Can you save the Earth? Really? That would be great because somebody really needs to. Okay, so maybe you cannot, at least not by yourself… but you can try! There is nothing wrong with trying; in fact, there are lots of things right about trying. Why should you want to save our planet? I am rather glad you asked! The answer: we all need Earth to live. You may have heard that humans are killing the planet in numerous ways. Deforestation, global warming, animal slaughter and pollution are all slowly turning this beautiful Earth into a barren, lifeless wasteland. Nearly every single person is contributing to the destruction of the planet, some more than others. While it is unlikely any one single person will save the planet (Al Gore maybe), we can all try to tone down our destruction. We can try to reduce our ecological footprint (the negative impact we are having on the Earth). This issue is huge and even if we do not all do as much as we could, we should at least be aware of some of the ways in which we can be better global citizens.

“I am surprised at what a great school this is and how wonderful the students are,” said Ms. Stelter, one of LP’s new teachers in the Social Sciences Department. She is among the other new teachers in the department and at Lawrence Park this year. Ms. Djuricic and Ms. Spooner are also new to the faculty.

Our three young teachers bring on a cheery note and a fresh start to the school year after the many departures of Lawrence Park teachers last year.

This is not their first year of teaching, and Ms. Stelter has come to the great Lawrence Park family from the beaches area.

So what do they think of Lawrence Park?

For those of you who are not familiar with the name, Mrs. Bartley is the new vice-principal at Lawrence Park. This quick interview is a chance to get to know some background information of one of the busiest administrators in the school.

How did you get the vice-principal position at Lawrence Park?

I got the V.P. position at L.P. because I submitted an application for a transfer. I loved my other school, but I had been there 3 years and wanted a different kind of experience. I didn't specifically ask for Lawrence Park, but that's where I was fortunate enough to end up.

There is not a child in North America that has not heard of “the boy who lived.” With his lightening bolt scar and circular black glass frames, Harry Potter has become one of the most well known fictional characters in history. Appropriately, generations to come will recognize J.K. Rowling, the author of Harry Potter, as one among the best in children’s fiction. This however, is not to say that Harry Potter is not also popular among adults. In fact, adults may be more avid Harry Potter fans than kids; evidence could be seen as recently as this summer with the release of the seventh and final book in the series- adults could be seen almost everywhere with the book.

Since the first Harry Potter was published in 1997, the series (including the seventh) has sold approximately 337 million copies worldwide- and is still selling more. The books have been translated into 64 languages and according to Forbes.com have made Ms. Rowling the richest novelist ever.

For anyone who has been under a rock for the past 10 years, the series is based on the tale of Harry Potter, a boy whose parents are killed by the evil Lord Voldemort when he is an infant. Voldemort is about to kill Harry too, but Harry’s parents’ selfless sacrifice save him from death. The only evidence of his near death experience is a lightening bolt-shaped scar on his forehead (a sign which frequently relays to the wizarding public his famous origins, and is recognized worldwide in reality as his symbol). The books follow Harry in his time at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and his resulting adventures.

Judd Apatow? Ummm…who is he again? Oh right, he is that guy who directed The 40-Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up. He also produced the oh-so-memorable Superbad, as well as Anchorman and Talladega Nights, and he also executive produced the cult classic TV shows Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared. But what exactly is so special about him? The answer is simple: EVERYTHING.

Judd Apatow and his loyal gang of misfits are changing American comedy in an awe-inspiring way. For the last couple decades, people did not expect much from comedy. The 90s were ruled by Jim Carrey and Adam Sandler movies which were undoubtedly funny but unquestionably brainless. Quite simply, they were conventional and conservative. It did not look like much was going to change until Apatow’s 40 Year Old Virgin was released. While the movie’s cartoonish, clueless main character and outrageous situations were nothing revolutionary, the movie’s honesty, subtle wisdom and pitch-perfect characters were. That honesty and purity is Apatow’s trademark. No other filmmaker can inject it so perfectly into their work.

As a new school year begins, Sydney finds herself thrown into a new chapter of her life: The University Years. After leaving her father and home, Sydney enters the Southern Atlantic University and pledges to the same sorority her mother once attended. After undergoing numerous pledge rituals that Sydney passes with ease, the young teen finds herself being tormented by the campus witch, Rachel. Ultimately, Sydney is forced to live with the resident “dwarfs.” Eventually, things become lukewarm as Sydney’s relationship with Rachel’s former love begins to get intimate, making the situation worst with Rachel. As expected, Sydney fights back by becoming part of the candidacy for student elections.

Another September has come and gone and so has the 32nd edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, the biggest film festival in North America. Running from September 6-15 at several different theatres downtown including the Cumberland Theatre, the Scotia Bank Theatre and the Wintergarden Theater, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is one of the most important film festivals in the world, second only to Cannes. It is no surprise that it not only attracts many North American premieres, but it also displays many world premiers. Its influence is mainly due to the fact that it starts off the Oscar race. Last year, for instance, several Academy Award nominees were screened at the TIFF, including Babel, The Last King of Scotland and Little Children.

Yarmulke? Seder? Shabbat? SHALOM?! These words might be very familiar to some of you who read this, and they might even be used frequently in your regular dialogue. For others, you might as well be speaking Cantonese to a lemon because they will not have the slightest clue as to what you are babbling about. But for all of you who have lost touch with your inner-jew, there is still some light to be brought to the misinformed and unaware.

This year’s Jewish Student Union was created to inform and educate the LP student body about the Jewish culture. Here, students can speak freely as to what is on their minds and partake in many philosophical discussions on current events, history or current student social issues. In fact, there are often guest speakers who enlighten the youth of important moral and life lessons, no matter what religion you are from. So, do not let the name of the club fool you, for you do not have to be Jewish to join. Anyone can come to any meeting.

The sweat trickles down his face: which one will he choose? Staples Business Depot offers over one hundred choices of writing instruments; this amount of choice is astronomical. Yet, it seems like a minor decision, so a simple choice can be made. However, for those who can fully appreciate the significance of having the right writing utensil, the situation bears much more weight. Mechanical, blue, black, ball point, gel, purple, clickers, lights, noise effects--the list goes on and on. There are lots of decisions to make so here are a few pointers.

First, the basics: Pens and Pencils 101. When math and physics exams are looming, it is best to stick with original pencils. They are easy to erase and they won’t leave marks all over graphs and factoring equations. When it comes to English and the Humanities, taking notes is best done with a pen. Pens are easily seen even after highlighting, and a ballpoint pen glides easily over paper when taking down notes.

If you’re interested in drama, then you might want to hear about some of the things the Drama Council has planned for this year. Promoting, fundraising and creating new ways for everyone to get involved dramatically at LPCI are just a few of the roles the Drama Council plays.

There is a main stage production planned to run in April (“Departures and Arrivals”, by Carol Shields), a Sears Festival production, and also some great fundraising events. Last year the Drama Council raised money to help fund the main stage production of “Alice Through The Looking Glass”. Through additional fundraising senior drama students had the opportunity of in class workshops with theatrical professionals. The funds raised at last year’s Drama Council Garage Sale helped to fund the Career in the Arts Afternoon, which gave senior drama students a taste of occupations in the dramatic world. These opportunities are vital in expanding the knowledge and experience of LPCI’s thespian community, and this year’s council plans even more of them.

What do the Beatles, The Who, Al Gore and your best friend all have in common? They are all potential role models. As such, they all had to start somewhere. Whether it was as high school presidents or buddy coordinators (or neither), what remains clear is that they had to do something unique and put themselves out there in order to do so.

Fortunately, Lawrence Park offers several opportunities for anyone to get involved. The opportunity to significantly increase your standard of high school living can be found in: the student council, sports teams, intramurals, the drama club, the music department, yearbook design, buddy coordinators and so much more. A woman of many words once said, “In high school, the more involved you get, the more fun you have. Buddies give senior students the opportunity to share their experiences with the younger grades so that they too can have a fantastic time at LP” (Katie Packman, buddy coordinator).

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