Egypt in Crisis (By: Danyal Younus)

Similar to World War One, all that was necessary was a spark to set off the rage of Egyptian citizens, tired of the dictator-like ruling of 82-year old President Hosni Mubarak. The Egyptian rebellion against Mubarak’s rule began in January; the spark being the Tunisian revolt against Tunisia’s President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, whom, after numerous protests, was forced out of his presidency. Living under Mubarak’s rule for over 30 years, Egyptians took the Tunisian example as an inspiration to change the current state of their beloved country. Many say that they have been subject to rule from a dictator, who has repressed other political parties, used police state tactics against the media and suspected enemies, and banned the major Islamic opposition group, all the while allowing corruption and poverty of all sorts to thrive. Now, after many years of living under a dictator, protesting Egyptians now seek what was taken from them all these years, the main demand being the resignation of Mubarak. After peaceful assembly, a few violent protests involving the destruction of police vehicles, and encouragement from President Obama and David Cameron, Mubarak stated in an address on February 1st that he will not run in the next election, yet will continue to stay in power until that time. However, this statement failed to satisfy protestor demands, and more strikes ensued. Through all the pressure from President Obama and David Cameron, his ministry stated that the West was “inflaming” the situation through its interference.

Other changes demanded by protestors include a three-decade emergency law that restricts governmental interference, the purge of corruption, democratic elections, more jobs, increased salaries, peaceful assembly and an end to police state rule. The protesting parties include the poor and middle classes, consisting of citizens of all ages. To accomplish their goals, protestors have both attempted at peaceful strikes, with few violent riots, the latter resulting in a small number killed and more than one hundred injured. Despite having their vehicles vandalized, Police have stood their ground, utilizing methods such as hoses and riot shields to combat the rarely occurring riots. To complicate matters even further, citizens supporting Mubarak’s regime also participated in strikes and riots against protestors themselves, resulting in injuries and deaths. The countries’ army has been called to action, yet members refuse to solve matters though taking sides. The government has shut off the countries’ telephone and internet capabilities, to prevent protestors from posting their events, opinions, and videos onto social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook. Things such as these are what had aided in the mobilization of the rebellion, thus being a main source of the participant’s ability to organize themselves. The withdrawal of these capabilities angered Egyptians even further, adding unto an already large number of things Egyptians are insisting for. Amiss all this, Mubarak and his government have yet still to find a peaceful resolution to protestor demands. However, Egyptian citizens seek change now, as oppose to the time of the next election.

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Review for Hit TV Show Pretty Little Liars (By: Kamaldeep Gill and Pavneet Boparai)

Is this show really headed somewhere or is it a dead end?

ABC’s new hit show ‘Pretty Little Liars’ based from Sara Shepard’s young-adult novels brings mystery and suspense every week. This show is about a group of popular girls —Hanna, Aria, Emily and Spencer — whose best friend and group leader Ali, is murdered. The girls receive text messages from someone called A who knows everything the girls do. Who is A? Is it Ali? And most importantly what does A want?

After 16 episodes with so many twists, turns, inaccurate conclusions-and a two month break! - the murder and A are still not revealed. The question comes to be is if fans will still continue to watch the show or will it get more interesting. Some fans are saying that they’re getting bored of the show because the show is not progressing. The story line is just getting longer and longer with a new idea being added almost every week. However, the show is not coming to any conclusions as each episode is left at a cliff-hanger. Some fans are getting tired of this and want the show to reveal who “A” is, while other fans enjoy the suspense and mystery each episode brings along with it. So the question remains, will fans get bored of this hit show or will they continue to watch in hopes of finding out who “A” is.

Pretty Little Liars appeals to teenagers because it covers topics that are experienced most by those in their teenage years. Some of the topics covered are homophobia, theft, teacher-student relationship, divorce, cheating, hit and runs and so much more. Many teenagers can relate to at least one of these above topics and this attracts viewers for the hit show.

Are you interested in watching this show? Tune in every Monday at 8 p.m. on Much Music to experience the suspense yourself!

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What Element are You? (Quiz by Cheryl Joseph)

Are you earth, water, wind or fire? Find out with this simple quiz.

1. You are at a party, and see that your friend is upset. What do you do?
a) Follow him/her to a more private place and ask them what’s wrong
b) Bring the attention back to yourself to distract her; if you’re in the mood, you’ll ask about it later
c) You do nothing, for now, anyway. You wouldn’t really know what to say.
d) For now, you say something funny to make them laugh; later, when it’s less conspicuous, you’ll ask them what’s going on.

2. On Friday nights, you like to:
a) Hang out with a few trusted friends
b) Go do something social with a bunch of people
c) Go home and do something you like
d) Get involved – go to a school club, volunteer, help out with an event

3. When you first meet someone, you:
a) Smile, but don’t decide what kind of person they are until further encounters
b) See what kind of person they are; funny? Athletic? Girly? If they’re good-looking, you flirt a bit
c) Smile a little awkwardly… if they’re nice, you’ll warm up to them after a few more meetings
d) Decide that they seem like nice people. Act friendly, as usual

4. When your friend is mean to you, you:
a) Confront them when they’re alone. Tell them how it made you feel
b) Retort/swear
c) Give them the silent treatment; if it’s really bad, you’ll end up with a huge grudge
d) Feel betrayed and unsure what to do. Later, try to understand their perspective, and confront them if you get the chance

5. Your ideal girlfriend or boyfriend is:
a) Thoughtful and sweet
b) Really good-looking and fun
c) Loyal and pleasantly eccentric
d) Understanding, but also a little mysterious

6. Where would you want to go for a vacation?
a) Somewhere wild; like a rain forest in Peru
b) Somewhere fun and warm like Florida, or Barbados
c) Anywhere quiet and serene
d) Depends on my mood; any of the above, really

a) Earth
If your answers were mostly a:
You are level-headed and dependable. You don’t try to be anything you’re not, and some people dislike that you are your own person; however, many admire you for staying true to who you are. You have a small group of friends, composed of those who understand you; they are the only ones you fully trust, and you are thus loyal to them. You are modest, ethical, and a good listener – because of this, so many people come to you for advice.

b) Fire
If your answers were mostly b:
You are impulsive and unpredictable. You are quick to anger, but also quick to recover. Some think you arrogant, but the simple truth is that you have faith in your strengths. You like to be spontaneous, and in some cases, you are quite sarcastic. Your exuberant – and somewhat boisterous – spirit allows you to have several friends, but if someone truly crosses you, you can be very unpleasant. You are passionate, ambitious, and quite often the life of the party.

c) Water
If your answers were mostly c:
You are mellow until truly provoked; at this point, you’ll hold quite a grudge. You enjoy time alone, often doing an art of some sort, or reading. You are usually quiet and a little shy around people you don’t know, meaning you only really act yourself around the people you love and trust, usually a small group of friends. It may take you longer than most to find yourself; however, when you do, you will finally find confidence in yourself. You are artistic, serene, and quietly passionate.

d) Air
If your answers were mostly d:
You are optimistic and liberated. For this reason, some may think you naïve; you are, however, simply enjoying life to its fullest. You think the best of people; this sometimes results in disappointment, but you are not deterred. You continue to be kind despite the flaws of the people around you. You are a little emotionally volatile, passionate, and determined. You often ponder the larger questions of life. You have many friends, because you have several different sides of you; you subconsciously change your personality to fit that of the people around you. You are kind, very loyal, and friendly.

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The Day I Met Him (Short Story by Leanna Rose Jimenez)

It was a sunny Wednesday morning. I was sitting in Mr. Charles second period math class. Although I was physically there, my mind sure wasn’t. I would typically spend this class looking out the window in the back of the class and count the cars in the parking lot, or daydream, things like that. Math wasn’t my thing; I had no idea how to find the equation for a line, or the orthocentre of a triangle. For others, I’m sure this was easier, but for me not so much; and I never asked for help. Not because I had no care to learn what Mr. Charles was attempting to teach, but because, I guess I never learned how to ask.

Since I was a young girl I was forced to depend on myself and no one else. My father was always at work, and I never knew my mother, she passed when I was only two. My father told me she was a wonderful woman, but that’s all he would say on the subject. So, growing up without a mother and a father who worked most of the time I learned to take care of myself. But now that I needed help, I wasn’t able to ask.

Class went on as usual. Mr. Charles would teach and the class would listen. The bell rang and everyone got up and headed to the door. I gathered my books and placed them carefully in my backpack when Mr. Charles stopped me and asked if he could have a word with me. I waited behind until there were only three people in the room; the third person was the new kid who moved here from Ohio.

He called us to his desk and spoke. “Victoria, I’m sure you already know Keith. He is very skilled in math and I was thinking that maybe he can help you, and you could show him around the school.” We both agreed with him and went on our ways to our next class.

This was the day I met the person who would change my life for the better. Over the next few months we would get closer, and he would teach me how to trust someone other than myself, and how to depend on others for a change. I fell for him, and years later I’m still falling for him. Six years after meeting him in our grade 11 math class we have become best friends and lovers. Who would have thought I would meet my soul mate because I was failing math. I guess it’s true what they say, “Everything happens for a reason.”

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One of the World's Largest Award Shows Bashed (By: Erika Ty)

After hosting the 68^th Golden Globe Awards on Sunday night, Ricky Gervais didn’t get the reviews he was hoping for. Many claimed he “crossed the line” but when asked about it he simply denied it.

The comedian predictably made fun of Hollywood’s famous actors and members of the HFPA, which added an insignificant awkwardness to the room.

During Ricky’s opening monologue, he cracked a joke about Charlie Sheen saying, “It’s going to be a night of partying and heavy drinking. Or as Charlie Sheen calls it, breakfast”.

He was simply being himself; witty, edgy and disrespectful.

Many celebrities that were bashed during the celebration called the HFPA and complained. Although the association did receive a lot of mixed reviews, they loved the show. The 2011 Golden Globe Awards had 17 million viewers worldwide; the biggest audience the show has ever had.

For Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, Hugh Hefner, Mel Gibson and Robert Downey Jr., from the looks of those numbers, Ricky Gervais will probably be asked to host again – snarky comments and all.

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The Ridge Writes for Rights (By: Danyal Younus)

Hoping to increase awareness and protect human rights across the globe, Amnesty International at the Ridge hosted its yearly “Write for Rights Campaign”, attracting a number of Ridge students. Located in the street from December 10^th to 15^th, the campaign encouraged students to participate in writing letters involving different issues that infringed upon the human rights of certain individuals across the globe. Included were issues from Gambia, Columbia, and China. Each participant was provided with information on these issues, and then chose the topic they would like to write about. Once the students had selected the topic of their interest, they would then begin their letter by dedicating it to the government official responsible for surveying the human rights violation involved in the topic. The main body of the letters consisted of the students explaining their resentment for the government’s intrusion on the victim’s human rights, and outlined their point of view towards the dastardly act.

The letters concluded with the participants once again asking the officials to withdraw their decisions on certain matters, with the whole writing process taking no more than ten minutes. This campaign illustrates that not only do the students at the Ridge have a passion for resolving human rights issues, but also that they are willing to spend their free time to allow the less fortunate with the chance to live freely. Amnesty plans to send these letters to their targeted government, with hope that they will heed the perspective outlined by these individuals. If not, other Amnesty organizations across the world have also sent their letters, and so the addition of these Ridge entrees will add weight to an already large force. The campaign followed Amnesty’s largely successful bake sale that was held last November, which raised more than $200. The passion that many Ridge students have for resolving these issues can result in improved lives for individuals around the globe.

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An Encounter to Remember (Short Story by Bronte Normand)

She was on the floor then, just looking up to him with large fearful eyes, her lips trembling and her heart torn open. Her cheeks were flushed and her nose running, her eyes were marked with dark rings where her makeup had once been perfectly placed. She had just been walking home from school one day when he had spotted her, it was later than usual, and she was only thirteen.

He was much older, and had a body full of twisted thoughts and desires. He forced her up and threw her to the wall before tying her to the bed frame. That is all she could remember from that night.

It must have been a week or so later when he decided to bath her, she did not know why the water smelt so bad. She did not know why she couldn’t feel her legs and why her arms wouldn’t budge; her wrists were stained with a red bleeding bracelet due to the ties.

He laughed and then she knew that he would be killing two souls instead of just one as he lit the match. He was obviously insane, and she couldn’t help but wonder if it was because of some kind of tragedy that occurred in his life. She wondered what it could be.

When he had first appeared in her life, he was normal. He worked at a food store and spent his weekends reading books and downloading illegal music off websites that would be shut down in a few hours. He used to paint too.

She and her friends went to the store every day, buying little things just to get looks at him, when one day he saw her and invited her to dinner.

That day would have been 46 and a half days from the day she was thrown and forgot everything.

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The New Ridge Report

Welcome to the new Ridge Report. We've been trying to provide a magazine style publication on a monthly basis. Instead, we're going to try to deliver an on-going newspaper highlighting events and life at the Ridge.

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