The Raven Review - Halloween Edition (October 2015)

Page 1



Halloween Edition | 3

Contents Time For Closure

Election 2015

SD38 has some school closures lined up.

Time for New Government

05 Scream Queens

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Couldn’t You Just Die?

Read about our many clubs & teams!

06

13

10 5 6 8 8 8 9 9 10 11 11 12 13 13 14 15 16 16 17 17 18 19 19 20 21 21 22 23

District News: School Closures Imminent 2015 Canadian Election Ravens Sports Report POWER Rep Report Student Council Report Weird News News In A Nutshell TV Review: Scream Queens Cartoon Review: Over The Garden Wall Anime Review: Ranpo Kitan Book Review: Beauty Queens Movie Review: Nightmare Before Christmas Comic Review: The Killing Joke Gaming Review: Bat Rats: Rats’ Revenge Canucks Corner Opinion: The Case of the Restest Tiny Teasers ThoughtBubble: The Smell of Death? Short Story: The Final Walk Costume Ideas Tech News: Top Crypto-Currencies Halloween Superstitions Comics Horoscopes Back Issues Recipes How-To Corner

Canucks’ Corner

What’s the smell of Death?

Blueline Changes

The Return of ThoughtBubble

15

17

5 Last Minute Costume Ideas

Ninja Squad

For the procrastinators out there

Student Comics

18

20


4 | October 2015

About Us

Read Us Online Find this edition of The Raven Review for free online at issuu.com and Google Play Books!

Message From The Staff Hey there!

issuu.com/ravenreview

bit.ly/RROct15

Connect With Us Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to get the latest on MacNeill news, announcements and sports, to get involved or to submit content!

This is the first full edition of The Raven Review this year! We’d like to thank our sponsor teacher, Ms. Phillips for her continual support, and all our new members who joined this year!. We have so many members now, we went from a lack of members to a surplus of members! (Although, we always have room for new students!) In this edition, you’ll find more content than ever before! So we’re very proud to present this year’s Halloween Edition of The Raven Review!

Teacher Sponsor Ms. Phillips

/macneillravenreview @theravenreview macneillravenreview@outlook.com

Editor In Chief David Yang

Managers David Yang Dennise Leung Josh Ralla Tina Kuan

Editors

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 galswho 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! Print/Graphic Designers: Good with computers? We’re looking for print designers to help our lone art director make the Review look stylish! Experience in Adobe Photoshop and/or Adobe InDesign is recommended.

Want to join? Contact us online, talk to one of our members, or listen to the announcements for our next meeting!

Alex Choinski Alexandra Bustos Dennise Leung Hanah Dhanani Jenna Ahn Josh Ralla Joshua Tinamisan Judy Huang Justin Salinas Robin Li Ryan Chong

Journalists Alex Choinski Alexandra Bustos Askari Sayed Austin Lee David Yang Dennise Leung Erica Caalaman Flora Chong Giovanna Gowmez Irene Wong Josh Ralla Justin Salinas Jordan Holuboch Kevin Liu Marc Chua Manolya Sag Matthew Liu May Wang Ralph Li Ryan Chong Yuki Xia

Print Designer Josh Ralla


School Locked Down

Halloween Edition | 5

At aproximately 3:15pm, during the Pro-D Day on Friday, October 23rd, AR MacNeill Secondary was placed under a code yellow lockdown due to an RCMP incident on Grandville Avenue. The lockdown lasted for about half an hour while Richmond RCMP investigated and secured the scene. The RCMP has not released details about the incident.

MacNeill News

School District Contemplating Closures “Residual Capacity equal to five average-sized elementary and two average-sized secondary schools” - District Report.

School District 38 Offices on Minoru Blvd.

JOSH RALLA & ALEX CHOINSKI

IMAGE - JOSH RALLA

The Raven Review

There is a good chance schools will close in Richmond in response to declining enrolment and sudden population growths around the city. School district executives are urging school trustees to make a decision regarding the closure of schools “to ensure facilities are used in an effective and fiscally responsible way”. A report by the district reveals that the excess capacity between all the schools is equal to almost five average-sized elementary and two average-sized secondary schools. This makes three-quarters of Richmond schools under-utilised, according to Ministry of Education guidelines. The situation of under-utilising schools is made worse by the fact that the district had a budget shortfall of $2.5 million for the 2014/15 school year, according to a report by the BC Teachers’ Federation. The district had a decrease of $4.7 million in operating grant funding during the 2014/15 year in comparison to the previous school year, and the Funding protection supplement covered only $2.1 million of that de-

crease. Another report emphasizes that Sea Island Elementary operates at four times the cost of the average Richmond elementary school.

Sea Island Elem. operates at a significantly higher cost than other elementary schools. IMAGE - GOOGLE STREET VIEW

Closing schools isn’t simple as booting out its students; one factor the district looks at is whether or not the neighbouring schools would be able to handle the influx of new students from the closed school. They also factor in large expenses, including seismic upgrades. As stated in a progress report of the Ministry of Education’s Seismic Mitigation Program, 23 of the 38 Richmond elementary schools are in need of major seismic upgrades. If trustees do go ahead with closures,

they would most likely close a facility that would suffer great damage in an earthquake to save the capital expenditures of upgrading those schools. The report also lists that Hugh Boyd Secondary is a high risk secondary school, while Matthew McNair Secondary and RC Palmer Secondary are at moderate risk of damage during an earthquake. One possible option (not mentioned or aknowledged by district), a Richmond teacher suggests, is to “close Palmer, and funnel its students into MacNeill and McNair”. RC Palmer is projected to be more than twenty-five percent below capacity in the next three years, and operates at more than twenty-five per-

Palmer’s operating costs are 25% higher than the district average. IMAGE - WIKIMEDIA

cent above than the district average. “Palmer has so many empty classrooms during the day,” this teacher tells us. “I teach part-time and still have a classroom to myself.” The closure of schools will also bring an added benefit to the remaining schools: an increase in course selection. At AR MacNeill, a total of 16 courses were collapsed for the 2015/16 school year due to low enrolment. That number would significantly decrease and schools would be able to offer more classes, clubs, teams and programs to supplement the increase of students from closed schools. This all comes in the middle of a transition period for the School District. Six-year superintendent of schools Monica Palmer announced her retirement, due for this December. She leaves behind seven school trustees, including four who were elected this past November, to handle the prospect of school closures. CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 >


6 | October 2015

MacNeill News

#Elxn42: Time For A New Government Following the 2015 Canadian Federal Election

(Left to Right) Stephen Harper (C), Thomas Mulcair (N), Elizabeth May (G), Justin Trudeau (L)

JUSTIN SALINAS

IMAGE - THE HUFFINGTON POST

The Raven Review

This year’s election was probably one of the most important elections, but then again, which elections aren’t? The seats in the House of Commons increased from 308 seats to 338 seats. In Richmond, the districts of Richmond Centre and Steveston-Richmond East, changed from Richmond and Delta-Richmond East in 2011. If you’ve been living under a rock for the past week, the Liberal Party won the election, QUINTUPLING the unmber of seats they had, going from 36 in 2011 to 184 on the 19th. Their leader, Justin Trudeau is going to be the next Prime Minister. In second place came the Conservatives, becoming the official opposition with 99 seats, down 60 seats from the 159 in 2011. After the elec-

Liberal Party

184 Seats

May was the only Green winner in this election, reclaiming her seat in Saanich-Gulf Islands, on Southern Vancouver Island.

tion, Stephen Harper stepped down as leader of the Conservatives, but is keeping his seat as MP in his riding in Calgary Heritage, which is a new riding.

Back home in Richmond, the Conservatives Alice Wong was reelected for her seat in Richmond-Centre, with 17,622 votes out of 39,862, with Lawrence Woo coming in close with 16,486.

In third place, the NDP came in with 44 seats, down 51 since 2011. This has been one of the most upsetting elections for the NDP, and the most surprising for NDP supporters because Tom Mulcair was first in the polls in the beginning of the election campaign. It was supposed to be an “Orange Crush”, but ended up to be an “Orange Crash” for the NDP.

Steveston-Richmond East became a Liberal seat, with Joe Peschisolido beating Kenny Chiu. Peschisolido had 19,486 while Chiu ended up with 16,630. 43,225 valid votes were counted.

The Bloc Quebecois came in fourth, with 10 seats, but the leader, Gilles Duceppe lost his own seat in Laurier-Sainte-Marie riding.

Trudeau will be sworn in as the 23rd Canadian Prime Minister and the 42nd Canadian Parliament will be enacted on Wednesday, November 4th.

The Green Party ended up in last place, with onlyone seat. Elizabeth

Conservative Party

99

Seats

NDP

44

Seats

Bloc Québécois

10

Seats

39.4%

31.9%

19.4%

4.7%

+150

-67

-59

-6

of Vote

Seats gained since 2011 Election

of Vote

Seats lost since 2011 Election

The next Canadian election is October 19, 2019. If your birthday is October 19, 2001 or earlier, you are able to vote in the next election! So grade nines, get ready to cast your ballot in four years.

of Vote

Seats lost since 2011 Election

of Vote

Left: J. Peschisolido (L) elected in Steveston-Richmond East; Right: A. Wong (C) elected in Richmond Centre.

Green Party

1

Seat

3.5% of Vote

Seats lost since 2011 Election

2015 Canadian Election Results SOURCE: CBC NEWS


MacNeill News

Halloween Edition | 7

9% Decline in FTE Enrolment Since 2010 < CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

Monica Palmer - Six Year SD38 Superintendent IMAGE - SD38

Over in Vancouver, an audit released by the BC Government reported that the closure of 19 schools would initially save $750 million and provide an additional $72 million in annual savings. The ministry reports that approximately 10 000 seats are left empty in Vancouver Schools. Student enrolment in District 38 has seen a 9 percent decline in the past five years, according to a Ministry of Education report. In the 2010/11 school year, there was a reported enrolment of 23 201 stu-

Elementary School

Blundell

dents, which dropped to 21 305 for the 2014/15 school year. The decline in enrolment is expected to continue, as 2 200 grade 12 students graduated this past year, while only 1 400 kindergarten students are anticipated for this year. The district also expects 750 fewer students this year, a loss of $3 million from the Ministry and 20 teaching positions. The only gain in the district is an increase in International Students. Last year, there were 750 international students enrolled, which is expected to increase to 875 students this year, an increase of $250 000 coming into the district.

SLSS is the result of the merger of Steveston and London Secondary. IMAGE - ANGELA HU

ally decides to do, and which schools they ultimately decide to close has to do with money, or more precisely the

So what would a closure look like? What would become of MacNeill’s now-grade-eights in their 2020 grad year should MacNeill cease to exist? Well to find out, one need not look further than Richmond’s own Steveston-London Secondary School. In 2007, SLSS opened its doors for the first time, with all of the previous students from London Secondary, all the students from Steveston Secondary, all the staff members from both previous schools, and all the chaos that comes with introducing 1200 ‘new kids’ to a ‘new school’. What the school board eventu-

Burnett

Cambie

MacNeill

Kidd

Secondary School

Operating Costs greater than 25% above district average

Near City Centre*

*

*

*

McNair

Lee

Maple Lane

McKay

McNeely Sea Island

The district is taking feedback and conducting surveys at letstalksd38.ca

1. A school may be considered for closure when there is sufficient space to accommodate the students in neighbouring schools. In addition, at least one of the following conditions must exist: a) The present and the three-year enrolment projection is 25% or more below capacity; b) 20% or more of the children in a catchment area do not attend the school; c) 20% or more of the children attending the school are from outside the catchment area; d) The operating cost per student is above the district average; e) There is a need for significant capital expenditures to keep the building operational; f) The facilities restrict appropriate educational programming; g) The facilities have inappropriate accommodation for pupils and/or teachers; h) Any schools with a total enrolment lower than 100 full time students.

Major Seismic Upgrades Also Needed

The school district held five open houses during October to discuss the impending school closures, the results of which should be revealed in a report later this year.

Richmond School District Policy 904 - Retirement of School Facilities reads:

Operating Costs greater than 25% above district average

Gilmore Grauer

lack thereof. Thus people should look not to the school board to express any possible dismay, but to our current provincial government, and perhaps our next provincial election will give the past few years’ battle over our education system, a little bit of closure.

Tait

Palmer

 School Year

Student Enrolment

2010/11

23 201

2011/12

22 479

2012/13

22 138

2013/14

21 811

Thompson

2014/15

21 305

Woodward

Total Decrease (2011-2014)

1 896

Elementary and Secondary Schools projected to be 25% under capacity in the next 3 years.

Student enrolment has declined by 9% since 2010.

*Potential school closures near City Centre could be relieved by future residential development.

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION STUDENT STATISTICS - JANUARY 2015

RICHMOND NEWS & MINISTRY OF EDUCATION SEISMIC MITIGATION PROGRAM


8 | October 2015

MacNeill News

Ravens Athletics Sports Report Scores as of Monday, October 26th. Bantam Girls’ Volleyball (8) Game

Result

Game

Result

Oct. 5 vs Boyd

W 3-1

Sept. 29 @ McMath

W 3-2

Oct. 6 vs RHS

W 3-0

Oct. 8 vs Burnett

W 3-1

Oct. 8 vs Burnett

L 3-2

Oct. 15 vs Cambie

W 3-0

Oct. 13 vs Richmond Christian

L 3-0

Oct. 20 vs Palmer

W 3-0

Oct. 15 vs Cambie

W 3-2

Game Sept. 28 vs McMath

L 1-3

Game

Result

JOSH RALLA

Sept. 29 vs McMath

W 3-0 W 3-0

It’s been a busy month for Student Council. At the beginning of October, they hosted Clubs Day, with participating clubs reporting a very large number of new member sign ups. StuCo has also been planning a Haunted House and Halloween Dance for the end of October. The Haunted House is to be held in the theatre starting Wendesday, October 28th to the Friday of that week. The Dance is to be held in the small gym on Thursday, October 29th starting at 6:30. Tickets will not be sold at the door. Internally, Student Council is in the proccess of developing five new committees: Internal Affairs, External Affairs, Treasury, Grade Reps and Public Relations. Each committee is to have a chairperson, who was elected earlier this month. The results of which are still to be released.

Oct. 5 vs RHS

W 3-0

Oct. 1 vs Cambie

Oct. 7 @ Burnett

W 3-0

Oct. 6 @ Richmond Christian

L 3-1

Oct. 15 vs Richmond Christian

W 3-0

Oct. 13 @ McRoberts

L 3-0

Oct. 19 @ Cambie

W 3-0

Oct. 15 vs Palmer

L 3-1

Oct 21 @ Palmer

W 3-0

Oct. 20 @ Burnett

W 3-1

ADVERTISEMENT

Lots of POWER shown and school activities these past two months--with the Terry Fox Run and the post-secondary school visits (*cough* be sure to find out your deadlines, grade twelves *cough*)--and many more to come ahead of us! We, at the Review, would like to say a big thank you to all the 40+ POWER Reps and our POWER coordinator, Ms. Misfeldt for the amazing pep rally! It wouldn’t have happened without all of you! Anyways, no more soppy stuff, the POWER Reps went on a cool retreat with Ms. Misfeldt at City Centre Community Centre to talk about how the POWER Reps can build up their leadership skills, so we hope they all had fun. We can’t wait and see what the Reps and our coordinator has planned for us next.

StuCo Report

Senior Girls’ Volleyball (11/12) Result

JUSTIN SALINAS POWER Rep

Juvenille Girls’ Volleyball (9)

Junior Girls’ Volleyball (10)

POWER Rep Report

The Raven Review


World News

Halloween Edition | 9

Weird News: Cloaked Figure Is Dropping Raw Meat On Playgrounds GIOVANNA GOWMEZ The Raven Review

IMAGE - REDDIT/DONWONDELLANOOCH

A strange cloaked figure has been dropping raw meat in North Carolina, America. Many residents have seen the cloaked figure and are wondering about its intentions. The reason why the cloak figure is dropping meat are still unclear. Some authorities believe that it has been doing so to poison dogs.

Weird News: Cat Becomes Student After Consistently Attending School

ADVERTISEMENT

WHAT’S

YOUR

PHOBIA? FIND OUT AT

GIOVANNA GOWMEZ The Raven Review

A cat named Bubba has been attending school. Bubba was a stray cat, adopted in 2009 and his owners want him to be an indoor cat, But the cat was like “no.” and he did whatever he want. So the owner gave up and let him do whatever he wanted. Apparently; Bubba enjoys going to the two school beside his home. He claimed to be a friendly cat and had befriended most of the students. He attended school so much that he received a school ID and a petition to create a statue of him.

MACNEILL’S

HAUNTED

IMAGE - FACEBOOK/BUBBATHESCHOOLCAT

News In A Nutshell

HOUSE

SAYDIU LO The Raven Review

Oregon College Shooting. “We’ve become numb to this.” -Barack Obama Marijuana Laws to be Reformed. ...If the New Democratic Party or the Liberals are elected. Hurricane Joaquin Hits the Bahamas. Meanwhile, a U.S. Coast Guard ship charges straight into the storm and loses contact. Russia Continues its Airstrikes on Syria. Thank you Based Putin.

US Presidential Candidate Donald Trump

Donald Trump Suspicious of Syrian Refugees. “This could be one of the great tactical ploys of all time. A 200,000-man army, maybe. That could be possible.” -Donald Trump, master tactician

IMAGE - REUTERS/DOMINIC REUTER

NASA Discovers Alien Life on Mars. It’s the end of the world. Local school newspaper becomes watered down as management loses control. Skeletal costumes found to be too spooky, hundreds of shipments recalled. PriceSmart located on 8200 Ackroyd Rd has recalled its shipments of ghastly attire when a 4-year-old child died after wandering into the “Halloween Specials” aisle of the local grocery market.

PriceSmart Foods Richmond IMAGE - OVERWAITEA FOOD GROUP

WEDNESDAY 10/28: 2-3PM THURSDAY 10/29: LUNCH FRIDAY 10/30: LUNCH AND 3-4PM ENTER BY THEATRE DOORS IN GYM WING FIFTY CENTS ADMISSION OR 2 NON-PERISHIBLE FOOD DONATIONS


Android 6.0 Marshmallow

10 | Halloween Edition

Our Reviews

Google recently announced details behind their latest mobile operating system: Android 6.0 Marshmallow. After last year’s UI overhaul of Android 5.0 Lolipop, the search engine giant focused on making the OS smoother, smarter, and more efficient. The update contains improvements to search engine and voice commands, and includes the ability to call on Google Now on tap.

Scream Queens: Couldn't You Just Die?

IMAGE - FOX

IRENE WONG The Raven Review

Kappa Kappa Tau is an elite sorority, full of the most beautiful, popular, and fashionable girls attending Wallace University. At least, it was until they were forced to allow everyone who wished to be a member of Kappa Tau, resulting in new “sisters” like a candle blogger/eater, a misandrist, and the main character Grace Gardner and her close friend Zayday Williams. Of course, this is a nightmare for Chanel and her minions (all named Chanel), made worse by the fact a serial killer is slowing picking off Kappa Kappa Tau whilst seeking revenge for a death 20 years ago.

Scream Queens is a fairly good show for those who are into horror but just aren’t into it enough to watch movies like “Scream.” The humor really helps mask how the horror of a serial killer going wild on a sorority is. Amazingly, the humor in the show doesn’t make the killer anymore obvious. In fact their identity seems harder and harder to figure out as more to the story is revealed every episode, despite there always being fewer characters than last week because the serial killer is a serial killer for a reason. It’s really fascinating how linked all the characters are. Everyone seems be possibly linked to the incident 20 years ago that started it all. That being said the show still seems to lack that extra quality that really pulls in viewers, as there isn’t much motivation on the audience’s part to figure out the murderer because we’re lacking so much information. Which is another frustrating thing about the show, because although mystery shows must retain some information for there to be an actual mystery, there is such thing as being far too vague and this show seems to be bordering it. Of course, this may change as the season progresses, but at the moment the lack of motivation for the audience puts this show at 3.5/5. Positives: Funny, despite it being about a serial killer and holds an actual mystery about the killer and the story revolving it. Negatives: Some offensive jokes, not as captivating as it could be.

RATING: 3.5/5

IMAGE - FOX


Halloween Edition | 11

Our Reviews

Cartoon Review: Over The Garden Wall YUKI XIA

The Raven Review

Over the Garden Wall is a ten episode musical cartoon written by Patrick McHale, about step brothers Greg and Wirt who are lost in the unknown and are trying to find their way home. They meet a magical, talking bluebird named Beatrice who joins them and leads them to Adelaide, the good witch of the pasture. Greg is a cheerful and fun loving child with a pet frog whose name he can never seem to decide on, and has a love for singing. Wirt is a slightly gloomy teen with a love for poetry is also a bit shy and awkward. Beatrice is then shown to be a bit impatient and grumpy and is always complaining about Wirt and/or Greg. Together on their journey as they search for a way home, they travel through the unknown, a magical place full of whimsical characters and dark secrets. Positives: The plot is wonderfully developed for a show only ten episodes long, and has brilliant character development on all sides. The art is absolutely stunning, resembling that of old cartoon shows and it is also

filled with influences from old tales. Each character has their very own distinguishing personalities and traits, as there are a lot given. The story is full of well-written twists that draw you in and entrance until the very end. As the cartoon is a musical, it is full of songs and they are well written. Each song is beautifully composed and hook you in with its tune and lyrics. All in all, the show didn’t win three Emmys for nothing. Negatives: There really isn’t much to say. I guess that the fact that the show was so short was a bit if a down side. Final Thoughts: This cartoon is definitely one of the best in its generation and maybe even in future ones. Everything just works together so well. This show is a must see for any cartoon lover.

RATING: 5/5

Anime Review: Ranpo Kitan: Game of Laplace YUIKI SHIROHANA The Raven Review

The anime starts with a boy named Yoshio Kobayashi, who one day wakes up in his classroom at school, only to find his homeroom teacher in front of him…dismembered and dead. Being the only person at the scene of the crime, the young middle-schooler is automatically assumed to be the murderer until someone else steps in, a 17-year old crime-solving prodigy named Kogoro Akechi. Upon seeing Akechi, Kobayashi’s interest is piqued and he immediately offers to become Akechi’s assistant in order to clear his own name. After all, his life has been so dull and it was about time for something to happen, right? Positives: I have a huge soft spot for mystery animes, especially for this one because it was dedicated to the 50th anniver-

sary of Edogawa Ranpo’s passing. This series was based on multiple stories written by him, and I found that it was quite an interesting spin-off from the novels. Negatives: I’m not a fan of horror, and since this is a horror-mystery, I found it hard to get through one episode. Also, there is a bit of weirdness here and there, like the way the civilians are portrayed as mannequins. Genre: Horror, Drama, Mystery Episodes: 11

RATING: 3.5/5

ADVERTISEMENT

The AR MacNeill 2015-2016 Yearbook

GET YOURS FOR $45 BEFORE PRICES GO UP ON DECEMBER 1ST!


12 | October 2015

Our Reviews

Raven Readers Report: Beauty Queens Story by Libba Bray

Members Present: Ayesha Rehan, Serena Nanji, Yuki Xia, Manolya Sag, Ms. Nishi and Ms. Phillips Story: A planeload of teen beauty queen contestants crash land on a tropical island. Not only do they have to battle giant snakes, starvation and reality show pirates, but they have to foil the evil corporation and dictator who wants to destroy the world. A bizarre and hilarious reboot of Lord of the Flies crossed with Survivor and Naomi Klein. Food: Bounty bars (pirates and coconut treats!); coconut water (the girls’ cocktail of choice); sour snakes and grubs (in gummy form! – girls battled one and ate the other) Date: October 20, 2015

What We Liked: »» Hilarious, over-the-top descriptions, exaggeration of everything, including all the tropes of survivor reality shows, beauty pageants, character quirks and adventure stories. »» The unusual presentation, with amusing and bizarre footnotes, “Fun Facts” about each of the girls and multiple points of view. »» The stereotypes that are blown up by the girls’ finding their true selves in a very false reality. »» A re-visioning of what it means to be female in many different ways. »» The portrayal of trans-sexual and gay characters that show them to be complex human beings, not just tokens. »» The cinematic descriptions (at times it felt like we were watching a movie) »» The bizarre plot, with exploding volcanoes, evil dictators, controlling capitalists, a mass murder sub-plot and heroism throughout the story. »» The dynamic quality of the characters – they all change and grow from the experience. »» The pirates, who aren’t really so macho after all. »» The comment on the corporate world and the “beauty project” that traps so many women and girls in insecurity and consumerism.

What We Found Interesting: »» Allusions to many different works – Lord of the Flies, Survivor, Pirates of the Caribbean and Pirates of Penzance, Lost, maybe even Gulliver’s Travels. »» This would make a very good movie.

Coming Up Next:

Tempest-Tost by Robertson Davies The story: An amateur production of The Tempest provides a colourful backdrop for an hilarious look at unrequited love. Mathematics teacher Hector Mackilwraith, stirred and troubled by Shakespeare’s play, falls in love with the beautiful Griselda Webster. Date: Tues, Nov. 24th Place: Library couches Host: Manolya Sag New Members Always Welcome!

Not So Much: »» Stereotypes of beauty pageant girls – the dumb one, the smart one, the beautiful one »» No respect is shown for the girls who enter these pageants. They work hard!

Rating: 4/5 Ravens


Our Reviews

Halloween Edition | 13

Movie Review: The Nightmare Before Christmas By Tim Burton

ALEXANDRA BUSTOS The Raven Review

Films in this season always seem to do the job of enlightening us with thrill, suspense, and a sense of humourous fear; a case of Tim Burton never seems to fail to meet those expectations. The Nightmare Before Christmas is set in Halloween town, the home of all our greatest fears and favourite Halloween creatures. Here, however, the pumpkin king Jack Skellington becomes bored with

the annual routine he must attend to, and is found exploring around unknown vicinities. In a stunning stop-motion animation, Tim Burton takes us on Jack’s journey as he discovers the holiday of Christmas. Through and epic venture of wonder and tales of trouble, this classic Halloween film never ceases to liven up the Halloween spirit. The graphic novels is also available in the library.

Comic Review: The Killing Joke Written by: Alan Moore | Published: DC Comics, 1988

ALEXANDRA BUSTOS The Raven Review

Standing as one of Alan Moore’s finest works, The Killing Joke, starring the Clown Prince of Crime himself, makes its way to triumph as one of the utmost horrific and mind-boggling graphic novels of all time. The Killing Joke hints at the origin story of the Joker—or, at least, what he himself thinks of it to be. Later on in the following Batman graphic novels, Joker confesses that he doesn’t know what his origin story really is either, but that is how he recalled it to be at the time. Throughout The Killing Joke, Moore has Joker narrate his story to Commissioner Gordon while entertaining him with psychological

torment to prove that even the best of men can go bonkers after one bad day. Features of crime intertwined with psychological and sociological play in this graphic novel are absolutely stunning; having the Joker act on such a significant moment in the Batman series, (that would affect it for the next 15 years). He then continues to decorate the rest of the day with the examination of human nature in the most incomprehensibly vile fashions, emphasizing the injustice of life. The story in itself is a masterpiece, and to those Batman fans who haven’t read this graphic novel yet, I can say that you don’t deserve to call yourselves fans until you’ve encountered The Killing Joke.


14 | October 2015

Our Reviews

Game Review: Bad Rats: The Rats Revenge Invent4 Entertainment / Strategy First

ALEXANDRA BUSTOS The Raven Review

The Good: Bad Rats: the Rats’ Revenge is filled with physics puzzles that will keep the player occupied for hours. This game is still actively played by its user base even six years after the release. There is an average of 39.7 players playing every day in the past thirty days. With that said, there must be a formula keeping the players attached to this game. One factor may be the varied levels included in this game, which keep the players glued to their screens! The player can solve the level however they please with the resources provided by the game. Because of the limitless possibilities of items that can be used to solve a level, the developers have included an option to show where the items should go. Although that takes away from the experience of the game, the great selection of objects allows the player to stray away from the solutions and use their creativity to solve the level. The Bad: Despite the challenging levels and “to die for” graphics, Bad Rats all in all is a mistake. The game seems to be acceptance of this fact, having the word bad implanted on the title itself. Trying to be humorous and challenging simultaneously, Bad Rats fails spectacularly in merging these two aspects together. Some of the elements in the gameplay have no purpose whatsoever; for example there is a fat rat who could be placed in the middle of the stage just to sit there for the entire duration. If one does manage to successfully set the trap, one irewarded with a rather

anticlimactic death of what appears to be a cat, but really looks more like an orange gnome with its face punched in. To make things even more fun for the player, the game comes with a number of bugs and glitches. As one happy customer puts it, “There are more bugs in this game than Bear Grylls can eat”. All in all, as a reviewer, I would give this game a 1.5 out of 10. As an IGN reviewer maybe a 9 if not a 10.

ADVERTISEMENT

support the animal rescue club! buy a slice of pizza for $2, tuesdays in the lounge!


Halloween Edition | 15

Entertainment

Canucks' Corner: Off-Season Changes

Long time defenceman Kevin Bieksa was traded to Anahiem.

MARC CHUA

IMAGE - USA TODAY SPORTS

The Raven Review

Following the disappointing loss in last year’s first round playoff series against the Calgary Flames, the Vancouver Canucks went into training camp aiming to come back with a better, younger, stronger team — and that’s exactly what they did. Most of the criticism against the Canucks was directed at their slow and sluggish blue line. Gone are defenceman Kevin Bieksa and the beloved goalie Eddie Lack, replaced by new faces Matt Bartkowski and Jacob Markstrom. In addition to beefing up their blue line, the Canucks also have quite a few defensive forwards: Alex Burrows, Chris Higgins, Bo Horvat, and the newly acquired Brandon Sutter, who will surely add depth to their already solid defence. Fans will remember the team’s 2015 off-season as a period of

change and renewal. The most notable adjustment was the trade of long-time defenceman Kevin Bieksa who will always be remembered for the game-winning goal he scored to push the Canucks into the Stanley Cup finals in 2011 and for bringing an element of physicality to the Canucks’ blue line. The trade of Bieksa signalled change for the team, which now enjoys a revived defence line and a strong goalie in a healthy Ryan Miller. In a very competitive Pacific division, the Canucks are looking good for this season. With their young and improved blue line to their defensive forwards and a goalie who looks to be in mid-season shape, the Canucks defence may give long-suffering fans more reason to hope this season.

ADVERTISEMENT

AR MacNeill Student Council Meetings every monday at lunch in room b222! New Members Always welcome.


16 | October 2015

Entertainment

Opinion: The Case For the Re-Test ALEX CHOINSKI The Raven Review

Why do we learn? Why are we taught? What purpose does public education serve? These are just a few questions teachers would be better off having asked themselves before they look down at you, eyebrows furled in a look of incredulity and disappointment, and utter those dreaded words, “no retest.” You look down at your Law quiz, or trig quiz, or spelling test, covered in little red exes, and you look at the number at the top which reads “50%” – one mark off for forgetting your name – and your quiz was out of two. You think to yourself, “Hey, this mark doesn’t represent my ability to meet the prescribed learning outcomes in the provincial curricula for this class,” and having thought this you would be correct. For whatever reason you received the mark that you did, you know the next day you could do better, the next day you would know better. This is the process of education, it is inherently mistake-driven. Students enter into a classroom with some knowledge, a few misconceptions, and a large, dark and oftentimes dangerous void known as ignorance. The teacher is given some curriculum in the form of tasks students should be able to satisfactorily complete, and the abilities they should satisfactorily be able to use to complete them. However every student learns differently, and growing class sizes makes it increasingly difficult for teachers to spend time with each individual student to tailor lessons to their needs. This leads to the unfortunate, and unfortunately all-too-common scenario of a student not having the foggiest idea of how to do what, coming to class and scraping by a test with 51% thanks to the bonus marks given for drawing a pretty flower on the back page. This is where many, many, many a teacher would end the story– and wrongfully so I might add. Teachers have long forgotten the sanctity of the letter grade and what it represents. In its truest form it is pure, informative and standardized, effortlessly reflecting the ability of a student to meet the course’s learning outcomes as a fraction of one hundred. Corrupted, however, the letter grade represents naught but the numerical whims of an educator, a poorly selected freeze-frame of your abilities on ONE DAY in ONE BLOCK, incapable of taking

IMAGE - WISEGEEK

into account, oh, I don’t know, GROWTH. This is why the idea of a re-test is so attractive– it can measure change over time. If by June you have mastered content taught and tested in September, let your mark reflect that! Let it accurately show what you as a student have achieved over the course of the year, what you as a student have learned. And that is what it comes down to, we learn, and are taught, to enlighten our lives, and we are evaluated in this learning so as to show others how we have been enlightened. But by refusing to give a re-test, a teacher is rejecting the notion that learning is a process over time. It accrues, it ebbs and flows, it wanes and waxes, and as any Physics 11 student could tell you, if a teacher wishes to measure the change in a quantity over time, they are going to need to take two measurements. In many classrooms, there are already rigid retest rules, but I urge teachers to err on the side of formative education, to err on the side of second chances – And to err on the side of the retest.

Tiny Teasers

ANSWERS ON PAGE 23! >

TINY TINA The Raven Review

1. A five letter word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it. What is the word? 2. What can you hold in your right hand, but not in your left? 3. If a red house is made of red bricks, and a blue house is made of blue bricks, what is a green house made of? 4. What common chemical compound can be represented: H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O? 5. [This one you need to think hard based on the clues!] Acting on an anonymous phone call, the police raid a house to arrest a suspected murderer. They don’t know what he looks like but they know his name is Kevin and that he is inside the house. The police bust in on a carpenter, a lorry driver, a mechanic and a fireman all playing poker. Without hesitation or communication of any kind, they immediately arrest the fireman. How do they know they’ve got their man?


Halloween Edition | 17

Entertainment

ThoughtBubble: What Does Death Smell Like?

MANOLYA SAG The Raven Review

Ever wanted to know what death smelled like? Even if you don’t want to know, researchers sure did. They have been trying to understand what death smelled like since 2004- where two papers, one looking at the early stages of how our bodies decompose once deceased, and the other looking at the chemical gases emitted from our deceased bodies, started the whole thing. Since 2004 many researchers, particularly a group in Belgium, made a lot of discoveries on the type of organic compounds our bodies emit during decay. In 2010, the Belgian Disaster Victim Identification Team asked

a team of forensic scientists if there was any way to train cadaver dogs to pick up the scent of decaying human. One of the scientists on the team Elien Rosier made a ground breaking discovery by putting tissue organs from autopsied corpses in jars. Rosier used organs from humans, pigs, rabbits, turtles, moles, and a few others. Each jar’s screw cap had stoppered holes allowing Rosier to collect gas samples periodically. In 6 months’ time, Rosier had collected enough gas samples from each species and identified 452 organic compounds! So how does that help the cadaver dogs? Well, hold on tight because out of those 452 organic bonds, the scientists had to isolate which compounds would work best for the training. At first they thought that sulphur-containing compounds might be the key in distinguishing between species; however, the scents disappeared in time. What looked more promising was the scent the fat of each species released. The forensic scientists found that ultimately eight compounds could be mixed in the future to train cadaver dogs in finding our deceased bodies! Now, don’t get your hopes up too high because the scientists acknowledged that a scent from one organ is not the same as a scent from one whole body. This is because bacteria and other environmental factors affect decomposition. Their next step is to find whether the same compounds released from one organ would be released from a buried decaying body. To do this, they plan on training dogs with the scent found from human organs and are hoping that the dogs will then be able to find a buried body in a field.

The Final Walk GIOVANNA GOWMEZ & MANOLYA SAG The Raven Review

The young girl ran. She ran, and ran, and ran until she couldn’t run anymore. She stopped and panted. Looking around, she saw tall Douglas Firs everywhere. She didn’t know where she was, but she didn’t care. She was scared. Someone…no, something was going to get her. Something was going to get her mind. But, what? she asked herself. There was no such thing. Then how did she hear another voice inside her head? Another voice telling her what an idiot she was for thinking her boyfriend was cheating on her. At first she dismissed it, the thought sounded like her own. Besides, it was quite normal for her to counter her thoughts with a more logical response. However, those thoughts came back. They told her how to think, how to act and how to behave with its deep, raspy voice. However, the girl never told anyone about it since she didn’t want to be labelled as the insane chick at school. Today though, during second block, the voice continued pestering her until she couldn’t take it anymore. In the middle of her teacher’s lecture on organic bonds, she stood up and yelled, telling the voice to leave her alone. She scanned the room at everyone around her, only to see them watching her with disgust. Then, she bolted. She wanted to run away from the voice, away from the Thing with the voice. She knew it wasn’t going to go away but she didn’t know what else to do. “How am I going get this to stop?” She voiced towards the forest. In a barely audible voice, It replied “Kill yourself.” The young girl obeyed.


18 | October 2015

Entertainment

5 Last-Minute Costume Ideas FLORA CHONG The Raven Review

So it’s another year of stressing and struggling to find a creative and affordable costume. Putting it off to the last minute, you still haven’t found the one for you. Well, look no further! Here are a few home-made last minute costumes for the unprepared!

1) SOCIAL MEDIA ICONS Social media is a simple and efficient way for you to connect to your friends, and so is dressing up as one! Start by choosing out an icon of your choice (ie. Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter). This costume is a guarantee hit amongst your friends, and you could even plan out a fitting icon for each of your friends to dress up as. What you’ll need: A printed and enlarged social media of your choosing (You can also create your own by using poster board and paint), a shirt or dress with the matching colour of the icon, and string to tie the icon around your neck.

2) SKELETON Skeletons are the classic spooky monster in Halloween, and you can dress as this classy pal by taking a black t-shirt and using white fabric paint, and paint the bones directly on the shirt by following a reference picture on google. For a more temporary outfit, use white construction paper and cut of bones and use double-sided tape to secure it on the shirt. What you’ll need: A black shirt, white fabric paint or construction paper, scissors, and double-sided tape

IMAGE - TWITTER/ARAL

3) SELF-PORTRAIT When worst comes to worst, if you don’t have enough time to go out and grab anything, just take a picture frame from home and carry it around. What you’ll need: A picture frame, and yourself.

4) YOUR FRIEND Grab a friend and their most common outfit (Preferably a close friend), so aside from looking like them, you can also act like their personality and common speech patterns. Works even better if your friend is willing to become you for the day. What you’ll need: good awareness and acting, a friend (If you can’t find one, you could always dress up as your siblings, strangers are not recommended for this project)

IMAGE - IMGARCADE

5) SIMS CHARACTER Quick and easy, and you can just act like yourself! (You don’t even need to make sense when you speak). Just take a piece of cardboard and cut it into a diamond. Apply light green paint on the cutout. After the paint has dried, take a piece of wire and attach the wire to the diamond with duct tape and secure the other end of the wire to a head band by twisting the wire around the center of the head band. Pop it on, and there you go! What you’ll need: cardboard, light green paint, scissors, wire, head band, and a bit of time.

TIPS FOR NEXT YEAR: - Plan out what you want to be next year ASAP! The sooner you do it the easier it’ll be for you to locate the pieces of your outfit. - Try to find the costumes you like during this Halloween and take their idea for next year. - Chances are that you’ll find much more reasonably priced clothing pieces in thrift stores, so before you try the mall, hit up your local thrift store. - If you don’t end up finding a costume, when people ask why not, just tell them that you’re scary enough without one. IMAGE - YOUTUBE/CLASSICSPLENDOUR


Halloween Edition | 19

Entertainment

Top Alternative Currencies To Invest In THE HACKY SHADER The Raven Review

Well it’s that time of the year again. The room you’re in suddenly drops temperature, shadows are moving from corner to corner, but you don’t see anything. But the real, terrifying threat is in front of us. Governments (even in democracies that we live in), are slowly tightening up their power over our lives and finances and our former haven, the Internet, is being restrained. To make things slightly better, we have virtual coins as our emergency bank (if the Internet doesn’t crash).

WHAT ARE VIRUTAL COINS? Virtual coins are crowd-sourced, decentralized coins with simple and portable virtual (or computer) storage. They are highly secure, because of their strategy of using coded data blocks in series called block-chains which are passed along by miners (virtual coin minters) who solve math puzzles using computers to make new currency

BITCOIN Bitcoin is probably the familiar coin you have heard of. It’s one of the most widely used virtual currencies on the Internet, and the Defacto coinage of the Deep Web. Although it has a bad reputation from disrepute from usage on the seedier parts of the Web, the general usage is more for common mundane usage. Bitcoin stops its currency from growing past 20 trillion coins, which will all be in circulation in 2040 so grab your coins now before they’re gone.

DOGECOIN Dogecoin is a coin with a meme-based name, but with a serious definition. It has value less than most virtual currencies, but with a great amount of flexibility in usage. Dogecoin is used for smaller transactions.

IMAGE - THE MERKLE

LITECOIN Litecoin is a light mining (coin making) coin which is used along bitcoin for its similar properties, but low computer requirements and electricity costs.

DARKCOIN Darkcoin is the securest virtual coin, using 256-bit secure technology. It is more secure than bitcoin and is for people who are more conscientious about their privacy.

PRIMECOIN: Primecoin is a currency that uses prime numbers as solution to coin blocks, which has much value in cryptography and all password security.

13 Halloween Superstitions YUIKI SHIROHANA The Raven Review

During Halloween, tales of supernatural beings and spooky events are told. Superstitions are no exception. Here are some that will question the science of the world that you live in: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.

If a candle blows out for no reason, it is a sign that evil spirits are near. If your candle does blow out, better find a circle to stand in quickly. It’s said that standing in circles ward evil spirits away. If 3 people are photographed together, the one in the middle will die first. If the deceased’s eyes are left open after they pass away, it’s said that they’ll find someone to take away with them Don’t bring your old broom with you when you move. If you do, it’ll bring bad luck to your new home. If you hear the doorbell ring and you see that there’s nobody outside, don’t open the door. If you do, you’ll be inviting spirits into your house. If you have a birthmark on your body, it is said that you’ve been shot at that place in a past life. It’s bad luck to comb your hair in front of a mirror at midnight. It’s said that you could be acknowledging a ghost behind the mirror. Cover your mirror when somebody dies, or else your soul will get trapped inside. If 3 seagulls are fly directly above you, then death is near. You should probably hold your breath if you walk past a cemetery. If you don’t, you might just breathe in the soul of a newly deceased person. If a broken clock suddenly chimes, there will be death in the family. If a bird comes into your house, someone will die.


20 | October 2015

The Costume RALPH LI

The Raven Review

Ninja Squad RALPH LI & ASKARI ASAYED The Raven Review

Entertainment


Halloween Edition | 21

Entertainment

Halloween Horrorscopes MISS FORTUNE The Raven Review

ARIES ( MARCH 21 - APRIL 19 ) I can sense bad luck coming your way this Halloween. Stay away from procrastination and cemeteries. If you do, may the stars grant you good fortune, filled with good grades and candy this Halloween!!!

TAURUS ( APRIL 20 - MAY 20 ) I see that the stars have aligned for you this Halloween. I sense that there will be a fortunate week, filled with candy and good marks. Yet, be aware of surprise tests and burdens this October.

GEMINI ( MAY 21 - JUNE 20 ) May the Gods of the sky grant you good fortune this October. Although, I can see the stars warning you about major projects or last minute plans especially with friends. Make sure to plan ahead or else you will be caught up in homework you’ve stacked up on.

CANCER ( JUNE 21 – JULY 22 ) The stars have been aligned for you this October. May this month be filled with sweets and happy thoughts. However, be wary of cavities and bad marks. They are your worst enemy this month.

LEO ( JULY 23 – AUGUST 22 ) I can sense that this Halloween will be a good one for you. Nonetheless, I can sense great danger especially on the last week of October. Be careful around your surroundings as you may never know what’s around the corner, lurking in the shadows.

VIRGO ( AUGUST 23 – SEPTEMBER 22 ) This Halloween will be a happy and exciting one this year. Regardless, don’t have too much fun or else spirits of the past will frown upon you.

LIBRA ( SEPTEMBER 23 – OCTOBER 22 ) Libras, your time is now. It’s time to get freaky and celebrate this Halloween with a bang. Try new things, outside your comfort zone, and have fun.

SCORPIO ( OCTOBER 23 – NOVEMBER 21 ) This Halloween may be conflicting you this year. You may be upset about a surprise project or a bad mark on a test. Cheer up by planning a killer Halloween party or plan an unforgettable Halloween costume that will knock people’s socks off!!!

SAGITTARIUS ( NOVEMBER 22 – DECEMBER 21 ) I can sense that you may not be as excited for this Halloween. Cheer up though, go and buy big boxes of candy just for you or have a get together with friends and have a movie marathon. No one should be alone this Halloween.

CAPRICORN ( DECEMBER 22 – JANUARY 19 ) Be courageous this Halloween and do something outside the box. Go to a haunted house with friends or try to make your own costume. This October will be unforgettable for you.

AQUARIUS ( JANUARY 20 – FEBRUARY 18 ) Feeling a little daring this October? Try doing a scary movie marathon by yourself or with friends. Maybe, visit a haunted house to get some adrenaline in your system. Yet, never try to contact spirits or use the Ouiji board during Halloween unless you want some spirits haunting you forever.

PISCES ( FEBRUARY 19 – MARCH 20 ) I fear that your life might be in grave danger from procrastination. Make sure to study hard and finish homework on time. This Halloween may be quite difficult for you this year, but make sure to give it all you got!!!

Back Issues: October 2007 JOSH RALLA The Raven Review

This is The Raven Review’s ninth year in print, and we’re looking back at previous issues of The Review to explore some historical titbits about MacNeill! First Annual MacNeill Grad Boat Cruise “MacNeill’s first grad boat cruise took place on September 28, 2007. Groups of students and teachers arrived with an expression of knowing that it will be an awesome night. On the boat, Harbour Princess, there were various activities to do that excited various people. There was an artificial casino, dance floor, buffet and of course a deck for everyone to go and appreciate the beautiful view of Coal Harbour. Three hours went by with lots of dance, gambling, eating and taking pictures. Everyone wanted it to last longer but the cruise was coming to an end. This also marked the end of MacNeill first graduating class. The next grad event is the “Grad Fashion Show”; please show your support by volunteering or coming to it!” - Hope Wang


22 | October 2015

Entertainment

Pumpkin Spice Cream Puffs

IMAGE - HONEYSUCKER

RYAN CHONG

IMAGE - CHOWSTATIC

From honeysucklecatering.com

Ingredients: Cream (Pumpkin Spice): 1 cup Whole milk 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract 2 tsp Pumpkin Spice mix 1 egg 2 tsp Cornstarch 1/4 cup Sugar 1 tsb Butter 1/4 cup Pumpkin puree Powdered Sugar (optional)

Cream Puff: 1 cup Water 6 tbsps Unsalted Butter 1 tsp Sugar a pinch of Salt 1 cup Flour 4 eggs

Directions:

1.

IMAGE - HONEYSUCKLE CATERING

Preheat the oven to 425 째F.

2. In a medium saucepan, add water, six tablespoons of unsalted butter, a teaspoon of sugar, and a pinch of salt. Let it cook on the stove at a medium to high temperature until it comes to a rolling boil. 3. Remove the heat and immediately add 1 cup of flour. Using a wooden spoon, stir vigorously until the dough clumps into a ball. 4.

Add the four eggs, one at a time, and keep stirring until the ingredients mix together.

5.

Take the dough and place it into medium-sized dollops onto a baking sheet. Flatten the tips.

6.

Bake for thirty minutes until the mix turns golden brown.

7. In a medium saucepan, mix the cup of whole milk, vanilla extract and pumpkin spice mix. Heat it until it starts to steam. 8.

In another bowl, mix the egg, cornstarch, and a quarter cup of sugar.

9.

Ladle some hot milk liquid into the egg mixture and whisk until it thickens.

10. Remove from the heat, and then add the pumpkin puree and butter. Transfer the cream into a bowl and cover it with a plastic wrap. Put it in the fridge to set for 1-2 hour(s). 11. To assemble the cream puffs, fill a plastic wrap with the cream and pipe it in between the puffs and finish it off with powdered sugar.


Halloween Edition | 23

Entertainment

Pumpkin Sugar Cookies JORDAN HOLUBOCH The Raven Review

Ingredients: 3 1/4 cups 1 tsp 1 tsp 1 cup (2 sticks) 2/3 cup 1/3 cup 1 egg 1 tsp

all purpose flour baking powder cinnamon unsalted butter granulated (white) sugar brown sugar (light or dark)

1/4 cup 1/4 tsp 1/8 tsp 1/4 tsp

(canned) pumpkin puree* ground ginger* nutmeg* allspice*

(*optional- each can be replaced with 2 tsps pumkin pie spice.)

vanilla extract IMAGE - GALLERYHIP

Directions: 1. In a large bowl, add flour, baking powder and spices. Stir with a whisk to combine. 2. With an electric mixer, beat in the butter until it’s smooth. Add both sugars and continue to beat until fully combined and fluffy. 3. Add egg, vanilla, pumpkin and mix. Scrape down the sides of your bowl with a spatula. 4. While the mixer is running on low, slowly add the flour mixture. Mix until all of the flour is incorporated, and the mixture begins to ball up and pull away from the sides of the bowl. 5. Dump out the dough onto a clean work surface, and knead in any extra bits of flour or dough. Divide the dough into two large ball and place them in a plastic bag (or plastic wrap). 6. Flatten dough into large disks and place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. 7. Once the dough has chilled, roll it out onto lightly floured surface and cut out desired shapes. 8. Bake cookies in a 350°F oven, on ungreased baking sheets for 9-11 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies.

How to: Get Better at Writing

How to: Get Better at Drawing

GIOVANNA GOWMEZ The Raven Review

1. Just do it. Do it everyday, and ask for ‘constructive criticism’ to improve. 2. Always edit for errors. 3. Read books, dictionaries, and/or a thesaurus to learn more sophisticated vocabulary.

Answers to Tiny Teasers

1. Try copying other drawings. 2. Learn techniques from Youtube, Google, etc; 3. Time and practice is the key to successful drawings.

< READ THE QUESTIONS ON PAGE 16 FIRST!

1. Short; 2. Your left hand, forearm, and elbow; 3. Glass; 4. H20 (H to O); 5. The fireman was the only man there, the others were women. ADVERTISEMENT

Thanks for reading The Raven Review! Want to join The Raven Review and have your content included in the next edition? Find out more info about joining us on page 4!


Find this issue online: issuu.com/ravenreview

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

bit.ly/RROct15


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.