Contents Valentine’s Edition | February 2016 | Vol. 10 | No. 4
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Big Hearts of Art MacNeill’s Buzz Art Club run a tweleve-hour artathon, painting around the theme of “hope”, in support of Syrian refugees in Canada. The fundraising event was a success, collecting $500 through student donations. 3 3 4 5 6 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 22 23
MacNeill News: Big Hearts of Art MacNeill News: Alice in Zombieland Student Council Report Raven Athletics Report POWER Rep Report Schools in High Rises BC Adds Coding to Curriculum Weird World News TV Review: Brooklyn 99 Movie Review: Cinderella Raven Readers Report Gaming Review: Forza Motorsport 6 Anime Review: Akagami no Shirayuki-hime The Night After Valentine’s Do You Speak Canadian? ThoughtBubble How to Fix a Broken Heart Ninja Squad Valentine’s Horoscopes Valentine’s Heart Donuts Vegan Valentine’s Recipes Irani’s Advice Tiny’s Trivia Valentine’s Love Notes
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Love Notes
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Alice in zombieland
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Student Council Report
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Valentine's Heart Donuts
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Editor In Chief David Yang
Managers Dennise Leung Josh Ralla Tina Kuan
Print Designers Josh Ralla Masaab Hashmi
Editors Alex Choinski David Yang Dennise Leung Hanah Dhanani Judy Huang Robin Li Ryan Chong Tina Kuan
Journalists Alexandra Bustos Alex Choinski Askari Sayed Austin Lee David Yang Dennise Leung Edmond Wu Erica Caalaman Giovanna Gowmez Irene Wong Josh Ralla Justin Salinas Manolya Sag Matthew Liu Ralph Li Ryan Chong Tina Kuan Yuiki Leung
ART-A-THON 2016:
BIG HEARTS OF ART By David Yang
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n Saturday January 16th, members of MacNeill’s Buzz Art Club painted with enthusiasm as they participated in the annual Art-a-thon. This year’s painters dedicated their work to the theme “hope” in support of Syrian refugees in Canada. This 12-hour event absorbed much of Saturday, spanning from 8am to 8pm. This year’s Atrathon was held in the Art Room, home of previous Artathons and the current home of the Buzz Art Club. Serena Yeung, one of this year’s painters, shared her experience as the group started painting. “Everyone had drafts of their pieces in their art books and after grabbing their canvas, they started to draw out the image with pencil,” Serena tells us. Spirits were extremely high among the crowd as the day went on, playing music and sharing snacks. A total of 12 mid to large-sized paintings were crafted by the delicate hands of the painters. “Though the experience was very exhausting by the end of the day, all of us enjoyed the time we spent together to paint and just have fun.” The paintings were also displayed to guests of MacNeill’s Open House on January 28th, gathering a considerable crowd and garnering much praise. This year’s Artathon successfully raised about $1500 through student donations, all to assist the Syrian refugees arriving in Canada.
ALICE IN ZOMBIELAND IS COMING TO MACNEILL! By Alex Choinski
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his March, MacNeill will once again be putting on its own theatre production! The title of this year’s play is ‘Alice in Zombieland,’ a fractured-fairytale-like take on Lewis Carroll’s classic ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.’ The show will feature some decidedly witty banter, outrageous props, a certain tardy rabbit, and lots and lots of zombies. In fact, zombies thoroughly permeate the entirety of the act so much you may find yourself slurring your speech and swaggering your way out of the theatre—but no matter, for from March 2nd to 5th you’ll have a chance to see that we’re all mad here.
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Student Council:
February Report
By Josh Ralla
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acNeill Student Council’s traditional Breakfast with Santa made its annual appearance this year. Students came out bright and early, enjoying the delicious waffles, sausages and fruit, while watching in awe at the spectacular performers and basking in the warmth of community, in celebration of the holiday season. Despite some initial audio hiccups, the performances went very smoothly. We saw the return of the 2015 MacNeill idol contestants, some great dance performances from the Dance Team and PE Classes, and the tradition of Grad and Staff carols. Feedback from students appear on the positive side of things, with students giving the breakfast high satisfaction ratings, also citing waffles and bacon as their favourite parts of the meal. January was mostly a development period for the Council: organizing club apparel and ironing out proposals. The Extracurricular Funding Aid Program, which would aid any other MacNeill clubs financially, was proposed at the beginning of the school year by President David Yang, and has been sucessfully passed by the Council. The program would help strengthen MacNeill’s extracurriculars and improve student life. Eligible clubs may send in a grant application, which would be reviewed by Council executives, with final approval from Council treasurer. February brings the return of Student Council’s Valentine’s Crush Cans, which come in its traditional three flavours: “glad we’re friends” orange, “I love you” pink and “It’s complicated” purple. This month also marks MacNeill idol: a chance for talented Ravens to show off their singing talent for a chance to compete in the district-wide RichCity Idol.
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Ravens Athletics Results Boy's Basketball Bantam Boys’ Basketball
Juvenille Boys’ Basketball
Junior Boys’ Basketball
Game
Game
Game
Result
Result
Dec 7 @ Burnett
W 39-24
Dec 8 vs Burnett
W 58-47
Dec 10 vs RCSS
Dec 9 vs RCSS
W 72-21
Dec 10 @ RHS
W 53-45
Dec 15 @ Cambie
Dec 14 @ Cambie
W 50-36
Dec 15 vs Cambie
W 45-41
Jan 6 @ Palmer
W 65-14
Jan 5 vs Palmer
Jan 13 @ McRoberts
W 31-29
Jan 15 vs RHS
Senior Boys’ Basketball Result
W 59-44
Game
Result
Dec 7 vs Burnett
W 101-63
L 55-52
Dec 14 vs Boyd
W 74-67
Jan 5 vs Palmer
L 79-47
Jan 5 @ Palmer
L 70-46
W 55-14
Jan 12 vs McRoberts
W 48-29
Jan 11 vs SLSS
L 90-58
Jan 12 vs McRoberts
W 52-35
Jan 14 @ McMath
L 45-63
Jan 13 @ RHS
L 90-75
W 57-38
Jan 14 @ McMath
L 50-47
Jan 20 @ RHS
L 80-55
Jan 14 vs RCSS
W 91-79
Jan 18 vs McMath
L 52-28
Jan 19 vs Boyd
W 65-45
Jan 21 vs McNair
L 73-43
Jan 25 @ McRoberts
L 81-76
Jan 20 @ Boyd
W 32-27
Jan 21 @ McNair
W 62-38
Jan 26 @ SLSS
L 70-20
Jan 26 vs Cambie
L 87-81
Jan 25 vs McNair
W 47-31
Jan 26 @ SLSS
L 46-34
Feb 1 vs SLSS*
L 76-27
Feb 1 @ McMath
L 85-54
Jan 27 vs SLSS
L 54-42
Feb 9 @ Burnett
W 69-43
Feb 2 vs Cambie*
L 55-33
Feb 2 @ McNair
W 64-41
Feb 3 vs Boyd*
W 42-38
Feb 9 vs SLSS*
L 93-48
Feb 4 vs SLSS*
W 47-33
Feb 9 vs McNair*
L 62-46
Girl's Basketball Bantam Girls’ Basketball
Junior Girls’ Basketball
Game
Result
Game
Result
Game
Dec 2 @ RHS
W 19-13
Dec 7 @ RHS
L 35-18
Dec 7 vs Burnett
W 34-59
Dec 7 vs Burnett
W 33-14
Jan 6 @ Cambie
L 28-22
Dec 14 vs Boyd
W 73-44
Dec 9 vs RCSS
W 30-8
Jan 7 vs RCSS
L 23-22
Jan 5 @ Palmer
W 64-54
Jan 6 vs Palmer
W 28-16
Jan 11 vs McMath
L 66-16
Jan 11 vs SLSS
L 67-33
Jan 13 vs McRoberts
W 39-18
Jan 14 vs RHS
L 33-28
Jan 19 @ RHS
L 53-65
Jan 18 @ McMath
L 20-14
Jan 18 vs Cambie
L 32-28
Jan 25 @ McRoberts
L 72-40
Jan 20 vs Boyd
L 34-26
Jan 21 @ McMath
L 43-8
Jan 26 vs Cambie
L 51-41
Jan 25 @ McNair
W 45-35
Jan 27 @ RCSS
W 31-30
Feb 1 @ McMath
L 104-21
Jan 27 @ SLSS
W 42-13
Feb 1 vs RCSS*
L 44-26
Feb 2 @ McNair
L 53-35
Feb 2 vs RHS*
W 37-31
Feb 3 vs Boyd*
W 33-31
Feb 4 vs McMath*
W 26-23
*Playoff Game
Senior Girls’ Basketball Result
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POWER REP REPORT By Justin Salinas
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our POWER Reps have been busy lately, as one group starts to ramp up their efforts for an event that’s familiar to the school. The POWER Reps were asked how they could improve the atmosphere of MacNeill, and the overwhelming response was “improve communication between grades to grades and students to teachers.” This fun event will hopefully improve relations. That’s all I can say about this event for now, but
keep listening to the announcements and your advisory’s POWER Reps for more details! We’ve been lucky to help the Vancouver Opera with the behind the scenes as they came to MacNeill to perform the powerful Stickboy! Thank you to the group of POWER Reps who helped coordinate this event, and we hope you had fun, Ravens!
Classrooms in highrises? By Justin Salinas
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ichmond is a growing city with a population 50.48% larger in 2011 than 1981, especially in the “downtown” City Centre/Brighouse area. However, because of the growing industrialization of the No. 3 Road area, there is a very limited amount of space for any new schools, which is why the Richmond School District is considering putting classrooms in city highrises instead. This idea isn’t new. In Port Coquitlam, there is a classroom in the bottom of a highrise building, which Richmond Trustee Debbie Tablotney says isn’t causing problems. She notes there are also classrooms like these in throughout the United States. Tablotney also stated that, while “conventional property with green spaces for playgrounds is preferable… we (the district) may have to look at more creative ideas for city centre schools.” With new technology on the rise, this may be the way of the future. With “schools” like Richmond Virtual School, where classes can be taken online with a certified teacher and with the districts’ proposal to close certain schools in the city, this may be how your kids will be going to school a few years into the future. This topic is one of the many up for discussion on the Let’sTalk SD38 website at letstalksd38.ca
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BC Adds Computer Coding To School Curriculum
By Josh Ralla This generation of students may be among the first in Canada to complete high school with basic training in computer coding. The provincial government announced plans last month for the introduction of computer coding to the school curriculum, citing the need for the skill, which is in short supply in the Canadian technology sector. “Every kindergarten to grade 12 student will have…the opportunity to learn the basics of coding,” Premier Christy Clark said at a technology summit in Vancouver on January 17. The announcement is part of a larger strategy to support BC’s tech sector. “Tech companies will locate in places where they can find the people that will be capable of doing the work. We need to start that in our schools.” Schools will receive the new curriculum in September, and the program is to be integrated over a three year period. The program is still under development, so specific details, including implementation costs, weren’t revealed.
“The government said it’s not until Grade 9 when students begin using languages such as HTML, Java or C++. Younger kids would learn through ‘exploratory and purposeful play’ as well as a focus on computational thinking, algorithms, binary number systems and robotics,” the Vancouver Sun reports. Coding in the curriculum is said to be long overdue. Coding classes are currently offered in high schools all around the country, but are nonmandatory electives. This is in stark contrast to the United Kingdom, where all 16,000 primary schools and 3,500 secondary schools are on the path to coding literacy. New Brunswick and Nova Scotia have also announced similar plans in the past two years. A.R. MacNeill’s Vice Principal Leung says that he is in full support of the new content. “It’s a step in the right direction,” he says. “[Students] may not use coding every day, but the skills that go along with coding can be used every day. Anything we can do to make our kids
more digitally literate, is a plus for me”. Computer coding is similar, in theory, to other subjects in that it teaches valuable skills alongside its main content. “You learn problem solving skills; you learn logic. There are all kinds of things that go with learning coding that are just life skills all students could use,” Leung tells us. However, the announcement isn’t without backlash. Clark was met with concerns that teachers lack the training to teach the necessary skills, and that school’s aren’t equipped with the technology needed. “Like any teacher who is teaching something new for the first time, there is a learning curve,” Leung says. “Some teachers in certain schools already have that background, so they have a leg up. But some schools may not have any… so it’s a matter of schools looking for and seeking those [capable] individuals, … and to put them in schools.” Clark reports that teachers will be taught computer coding during professional development days.
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WEIRD WORLD NEWS
By Giovanna Gowmez
Super Brave Guy Asks Girl On A Date Using A Clever, OldSchool Technique
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man from the University of Southampton asked a girl out with a note. The note was formatted like a text messaging app called whatsapp. At the time of incident, they were in the library. “Sorry to disturb your studies, but I really need to ask…would you like to have a coffee with me someday?” the note said. The lucky girl was Naomi Lucking, and she was given the choice to answer “Sure! Why not? Life is short,” or “No thanks! I have a 7 ft tall boyfriend.” Unfortunately, she does have a boyfriend and Naomi turned him down, but she gave him a 10/10 for creativity.
Texas Man Arrested For Assaulting Girlfriend Who Wouldn’t Smell His Armpit
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hen someone asks you to smell their armpit, would you do it? On November 13, Robinson Pinilla-Bolivar asked his girlfriend to sniff his armpit. She was washing the dishes at the time, and refused to whiff the pit. The man became enraged and pulled a knife. She called the police and he fled the scene. Pinilla-Bolivar was captured and his alibi was that he made no threats to his girlfriend and threw the knife in the sink when she refused.
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TV REview: Brooklyn 99 By Irene Wong
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rooklyn 99 follows the detectives of the 99th precinct of the NYPD and their average day in the workforce. The precinct is led by Captain Raymond Holt, who is determined to make this precinct the best in Brooklyn. This goal is made much more difficult when it is revealed that the head detective in the precinct is Jake Peralta, who is just as childish as he is an incredible cop, creating an unfortunate turn of events for Captain Holt. The precinct also has amazing detectives, like the grownup version of a teacher’s pet, Amy Santiago, the terrifying woman, Rosa Diaz, the food-loving cop Charles Boyle and many more. Brooklyn 99 is an amazing show that is guaranteed to make you laugh at least once. The best part? It manages to be funny and hilarious without employing sexist or racist comments. In fact, the show often talks about discrimination, and how it prevents certain members of the precinct from rising to their full potential. The characters also feature most of the common sitcom tropes, like the dramatic, the lovable giant, and the one that everyone makes fun of. Even with these common similarities, it still manages to make each character stand out from the tropes they embody. The cast is incredibly diverse, with LGBTQ+ characters and an equal balance of white and POC (People of Colour) characters. The show itself is also amazing. It’s filled with interesting stories, well developed characters, and doesn’t require much background knowledge. You can easily start watching from season 2, and still understand most of what is happening. Lastly, each episode is under 30 minutes, so it’s perfect for a quick little study break or if you decided to binge watch it all, since it wouldn’t take more than a day at most.
Rating: 5/5 Positives: Funny, interesting stories Negatives: None
AR MacNeill Student Council Meetings every monday at lunch in room b222! New Members Always welcome. Seep page 6 for more
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Movie Review: Cinderella
By Irene Wong
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veryone knows the story of Cinderella, the young girl forced into being a servant by her wicked stepfamily. We’ve all heard of how she still manages to hold onto her kindness despite the awful circumstances she lives in, and how her kindness eventually grants her a fairy godmother, who gifts her with one magical night at the palace where she meets her true love, Prince Charming. We all cheer when the Prince finally finds Cinderella, after having every maiden in the kingdom try on her fallen glass slipper, and when the two lovebirds finally get their happily ever after. Of course, we also groan every time we see a new commercial for yet another adaption of Cinderella. This movie is honestly the most beautiful movie I’ve seen in my life. The sets, the props, and the costumes really help set the movie apart visually. The movie itself is also amazing, and resolves some of the problems in the original story. Though it is a timeless tale, many of the characters aren’t well developed in the original tale. In this new adaptation, many of the classic characters are given more life and depth. Instead of simply being the prince Cinderella runs
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away with, Prince Charming battles his own conflicts, such as his duty to marry for status despite being in love with a simple country girl, and his father’s rapidly declining health. The Wicked Stepmother’s awful actions are revealed at the end to be a product of jealousy of Cinderella’s youth and goodness, as well as her chance to be with her true love. Even Cinderella is more fleshed, as her kindness isn’t simply being naïve about the world, but because of Cinderella’s promise to “have courage and be kind” at her mother’s deathbed. As well, the movie manages to add suspense to the climactic scene, when the Stepmother denies Cinderella’s existence, despite everyone knowing what happened. It’s truly a magical movie, perfect to watch with your significant other, with friends and family, or even by yourself.
Rating: 4.5/5 Positives: Retains most of the classic love story, and everything in the movie is so pretty Negatives: None too significant
The Raven REaders Report Tricks - by Ellen Hopkins
Date: January 19, 2016 Members Present: May Ng, Ethel Wai, Sara Salad, Manolya Sag, Ms. Phillips Story: Five teens look for love and acceptance in their families and their relationships. Instead, they find abuse and confusion as they spiral towards teen prostitution. A novel in verse by the reknowned author of Crank. Food: Strawberries (Eden trades “favours” for strawberries when she is deprived of food); pink and red heart cookies (all the kids were longing for love)
What We Liked: »» The format of the writing was really engaging – the novel in verse form is interesting and quick to read. »» The last line of previous poem forms the title of the next poem »» The words off to the side create a pithy poem of their own »» The interconnectedness of the poems mirrored the interconnectedness of the characters. They all start to link together as they make their way to Vegas. »» I enjoyed the differences between characters. Their motivations were individual, even though their fates were similar. The different voices »» Everyone is trying to escape their lives for a variety of reasons, all believable. »» I felt an emotional connection to the characters. Hopkins was really able to create a backstory for each of the characters. »» The characters are well-developed and rounded. They do terrible things but you understand how they end up in the situation where they are forced to do that. »» The descent into addiction to drugs and alcohol and gambling was realistic. »» The book really shows the breakdown of the community and therefore personal judgement. »» Some relationships were positive, e.g. Jack-Cody-Corey and GingerAlex, Eden-Andrew, Seth-Loren, Ginger-siblings »» There was a glimmer of hope of escape from prostitution »» The book removes the glamour from prostitution – it’s horrible. »» The graphic sex scenes were part of the gritty topic and true to the genre. »» The storyline was very engaging with the different voices. It was easy to lose yourself in the downward spiral of the kids.
Not So Much: »» I started losing track of the characters and the story when they switched so much. »» The ending was too unresolved »» Some characters’ fates weren’t as bad as others »» I want to know what happened to Seth! »» Ginger’s mother was horrible! »» The dialogue style, using italics, was distracting (not true for all readers) »» The sex scenes were disturbing. I couldn’t read them. »» My heart bleeds for the kids. I felt so sorry for them!
What We Found Interesting: »» The novel-in-verse style is very different from Gospel Truth »» Money is like a drug in this book. »» Prostitution is more common than we think. Kids were constantly put in the position of having to trade sexual favours for things they needed (food, rides, shelter)
Rating: 4.2/5 Ravens One of our top scoring books!
Coming Up Next:
We Are All Made of Molecules - By Susin Nielsen The story: Thirteen-year-old brilliant but socially-challenged Stewart and mean-girl Ashley must find common ground when, two years after Stewart’s mother dies, his father moves in with his new girlfriend -- Ashley’s mother, whose gay ex-husband lives in their guest house. Date: February 23, 2016 @ Lunch Place: Library couches Host: TBA New Members Always Welcome!
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For the Love of Cars: Forza Motorsport 6
By Matthew Liu
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ave you ever felt the urge to put the pedal to the metal when you were driving along on the street at legal speeds? Craving to quench your thirst for speed? Look no further than Forza Motorsport 6. Forza 6 is an arcade racing simulator game, featuring many racing and street icons. Players race throughout the various tracks with friends, other players online, and artificial intelligence. The game features a career mode, providing at least seventy hours of gameplay and multiplayer races aimed to improve its re-playability. Thanks to a list of more than 450 cars and 26 tracks, each with multiple variations in weather, time and layout, you will be able to enjoy the experience of countless hours of racing.
Pros: From its ever growing car list to its unlimited re-playability, Forza Motorsport 6 offers the ultimate arcade racing simulation experience. First, it features one of the fully fleshed customization system for its vehicles in the game. This is accomplished by its decal studio and its upgrade system, which allows changing the motor vehicle physically. The combination of the two methods allows players to express themselves through the cars while they race or through the online showroom for other players to inspect. Additionally, the realism in this game is on point. From the dribbles
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of rain and the darkness of night to the roaring exhaust notes, Forza 6 offers a true to life experience that many people adore. It even has support for racing wheels with force feedback for the racing simulator feel at home. Finally, the multiplayer system is bound to keep you entertained. Because of its league racing, you will always be matched with players with similar skill levels, which in turn, will ensure that every race is close and intense.
Cons: Not every game is perfect, and this is true for Forza 6. Because it is a Xbox One exclusive, it isn’t as accessible as its competitors, which are on multiple platforms. Additionally, the career mode might become repetitive due to its linear progression and its requirement for a podium finish in the race. This requirement forces the players to finish in the top three or they will become stuck in the same race again, which painfully and unnaturally stretches the career. Although the multiplayer experience has been mentioned in the pros, it also belongs in the cons too. There are no penalties for collisions, allowing other players to easily ruin the experience for everybody.
Overall Rating: 7/10 +Realism -Multiplayer Griefing +Variety of Cars and Tracks -Boring Career
Anime Review:
Akagami no Shirayuki-hime By Edmond Wu & Yuiki Shirohana (Note: The current series that is ongoing now is the second season of Akagami no Shirayuki-hime)
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his anime is a modern take on the classic Snow White; however, it is set in the time of the original story. Shirayuki is a girl with extraordinary red hair. Her hair is so bright that she becomes widely known for it, attracting a young and foolish prince named Raji who decides that she will become his concubine and attempts to capture Shirayuki. Desperate to escape, Shirayuki cuts her hair and runs away, but before she runs far, she meets a handsome stranger named Zen, who turns out to be the prince of a neighbouring kingdom. He saves her from Prince Raji and a beautiful story of love and friendship blooms between Zen and Shirayuki. Positives: This anime is like a Korean Drama. There are many cute clichés but, as you can see, Shirayuki is mentally strong, making her very different tfrom your typical shoujo heroines. The anime doesn’t move too fast; it moves at a nice slow pace. Negatives: In almost every anime, there’s an episode or two where you constantly keep checking the time to see when it’s over. Unfortunately, this anime has them as well. During the middle of the first season, you end up with fillers that are a tad boring and seem to have nothing to do with the plot itself.
Genre: Romance, Shoujo, Historical, Fantasy Episodes: 12 Rating: 4.5/5
Support the animal rescue club! Pizza sales every first monday for $2 in the lounge!
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The Night After Valentine's
Short Story by Yuki Xia
It was a moonless night. Twinkling stars shone against the backdrop of a seemingly amaranthine darkness, like fireflies lighting up in the inky skies overlooking the ocean. A peaceful silence had fallen upon the waters, only the calming sounds of the gentle waves disturbing the silence, a quiet, rhythmic sloshing upon the surface of the ocean. The water seemed pitch black and bottomless under the darkened skies, sounding like the whispered tales of the things it had seen, things that it would tell you if only you’d stop and take the time to listen, to find a moment in your hectic life to stay awhile. Sitting in the darkness with the ocean around you, surrounded by breathtaking abundance of twinkling stars in the skies above, it was easy to enjoy the beauty and elegance of the moonless night. Slowly, the skies brightened from the light of the rising sun, signifying the arrival of dawn. The twinkling stars blinked out one by one, disappearing from the once-darkened skies. Soon, the vast skies will be painted with streaks of pink, orange, and gold, casting a warm strawberry glow unto the surface of the ocean, making it seemed like a entirely new ocean, in an entirely new day, of an entirely new start, as if it cast behind the memories of the past to start anew. A gentle breeze swept through the air, carrying the whispered words of a confession made under a sky full of stars. The ocean listened, remembering the tale to tell on another moonless night where twinkling stars shone against the backdrop of a seemingly amaranthine darkness, like fire flies lighting up in the inky skies, overlooking the ocean and a peaceful silence which fell upon the waters. The ocean, constant yet ever changing, like the love that had filled the air just the night before, merely continued to be as it waited for the world to awaken. And floating in the calm waters, underneath the blushing dawn, was a single red rose.
Write, Edit or Design. Join The Raven Review. More info on page 4!
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Do you speak... Canadian? U.S., famously the Cot-Caught Merger. The Cot-Caught Merger describes the recent change in pronunciation rendering ‘Cot’ and ‘Caught’ indistinguishable phonologically. This is a trait found in most of Canada, but much more exclusively in the U.S., in fact almost only the west coast- Washington, Oregon, and California- exhibit this shift. As far as vocabulary, a few notable Canadian-isms stand out; toque, knapsack, clicks (kilometres), runners, hooped (we’re hooped!), and many more, but not too many more. Spelling wise, Canadians stick more closely to British English, distancing ourselves from America with our inclusion of the ‘u’ in ‘colour,’ and the accepted use of ‘ise’ instead of ‘ize.’ All of this taken into consideration, Canadian could be recognised as its own dialect, but only just. It is so very close to American, and our British Columbian is so almost Californian that sometimes it’s difficult even for us natives to differentiate. Now, putting a label on Canadian will do nothing to change the fact that in our hearts we’re different than the States… Next time you find yourself engaged in one of what I suspect are numerous daily conversations, listen in. Don’t just speak your language, learn it! Why do you say what you say the way you say it? Does everyone say what you say the way you say it? You might be surprised, and you’ll certainly be intrigued. Cool, eh?
By Alex Choinski
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hat makes a language? What differentiates a dialect? There’s the phonology, how we pronounce words, there’s the vernacular, what words and phrases we use, and there’s the syntax, semantics, and spellings native to a geography. As it happens, the English spoken in Canada is remarkably homogenous, although there are subtle differences, mostly in pronunciation, from east to west. Canadian English strongly resembles what’s known as “General American” whose phonology permeates the Midwest and West Coast of the U.S. Here on the west coast in British Columbia, we share many of our pronunciations with the west coast of the
Searching for the next MacNeill Idol. It could be you. Finals Friday, February 26, Large Gym @ Lunch Winner goes to RichCity Idol 2016 on May 31st!
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Thoughtbubble: Sorry Pluto, but Planet 9 Seems to be the Real Planet
By Manolya Sag
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he man who was responsible for killing off Pluto has come back with even better news. Planet 9. Although the planet has yet to be seen by satellites, it is assumed that the planet may be near the size of Neptune. The search for Planet 9 (or as they were calling it before, the mysterious “Planet X”) had previously been dismissed as an outright crazy attempt to find something. However, new and profound evidence found by Mike Brown (known as the planet slayer- follow him on twitter @ Plutokiller) and Konstantin Batygin, both respected planetary scientists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), buzzed throughout the media as the calculations discovered were published in The Astronomical Journal on January 20th 2016. The first notion of the presence of the planet was inferred from a peculiar cluster of six previously known objects in orbit beyond Neptune. However, Brown and Batygin did mention that there is a 0.0007% chance that the cluster of the known objects could be a coincidence. They discovered that the orbit
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February 2016
of the new planet,, which has a mass of 10 Earths is in fact the one responsible for giving the clusters their elliptical orbits, tilted out of the plane of the other eight planets’ orbits. Planet 9 is tilted like the rest of the cluster and stretches into distances that shatter our conceptions of the solar system. The new planet’s closest approach to the sun is seven times farther than that of Neptune. Brown and Batygin say that if Planet X/9 is out there, astronomers ought to find more objects due to the orbit shaped by the planet. “What [was] found is a gravitational signature of Planet 9 lurking in the outskirts of the solar system,” Batygin said. They did not indeed see the ghost planet, but as Brown noted: “We have felt a great disturbance in the force.” Pluto, Happy Valentine’s Day. But we are sorry, the planet slayer and his fellow planetary scientist friend found a real planet that actually shows planet characteristics unlike you: a simple dwarf.
How to fix a broken Heart
By Manolya Sag Always seek professional medical attention when you have injuries. This article is for informational purposes only, and should not be fully relied on for treatment purposes, nor should it be a replacement for professional medical help.
A
h, Valentine’s Day! Love roams the halls of MacNeill, hearts are shattered, and your teachers are not in a mood to give your grades a boost, despite the love in the air. Broken hearts are a common occurrence on February 14th and most cannot help but just sit at home, cry, and eat bucket after bucket of ice cream while watching the ever-so-handsome Ryan Gosling passionately kiss Rachel McAdams in the rain. “Why can’t I find love like that!?” you wail while shoveling cookie and cream ice cream into your mouth. Fear not though. We at The Raven Review have made it our mission to help you cope with your broken heart by teaching you how to apply ice to that burn you probably received from the break up! When you give yourself a minor thermal burn wound on your arm, hands, maybe even legs or feet if you are super creative, the first thing you should do is always run the wound under cold water. If it is hard to place the source of the wound under cold water, another option is to dampen a cloth or paper towel with cold water and apply it to the wound. A thermal burn means you burned yourself from a source of heat, whether it be from a fire, or a cooking pan (please note that a sunburn is not considered a thermal burn, but a radiation burn). As you run your burn wound
under cold water, it should be noted that the part of the body you are running the cold water under may begin to go numb. When it does, this should indicate that you should stop with the water and wait until you can feel that part of your body. However, thermal burns are a funny case, because it can take half a hour or even longer for the sensational feel of stinging and pain from the burn wound to go away, meaning you may have to repeat the process of running under cool water, waiting, then doing that all over again. Once you run your burn wound under cold water, it is time to apply your dressing. Depending on where the wound is and how big it is, make sure you always use a non-adhesive padding that will properly cover the wound. If just use a simple gauze pad, when you take it off, you’ll rip off your scab and possibly make the wound burn or the blister (if any forms) pop! Once you find the proper size pad, loosely bandage the pad with tape or roller gauze. After a day, you may apply aloe vera or Polysporin to your burn site, which can help speed up healing and keep the wound safe from any bacteria that may infect it. We hope this helps with the shattered heart, which in fact really is not shattered. We are at least three percent sure that you cannot break your heart from love. From fat? Yes. From love? Probably not.
Valentine’s Edition
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Ninja Squad
By Askari Sayed & Ralph Li
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February 2016
Valentine's Horoscopes By Miss Fortune Aries (March 21 - April 19)
Virgo (August 23 - September 22)
I can sense that this Valentine’s Day will be a lucky day for you. Whether it’s getting a good mark on a test, finding good deals on heartshaped candies or finding that special someone, the possibilities are endless! However don’t take the good luck for granted; it might be short-lived.
My crystal ball is telling me that your Valentine’s Day will be bittersweet. The future is a bit foggy for you, so it’s best to keep your eyes open for any surprises or dangers.
Taurus (April 20 - May 20) The Gods above say that you’re not in the mood to be happy this Valentine’s Day. Either you didn’t get a good mark on a project or you weren’t able to be with that special someone. Cheer up, Taurus! You have friends and family who have your back this lovey-dovey holiday.
Gemini (May 21 - June 20) The stars aligned to say that this Valentine’s Day will be a regular one for you. It seems like you’re not in the mood to find that special someone or have time to spread the love. It’s okay to loosen up! Maybe someone will finally sweep you off of your feet or you could land a good deal on chocolate.
Cancer (June 21 - July 22) There’s something about Valentine’s Day that’s been bugging you and you don’t know what it is. Maybe was a test that you had or something happening outside of school. Keep an eye out for possibilities.
Libra (September 23 - October 22) I can sense that you would rather stay in than go out during Valentine’s Day. My tarot cards, however, read that something good will happen that day.
Scorpio (October 23 - November 21) This Valentine’s Day looks very positive for you, Scorpio! Keep up the positivity by making your loved ones feel special by doing small things for them.
Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21) I sense that something life changing might happen to you during Valentine’s Day. My crystal ball is too foggy to read about what it is, though. Please be careful when you go out and avoid anything negative.
Capricorn (December 22 - January 19) The Gods above tell me that you’re feeling blue. Surround yourself with friends and family this Valentine’s Day to receive some love and maybe some chocolate.
Aquarius (January 20 - February 18) Leo (July 23 - August 22) My tarot cards read that you will have luck on Valentine’s Day. However, avoid losing something you cherish That person or item is your good luck charm.
I can sense that you’re Valentine’s Day will be a special day to remember. Be on the lookout for sweet surprises from a loved one.
Pisces (February 19 - March 20) This Valentine’s Day will be a lucky day for you, Pisces! Keep a lucky coin on you while you’re out and about with your loved ones because something exciting might happen.
Valentine’s Edition
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Valentine's Day Heart Donuts By Ryan Chong
From Tartaletteblog.com
Ingredients: Doughnut: 2 packages of yeast 1/4 cups of warm water 1-1/2 cups of warm milk 1/2 cup of sugar 1 tsp. of salt 2 eggs 1/3 cup of butter 5 cups of all purpose flour 5 cups of vegetable oil Glaze 1/3 cup of butter 2 cups of powdered sugar 1-1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract 4-6 tbsp. of hot water Coloured sprinkles (optional) Pink food colouring Equipment needed: A doughnut cutter A stand mixer with a paddle attachment A deep fryer or a cooking pot, with a cooking thermometer
Recipe: 1. Dissolve the yeast in warm water in a stand mixer bowl. 2. Add milk, salt, eggs, butter, and 2 cups of flour into the bowl. 3. Use your stand mixer and beat on low power for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment. 4. Scraping the sides occasionally, beat on medium power for 2 minutes . 5. Add the remaining flour and mix until smooth. 6. Cover the mixture and let it rise for an hour. 7. Place the dough on a floured side and roll it to 1/2 inch thick. 8. Cut the dough with a doughnut cutter, and place it on a tray. 9. Cover and let the doughnuts rise for 30-40 minutes. 10. Heat the vegetable oil in a deep fryer on 350 degrees. If you do not have a deep fryer, use a cooking pot and a thermometer, and set on high until 350 degrees. 11. Fry the doughnuts until golden brown for about one minute on each side. 12. Remove from the oil and drain doughnuts on a paper towel for a minute or so. 13. Dip the doughnuts into the glaze and set them aside to cool. Glaze: 1. 2. 3. 4.
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Heat the butter on medium low heat until melted. Remove the butter from the stove and stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract until smooth. Stir in some water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency. Add 1/2 a teaspoon of food colouring and mix it in until it turns pink.
February 2016
2 Vegan Valentine's Deserts to try! By Tiny Tina
Vegan Chocolate Brownies From jamieoliver.com
Ingredients: 5 tablespoons of sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing 200 g of dairy-free dark chocolate 170 g of self-rising flour (or just add 2 tsp of baking powder to every 1 cup of flour) 3 heaping teaspoons of cocoa powder 180 g of granulated sugar dash of salt dash of vanilla 230 ml of unsweetened organic soya milk 200 g of pecan nuts or cocoa nibs
Recipe: 1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Grease a square baking tin (roughly 20cm) with a little oil, then line with greaseproof paper. 2. Place a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure the base doesn’t touch the water. Break 150g of chocolate into the bowl and allow it to melt, then set aside to cool slightly. 3. Meanwhile, sieve the flour and cocoa powder into a large bowl, then stir in the sugar and a pinch of salt. Halve the vanilla pod lengthways, scrape out the seeds, then add them to the bowl (or just add vanilla extract). Stir in the oil, soya milk and melted chocolate until combined. 4. Roughly chop and stir in the remaining chocolate and most of the pecans, reserving a few for the top. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, spreading it out evenly. Sprinkle over the remaining pecans, then place into the hot oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until cooked on the outside, but still gooey in the middle. 5. Leave to cool for around 5 minutes, turn out onto a wire cooling rack, then serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if you’re feeling extra indulgent.
Vegan Chocolate Pots From jamieoliver.com Ingredients: 200 g of dairy-free dark chocolate (at least 75% cocoa solids) 700 g of silken tofu 160 g of maple syrup 1 zest of lime 1 tablespoon of vanilla (bean paste) 1 tablespoon of dark rum (optional) 1 large pinch of dried chili flakes (optional) 1 large pinch of salt
Recipe: 1.
Place a small pan over a medium-low heat, half-fill with boiling water, then place a medium heatproof bowl on top, making sure the base doesn’t touch the surface of the water. Break in the chocolate, then allow to melt, stirring occasionally. 2. Meanwhile, line a medium bowl with a clean tea towel. Add the tofu, bunch up the tea towel and squeeze out the excess moisture into the bowl. Add the tofu to a food processor with the remaining ingredients, then blitz for 1 to 2 minutes, or until smooth. Add the melted chocolate and pulse until silky and combined. 3. Divide the mixture between little bowls (to make it extra special, I like to use a mixture of espresso cups and cute little glasses), pop in the fridge for 15 minutes to chill, then serve. Tip: Try serving your chocolate pots with shavings of dark chocolate, or bash up your favourite crunchy biscuits or nuts and sprinkle them on top.
Valentine’s Edition
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Irani's Advice What is the definition of love? “Tolerating everything (except for gifts) and (advice for the guys) speak when you’re spoken to. When is the right time to ask someone out? “11:47am sharp. Or 5 seconds after meeting them for the first time.” What should you expect from your partner? “FOOD.” Who pays the bill for the first date? “She does. We live in a modern age. (Or the person who picks the place)” What is a good place to bring my first date? “McD’s if you’re paying but, if she’s paying The Keg.” Do you love yourself? “Unconditionally, every single day, except for Mondays, that’s when I love Sandhu.” What’s the best Valentine’s Day gift you’ve ever received? “The gift of loving myself.” What do you do if the person you love is Siri? “Find a life and a hobby, make some friends, leave your room once in a blue moon… etc.” If you have any questions you’d like to see answered by Irani, TWEET @TheRavenReview or use #MacNeillAsksIrani on Facebook or Twitter!
Tiny's Teasers By Tiny Tina
1. The numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 must be put in the square below in such a way that the sums of the numbers in each row, column, and diagonal (of 3 boxes) are equal. How should the numbers be arranged in the square?
2. Seven is an odd number. How can it be made even? 3. If it were two hours later, it would be half as long until midnight as it would be if it were an hour later. What time is it?
Answers on the last page!
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February 2016
Valentine's Love NOtes Malcolm,
Tyra,
If you were a basketball, I’d never pass you ‘cause I’d want to keep you all for myself.
There are 21 letters in the alphabet, right? Oh, never mind. I missed u r a q t.
Dear Mr. Irani,
You’re unattractively beautiful, Nikko. I love you.
I am your favourite, I am the best. You can’t eat without me. Love, Siracha.
Chemaine, Are you made out of sodium atoms? ‘Cause you are SO DIUM FINE.
Evita,
Dear Simran, R u a beaver? ‘Cause dam. ILY, Alisha
I would dance to the sound of your heartbeat everyday. If I had the chance to make you on the stand, I would find the words to say...You’re on my mind.
Kiara, Dudddeee! You’re my homie and I hate you for moving back to GP. You single, I single, so we both be single together!
Love, Michael Li.
<3 Randi
Marc Go, You are hotter than the bottom of my laptop. <3 XOXOXO <3
Dear @Etdance75, Hailey Tighe,
Jun Carlos Miguel, Can’t spell Jun Carlos Miguel without U and I ;)
I’m no organ donor, but I’d be HAPPY TO GIVE YOU MY HEART <3
Roses are red, Violets are blue. I’d do anything for you because you are my boo.
You’re like the dance number that opens the show. You take my breath away. Oh, and let me tie your shoes, I can’t have you fall for anyone else. Oh, and ur ugly :)
Valentine’s Edition
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My love Karen Chan, Dear Nikko Bondoc, You are the worst Home Ec partner ever because you can’t cut vegetables. You give the best highfives, you like to throw me into thorn bushes and you like to punch me, but it’s okay. In the end, you’ll always be my baby Bondoc.
Sometimes it’s hard to find words to tell you how much you mean 2 me. A lot of times I say nothing, but I hope someday you’ll understand having you is what I live for. XO
Dear Teresa Avancena,
Dear Mr. Sandhu,
Everytime I see you, my heart starts pounding faster and you are amazing, stay the way you are <3
We are best friends at the gym. Love, Protein Shake
~ Felix Chan
Dear Nauman,
DJ Khaled, You’re our inspiration, you’re our major key in Life. We are proud to be part of the LION ORDER.
I love watching your smile light up! Even though we have biology together, I feel like it’s Chemistry! The way you run your fingers through your hair drives me crazy! The love I have for you is out of this world. Your personality is my favourite thing about you! Please love me back.
- Student Body
- Secret Admirer
Dear BTOB #changsub, I listen to your songs 24/7. Just come to Canada, I will scream my head off with joy.
07/10/01, Is your dad an astronaut? Because it seems like he took the stars out of the universe and put them in your eyes. June 10 & July 15, 2001
- Melody.
Dear Kevin Belonio, Are you from Tennessee? ‘Cause you’re the only ten I see <333
Ms. Vukoja, It’s been five years and your name is no longer the same. When something goes wrong, It’s Winson we blame. Even though this poem was so lame, From Advisory 1 we love you with no shame. - Marcus Long
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February 2016
Sajedah, You’re such a killa. My one goal in life is to make you mine. This Valentine’s Day, I plan to express my love for you! <3
To SVT’s Angel,
Hansol, I love the way you laugh, I love the way you smile I love the way you rap And I know that you won’t notice this, but… Pull up on yo wacks with a mac fully loaded I love you bye
I Adore You so much, That I see Hurray when I see you. You Are My Angel And my Shining Diamond. You are my Morning And I hope I’m Your Night You’re My Twenties And Because Of You I’ll always Be Alright.
Dear N.W.
Love you forever and always, A faraway fan
I miss you so much and I’m really sorry. I know we don’t see each other but I hope we start talking again, Love, Kevin.
Our advisory class got together and realized there is one thing that we all love here at MacNeill - Mr. Henders! We love his teaching style and his fashion style. There is so much to love about Mr. Henders. Thank you and we all love that we are in your advisory class.
To the person who likes me,
Dear D Yang,
WHYYY???
Let’s go get some dim sum.
- The person you like.
-RR Staff
Dear Lion,
With love, Students from Advisory #29
You have cute dimples and great hair, I get butterflies when you talk to me and I wish that we could be more than friends.
Sky Tan, The reason you’re named Sky is because you keep me on Cloud 9 ;)
- S.K. To SVT’s Gentleman,
It’s been two years since we last met. I hope in life you have no regret. Let us rejoice once more, On that graduation floor. *after you come out of your twitch door
I wish, I wish. I wish that you could be mine. I wish that you’d be yourself when you’re with me. No matter how many people say that they dislike your real persona, I find that it’s the best part of you. I love your dorkiness and your ridiculous puns. I love it If only you loved me back, - A girl with no wings
Answers to Tiny's Teasers Spoilers ahead! Be sure to read Tiny’s Teasers on Page 22 before checking out the answers!
1. Magic Square to the right; all lines are equal to 15 even diagonally. 2. Take away the “S”. 3. 9PM.
8 1 6 3 5 7 4 9 2
Happy Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day!
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