Mountain Secondary School

Mountain Secondary School
60 Caledon Avenue
Hamilton

Principal: W. Shelswell
Vice-Principal: B. Wallace
Pulse Page coordinator: C. Skilnyk

ART GALLERY

Andrew Dumoulin, grade 12 constructs Storm Trooper masks. Photos by Ashley Jefferey, grade 12.

Taylor Marchant, grade 12, prepares the outfit for C3PO. Photo by Kevin Anderson

Edward Deavu, grade 9, holds his paper mache guitar.

Tony Wleh, grade 9, with his guitar designed as a gas mask.

Sara Trudel, grade 12, drew her self-portrait using chalk pastels.

Nick Tupper, grade 9, sculpts Goofy during lunch.

Cosmetology designs include braiding by Rachel Clark, grade 12 and an evening up-do, right, by Alice Selig, grade 12.

Various handmade crafts including aprons and rice filled frogs.

ARTICLES

Asking the Tough Question
Ashley Warwick and Lacey Simpson, Grade 11

This is a poem based on a survey we did in our school for the You Tube Video Challenge. Our video won the Hamilton Police Service Safe School Challenge Award and it shows fifteen students from our school speaking the lines. The project was sponsored by Media That Matters.

When we thought of making this video
We thought about writing a song
To get our friends’ attention
To help them distinguish between right and wrong
Then we realized something important
Something that changed the way we thought
Most of us don’t even listen
Definitely don’t always do what we’re taught
So we thought we would do something different
Something you definitely wouldn’t expect
We thought that we’d ask you a question
Why should we treat people with respect?
You might say because it’s nice
Or because we’re supposed to act a certain way
You might have said that it’s the loving thing to do
Or that it helps to make people’s day
But is that the aim of this video?
The thing we didn’t want to show
Is when we asked people that question
Most of them didn’t even know
So the answer to the question
Whether it’s tomorrow or today
If we want others to treat us with respect
We’d better treat them the exact same way.

A Cook That Cares

David Hounslow, Grade 11

Someday I plan to be a chef in my own restaurant. A chef has to be organized, talented and quick, but most of all a chef has to care about his clientele. In my private business I can make decisions to ensure that my customers and my suppliers are happy and well looked after. I can use fair trade products and buy fresh from local farmers. I can come out and talk to customers and listen to their feedback. In that environment, I imagine that my restaurant will make people feel safe, comfortable and content.Safe, comfortable and content- I took those things for granted for most of my life and I realize that not everyone is that lucky. This year my Travel and Tourism class studied social and political life in several countries and earlier this fall I participated in the “Me to We” presentation. I also attended an assembly about Darfur and it scared me to hear the stories of unrest in other parts of the world. These awful stories of powerful militia mistreating young people like myself angered me and empowered me to get involved. I joined the Students’ Council as the grade 12 representative and eventually became the president. I wanted to get students involved and to make them realize that they have the ability to create change. The main thing is to get the facts and follow up with a plan. We have access to facts and education but many children around the world are not so fortunate. Can we work together to make sure that all children are educated and well looked after? We need to speak out on their behalf so that words such as ‘safe’, ‘comfortable’ and ‘content’ are a part of their experience too.I encourage you to get involved; get an education and share your knowledge. Make a plan, sign a petition, listen to, and watch various media, and try to raise funds. Start caring about others, and remember that it is easier to work with food in your stomach.

My Ruby Shoes

Collene Wu, Grade 12

Red sparkles glitter all over the table as I try to recycle an old pair of shoes into the famous ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz. There is paint on my fingers and several leather shoe straps I have cut off that are lying around. Behind the scenes of the production, things are not always very glamorous.

My friend Becky Granados is sewing the dress that I will be wearing as Dorothy. We will have to save a few strips of fabric to wrap around some hair extensions for myself, as my hair has been cut short. We’ll prepare two pigtails from an old wig.

I have never been the nervous type, as I have played several lead roles in my Exploring the Arts class. It was fun to be the screaming girl in Thriller, and the nervous mom-to-be in a short video. Of course, The Wizard of Oz was always one of my favourite movies so I made sure I chose the lead. Our class is photographing scenes so no one has to listen to me sing, although I have a good voice and would be willing to. Even so, I keep hearing the Wizard of Oz songs in my head all day.Teamwork can be tough on a long project; however, Becky makes things easier by making me laugh. She is playing the Wicked Witch so we have a few photos taken together. We also danced our own moves in the Thriller production. Becky has had a lot of coloured makeup added both on the set and in Photoshop and lately she has been quite green, due to her character.
I am the class motivator and everyone is impressed with my memory of the sequence of scenes. We are just about to paint a backdrop onto our tables so I had better find the scenery on the DVD. I enjoy seeing the magic of what costumes, sets, and lighting can add to a production. I should consider theatre; I am sure that I would enjoy it.

Cast: Collene Wu, grade 12, Dan Brady, grade12,Josh Ernest, grade11, Jeffrey Crawford, grade12,Becky Granados, grade12, Dimitri Rogers, grade10, Dan Brady, grade12,Aaron Churchill, grade12,Cory Parsons, grade12

They are off to see the wizard; from left, Dan Brady, Josh Ernest, Collene Wu, and Jeffrey Crawford. Photo by Aaron Churchill, who also played the wizard.

Becky Granados (Wicked Witch) and her assistant Dimitri Rogers make a plan. Photo by Cory

Parsons.

Jeff Crawford constructs his costume by recycling garments and blankets. Photo by Dan Brady

Jeff feels proud and confident. Photo by Dan Brady

Dan Brady, as the Scarecrow, has fun giving directions. Photo by Cory Parsons

Team Talk

Andrew Dumoulin, Grade 12; Dan Ribson, Grade 12; Renzo Eduardo, Grade 9; Joey Markiw, Grade 12; and Edwin Ticas, Grade 10

The ref tosses the ball for a tip-off; Andrew Dumoulin, our tall center man, looks at the much taller player jumping against him, “I had a gut feeling that I would lose that jump,” says Andrew, “so I let him have it.” As the team co-captain, Andrew is amazing because he remembers every detail of the game.

Renzo Eduardo moves quickly to steal the ball, “Basketball makes you think and move quickly. You have to have good reflexes.” He breaks the defence and sets up a play for Dan Ribson, who is wide open.

Dan, assistant captain and power forward is the team motivator, although he admits that he loves when the attention turns to him. He goes under the net and does a reverse layup. The crowd feeds him the applause that he wants. “I’ve practised shooting the ball for hours at home, and I practise dribbling techniques in my basement. Basketball is a disciplined sport that requires hard work.”

We drop back to our bubble zone to psyche out the other team. Andrew, nicknamed AD4, throws the ball inbounds. Renzo “Calderon” dribbles and scans the court, “I have a two-handed chest shot that often goes in the net regardless of the fact that the team makes fun of my wide-elbowed technique. This time I decided to chest pass the ball to Joey rather than shoot at the net.”

Joey “Rush” Markiw, our small forward, is at the three-point line. Joey has great hand-eye co-ordination. He leaves his follow-through hand, high in the air as he watches his wide-arc shot sink into the net. He raises his arm in a victory pose as he gets admiration from both teams for his skill. When we ask him what sets him apart on the team he says, “I am the only guy with a beard.” A sense of humour always helps the team.

The other team sets up an offensive stack play. The team splits and Edwin “Tief” Ticas steals the ball by palm-slapping it to Dan. Edwin, our point guard, never complains about anything. The team comments on a player’s ability to have restraint in a game; to disregard the heckling of an audience and the occasional bad calls by the ref. “I play for something to do and to have fun,” says Edwin.

“I play to get better,” says Andrew, “and to support the school.” His strongest position is under the net, but one day he’ll make a great coach.

“I’d rather play than watch,” adds Renzo, “and besides, we get a team jersey.” “Your confidence grows as other people notice you. You get noticed by other schools, coaches, team players, and girls!” Dan beams as the team agrees that he is their best player. “I love getting noticed!”

Always Fun, Win or Lose

Kyle Parsons, Grade 12 and Patrick Richards, Grade 10

My name is Kyle and I’ve played a lot of hockey including AA league and both defence and forward on our school team. Mountain’s hockey team had an experience that many teams never get - especially competitive boy’s teams. I enjoy tough hockey, but one game we played had a spirit of sportsmanship and fun that still makes me smile.We were scheduled to play a very skilled team from Port Credit at a two day tournament. They had won all of their previous games and we had won our first but lost the following two. After the first period, we were trailing them by a score of 5-0. They were fast skaters and handled the puck really well. We played our best but couldn’t keep the momentum going.In the third period, I approached the face-off with my stick held upside-down. The other team player was quick to pick up on my thoughts, and he joined the fun by turning his stick the same way.“My shift did the same thing,” says Patrick, Mountain’s defence man, “when I could see that both teams were ready to have some fun. The center men switched sides, team players were sitting in the opposite benches, and we scored in our own net a few times. The coaches were laughing; they were proud of our team spirit and camaraderie.”“It was like a funny movie. The goalie froze the puck and gave it to the opposite team, and players were having fun making up silly ways to move the puck.”“In the last few seconds of the game I placed my stick between my legs and scored a wrist -shot top shelf. It surprised me and it made the final score 7-3,” says Kyle.Patrick commends the opposing team, “Their team was unique in the sense that they gave up an opportunity to crush us, and instead gave all of us the chance to have fun. We want to show our appreciation to them for showing us what the spirit of hockey is all about.”