A Dead End (By: Olivia Herbert)

Have you ever just cried and cried until you have no more tears left? Until your red in the face but no longer blue in the heart.This was something i had been doing for hours once finding my sister dead in the shower. The image of her cold dead eyes still etched in my head permanently. My stomach lurched, my head hurt, and i missed my sister. We had to get out of here, but because of how my plan went previously. I was fresh out of ideas. “What are we going to do!?” I wailed. “Not only are we stranded. But now we have a killer after us.” The very thought made all the hope i had die inside me. If we didn’t get out of here soon. We were going to end up like my sister. Or maybe even worse. Thoughts of Faye ran through my head like a movie. So realistic it was like she was still alive or better yet that she was never dead. But i had to face the facts. Faye was gone and she was never coming back. “That’s it. We have to get out of here right now.” Suggested Tyler while kneeling over Mitchell's unconscious body. I wondered what he’d be saying if he were awake. Maybe he would have had a better plan. One that could save us and get us back home. “Hows Mitchell doing Tyler?” He didn’t awnser. I watched him as he paced back and forth. Making the floorboards creak incessantly as he did. “Tyler. You have to calm down. Pacing isn’t going to help us come up with a plan.” Bead’s of sweat rolled down his face one after the other. He was panicking. A sudden urge to help emerged from deep within me and i felt my cheeks grow warm once again. “Tyler. I know you're scared. We all are. But there’s one thing fear can’t take away from us. Each other. Face it. We’re in this together.” I caught sight of a small smile playing on the edge of his lips. Deep down. He knew i was right. I glanced over my shoulder to see Savannah. She had her knees drawn up to her chest like a small frightened child hiding in a closet. Savannah's ocean blue eyes darted across the room as her small rose petal pink lips whispered words of none sense. This house was driving us all mad. We were on the brink of insanity. "If we keep this up, we're all going to go mad before the killer can get to us. But, honestly I don't know what will be more horrific. Do you guys really want that? We need to take action. We need to fight back! And we need to do it now." A sliver of hope glimmered in each of there eyes as I spoke encouraging words. Suddenly, Savannah stood up from the spot where she previously cowered and said " I'll go get firewood from the shed I saw outback earlier" she said, bolting for the door. " Savannah! No! Wait for someone to go with you" it was too late. She was gone before I could stop her. Savannah disappeared into the darkness and I doubt we'd ever see her again.
Tears burned in the back of my eyes like acid. "I'm sure she'll be fine" Said Tyler who's voice echoed from behind me."Remember what happened last time someone said that. The bathroom got re-decorated. With my sisters blood!" a sudden rage surged through me like an addictive drug. I spun around and almost immediately ran into Tyler's warm embrace. I cried heavily into his shoulder. Which smelled of pine trees and cinnamon. But once my eyelids fluttered open, salt water still clinging to them, I noticed something no one else had. Mitchell was gone. "Oh god......Oh dear god! Tyler!!! Look." I screamed and pointed to the spot where Mitchell's body had been previously. He turned and his hazel eyes grew wide. "But. Where did he go!? He was nearly dead the last time I checked on him. He barely had a pulse!" My heart had leapt down my thought, preventing me from speaking. A banshee like scream came from outside. It was Savannah. "Come on! We have to try and save her!" Tyler grabbed my wrist with incredible force before I could get two footsteps toward the door. I narrowed my eyes at him. "Don't you dare underestimate me. Just because I didn't get to my sister in time doesn't mean I won't be able to save her." I shook off his grip and let the doors to outside swing outwards. "Savannah!?" I called. Hands cupped around my face to amplify my voice but no luck. Footsteps came from behind me and I was relived when I discovered it was only Tyler. Who to my surprise joined me in calling out. The sun had gone down and it was now nighttime. The moon shown bright and full in the navy blue sky. Although it was bright and beautiful, the bad news is: I could barely see my hand in front of my face. I stopped yelling once my throat seized up in discomfort and once I felt a raindrop land on my head. Wait....it wasn't raining. Slowly and cautiously. I looked down at my hand and saw a liquid like red dot. Blood. Without another word without another thought, I glanced above. "I found Savannah." My stomach twisted like a roller coaster for the second time in one day. She hung from a banner that faced outwards at the top of the house. A noose encircled her neck like an ugly piece of jewelry and her eyes were as white as her skin.
I could barley feel Tyler's arms wrap around me as they dragged me back in the house. A menacing voice came from outside and I froze. Like livestock about to get slaughtered I stood completely still. For there was only one person who that could be.... Mitchell

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How to… buy the perfect gift (By: Cheryl Joseph)

There is a fine art to buying the perfect gift for someone. It may take a while to achieve Perfect Gift Status, but it’s definitely worth it. There’s nothing more satisfying than the look on someone’s face when they lay their eyes on your gift, and their breathing speeds up and their eyes light up and they start screaming (or maybe I’m the only one who does that).

So with the holidays coming up, there will be ample opportunity to buy gifts. But the question is, what do you buy? Well that depends on a variety of factors. First of all, how well you know the person. Now, this has happened to nearly all of us: when you get invited to some party for some person that you know (and like), but that you don’t know well enough to know what kind of gifts they prefer. Sure, you may know their general preferences: sports, electronics, clothes, movies… this is where the gift card comes in. Once you’ve figured out their general area of interest, it won’t be too hard to find a store wide enough in variety to please even your sort-of-close friend.

However – and yes, there is a however. Gift cards, in general are not acceptable for close friends. We’ve all done it – in fact, I’m notorious for this – but giving a gift card to a best friend is, frankly, a little unimaginative. Of course, this all depends on the reason: for instance, if you know for a fact that your friend loves origami, but you know nothing as to the preferred/higher quality textures, colours, or styles of origami, it makes sense to just get her a gift card to an art store with a good variety of origami paper. In this case, let her know your reasoning, so that she knows that you remember her likes and dislikes, and that you care.

But for other circumstances, you need to find a more specific gift. Different methods work for different people. Some people like to brainstorm gift ideas before getting to the store. Now, a good way of gift-giving is a combination gift: one or more small item paired with a larger item. Small items can be anything; to think of these, think about inside jokes that you may have had with your friend, and buy a little something to make him or her laugh. For example, a friend of mine always said that she wanted a yellow Lamborghini, so we bought her keychain with a yellow sports car. These little things are what make him or her laugh – sort of like an appetizer of what’s to come.

The key here is to get a gift that you know they’ll like. This may mean that clothes are out of the question: I for one have very different tastes from my friends, so they would never like any clothes I would buy for them. The (ideal) main gift has to be something that they’ve mentioned that they like, but that they won’t necessarily expect you to get if for them. For instance, my friend loves vanilla. But she only really mentioned it once: but I remembered, and bought her a vanilla bath kit, which she loved. Personally, for their main gift, I find it much easier to puruse the stores before making a decision. Odds are, there’ll be something that you see that you know they’ll love.

Yes, it may be a bit more effort, but you’ll be surprised how great it feels, knowing that you just made someone’s day.

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Want to be a Scrooge this Christmas? (By: Lara Valles)

Around the holidays we begin to hear stories about the importance of family, giving and love. Yet you don’t hear people ask each other after Christmas has gone and past, ‘What did you give this Christmas?” So why not join in on the well-known phenomenon of getting. For those whose role models aren’t a jolly fat man who gives away presents to all the good children in the world, read on!

First to perfect the art of getting one must develop their skill to create a comprehensive list brimming with all the things that they want. Always start with the biggest things first (which is code for most expensive) and then slowly downsize. Remember not to add too much so people don’t feel daunted and give up once they get to the mall. Even though Christmas is supposed to be a season of cheer, the shoppers at the mall are not an accurate representation of that.

Next is the technique of looking away once you see those charities asking for money. Now some believe the best method is too subtly look away but come on, how can you miss the bright red donation box especially with a person dressed up right next to it. If you want to really to be a scrooge, look straight at them, frown and shake your head like Christmas generosity is a shameful disease. Or if you thinks that’s too harsh then just give them a smile with the universal hand gesture of raising your hands like you’re saying, ‘Sorry no change today”!

Lastly, look up to the Christmas scrooge role models. Follow their techniques, study their ways. I would recommend watching “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” or “Scrooge,” and don’t worry; we don’t need to be green or an ugly old man to be a true scrooge.

But most important of all realize how boring and meaningless getting can get. Because when you’re finished watching the movies and you get to the end you realize that gifts don’t matter. That after year and year of getting gifts the novelty of receiving presents becomes more like an expectation. That by next year the gifts we received last year are nothing but a hazy fog, but the memory of making someone else’s Christmas a happy one; priceless. After all if not one gives, how can anyone else get.

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The House Of Horrors (By: Olivia Herbert)

I didn't know whether I was awake or dreaming. And the guilt set in before reality did. This was all my fault. If I had got the stupid old car checked up on before we left as my dad suggested, then this never would have happened. I did this. Once the haze of confusion and dizziness cleared I called out to the others, "Is everyone okay?" "I am," choked Savannah as she shifted slightly in the passengers seat. "I am too. Thanks for asking," Faye spoke, she was still her typical self. "What about Tyler and Mitchell? Are you guys okay?" I asked. "I'm fine. But Mitchell. Oh god. There's a lot of blood Natalie....I-I-I think he might be dead. The gash on his head is pretty bad," Tyler replied. "We need to take him to the hospital," I said and used all my strength to drag myself out of he wreck, and into the pouring rain where lightning lit up the sky. "Come on we need to find shelter and call 911. We can't just sit here," I watched as Savannah and Faye followed out after me. Meanwhile Tyler struggled to drag both himself and Mitchell out, but he wouldn't let anyone else help him. "I'm going to call for help," I yelled over the rain. I flipped open my cellphone and realized I had no service, "Does anyone have service?" They pulled out their cellphones and shook their heads. "What are we going to do!? We're going to d- you guys look!" Savannah screeched. We looked in her direction and saw that she was pointing at a house that seemed to come out of nowhere. Without another word we all ran towards it. It was shelter. Right then, that was all that mattered. We knocked on the old wooden door several times but no answer. Tyler, once catching up to us took one look at the door, broke the glass, reached in and unlocked the door. "Tyler! Are you insane!? Somebody could be in there!" I yelled. "This place looks too old for anybody to be living here. Besides do you see any cars near here besides ours?" I didn't object. We were tired, wet, cold and injured. Besides we had nowhere to go. The floorboards creaked eerily as we took our first step into the house. "I have a bad feeling about this," Savannah whimpered. "Suck it up you wimp," replied Faye. I could tell this was going to ruin all chances of having fun. This trip to my cottage was supposed to make spring break an awesome experience, but it was official, our plans were ruined and this day couldn't get worse. "We're going to die in here," whined Savannah. "I'm sure we'll be fine. This place isn't that bad," I lied. "Yes. Let's all listen to Goody two shoes Natalie. Who is the one who got us into this mess in the first place!" Faye's voice boomed, shaking the whole house and making the cob webs dance above us. "Shut up Faye! It's not like I put the deer in front of the car!" I spat back. "Oh so you decided to swerve off the road and tumble down a ditch. Risking your friends lives doesn't matter to you because the center of the universe always and always has be you!" Ouch."Come on Faye. Sisters aren't supposed to fight." Her honey colored eyes darted across the room, refusing to look at me. "Yeah well I was always a rule breaker not a rule follower," she replied. My heart ached. She already started to walk upstairs when she said, "I'm going upstairs to have a shower if the water works. I'll be in the washroom if anyone needs me." The room fell quiet after she was gone. After a few moments of much needed silence, in a worried voice Tyler said, "Natalie? I need you to come help me put pressure on the wound on Mitchell's arm while I tend to his head." I nodded and walked briskly over to Mitchell's unconscious body. I knelt beside him and tried to ignore the smell of the coppery blood. While putting pressure on Mitchell's wound, I watched Tyler bandage his head with great agility and skill. I was quite impressed, but I quickly looked away once noticing my cheeks getting hotter by the second. "Guys what are we going to do? No one knows we crashed. Our phones aren't working and we're miles from home," Savannah asked, she has always been the worrying type but I've never seen her like this. "We're going to be fine." An ear piercing scream made me lose my train of thought. I jumped up immediately. It was Faye. Something was wrong. I ran up the curved staircase and almost tripping several times. "Natalie wait! Wait for us!" they called after me but I kept on going. Even though we fight I am still her sister. As I approached the bathroom door I could hear the water still running but there was complete silence. My heart pounded like a hammer against cloth. I reached for the doorknob and felt it's cold surface on my hand. I turned it and let the door swing inwards. Stepping through the doorframe I let out a whimper, because in front of me was the most horrific scene I have ever seen. Written on the white wall in blood was, "evil lives here....." In fear and discomfort I ran over to the bath tub and yanked open the curtain to find it filled with blood. Hot tears poured down my face, but what had happened? Then, through my blurry vision I saw it. It......it....was.....her head. A horrific scream escaped me as I was consumed with fear and confusion. She was dead. Decapitated, and skewered by the shower head. It went right through her neck and was still running. My stomach twisted into several knots I knew it would never come out of. Tyler and Savannah came in not too soon after. "Oh my god," they both said in a chorus. " What happened?" "I just found her like this," I answered between sobs. "Wait. If we were all down stairs. Who is did this and why?"

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From Beyond the Grave (By: Rebecca Moodie)

I take a flower from the bouquet I hold in my hands and smell it. The sweet scent made my nostrils twitch and I sneezed. I put the bouquet of daisies by the grave stone and felt a tear slide down my cheek. She was my life. My little sister, died so young. Killed herself because of her unpopularity. Apparently she had no friends at school or anything. I don't know how, she's such a lovable person.

"Hey Adrianna," I said to the stone. I ran my hand along the edge and felt a shiver run down my spine. It wasn't because it's November and it's cold, but because touching her tomb stone made me closer to her in a way. "I miss you, you know."
"Well, I missed you too," I heard a voice say. I froze and turned around. A person stood beside another stone about 5 feet away. I glanced up and saw her face. She was beautiful. Like nothing I've ever seen before. But then I realized something. I knew her. "Hi Damien. I missed you."
"Monique?" I asked. Her british accent was thick and I knew she had picked it up since she moved to England. I stood up and wandered over to her. "Is that you?"
"The one and only," she replied. "I see your accent is still as thick as ever even though you moved to Canada. I'm surprised you didn't lose your french at all."
"No, but I like yours," I told her. She smiled at me and stepped away from the tomb stone. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, I had come back for a visit but something happened," she said. My smile from my face faded and I stood still. "Something awful."
"Me too." I said.
"Really? I got into a mess and I killed someone..." she said. I was about to step toward her when I stopped. She killed someone? No, that's impossible. Not Monique. "It was about a year ago."
"My sister killed herself a year ago. I came to bring daisies to her grave. They were her favourite," I spoke. Monique glanced up at me and I saw something shine in her eyes. It was like she was about to cry, but then they disappeared as quickly as they appeared.
"After I killed her, someone killed me." She explained. Then I relaized that I was talking to a ghost. "Do you know who I killed Damien?" she taunted. I shook my head and I knew that something bad was going to happen. "Adrianna. Your little sister. I was jealous of her. Your 16 year old sister. So beautiful, so wonderful, so...close to you," she said. My mind started racing a million miles a minute. I could barely interperet anything anymore. My best friend killed...no, murdered my 16 year old sister out of jealousy.
"No!" I screamed. I started backing up and I saw that Monique was inching toward me. I was starting to panic and needed a way out fast! Her face seemed to change with each step she took. It started getting more and more like a zombie. Almost like the death of her was taking away her beautiful years and replacing them with rotting dead ones. "Who killed you?"
"Your best friend...Tristan! He loved your sister. He thought that she was the most wonderful person in the world. I took that from him and stole her from you too. Adrianna, the beautiful, smart, outgoing, friendly child," Monique said while getting angrier and angrier by the second. As I kept backing up I realized that I was running out of space. I was backing up right toward the ravine and that 50 foot drop would be an awful one.
"Why do you want me?" I asked.
"I want you to join me in the afterlife. I'm lonely." She said. "Besides, if you join me, you can give your life to your sister," she said. I stopped.
"I can give my life and bring back my sister?" I asked. Monique nodded. Then I stopped altogether and stepped toward her. "Take me then," I spoke. She smiled wickedly and reached out her hand. She pulled me closer by gripping my sweater and yanking me. I stumbled forward and felt her lips brush over my skin. She moaned slightly and bit down on my arm. I screamed and felt the life being sucked from my very soul. My memories began to float out of my mind as she continued drinking my soul. My vision began to blur and my body went limp. I collapsed to the ground and suddenly everything was bright again. I glanced down and saw my body laying lifeless on the ground. I looked up and saw that Monique was gone. "HEY!" I screamed. "I THOUGHT WE HAD A DEAL!"
"You were a fool to trust me. You thought that making a deal with me would make everything go away, but you just made things worse! I'm not releasing your sister. Not in a million years!" she screamed. I then began running through the graveyard. In between the tomb stones and along gravel paths. But she was gone. Gone for good. And so was I.

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How to… do well in school (By: Cheryl Joseph)

Midterm reports were recently handed out, and we all know what that means: the lecture. Whether it’s from your parents or yourself, someone is almost always pushing you to get better grades. But with the holidays coming around, projects piling up, and a constant parade of tests, how can you improve your marks?

Listen in class. This is a no-brainer, but many find it hard – because frankly, it is. Some days, you don’t want to be listening to the teacher talk about trig identities. Some days, you just want to talk to your friend about your other friend who said she didn’t like this one guy but then ended up telling you that she did, but then it turns out you like him, so you’re in somewhat of a pickle.

Cool story, bro. No really – it is. But as hard as it may seem, you need to wait to tell it. If it’s really pressing, it doesn’t have to wait until after class; just after the lesson. Once you know you’ve understood everything that you need for the homework (and the upcoming test), you can chat (quietly), because we all know that the best way to feel better about a situation is to tell someone about it.

After the lesson, still get at least some work done. Often, a concept will seem easy until you apply it. If you try some of the homework, and if you find that you don’t understand it, you can always ask the teacher for help. This way, you’ll actually understand it, so reviewing for the test will be much easier.

Which brings us to how to review properly. Truth is, there is no “proper” way. Each person has their own, individual way of learning. Find a way that works for you. This quiz from VARK seems to be effective: http://www.vark-learn.com/english/page.asp?p=questionnaire. Once you’ve determined your learning style, you can figure out which study methods work for you. Reading/writing learners usually learn best from charts, notes, and by reading things over and over. Aural (listening) learners need to discuss; listening to the teacher is often really helpful. Kinaesthetic learners like to experience things: labs, field trips, and trial and error are often used.

Regardless of which type of studying you use, be sure to do it regularly. Depending on the class, or how busy you are, you may do this every week, every few days, or even every day. This way, you’ll introduce concepts into your head slowly, so you won’t have to cram.

Homework often helps you to study these concepts. In math or some sciences, for instance, your homework goes over the key concepts, so you don’t need to study quite as much. That also means that you have to do your homework. We all know you’d rather be using your free time for other things, but think about how much more time you’ll get before tests and exams while the rest of your class is cramming.

The greatest tip, however, is to remember that you can’t compare yourself to others. Sure, your best friend may have done better than you in some test, but that’s because you each have different strengths and weaknesses, so you may do better than them in another area. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t try your best: because believe me when I say, your best is pretty darn incredible.

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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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Pink Game (Photographed by: Roshni Jain)

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this is it. (By: Anonymous)

I feel alone, not a soul can understand me.

Sometimes I want to cry,

But I have to keep pretending.

Pretending to be strong, and happy; pretending that there’s nothing’s wrong.


But this is it.


Once the winters over, everything will go back to normal.

The trees will be green again, the tulips will grow again.


I hope.


This is it; we’re almost at the end.

I can see the light, shining from under the cracks

But how?

How do I get there, without losing everything I love in the process?

I can’t.


This is it, I’m at the end.

If they could do it, so could I,

It doesn’t matter what happens.


I’ll get through this, with or without you.

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How to… DIY facials (By: Cheryl Joseph)

You’ve been working hard all week. School, homework, clubs, work, chores… your busy schedule has bound to take its toll. The best remedy for this? An afternoon of pampering. Bring the spa to the comfort of your own home – you’ll be surprised at how much this will relax you.

Many of these ingredients, you already have at home. Oatmeal, for instance, is a great ingredient to use in facial masks. Crush oatmeal flakes with a spoon and mix with milk until a spreadable paste is made. Apply to face, let dry, and rinse off. This will exfoliate your skin, and the milk will nourish it. This works for all skin types: in oily skin, it will exfoliate and unblock oil-clogged pores; in dry skin, it will moisturize skin and soothe itching.

Another exfoliating ingredient likely in your pantry is baking soda. Mix with water to turn into a paste, and apply. Leave on for 5 minutes, then wash off with warm water in circular motions. This cleanses the dirt, facial oils, and other substances that block your pores. This gunk would have otherwise caused acne, which is definitely not fun. So exfoliation is a must! Other exfoliating ingredients include sugar (both brown and white), coffee grounds, and sea salt. Just remember to mix these with moisturizing agents (banana, avocado, honey, peach, yogurt, etc.) to moisturize and protect the skin at the same time – grainy materials like salt and sugar can damage the sensitive skin on your face if used alone.

After all that exfoliating and moisturizing, using a toner will pull everything together and give you a nice, dewy, even complexion. Green tea, apple cider vinegar, and lemon juice are all excellent toners: these not only remove facial oils and other substances from your pores, but many also have amino acids, which help you get rid of that pesky layer of dead skin cells. This helps your face look brighter, cleaner, and smoother.

Although DIY spa treatments are fun, remember not to do them too often; after many treats (like exfoliation), your skin needs time to renew itself. Otherwise, you’d be getting rid of too many skins cells too quickly. And always remember to dab each mask on a small area of your skin to check that there aren’t any negative affects (due to allergies). Aside from that, feel free to experiment with different treatment combinations until you find the ideal one for you!

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Are we so different? (By: Cheryl Joseph)

I may not think like you.

I may not act like you.

I may live halfway across the world,

In a land you may not have even heard of,

Let alone think about.

I may not think about clothes,

Or exams,

Or movies that just came out.

No.

I think about food,

And how to get some.

I think about my parents,

Who died of AIDS before I even knew them.

I think about my grandmother,

Who’s so old she can’t even care for herself anymore,

Let alone her grandchildren.

I think about my younger siblings,

And whether they will survive another year.

I may not think like you.

I may not act like you.

But am I really so different?

Do I deserve any less?

Are we really so different? Take the Vow of Silence on November 30th. Make a difference in the life of another kid or teen just like you.

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Hawaii Five-0 Review (By: Erika Ty)

10:00 on CBS

Only in it’s second season, Hawaii Five-0 is already packed with action and a lot of drama. With 11.2 million viewers every Monday night, the rankings are always high and receive a lot of great reviews from the critics. Hawaii Five-0 originally aired in 1968 and ran for 12 seasons. In May of 2010, CBS announced they would remake the series with Australian hunk Alex O’Laughlin as the Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, Scott Caan as Detective Danny “Danno” Williams, Daniel Dae Kim as Chin Ho Kelly and a native of Vancouver, Grace Park as Kono Kalakaua. Five-0 is a special task force team assembled by the Governor of Hawaii thatfollow no law and no rules, they make their own.

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The Son of Neptune, Rick Riordon Book Review (By: Omer Younus)

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordon is the second installment of the “Heroes of Olympus” Series; this time however, is based on three new characters. One of which many Rick Riordan fans will know: Percy Jackson himself. It starts off as many might expect, at the other “Roman” camp for demigods that was mentioned at the end of the previous book, “The Lost Hero”. But that definitely does not mean that it is predictable in any way. This novel allows you get to know the new main characters similar to the beginning of the “Percy Jackson” series. I did find it kind of frustrating at times trying to remember all the new terms of the new Roman Camp, but as a reader, I can assure you that the Roman camp for demigods is not at all the same as the Greek camp for demigods.

While reading this book, my mind was thinking of how Rick Riordan has written this book quite cleverly for readers. It gives you nearly the exact same feeling at the beginning of “The Lightning Thief”. Rick Riordan cleverly brings upon a new series with new characters, new terms, new settings, yet keeping the old and known characters, settings, and terms in the book, which immediately will draw any Percy Jackson’s fan’s attention, because they will see the relation and the similarity between the “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” and “The Heroes of Olympus” series. Like mentioned before, many new concepts have been added to this book giving it an originality of it’s own.

One thing that really kept revolving in my mind while I was coming across the beginning of the book was the comparison with the previous installment, “The Lost Hero”. Percy Jackson has returned to the game with his great humor, skill, and familiar voice, making this an excellent book. Along with great efforts from the author, this book comes with several new and exciting things that such as the new monsters, names of Roman gods and much more. “The Lost Hero” did not have many if not, any, of these factors which made it nice to see the old characters again but left you thriving for something different and a better storyline which this book was capable of achieving.

Overall, since the book did finish with quite of a cliffhanger, many readers will be waiting for the next book, “The Mark of Athena” coming out next fall. “The Son of Neptune” did keep my attention the whole way, did introduce the characters not all at once, but little truths revealed here and there, and did make me crave for the next part. A classic background of a new story.

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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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Real Steel Movie Review (By: Nikhita Singhal)

The premise of the new movie Real Steel may turn moviegoers away – boxing robots? Really? But the Hugh Jackman flick was a surprising hit, topping the North American box office on its opening weekend. In fact, the film has achieved the biggest debut ever for a boxing movie, raking in $49.4 million for its worldwide opening.

Real Steel takes place in the near future – a future that doesn’t seem entirely implausible. By the year 2020, traditional boxing has been replaced by robot boxing so more damage can be inflicted and withstood by the fighters. Jackman’s performance as Charlie Kenton, a former boxer who has resorted to putting together robots for underground matches, was one of the highlights of the movie. The result is a thrilling, emotional ride as Charlie gets a shot at a comeback while building a relationship with his estranged son, Max. The tense final match is extremely reminiscent of Rocky – in fact, the entire movie could almost be described as Rocky with robots – but it works. In the end, the originality of the premise is what sets this film apart. And the soundtrack, featuring the likes of Eminem, 50 Cent, and Foo Fighters, was as awesome as the film itself.

The critics gave the film mixed to positive reactions, but the relatable characters, suspenseful action, and compelling plot have earned it far more favorable response from the general public. You don’t need to be into boxing or robots to enjoy this movie. Just go in with an open mind, and you’ll definitely be pleasantly surprised. And for those of you who have already seen Real Steel and loved it, there’s some good news: a sequel is already being planned! No word yet on its release date though. Expect it to be in development as soon as Jackman’s schedule clears up.

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Monster Within (By: Rebecca Moodie)

As the clock in Subway struck 11, Kathleen stood behind the cash register. She tapped her fingernails on the counter in boredom as the last customer finished his sandwich. Once he left she was free to close up and head home. He walked out the door and she went to lock it. She could go out the back door. She turned her key in the lock and heard it click. She turned to go to the back to finish cleaning up when someone knocked on the door. She turned back and saw a man standing there wearing a black sweatshirt with the hood pulled up.
"I'm sorry, we're closed." Kathleen called through the door. But he knocked again and she repeated herself. "I'm sorry sir, but we're closed for the night." She spun on her heels and started toward the back. She went behind the counter and locked the cash register. She glanced back at the door and saw that he wasn't there. Odd, she thought. Her phone rang and she took out of the front drawer.
"Hey, what's up?" Her friend Olivia said through the phone. Kathleen sighed and locked every other drawer.
"Hey, I'm getting out of here soon. Just closing up," she told her. Kathleen hung up the phone and continued cleaning. She wandered into the back and put the remaining food either in the garbage or the fridge. She then walked into the locker room and opened her locker. Her phone buzzed and she read the message.

SO EXCITED FOR THE PARTY!!!

Kathleen smiled to herself and slipped the phone into her pocket. As she did so she heard a loud bang. Kathleen jumped and fumbled her phone. She caught it quickly and threw it in her locker. She glanced around the corner and didn't see anything. So she grabbed her things from her locker and locked it. She wandered back out to the main lobby of Subway and saw that the door was open. Kathleen stopped and stared at the wide open door. Her heart pounded in her chest and she breathed heavily. I thought I locked that door, she thought to herself. However, she remembered locking it and telling the man to leave. The man...maybe he did this, Kathleen thought. But she shook her head and thought against it. To break that lock you've got to be either a body builder or throw something through the window, neither happened so what happened? Kathleen thought to herself but nothing came to her.
"Hello Kathleen," a voice spoke. She spun around and the man stood there. "It's nice to see you again."
"Who are you?" she asked him. But he didn't answer her. She waited for him to respond but he never did. "I asked you a question,” she continued.
"It doesn't matter who I am. But it matters who you are." He told her. She was confused. "Let's just say I'm your worst nightmare." Kathleen wasn't sure what to do – whether to run or fight back.
"How are you my worst nightmare? I don't even know you!" she screamed. Just as she said that, he took his hood off and the most revolting thing stood in front of her. A mangled face and blood stained hair. She screamed and tumbled backwards. She fell to the floor and he started towards her. She backed up and scrambled across the floor away from him.
"Remember me Kathleen?" he shouted at her. She slammed her eyes shut, hoping that it was all a bad dream and the he would be gone when she opened her eyes. But when she opened her eyes, he still stood over her like a shadow looming over its victim. "Remember me?" he shouted again.
"No!" Kathleen screamed. He grabbed her sweater that she had on and lifted her up off the floor. He set her on a table in front of him and grasped the sweater in his other hand as well. "If I remembered you I wouldn't be asking who you are!" She screamed.
"It's me, Graeme. The one you left behind." He spat in her face. Kathleen froze and stared at him.
"Graeme? I thought you were-"
"Dead? I am, because of you and your drunk driving you idiot!" he yelled. Being a coward she wished he was gone. "I can't believe that you're afraid of me. You were willing enough to put me in the passenger seat knowing you were drunk. So what do you do? You wrap the car around a tree and you live god damn it!"
"How was I supposed to know you were going to die? I didn't even know what was going on!" She shouted at him. "Trust me, if I could have saved you, I would have." But he wasn't buying it.
"I'm going to make you suffer for what you did to me." He said. He pulled back his sweatshirt and revealed a knife. Kathleen tried to move but his grip was too strong. She squirmed and wriggled around, but it was no use. She was stuck there and he was going to kill her.
"Why are you making me suffer for something that's not my fault?" she screamed at him. But he didn't stop to listen to her. He slowly moved the blade closer to her skin until it punctured the surface and spilled a drop of blood. She screamed in pain and tried to push him away, but it was almost like he was attached to her. He made a long cut down her arm and dropped the knife on the floor. He then brought her arm to his mouth. "Are you a vampire?" she asked.
"No, a zombie. I'm sucking the life out of you for myself," he told her. That's when she truly began panicking. Graeme was going to take her life in order to satisfy his own conscious. He took her life until there was nothing left but skin and bones. He dropped her and stared down at her lifeless body. He walked out of the Subway, never to return.

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Life After Oprah (By: Jordan Stothers)

A quarter of a century: that’s how long the legendary Oprah has had her hit talk show, Oprah. That’s longer than any of us students at the Ridge have even been alive. Twenty-five long, prosperous years full of Dr. Oz health facts, celebrity guests, Christmas giveaways and infamous couch jumpings on the popular Oprah show. Who cares about May 21st? It’s the 25th that’s the real doomsday date, when the final show of Oprah will be aired. For many, Oprah has been a source of inspiration. For us students and our younger siblings, she’s always been there. We’ve grown up in a world where Oprah has been the most powerful celebrity, thanks to her show. You want to win a presidential election? Just get Oprah to back you up, like Barack Obama did. Oprah can do anything. She’s like a superhero in heels and with a camera crew. You’re looking to redo your living room, and just don’t know where to start? Aunt Oprah will give her favourite interior decorator, Nate, and have him swing by with a whole new design. I can’t even remember a time when Oprah wasn’t around, picking books for her influential book club or dominating the list of most influential celebrity, for several years. She has shaped the television world and the real world alike. Everyone wants to be her, or find out that they’re her long lost sister or brother. Whoever says otherwise is a liar. Of course, this doesn’t mean the world has seen the last of Oprah Winfrey. She plans on devoting 100% of her time to her own network, fittingly titled OWN. However, this network doesn’t come free, and if anyone wants to get some quality time with Oprah, they’ll have to make a call to their network provider and chalk up some hard earned cash. Until then, there will be a gapping hole in her time slot, and in many hearts. When the ancient Egypt Pharaoh Ramses died, he had reigned for over ninety years. Egyptians didn’t know what to do with themselves. They thought it was the end of the world. Now it’s history all over again. The public won’t know what to do with themselves from 3-4, every weekday afternoon.

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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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Ridge Report Article Contest

Attention all students interested in participating in Ridge Report's Article Contest:

The co-editors of the school newspaper this year have decided to introduce a new contest to students in all grades at the Ridge. This contest will run through out the month of May and articles will be selected and posted up in June. Students can choose to write about any appropriate topic of their choice which are either Ridge News and Global News in order to be considered for the contest. There are a lot of events including Relay for Life that are coming up this month, and we would definitely like to put up an article about these events. Articles may not be any longer than 500 words. The deadline for articles to be submitted is MAY 31st, 2011. Articles will be judged by Ride Report's co-editors for the top 3 articles. A prize worth $25 will be given to the student who writes the 1st place articles. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to speak to Mr. Samsa, Sabrina Yeung, and Amira Zubairi or email us at ridgereport@gmail.com. We look forward to receiving numerous articles.

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There’s Always Hope for Love (By: Leanna Rose Jimenez)

He was perfect, strong, polite, chiseled, and handsome. His hands were gentle as he ran his fingers through her hair. He stared at her with a grateful look in his eyes as he watched her. He would protect her from anyone who tried to hurt her, and when he spoke the worlds “I love you,” he said it with great meaning. You could tell that he would never hurt her, that he would treat her the way she deserved to be treated. He showed me that I should never give up on love, that there is always someone out there, and he showed me this by loving my mother.

My father left us when I was only a little girl. He just got up one day, left, and we never heard from him again. From that moment on it was just my mother and me. We were a team, always looking out for each other, she was my best friend and I was hers. But you could still see the pain in her eyes. Even after years after my father left she was still hurting, and it pained me to see her like that.

Then when she decided to start dating again she would always meet some guy, who in the end would end up hurting her, just as my father did. I would always be there to wipe away her tears and I became bitter toward anyone she was seeing. I only wanted to stop this pain, and I thought for so long that all guys were the same, that they would treat you like the only girl, for the time being, then break your heart and leave.

Then when she met him I thought that was how it would be again, just like all the others, and at one point it seemed that to. They fought one night, my mother cried, he stormed out and I thought that was the end of him. But then the very next day, he came back, apologized, and begged her to take him back. And now I know that he’s here to stay for good, because today is their wedding day. And as they say their ‘I do’s’ I know they mean every word, and I realize that you should never give up on love, for there is always hope.

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Have the Academy Awards Maintained their Purpose? (By Amira Zubairi)

Hollywood celebrities gathered at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles as the 83rd Academy Awards took place on Sunday, February 27, 2010. Many actors, actresses, and filmmakers were honored in up to 25 categories including best picture, actor/actress in a leading role, costume design, and music. It took viewers a second to realize the show had begun when it opened with a montage of movies nominated for best picture. Hosts James Franco and Anne Hathaway appeared in an opening sketch that located them inside Alec Baldwin's dream, shifting into an elevator scene with Morgan Freeman, which then included them into their own versions of scenes of other Oscar-nominated films.

Stars played it safe for this year’s Oscars with classic, pleasing gowns but not overdone hair. Reds, purples, pale blush, and metallic tones dominated the red carpet as Hollywood stars including Jennifer Lawrence, Sandra Bullock, and Jennifer Hudson took their places. The major jewels on flaunt in previous years were also toned down going for a classic and safe impression.

Some of the top winners included “The King’s Speech,” which took home four awards including picture, direction, best original screen play, and actor in a leading role. “Inception” was also one of the top films of the year winning five awards, which included best cinematography, sound editing, sound mixing, adopted screenplay, and visual effects. “Alice in Wonderland” received two awards for costume design and best art direction, while “Toy Story” was given the award for best-animated feature film and original music.

Although James Franco is a well-known actor with a stunning smile, hysterical roles, and an impressive personality in featured films and television shows, his performance as a co-host with Anne Hathaway was not as extraordinary as thought to be. Franco seemed completely uninterested in the event, while Hathaway was remarkably enthusiastic and outstandingly humorous. Audience members stood to former host Billy Crystal as the current hosts simply could not live up to his performance.

This year’s Oscars were a triumphant evening for many actors, actresses, and filmmakers. Many look forward to compelling and attention-grabbing films in the following year.

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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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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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