American Universities
By Tema Smith
Is Jarvis Getting Back to Normal?
By Helen Chow
The Value of an Informed Society
By Ali Karim
American Universities
By Tema Smith
By Tema Smith
A new school year has started, and once again, for those in their final year, university applications are quickly approaching. The choice of where to go for undergraduate studies, whether to stay at home, move out of Toronto, or leave Canada altogether is one of the most difficult decisions that must be made.
While most people opt to stay in Canada, American universities are attracting some of the nation's top students. Despite costs amounting to between roughly $20,000 and $60,000(Cdn.) each year, SATs are written, and essays prepared to meet the requirements of applications for schools in the States.
Many of those who choose to go to school in America are in search of the complete "college experience." School spirit, fraternities, sororities, and football are just some of the things that are capturing Canadian students' attention. Most students opt to live on campus and thus are constantly surrounded by the college atmosphere.
Attending college in the States is not just going to class. "American schools have become more than just institutions of higher learning; they seem to represent a whole way of life," reports Professor Henry Srebrnik in his article Football, Frats, and Fun vs. Commuters, Cold, and Carping: The Social and Psychological Context of Higher Education in Canada and the United States.
Right from the initial application, the attempt to ensure that the school would be a good match for the individual student is on the mind of the admission staff. A large attraction to American schools is the attempt to get to know the applicant as a person, and not just a SAT score.
"Here [in Canada] you are six OACs. Not even a name. It's so impersonal. But in the States, they get you to write essays about who you are and who you want to be. Even if your test scores aren't that great, they'll still consider you if they think you've got something they want. They actually want to know you, not just your marks," says Morgan Connelly, a student at Upper Canada College who is planning to attend university in the United States.
The tradition of excellence at American schools is one that goes back to the beginning of America. Some of the founding fathers, such as Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. wanted to base their nation on intellect, and therefore, they placed much emphasis on higher education. Franklin was the founder of the University of Pennsylvania and Jefferson founded the University of Virginia. American schools to this day are full of pride and brimming with a strong sense of history.
This tradition is another reason many people choose to pursue their education south of the border.
"American schools are a prestigious destination for the next step of a student's education. They have international acclaim and very high admission standards. The private schools seem to place an emphasis on even being offered admission to the school, not to mention actually attending it," states Sally Jordan, Head of the Guidance department at Jarvis Collegiate.
"They're better schools. The professors are better; the course material is better; they're just better in general," stated one Jarvis student, 18.
The States also has a wider variety of schools to choose from. Compare: The United States has about 1800 four-year colleges and universities, some private, some public. Within these, there are state schools, world-class institutions, small undergraduate liberal arts colleges, small private schools linked with the church and various others with different focuses. In Canada, there are roughly 90 degree-granting institutions and numerous diploma-granting colleges.
American schools also have massive scholarship funds available for students attending their schools. If a university wants a student, it will go out of its way to insure that the student will come. Most American schools consider themselves "needs-blind;" that is, financial situation has no bearing on offers of admission. Financial aid is given to anyone who meets the admission criteria of the school but cannot afford to attend. Canadian universities do not consider financial status during the application process, but leave it up to the student to find loans from the government and banks.
Networking is almost promised at America's more prestigious institutions. People from small places are given the opportunity to hobnob with those who will help them gain power and recognition. One such person is former President Bill Clinton. As an undergraduate, he left his home state of Arkansas to attend a national institution, Georgetown University, in Washington D.C. He took advantage of his location to meet people, which he never would have been able to have done in a state with as little power as his own.
"Attending an Ivy League school in the States almost guarantees recognition from anyone. I mean, when you look at biographies of people and it says 'Graduated from Harvard' next to their name, it makes you say 'Wow!' It's a big deal, because it's so hard to get into the schools, and also because of the kind of people you meet while you're there," states another Jarvis student when asked why she plans to apply to American schools this winter. "The high-end schools in the States give their students chances to meet the people that will help them get where they want to be."
While many see all of these features of American schools as attractive, there are still those who feel that Canadian schools would be better suited to their needs. "Personally, I feel that we have schools here in Canada that rival the top U.S. schools," asserts Jordan.
Many Canadians find the patriotic nature of American schools a turn-off and would much rather stay at home where school spirit is an option. The belief that the university years should be transforming, shaping a person into one who understands how to have fun, do well, and be loyal to one's school, is not held in the same esteem as it is in the States. Based on these criteria, many Canadian students choose to remain in Canada, and deal with what Srebrnik calls "the bureaucratic 'non-experience'."
American schools are doing their best to attract Canada's best and brightest, and in many cases, they are succeeding. By providing students with an outlet for pride, school spirit, and involvement, they are going beyond the standard rigours of academia that their Canadian counterparts are also known for.
While most people opt to stay in Canada, American universities are attracting some of the nation's top students. Despite costs amounting to between roughly $20,000 and $60,000(Cdn.) each year, SATs are written, and essays prepared to meet the requirements of applications for schools in the States.
Many of those who choose to go to school in America are in search of the complete "college experience." School spirit, fraternities, sororities, and football are just some of the things that are capturing Canadian students' attention. Most students opt to live on campus and thus are constantly surrounded by the college atmosphere.
Attending college in the States is not just going to class. "American schools have become more than just institutions of higher learning; they seem to represent a whole way of life," reports Professor Henry Srebrnik in his article Football, Frats, and Fun vs. Commuters, Cold, and Carping: The Social and Psychological Context of Higher Education in Canada and the United States.
Right from the initial application, the attempt to ensure that the school would be a good match for the individual student is on the mind of the admission staff. A large attraction to American schools is the attempt to get to know the applicant as a person, and not just a SAT score.
"Here [in Canada] you are six OACs. Not even a name. It's so impersonal. But in the States, they get you to write essays about who you are and who you want to be. Even if your test scores aren't that great, they'll still consider you if they think you've got something they want. They actually want to know you, not just your marks," says Morgan Connelly, a student at Upper Canada College who is planning to attend university in the United States.
The tradition of excellence at American schools is one that goes back to the beginning of America. Some of the founding fathers, such as Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. wanted to base their nation on intellect, and therefore, they placed much emphasis on higher education. Franklin was the founder of the University of Pennsylvania and Jefferson founded the University of Virginia. American schools to this day are full of pride and brimming with a strong sense of history.
This tradition is another reason many people choose to pursue their education south of the border.
"American schools are a prestigious destination for the next step of a student's education. They have international acclaim and very high admission standards. The private schools seem to place an emphasis on even being offered admission to the school, not to mention actually attending it," states Sally Jordan, Head of the Guidance department at Jarvis Collegiate.
"They're better schools. The professors are better; the course material is better; they're just better in general," stated one Jarvis student, 18.
The States also has a wider variety of schools to choose from. Compare: The United States has about 1800 four-year colleges and universities, some private, some public. Within these, there are state schools, world-class institutions, small undergraduate liberal arts colleges, small private schools linked with the church and various others with different focuses. In Canada, there are roughly 90 degree-granting institutions and numerous diploma-granting colleges.
American schools also have massive scholarship funds available for students attending their schools. If a university wants a student, it will go out of its way to insure that the student will come. Most American schools consider themselves "needs-blind;" that is, financial situation has no bearing on offers of admission. Financial aid is given to anyone who meets the admission criteria of the school but cannot afford to attend. Canadian universities do not consider financial status during the application process, but leave it up to the student to find loans from the government and banks.
Networking is almost promised at America's more prestigious institutions. People from small places are given the opportunity to hobnob with those who will help them gain power and recognition. One such person is former President Bill Clinton. As an undergraduate, he left his home state of Arkansas to attend a national institution, Georgetown University, in Washington D.C. He took advantage of his location to meet people, which he never would have been able to have done in a state with as little power as his own.
"Attending an Ivy League school in the States almost guarantees recognition from anyone. I mean, when you look at biographies of people and it says 'Graduated from Harvard' next to their name, it makes you say 'Wow!' It's a big deal, because it's so hard to get into the schools, and also because of the kind of people you meet while you're there," states another Jarvis student when asked why she plans to apply to American schools this winter. "The high-end schools in the States give their students chances to meet the people that will help them get where they want to be."
While many see all of these features of American schools as attractive, there are still those who feel that Canadian schools would be better suited to their needs. "Personally, I feel that we have schools here in Canada that rival the top U.S. schools," asserts Jordan.
Many Canadians find the patriotic nature of American schools a turn-off and would much rather stay at home where school spirit is an option. The belief that the university years should be transforming, shaping a person into one who understands how to have fun, do well, and be loyal to one's school, is not held in the same esteem as it is in the States. Based on these criteria, many Canadian students choose to remain in Canada, and deal with what Srebrnik calls "the bureaucratic 'non-experience'."
American schools are doing their best to attract Canada's best and brightest, and in many cases, they are succeeding. By providing students with an outlet for pride, school spirit, and involvement, they are going beyond the standard rigours of academia that their Canadian counterparts are also known for.
Is Jarvis Getting Back to Normal?
By Helen Chow
By Helen Chow
The basketballs are flying and the cheerleaders are chanting our te
If any grade nine students were to ask a Jarvisite just how exciting the school was last year, they will, in most cases, receive a short, blunt reply that goes something like "What excitement?"
Such an answer is valid considering the fact that the routine last year consisted of waking up in the morning, going to school, and then finally going home to do all the homework of the day. School was comparable to a black hole of emptiness.
The absence of extra-curricular activities was noticed almost everywhere. Students of all grades slouched up and down the halls with bags under their overworked eyes, heavy books cradled in both arms, formulas, economic models and Shakespearean verses drilled in their brains.
I began to notice the symptoms of all work and no play when I had the opportunity to sit through the Welcome Back assembly that took place last year.
As the audience was asked to rise and then informed that the Jarvis School Song was about to be sung, people glanced at one another with raised eyebrows and blank faces.
I interpreted these gestures as a warming- up exercise to get ready to sing. Members of the band grasped their instruments and warms up. They begin to play the notes of the song, and take a wild guess as to what happened, or shall I say, what didn't happen.
The auditorium was quiet and not one mouth from the audience even opened to utter a single lyric of the song.
After the assembly, I quickly realized that no one sang simply because they didn't know the words to the song. How can you expect some fifteen- hundred students to know the words to a song that is seldom sung?
Such a feeling of emptiness took place in our school last year due to the fact that six-thousand secondary school teachers withdrew participation in extra-curricular activities to protest provincial requirements that saw classroom time increase from six to six and a half periods out of eight.
Such a requirement by the Toronto District School Board also resulted in the reduction of four- hundred teaching positions in secondary schools across the city, which provided the Ontario government with savings of up to twenty- five million dollars per year.
Although a small percentage of teachers at Jarvis were able to squeeze extra- curricular activities into their demanding schedules last year, many were just unable to cope. Teachers were just too burnt out with advising students about their educational careers, continuing on-calls, and patrolling hallways, to maintain extra-curricular activities.
Whether you noticed it or not, the absence of extra- curricular activities was all around us like a rainy day that just wouldn't go away.
The frustration of Jarvis students was evident as they attempted to voice their concerns in a walk- out that was attended by almost every student of the school. In front of the school steps on Jarvis Street, students confidently held up signs that read 'Support Our Teachers.'
Principal McKenzie has referred to this year as a "nova" simply because everything has exploded into life. We are no longer living in a black hole of emptiness because the games, clubs, and many other extra- curricular events have brought colour back into the school.
In late August of 2001, the Toronto District School Board and the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation reached a tentative agreement that reduces classroom workload so that teachers will now have time to volunteer for extra-curricular activities.
Finally, the halls are bursting with excitement, people have things other than schoolwork to gossip about, and the morning announcements are filled with the results and highlights of games played by Jarvis teams.
Renata Ancans, a grade twelve student and a member of the Girls' Athletic Council remarks on the return of extra- curricular activities: "I think it's really good for the school as it encourages school spirit and the students are active again." Teams help a lot of students to enjoy school and they help some focus a bit better because they have a lot on their minds and they can put this energy into the game. The number of students that have come out for teams this year shows that J.C.I. is very eager to participate in sports again.
There is an oriental philosophy that one 'seeks for balance in life' and is symbolized by the yin-yang. Extra-curricular activities bring balance to the life of a school.
Our school principal, Mrs. McKenzie states her view of the return of extra- curricular activities:
"I just feel as though there is a whole new beginning. Extra- curricular activities keep both students and teachers happy, busy and play a big role in providing a fun- filled educational experience for all. They allow students to interact socially with their peers and the teacher, and also give students the opportunity to develop leadership skills, which are considered an asset to prospective employers. We also know from studies that students who are involved in activities outside of the classroom do better in school."
Extra- curricular activities are not about politics; rather, they are about enabling students to unleash the talents and strengths that lie deep within them.
A curriculum is not just about going to school from nine to three, it is about going to school and trying our best in order to find the people that we truly are. It's about trying things that test our endurance, strength, strategy and ability.
I urge all Jarvisites to take advantage of our school's wide selection of extra- curricular activities.
If any grade nine students were to ask a Jarvisite just how exciting the school was last year, they will, in most cases, receive a short, blunt reply that goes something like "What excitement?"
Such an answer is valid considering the fact that the routine last year consisted of waking up in the morning, going to school, and then finally going home to do all the homework of the day. School was comparable to a black hole of emptiness.
The absence of extra-curricular activities was noticed almost everywhere. Students of all grades slouched up and down the halls with bags under their overworked eyes, heavy books cradled in both arms, formulas, economic models and Shakespearean verses drilled in their brains.
I began to notice the symptoms of all work and no play when I had the opportunity to sit through the Welcome Back assembly that took place last year.
As the audience was asked to rise and then informed that the Jarvis School Song was about to be sung, people glanced at one another with raised eyebrows and blank faces.
I interpreted these gestures as a warming- up exercise to get ready to sing. Members of the band grasped their instruments and warms up. They begin to play the notes of the song, and take a wild guess as to what happened, or shall I say, what didn't happen.
The auditorium was quiet and not one mouth from the audience even opened to utter a single lyric of the song.
After the assembly, I quickly realized that no one sang simply because they didn't know the words to the song. How can you expect some fifteen- hundred students to know the words to a song that is seldom sung?
Such a feeling of emptiness took place in our school last year due to the fact that six-thousand secondary school teachers withdrew participation in extra-curricular activities to protest provincial requirements that saw classroom time increase from six to six and a half periods out of eight.
Such a requirement by the Toronto District School Board also resulted in the reduction of four- hundred teaching positions in secondary schools across the city, which provided the Ontario government with savings of up to twenty- five million dollars per year.
Although a small percentage of teachers at Jarvis were able to squeeze extra- curricular activities into their demanding schedules last year, many were just unable to cope. Teachers were just too burnt out with advising students about their educational careers, continuing on-calls, and patrolling hallways, to maintain extra-curricular activities.
Whether you noticed it or not, the absence of extra- curricular activities was all around us like a rainy day that just wouldn't go away.
The frustration of Jarvis students was evident as they attempted to voice their concerns in a walk- out that was attended by almost every student of the school. In front of the school steps on Jarvis Street, students confidently held up signs that read 'Support Our Teachers.'
Principal McKenzie has referred to this year as a "nova" simply because everything has exploded into life. We are no longer living in a black hole of emptiness because the games, clubs, and many other extra- curricular events have brought colour back into the school.
In late August of 2001, the Toronto District School Board and the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation reached a tentative agreement that reduces classroom workload so that teachers will now have time to volunteer for extra-curricular activities.
Finally, the halls are bursting with excitement, people have things other than schoolwork to gossip about, and the morning announcements are filled with the results and highlights of games played by Jarvis teams.
Renata Ancans, a grade twelve student and a member of the Girls' Athletic Council remarks on the return of extra- curricular activities: "I think it's really good for the school as it encourages school spirit and the students are active again." Teams help a lot of students to enjoy school and they help some focus a bit better because they have a lot on their minds and they can put this energy into the game. The number of students that have come out for teams this year shows that J.C.I. is very eager to participate in sports again.
There is an oriental philosophy that one 'seeks for balance in life' and is symbolized by the yin-yang. Extra-curricular activities bring balance to the life of a school.
Our school principal, Mrs. McKenzie states her view of the return of extra- curricular activities:
"I just feel as though there is a whole new beginning. Extra- curricular activities keep both students and teachers happy, busy and play a big role in providing a fun- filled educational experience for all. They allow students to interact socially with their peers and the teacher, and also give students the opportunity to develop leadership skills, which are considered an asset to prospective employers. We also know from studies that students who are involved in activities outside of the classroom do better in school."
Extra- curricular activities are not about politics; rather, they are about enabling students to unleash the talents and strengths that lie deep within them.
A curriculum is not just about going to school from nine to three, it is about going to school and trying our best in order to find the people that we truly are. It's about trying things that test our endurance, strength, strategy and ability.
I urge all Jarvisites to take advantage of our school's wide selection of extra- curricular activities.
The Value of an Informed Society
By Ali Karim
By Ali Karim
It's not an easy task to sit back and watch your particular race of people being targeted and turned into victims of hate. After the tragic occurrence of terrorism in the United States on September 11th, a wave of anti-Muslim feelings has swept though North America. As a result innocent people have been killed, lives crushed and sacred property destroyed. Now, it's no secret that the incidents of September 11th have brought out both the best and the worst in people.
On one hand we have brave firefighters, police officers and civilians working around the clock in a united effort to salvage lives from the rubble. On the other, we have hate.
If there's a lesson to be learned today it is that hate begets hate. And violence begets violence. Being part of the Muslim community, I find myself confused sometimes when I think about the people that have committed crimes against my people - what makes them any different from the people who destroyed those two buildings? They both preach intolerance, and this worried me the more I thought about it. However, after allowing a day to go by, my worries began to subside. Recently on television there was a story about a Sikh man that was murdered - his murderer thinking him to be Muslim, and a Hindu temple burned to the ground - by an arsonist believing it to be a Mosque. These people believed they were doing their society a favor by destroying all things Muslim. Of course, these incidents beg the question - what could have spawned this ignorance?
I'm a Grade 12 student at Jarvis. I share this facility with over a thousand students from a multitude of backgrounds - from every race and place on Earth that I could possibly think of.
So I felt it necessary to gather the views of some of my fellow students on matters of the heart. My questions were based on how these incidents may have affected people's views about Muslim students. "The truth? Well, when I first found out about the anti-Muslim feelings surfacing around here, I felt nervous. But what can I say? People here are just generally cool," said a grade 12 Muslim student Damir Maltaric.
"The people who did those things were sick - I'm a Muslim, and I've always been taught to be peaceful. What I like is that the people at JCI are smart enough to realize that not everyone's a terrorist." This was the reply from another Muslim student who is an OAC, and preferred to be anonymous. "No, life hasn't changed. I think everyone knows that all Muslims aren't responsible for this," was the reply from Grade 11 student Ozren Stambuk.
I conclude to state that the words of my friends and those I interviewed have all been correct. The people at Jarvis are cool. The teachers have been sensitive and supportive towards Muslim students.
The students I interviewed, and conversations I've had with my other Jarvis friends have all brought comfort to me. Turns out, that people that attend JCI are intelligent and informed, and I think that this is the primary reason that there hasn't been any discrimination of any sort and that Jarvis has stayed peaceful through the start of a rough year. It is in times like these that one can take notice and appreciate how education strengthens our community.
In the end, I confess that this little article was written in the spirit of admiration for our school community. Or perhaps simply a thank-you note to all the teachers and students that have made life this much easier for me and other Muslim students, camouflaged in an article constructed to inform.
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