Behind the Ivy - Summer 2018

SUMMER I SSUE 20 1 8 Be h i n d t h e I v y

SUMMER ISSUE |  BEHIND THE IVY

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Behind the Ivy

WELCOME

WE L C OM E

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

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A C A D E M I C S

EXAM PREPATORY MINDSET

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EXAM SURVIVAL GUIDE

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A R T S A N D E N T E R TA I NM E N T

WHY POETRY IS AWESOME

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B E YO N D T H E I V Y

FACEBOOK: THE FRIEND WHO KNOWS EVERYTHING

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B E H I N D T H E I V Y

ENVIRONMENT WEEK

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AN AFTERNOON WITH AUTHOR KIM THUY

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WE L L N E S S

THE KETO DIET: IS IT REALLY GOOD FOR YOU?

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STUDYING VS. SLEEPING: THE ULTIMATE SHOWDOWN

L I F E

MEDITATION AND HAPPINESS

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THIRD CULTURE KIDS

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JUDAISM: RACE OR CULTURE?

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Current and incoming BTI heads . Photo Natalie Cao

The BTI family. Photo Kiara Cheng

WELCOME

L E T T E R F R OM T H E E D I T O R S

CHELSEA DUMASAL & I SABELLA XU

Dear HC,

As the 2017-2018 school year comes to a close, thank yous and congratulations are due!

To the writers: thank you for all the amazing content you generated this year. You’ve taken topics that you’re deeply passionate about and bravely shared them with the HC community. To the editors: your attention to detail and constant support and feedback for the writers has greatly ameliorated the BTI . To the photographers: thank you for thoughtfully coming up with photo ideas that complement the articles. Your initiative to meet and photograph subjects has made the BTI more authentic, while your ability to capture an aesthetic has made the BTI more beautiful! To the layout editors: without you, the paper would literally not exist. Despite being the smallest team, most of whom are novices, you are a group of mighty, persistent designers. To Ms. Goldberg and Ms. Charlton: thank you for providing constant feedback on the content and layout of the paper. We know that reading and editing twenty-five articles multiple times in a short time frame is no easy feat! To Mr. McHaffie: thank you for your endless patience in answering all of our layout-related questions. You have transformed us from nervous newbies into confident designers who love the layout process. To the HC community: thank you for giving us this opportunity to be involved with the BTI , as both team members and co-editors. You provide support and inspiration which fuels this paper, and we trust that you will keep it going with rich, exciting stories. As for Mia and Kayla, we wish you the best of luck leading the Behind the Ivy team next year. Although we will miss this publication dearly, we know that you two are going to do an amazing job and that the BTI is in good hands!

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For now, sit back, relax, and enjoy the final issue of the 2017-2018 school year.

Signing off,

Chelsea and Isabella

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Don’t let this be you. Photo Soleil Krcmar

ACADEMICS

E X A M P R E PAT O RY M I N D S E T

EL I SA SHI

preaching this.” While this is true, starting this exam season, I have a goal; instead of making the complaints that I have perfected over the years, I’m going to try to do something productive, like reviewing notes, or even just walking away from the conversation. I refuse to get myself stuck in the same set mindset this year, and I am excited to see how I’ll grow by taking on this new approach. This season, I challenge you to try and do the same, or at the very least, try to notice how the conversation around exams is shaped. As this is my first time trying this, it might end up to be a total failure, but I have a good feeling about this. One of the articles in this issue is on tips for exams, written by the amazing Emma Gurney, and I strongly suggest you check it out. See what steps you can take, and maybe try to take a more positive approach to exams this year. Best of luck on all of your exams!

about some exam or another. I have no doubt that others will chime in and that, eventually, there will be a gaggle of girls stressing out about an assessment. There’s no shame in this, I do it, too; it feels almost therapeutic. But I want to highlight that stressing about the exam isn’t going to make you do any better. In fact, it will most likely lower your performance. The main reason for this is that your mindset is an important factor that influences how well you do on an exam. When you think of exams negatively, you end up already thinking about the worst outcome, and consequently, you subconsciously study and do your work half-heartedly. It is almost easier to do this because, at the end, if you don’t do well, you can say, “I didn’t really try,” and not have to feel the disappointment. But this is not what you want. It’s better to put your best foot forward, and the only way to do this is by having an open mind to exams and treating them as a way to show your learning, not as tests that you can pass or fail. If you know me personally, you will probably roll your eyes and say, “Elisa, you are the last person who should be

It is that time of the year again. No, it is not another three week break. It is exam season. Exams are a sore spot for most, if not all, students for obvious reasons. It is a stressful and, frankly, draining time of year, both physically and emotionally. The list of reasons to despise these despicable assessments of learning are never-ending. But as exams approach, I can’t help but take notice of my negative mindset towards them, since exams honestly aren’t as bad as they seem. If you’re anything like me, exam season is a time to complain about your grades, assessments, the marking system, and maybe even the Ontario government for creating the curriculum in the first place. In short, a lot of complaining is going on. And I know I’m not alone; lots of girls share this same outlook. But, I’ve come to realize that exam season is really quite toxic, as we feed off of each other’s negativity. Girls will break down in tears. All nighters will probably be pulled. During the next few weeks, I will probably be able to pinpoint at least four stressed-out conversations in which one of my fellow Tenth Graders will start complaining

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A solid study playlist makes you calm and more productive. Photo Stephanie Liu

ACADEMICS

E X A M S U R V I V A L G U I D E

EMMA GURNEY

an hour, I promise you will wake up refreshed and focused. This approach is actually backed by a lot of research and was first introduced to me by Dr. Greg Wells. Due to the way our sleep cycles function, if used right, a 20 minute nap can be as productive as a five- hour one. Dr. Wells refers to phenomenon this as the “20 minute power nap”, and I would highly recommend this strategy if you are pressed for time! These are just a few things I like to do when I study, but this list is by no means exhaustive. When creating your study plan, you should play around with what works best for you, and hopefully find a happy medium. If you’re looking for more tips, I strongly suggest checking out Elisa Shi’s article on the effects of a positive mindset when approaching an exam. I hope this article helped ease your nerves for the upcoming exam season, and good luck!

As exam season fast approaches, you might find yourself swamped trying to juggle cumulative projects, impromptu tests, and studying. If you’re like me, you’ve probably filled up your plate a little too much, and are just now realizing that you might have overdone it with your course load and extracurriculars. This overly-full plate has been my reality for pretty much the entirety of my academic career, and, as a result, I have come up with a few strategies to cope with exam stress. 1. Make a study schedule well in advance… and stick to it! If you’re a procrastinator like me, you know how difficult it is to set aside time to study. To remedy this, I usually create a study schedule towards the end of May. The most important part of your schedule is that it is realistic in regards to your attention span and your extracurriculars. For example, if you know that you’re not someone who can sit down and do math for four hours on a Friday night, don’t put that in your schedule, because odds are, you won’t follow it.

2. Listen to instrumental music. There are studies showing that classical music enhances brain activity, but if you’re not someone who enjoys classical music (like myself) you can reap the same benefits from instrumental music. I recommend checking out Vitamin String Quartet, a string ensemble that records covers of popular music from Sia’s “Chandelier” to Kanye West’s “Gold Digger”. 3. Study outside. Or at least in an area with lots of natural light. Fluorescent indoor lighting can cause headaches, especially when you are trying to concentrate. The fresh air and sunshine provided by the outdoors can stimulate concentration and provide an all around nicer environment. 4. When in doubt, go to bed. And I don’t just mean at night. If, at any time, you find yourself becoming tired while going over a particularly confusing

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part of your notes, put the pen and paper down and take a nap. Even if it’s just

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WH Y P O E T RY I S AWE S OM E

MADDI E TANZOLA

In the past, the word “poetry” caused thousands of questions to float around my head. It made me uncomfortable, because I didn’t understand it. The thought of rhyming irritated me, as did using “flowery words” that made it harder to get my point across. Poetry, in my eyes, was something that was used centuries ago, particularly by Shakespeare and in the form of sonnets. It wasn’t until this year, when I began to open my eyes just a little more widely by exploring contemporary poems in Writer’s Craft, that my overall perception of poetry changed. I’ve learned that there is no set definition of poetry, which is why it is hard to understand. Poetry means different things to different people, although an overarching purpose of poetry is that it makes us imagine, sense, and wonder. For example, American poet Emily Dickinson once said, “If I read a book and it makes my whole body so cold no fire can ever warm me, I know that is poetry.” Reading poetry truly is a feeling, one in which we can immerse ourselves in a new world, as a means of escaping this reality and exploring new ones.

Furthermore, poetry also allows language to spring to life. It’s like a recipe for a chocolate cake, where each word is an ingredient that must be perfectly mixed together in order to craft the most delicious dessert. Poets think critically about choosing the best words, in the right order, on the exact location of the page, with the goal of making the words jump off the page for the reader. After learning what poetry actually is, I’ve found that I admire how poetry breaks rules and that I like how there is no right answer in poetry. Not being given an answer used to frighten me, because this is something that we are not used to. At school, the answer keys are always posted on Veracross and, in the world, we often look up to our leaders to help solve the problems we don’t know how to fix ourselves. However, at the end of a poem, there isn’t an answer key or someone to ask for the answers. There isn’t a checklist to see if you’ve felt all the right emotions. In fact, the next page is usually blank or filled with another poem: a poem which inspires you to imagine, sense, wonder, or reflect on how it differs from the poem that you just finished

reading.

This is the beauty of poetry: there is always more. Poetry is always in motion as it never completely ends. Even when you finish a powerful poem, you will never be able to forget the words and emotions you felt while reading it. The delicately crafted imagery will always resonate somewhere within you. For this reason, I think poetry is amazing, and I am grateful to be able to appreciate it. We are lucky to be able to read and write pieces of work that have no wrong answers and are free of judgement. Therefore, I encourage everyone to pick up a poetry book from the bookstore, read The Bluestocking , or even just grab a pen and let your mind wander as you write your own poetry. Trust me, it’s easier than you think. Nobody can tell you it isn’t good enough because, as long as someone feels some sort of emotion towards it, then it is poetry.

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ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

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Reading poetry. Photo Stephanie Liu

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FA C E B O O K : T H E F R I E N D WH O K N OWS E V E R Y T H I N G

KAYLA WANG

Now, try to picture this friend as someone who uses this information about you to make money and to manipulate your decisions to benefit them. Sadly, for us, Facebook is that friend. According to an article by The Verge , Facebook has continued to “collect sensitive data of the users without obtaining their explicit consent,” and used cookies to track activity on third-party sites without providing “clear and precise information” to users. Its incentives are not hard to figure out: Facebook wants to own how we communicate because that means more data, more effective ads, and more ad revenue. Simple enough. That idea should be a little frightening: a company wants to control how we interact with other humans so that they can make money off of it. But this isn’t some secret, evil motivation driving the company behind closed doors. It’s a necessary consequence of the incentives that shape it. However, the problem with Facebook is that it has managed to gain such a monopoly on our digital presence that we worry about quitting it. Let’s be honest for a moment. Haven’t we all enjoyed the information that Facebook has provided us with? We want to know what’s going on in our friends and acquaintances’ lives, and throughout the years, Facebook has become the go-to source for doing that. In the process, we can sit back and wait for some update to appear from a friend or acquaintance and then respond to it.

Recently, I watched a YouTuber try to test out whether companies are using computer microphones to eavesdrop on users’ daily conversations in order to improve ad placement. The YouTuber started the experiment by randomly talking about a “dog toy” for fifteen minutes, a phrase he claimed that he had never used before. Prior to this test, there were no ads related to dog toys on any of his search engines or social media accounts. But after the mock conversation, ads for dog toys started to show up on the websites he visited, his Facebook page, and his Instagram feed. It was spooky. I am used to getting ads for products whose sites I’ve visited or looked up, but product references picked up by my microphone through conversation? That felt absurd. And, in fact, there is no credible evidence that this kind of eavesdropping is currently taking place. But the terrifying truth is that Facebook doesn’t need to listen to our conversations; it can target us well enough without them. Try to imagine a friend who knows as much about you as Facebook does–someone who knows everywhere you go, what you like, what you fear, what you want, and who you hang out with. This could be amazing, or it could be a nightmare. It all depends on what this friend does with the information and how well you can trust them with it.

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BEYOND THE IVY

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Technology has become an obsession. Photo Soleil Krcmar

We don’t have to put in the work; the information comes to us.

but we are the ones who created the conditions for these breaches in the first place. So, in this decade, when it has become seemingly impossible to live our lives without the convenience of social media platforms, what we should also consider are the trade-offs we have sacrificed along the way.

As we have moved from actively looking for information on the Internet to having it fed to us instead through social media, we have become more passive consumers of information. And this very habit has allowed companies like Facebook (and Instagram, which is owned by Facebook) to take advantage. It is more than fair to blame Facebook for privacy breaches it has committed,

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E N V I R O NM E N T WE E K

EMI LY SU

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Our current environment council heads. Photo Ainsley Robertson

Environment Week at Havergal happened during the week of April 22nd to 27th! Environment Council planned some spectacular activities, including the Day 9 shoreline cleanup, the apple tree planting ceremony, a screening of the Lorax , Environment Week Prayers, and the distribution of free tree saplings. While Environment Week was a great initiative, it’s important to incorporate environmental awareness and green actions into your daily life beyond the week. There are many reasons why you should care about the environment. To name a few, natural disasters are becoming more serious and frequent and species are going extinct every day. But, most importantly, Earth is our only home. It’s important to protect our environment, so we can all continue to live healthily and in harmony with nature.

Here are ten small changes you can implement in your life to protect the environment.

1. Take notes electronically. There are countless great apps to take notes and make flashcards on. In addition to never forgetting your notes again, you’ll be able to share notes with your friends! Some cool apps to try are Evernote, OneNote, or Quizlet. 2. Use a reusable bag. Did you know that the average person uses 170 plastic bags a year? That means that our world uses more than one trillion plastic bags annually. You can play a part in reducing this number. Whether it’s carrying your gym clothes or bringing binders to school or packing a lunch, try to use reusable bags as much as you can.

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7. Decrease meat consumption. According to a United Nations report, raising livestock generates more global warming greenhouse gases (measured in carbon dioxide equivalent) than transportation. Start by joining in on HC’s Meatless Mondays! 8. Support better brands. Support cruelty free-brands when you can. Cruelty-free brands manufacture and develop their products without experimentation on animals. Some brands that offer cruelty-free alternatives include Lush, The Body Shop, H & M, and Steve Madden. 9. Unplug your devices when they are fully charged. Not only will you will save energy, but your battery won’t deteriorate as quickly. 10. Enjoy nature. When you are able to, go outside and enjoy nature. Take a walk, hike, or bike ride around your neighborhood.

3. Use a refillable water bottle. Bring a reusable water bottle to school. When you’re at the caf, reach for the reusable mugs instead of the one-time use cups. In addition to saving the environment, you’ll also be protecting your health. Plastic water bottles contain the chemical Bisphenol-A (BPA), which has been connected to cases of hormonal issues and cancer. 4. Recycle and compost. When you’re eating lunch, be conscious of what you put in the trash. Make sure you are putting the right things in the right bins, even if it means walking to the caf for the green bin when you’re nowhere near it! For example, juice boxes go in the recycling but straws go in the trash. 5. Buy less or borrow. Only buy what you need. Try to divide your shopping lists into need and want. Then, purchase accordingly. 6. Walk or bike more. Whenever you can, try to use an environmentally friendly mode of transportation. You’ll also be in a better mood after!

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Stay woke about the environment. Photo Ainsley Robertson

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A N A F T E R N O O N W I T H AU T H O R K I M T H Ú Y I SABELLA XU

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Grade 12 French classes meet author Kim Thúy. Photo Susan Pink

Usually, students dread mandatory reading for classes. But I think it’s safe to say that Ru is not one of those books that students dread reading. Personally, reading Ru twice for school (in two consecutive years, in English and French), certainly did not feel like a chore. Ru paints the story of the experience of An Tinh, a Vietnamese girl, and her family, as they make their way from Vietnam to Malaysia to Québec.

Although the story is based on Kim Thúy’s own experiences as a boat person and refugee after the Vietnam War, Ru also touches upon more universal themes such as parental love, community, and poverty. Perhaps the one thing more remarkable than Ru is Kim Thúy herself, and how down to earth she is. I had the opportunity to meet her and hear her speak during her April visit to Havergal,

where French students spent the morning in conversation with her in the EK, and then English students had the same opportunity in the afternoon. Kim Thúy is one of those people who is just naturally funny. That, and her incredible humility, makes Ms. Thúy seem less like a world-renowned author and more like a friend. In fact, having gotten so used to analyzing Kim Thúy’s work in class, it was

BEHIND THE IVY

since they have the same pronunciation in French.

Malaysia with a Canadian delegation, she generously thanked the Malaysian representative for allowing not only her but also hundreds of thousands of other Vietnamese people onto Malaysian shores. At the end of the conversation, Ms. Thúy was greeted with enthusiastic applause and girls rushing to praise both her and her work. She shared herself with us in a way that was so open and unbridled, a way that you would never expect from someone you’ve just met. She held the complete attention of thirty girls on a Friday afternoon. People always warn, “never meet your hero”, but I beg to differ.

difficult, during her visit, to make the switch and refer to her as “Ms. Thúy” in person. She was so real. Based in Montreal, Ms. Thúy continues to write but also travels around the world to promote and receive awards for her books. During our afternoon conversation with her, Anne Broughton asked Ms. Thúy whether the different translations of Ru lead to potential gaps in understanding among different audiences. She promptly replied “no”, and said that each language and culture has interpreted the book differently. For example, in France, Ms. Thúy was given an award for the “strange” structure and form of the book (her words, not mine). In Italy, she was presented with an award for promoting multiculturalism by the chairman of the Bank of Sicily. Ms. Thúy’s honesty was quite apparent in the stream-of- consciousness-like stories she shared during our conversations. At one point, confused as to whether there was a feminine form for “hero” in English, she pointed to the inner part of her arm and asked what the difference between “heroine” and “heroin” was,

She then added, “Maybe it’s because we’re addictive.” In all seriousness, Ms. Thúy’s honesty was exemplified when she shared stories about her family’s experience with war and immigration. For example, when her uncle, a veterinarian, was sent off to a reeducation camp, she told us that the detainees were split off into groups of tens and were rationed ten peanuts a day. While enduring hunger, her uncle and other educated members of the society targeted by these camps were left with no energy to think. “This is how you take away power from the people,” she said, by “depriving them of the ability to think.” Ms. Thúy also mentioned that her experience as a boat person paled in comparison to that of her uncle’s. The boat her family was on did not encounter any Malaysian pirates, whereas her uncle’s boat encountered four pirate boats. These pirates, outnumbered by the many Vietnamese refugees on a boat, used rape as a method of humiliating the men and women on the vessel and thus gaining power over them. Yet, despite the experiences with these pirates, when Ms. Thúy visited

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T H E K E T O D I E T : I S I T R E A L LY G O O D F O R YO U ? GRACE SHEN

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No matter what your diet is, follow it as long as it keeps you happy and healthy! Photo Kayla Wang

WELLNESS

ketogenic diets may interfere with insulin sensitivity as a certain amount of carbohydrate in your diet is needed for the pancreas to produce the insulin that keeps blood sugar in check. If not carefully controlled, ketogenic diets can lead to the same problems as starvation: a major nutritional imbalance with consequences such as muscle wastage, kidney problems and low blood sugar. Additionally, the diet is hard to follow over the long run, and due to its restrictive nature, it often leads to binge eating and rapid weight gain after stopping the diet. So, what’s the takeaway? While the 2018 Kardashian Keto Diet might be a safer alternative than previous versions, it is still playing with the body’s metabolic processes to achieve a fast weight loss result with little effort. Drastically reducing a macronutrient like carbohydrates can be dangerous. And if you really need to lose weight, a rapid, quick-fix might not be the healthiest thing for your body. If you are really determined to try the ketogenic diet, seek medical supervision to avoid any dangers or risks to your health. Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, registered dietitian, or Kardashian expert, so please consult the appropriate professional before making any changes to your diet, health, or other applicable areas.

warn that it must be done under medical supervision. Come to think of it, Kourtney did mention she had a team of doctors monitoring her…

Recently, I noticed Kourtney Kardashian is all over the news again, this time in Harper’s Bazaar talking about her success on the Ketogenic diet. Kourtney finds that keeping her body in a state of “nutritional ketosis” is a “really positive experience” and wants to do the diet again this year. While Kourtney added lots of trendy healthy things to her version of the Ketogenic diet, like apple cider vinegar, avocados, and a treat day, the question still remains: should we really be taking diet advice from a Kardashian? What is ketosis, anyway? Under normal circumstances, our body uses glycolysis to generate energy by breaking down carbohydrates. Depriving the body of carbohydrates forces it into a state called ketosis, in which the digestive system switches from breaking down carbohydrates to breaking down body fat in order to generate energy. This results in a by-product called ketones, hence the name “ketosis”. Sounds pretty normal, right? Yet, if you look up the definition of ketosis in a medical dictionary, you’ll see that it’s anything but. First, you’ll notice the words “pathological”, “abnormal” and “deficiency”, indicating that your body is in a risky state. In fact, by limiting carbs, a ketogenic diet tricks your body into starvation, and many health professionals

What are the benefits? The ketogenic diet has a

reputation for producing fast weight loss without hunger or the need to count calories. Weight loss sometimes happens within days, and it often seems to come with added health benefits, such as lowered cholesterol, blood pressure, and triglycerides. A 2014 US National Institutes of Health study compared a low-carb diet to a low-fat diet in 148 overweight adults for a period of 12 months, and found low-carb diets showed faster results, more weight loss and a better reduction in cardiovascular risk factors. It has also been reported that a ketogenic diet raises healthy HDL-cholesterol and improves blood sugar control for Type 2 Diabetes patients in the short term. What are the side effects? During a ketogenic diet, the body must get rid of the ketones produced after breaking down fatty acids. This places great stress on your kidneys, which need to work overtime to clean your blood. This raises your risk of gout, kidney stones, and other renal problems during the diet. Ironically, although it controls blood sugar in the short term, in the long term,

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Sleep is the best medicine! Photo Noelle Lim

S T U D Y I N G V S . S L E E P I N G : T H E U LT I M AT E S H OWD OWN EMMA MARGI E It’s exam season. Again. So, it’s not the best strategy.

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happens during the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) stage of sleep. Not only does the short-term memory get stored in this stage, but your brain also gets rid of useless information, like the kind of granola you put in your yogurt this morning. Dumping out these random details makes room in the brain for new learning. However, less sleep means less REM sleep, which could lead to the brain not having enough time to get rid of all that useless information. If you’ve ever felt like it was impossible to learn after only sleeping for a couple of hours, this is probably why. Since REM sleep is so important, a failure to sleep one night could create a domino effect. For example, you stay up late

what do you do? You might have a special routine that gets you into the groove, or maybe you do best when you wing it. For those of you who need to feel prepared, winging it is probably your worst nightmare and would cause even more stress. So instead, you huddle up with your binders and textbooks, writing out study notes and flashcards. Before you know it, it’s 10:00 p.m. and you just finished writing up those notes. You still have to practice using the flash cards because this exam is tomorrow, so you can’t go to bed yet. If you’re anything like me, this scenario might sound familiar. However, over the past couple of years, I’ve learned that

It might seem like a good idea to stay up for a few more hours so that you can memorize a bit more information, but unless you actually sleep, all that work will be for nothing. Scientists have found that brain connections related to learning form during sleep. This is when all those random facts and definitions you were trying to memorize move from short-term memory and become stored information that can be recalled later. Just by getting a few more hours of sleep, you could be able to better recall the answers to your next exam.

This memory consolidation

WELLNESS

with your trusty black coffee beside you, trying to cram in some extra studying before tomorrow’s exam. By the time you finish, there are only a couple of hours left for sleep. The next day you do your exam and then realize you have to start studying for the next one. You try to study, but since you didn’t get enough REM sleep the night before, your brain can’t absorb any new information, leading you to stay up late again and repeat the cycle. Not only can sleeping stop you from getting caught in this spiral, but it can also save you from making stupid mistakes. Have you ever tried to do something that requires brain power while tired? It was probably riddled with mistakes, if it even made sense at all. Getting enough sleep helps you stay alert and attentive, so

that you don’t mix up “there”, “they’re” and “their” on your English exam. Now that you can see how important sleep is, especially with exams just around the corner, I urge you to skip the caffeine and get some sleep. A couple of hours may seem like nothing, but they can make a big difference. However, sleep may not be the real issue here. If you have gotten yourself stuck in the vicious sleep reducing cycle, you have to remember that your body comes first and foremost. It can be really easy to discount how important it is to take care of our bodies, but, in the long run, it will be the lack of sleep that hurts us most, not that level three on our exam. The biggest suggestion I can give you, if you are already stuck in this cycle, is to stop procrastinating and

give up Netflix. These two can work individually or together because, as we all know, Netflix is the best way to avoid studying. It can be difficult, but if you can skip your daily dose of Gossip Girl , you will be rewarded with time you didn’t even know existed and will be able to go to sleep at a reasonable hour. What I’m getting at here is that, in the showdown between sleep and studying, sleep will always conquer in the long term, whether it’s for better or worse. I can’t force you to change your habits but, next time you are faced with the decision of working late, contemplate the urgency and importance of the circumstances and whether they are really worth the consequences that come from a lack of sleep.

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Meditating in the North Quad. Photo Michelle Koshy

M E D I TAT I O N A N D H A P P I N E S S SWANEE DOUGLAS

Matthieu Ricard, French biochemist turned Buddhist monk, has been described as “the happiest person in the world”. His 2004 TED Talk “The Habits of Happiness” has been viewed by millions and his books are best sellers. How did Matthieu Ricard become the happiest person in the world? Meditation. Upon completion of his doctoral thesis in 1972, Ricard left the world of academics to study Tibetan Buddhism. After years of practicing meditation, he

participated in a university study on happiness and his score was off the charts. He has since been involved in studies on the brain of long-term meditators and is a board member of the Mind and Life Institute. So, how does meditation alter the brain? There have been many studies examining the effects of meditation on the brain. Studies often cite more gray matter volume throughout the brain as a result of meditating. For example, Harvard neuroscientist Sara Lazar examined the

effects of meditation on the brain and found differences in brain volume in four different areas of the brain after eight weeks of meditation. Namely: 1. The posterior cingulate (stimulates mind wandering and self-relevance); 2. The left hippocampus (controls learning, cognition, memory and emotional regulation); 3. Temporoparietal junction (responsible for empathy, compassion); and 4. Pons (where regulatory neurotransmitters are produced). She also found the amygdala, the area that is

LIFE

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over-hypes the wonders of yoga, meditation, and similar practices as cures for nearly every ailment imaginable. Dr. Steven Novella, an academic clinical neurologist at the Yale University School of Medicine, writes on his blog, Science Based Medicine , that there are many problems with science- based research on mindfulness and its touted benefits. While he acknowledges benefits, he believes that the existing scientific research still has a way to go to substantiate many of the claims being made. Regardless, he agrees that the benefits of exercise, eating well, and relaxation techniques

founded in meditation certainly result in health benefits.

important for anxiety, fear and stress, became smaller in size.

If you are interested in trying meditation, there are lots of YouTube videos offering guided meditation. A quick nine minute introduction can be found at “Waking up with Sam Harris – Mindfulness Meditation” (https://youtu.be/ tw7XBKhZJh4). Additionally, there are also many popular meditation apps, including: Calm, Imagine Clarity, Headspace, Smiling Mind, Buddify and The Mindfulness App.

Along with scientific studies, there is also an abundance of interesting literature on the effects of meditation and wellness. Matthieu Ricard and neuroscientist Wolf Singer recently released their book, Beyond the Self: Conversations between Buddhism and Neuroscience which examines the mind, consciousness, neuroplasticity and the effects of meditation. It is important to be aware that the billion dollar “mindfulness” industry often

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PING! PING! My phone rings as I receive yet another hundred messages from my group chat on Facebook called “tck!!”. Rolling my eyes as I get up from bed, I reach towards my phone and read through the messages I’ve missed while sleeping. TCK, known to them as “Taipei Cool Kids” but also “Third Culture Kids”, is a group chat where a bunch of my friends just rant about things like any other teenage group chat would. But what sets it apart from others is that we live on opposite ends of the world. “Third culture kids” is a term that identifies children raised in a culture other than their parents’ for a significant amount of their childhood. These children are also commonly known as the first generation of immigrant families. Through the hard work the families go through to bring their children to a new place for a better future, they want their children to be even more potent than they were. This means understanding the language and cultures of both their inheritance and their environment. In early childhood, languages are often hard to grasp for these children. Torn between speaking their native languages at home and another foreign language at school, third culture kids often take longer to develop literacy skills compared to others. As a toddler, I didn’t speak much, but when I did, it was jumbles of English and Chinese, also known as “Chinglish,” that nobody but my sister, another third culture kid, could understand. T H I R D C U LT U R E K I D S CLA IRE LEE

Growing up, I often felt caught between different languages. Born and raised in Vancouver, I spent most of my school years in an international school in Taipei before attending boarding school in Toronto. From my mom speaking in Chinese idioms, to my sister practicing French vocabulary, my grandma bartering in Taiwanese at the market, my teachers conducting classes in English, my roommates watching Korean dramas, my neighbours gossiping in Cantonese, and my friend using Japanese slang, I have adapted to living in a world filled with languages. This unique world of mine—this culmination of the different cultural influences in my life—has made multilingualism an integral part of my identity. Over the years, I have learnt that being a third culture kid isn’t that bad. In the 21st century, the number of bilingual children in the world is about the same as the number of monolingual children. Going into a Taipei convenience store, I no longer think that they are judging me but rather helping me become more fluent in Chinese. Consequently, I have embraced my identity as a third culture kid and am grateful for such opportunity given to me by my mom. Third culture kids are common and I’m sure many of your friends also share the same story. I believe these stories are the ones that define our diversity in Canada, bringing together the multicultural languages and celebration into society.

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Third culture kids come together from different backgrounds. Photo Karan Wu

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J U D A I S M : R A C E O R R E L I G I O N ?

AMANDA HACKER

forgotten without the subsequent larger religions that formed because of it. However, with a small community comes years of inbreeding. Historically, this is not unique. Even in the modern world, many royal marriages are determined by blood relation. However, it is this inbreeding that has resulted in varying genetic markers of the Jewish people. Just as a DNA test might tell someone that they have ancestors from a given part of the world, Jewish people, too, have a distinct ancestry. I could argue that, despite my faith, Jewish blood will always run through my veins. Conversely, to argue that Judaism is a race, and is therefore greater than religion, is to isolate Judaism from the greater population. Judaism is not, and should never be, an elitist religion. Arguing that Judaism is a race is to deny others the ability to convert and feel a sense of belonging in their new community. Just as I feel I have a right, despite my religious affiliations, to feel a part of the Jewish community, so do those who have chosen to convert. As is clear, the pathway to total acceptance is narrow. So, where do we go from here? Well, after some deep analysis, I have realized that Judaism can already be practiced as a (fairly) secular religion: participation in many of the practices of the Jewish faith needs no religious faith. Our major holidays (i.e. Hanukkah, Passover, etc.) are based on actual historical events. The story of Hanukkah is constructed around the persecution of the Jews by the Greeks, and the story of Passover is constructed around the persecution of the Jews by the Egyptians. Similarly, many Jewish holidays are dedicated to the appreciation and preservation of nature. For example, Tu Bishvat is a holiday where Jewish people are encouraged to plant trees.

I have always felt Jewish. More than that, I have always defined myself by my Judaism. When I was young, I went to Hebrew school and learned about the Torah. I celebrate the major Jewish holidays. I feel Jewish. Thus, I never felt any reason to question my Judaism. Nonetheless, I have come to face a growing issue in the Jewish community: is Judaism a race or a religion? I first became aware of this distinction in the Seventh Grade, when I attended the Religious Education course. As I studied religions and their respective higher powers, I felt a strong disconnect. It was never that I believed or disbelieved, only that I never felt sure enough to make the choice between faith and doubt. Thus, I labelled myself as agnostic. However, it was this religious self-diagnosis that left me confused and concerned about the state of my Jewish identity. It brought forth an impossible question. If I do not subscribe to the tenets of the Jewish faith, can I still be Jewish? Common sense would say no; Judaism is defined by its religious beliefs and practices. Therefore, to be void of those beliefs is to not be Jewish. Unfortunately, anyone with a basic understanding of history is aware that the answer is not nearly so simple. To erase my Judaism is, to me, to erase the thousands of years of history that come with it. Moreover, it is to forget the cultural challenges the Jewish people still experience today. For centuries, the Jewish people have been persecuted as a race; it is only fair that the Jewish people heal as a race. Another major argument in favour of labeling the Jewish people as a race is the genetic component. Judaism has always been a relatively small religion. In fact, many argue that Judaism would be

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Throwback family photo of Amanda and her sisters. Photo Amanda Hacker

Likewise, Sukot commemorates the annual harvest season. Thus, to commemorate Jewish holidays is not necessarily to buy into Jewish religion; these holidays are defined by more than a belief in a higher power.

matter leave me in favour of the former but my understanding that Judaism is not just for those born into the community significantly complicates the matter. Regardless, my greatest belief is that Judaism should not be exclusive; the Jewish people have been through too much to deny anyone else the right to a community.

I still don’t have a real answer to whether Judaism is a race or a religion. My personal stakes in the

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I N T H I S I S S U E

Photographers Natalie Cao Kiara Cheng Amanda Hacker Soleil Kcrmar Michelle Koshy Noelle Lim Stephanie Liu Susan Pink Ainsley Robertson Kayla Wang Karan Wu

Editors-in-Chief Chelsea Dumasal Isabella Xu Staff Advisors Ms. Charlton Ms. Goldberg

Writers Swanee Douglas Emma Gurney Amanda Hacker Claire Lee Emma Margie Grace Shen Elisa Shi Emily Su Maddie Tanzola

Layout Advisor Mr. McHaffie

Layout Chelsea Dumasal

Kayla Wang Isabella Xu

Kendra Tam Isabella Xu Mia Xing Lucy Zhao

Editors* Taylor Kim Mia Xing Cindy Xiong

*In the previous online issue, we mistakenly neglected to acknowledge the editorial contributions of Abby Diduck, Victoria Robertson, and Shirley Wang. Our apologies and thanks to these section leaders!

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