The Citizen, 1996-07-17, Page 25Varna teen visits France
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THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 1996 PAGE 25.
For Teens, By Teens
THIS WEEK'S TOP 10
By Erin Roulston
Valerie Laurie, a 15-year-old
from Varna, recently experienced
what very few teenagers get a
chance to. She spent three months,
from March 21 to May 29 in Nice,
a city in the southern part of
France, right on the French Riviera.
She lived with the Geoffray family
and her exchange partner, Helene
Geoffray, who spent three months
in Canada last fall living with
Valerie's family.
Valerie went to high school while
she was there. She said their system
is very different from here. The
classes are a lot harder and more
technical. Students don't get to
choose their courses; they only get
to choose how many hours of each
course they would like to take each
week. School begins at 8 a.m. and,
depending on your schedule, ends
at 3, 4, 5 or 6 p.m. Lunch hour
varies for every student, depending
again on their schedule.
Valerie also said that skipping's
"a breeze" because the teachers
don't care much.
By the end of the three months
her teachers didn't even know her
name. There was only one teacher
who acknowledged the fact that
Valerie barely spoke the language.
She also said the rules are tight and
there is a lot of respect towards the
teachers.
Of course she had things to say
about those regular teen concerns:
By Ashley Gropp
Independence Day has been said
to be one of the best films of all
time. It is understandable as to
why.
It is the kind of movie that suits
everyone's tastes. Although mostly
a science fiction, Independence
Day also combines suspense,
comedy, action, and drama. The
graphics are high tech and lifelike.
At times I was totally convinced
the scenes were real. The humour
was well timed and lightened the
mood
This movie provides an "emo-
tional roller coaster" on which you
move from happiness, to fear, to
sadness, to anticipation. Add these
components to an all-star cast, and
you have a hit movie.
23 Victoria St., Clinton
Upper Floor
(519) 482-1445
smoking, dfinking and drugs.
Everybody in France smokes; they
even light up in class. The huge
courtyard in her school was
carpeted in cigarette butts, she said.
Her whole time there she met
maybe 10 people who didn't
smoke.
And, of coin-se, since drinking is
legal in Eurdpe it's not much fun
for teens to go to a party and get
drunk because it's not against the
rules. They dO drink socially but it's
no big deal to get drunk. And
drugs, she says, are more expensive
in France (she knows because her
assignment fbr health class while
away was to find out, honestly!).
But as far a people doing drugs
they're prett much the same as
here.
For fun in
of time on
movies and
asked what
happened wh
she said she
Canadian fri
travels all t
meet Canadia
And a clo
meeting Leonardo DiCaprio, the
famous American actor, who was
in town foS the Cannes Film
Festival, whi e walking down the
street. She aql her Canadian friend
even spoke to him after following
him to his hotel.
Hey, it only happens once in a
lifetime right'
Although best known as a sitcom
star, on the Fresh Prince of Belair,
Will Smith proved that he can be a
diverse actor. The cast also
included Margret Colin, Mary
McDonnell Dances With Wolves,
Bill Pullman (Casper, While You
Were Sleeping) and Jeff Goldblum
(Hideaway).
The movie starts with a flashback
to the first landing on the moon. It
then jumps to July 2, present day.
Unusual signals are being
detected by a laboratory in New
Mexico, designed to search for
signs of other intelligent life. When
they figure out the approximate
distance from which they are
ccming, it appears as though they
are from the moon.
By Mark Nonkes
The Olympic games are turning
up everywhere; athletes appear on
cereal boxes and TV screens.
Corporations all across Canada are
official 1996 Olympic sponsors.
Pressure is mounting for Canadian
athletes who have recently done
well in international competitions.
Who hasn't heard of the 100m
sprint World Champion Donovan
Bailey?
But what about the not so
popular athletes? Why is there little
ever mentioned about wrestler
Guivi Sissauri, table-tennis hopeful
Lijaun Geng or kayaker Caroline
Brunet? All these athletes are
poised as major medal threats as
well as many other skilled athletes.
There will be 304 representing
Canada at the Atlanta Summer
Olympics. Not all these athletes
will be returning home with a
medal around their necks. It would
be great if they did, but it isn't
going to happen.
And yes, some of the hopefuls
are going to have a bad day and the
medal will be gone. Canadians will
be disappointed because they knew
they should have got that medal.
For instance, remember Michael
Smith carrying the flag into
Barcelona as one of Canada's
biggest hopefuls. But after his first
day of competition, in the
decathlon, the medal was gone.
Michael's back this year going for
the gold, or at least a medal.
Or remember, gymnast Stella
Umeh in 1992. She was not poised
to win a medal, but when she fell
off the balance beam she knew she
spacecrafts were extremely large,
and hovered over numerous major
cities. The humans tried to make
contact, but were only attacked in
responie.
Realizing the aliens weren't just
on a friendly visit, the Americans
began defences. All of which did
not match the aliens' technology.
That's where things get inter-
esting. Suddenly, the world is in
total chaos.
If there was a low point to the
movie, it would probably have to
be that, at times, it seemed to be
overly American, but, in general,
this was an amazing movie. It was
well done and well written.
Independence Day is sure to be a
film I won't soon forget.
could have done better. When she
finished her routine she rushed over
to her coach with tears flowing
down her cheeks. In 1994 at the
Commonwealth Games in Victoria,
B.C. she took the all-around title.
We will, of course, win medals. In
the past we've been surprised,
shocked, disappointed and
overjoyed. We remember Ben
Johnson's win in Soeul and the day
after finding out he had used
steroids, losing his gold medal. We
remember synchronized swimmer
Sylvie Frechette being denied the
gold for 16 months after the
competition due to a judging error.
We remember Mark McKoy's
unexpected win and Silken
Laumann's recovery to a
performance with guts.
Athletes practice day in and ,1 -v
out. Recently, in the Diving
Olympic Trials Myriam Boileau
was narrowly defeated by veteran
Paige Gordon. Tears of bitterness,
sorrow, and defeat flowed down
Myriam's face while tears of joy
were on Paige's face.
Athletes may be young or old.
For many up and coming athletes
these Olympics will be a learning
experience, although young athletes
have won medals. In 1992 a 13-
year-old diver from China won the
gold on the 10 metre platform.
From Canada, athletes such as
15-year-old synchronized
swimmer, Averie Hould-Merchand
will be going for the gold with the
rest of the synchronized swimming
team led by gold medalist
Frechette.
But older athletes may only have
a last chance. Sixty-eight-year-old
lawn bowler Peggy Casey will also
be going for the gold in the
Parolympics. Peggy will be the
oldest Parolympian from Canada,
possibly from the entire world.
Peggy is legally blind.
I recently found this small article
in Macleans which sums up the
games. "In addition to thrilling
spectators with outstanding
physical accomplishments, the
Olympic Games provide a stage
where countries can set aside their
differences and come together in
comradeship and competition. It's a
time when the world seems a little
smaller, a little more humane, when
we forget what sets us apart."
So here's to Canada's best
athletes. Whenever they appear on
the TV screens Canadians will be
proud.
We asked teens around the area
what is their favourite summer
olympic sport. Here are the top 10
answers:
10. Rowing (Derek Porter, Wendy
Wiebe and Cctileen Miller)
9. Beach Volleyball (Mark Hesse
and John Child)
8. Cycling (Clara Hughes, Alison
Sydor, Curt Harnett)
7. Boxing (Mike Strange, Dave
Defiagbon)
6. Basketball (women's team)
5. Gymnastics (Kris Burley)
4. Diving (Annie Pelletier, Anne
MoiTtminy)
3. Soccer (no Canadian team)
2. Swimming (Joanne Malar,
Curtis Myden)
1. Athletics (Donovan Baily,
Bruny Surin and Michael
Smith)
* * * * *
Write in for next time, and tell us
your favourite movie! ranee they spend a lot
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bar hopping. When
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met some awesome
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e second would be
MOVIE REVIEW