Model UN Conference 2015

If the title isn't clue enough, this is about the Halton Model United Nations Conference, a program that took place on Tuesday March 31st, or as you may say, yesterday. The Model U.N. is a simulation where students are assigned countries and divided into committees to solve 2 world issues, I was South Korea, and I had to try and tackle ISIS and Police Militarization.

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Nature vs. Mankind: Weather Shuts Down Government Again

The U.S federal government isn't exactly going through the best of times. A lot of economic struggles have led to the recent government shutdown last year. Eventually, the government got back on its feet and started running again, only for Mother Nature herself to attack now. The weather has been a loose cannon all winter, with temperatures reaching low depths that hasn't been seen for a long time. With many snowstorms and frequent snowfalls, the weather reports have been spiked with news on the latest city to be hit with extreme weather conditions. However, the repetition is broken as the latest weather related news features shocking political implications for the U.S: the government has shut down again. The weather conditions are so harsh in Washington, the government has called the day off and is going through another temporary shutdown, until the weather lightens up enough for workers to make it to the offices. Many American citizens will no longer regard the weather as a major inconvenience, but now a fully fledged problem. They will now have to hope more than ever that winter subsides, but that hope is still not too bright. Spring is officially less than 20 days away, but the snow is melting not fast enough. The temperature is so cold, 90% of the Great Lakes is frozen. All Americans can do now is hope...

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86th Academy Awards

The Oscars have been running for 86 years, since the dawn of movies first hit the world. Nowadays, movies are a major staple of life in first world countries. And since movies first received popularity, the Oscars have been awarding them for their success. It is now the dream of movie studios to get an Oscar award, which symbolizes excellence and recognizes its work as one of the best films of the year. In recent years, the Oscars' choice of films may not match the taste of the general audience, but it is undeniable how many watch the Oscars anyway, even if their favorite movie is not nominated. The year is not over in the the movie world until the Oscars cap off the season and only then is the next year of movies truly here. Last night, another such event concluded the year of 2013 movies and ushered viewers into 2014. In case you missed the Oscars, here is the list of winners to catch you up.

Best picture- 12 Years a Slave

Best Actor in Leading Role- Matthew McConaughey

Best Actress in Leading Role- Cate Blanchett

Best Actor in Supporting Role- Jared Leto

Best Actress in Supporting Role- Lupita Nyong'o

Best Animated Feature- Frozen

Best Cinematography- Gravity

Best Costume Design- The Great Gatsby

Best Directing- Gravity

Best Documentary Feature-20 Feet from Stardom

Best Documentary Short- The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life

Best Film Editing- Gravity

Best Foreign Language Film- The Great Beauty

Best Make up and Hair styling- Dallas Buyers Club                                                                                       Best Original Score- Gravity

Best Original Song- Let it Go from Frozen

Best Production Design- The Great Gatsby

Best Animated Short Film- Mr. Hublot

Best Live Action Short Film- Helium

Best Sound Editing- Gravity

Best Sound Mixing- Gravity

Best Visual Effects- Gravity

Best Adapted Screenplay- 12 Years a Slave

Best Original Screenplay- Her

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Super Bowl 2014 Was More Than The Game

The Super Bowl of 2014 on Sunday, February 2 marked the showdown between the Seattle Sea hawks and the Denver Broncos. The action on the field drew gasps and stoked the excitement of the neutral sports fans' hearts as the sparks flew between the two teams. Meanwhile, fans rooting for a specific team had their groans and cheers, intensifying the passion in the game. However, as the match had plenty of viewers from the sports fans, that wasn't the only thing filling the several hours of football fun. Commercials of all sorts showed up for attention form the massive audience, while movie trailers of some of the most highly anticipated movies of the year also took the chance to interest the larger public.

While there was some fun in the event outside of the game, it must be remembered that the football competition was the meat and main attraction of the Super Bowl. No football game, no Super Bowl. The game itself was between the Seattle Sea hawks and the Denver Broncos. The match, however, didn't spike the excitement to the greatest possible height. The chair gripping tension in the game was thin on the ground as the competition was nothing. There were no stakes or questioning in the outcome of the game, as Seattle steamrollered Denver. The game quickly evolved to a large beating on the Broncos, as the Sea hawks didn't even let them have a single touchdown until the third quarter. Denver did manage to make some contribution to their tally, but not before Seattle ended the game off with a final score of 43-8. The game had some sports fun, but the stakes were weak for the neutral fans' enjoyment. Seattle fans definitely had ecstasy  for the Sea hawks' whopping victory (this was Seattle's first Super Bowl victory), but Denver fans had to suffer the unpleasant loss in their crushing defeat.

Not everybody is a sports fan though. Many don't care about the game, but the Super Bowl had more to offer, in the effort of getting more viewers. And many did tune in for the commercials. The commercials in the Super Bowl are famous. Some are comedic ads, which always brings entertainment value onto the table. There are also commercials which try to promote products catching a buyer's eye. There are also inspirational PSA's, which are always worth watching. Even if you're not a fan of sports, you could pass some time by turning on to the Super Bowl channel.

The Super Bowl is also ideal for movie studios. As there are already such a large number of viewers, thanks to the game and commercials, the event is a good place to show off footage to promote the movie. It also snags more views for the Super Bowl, as movie fans get to watch some teasers for the movies they anticipate. Studios benefit, the super bowl organizers benefit, it's a win-win. This year, some of the biggest names are of the superhero/ action genre. There was trailers for Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the Amazing Spider-man 2, and Transformers: Age of Extinction, some of the most highly anticipated movies of the year. Transformers was special in the sense as this was the first footage that was shown, making it quite exciting. Unfortunately, this was only 45 seconds, with not a lot shown. Captain America 2 was a different story. As Marvel had already released trailers for their current summer blockbuster, this was an extended preview that gave some new glimpses at the film. Transformers was short and Captain America was long. Amazing Spider-man 2, meanwhile, was somewhere in the middle. At the Super Bowl, a 30 second teaser was shown, but in the trailer, a URL was featured (EnemiesUnite.com). Fans could then eagerly turn to their computers, punch in the website, and view a 4-minute sizzle real. So while the Super Bowl led to the début of 4 and a half minutes of new footage, only 30 seconds were actually shown at the event. Either way, superhero fans had much to see in the Super Bowl.

The Super Bowl may be a sporting event, but it had so much more to offer. While the views swelled with many ulterior uses of the match, audiences of many sort had something to look forward to on Sunday. Definitely something that was worth turning the television on for.




 

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Somalia's Hunger for Change (By: Mayuri Mahendran)

The famine in Somalia may have caught your attention in the news in passing, but in comparison to other world crisis, such as the earthquake in Haiti or even the earthquake in Japan, it seems to have quickly faded. But the deaths of tens of thousands of Somalis have passed, and ahead looms the possibility of 750 000 more Somalis dying of starvation. Being dubbed as the worst humanitarian crisis in the past two decades, how is it going unnoticed?

The famine in Somalia has been caused by more than just the drought. The country has warred against militant groups for the past years, heightening the difficulty of getting food to those who need it. The militant group Al Shabab was blocked Western aid from entering the famine zones. Their grasp on the Somali people has not only restricted aid, but also depleted the aid that has been given. In addition, the danger of sending aid workers and our images of agencies rushing in to fix a crisis is hard to find. However, organizations have not faltered in their efforts to help the people of Somalia. UNICEF, for example, has been allowed in, although it is only their Somali staff that is allowed to give aid to Somalia. Western agencies that have not been allowed in have used the power of technology to find loopholes in their barriers, such as using cell phones to send “electronic money” which can be used in the local markets in the famine zones. Help in the camps is still needed though, especially as the camps also lack clean water, and when the rain comes in this November and December, the death toll could increase through the spread of waterborne diseases such as cholera.

However, the famine’s story on newspapers and television screens has died down, as a result of an ever-changing world. But just because the spotlight is not on the situation, it does not mean the crisis has not left center stage. To put things into perspective, the money donated to the charity Save The Children for the crisis in Japan was $22.8 million. The amount of money that has been donated to the same charity for the drought in East Africa is $5 million. Consider that Somalia is the 6^th poorest country in the world, while Japan is the 3^rd richest. There is no denying that in times of need, every country requires aid, but this shows that our response to a crisis depends upon interpretation. Our society can easily become numb to numbers, death counts and horrifying images all blur together into the mass confusion of everyday life. If this crisis is to be fixed, the solution is more than the band aid of a twenty dollar bill; it is the change of people and politics.

References:

http://www.aneki.com/poorest.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/02/giving/some-aid-trickles-into-somalia-surrounded-by-death-and-disease.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1

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Occupy Wall Street: The Motives Behind the Movement (By: Nikhita Singhal)

What has driven hundreds of people to gather in the streets of New York’s financial district?
Occupy Wall Street, being a prominent topic in the news lately has inspired offshoots in over 100 cities across the United States and action in over 1500 cities globally. But despite its prevalence in the media, the movement has many scratching their heads. What exactly are the protests all about?

Initiated by the Canadian activist group Adbusters, the demonstrations in Zuccotti Park, located in New York City’s financial district, began on September 17th, 2011. The forces behind Occupy Wall Street believe that Wall Street has played a major role in causing the greatest recession in generations by creating an economic collapse. Inspired by the uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, the protestors are objecting to the power of large banks and corporations and the sway they hold over political processes in America – as well as social and economic inequality in general. According to the unofficial website of the growing movement, Occupy Wall Street “aims to expose how the richest 1% of people are writing the rules of an unfair global economy.” This explains the slogan of the movement, “We are the 99%.”

From the description above, it may seem the goals of the protest are slightly confused. And they are, in a way; when confronted with the question of what they would like to see the movement achieve, 35% of protestors sought to influence the Democratic Party the way the Tea Party has influenced the GOP, 11% wanted to break the two-party duopoly, and only 4% replied a radical redistribution of wealth. Their aim may not be clearly constrained to one particular target, but the message is coherent enough: they want change.

Even those who do not agree with the cause must admit that the determination of the protestors in Zucotti Park is admirable. The protestors who choose to spend the night must stay in sleeping bags or simply blankets, as tents are forbidden in the park. Fortunately for the movement, they have received over $500 000 in donations as of October 27th, and have had access to food, washrooms, and water.

Interestingly enough, media coverage of the protests was scarce until the police became heavily involved. Tales of police brutality have ignited anger and outrage among many, and have made the movement all the more newsworthy. Online videos of police roughing up protestors, and even spraying mace at a group of females, have gone viral. Since then, the demonstration has gained sympathy worldwide and global press attention.

It will be fascinating to see what these protests accomplish; could significant change to society and political processes be looming on the horizon? Only time will tell.

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The Royal Wedding: A Worthy Affair? (By: Megan Stulberg)

The bride, an elegant young woman, was dressed in a traditional white dress. She was escorted down the aisle of a beautiful church by her father. It was a lovely ceremony shared by the bride, the groom…and 25 million of their closest, personal friends.

For Prince William and Catherine Middleton, this was nothing out of the ordinary. Ever since their first meeting in 2001, they have been all over the front cover of every British tabloid publication, such as HELLO! magazine. For many, it only seems fitting that this “celebrity” couple’s decision to finally tie the knot on April 29, 2011, after 10 years of on-and-off dating, was to be a public event.

The international hype that surrounded the 2011 royal wedding was truly mind-blowing. The idea of a commoner (Kate Middleton) becoming a duchess is irresistible to many.

On the big day, women in dresses and tiaras across the globe threw their own royal wedding parties in their living rooms, glued to their television sets, longing to be part of the action. The desire to be part of the action and a part of history was just too tempting.

It is estimated at the global audience of the wedding ranged somewhere between 300 million to 2 billion people; where 25 million people gathered outside Westminster Abbey and watched the event live in the UK, April 29th was a public holiday in the United Kingdom.

The royal wedding took place at a perfect time. Just shortly before, the news had been focusing on tragic economical, political issues and natural disasters, such as the Egyptian crisis after President Hosni Mubarak resigned, or the devastating Tōhoku undersea earthquake that struck Japan and killed over 15,000 people.

These days, the world seems to be in a constant state of panic. During the early months of this year, much of the media attention has centered on themes of devastation, destruction and heartbreak. The marriage between Will and Kate has served as a way for many to momentarily forget about the world’s many crises and instead enjoy new reports and videos of a happy experience.

In a sense, the royal wedding is a harmless diversion with positive aspects for society to distract themselves from the major problems in the world and their own lives.

Is this a bad thing? Not at all.

However, many people have posted on blogging and social networking sites, such as Tumblr or Twitter, to express their concern that people should stop thinking about William and Kate’s marriage and begin to take things seriously.

Yes it costs a fairly large amount of money to produce a royal wedding, but the economic returns to the local economy, British tourism, etc – are incalculable.

As long as we as society do not lose sight of the big picture and continue to follow news reports that focus on world issues, it’s important to relax and remember that we all need an escape sometimes.

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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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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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