Holiday Edition | December 2016 | Issue 3 | Volume 11
Contents
Snowday Abbosford Stabbing Yearbook Preview StuCo Report MacNeill: ICYMI School Closures Throwback Weird World News A Mess of Montreal Movie Review: Moana Battle of the Lens Anime Review Short Stories Student Comics Wang’s Weird Trivia Donald Trump Volunteer Opportunities Holiday Horoscopes Holiday Recipe Best of 2016 Holiday Wishlists
This Issue TEACHER SPONSOR Ms. Phillips EDITORS IN CHIEF Dennise Leung Josh Ralla MANAGERS Judy Huang Justin Salinas
CONTRIBUTORS Askari Sayed Dominic Seriani Giovanna Gowmez Daniel Davydova Dennise Leung Roshaan Khan Matthew Ellens Ralph Li Erica Caalaman Josh Ralla Justin Salinas Ryan Chong
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Join Our Team JOURNALISTS: You don’t have to be the best at writing to be a journalist! You just need to be curious and energetic. You can start your own column and write about anything you want, from food to sports to entertainment. You can also help out with an existing article, such as MacNeill’s news or reviews. EDITORS: These are the guys and gals who should be pretty good at writing, as they check each article for grammar and fluency. This is a pretty relaxed position, so if you just want to join us but aren’t ready to be a full journalist, this is the job for you! Want to join? Contact us online, talk to one of our members, or listen to the announcements for our next meeting!
Well, that year went fast.
From The Editors
It’s December. We’ve gone through all tweleve months of our oh-so-short calendar, and another one is around the corner. We’ve gone thorough another term, and all our exams and projects are over as we unwind into the winter break.
Over the previous year, The Review is definitely a changed group; 2015 brought a new era to The Raven Review. We built on our quality articles and design, blossoming from last year’s editions. We had to say good bye to the grads, who made up a significant part of The Review. But with those good byes came hellos: hellos to the many new members that we picked up along the way, and are proud to work alongside with. Although it’s the end, it’s also the most wonderful time of the year. Snow Rain is falling, shoppers are scurrying, and carolers are singing; there’s just so much holiday cheer from everyone you see. Here at The Raven Review, we’ve brought some holiday cheer to you. In this issue, you can find holiday-themed reviews and wishlists, submitted by our readers. Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year. Sincerely,
Dennise Leung & Josh Ralla Editors in Chief
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Snowday: The First Snowfall of 2016
Vancouver got its first taste of the winter season last week, when 5cm of snow hit the lower mainland in the early morning hours. This wreaked havoc on the region’s infastructure, with buses and SkyTrain running behind with significant delays. At one point, service to SFU and all classes at the university were halted, and the Expo and Millenium lines manually driven by attendants. The road system was even worse for wear, with the morning and afternoon communtes riddled with traffic accidents due to unplowed and unsalted roads. The City of Vancouver reported crews only salted and brined roads during the morn-
“
ing rush, as plows would be inefficient in traffic. Their full plow fleet was at work by the evening. Trial for Thursday? With a sample of what weather the region has to put up with, one would assume municipalities would be ready for the next blast of snow by the end of the week. Well, you’d assume wrong. Another 10cm of snow fell in the lower mainland, bringing school closures and exam cancellations at SFU and Capilano University. The Alex Fraser bridge was also closed Saturday morning, with ice falling from the bridge supports. Flight delays at YVR and road flooding in suburbs were other side-effects of the winter wonderland, which was expected to continue into the weekend by Environment Canada, but instead
brought rain with above-zero tempuratres. But come Monday, another wave of snow pounded the south coast, stronger and heavier than the first storm. Snowday, Some Day... With administration sending out procedures should the campus be closed due to snow, students at MacNeill were hoping and praying Thursday night for school to be closed, having assignments and tests that Friday (I, of course, couldn’t wait for that bio test, Mr. Wang. #ChemIsLife). While school was not closed for the winter weather,
PHOTOS: YEARBOOK
there was an obvious decrease in attendance on Friday, with many students staying home to avoid the cold. Students who did manage the trek to school in the snow were welcomed by an abundance of the white fluff - plenty for building snowmen, having snowball fights and filming lipdub videos (follow macneillstuco on facebook). Most of the snow is expected to be gone by the end of this week, melting away all our forts & snowmen. It’s been fun while it lasted. ‘Till next year, ya beautiful, yet annoying, work of nature.
Students were hoping and praying Thursday night for school to be closed
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JOSH RALLA
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Student Dead Following Abbotsford Stabbing
Teenager Described as “joyful and having a smile that could light up the room.”
AUTHOR’S NOTE: WARNING THE LANGUAGE AND TOPIC OF THIS ARTICLE MAY BE UPSETTING OR FRIGHTENING TO SOME READERS.
JUSTIN SALINAS
I
magine your school being a crime scene, where a seemingly peaceful atmosphere turned into an almost living hell for minutes. Echoing, screams can be heard in the hallway, and you see your friend praying for this to end. On November 1st, A man entered Abbotsford Senior Secondary and stabbed two students. A 13-year-old student, Letisha Reimer, dead, her 14-year-old friend was seriously injured. 21-year old Gabriel Klein
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has been arrested in connection with the stabbing. He is from Alberta and had no fixed address. He has no given motive for the incident, and he has no criminal record. There was little information on him and who knows him, to which Abbotsford Police Sgt. Jennifer Pound responds, “‘It is rare that we don’t have a lot of those details about an individual.” Klein frequently visited Vancouver in February and March this year and reportedly spent some time in Downtown’s Covenant House.
He has repeatedly avoided court, and was taken into hospital at one point under the Mental Health Act for one day. When it came time for his court appearance, he would reportedly curl up into a ball in his wheelchair, wearing a red oversized correctional outfit and biting his nails. He was inbad shape. This brought no closure to the families as he did not have a lawyer and when he went to a hearing, he was unresponsive and uncooperative with Crown prosecutors. When the judge asked Klein if he understood that he was being sent back to Abbotsford to continue the tri-
al, he simply responded with “I don’t know what that means.” On December 1st, he was able to get a lawyer. His trial continues on January 17th. Letisha Reimer, 13, was described as joyful and having a smile that could light up the room. Her South Abbotsford Church said that her life was shaped by her faith. “Hav[ing] a vibrant faith in Jesus,” the church adds, “she generously gave her time, energy and heart in sacrificial service, both to those inside our church family and to those in our broader community.”
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Photos: Remebrance Day & Seniors Breakfast DOMINIC SERIANI/THE YEARBOOK TEAM
See more photos in the 2017 yearbook! Pre-order yours now from Ms. Ng’s office for $50!
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Student Council Report It’s the most wonderful time of the year! This especially rings true for MacNeill Student Council, which is hosting Breakfast with Santa, its largest event of the school year, at the end of this month! New at this year’s event: door prizes sponsored by several generous community members including DavidsTea, The Body Shop, IndigoSpirit, and Starbucks, each valuing aproximately $50. McDonalds and Cobs have provided the council with food for both serving and our many hard working volunteers. Student Council’s popular photobooth is getting an upgrade for the event, with on-demand printing, for a small $1 fee. The upgrade has been suggested by several students, and was proven to be very popular through discussions. This year’s event is expected to top last year’s attendance numbers, with 300 students, staff and alumni expected to drop by for a winter breakfast. Student Council is also hosting a holiday spirit week, dubbed “Five Days of Christmas”. Students are to dress up for Red & Green Monday, Ugly Sweater Tuesday, Tropical Wednesday, Hat & Scarf Thursday and PJ Friday. In November, Student Council began its Lyric Lunch series, with music played in the lounge every Friday, popular by student demand. The council started off the program with pop music, switching gears to Christmas music
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following the start of the holiday season. In the new year, StuCo will begin experimenting with themed days, such as retro, rap, edm and k-pop, just to name a few. Internally, Student Council is restructuring meeting procedures, particularly with General Meetings. Currently, Student Council meets on a weekly basis, and is open to any students who wish to attend and provide input on Council’s agenda. “The productivity in our general meetings has severely dropped compared to previous years,” President Josh Ralla tells The Review. “We simply run out of time to go over our agenda, and have to resort to more executive meetings - which we find are 10 times more productive than our regular meetings.” Several suggestions have popped up including setting an application period for interested students, closing meetings altogether, or dropping meetings to once a month. “The main problem is that we simply have too many members. At times, we’ve had upwards of 70 students cram into our classroom,” Ralla continues. “Of course, most of those students are passionate members, but then you’ll always get the few that are there just for the [service] hours.” The council continues to deliberate the future of Student Council going into the new year. “We hope to find a structure that allows us to be productive and efficient, while also being inclusive to new students and open to all ideas and opinions”
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In Case You Missed It...
YOU GET AN APPLE TV, AND YOU GET AN APPLE TV! EVERYONE GETS AN APPLE TV! If you’ve been in a classroom recently (or maybe you skip, I won’t judge), you’d notice many classrooms have had a technological upgrade. Several teachers have recieved a wall-mounted whiteboard projector with a connected Apple TV, allowing them to stream their MacBooks or iPads wirelessly. “It has great potential to enahnce the learning experience of students in the classroom,” Ms. Lo tells us, recently having an Apple TV installed earlier this month.
LOCKERS LOOTED: STUDENTS’ SCHOOL SUPPLIES STOLEN Friday, December 2nd, a number of PE lockers in the boy’s change room were broken into during 2-4. Several students reported missing possessions, ranging from cameras to shoes. In an announcement Monday morning, school administration stressed that valuables should not be left in lockers, but rather should not be brough to school. It was also reminded that this behaviour is far from POWERful, and does not reflect the MacNeill community. Administration continues its investigation into the incident with the Richmond RCMP.
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Richmond Trustees Vote to Suspend
School Closing Process
JUSTIN SALINAS
It
was all over the news – Woodward, McKay and Dixon Elementary Schools were about to have their final breaths of life this year. However on October 11th, over 350 anxious parents and students packed into Richmond High waiting on the results to move forward to stop the school closing process. It was a unanimous vote, leading up to a standing ovation from the crowded room. So, why did the District want to close schools in the first place? Well, it’s not because they wanted to, let’s begin with that. The Provincial Government has specific guidelines about which schools can remain open, including where the students of the school live, the population of its catchment area. The two requirements that Richmond was having trouble with were school population and seismic upgrading
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For Woodward’s, McKay’s and Dixon’s catchment areas, it was the fact that the kids there would be moving to other closer schools, like Brighouse, Whiteside, Currie, Steveston, and schools that are closer to the more densely populated areas of the district, like Garden City, Anderson, Blundell, Cook, Tomsett and Brighouse, rather than just staying at their catchment schools, making for some empty schools. The Provincial Government said that schools need to be at 95% capacity relative to its catchment area and its school population otherwise they’re at risk of closing. They recently were able to remove that 95% capacity rule, with both school trustees and community parents both applauding the government while accusing them of sucking up to voters for another term for the BC Liberals in office. As you know, Richmond and the Lower Mainland are in the Pacific Ring of Fire, which mean that the area is prone to earthquakes and natural disas-
ters (I don’t have time to explain, ask your Science teacher), which leads to schools needing to be prepared, both logistically and physically if a disaster strikes. So far, only three out of 48 schools are prepared if an earthquake strikes – Brighouse & Garden City Elementaries and Steveston-London Secondary (the most recent of which, Brighouse, was upgraded FIVE YEARS ago – 2011). Other schools are in need of being upgraded, while others don’t need upgrades. Three schools are on the list to be upgraded in the future – Cook & Gilmore Elementaries and Hugh Boyd Secondary. Why not just upgrade them all? Well, it’s not that easy – it costs a lot of money and time to upgrade a school, hence why there are only three schools ready for an earthquake. Because SD38 is a pub-
lic school district, we rely on the government to fund education, and it hasn’t come easily, which is why SD38 was contemplating closing schools. Safety before convenience, they say. However, along with the removal of the 95% capacity rule comes $560 million in funding. Although the removal of a restrictive policy and getting money from it sounds great on paper, there are still some questions being asked – most significantly, why now, why do we receive funding from the government six days before we were supposed to actually close them?
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Weird World News GIOVANNA GOWMEZ
DIEGO: THE SEX-CRAZED TORTOISE Diego is a Chelonoidis hoodensis, a type of tortoise which is endangered. He was found at the San Diego Zoo, in 1976, and that’s how they found his name. His caretakers are unsure when he was taken to the Zoo some time between 1900 and 1959. The tortoise is placed in the Galapagos for a captive breeding program. Before Diego, there were 2 males, and 12 females. Now there are 2,000, and he fathered 40% of the population. This 100-year-old tortoise single handedly saved his species by being horny. What an achievement!
THREE HOME INVADERS WALK INTO A HOME, AND HAD A FACE OFF WITH AN ASIAN LADY In Gwinnett County, USA, three armed home invaders came to a home. It was around 3 in the morning, and they were hoping to gain some cash. The men kicked open the door, and faced an angry Asian lady with a gun. The lady opened fire and all three of them fled, except one suspect who was shot in the torso, and died. She didn’t face any charges, and the police are currently hunting the other two would-bethieves.
A Mess of Montreal JOSH RALLA Congrats Montreal. With the winter season right at our doorstep, you’ve managed to provide the internet with plenty of content to make yourself a laughing stock around the world. First came the pile up. Yes, we’ve all seen the video, of a snowplow that crashed into a police cruiser, that crashed into a bus, that crashed into a pickup, that crashed into another bus, that crashed into a car, that crashed into another car. You get the idea. The concept of a city so Canadian no amount of maple syrup could fuel its nationalism can’t even manage to drive, or should I say, stop, in the snow is just so outlandish to the internet. It seemed just so comedic to be true, yet headlines around the globe including the Britain’s Guardian “SLIPPERY SLOPE, SLO-MO SNOW MAYHEM IN MONTREAL” and the Miami Herald “NOT EVEN SNOW PLOWS SAFE ON THIS ICY MONTREAL ROAD.” Then there’s the tree. Every major city has to have its own Christmas tree to tower over its people. Some are downright beautiful, like the one in New York’s Rockefeller Square. Mean-
while, there’s Montreal, whose tree looks like a glue-dipped popsicle stick rolled in grass, surrounded by portapotties. I’m not kidding you, take a look. The tall, thin, unkept tree has been dubbed as “the world’s ugliest Christmas tree”. The Montreal Gazette writes, “Some say it droops because it has “erectile dysfunction,” others because it was “just released from Christmas tree rehab.” Where did this tree come from? Sapin MTL wanted to give the city a “gift”, and went out to find the most magnificient tree that could compete with New York... and they came up with this? Of course, we could be worse off. One American wrote, “Cheer up, Canada! This is still better than being from the country that voted Trump into office. I’d take that tree running the country over Trump any day.”
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The Raven Readers Report HE DARKEST PART OF THE FOREST BY HOLLY BLACK
PRESENT: Sara Salad, Harsunder Hunjan, Ms. Phillips Date: Dec. 13, 2016 THE STORY: Since they were children, Hazel and Ben have been telling each other stories about the boy in the glass coffin, that he is a prince and they are valiant knights, pretending their prince would be different from the other faeries, the ones who made cruel bargains, lurked in the shadows of trees, and doomed tourists. THE FOOD: Cheese and bread (Jack was always hungry growing up and took this whenever he could); hazelnuts (in the shell) (Hazel and Ben had to forage for food; messages were left in hazelnut shells)
WHAT WE LIKED:
»» We loved the story of Severin in the glass box. We loved the whole story and how it was told. I couldn’t stop reading! »» Hazel is a great character. She’s a powerful girl and the two sides of her that eventually come out both reflect her real personality. »» Hazel is a knight and she learned how to protect those she loves, as she defended Ben »» I liked when Hazel was out in the forest, when she was foraging and searching and taking chances. »» I felt the change in her as she learned more about the two sides of herself. »» The novel turns our expectations upside down – the glass coffin tradition, the one Severin fell in love with, the “female in a fairy tale” limitations »» We liked the casual inclusion of gay characters in the novel and the general acceptance of it as a part of who the characters are (but not the only part). »» Sorrow is the best symbolic character but also the best real horror character. »» Jack is a very attractive character. I felt bad for him because I thought his family would abandon him but they didn’t. »» It’s a realistic portrayal of the life of teens in a small town. It’s easy to believe the fairy world is part of the real world. »» When they were kids, their parents neglected Ben and Hazel. They had to find their food in the forest and developed survival skills that way. And when they grew up, they just forgot it. »» Ben and Hazel made a good team. Ben’s musical gift was amazing and Hazel’s knightly protection worked for her »» Not many books focus on the intensity of love between siblings. This one helped us see it. »» The Alder King was a great villain – totally without morality, doing the right thing only when forced to by the law. His defeat was suspenseful because it could have gone the other way. »» The fae had their own morality. Makes us look at our own morality and what shapes it. »» The hints with the other side giving messages in hazelnuts were very confusing @ first. Then I suddenly got it and it all made sense. »» The story confounded expectations. Hazel ended up saving them all. »» The writing was seamless. You hardly noticed you were reading. »» The imagery was strong. It made the story easy to imagine. »» When things happened with Jack, getting the guy to punch himself, it was uncomfortable. He felt strange. »» The whole school – and community – judged him when things started happening.
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NOT SO MUCH:
»» Cover doesn’t reflect the book as much as it might.
WHAT WE FOUND INTERESTING: »» I thought Hazel would end up with Severin but… (spoiler hidden!)
Rating: 4.75/5 Ravens
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Movie Review: Moana ERICA CAALAMAN
SUMMARY: A girl named Moana goes on a daring quest alongside a demigod named Maui. Together they travel the oceans and go against ancient beings in order to save the world. PROS: This movie was absolutely amazing and Disney has out done itself again. I fell in love with the originality of the story and the characters. The setting was beautiful and animation flowed perfectly. The soundtrack was beautifully done with the help of Lin Manuel Miranda (Tony Award Winner for the hit Broadway show Hamilton). It honestly made me so happy to see more diversity within the Disney franchise. CONS: There was nothing wrong with Moana besides making me tear up a bit during the movie. FINAL THOUGHTS: Overall Moana was an enjoying movie and was worth the hype. It’s great for all ages. RATING: 5/5
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Battle of the Lens JOSH RALLA
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o back three years, and you’ll be in the middle of the Google Glass hype. Ah yes, the set of eyewear that can connect to the internet, take photos & video, complete your todo list, send texts, and thousands of other futuristic functions that seemed all too good to be true. Three years and several prototypes later, and the search engine giant has canned the experimentation program. Go back three years, and Snapchat has just unveilled their “Stories” feature. A cool little addition to their instant photosharing app that allows users to show off their day to the world, a feature that is now in the basic toolkit of the modern teenager. Three years and a rebrand later, the social media giant has unveilled an even bigger tool for sharing stories. Released in November 2016, Snap, Inc.’s Spectacles are proving to be a popular product, with users lined up for hours in front of special, limited edition vending machines that exclusively sold the smart glasses, which were placed in few select American locations. These glasses allow snappers to take 10 second videos (per tradition) and upload them to their stories. The kicker? These glasses provide a 115-degree field of view, similar to human eyesight, and record circular videos, yes, circular. These videos let your friends rotate their phone in landscape or portrait to see exactly what you’re seeing. This is cool and all, but eyewear with built in cameras it isn’t something Google hasn’t accomplished yet. Both products have a similar basis. Why did Google Glass flop, while Spectacles keep growing in popularity? If you want something to be cool, don’t give it to the nerds. Spectacles were introduced to the public as a hot comodity, something rare and hard to get. By selling the glasses in special vending machines, and not putting them on retail, they increased hype and awareness of the product, with everyone wanting to get their hands on a rare peice of tech. What did Google do? Google gave special preview editions to reviewers, people who will find anything and everything wrong with their product. Reviewers of Google Glass found every flaw they could, and kept hammering Glass with issue after issue, until the company couldn’t keep up with the decreased sales and heavy criticism. On the other hand, Snap released their glasses directly to their target market - teenagers and young adults. They made their product something fun and relatable, rather than be targeted towards techies, reviewers and early-adopters like Google Glass did. Google needed cool people to make their product look cool. Snap made their product cool from the start. 12
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Kiss Him, Not Me! YUIKI SHIROHANA
GENRE: Romantic Comedy, Harem EPISODES: 12 SUMMARY: Kae Serinuma is a regular student, slightly overweight and obsessed with BL and romantic animes and mangas. At school by chance, she’s constantly being surrounded by four good-looking guys as her classmates. Two of them, one of them similar in appearance to her favourite anime character, his best friend, are intensely shipped by Kae and her best friend. One day, when Kae returns home in time for her favourite anime airtime, she discovers that her favourite character dies, resulting in Kae falling into a deep depression for a week and losing a significant amount of weight, becoming more attractive. When she finally goes back to school, the four guys are now chasing her. How will she manage to deal with the boys with her BL-fujoshi mind? POSITIVE: This is a manga that I’ve been itching to see as an anime for the longest time, and my expectations were met, for sure. It’s a pretty fun anime, by concept and definitely hilarious, as well. NEGATIVE: A lot of jokes seem to fall more flat on the screen than when I read them in the manga. It’s also a tad boring sometimes, since it’s also a slice-of-life, which wasn’t really my thing. RATING: 4/5
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I t’s Snowing!
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YUKI XIA
It’s snowing.
I gaze up at the evening sky as a walk down the bustling street. There are people bustling around me, wrapped in thick scarves and heavy coats, laughing and smiling underneath the warm glow of the faery lights. A snowflake lands on my nose and melts. It’s Christmas again. It’s the same, year after year. The lights, the decorations, the music. It’s a beautiful and heartwarming sight as always, everyone happy and together, I love that. It makes me feel warm on the inside. Yet I can’t help this small sliver of bitterness bubbling up inside me. It reminds me that no matter how cheerful the atmosphere, how happy everyone is, it will not change the fact that I am alone. No family, no friends. Just me and my thoughts as the years go on. I don’t know. I don’t know why. Why do I have to feel like this? Why is it that I can’t feel content and happy without feeling this loneliness as well? It’s not as if it’s a new development. I’ve been living alone for years. Why is it that after all this time, I still feel a pang of emptiness every time I see all those people gathered together happily? I shake myself out of it. It doesn’t matter. I’ll just deal with it. Alone. As always. Suddenly I hear a crash. It’s a girl. She looks like she has just slipped on the icy ground. She’s sprawled out on the ground with her things lying around everywhere. I walk over as she slowly pushes herself up, hurriedly gathering up her belongings. I pick up a notebook and give it back to her. She looks at me, surprised, but takes the notebook and smiles at me. “Thank you,” she says with a smile, scratching her head. She looks at me for a moment as if she is pondering something. “Are you a stray, little kitty?” She asks “You must be very lonely out here. No one deserves to be alone. Come home with me!” I can’t believe what I’m hearing. I’m not a kitten anymore, haven’t been one in years. No one wants an old stray cat. However, I’m proven wrong as she picks me up and carries me into my new life.
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Snow and Silver MATTHEW ELLENS
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he wind was loud and furious as it tore at the door that was the sole separator between Norman and the howling wind outside. “Why does it have to be so cold?” Norman asked himself. He sank down on the bed and closed his eyes. I’ll just have to outwait the storm, he thought sourly as he remembered the diminishing food supply he had left. He had about one year’s worth of food in the cabin. He glanced at the prospecting tools he used to mine silver in a valley in the Himalayan Mountains. He was told that tons of silver and nickel were to be found in this valley. That was three months ago and Norman had been searching every nock and cranny in the forest. So far he had uncovered eighteen pounds of silver and seven pounds of nickel. The silver was all the company cared about and Norman only kept nickel that he thought was only too easy to access. Of course the company would rip up all the silver and nickel from the valley if not for the sheer cliffs that towered above the valley. It was impossible to get big drills and mining machines into the valley. Only one-man teams like Norman could get into the valley by traversing the mountains on the sides of the valley. Norman was one of the successful prospectors to get in the mountains. He was the only one currently alive. All the others had been killed by the mother bear. The mother bear was a type of polar bear except it was three meters tall at the shoulders when on four legs and it towered an incredible eight meters when on its hind legs. Norman had only seen it from a distance but those times had been terrifying. The mother bear lived in a cave near the middle of the valley., near what had been deemed Frosty’s Killer Pool, a lake that had thin ice that broke when stepped on. Despite the meters of snow the valley got, the ice on the lake always was a few inches thick at all times. No one could figure out why the lake was that way, mostly because everyone was too busy running from the mother bear. Ricky was another silver prospector, Ricky’s theory was that there was a fire breathing aquatic dragon underneath the lake. When someone questioned that theory, Ricky would always respond and say, “There is a overgrown polar bear the size of a truck. Why can’t there be a fire breathing dragon?” Norman woke with a start. He groaned and looked out the window. The storm had subsided. I must’ve slept through it, he thought. He grabbed his prospecting gear. With any luck the bear would be sleeping, it always slept in the middle of the day. Little did Norman know that it wasn’t the middle of the day. It was mid-morning, but the light reflected off the snow and shone in a gleam similar to the middle of the day. So when Norman walked carefully to the mine where the silver was found he didn’t check behind him for the bear. The bear moved silently through the snow. It had unparalleled stealth for an animal of such size. But it was hungry and impatient. It moved too close to one of the trees and the top of the bear’s back brushed against the bottom of the willow branches. That slight noise alerted Norman and without looking behind him, he put on a sudden burst of speed and tore through the forest at top speed. The bear charged. Norman knew that if he made it to the mine he would be safe. The entrance to the mine was two meters by one and a half meters, too small for the mother bear to fit through. Norman was halfway from the hut to the mine when he slipped and slid across the ice. Norman looked around dazed. The bear had stopped at the edge of a sheet of ice. Norman looked down at the ice and nearly fainted as he saw the familiar glint of silver through the ice. Then Norman nearly fainted again as he realized that he was on Frosty’s Killer Pool, the lake with the thin ice in the middle of the valley. Now Norman realized why the ice was so thin. The silver at the bottom of the lake must be retaining heat somehow. But the scientists were the only ones who would have cared about how. Norman only cared about how long the ice would hold his weight. Norman almost jumped as he heard a growl. The mother bear was advancing on Norman. It was carefully testing the ice, and slowly but surely it was making its way towards Norman. Norman started to move back then dropped to his belly to distribute the weight of himself better across the ice. He was making slow progress but the bear was slower. The bear was halfway across the ice when Norman reached the other side. Norman turned to run but then he had an idea. He unclipped a small miniature axe that he used to cut firewood off of his belt and hurled it at the bear. As he expected he was a terrible shot and the axe landed at the bear’s feet. The bear looked at it confused. Then the ice cracked as the dent the axe made widened and it an instant the ice underneath the bear gave way and the bear fell into the lake. The bear apparently couldn’t swim because it never came up for air. “Good riddance,” said Norman gratefully.
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Ninja Squad ASKARI SAYED & RALPH LI
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Donald Trump is P resident, Now What? ROSHAAN KHAN
F
ollowing two years of campaigning, Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton to the punch by earning 279 electoral votes in the 2016 US Election, 51 more than his Democrat counterpart. Donald Trump will become President this January. Probably you’d now be wondering when Donald Trump will build a wall between Mexico or deport all Mexicans or block all Muslims entering the U.S. but most likely this will never happen. Donald Trump was making these promises to encourage people in the U.S. to vote for him. Actually, every nominee including Hillary Clinton made false promises to make supporters. Even our current Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, made some promises that weren’t fulfilled. Soon though, Donald Trump will have the responsibility of perhaps changing the U.S. forever. Will Trump make America great again? Only time will tell.
Wang’s Weird Trivia ANSWERS ON PAGE 18!
MeepMop
1. WHAT IS THE OLDEST FOSSIL FOUND ON EARTH OF? a) dinosaur b) sponge c) cockroach d) jawed fish 2. WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING IS FALSE? a) Night butterflies have ears on their wings b) Dragon flies can fly up to 80 km/h c) The praying mantis is the only insect that can turn its head d) A mosquito flaps its wings ~500 times/ second 3. WHAT WAS THE ORIGIN OF BOXING DAY? a) During the Great Depression in Wales, fights would regularly break out between people looking for items on sale after Christmas. As a result, extreme disputes were settled by a formal boxing match. b) It originated in South Africa, where “Box” (Afrikaans for “Stall” in English), referred to the traffic jams created by cars and wagons left unattended (or “stalled”) in the middle of the street while shoppers rushed inside to look for good deals. c) Servants of the wealthy in 17th century Great Britain would often receive Christmas leftovers in boxes the day after. d) It was created for a statutory day off for banks, or “Boxes” / “Vault” of currency exchange as it was known in Scotland during the late 19th century.
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@ravenreview
P resident Trump Isn’t a Joke Anymore JUSTIN SALINAS
B
ack in the October 2015 issue, we gave our two cents on the possibility of a Trump presidency, but look where we are now… The United States has *technically* voted in Donald John Trump as the 45th President of the United States of America. He will join the ranks of people like Abraham Lincoln, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, and Barack Obama. The election was really close, with Hillary winning the popular vote, but Trump expected to win the actual vote under the US voting system, the Electoral College (Google it.) Hillary technically won the popular vote (the votes casted by people like you and me) by a tiny 2% lead over Trump; however because of the “proportional” (subjective to opinion) Electoral College system in the US, Donald Trump got 31 out of the 52 states (plus DC and a little bit of Maine). Perhaps surprisingly or unsurprisingly, depending on where you are on the political spectrum, many people did not exercise their right to vote. All this talk about the mass hysteria that is going on in the States clouds the speculation on what is actually going to go down after January 20th – his policies. So, what’s gonna go down on the first 100 days of his presidency? Border walls? The future (or lack thereof) of Obamacare? The TPP? Under a new office, one of Trump’s first actions would be to withdraw the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or the TPP. In a nutshell, the TPP is a trade agreement among of some of the world’s biggest economic powers, like the US, Canada, Australia, Vietnam, Brunei, Japan, and Malaysia, among others. The purpose is to ease restrictions on goods and trade from those twelve countries, since they own 40% of the world’s GDP. However, instead of a giant group of countries getting together, Trump wants to have bilateral trade, meaning directly between the US and Canada, the US and Malaysia, the US and Brunei, and so on. 18
December 2016
Trump had strong words for the Partnership, saying it was “pushed by special interests who want to rape our country.” Ah, everyone’s favourite topic – immigration. Trump also had strong words when it came to immigration, especially by the time voting day was about to roll around. He said that he would “stop illegal immigration, [and] deport all criminal aliens.” His plan would also “end illegal immigration and suspend immigration from ‘terror problem regions.’” Trump’s plan to crack down on illegal immigrants came with a promise of 2 to 5 years behind bars, depending on an alien’s criminal record. I don’t have very much space left, and you’re probably getting tired of us talking about Trumpageddon at this point, so I’ll leave off with something promising from the Trump campaign – a new cyber protection committee made up of people from the military, law enforcement and the private sector. For his presidency, Trump would like to audit all of the US government cybersecurity tactics and amp up good behaviours for his new government. However it is notable to mention that while the US government owns some of the best hacking tools in the world, it hasn’t stopped hackers from other places, like Russia and the DNC or China, from snooping around government databases and multiple companies. Opinion time – although I may be a left-leaner, and although I disapprove of some, most, if not all of Trump’s policies, we’ve got to accept that this is America until 2020, and maybe all the way up to 2024. So although I am disappointed that the also-unfavourable Democratic candidate didn’t win, I am hopeful as to how Trump will lead the country and hopefully I can see why America voted for him. I’ll probably not change my mind and approve of him, but I’m gonna take a chance on him and I invite you just to watch along with me.
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Volunteer Opportunities RYAN CHONG
CULTURAL LEADERSHIP PROGRAM: Thursdays: 5:00-7:00pm Apr 20 – May 18 $48.80/session Work with professionals in these engaging and practical sessions that focus on breaking down cultural barriers in recreation and then apply this knowledge to a 20-hour practicum in a City Centre Community Centre program. CHILDREN’S ART FESTIVAL: January 5, 2017 Richmond Arts Centre 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm Come learn about the exciting volunteer opportunities with the Children’s Art Festival! Kathy Wong, Arts Leader Email: kwong1@richmond.ca RICHMOND AQUATICS VOLUNTEER: As an Aquatics Volunteer you will be involved in community activities such as assisting with swimming lessons, shadow lifeguarding, and hosting special events. You can also take part in Lifeguard training sessions and Aquasize classes. This is a great way to develop your interpersonal, organizational and leadership skills. Volunteer Requirements: Bronze Cross and Assistant Water Safety Instructor (AWSI) certificates. Qualified volunteers will be contacted for the certificates and criminal record clearance will be required. Successful candidates will be invited to attend an orientation to learn about the responsibilities and standards to be the Richmond Aquatics Volunteers. Additional info: Preference will be given to volunteers who have Watersafety Instructor and National Lifeguard certificates Katrina Vailes and/or Ryan Stokes Email: aquavolunteer@richmond.ca Phone: 604-448-5369 FOR MORE INFO OR VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES, PLEASE VISIT ICANHELPRICHMOND.CA
Answers to Wang’s Weird Trivia
WOAH THERE! LOOK AT THE QUESTIONS ON PAGE 16 BEFORE GOING HERE!
1. b) Sponge ~635 million years old! Dinosaurs are “only” dated to ~230 million years. Even cockroaches (~280 million years) and jawed fish (~380 million years) have been around longer. 2. This was a trick question. They’re all true! 3. c) Leftovers from a banquet as a gift? I’ll take it!
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Holiday Horoscopes
@ravenreview
MISS FORTUNE
ARIES: March 21 - April 19 Tis the season to be stressed out! I can sense that you have a lot of important things to do and have little time to finish it all. I believe that you will make it through and Karma will reward you for all the hard work you put in.
LIBRA: September 23 – October 22 All you’re dreaming of is a relaxing winter break! The spirits are happy that you’ve done good deeds this year. They are pleased to give you good fortune this month. Wear blue this holiday season in order to enhance the fortune.
TAURUS: April 20 - May 20 It’s beginning to look a lot like winter break and you seem really excited to sleep in and have fun. However keep in mind that if you still have any leftover homework or projects hanging around, be sure to finish them all before you relax!
SCORPIO: October 23 – November 21 I can sense that the holiday season is wearing you down and that you just want to relax. Perhaps you might have something in your mind that has been bothering you. The spirits are worried about your fortune so they are giving you a little bit of luck this month.
GEMINI: May 21 - June 20 All you want for the holidays is a good night’s rest. My crystal ball reads that you’ve been staying up a lot this past month and busy finishing last minute homework and cramming for tests. Karma is not pleased with what you’ve done, but it is willing to give you a small reward for surviving Term 1.
SAGITTARIUS: November 22 – December 21 I’m sensing that you can’t wait for the holiday break to come. However you still have a lot of work to finish and I believe you can finish on time! The stars above read that you will have some luck this winter season.
CANCER: June 21 – July 22 You better watch out and you better not cry about your marks. You’ve been working hard since day one of the first term. The Gods above are granting you a big reward this winter break. So be merry and treat yourself for all the work you’ve done! LEO: July 23 – August 22 My tea leaves read that you’ve been getting behind on your work. The spirits whisper that you should not receive a reward this winter break however, I cast a good luck spell to ward off the bad omens just this one time since it is the holidays. Use this good luck charm wisely my friend. VIRGO: August 23 – September 22 The Gods above are granting you a very special reward this holiday season. However, in order to receive the reward, you must do something positive for someone else and may you have a holly, jolly holiday break!
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CAPRICORN: December 22 – January 19 The stars above read that this holiday season will be a cheerful one this year. So do some good deeds for other people and share that happiness! Karma will be very pleased if you spread the positive vibes. AQUARIUS: January 20 – February 18 My tea leaves read that you’re not that excited for the winter season nor you are upset with it. Karma has no clue what to grant you but, I think it will give you luck this month. Wear your favorite colour to boost the good luck. PISCES: February 19 – March 20 I can sense that you’re feeling quite blue this holiday season. The Gods above are taking pity knowing that you are not happy. They are blessing you with tons of luck this month! Avoid bad vibes and the colour orange this month and you’ll be fine!
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Sweet & Simple Holiday Bark
INGREDIENTS (Serves 6-8): • 2 cups of Semisweet Chocolate Chips • Any toppings of your choice SUGGESTIONS: • Dried fruits (Cranberries,raisins, blueberries, apricot, etc.) • Shredded toasted coconut • Toasted chopped nuts (Pistachios,Pecans,Walnuts,Cashews, etc.) • Peppermint candies (crushed) STEPS: 1) Melt the chocolate chips either in the microwave or over a double boiler. 2) Spread the melted chocolate onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet into a thin layer (about 1 cm thick) and immediately sprinkle over the topping. 3) Allow the chocolate to set for a few hours. 4) Break apart into large chunks or chop it using a large sharp knife.
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@ravenreview
A Wild Year 2016, to put it nicely, has been interesting. Plastered with happiness, sorrow, wins, losses, life & death, plenty has happened throughout the past 365 days, and much of it is noteworthy to mention. Outside of the crazy global and political headlines, everyone has their own personal moments that shine through to them, and make 2016 a year that has been worth the grueling perseverence. Here’s some of our favourite moments from this year.
Definitely making new friends, being the director of the drama production and taking part in yearbook (even though it makes me want to pull out my hair).
Starting another year at MacNeill! ASKARI S. | Journalist
ERICA C. | Journalist
This year, I loved volunteering with the Richmond World Festival and seeing Walk Off The Earth… kinda. Also being grade 9 rep and manager of the Raven Review, if that counts for anything…
Becoming StuCo PR Chair and Tech Director, and pretty much barely being accepted into UBC.
JUSTIN S. | Manager
Yuri on Ice. JUDY HUANG | Manager
MASAAB H. | Journalist
Buying my new house on Gabriolla Island MS. PHILLIPS | Teacher Sponsor
The best moments of 2016 has to have been becoming president, editor-in-chief, making new friends, and most of all, Yuri on Ice. DENNISE L. | Editor in Chief
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December 2016
2016 has given me opportunities to meet such fantastic individuals, especially with The Review and StuCo. I’m so glad and proud to be able to work with these people on amazing projects, and would like to thank you for being part of my 2016. JOSH R. | Editor in Chief
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Holiday Wish Lists Food gift cards, Indigo gift cards, Starbucks gift card, gift cards, headphones set, Tim Hortons gift card, McDonald’s gift card, gift cards for food and books
This Christmas I only have one wish. It would mean more to me than any present. This Christmas I want to see my beautiful parents whom I love with all my heart and I haven’t seen for more than 5 months. This Christmas I want to spend time with my family.
SAMMI L. | 8
A trip to Disneyland with my family of 5 people, iPhone 6, CF gift card, MacNeill hoodie
IRIS GUO | 11
MARJORIE FLORES
Blue/black elite socks, Macbook 13” sleeve, Under Armour SC Bag (blue/ yellow), Nike white windrunner (small), UA black basketball duffel bag JACOB DY | 9
iPhone 5S, gift card, necklace, new computer JANE WANG | 8
ALYSHA MANN | 8
OCEAN AUSTIN | 8
iPhone 6S, computer, gift card, soccer ball, Ronaldo’s shoes YASIR ALSALEM
- A puppy! - A puppy! - A puppy! (or Chocolate)
JULIANA LARA | 8
iPhone 6, new gym shoes, a pet kitten, a nice sweater
SAHARA
ANNA MATHEW | 12
A Raven t-shirt, new shoes (Nike), popcorn, chips, and other chips, a new water bottle, a new life, a new backpack
Gift card (any!), Olive With A Twist (book), iPhone 5S, Gone With The Wind (book), new computer
A life, a better laugh, food
A nice hoodie, a new phone (iPhone 5 or 6) because I have an old Samsung keypad phone :(, some new jeans or clothing, a book called Athena project, a new backpack
I wish for getting good marks for term 1 and the rest of the year DANIEL RAKHIMOV
New phone, PS4, Apple Watch MARIAH BRILLANTES | 8
Flannel, new glasses, my crush, new shoes (Nike), iPod 7th Gen, food, a MacNeill hoodie, better voice for singing, new water bottle ANGELO
FRANCESCA ANDRICH | 8
iTunes gift card, earbuds, Indigo gift card, McDonald’s gift card, Starbucks gift card KYLA LIBUT | 8
PS4, blue unbranded hoodie, iPhone 7, a bunch of spicy memes, money, veggie sticks, Nike windbreaker, Roshes ETHAN MATHAY | 8
A hat, snow, a book, Snapchat, gift card, Shooter the book, MacNeill hoodie, a phone case KARINA SHAHBAZYAN
Less humanities homework New phone, basketball, soccer ball, and SNOW! ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU!!! AHMAD ALJERMASHI | 8
Dear Santa, I have been a very good boy this year, and to reward me for that, I would like cookies (anything but oatmeal and raisins), Yeezy’s, a new Lambo, and to win this contest! GRAESON BUNAG | 8
KAREN LIU | 9
A cute cat, a small cute puppy SARA SALAD | 11
Apple Watch, hoverboard SABRINA DENG | 8
I don’t want a lot for Christmas There is just one thing I need I don’t care about the presents Underneath the Christmas tree I just want you for my own More than you could ever know Make my wish come true oh All I want for Christmas is you
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FROM WINTER EDITION, DECEMBER 2011
FOR KENNETH.
Happy Holidays!
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