immense controversy because Republicans said it would lead to state control of healthcare. Yet the truly impressive thing about the bill is that out of the 219 votes in favor, not a single vote came from a Republican. Not only is this political suicide for the Republicans, who will be ridiculed for being out of touch and propagating extremist rhetoric when, in the coming months, Americans reap the benefits of the healthcare bill. But this bill is also testament to a rather unnerving fact: bipartisanship is not required to pass law. What if this healthcare bill, or, if it were another piece of legislation, were actually seriously flawed? Imagine this: a Republican President is sworn in
Republican two thirds majority in the Senate and a strong Republican majority in the House. The Democrats just did this in 2008, and the U.S. has a history of swinging from party to party every few years,
so it is not at all a possibility with negligible risk. The Republicans introduce a bill Democrats find ridiculous for whatever reasons (much as the Republicans found this Democrat bill something ridiculous). The bill is muscled through legislation because, as evidenced by
easier and it actually gets stuff done. What if the bill is actually a mistake? It passes anyways. Essentially, with
system, the U.S. can become a one party state for a few years at a time. As evidenced with the hypothetical situation, it can be problematic. As evidenced with what just happened in the U.S., the situation is quite feasible. As evidenced by the fact that the government is
trying to solve the problem any time soon with the obvious solution of ceding power to independents.
Source: http://thesituationist.files.wordpress.com/2007/07/democrats-‐republicans.jpg The traditional symbols of American bipartisanship: the elephant representing Republicans and the donkey representing Democrats. So essentially, healthcare has shown us that the U.S. legislative system is at times capable of great reform, costly inaction, and possibly, bad mistakes. We are basically flipping a coin until bad legislation is muscled through the system and the country realizes that we have to do something about the two-‐party system.
Miley Cyrus pregnant?
BY AVU CHATURVEDI
Just weeks after Justin Bieber allegedly died, fifteen to sixteen-‐year-‐old Caucasian upper middle class girls face the invisible hand of fate destroying yet another one of their idols. The aforementioned demographic of Miley Cyrus fans are shocked to hear that the young and talented superstar is pregnant at the tender age of seventeen.
At this point in time, the facts and figures are unknown, and most of the completely accurate and flawless information we have is from YouTube video comments. Enraged fans, most of whom were under the impression that Cyrus was a magnanimous benefactor of the Catholic Church and other abstinence groups, attacked her music videos with comments such
unintelligible grammar or are far too obscene to be repeated on a monthly
[expletive deleted] little [expletive deleted] I wish that the [expletive deleted] father would take [expletive
father to reveal himself.
known, but Internet pundits suggest that it is likely Nick
other one. No one really cares except for the five or six million fans Cyrus has retained through her adversity.
Neither Miley nor the Cyrus family has made appearances to comment on the issue. As such, Cyrus is facing a far higher drop in respect when compared to other pregnant or druggie teen stars such has Chris from Family Guy and that girl in Little Miss Sunshine. In a similar situation, another teen prima donna with her own TV show and endorsements came out with a heartfelt, public apology that neared Tiger Woods when it came to passion and sincerity. However, the
disgruntled Disney star chooses to remain aloof. One must wonder whether that dictatorial hand of Mickey Mouse, I mean Walt Disney Productions, is keeping her quiet. Not even her father, famous by his own right, has
t is under surveillance for any tweets. The CEO of Disney, Bob
claiming that if the rumors are true, then all connections with Cyrus will be stripped by May. Iger, like the rest of us, could not care less about the factuality of the event; he simply worries about the gossip side of it.
Cyrus has a glimmer of happiness in all this moroseness, as her CD sales have skyrocketed. Until the rumors surfaced, the only people who listened to Cyrus were members of the demographic mentioned above. The majority of these people would illegally download
more edgy side, emos, Goths, and other social outcasts without friends are pouring the money usually saved for Nickelback, Slim Thug, and Alanis Morissette into the newest pieces from Cyrus and her father. The last Miley Cyrus album has moved 200,000 units within the last two days alone. This gives the Cyrus family a pretax profit of six million dollars. Cyrus will surely revel in her successes as her face remains off the map.
At this time, news stations and paparazzi can only hope to catch Cyrus at an A-‐List party in a clever disguise, such as a Lady Gaga costume. One thing is for sure though. With the death of Justin Bieber, the falling out between Drake and Lil Wayne, and the abrupt pregnancy of Miley Cyrus, Middle America has never been weaker. Seriously, this is like the Great Depression with star power. If only we could wake up to find that these rumors were just made up by a bunch of single, thirty-‐five-‐year-‐old FunnyJunk users out of their anathema for success and beauty. For now, one must quote the timeless words of Juno to memorialize this historic, once-‐in-‐a-‐
Turning Japanese Part Five: FUJI ROCK!
BY SEAMUS BELLEW
Fuji Rock-‐-‐Any true music fan in Japan has
heard of those words. Just ask any one of its past
that cannot be missed. To serious music lovers, it is something of a Mecca a place where you are surrounded by people who share the same love of music. A place where your life 362 days of the year
get to let go and let the music take you away. You
Augusgloating about just how great it was.
Fuji Rock, the largest music festival in Japan attracts 120,000 people annually. It takes place at a ski resort in Niigita prefecture. This picturesque setting gives the music a certain sense of quirkiness; a uniqueness that includes having to ride a ten-‐minute ski lift to arrive at one of the venues, as well as a stream that runs straight through the site, allowing hot and sweaty music lovers to cool their feet.
Venue aside, this event certainly delivers what the fans really travel to Niigita for: the music. Fuji Rock consistently brings in top international acts spanning all genres. It also pulls in some local acts for all those Japanophiles out there. Last year, acts like Oasis, Weezer and Franz Ferdinand were in attendance, all of which have considerable fan bases all over the world. This year, MGMT, Vampire Weekend and Massive Attack are all confirmed attendees, with the Gorrillaz likely to play there as well.
Fuji Rock is undoubtedly going to put a dent in
doubt leave many memorable memories. The possibilities are endless when top class musicians and their diehard fans collide in the forested area that surrounds this beautiful ski resort in the mountains of
let you go!
Source: http://www.higher-‐frequency.com/j_special/j_fujirock06/fujiintro/
Source: http://yu-‐topian.com/archives/cat_12.php
Photos from a past Fuji Rock concert off a Japanese blog
Uncovering the God particle
BY GRACE MEIKLE
Source: http://blogs.physicstoday.org/industry09/2009/08/frontiers-‐in-‐physics-‐particle-‐accelerators.html Illustration of what the LHC would look like if it were above ground.
You may or may not have heard of a giant circular tunnel 3.8 meters wide and 27 kilometers in circumference buried between 50 and 175 meters beneath the Franco-‐Swiss border near Geneva, Switzerland. That would be the Large Hadron Collider, an enormous machine that holds the title for
-‐energy particle collider ever built. Its mission: to confirm the predictions of The Standard Model of particle physics. but is really quite complex. In a nutshell, it is
compose the atom and the forces that govern it. Ultimately, it is what gives all matter in the universe its diverse properties. For instance, consider electrons, a basic particle with which we are all familiar. Electrons are composed of various sub-‐particles, each giving the electron its different characteristics. There is a particle within the electron that gives it charge, another that gives it density,
yet another that gives it its mass, and so on. The same is true for protons and neutrons. The purpose of The Standard Model is to describe each of these sub-‐particles and their interactions with one another through the three of the four known fundamental forces (electromagnetic, strong nuclear, and weak nuclear). Every high-‐energy particle physics experiment carried out in the past fifty years has been consistent with The Standard Model. It is the reigning theory of modern physics that explains everything from the most complex to the most basic occurrences in our universe. Among the dozens of particles predicted by The Standard Model, there is only one that has eluded observation during the countless experiments that have been performed over the years. That particle is formally called the Higgs Boson, and
fundamental to The Standard Model. Basically, it explains the origin of mass in the universe, and why
thought to have a large mass and subsequently requires higher energy accelerators to detect than have heretofore been available. So, as you can imagine, nobody is quite sure whether it exists; or for that matter, if all of the high-‐energy particle physics experiments in the past fifty years have been worth beans! This is where the Large Hadron Collider comes in. It is supposed to be capable of performing the sorts of atom-‐smashing experiments that cause atoms to instantaneously split into all of their sub-‐particles, and what should reveal this elusive and quite crucial particle to our understanding of the universe. I have been tracking its progress over the past couple of years, ever since its first experiments in 2008. There have been numerous setbacks, preventing the collisions from occurring at the
in fact, just a couple of days ago, on March 30 the accelerator managed to smash two proton beams
together, at a combined energy level of seven trillion electron volts, traveling at 99% of the speed of light.
-‐energy, fastest, and potentially most lucrative atom-‐smashing experiment conducted to date.
Well, did they find the Higgs Boson? They are still analyzing the data. What is important here is that this incredible machine, the LHC, is critical to our understanding of the universe, and that it is now functional and capable of performing the type of experimentation for which it was designed, and from which we hope will give us some answers. Maybe over the next couple of days, the 500 physicists working on this epic project will be able to fill in that looming blank in their theory. Maybe the current data will not be sufficient, and it will be weeks, or even months before some satisfactory conclusions can be drawn. Or maybe, within that span of time these physicists and theorists will uncover something entirely new and quite surprising. References: Khan, K. (2010). Large hadron collider rewards scientists watching at caltch. Los Angeles Times, Retrieved from http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/31/science/la-‐sci-‐hadron31-‐2010mar31/2 Large Hadron Collider. (2010, April 1). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 13:44, April 1, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Large_Hadron_Collider&oldid=353320302 Standard Model. (2010, March 31). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 13:44, April 1, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Standard_Model&oldid=353182418
Such great heights
BY SAKI SHIMADA
-‐understatement. The word barely encompasses the
challenge, taking human endeavor to a whole new level in fact, to an atmospheric level. Some may gesture with an index finger pointing towards their ear in a circular motion upon hearing how the presumptuously daring Austrian Felix Baumgartner plans to embark on a challenge that is just out of this world, literally. This challenge
is to spacedive. No, not skydive; I mean spacedive. Baumgartner will plummet 38,000 meters from beyond the edge of space, from which point gravity will do the rest of the work to bring him back to the ground. Say what? This summer, the man plans to eclipse years ago from 31,300 meters high from E surface.
eefall will last for more than five minutes and will require him to wear a specially-‐made pressure suit and helmet to protect his body in the extreme cold and thin air he will encounter upon re-‐entry into Contrary to what most people may think, this insanely risky challenge actually holds much significance to scientific research and will provide answers to many important space-‐related questions. It sounds like just some crazy stunt, but there is more to it than that. Assisted by former NASA and U.S. Air Force engineers, Baumgautner is hoping to use his stunt to gather data about the stratosphere and how the body copes with the most arduous and extreme conditions ever experienced as it enters this area. His fall will cause him to reach speeds of over 1100 km/h (Mach 1) in just thirty-‐five seconds. This freefall will allow safety experts and engineers behind the experiment to test and refine pressure suits, parachutes and life-‐support gear necessary if commercial space travel is ever to become routine. The data that can be gathered to create enhanced equipment that could one day save lives of space travelers in emergencies that prevent normal reentry to Earth in essence, Baumgautner and his team will be developing the lifeboats and life-‐vests of the space age. So, at first thought, we may think Baumgartner is some crazy man attempting to have his share of fun by performing the ultimate stunt. But he is in fact a significant asset to bettering the technology of space travel in one fell swoop, he is making it safer for astronauts to explore the mysterious, alien realm of outer space. Reference:
supersonic freefall from The NewScientist on February 1, 2010 from: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18427-‐space-‐diver-‐to-‐attempt-‐first-‐supersonic-‐freefall.html
Wagashi and Tea
BY AZAR KHOSROWSHAHI
March 1-‐7 of 2010 was the week of tea
ceremony demonstrations, an annual event during which most high school students have the opportunity to experience a style of tea ceremony performed for them by their fellow classmates. Tea ceremony demonstration week is always a magical part of the year, as it is the only time when one can see students walking the halls of Canadian Academy dressed in Japanese kimonos that come in a wide variety of colors, textures, and patterns. Many of us enjoy attending the tea ceremony demonstrations. We are enticed by the warm room, the hot and delicious green tea and, best of all, the scrumptious tea sweets. These colorful delicacies, or wagashi as they are called, come in a diverse array of shapes, designs, and colors, not unlike the kimonos also gracing our halls during this time. When I hear my friends and classmates talking about the tea ceremony demonstrations, it is not the presentation, nor the tea itself that usually is the topic of conversation. Instead, almost
always, I hear people talking about the amazingly tasty tea sweets. These sweets are delightfully flavorful, but many of us know very little about the ethnic origins of these heavenly delights. When were wagashi created?
During the Nara Period (from 710 to 794), many Chinese ambassadors brought aspects of the Chinese Tang Dynasty culture to Japan. Part of this cultural influx was the Chinese sweets. The sweets were brought to the Japanese court and later, in the Heian period, presented as offerings within the temples and shrines of Japan. Over time, Chinese sweets increased in popularity, especially among the Japanese aristocrats. Eventually, Japanese flavors and styles were added to the confections, which transformed them into the uniquely Japanese sweets we know as wagashi. Wagashi became a part of tea ceremony when the art of preparing tea was introduced to the Japanese royal court of Kyoto in the year 1191, and sweets were served along with the tea. The arrival of the Portuguese in Japan after 1522 introduced new types of sweets to Japan, such as kompeito and castella. Later, when sugar production began in Japan, wagashi makers began to create the wide variety of wagashi we can find today. How are wagashi made?
As Mizushima-‐sensei may have mentioned in the Tea Ceremony demonstrations that some of us were fortunate enough to attend, the wagashi that are served at Canadian Academy are handmade each evening by Seihu-‐san, who is in his seventies. Seihu-‐san, the proprietor of his namesake shop in Aotani, had planned to retire several years ago but agreed to continue his craft of making wagashi for the students of Canadian Academy. Wagashi are traditionally handmade by confectionery craftsmen, who make the traditional wagashi but also create their own types of sweets for different events and seasonal celebrations. The wagashi used in tea ceremony are usually handmade, but there are other types of more
sugary wagashi that are made using wooden molds. During the Muromachi Period in Japanese history, tea ceremony became a Japanese art, and as a result, the wagashi became more polished and sophisticated. Another reason for this refinement in wagashi-‐making was the use of higher quality materials,
wagashi to an entirely made Kyoto a center for wagashi-‐making. To this day, the city remains famous for its superb and scrumptious wagashi.
This year I began taking tea ceremony at Canadian Academy, and I have truly enjoyed learning about all of the different aspects and intricacies of chado, tea-‐making. One of the reasons that I chose to join tea ceremony was because of the heavenly-‐tasting wagashi. Through my studies, I have learned a great deal about these sweets, and have gained an extensive appreciation for them. With the change of seasons, the wagashi also change in their colors and styles. There are wagashi with orange leaf patterns for the autumn; pumpkin-‐shaped wagashi with orange centers for Halloween; New Year wagashi; wagashi for setsubuDay festivities; and the list goes on. This special connection between the seasons and the types of wagashi served is very subtle, but these extra touches are part of what make the wagashi and the tea ceremony presentation so unique and wonderful.
Interested in wagashi?
If you walk in many of the older neighborhoods, you may discover wagashi shops. At Classe, the department store located next to Hanshin Mikage station, you will find a branch of Fukujudo Hidenobu on the first floor. Fukujudo Hidenobu has
their home store in Tezukayama and they have been offering a selection of sweets since 1948. This shop is a favorite of mine, not only because they have delicious wagashi, but also because they sell a variety of other types of traditional Japanese sweets. Their helpful staff, Ms. Matsumoto, Ms. Hyuuga, and Ms. Hayashi, are very friendly and speak conversational English. If you travel to Kyoto, you can visit the sweets shop Tawaraya Yoshitomi and right next door,
Yoshitomi began making sweets in 1755 and is famous for serving the Japanese Imperial Family. If you are interesting in making jo-‐namagashi
can take a class at another famous sweet shop in Kyoto called Kanshundo, and learn this art from their craftsmen. Thank you to Ms. Maiko Honda and Mizushima-‐sensei for their help and information for the article. Fukujudo Hidenobu Classe Hanshin Store at Hanshin Mikage Station, Mikage 078-‐330-‐8000 www.fukujudo-‐hidenobu.co.jp Tawaraya Yoshitomi Karasuma-‐dori, Kamidachiuri agaru, Kamigyo-‐ku, Kyoto 075-‐432-‐3101 www.kyogashi.co.jp Kanshundo Lesson Fee 2000 yen per person. 075-‐561-‐4019 www.kanshundo.co.jp References: Ishihara, Y. (2009). Kyoto Confectionery Museum [Pamphlet]. Kyoto, Japan:
Tawaraya Yoshitomi. Wagashi. (2010, March 7). Wikipedia. Retrieved March 10, 2010, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wagashi
for you this month?
BY SONIA NESTOROWA
Rat
You will be strongly tempted to speed things up in order to reach your aims and achieve your dearest
with family and friends, which will make you very
envisage the future with confidence and assurance.
Ox
effective outbursts. You will experience some paranoia this month.
Tiger
You will look for balance in all domains, giving priority to material and financial aspects. To succeed, be
more confident!
Rabbit
You will often find yourself in a very good mood. You will have a sense of diplomacy, which will
be very useful to you when solving the various problems that will present themselves this month. Petty problems may come your way, but be aware that they might persist longer than you expect.
Dragon
concessions and compromises. For once, gossip will
superbly competitive mind. Life in your home will be subjected to many turmoils.
Snake
tly unrealizable plans. Instead, satisfy yourself with more modest and
reasonably accessible projects. Be vigilant, and avoid huge commitments.
Horse
succeed in forcing your entourage to accept the plan
serene.
Goat
Take time to fully consider a situation before the
present actions and reactions that your destiny and
mistrustful dship relations in terms of possible material profit.
Monkey
necessary!
Rooster
Talk though problems rather than ignoring them. Profit off the dynamic influence of the stars to solve
able to repay an old debt. If you must travel, expect delays of trains or planes, or mechanical breakdowns.
Dog
t to profit by the joys of existence and savor all pleasures without delay. It must be said right
encounter considerable obstacles in overcoming your problems.
Pig
On the professional plane, your hierarchical superiors will be little satisfied with your work, which they will bluntly make known to you. A serious person, clearly one that is older than you, will show you how to get out of your personal problems. It is advisable that you follow his or her counsels, as they are quite
judicious. Ideas of vengeance will constantly torment your mind; drive them away if you want to recover
your serenity.
REFERENCE: (2009). Chinese monthly horoscope [Electronic Version]. Astrologizeme. Retrieved March 26, 2010, from http://www.astrologizeme.com/monthly_chinese