#mary ward css

[mwplanet]

Shang-Chi and The Legend of Asian Representation (Film Review)

**SPOILER ALERT**

Simu Liu as Shang-Chi in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

Photo via People

By Ysmael Mendoza

“OK @Marvel, are we gonna talk or what #ShangChi” tweeted Simu Liu on December 3rd, 2018. Almost three years later, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was released in theatres on September 3rd, 2021 with Canada’s own Simu Liu starring as the main character. This new addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and written by Dave Callaham, Destin Daniel Cretton, and Andrew Lanham. The cast includes Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Michelle Yeoh, Tony Leung, Fala Chen, Ben Kingsley, and more. The film tells the origin story of the newest Marvel superhero, Shang-Chi, and serves as his introduction to the MCU. From the surface, the film may seem like your typical comic book movie, but it also deals with heavier themes of family, grief, and the relationship between father and son.

Asian representation in Hollywood is something that has become increasingly present in recent years with films like Crazy Rich Asians in 2018, which was the first movie since Joy Luck Club in 1993 with a mostly Asian cast. Albeit the majority of the cast of Crazy Rich Asians is of Chinese descent, it’s still an amazing accomplishment. Since then, more movies have been released with Asian casts and Asian stories, whether it be a foreign film or American-made. These films have been garnering increasing attention from the public with films such as Parasite (2019), The Farewell (2019), Minari (2020), and much more. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings stars a predominantly Asian cast, which is impressive since Hollywood action films typically feature white male leads. This is especially prevalent in the MCU where the majority of their movies center around white men as heroes. The Asian characters that we do see are usually side or supporting characters like Wong in Doctor Strange or Mantis in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Luckily, Marvel has begun to feature stories from visible minorities such as Black Panther (2018), Eternals (2021), and even in their upcoming projects like Ms. Marvel (2022). This piece of Asian representation is crucial to showing kids who are big consumers of Marvel movies that they can be superheroes too. Watching people who look like you, speak like you, and have the same traditions as you in films can help people feel seen and feel like they belong.

Another thing that Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings feature heavily is the use of Mandarin in their dialogue between characters. Hearing Mandarin in a Hollywood movie is revolutionary since they are typically in English. Different languages are beautiful and there is so much artistry beyond the English language. Subtitles are something that no one should be afraid of. Hopefully, hearing a foreign language in a Hollywood movie will inspire people to watch some movies that are not in the English language because there are so many of them out there that deserve appreciation. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings marks the start of Asian representation in the MCU, which may lead to movies starring Southeast Asians, South Asians, and Central Asians as lead heroes as well.

Overall, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is purely an amazing movie. It is visually stunning with some beautiful moments like the romantic tension-filled “waltz” between the mother Ying Li (Fala Chen) and Wenwu (Tony Leung). The movie has amazing fight scenes; some of the best in the whole MCU with obvious martial arts inspiration which is something that is not seen in most Marvel movies. The performances are outstanding especially from Tony Leung, who brought so much depth and complexity to his character. He made Wenwu feel less like a villain and more of a grief-stricken man who wants to do anything to get his wife back. The acting in the film really showcases the casts’ versatility with their ability to act out the dramatic scenes with so much heart and perform the comedic scenes with perfect timing. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is an enjoyable cinematic experience in general and is a movie that you should definitely watch.

[mwplanet]

The Golden Sunset

Sunset

Photo via Marius Sasu

By Maritta Gostanian

At the sun sinks down to say goodnight, 

The star of Venus shins out so bright. 

The star of love that God’s produces,

Brightly shines, as the day sun snoozes.

God gave us the beauty, colours divine,

Pictures around us, this sunset sign.

Each morning, the sun shine and rise,

To grow the plants, and provide us light.

It help us to see, and think about tomorrow,

To feel warm, and forget about our sorrow.

We will burn if we get close to the sun, 

But it gives us energy, vitamins and fun.

Every day, the sun shine and rise again,

Showing us that we still can follow the train.

Even when the weather is cold, it’s there,

Encouraging us to keep trying until it’s fair.

Angels whisper softly, of our God’s show,

Who paints the sunsets of beauty below. 

Inspiring sunsets, his love is deep,

Something that anyone longs to keep. 

More determined than jewels, silver or gold,

Being part of God, to never grow old.

We humble to view the sight of all talk,

His sunsets of glory, where angels walk. 

Beauty that softens the smiles on our face,

And hope that hugs us with God’s embrace. 

[mwplanet]

Course Shopping Returns

Students got an in-person look at next year’s courses for the first time in two years

Two Grade 12 students promoting the kinesiology course.

Photo by Tristan Ong

By Shauri Taylor

On February 16 and 17, Mary Ward students were given the opportunity to preview possible course options and tour school departments. Course shopping offered new and old students a chance to seek future opportunities and look towards the school’s gradual return to normalcy. These events took place after the government implemented a myriad of restrictions in Ontario schools to curb the spread of COVID-19 among staff and students.

The morning started as usual: TA, National Anthem, prayer and reflection, then the casual wait for the expo’s start. As the expo began, students could find friends and browse prospective classes together. All three floors were open to current in-peerson students, and those attending school virtually were given department Zoom links to compensate for their absence from the in-person event.

Volunteers and teachers remained in their departments to promote the content of courses to undecided students. In addition to clarity and explanations, expo faculty provided participants with demonstrations of curriculum assignments and short applications of prior knowledge.

Students witnessed frog and pig dissections in the biology room, chemistry students displayed chemical reactions using acid-base indicators, and among others, physics students demonstrated velocity through different experiments featuring toy cars and marbles on ramps. Dom, a grade 12 volunteer, said, “It was fun talking to kids and getting to know about what kind of courses and careers they wanted to go into!”

Outside of instrumental and vocal music, students sang and played music on their instruments. “It was a really fun way to showcase the unique charms of each department. Personally I volunteered in the music department as a vocals student so I sang with my friends to get more people to come over to music,” said grade 11 student Jocelyn.

Also notable was the French department’s “Café Français.” The department gave attending students the opportunity to order snacks and sweets “en français.” On the experience of volunteering to cook treats for the french department, Ina, a grade 12 volunteer, said, “I volunteered in French on the first day to cook crêpes. It was pretty chaotic since the stoves wouldn’t work and the students seemed confused at first but after a while, things started to run more smoothly. People really seemed to like the escape room that was set up in 308a/b.”

Additionally, Mary Ward’s media and visual arts departments displayed students’ work. From past yearbooks to dresses and paintings, student talent was exhibited in all first-floor areas. “On the second day, I was in comm tech. It was quieter than the previous day, I heard, but a lot of students still came to check it out. A few people seemed interested in joining the newspaper, which was really nice to see!” said Ina.

While much focus seemed to be on the in-person festivities, virtual students were not left out. Before the morning’s start, teacher advisors gave virtual advisees Zoom links to online presentations and information sessions. A grade 11 virtual student, Mikayla, said, “I did the expo online. The teacher presentations helped us see what opportunities there were in each department. I was able to ask specific questions about courses that interested me. That really helped make me feel more confident when choosing what classes to take for next year.”

This year’s course expo stood in high contrast to last year’s events. In 2021, extensive and engaging course offering sessions such as last week’s were unavailable to students. For course selection, departments instead offered video calls and online slide decks. Mary Ward’s last course shopping event occurred in 2020, when self-directed learning was still happening, and the spread of COVID-19 was a seemingly minor issue.

As semester two comes to a full-on start and classes move on, course expo provided in-person and online students with a chance to look towards their futures and seek new opportunities within the school. While details surrounding plans for the last months of school are unclear, the showcasing of the school’s courses served as a signal of hope to those wishing to experience Mary Ward’s fundamental system for the first time since the start of the pandemic.

[mwplanet]

Happy Holidays!

The 2021-2022 Planet team.

Not included in photo: Sharon Onebunne, Julia Powell, Natalie Roque, Andy Feng and Joseph Giannini

[mwplanet]

Virtual learning at Mary Ward - how it works and students’ opinions

How the experiences of online Mary Ward students compare to those attending in-person

Online student learning from home

Photo by Rachel Sy

By Karissa Cruz

As Mary Ward slowly edges back to normal learning, in-person classes have become the commonality among students. After almost two years of the pandemic, a plethora of students at Mary Ward were more than delighted to return to their regular classes. However, this semester looks a lot different compared to previous education models that we’ve seen throughout the past few years. As per ministry mandate, schools across the board have opened their doors for students to attend in-person classes through a modified semester system.  In this system students will alternate between a week one and a week two schedule, each week consisting of two courses a day. As an alternative, despite the many requests to not have hybrid learning,  the ministry has mandated that students can choose the virtual-learning model this year,  in which they will attend their classes as a Mary Ward student with the rest of their peers, but through Zoom or Google Meets. 

The integrated hybrid learning system has posed some benefits, as it is something that has never been done in the history of Mary Ward. It has allowed students, both at home and in school, to find new ways to connect in the midst of these unprecedented times. Based on a survey that we conducted for online students at Mary Ward regarding their current social and academic experiences, ten completed the survey.  According to a student comment in our recent survey, virtual learning is seen to be a positively unique experience for them. The comment reads, “In my law class, me and my friend were the first people in our class to do an integrated class presentation, where she was an in-person student and I was an online student. It was great to be able to work on a presentation, present, and to reconnect and build a great friendship again.” 

Despite the ministry option to join classes virtually, the majority of students at Ward have opted to join in-person. This has, according to the results of the survey, has caused a social divide between the 7 out of 10 online students that responded, their teachers and their peers. Currently, there are approximately 890 students in-person and 120 online. Despite the fact that 50% of 10 respondents claimed that online learning has relatively improved their academic experiences (i.e getting help with schoolwork, working on group projects, and taking tests), the other 50% of students claimed that it has poorly affected their social experience. This is due to the difficulties of students and teachers adjusting to the virtual and in-person learning model. Oftentimes, online students have claimed to feel less of a community sense compared to previous years. A comment from the online student survey claimed that, “when you're an online student, you feel more like an observer of the class rather than one of the students. I don't blame this on the teachers at all because they are doing the best they can with this situation and there is only so much you can do with technology. So we are limited to just watching, which can feel worse than not being present at all since you see everything you are missing out on and a whirl of emotions can erupt, anger, jealousy, sadness. Add the fact of being a senior and there is a crushing feeling that you are being robbed of the last moments and memories at Ward.” 

Although virtual learning can increase access to resources and find new ways to connect with peers and teachers from the safety of your own home, its negative aspects appear to outweigh the benefits. According to the survey, 70% of students found that they felt more disconnected from their teachers and classes, though they understand that teachers are making the best out of a difficult situation. With the second semester dawning upon us, and it's supposed return to the independent learning system, many students hope that the virtual learning model as a Mary Ward student will further strive to become more inclusive for all in terms of mental health resources, social experiences, and monotony. 

[mwplanet]

BTS Asks for “Permission to Dance” on Stage

BTS performs their first offline concert since the pandemic in Los Angeles

BTS performing on stage for the first time since 2019

Photo via Teen Vogue

By Ella Barrientos

After receiving Artist of the Year, Favorite Pop Duo or Group, and Favorite Pop Song awards at the AMA’s, BTS held their first in-person concert since 2019. 

The four-day concert was titled, “PERMISSION TO DANCE ON STAGE” and took place at SoFi Stadium, in Los Angeles. The concert was also streamed online at the YouTube Theatre in LA, making the show available to BTS fans outside of the stadium as well. BTS members are the first Asian artists to sell out and perform four concerts with approximately 70,000 people in the audience each night! BTS fans, known as ARMY, lined up around the stadium as much as a day prior to purchase from the merchandise booth while anticipating the show. BTS are known for their interactive concerts where fans actively participate in singing, dancing, and yelling fan-chants. The group never fails to have ARMY create waves of light around the stadiums with the light-sticks called “ARMY Bombs”.

BTS members, RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook, began their performance with their Map of the Soul 7 title track, ON. The song opened with red fireworks to kick off the evening! The set-list incorporated a combination of the group’s old, recent, and most popular songs. Their stages were accompanied by large LED screens which displayed intricate CGI effects. During their song, Telepathy, BTS also utilized platforms on wheels to make their way through the crowd and interact with as many ARMYs as possible! In addition, many other artists made their appearances during the show as well. Megan Thee Stallion entered the stage to perform their collaboration of Butter, Halsey appeared for their 2019 hit Boy With Luv, and finally, Chris Martin joined the show to perform My Universe as the solar system was recreated with the fans’ lightsticks. 

ARMYs have been known to pull off fan projects during concerts, especially when the member’s birthdays are approaching. At Wembley Stadium in 2019, ARMYs surprised BTS by singing Young Forever as the venue sparkled with ARMY Bombs. The act touched the group and brought them to tears. This year, weeks prior to the event, ARMY had been promoting a special fan project for the eldest member, Jin, on social media for his birthday on December 5. Although the concert ended a few days before his special day, BTS and ARMY made sure to celebrate it together in advance. Fans created their own moon covers to place over their ARMY Bombs, phones, and anything with light to make the lights appear as moons within the crowd. Since the release of Jin’s song, Moon, in the group’s Map of the Soul 7 album, he has been represented many times as a moon within the fandom. On the final day, ARMYs placed their moon covers on the ARMY Bombs as the other members of the group and ARMY sung “Happy Birthday” to this beloved BTS member. The screens also had a birthday banner and photos of Jin with pig-tails on screen! Jin was touched by the gesture, and teared up, “And then we did the wave, and then I see this (Moon) with the ARMY bombs, and it’s really moving. So, actually, when we were saying hello, and you were raising those cards up, I tried not to move too much because I didn’t want to affect my performance", said Jin. He explained how he was looking forward to a project from ARMY, but as the concert came to a close and nothing had happened, he thought there were no plans. The singer was happily surprised and touched when the moon lights filled the crowd and the stadium echoed with a birthday song, just for him! 

As the end of the tour approached, the members shared their feelings about performing for the first time since the pandemic with words that led both BTS and ARMY to tears. “We were apart for the past two years, not of our choosing, and we may be apart for some more time. So, we performed tonight as if it’s our last,” Suga said. The four evenings had been deeply emotional and special for the members. While teary-eyed, RM said, “I don’t know when we can come back, but I feel so blessed and grateful that I can do this during this crazy time. These four nights are so precious...I’ll be even better when I’m 30 or 35, 40.” 

These four evenings were a special and intimate reunion between BTS and ARMYs. As J-Hope said, “This is a very meaningful concert for you guys. But I think the concert is going to be a big part of my history and my memory too. This is also gonna be really meaningful to me. I hope that tonight was a highlight for your own story and your own life memories.” 

Each night, the stadium was full of energy and excitement as BTS performed their hearts out. “PERMISSION TO DANCE ON STAGE” was such a significant performance for the celebrities and their fans after being in this pandemic for two years.

[mwplanet]

Self-directed is back?

What Mary Ward students think about possibly going back to normal

Photo derived from Mary Ward Planet archives

By: Sharon Onebunne

COVID-19 has been the main topic on the news since 2019 when it was originally discovered. The coronavirus has made the past 2 years of Mary Ward very different from what it was meant to be. With COVID and the onset of the pandemic, the self-directed learning system has been put on hold. However, things are getting better and in a recent media release from the Ministry of Education and the TPH, high schools in Ontario have been allowed to switch back to regular semesters starting as early as the first week of December. This means for Mary Ward that In February, there will possibly be a switch to the original self-directed learning system. 

What does this switch mean for our school? Grade 9’s and 10’s will finally and possibly get to experience what Mary Ward is really like. Students will get back to daily schedule planning, the way it originally was. Students can get back to doing school work at their own pace without strict set due dates by their teachers. Regular scheduled floor times means no more sitting in a classroom for just a little over 2 hours and focusing on one subject. 

What do Mary Ward students think about returning to a regular learning schedule? After talking to some of the Mary Ward students from all grades there are quite a lot of thoughts on going back to our normal system. “I'm really excited about it and just looking forward to it” a grade 9 student, Julia states. The majority seem to be really happy, while others seem a little hesitant about it for a few reasons. 

After talking with Mary Ward students there were a few reasons students weren’t as excited for the change. For many, working on three, maybe four courses at the same time is one of the reasons some students aren’t too excited about the switch. Finding that it may be hard to manage all courses at the same time, with tests and projects included. Although, sitting in classrooms for hours isn’t exactly ideal for the general consensus, It is seen that many students prefer just working on 2 courses for one week and the other two the next week. The modified semester system made it more attainable or “manageable” as a grade 11 student, Karissa described, to keep balance between the two subjects, extra-curricular activities, and more. “Mentally and academically, it has made it easier for me to adjust back to in-person learning after almost 2 years”, she continued to say. A few students did agree with her statement. Lastly, quite a few students, mostly grade 9’s, stated they just are “not prepared” for the switch. 

Nevertheless, it hasn’t stopped the excitement of some to return back to normal. Students relatively new to the school, specifically grade 9’s and 10’s, are “looking forward to it”. Students are excited to experience “normal Mary Ward” since self-directed learning was one of the many reasons they chose this school. They seem exhilarated to finally be able to experience making their own schedules and work at the rate or speed that suits their learning.  However, a common opinion between students is that they are all thrilled to have common lunches with their friends again.

In conclusion, it’s safe to say that returning back to the regular semester is very beneficial and the general agreement is that students are excited for the return of independent learning. 

[mwplanet]

(I Still Remember) the First Fall of Snow

All Too Well [Ten Minute Version] (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)

By Jerril Daniel