- The Editors -
A Country Without a Song?
Anna Kiil
Patrick Cameron
Compute This: Bill 160 Still Haunts Jarvis
Sarah Houghton
A Confused Censorship Policy
The Editors
Danielle Martin: 1979 - 1999
Lena Roti
A Step Toward Multiculturalism
- The Editors -
Throughout its history the Board of Education has been altering the curriculum as a response to the increasing diversity of students in Ontario schools. The English department has made efforts to provide books by writers of different backgrounds. The history and geography courses, despite their general focus on Canada, have also made efforts to accommodate this growing priority of global awareness with courses such as World Religions, World Issues and Ancient Civilizations. Unfortunately, they still offer no courses that focus on the history, culture and societies of Asia, South America, Africa, and the Middle East. The curriculum is so Canada-, America- and Europe-oriented, yet the classes are composed almost entirely of students who have traveled from the other side of the world to be here. How many maps of Canada can you colour before the names of provinces and capitals lose all meaning?
Just as one had to wonder why we concentrate almost all our efforts on the western half of the hemisphere, a breakthrough occurred: Jarvis got a new philosophy text book.
This is the second year that Jarvis has offered an OAC philosophy course. Last year, there was no text book, and the material consisted entirely of Western philosophy. This year, the philosophy course has been drastically modified. The new text book, Voices of Wisdom; A multicultural philosophy reader, by Gary E. Kessler, introduces philosophies of cultures all over the world from the classic Socrates and Plato, to Abu'l A'la Mawdudi on political theory in Islam, to Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan on Karma and Freedom, to Patricia Hill Collins on Afrocentric Feminist Epistemology. This book represents the perspectives of thinkers on knowledge, reality, ethics, life, religion, evil, and society of numerous different cultures, lifestyles, backgrounds, and eras.
We should extend a big thanks to philosophy teacher Mr. Lazare and principal Ms. McKenzie for giving future philosophy students this eye-opening and truly wise text for the 90's. This book reflects a genuine acceptance and recognition of diversity at Jarvis, and is a step of a long journey towards a multicultural curriculum.
A Country Without a Song?
Anna Kiil
In the last issue of the Jargon, we were blessed with an article by Nathaniel Moses-Weiner about our national anthem, in which he expressed his concern about the necessity for Jarvis students to stand to show respect for their country. I know that as students we have the right to express our opinions through the school newspaper, so I feel that if Nathaniel can have his rants published, so can I.
I'd just like to say that it is truly a sad thing when people can't take a couple minutes from their day to think of something other than themselves. Sure, at 9 o'clock in the morning we're not exactly bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, but without this allotted time, when would we ever get the chance to be thankful? Many of us spend six hours rushing around school, then hurry off to work or to do assignments. Then we go to sleep, wake up, and start again. With our jam-packed schedules, it's easy to take for granted that we live in a country that allows us to rush around like this: free.
Now, Nathaniel did make a good point: "There's no democracy in the morning's anthem; it's part of the opening exercises because the provincial government made that law that we must stand during O Canada." It does seem hypocritical to make students stand to show their respect for our democratic country.
But there's a reason for the rule. You know the Jarvis school song? Well we do not have to stand for the school song and sing; we have the option of refusal. And this means that we have a school filled with teenagers who don't give a flying sh*t about the song, don't know the song, and don't sing the song at assemblies.
Now, imagine that was the situation with the national anthem. We'd have a whole bunch of kids who call themselves Canadians, but who couldn't give their time or effort to lift their chins from their hands and stand up to listen to O Canada.
Okay, call me crazy, but doesn't it give you a great feeling when you go to a stadium to see one of our Canadian teams play, and everyone gets up for the singing of O Canada? The whole place goes quiet, then all you hear is the song, and all you can see is thousands of people, standing together. It's times like these when you realize that you have one thing in common with every Canadian: we live in a beautiful country.
Nationalism in an ethnically diverse country like Canada is a very touchy subject. Most citizens of Canada have emigrated from other countries, or have parents who were once immigrants (myself included). Many of us still feel strong patriotism for our ancestral lands, but have found a safe home here. And there are others of us who feel that patriotism is a negative thing. Contrary to Nathaniel's view, I see it as a beautiful thing that we can sit here, as I am, and argue over whether or not we should stand for the Canadian national anthem when there are wars going on all around the world in countries that aren't free.
Does it not seem selfish that as the next generation of Canadians we cannot unite for two minutes of each day to silently be thankful? Maybe at least we could all have enough decency to keep to ourselves and allow our fellow classmates to show that they have some compassion. It isn't too much to ask.
How I Survived the 30 Hour Famine
Patrick Cameron
If we really wanted to know what is was like to live in an under-developed country and go thirty hours between meals, we opted for the luxurious way to do it. In the gym was a pitcher full of Gatorade, which last time I checked was not the favoured beverage of famine victims worldwide. A glass of Gatorade is about equal to a slice of apple in nutritional value.
And I'm pretty sure that people in developing countries don't get to watch There's Something About Mary either when those hunger pains start to set in. Nor does a CityTV cameraman, or videographer, or whatever you want to call them show up to document their struggle.
At the end of the famine, to reward us for a job well done, there was a pizza party, complete with all the donuts we could eat and soft drinks. This did not seem to me to be an accurate representation of what it is like to live in a famine-stricken country.
Of course, I'm just as guilty as everyone else. I drank about 100 000 gallons of Gatorade myself, and I took more than my share of pizza. I laughed at the movies and fought boredom by chasing people around with the school's video camera.
We all entered the famine with the same noble purpose: to torture ourselves out of guilt for the spoiled lifestyles we lead in North America. But next year we should really go all-out, so that we will be more inclined to try to make a difference after we've gone home.
Then again, maybe thinking you can experience a real famine in a gym in downtown Toronto is idealistic at best.
Compute This: Bill 160 Still Haunts Jarvis
Sarah Houghton
Here's the problem with going to a public school that is suffering from budget cuts: limited access to important facilities. My foremost concern, which has shocked and appalled me this year, is the failure to provide students with access to word processing computers and printers.
Last year we had access to the computer lab in room 250. There were about two dozen computers (both IBMs and Macs) and two printers, as well as internet access for the use of all Jarvis students. It was open every day during both lunches and most periods, and was supervised by a teacher at all times. Access to these computers and printers was not unappreciated. There were usually students in the room, typing up papers, researching on the internet, or printing something from a disk.
This year, Jarvis students are feeling the repercussions of the infamous Bill 160: the room is closed to students who aren't in computer classes. Now, Jarvis students only have access to the lab in room 267 on Thursdays after school, as well as the three word processing computers in the library. But even this use is limited: the library is closed on Mondays and Fridays at lunch, and internet research is given priority over word processing. To use the printer, students have to pay five cents a page. And these computers are always occupied.
Looking back fondly, I recall using the computer lab in room 250 quite regularly last year, even though I have a computer and printer at home. So what about those who don't own computers? Or what about the frequent possibility of computer crashes, viruses, printer ink shortages, and the infinite last-minute crises that occur to us all the night before and ISU is due?
The problem here is not a shortage of computers, because there are 75 brand new computers in the school. The problem is the unavailability of staff members who can supervise. With the budget cuts of Bill 160 and new on-call periods to deal with, teachers aren't assigned time to spend supervising the computer labs; it is felt that they should be in the classroom teaching, "where they belong." The result: about 37 brand-new computers in rooms 267 and 305 are not being used, either for regular classes or independent student work. And students are lining up for computer time in the library.
I am not alone in my outrage against this failure to access important equipment. Something should be done. But yet again, students are the ones who suffer from the never-ending money shortages in public schools.
A Confused Censorship Policy
The Editors
Boys have penises; girls have vaginas. This is something all students are taught in grade nine health class, with graphic illustrations used to erase any remaining doubts. Yet, before parent-teacher interviews, student drawings of a nude model (which had cardboard maple leaves covering the penis anyhow) were covered up in the display case outside the V.P.'s Office so as not to offend any parents who might see them. Offence to students, apparently, was not a concern. Even with the maple leaves in place, it was felt that some parents might be offended by the knowledge of what the leaves were covering.
To let our students see and draw a nude model, and then to prevent them from displaying their drawings to the rest of the school is an insult to both the artist and their audience.
Either nude models are immoral and offensive, in which case art students should not be drawing them, or they are not, and should thus be displayed with pride outside the main office, sans maple leaves, when the parents come to school.
Danielle Martin: 1979 - 1999
Lena Roti
Last month we were informed of the untimely passing of a former Jarvis student, Danielle Martin. To those who knew her, this was not only shocking but heart-wrenching. Although I did not know her for very long, Danielle has left a lasting impression. Her death is tragic for gone is not only the lovely person but also the potential that went with it. Gone is the person who was the epitome of the possible. She was a hard worker but she was also a sensitive person. She truly cared about her world, not only what was happening at Jarvis but also beyond Jarvis.
My fondest memory of her will be the day I walked into my law class back in February of 1998 to find a surprise baby shower. I later learned that this was her doing. She had organized the event, collected the money and purchased a gift for my daughter. I was truly speechless that she along with her classsmates would go through all this trouble.
I would like to say that Danielle will be missed not only by me, but by many teachers and students. I will remember the young woman who entered my class with a smile as a person who loved life.
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