Branksome, It`s Time to Go “Green”

The Kilt Press
We are not now, nor have we ever
been, a dry cleaning service
Branksome Hall
October 2005
Branksome, It’s Time to Go
“Green”
Bring your lunch to school in a lunch
bag. If that doesn’t work, (admittedly, I
sometimes just long to toss my thermos
in the garbage can), buy your caf lunch
on the paper plates instead of the takeout
boxes, and cut down on the Styrofoam.
The paper isn’t great, but it creates a lot
less waste, and it is biodegradable, sort
of. While the paper is treated so the food
doesn’t just leak through, causing it to
decompose much more slowly, it’s still a
big improvement. Buy drinks that come in
recyclable containers. Bring a Nalgene with
you instead of buying a bottle of water
every day.
By: Emma Alter
It seems that environmentalism has
finally become fashionable. Hybrid
cars are popping up under celebrities,
everyone is going organic, and PETA, as
frighteningly hard core as it is, is getting
some big name faces.
USE THE RECYCLING CANS. That’s a
big one. A little note to the school: buy
more of the green recycling receptacles!
Garbage, glass, plastic, and paper, all
mixed up, is a problem. The weak attempt
of writing ‘recycling’ and ‘garbage’ on
the sides of garbage cans didn’t work
at all, because it wasn’t obvious, and
the cans were never in the same place.
But the green boxes are good. But we
need more! They are small, and two in
the school (I’ve only found two) is not
enough. Put one on each floor. They
don’t take up much room. We need one
at the end of the orange grad hallway,
where there isn’t even a garbage can,
and at least two in the caf and the tuck
shop. This would make it much easier for
students to dispose of their garbage in
the proper way. Plus, more garbage cans
mean less garbage on the floors!
Branksome students are incredibly lucky
to have so many computers. I could
count all of the computers in most high
schools on my fingers and toes. There
have been numerous complaints about
how many we have access to, but at least
they are there. But do they really need
to be on? All the time? The computers
in the library are turned off every night,
as are the computers in the English
hallways, but not in the lower computer
Continued on page 4
But since when has fashion ever mattered
to Branksome?
Going ‘Green’. Is it happening, or not?
As anyone who paid rapt attention to my
article last year on the middle school will
remember, I spoke about an offer for
the middle school to be a ‘green’ school,
which Branksome declined. Nothing
wrong with that; I’m sure they had a
perfectly good reason. I have faith in the
administration and the board (who is on
the board, anyway?) and their decision
making skills. Environmentalism isn’t only
in the big things. It’s in the small things
the things that each student and each
teacher does, too. Being environmentally
conscious doesn’t mean that you need to
completely change your lifestyle.
The opinions expressed in The Kilt Press are not neccessarily the opinions of the editorial staff or the school.
Acknowledgments
The editors would like to give special thanks to Mr. Persaud and Ms. Bolté.
Editors: Alex Heeney and Yasin Akbari
Staff Advisors: Ms. Watson and Ms. Supino
Contributing Writers: Emma Alter, Hailie Auld, Anjali Curtosi, Marina Ghabbour, Jayne McCaw Gilbert, Lindsay Gobin, Alex
Heeney, Priya Jain, Steph Lau
Submit articles to : kiltpress@branksome.on.ca Deadline for Submissions: October 28, 11:59 PM
The Kilt Press
October 2005
Steven Soderbergh’s Bubble
Toronto International Film Festival
2005
By: Alex Heeney
I am a fanatical Steven Soderbergh fan.
Two years ago, if you were to make the error
in judgement of asking me who this wonderful
director was, you would be met with the likely
unwelcome diatribe on his life, his works, and
what makes him great. Soderbergh has brought
us such wonderfully directed films as Traffic,
Out of Sight, Ocean’s Eleven, and Solaris,
winning a best director Oscar for Traffic. It was
thus a rather momentous occasion for me when
I had the opportunity to see the North American
premiere of his latest film, Bubble, at the
Toronto Film Festival, in early September and to
speak with him.
In his most recent film to date, Bubble,
Mr. Soderbergh introduces us to a small, blue
collar town in Ohio, where the characters are
decidedly banal, unintelligent, and realistic.
Bubble is a jarring, truthful, and as, the writer,
Coleman Hough put it, “twisted love triangle”,
which descends into a murder mystery, yet
remains hardly about the murder or the mystery,
and more about an accurate portrait of these
characters. Kyle is the main male around whom
the triangle forms. He is in his mid-twenties,
a high school dropout, who still inhabits his
mother’s trailer park haunt and works at the
local doll factory. His long time colleague, the
thirtysomething Martha, has an odd affection for
him which is tossed out when the newbie, Rose,
turns up and a mutual attraction occurs between
her and Kyle.
To describe this movie by invoking love
story, murder mystery, or detective genres would
not do it justice, nor would it accurately depict
it. Soderbergh takes an unexpected approach,
with a stark still camera, and large scale shots,
so different from his usual movement oriented
style. I asked him whether he found it difficult
to contain himself, keeping the camera still; he
responded that it was actually a nice change.
After all, it’s all about “the scenery”. And that it
is. The film is about being an observer, watching
from a distance and discerning the proclivities
of human behaviour. It is not about the murder.
It doesn’t have that flowing, mesmerizing,
classy, noiresque style to it as is the trademark
of Ocean’s Eleven and Out of Sight. The film is
not about charisma, and the camera allows this
to come out. Each frame is shot with incredible
skill, as is expected from Peter Andrews. The
film has more of a documentary feel; it does not
seem as though you are watching “actors”. And
of course, Soderbergh used amateurs, which
explains the success of the effect.
The film succeeds in its wise, knowing
scenes, which emphasize the small, minute
moments. There is one scene which stands out
to me on this matter. Rose is going out on a date
and she tactfully drafts Martha as a babysitter for
her two year old daughter. We suspect that her
date is with Kyle; it seems to fit together, but like
Martha, we are left with uncertainty. When the
doorbell rings and Kyle attends, it is a perfect
moment: everything is revealed and nothing is
said. I have had countless conversations with
people where we talk around a matter, both of us
almost certain that the other is aware of what is
Kilt Press film critic, Alex Heeney (right), with director
Steven Soderbergh
being concealed. This is exactly what
Soderbergh masterfully translates
to the screen, in such a satisfying
manner. The scenes seem familiar
and recognizable because they are
so typical of human interactions.
As the plot unfolds, it is
predictable, not because it follows
some Hollywood cliché. It is just
simply fitting for these characters.
Discovering the murderer is
not a eureka moment, because
the impending outcome is clear
throughout, because of careful
planning. It is true that the wide
camera angles distance us from
the characters, making them even
indescribable; these are not the
quirky characters of typical ‘indie’
fare. But, what is of import is that
the film unfolds just as it ought
to for these characters, however
intangible they may be, engaging us
at every moment.
Much like its creator, the film
is intelligent and, at times, amusing.
When asked if working with amateurs
will affect how he works with
professional actors, Mr. Soderbergh
responded “I’ll pay them less”. He
also quipped, in response to a
compliment on his unique grimaces
in Schizopolis, that he can’t do that
anymore “because of the botox”.
And finally, on a personal
note, meeting Soderbergh was a
treat. At the end of the question and
answer period, I wandered up to the
front of the cinema to meet him,
shook his hand, and asked one of my
more film geeky questions, that I had
been pondering for a while.
In Traffic, the film for which
he won the best director Oscar, there
is a scene where a helicopter is
taking off, shot from right below
the helicopter, looking up. It is
so reminiscent of the final shot
in A Hard Day’s Night, when the
Beatles lift off in their helicopter,
that I could not help but draw a
comparison, especially considering
Mr. Soderbergh’s well known
admiration and affiliation with
Richard Lester, its director. Mr.
Soderbergh confirmed that this
“great shot” and “memorable end”
of A Hard Day’s Night certainly
came into consideration and was
an influence when he constructed
the similar shot in Traffic. It
was one of those shots he had
stored up and it inevitably came
through. His method, however,
is to show up on location, and
figure out his shots there, rather
than go through detailed planning
beforehand.
Bubble was a wonderful
little film. Let’s hope Mr.
Soderbergh continues on with
such creative ‘indie’ fare and that
he won’t be wasting his talent on
an Ocean’s Thirteen anytime soon.
2
The Kilt Press
October 2005
Startling Violence in GTA
By: Anjali Curtosi
As time goes on, the world is
becoming more civilized and humane.
We have evolved so much from the
cave man into what we are today. But
is this really the case? Can human
kind really be classified as being
better than the cave man when we use
violence and hate to solve problems,
especially when these problems that
arise from corruption in our society,
were CREATED by us? We have come
a long way since the cave man days,
technology-wise, and knowledge-wise.
But how can we really have evolved
when we continue to kill our own kind
due to dislike or hate?
Less than a week ago, late
Thursday night/early Friday there
was a shooting a block away from
my house. Three people driving in a
stolen jeep shot 10 bullets at a group
of young men who were talking. One
person was shot in the leg; this person
was my cousin. When you think of a
drive by, you think about it happening
in bad areas of the city, or in the
“ghetto”. However, these things happen
everywhere. What is the world coming
to when people involve themselves in
drive bys, in which they shoot to kill,
merely to solve a problem? What is
the world coming to when there are
guns on the street that can put a bullet
through a person’s leg, through his
bone, and snap it in half? My cousin
underwent surgery and will now have a
metal rod in his leg for the rest of his
life.
These acts of hate do not only affect
the victims, but also the victim’s family,
friends, and how all of them will live the
rest of their lives. Before I moved here my
friends kept saying, “Be careful in Toronto!”
or “Don’t get shot!” I never even thought
something like this could happen to me or
someone close to me… This just goes to
show you that it doesn’t matter where you
are: corruption is everywhere. Guns and
violence are increasingly becoming a real
issue these days; the world seems to be
becoming more degraded as the days go by.
Much recent violence is closely related
to gangs. In the past few years, gangs have
been popping up everywhere and causing a
lot of damage to our society. Studies have
shown that around 94% of all shootings, in
Toronto, are gang related. Just this year the
OPP has taken into their possession over
2000 guns. How can guns be so easily come
by? There has been so much violence due
to guns being on the streets and yet the
laws do not seem to be enforced any more
than they have been in the past. In mid-July
to mid-August of this year, 8 people were
killed and there were 25 injuries due to
guns in Toronto. In Canada more than 1000
Canadians die from gun related injuries
every year!
Recently, in the past month, I moved
to Toronto from Wasaga Beach. I moved to
attend Branksome Hall and am currently
living with my grandparents. I knew that it
would be a huge change for me coming from
a seasonal town to a very busy, huge city. In
just over a week of me living here, not even a
block from my house a relative got shot.
Now that was an eye opener about my
new surroundings! I come from a place
where I knew most of the people in town,
and people were a lot more trustworthy;
now I go on the subway and see many
different people I do not know, lately all
I can think is, “Is this person normal like
me? Or would they resort to extreme
violence in situations? Situations like the
other week, situations that we hear about
almost everyday now on the news.”
The government, other than
taking guns away from criminals, seems
not to be doing anything about the
actual problem. They are taking care of
the present rather than thinking about
how to fix the future. We students are
the future of tomorrow; if this problem
does not get taken care of we have the
responsibility to do it ourselves. We may
be only teenagers, but that doesn’t mean
we can’t make a difference in our society.
So I ask all of you to think, “How can we
help change and shape our society into
something that we are proud and safe to
be living in?”
Private School vs.
Public School
By: Jane McCaw
Gilbert
There are people who have always
aspired to become a part of a private school
community, whereas others have vowed
to stay steer clear of anything considered
“preppy.” Having attended public schools
for the past ten years of my education, I
have had the opportunity to experience
the best and worst of both worlds, and the
criticism that follows.
When I confirmed that I was to
revolt from the public school system and
move to Branksome Hall, I received mixed
reactions; some friends believed that the
idea was completely irrational, while others
saw the benefits of my decision. Private
school undeniably offers more personal
development and individualism, by offering
a wider variety of social clubs and sports,
while public school has a very conservative
“survival of the fittest” approach. Through
the very well developed guidance program
that Branksome provides, students are able
to feel more secure, knowing that someone,
no matter how big or small the issue,
will consistently listen to any problems
of conflicts that they may have. Public
school however, is very different. With an
average class size of around 30 students,
one has to learn that independence is the
recipe for success and prosperity.
The teachers are very different
as well; in my opinion, public school
teachers lack the necessary desire
for teaching that the majority of the
Branksome teachers exercise. Teachers
at Branksome aren’t satisfied with a
mediocre effort or result from a student,
but strive for excellence from each and
every one. In the public system, teachers
seem less interested in perfection and
often believe that any effort is a good
effort, which is the wrong outlook when
developing young minds. It would be
completely unjust of me not to include
the reality that not all students who
attend private school are stellar students,
and that most students attending public
schools aren’t motivated to work beyond
the expectation of some teachers.
The final and most differentiating
boundary between the two systems, I
believe, is the wealth factor. During
my middle division years, attending
Glenview Public School, I would always be
considered “rich” because I live relatively
close to Rosedale and was considering
private school for my high school career.
Being immersed with all diversity of kids
in public school has obvious pros and
cons: being recognized as “rich” can
be alienating, and it is true that many
students live in areas of the city which
are considered “bad”. In a more positive
light, you can meet and learn about
people from many different cultures.
Public and private schools are two
very different forms of learning. I can’t
honestly say which one will produce
a better, more balanced individual,
although the entry fee for private schools
may denote the benefits of private
education.
3
The Kilt Press
October 2005
Miss Behaviour...
and the art of
invitation
Dear Miss Behaviour,
What are the correct rules for society gala and party
invitations? I am having my society début soon and I do not
know what my invitation should look like.
•
Yours,
Début Darling
Dear Début Darling,
•
When I throw galas, custom ordering the invitations
is absolutely my favourite part! Here are some important
rules that every socialite should remember:
•
•
Formal invitations that are custom engraved
by an engraving company are usually only
used for large formal events, like your parents’
annual winter ball. In some circles it is seen
as gauche to have these invitations done for
parties of twenty people or less … unless it
is a wedding, obviously. (n.b. Professionally
engraved invitations are different than
professionally printed ones; the letters are
raised on engraved invitations and are quite
a bit more expensive than those that are
printed.)
If you are getting formal invitations done,
remember that you are a modern girl! It used
to be that any invitation for a party thrown by
an unmarried girl began with the names of
her parents, but today it is perfectly correct to
•
At the end of the day, gentle reader, remember that being
happy at your début is more important than stressing over tiny
details. Your guests will remember the fun they had rather than
the typeface on the invitations.
Yours as Always,
Miss Behaviour
Miss Behaviour’s quote of the month: “There’s a new thing
called Women’s Lib. It means women get whatever they want.”
– Marcia Brady, The Brady Bunch Movie
Fashion 411
By: Marina Ghabbour
Balloon skirts, black
coats, and renaissance
shirts grace the fall runways.
High necked haute couture
dresses flow with elegance
and ruffle as they dance and
shimmer across the catwalk
floors. Jewel tone jackets and
ripped jeans pose on every
mannequin seen for miles.
However, as someone
wise once said, trends come
and go with the blink of
an eye. So, no matter how
decadent the fall fashion may
be, is it worth buying whole
new outfits and spending
loads of money? Just one
week after a new style is
released yet another new
style will be released into
the glamorous, unaffordable
world that is fashion.
It is a wonderful
feeling to walk down
streets in the newest, most
fashionable clothes. But,
like Tylenol, fashion must
include only your name on the invitations for your
début. Women’s Lib, ladies!
Make the invitation appropriate to the occasion.
If you are hosting a large afternoon garden
party, it might be fun to have your invitations
printed on paper that is pressed with flowers
(many companies have this.If you are hosting
an evening soirée, sophisticated invitations like
gold leaf borders on linen paper (like my personal
stationery) is quite attractive.
Never forget to include the dress code on your
invitations! Dress for events can range from
white tie, for the most formal of events, to a
simple afternoon dress and a hat for a tea party
at a hotel. Not putting dress code on invitations
can cause inconvenience (and sometimes
embarrassment) for your guests.
Most RSVP is done by telephone now, but you may
instead include a small RSVP card for the guest to
fill in and mail back to you.
be taken in moderation.
You can achieve the brilliant
new look while keeping your
wallet happy and avoiding an
overdose by just choosing a
few key items from each trend.
Choose only things you feel
are important to the style of
the moment and choose them
in the trendiest colour of the
season. Lastly, make sure the
item you are purchasing can
be used in multiple outfits and
variations. Following these
easy tips ensures your goal of
obtaining or retaining the title
of incredible fashionista.
The next time you walk
passed that stunning window
of the hottest store and the
most delicate beaded top is
attracting your attention, keep
in mind that in just a few days,
something else that is just as
appealing will be on display,
working its irresistible magic to
reel you in.
It’s Time to Go “Green”
Continued from page 1
labs. Having a locker in the grad hallway, I have seen in
the windows of the lower computer labs – more often
than not, the screens are on all night. A room full of
running PCs, plus the air-conditioning to keep the room
from overheating, is that really necessary? Is it so difficult
to just turn them off every night?
Are you a fan of Starbucks? Need your caffeine fix every
morning in order to survive in school? If so, this is for
you: stainless steel reusable cups. They will fill them
up for you at Starbucks, Second Cup, Timothy’s, Tim
Horton’s, pretty much any major coffee store. If you are
one of those people who go to Starbucks twice a day
- you know who you are - this is the easiest way for you
to be environmentally friendly. No more paper cups!
No more cardboard cup holders! And please, especially
don’t leave this garbage rotting in the bottom of your
locker because then you’d have a SERIOUS environmental
concern.
One last point: ladies, there is a subway station thirty
seconds from our school. Make good use of it. If you live
in the suburbs, Etobicoke, or wherever else, strike a deal
with your parents. Ask them to drive you to the subway.
Yes, you are still using the car, but a lot less than you
would be, otherwise. Besides, I’ve found that asking my
parents for twenty bucks a week for subway tickets is a
great way to make six bucks. They don’t know how much
student tickets cost, right?
4
The Kilt Press
October 2005
Sheep and Goose
Productions Presents....
Podcasts: Yay or Nay
By: Hailie Auld
and Steph Lau
Hello avid Kilt Press reader! Sheep and
Goose Productions (that’s us, Steph and
Hailie!) welcomes you to our first ever
Kilt Press Article! But enough with the
exclamation marks, onwards!
In our column, we shall rant about the
following:
•
•
•
Podcasts
Movies
Concerts that we went to or really
wish we went to.
Now let’s talk about the beloved
iPod. Do you have one? If yes, then
you probably already know what
podcasting is. If not, you might not
have a clue. But do you want to find
out? Of course you do, and here
to introduce you to the world of
podcasting are your hosts: Goose
(Hailie) and Sheep (Steph)!
Podcast, what is: It’s a cast for
your pod of course! It’s similar to
broadcasted shows (from radio to
learning languages to getting show
recaps to just getting your crazy jabber
out there) for your iPod.
Hi My Name Is Mark (summary by
Sheep):
This podcast is written and performed
by the lovely and talented bassist of
Blink- 182, the one, the only… Maaaaaark
Hoppus! On his podcast website
(himynameismark.com) he welcomes
you to his “ridiculous online podcast
extravaganza". So, what will you be
hearing? All things rad: bands you haven't
heard of, bands he hasn't heard of, and
maybe, if we're all very lucky, bands he
has heard of. Mark will use this as an
excuse to discus things that are important
(and unimportant) to him and his friends.
Mark welcomes you to a fantastic waste
of time and a desperate cry for attention.
Enjoy!
Goose: Okay, this podcast is kind of weird
since he’s just talking from the guest
room in his house, but that’s why it’s so
good. The music’s good – go download
“Everything is Alright” by Motion City
Soundtrack – so go download it if you like
it!
Sheep: Of course, everyone knows that
podcasts always sound better when
recorded from the guest room of your
house. In his first podcast, Mark graces
us with the song that “changed his life”
and inspired him to write music, an
update on his side project Plus 44 with
Travis Barker, an impromptu interview
with a guy from a band I haven’t heard
of (Andrew Kenny of the American
Analogue Set…anyone, anyone?), a bit
of shameless advertising for a record
he produced (Commit This to Memory
by Motion City Soundtrack. And now we
will do some of our own advertising by
recommending this album), and a movie
recommendation. And of course, “potty
humour jokes”. Despite the fact that
the guys from blink have a reputation
for crazy antics, the podcast is actually
pretty music centered (I guess that means
Mark doesn’t have a lack of attention
span, but then again the podcast is
only 20 minutes long). So basically you
really want to listen to this. And if your
people say that it’s lame, that’s probably
because they’re closet “Hi My Name is
Mark” podcast listeners.
only will you improve your Mandarin
(maybe), you will also get asked if
you are feeling okay, some weird
looks/raised eyebrows, a good
laugh, and perhaps someone might
even reply to what you’re saying
(this is exciting I know.)! If you’ve
ever wanted to be on “Just For
Laughs”, I’m guessing this would be
a good audition tape.
Note from Sheep: did you notice that
it’s called HESS Chinese Survival
Guide? Not just HESS Chinese Guide?
So factoring in the survival part of
this podcast, I’d recommend it (you
never know where you might end up
after falling down a hole. Take Alice
in Wonderland as an example.)
Thanks for reading our first article!
And if you don’t mind, we'd like to
ask you one more favour...check out
our comic!
HESS Chinese Survival Guide (summary
by Goose):
This is basically a beginner course in
Mandarin Chinese. It has lessons ranging
from greetings, to asking for directions,
to cooking. It’s a general “repeat after
me” podcast where you repeat the word
spoken in Mandarin.
Goose: I tried this out thinking that it
would be really easy to just learn a few
words in Mandarin because I want to
go to China. This podcast was really
basic which is good for beginners, but
I couldn’t get the pronunciation right
on any of the words. The lady speaking
Mandarin didn’t speak slowly enough to
teach me how to pronounce the words
since my hearing isn’t very good. If you
have good hearing, check this out.
Sheep: Well, actually, I haven’t listened
to this one yet, so you’re going to
have to trust Hailie on this one. Since
languages aren’t really my cup of tea, I
can’t really say that I would recommend
this to everyone…as a podcast. I would,
however, recommend it as game! Why
don’t you or a friend try repeating this
lesson (out loud) somewhere public (like
the bus, your Ortho’s waiting room, or
even waiting in the tuck shop line)? Not
5
The Kilt Press
October 2005
‘Light is heard in Zigzag’:
an unforgettable
performance
By: Priya Jain
What would life be like if you woke up
every morning to darkness, not being able to
hear the birds singing incessantly and cars
rushing quickly to work? What would you do
if you never knew how beautiful your children
were, let alone yourself? What would you do
if you had big dreams that suddenly became
shattered by a disability? What would you
do if you were deaf and blind for the rest
of your life? These are some of the many
questions the grade ten and twelve dramatic
arts students, a group of which I was a part,
wondered after having visited the Nalaga’at
Theatre in September. Together we witnessed
an unforgettable performance entitled ‘Light
is heard in Zigzag’ by a group of deaf-blind
actors.
Nalaga’at (‘Do Touch’ in Hebrew) is the
means in which blind-deaf individuals (most
of which are afflicted with Usher’s syndrome)
communicate. It is hard to imagine being
reliant on a single sense: touch, since we are
accustomed to communicating through our
visual and auditory senses. Tactile
communication enters into a different
world, both limiting and modifying
perception. One of my peers noted
that seeing this performance was
almost like connecting these two
different worlds.
‘Light is heard in Zigzag’
reflects upon the actors’ difficulties
to see and hear. Translators guided
the actors on stage and throughout
the performance. Through brilliant
choreography, short skits were
performed, all of which portraying
the deepest dreams of each actor.
It was an emotional experience
seeing how much hope these
talented actors had. Their dreams
were humble, like longing to have
a birthday party, or being able to
drive a bus, playing the piano and
even having the opportunity to dine
at the best restaurant in town with
a pretty girl. It was most upsetting
knowing how simple and innocent
their dreams were. Unfortunately, it
would be impossible for them to ever
experience them as easily as we do.
After every skit, we cheered,
clapped, and even stood up too,
hoping every time that they would
maybe be able to see or hear us.
Unaware of our appreciation, their
translators would have to tap them
quickly on their palms to indicate
that we were applauding. Suddenly
smiles would be bursting across the
stage, and all the actors would be
vigorously tapping each other’s palms
too. I could not describe in words the
amount of happiness I witnessed from
these brave and talented people.
All would agree that the
most inspiring moment of the
excursion was the opportunity to
personally meet the actors and
their translators. Remembering
that the actors could not see,
hear, and for the most part not
able to speak in English, one
would think it would be most
difficult to communicate. Through
modified sign language, the
translators explained to the actors
of any questions we had, and
how grateful we were to see them
perform. The actors were most
flattered by our appreciation,
and rather curious to know more
about us. They enjoyed our
company, and feeling the texture
of our uniform and style of our
hair. We left them with big hugs,
and tears in our eyes.
I speak for all of my peers
who attended this performance
when I say that ‘Light is heard in
Zigzag’ has been an unforgettable
and life-changing experience.
I highly encourage everyone to
acknowledge the message of
hope these unbelievable actors
are sharing with the world, and
to remember once again how
grateful we must be for all that we
have.
For more information, please visit:
www.nalagat.org.il
It’s All You
By: Lindsay Gobin
Why is it that celebrities are losing so much weight
that you can’t even see them, operating on every inch of
their bodies, yet we still strive to be just like them? We
would give anything to look like that woman that nobody will
stop talking about. But why? Why not strive to be your own
person, with your own personality, for a change, instead of
the one that strikingly reminds us of the girl from the movie
you saw last week.
Individualize your style. You know…find something
other than what Lindsay Lohan wore to the last teen choice
awards. I promise you, if you don’t like it, you can go right
back to being that girl you think everybody wants you to be.
But I am almost positive you will never regret being YOU!
Lets face it ladies, the media won. They have us right
where they want us: wrapped around their finger. And for
some of us, it’s almost impossible to break free of the hold
they so tightly have over our lives. We are the bright and
beautiful women of tomorrow, aren’t we? So why are we letting
the media brainwash our way of thinking? Let’s try making
individuality the new UGGS.
For all those future doctors, when you’re performing that
heart transplant, do you honestly think your patient really cares
whether or not your bottom is clashing with your top? Or how
much those new diamond earrings cost you? No, of course not!
All they want is to be able to live long enough to experience the
things that really do matter in life: education, values, family,
etc. Why are we letting a magazine be the judge of what we
are going to wear tomorrow? Why have we lost sight of the
important things in life? Step up to the plate. It’s time to be
leaders and not followers.
It all starts here Branksome. Express youself, and be you!
In the famous words of Dr.Seuss “Be who you are and say what
you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who
matter don’t mind” IT’S ALL YOU!
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The Kilt Press
October 2005
Just Like Heaven - Isn’t
By: Alex Heeney
I can imagine screenwriters
Peter Tolan and Leslie Dixon sitting
next to each other as they wrote the
script to Mark Waters’ latest film, Just
Like Heaven, with a checklist of every
possible film cliché in front of them.
They could have easily sat there and
systematically entered each of these
clichés into the script, to ensure
that they avoided any semblance of
originality. They become so unilaterally
focused on inserting these clichés that
they forget that they neglected to write
characters, even clichéd characters.
Sadly, I find my invented story of the
criminal creation of this film to be far
more interesting than Just Like Heaven.
In fact, I’m currently wishing that I’d
seen a film about my silly idea rather
than the terrible mess which was Just Like
Heaven.
But alas, the film I saw was Just Like
Heaven, if heaven were a torture chamber,
and the characters in it are more lifeless
than fake plastic trees; they aren’t even
two dimensional because we have so
little information about them. Elizabeth
(Reese Witherspoon) is a workaholic and a
fantastic doctor, until she decided that her
radio wasn’t loud enough and ended up
in a car crash from turning the knob up,
apparently requiring all of her attention
and subsequently an inability to watch
the road. David (Mark Ruffalo) is a man
who still hasn’t got over his dead wife and
“doesn’t want to talk about it”. He chooses
his apartment based on the couch it
contains. While this information is all given
within the first five minutes of the film, I
fear I have now revealed everything we ever
find out about these characters.
Usually, I can be forgiving about
a film so steeped in clichés or full of
preposterous scenarios if I find the
characters mildly interesting. But this film
gives us absolutely nothing to grab onto. In
fact the only unique or remotely substantial
character is Darryl, the Napoleon Dynamite
fellow, who shows up as the authority on
ghosts, and UFOlogy.
Tolan and Dixon craft a tale about
poor David who gets visited by the ghost
or spirit of Elizabeth. Elizabeth is here
intent on being an annoying little pestering
dear who, quel surprise, is destined to
fall in love with David. The writers get so
caught up in the plot of the spirit visits that
nothing at all is developed.
When a film has so little
substance that it can be described in
its entirety in about three paragraphs,
it’s certainly a painful experience to
spend two precious hours of one’s life
watching, and worse, to have paid to
do so. The film succeeded in but one
thing: I left the theatre appreciating
the “greatness” of George Lucas’s
screenwriting skills, wishing that he
had been brought on to this film as a
script doctor.
Just Like Heaven starts off
with a potentially engaging story
and potentially likeable, engaging
characters, but then forgets to
develop them. I sighed throughout
the entire film. I think the most
entertaining part of my filmgoing
experience was when an audience
member sitting behind me gasped a
statement - which was master of the
bleeding obvious ten minutes before
she made the statement- as though it
were breaking news.
The Kilt Press Introduces...
Sheep and Goose productions (that’s us! Steph
and Hailie!) Presents:
Edie enjoys all things Warhol, and other than that, we don’t
know much about her except that she often joins Kelly to do
reviews for the Kilt Press.
THE ADVENTURES OF BH GIRL AND EDIE! (Due
to budget cuts, you’ll have to imagine your own
superhero music here...)
As for BH Girl’s arch nemesis, no one knows much about
Gross Guy, other than the fact that he’s gross, really gross.
His sidekick Steven Grlsch once attempted world domination
by removing all the vowels in the words s vryn hd t spk lk
ths (so everyone had to speak like this), but that’s another
story.
Name: The Adventures of BH Girl and Edie
Motto: Plaid is rad!
Back story: Kelly Clerk works for the Kilt Press. Her secret
identity is super crime fighting heroine, BH GIRL!
She is commander of the BB SQUADRON, and fights against
the dirty deeds of her arch nemesis GROSS GUY and his
sidekick, the notorious Steven Grlsch (aka Steven no vowels),
who wreaks havoc around the school.
Kelly is also a huge music fan and one day hopes to start her
own band.
Along with Edie, Kelly must fight crime, work for the Kilt
Press, keep her secret identity secret and sleep, of course.
This issue we are having a pre-comic comic. Stay tuned for
next issue’s comic, where we will start the story.
See Page 8 for the comic.
Kelly’s sidekick is the mysterious Edie M. (whose brother
just happens to be Allan M. from the Josie and the Pussycats
comic...). Edie’s secret identity is ‘the girl in plaid’.
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The Kilt Press
October 2005
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