Contents Student Council
Teacher Features
Join us to get involved!
Meet the new Principal!
03 MacNeill Q&A
Getting Involved
The answers to your questions
Read about our many clubs & teams!
03 04 05 06 08 10 11 15 16 18
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08 The Raven Review Meet our team!
11 Being Active Citizens
Here Comes Compass
Get involved with pressing issues!
It’s been three years in the making
Student Council Help out and make some friends too!
Teacher Features Meet the new teachers!
Highschool Surivival Guide The ins and outs of highschool
MacNeill Q&A Your Questions, Our Answers.
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Back-to-School Shopping The must-haves for this school year
Clubs & Teams Get involved and have some fun!
Opinion Where are our next active citizens?
Compass Card: Explained It’s finally here
In The News In case you’ve been living under a rock...
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read us online Find this edition of The Raven Review for free online at issuu.com and Google Play Books!
issuu.com/ravenreview
bit.ly/RRSept15
connect with us Follow us on Facbeook and Twitter to get the latest on MacNeill news, announcements and sports, to get involved or to submit content! /macneillravenreview @theravenreview macneillravenreview@outlook.com
Message from the editor in chief Hey there! You’re reading this year’s first edition of The Raven Review! We’ve been bringing MacNeill’s news for almost a decade now, and we’re excited for the start of another year! This edition wouldn’t be possible without another spectacular effort from all contributors on yet another successful edition! We’d like to again thank our sponsor teacher Ms. Phillips for her dedication throughout the years. We’re hoping many of our readers decide to join our team, which is a great way to make new friends and gain experience. We’re hoping for another great year here at MacNeill!
Teacher Sponsor Ms. Phillips
Editor In Chief David Yang
Editor Judy Huang
Journalists
Alexandra Bustos David Yang Erica Caalaman Irene Wong Josh Ralla Yuiki Shirohana
Print Designer Josh Ralla
Back To School Edition September 2015
The Raven review About Us Hey Ravens! This is the Raven Review. Since 2006, we have been bringing MacNeill’s news to the students. We feature MacNeill news, announcements and athletics, along with reviews, sports and arts. We publish our magazine every two months: Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Spring and Summer. We also post Weekly Reviews and Sports Reports on our Facebook and Twitter Pages.
Join Our Team Journalists: You don’t have to be the best at writing to be a journalist! 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.
Our team Alexandra Bustos Journalist - Strike Box
Meet Alex, the new triple kill: Spidey senses, the speed of the Flash, and Sith Lord. She’s also just our one-year newbie.
David Yang Editor In Chief & Journalist - Canucks’ Corner & MacNeill News
David is proud to present to you the Raven Review; your news source for everything MacNeill with a variety of lifestyle good reads for Ravens.
Dennise Leung Editors: These are the guys who should be pretty good at writing, as they check each article for grammar and fluency. This is a pretty relaxed position, so if you just want to join us but aren’t ready to be a full journalist, this is the job for you! 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.
Manager & Journalist - Anime Review & MacNeill News
*casually runs a black market trade and is secretly a online blogger, music-mixer, hardcore otome gamer and junior novelist.* Still a cinnabun though, too pure for this world.
Journalist
I enjoy this club, but I’d like it more if everyone was a cat.
Josh Ralla Art Director & Journalist - Raven Athletics & Tech Review
Here because nobody else is technologicallyinclined.
Judy Huang Editor
Part-time editor, full-time weeaboo.
Kevin Liu Journalist - Anime Review
Elapsam semel occasionem non ipse potest Iuppiter reprehendere.
Kyle Ching Journalist - MacNeill News
JUST DO IT.
Multitrillionaire playboy who manages the city’s greatest company by day and patrols the streets as a vigilante by night.
Erica Caalaman
Ms. Phillips
Edmond Wu (Eddy-Senpai) Journalist - Anime Review
Journalist - Horoscopes & Movie Review
Aspiring journalist who is nothing but a dork for books.
Flora Chong Journalist
Dank Memes.
Giovanna Gowmez Want to join? Contact us online, talk to one of our members, or come to our first open meeting on Friday, September 18th in the Library!
Irene Wong
Journalist
In a few words, Giovanna is a “fangirl of many fandoms, but commited to everything”. She hates unrequired romantic subplots, it’s what she would call “useless”.
Teacher Sponsor
Defender of the written word, enemy of the misplaced modifier. Librarian. Teacher. Reader. Writer.
"Tiny" Tina Kuan Manager & Journalist - Recipe & ThoughtBubble
INTRODUCING TINA: SHE’S SHORT, DOES ALMOST NOTHING AS A MANAGER AND ENJOYS INFLICTING PAIN ON KEVIN.
Yuki Xia Journalist
A multi-fandom fangirl who spends waaaayyy too much time reading, writing or watching cartoons.
Hanah Dhanani Editor & Journalist - School News
I had to change my original bio because it was inapropriate.
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Student Council
About the council Student Council (StuCo) is a great way to have your voice heard at school, earn service hours and meet new friends while having lots of fun! Student Council brings MacNeill our dances, spirit days, and school events. We are always looking for more people to join our team, along with new ideas to help make our school even better! To join, just pop in during one of our open meetings every Monday at lunch in room 222. See you there!
stuco executives Public Relations Executives: Mikee Doria (12) & Matthew Lam (12)
Grade 9 Representatives: Arisa Kinugawa & Julia Chen
Secretaries: Manmohan Singh Hunjan (12) & Matthew Liu (12)
Grade 10 Representatives: Serena Yeung & Rachel Yuen
Treasurers: Wilfred Lai (12) & Teresa Yuen (10) Presidents David Yang (12) & Kelvin Tsai (12)
Event Coordinators: Dennise Leung (11), Mary Sun (10) & Judy Yu (10) Inventory Representatives: Michael Shee (12) & Alex Xia (12) Purchasers: Erica Caalaman (11) & Jason Chung (12) Technical Director: Josh Ralla (11) Art Director: Flora Chong (12) Spirit Leaders: Anna Mathew (11) & Kelly Wang (10)
Vice-Presidents Hanah Dhanani (12) & Kyle Ching (12)
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Grade 11 Representatives: John Deasy & Bianca Kozica Grade 12 Representatives: Kevin Liu & Edmond Wu Executive Members: Caila Ang (9), Matthew Cheng (12), Selina Fu (9) & Julie Ju (9)
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teacher features
Meet the newest teachers at MacNeill! By Yuiki Shirohana & Josh Ralla
Ms. Timmins This year, we welcome MacNeill’s new principal. Ms. Timmins is a dedicated and seasoned staff member, with years of experience as vice principal at Hugh Boyd, R. A. McMath and Matthew McNair. Prior to holding administrative roles, she helped establish the Combined Studies Program at McNair when the district still had Senior and Junior High Schools, and the program exists to this day. She was also an elementary teacher for four years at Lord Byng Elementary for grades four to seven. Arriving at this school, Ms. Timmins has found the MacNeill community very friendly. She praises both students and staff for their welcoming and inclusive mindset. When she was a high school student, Ms. Timmins had a strong passion for her Law and History classes. “I [also] really liked my business class because that teacher allowed us to run a school store, so that was a lot of fun,” she tells us. From her experience interacting with students, Ms. Timmins has learned that patience is key. “Nobody comes to school to have a bad day. Nobody comes to make a mistake. ...The adults need to remember that kids are still kids, even if they’re older kids or young adults, we all still make mistakes. So patience, absolutely,” she advises. Ms. Timmins is very passionate towards her job, and enjoys its ever-changing environment. “I get up in the morning and look forward to school. It’s not a plain 9-5 job. I kinda do know what’s gonna happen but there’s always pleasant surprises throughout the day. Schools are very lively”.
ms. Lewin Ms. Lewin is another new face at MacNeill, filling in for drama and dance teacher, Ms. Mullens, who is currently on leave. In addition to drama and dance, she teaches English, and also has her own grade 8 advisory. Previously, Ms. Lewin was at RA McMath for her practicum, where she taught English and PE. She later taught ESL in China while also doing some dance and acting with the students there. After her first week here at MacNeill, Ms. Lewin tells us “All the staff and students have been amazing, and it makes being in a new school so much easier, so much more fun”. The subjects that Ms. Lewin teaches reflect on her personal interests. Being a former PE teacher, she is very active in and outside of school. While she doesn’t have too much free time nowadays, she still enjoys many outdoor activities ranging from hiking to bike riding. “Especially when it’s beautiful out, I like to ride my bike to school,” she tells us. Also, as a dance teacher, Ms. Lewin has a strong passion for dancing and frequents the Harbour Dance Centre in Vancouver. While physically active, Ms. Lewin also enjoys relaxing and reading a book, showcasing the English teacher inside her. Her students have also taught her this important lesson: “To take it easy and let it go a bit, because it’s easy to get caught up in what you’re doing. [Just] breathe through stress and difficulty”.
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highschool survival guide
Getting the hang of highschool isn’t too easy. So here are some tips to ease all that tension. By Alexandra Bustos 1. ALWAYS CARRY AROUND A CALCULATOR Pens and pencils are important, too, but man, you’re going to need that scientific calculator a lot more in highschool. You start off with scientific notation, then you get more, then chemistry, then half-lives—trust me. If you love yourself, you’ll carry it around. 2. GET AS MUCH SLEEP AS YOU CAN As many procrastinators as you’ll begin to see, I don’t recommend joining the club of the hungry and sleep deprived. Always try your best to finish your work early, and get enough sleep for the next day. I don’t want to sound too boring, but sleeping really helps the brain. Don’t stay up all night studying for that big test tomorrow during first block. You should definitely get some rest. 3. USE YOUR LOCKER WISELY As a senior in my final year of highschool, I cannot express enough how useful that locker will be. However small it may be, use the space wisely and make sure to take care of your physical condition. Stiff backs from heavy backpacks aren’t the greatest thing to have while our bodies are still growing. 4. ALWAYS HAND IN YOUR WORK In my final year, this is really important. When I first entered highschool, I underestimated how the marks of handing in work battled against not handing anything in at all. Confusing? To put it simply: something is better than nothing. Even if it’s not your greatest work, hand it in. Late is better than never, but on time is also better than late. 5. MAKE GOOD FRIENDS As we all know, highschool can be scary. Whether it be from books, T.V shows, movies, games, social media, stories from other friends or siblings—you were warned about this moment. It’s a new start every day, and that’s how life works. But take it from me, you’ll want to learn new things everyday with the right people who will lead you down a good path. Find friends who don’t just help you have fun and forget school, but who help you learn, who will teach you to better yourself as a person. Those are the friends who will last forever. 6. YOUR NOTES ARE EVERYTHING I kid you not. Notes in highschool, and from now on until you finish school, are the key to success. They are the safety nets for when you fell asleep in English, and the answers to your test in Social Studies the next day. As long as you have notes, you’re good to go. So make sure they’re good, legible, and taken care of so that they’re easy to find. These are what you’ll most likely be studying every day. 7. HAVE A GOOD BAG Fashion is a really nice thing to have, but so is a not-sore body. Wear your backpacks correctly, and don’t let them droop down while you’ve got 4 textbooks in there. Don’t use drawstring bags for books either. 6
Back To School Edition September 2015
The straps on drawstring bags are… well…. strings. The heavier it gets, the worse it is for you. Have a safe backpack, make sure the straps are nicely padded and that you’re able to find essentials easily. The importance of a good bag in school is often overlooked. 8. EAT SOMETHING Don’t skip a meal, or at least, try your best not to. We all have those days where we snooze past our alarm clocks and we’re about to be late for first block again. Or an emergency study session at lunch for a huge test the next block. Trust me, learning and thinking on an empty stomach will not work out well for you. 9. ALWAYS ASK FOR HELP IF NEEDED This is almost as important as point 8. Whether teachers, family, friends—if they know how to help you when you don’t understand something, ASK. A part of school is testing and enhancing your comprehension and understanding skills. Teachers will not always be there for you in the future, so take all the help you need. Also, if you’re ever curious about a school activity, or volunteering, or anything else, there’s always people to ask. 10. NEVER FORGET WHO YOU ARE We are always growing, learning new things every day and discovering new identities while developing new interests. Everyone will change, so don’t fret over it too much. All I’m saying is, it’s the aspects of a person that never change that make them who they are, good or bad. Nurture the things about you that will never change over the years and use them to the best of your abilities. There aren’t always good people out there, so do your best to be one of them.
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macneill q&a New to MacNeill? Here are the answers to your questions. By Alexandra Bustos, Josh Ralla & Yuiki Shirohana
Q: What’s up with advisory?
Q: I need to print something! Where do I go?
A: Advisory is a weird class. It’s the class that can be cut from our schedule or shortened if other things come up, like assemblies or pep rallies. You’re stuck with the same advisory students for all five years, so get used to them. You’re supposed to have silent reading, but higher grades sometimes get to do homework. Also, you’re not allowed to leave, so be sure to plan washroom breaks accordingly :)
A: The library is a great place to start, (1 free colour, then 50¢/page; 2 free B&W, then 10¢/page) and there’s also some computer labs around the school. There are three Mac labs and one PC Lab, but these labs are typically reserved for inclass use only. Q: The school has wifi, right?
A: The tastiest food that students can afford from our measly wallets. They serve breakfast in the mornings, and have $6 lunch specials and snacks that change everyday.
A: Yes we do. We have MacNeill_Wireless and MacNeill_Guest. You can probably find the guest password pretty easily after asking around, *cough*armac6212*cough*. Wireless is the fastest but it’s exclusively for staff use, so none of the students know the password...yet.
Q: The lounge is so small, how does everyone fit in there?
Q: Which club should I join first?
A: Unfortunately, not everyone gets to seat their butt in the lounge. But, not all hope is lost, so don’t go start going to the nearest washroom stall to eat! A lot of people like to sit by their lockers, in the stairwells, classrooms or outdoors for lunch. #HallwayCrew2k15
A: The Raven Review. Just kidding. Student Council (StuCo) is your best bet if you’re new to this school. But seriously, join the Raven Review. pls. You can read about other clubs on page 11.
Q: When can I use the library?
Q: I love being a leader. Which club(s) should I join?
A: The library is open all day, including for some time before and after school. To use it during class, you must have a teacher’s note. It’s closed during the first half-hour of lunch, and sometimes it’s closed all lunch for meetings or presentations, so be sure to keep an eye out for any notices posted on the library doors.
A: Take a look at being a POWER Rep, or joining the Leadership Class, Grad Committee or Student Council.
Q: What do they serve at the cafe?
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Q: If I’m new, would any clubs even listen to me? A: Of course they’ll listen to you! All the clubs at MacNeill are highly inclusive, and you don’t have to be in a higher grade to make a difference!
Back To School Edition September 2015
Q: Who can help me solve my problems? A: If you can’t solve any problems between your peers, or you’re having other problems, go to your counsellor! You can talk about pretty much anything with them them in complete confidentiality, and they’ll step in if they have to. They’re also good to talk to if you need help with course selection or planning for your future.
macneill in short The latest news at MacNeill Recycling Stations
Q: I’m not the strongest in class, where can I get help? A: Talk to your teacher! You can go to your teacher before school starts or after school, and he/she will be glad to help! Your teachers will always take the time to help you succeed. Your success matters to them! Q: How long can I stay at school? A: You’re allowed to stay in the lounge and hallways for half an hour after school, but you must leave after that. If you’re in a classroom with a teacher, you can for stay as long as you need to. In the mornings, the school opens at 7, so that leaves plenty of time to do things! Q: What are POWER Cards? A: POWER Cards are awarded to students who perform excellent examples of any aspect of POWER. These cards may be dropped in the Tower of POWER at the office for a prize draw each term! Q: Service Hours, Volunteer Hours, Work hours? What’s the difference? A: Service hours consist of the time you put in to volunteer with the school, like with Student Council or The Raven Review. Service hours must be with the school, and must have a supervising teacher. Volunteer hours consist of the time you volunteer with other organizations, like with City Centre. Work hours consist of the time you put into a paying job. You need at least 30 hours of volunteer/work hours combined to meet graduation requirements, which doesn’t start counting until the summer after grade 10. Service hours do not go towards graduation, but allow you to recieve awards and/or scholarships.
MacNeill is home to a new district recycling program. New sorting stations have been set up around the school, with an aim to decrease the school’s waste. The new stations have seperate bins for organics, waste, paper, refundable containers, and plastics & metals. The janitorial and administrative staff advises students to take time to ensure waste is sorted correctly.
Student Council Report The AR MacNeill Student Council has resumed for the 2015/16 school year. Room B222 will serve as their meeting place with Mr. Banta acting as their interim sponsor until a suitable teacher can be found. Former sponsor, Ms. Mei, relocated to RC Palmer and RHS at the end of last year. Presidents David Yang and Kelvin Tsai have developed an agenda outlining the new plans for the school year, including an Extra-Curricular Funding Program and the creation of five new sub-committees. Read more about Student Council on page 4.
Summer Champions It’s been a great summer for Ravens participating in summer sports! Karen Zhang (10) placed first in the BC Bantam Girls Golf Championship. Annie Wang (12), along with MacNeill alumnae Beverly Yim, Emily Yuen and Tiffany Ma of Alpha BC placed first at the Canadian Ultimate Championships in the Junior Women’s divison in Winnipeg. Nico Portugal (12) won silver with Alpha BC at the same tournament in the Junior Open Division.
Q: TWIN TEACHERS? A: For those that have noticed, yes, your eyes aren’t decieving you: there are twin teachers at MacNeill. If you haven’t caught on yet, have fun figuring out who is who :) Q: Dogs, at a school?! A: MacNeill is a very dog-friendly school. Last year, we had three teachers bring in their dogs regularly, Ms. Mullen’s Titus, Mr. Marsic’s Bobby, and Ms. Misfeldt’s Bear (trust me, he’s a dog). But for people that are allergic to fur (Like me), you have been warned for all except Bobby, he’s hypo-allergenic!! :D
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must-haves for back-to-school By Erica Caalaman Let’s face it Ravens, it’s that time of the year where we go back to school and prepare for another hectic year filled with projects and homework. Here’s a list of essentials that you can use to survive another school year.
1. Lined Paper This is a must have because you will be using it ALL the time. Make sure to buy huge packets so you won’t to run out halfway through the year. If you don’t have any lined paper during school, you’re basically done for. But fear not, people will always give you some if you ask. 2. Binders Everyone needs to get binders or else your backpack will be filled with unorganized papers and paper filled books. Naturally, people will think to grab a lot of binders for all their subjects but that’s a terrible idea because that adds to your list of stuff. All you have to do is get two big binders to separate the subjects that are in Day 1 and Day 2. 3. Tissue Packets Flu season will come up eventually and you’ll probably be sneezing and coughing. Plus, it’s a great thing to have if you accidentally spill something. 4. Three-hole Hole Punch This will be a life saver for papers that you will lose if you don’t secure them in your binder. 5. Post-it Notes If you don’t have an agenda at hand or you need a reminder to put in your books or binders, post-it notes are your pal. 10
6. Mini Stapler There’s always the time when you need to staple something and there’s a lot of people who need to use the teacher’s. Have a mini one in your pencil case so you won’t have to fret about the line for the stapler. 7. Bendable Ruler In some classes, the teacher may ask you to use a ruler for something. Having a bendable ruler can come in handy. You can pop it in your backpack and you won’t have to fear it breaking while you stuff other things into your bag. 8. Hand Sanitizer Flu season also means lots of germs going around. Carry a small travel size sanitizer bottle in your bag and you’re good to go. 9. Durable Water Bottle You will get thirsty eventually no matter what season it is. Get one that has a secure cap and is easy to wash so you can have it all year round. 10. Lock for Personal use If you have a locker that’s far away from the Gym and it’s PE class, students are free to use the gym lockers in the change rooms. Keep in mind that you don’t want any valuables stolen (This has happened on several occasions), so have a personal lock that you can use during PE. That way, nothing gets stolen.
Back To School Edition September 2015
getting involved Get involved and join one of MacNeill’s many clubs and teams!
clubs 30 Hour Famine The 30 Hour Famine is held every April, in which participants fundraise at least $20, refrain from eating, and get to sleep over in the small gym! The sleep over itself brings an amazing and fun experience to everyone involved. To join, listen to the announcements for the first meeting!
Animal Rescue Club Do you love animals and want to care for them? Do you need some volunteer hours? Then join the Animal Rescue Club where we fundraise for animals in need and help out at the shelters! We visit the shelters often in a group so there is no reason to be shy! You can also get some volunteer hours! So drop by Mr. Irani's room 246 and sign up now!
Anime Club We’re the club that watches one episode of a new anime each week, from shōnen to shōjo. There isn’t a official sign up; it’s just a drop in when you can and want. And no worries if you can’t make it, just write down the anime title and check it out on your own, so there’s no pressure in making it every time. After all, anime is something that’s enjoyed! (Room 113)
business Club
costa rica humanitarian trip
The business club enables you to get hands on experience in attaining business knowledge and skills. If you’re looking for an opportunity to widen your knowledge in the field of business, the business club is the place for you to be! For more information, feel free to contact the business teacher, Ms. Lo, in room 115.
The Costa Rica Humanitarian Trip is back for 2015-16! This is a great chance to view the world from a different perspective, challenging your global awareness while exploring an unique culture. It’s a life-changing experience you don’t want to miss! Pura Vida Ravens! To join, talk to Mr. Marsic in room 213.
Buzz Art Club The Buzz Art Club does many artistic things that define them. From painting, sculpting to 3D art, here’s a lot that goes around. Club members agree on what theme they should follow and create art based on the theme. Being a part of the club is as simple by signing up and coming to club meetings Tuesday after school in room 151.
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dance team
Drama Production
The Dance Team competes in competitions against schools from a variety of school districts. It is an all year commitment of hardcore training which takes effort, determination and skill. Audtion signups are on outside the Dance Room (Room 155). The first round of auditions is to performing a pre-choreographed piece which you will be taught. Afterwards, you must perform a piece you have choreographed or learned, with a minimum of 30 seconds.
The drama production is a team of actors, backstage and booth crew that work on a one-of-a-kind production from preparation in October to showtime in March. You can participate in the production in two ways: acting or backstage/booth crew. It’s loads of fun and a great way to make friends!
DVD Club The DVD Club films many school events, from Pep Rallies to Remembrance Day assemblies. They take their footage and edit it into the year DVD which is distrobuted to students in June. To join the DVD Club, talk to Mr. Klose in the PC Lab in room 160.
First Responders
Green team
The First Responders are a team of students who are trained in first aid and respond to medical incidents at MacNeill. To join the team, you must be at least grade ten, have your First Aid certificate and then enter the First Responder’s Course to receive your First Responder’s certificate. See Ms. Thompson in room 116 for more details.
The Green Team is looking for people who can see that there is something wrong with our environment, and have the heart to help out! Work with us and get rare opportunities to connect and work with the city of Richmond in popular events, and will have an amazing way to fill up some volunteer hours or to top up your resume. Let’s put a plan into action together this year, on behalf of our planet. Meetings every other Wednesday in Mr. F. Chiang’s room, room 125.
Grad committee The MacNeill grad committee runs every year and holds events such as the annual grad fashion show and grad car wash. The proceeds from all of the grad committee’s events goes towards Dry Grad at the end of the year. The grad committee is a great way to bring the grad class together in their final year of high school. It’s a very rewarding group to be a part of for people with ideas and those willing to work. The more money we can raise, the more likely our dry grad celebration will be the best it can be!
Gay-straight alliance Macneill’s Gay-Straight Alliance meets weekly to discuss a variety of topics. Through our meetings, we hope to serve as advocates to promote change and understanding for all people with regards to LGBTQ rights. The atmosphere of our meetings is relaxed, casual and fun. For more information, speak to Mr. Henders in room 218.
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Gardening Club The Gardening Club tends to and takes care of the MacNeill garden, located to the north-west corner of the school. This club is a great way to express your green thumb and help the Earth! To join, speak to Ms. Thompson in room 116.
Library Monitors Library Monitors do simple tasks from shelving & organizing books to cleaning up the library. Students can sign up by speaking to Ms. Phillips or Ms. Hercus in the library and attend orientation/training session at the beginning of the year. Being a library monitor is a great way to pick up service hours!
Jazz band Jazz Band meets 2-3 times a week in the music room at lunch. They perform at events like StuCo’s Breakfast With Santa, Awards Night and at the Gateway Theatre. To join, speak to a Jazz Band member, or to Mr. Anderson in the music room.
Yearbook club The Yearbook club consists of a group of volunteers who work hard throughout the year to make sure that the yearbook we receive at the end of the year is packed full of quality pictures and texts. They photograph and document every school event, making sure the memory of the school year will last for years to come. To join, talk to Ms. Carpenter in room 118.
Raven Readers The Raven Readers meet one Tuesday a month at lunch in the library to share a book-related snack and discuss a book we’ve all read. If you like to read, like to talk about reading or want to get ideas for good books to read, try the Raven Readers. Check out the link to the Raven Readers previous titles on the library’s website. https://sites.google.com/site/armacneilllibrary/
Ski and snowboard club This year’s members of the Ski and Snowboard Club will be experiencing four trips to Cypress Mountain, and a full day at Whistler Blackcomb. There’s also the possibility of spending a weekend away at Big White Mountain Resort near Kelowna. Wether you are strapping into a pair of skies for the first time or shredding the terrain park, you will be challenged to improve your current skill level. Let’s get above the rainclouds and enjoy a winter wonderland of opportunities on our surrounding slopes! Listen to announcements or talk to Mr. McDowell in room 214.
The black feather quill (writing club) This creative writing club was formed just last year. We meet at lunch every second Thursday in Room 114 to try different writing activities, explore ideas about writing, talk about writing we’ve done and work towards production of an anthology of student writing at the end of the year. Students from all grades are welcome to join us.
Unity club Unity Club hangs out with students that have special needs, as they aren’t treated the same way as other students. We make them feel included by playing games, chatting, and eating lunch together. To join, talk to any Unity Club teacher, like Ms. Minuk.
The Raven REview - See Page 3
Student Council - See Page 4 13
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raven athletics Fall Season
Cross country
September - December
Girls’ Volleyball Boys’ Volleyball (Junior & Senior) Boys’ Soccer (Senior) Cross Country Swimming
junior boys' basketball
Winter Season January - March
Girls’ Basketball Boy’s Basketball Table Tennis
Spring Season April - June
Boys’ Volleyball (Bantam & Juvenille) Badminton Tennis Track & Field Ultimate advertisement
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ultimate A-team
Back To School Edition September 2015
Where Is The Next Wave of Active Citizens? Opinion By David Yang
Throughout recent history, youth (especially teenagers) are often seen as people who tend to follow the latest “hot trends” and are constantly pursuing the next “popular” “overshadowing thing. Whether it’s getting the importance of the latest trending gadgets responsibilities that we and games, or trying to keep will face in our fastup with the latest buzz in approaching adulthood” entertainment and fashion, youth are constantly surrounded by trends. Call it an interest, or call it a natural instinct, but perhaps all this trendy talk is overshadowing the importance of responsibilities that many students, including myself, will face in our fast-approaching adulthood. Yet, youth may not recognize that greater responsibilities are quickly upon them. Soon, you will become a driver who must ensure the safety of yourself and others on the road. Soon after high school come greater personal fiscal responsibilities. Then, you will have your vote to choose a government that best represents your values and beliefs. The question is: how can we take a deeper look into challenging social and political issues? Let’s take the upcoming federal election for example. For the youth reading this, how well do you understand the crucial issues facing our society today and how each political party’s platforms approach these issues? For decades, youth voting
has been declining simply because many young people don’t understand or feel connected to the issues (let alone politics as a whole). I put no blame on my fellow youth; political issues such as economic growth and stability, Bill C-51, and environmental sustainability may be concepts that play “hard“many in the younger age to-grasp”, but it’s never groups don’t understand a bad thing to look into or feel connected to issues even in brief. present issues” Every day’s glimpse at a news article or tweets on certain issues add up to a wider social knowledge. By the time you head to the polling station at voting age, you’ll hopefully have enough understanding of issues to discerningly cast a vote for a party/candidate that best echoes your stance on how the government should be operated. So while all of this may be hard-to-reach apathetic issues for some at this moment, I strongly urge all to become more aware of the responsibilities that we’ll eventually face in our lives as adults. Being knowledgeable about society and its issues is perhaps the best way to lead us to responsible citizenship in the future. So instead of relentlessly googling for the funniest vines or the latest in Hollywood, why don’t we all take a brief moment to read up on the latest current events? Photo Credit: Ward Perrin, Vancouver Sun
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Back To School Edition September 2015
Compass card: explained. It’s been in development for three years, and it’s now here. By Josh Ralla How do I buy a Compass Card? Adult and Concession Compass Cards are available for purchase online, by phone and at the Compass Customer Service Centre at the Stadium-Chinatown Skytrain Station. Once completely rolled out, Adult Compass Cards will also be for sale at SkyTrain, SeaBus and West Coast Express Stations, as well as at select London Drugs stores. Stores such as Shoppers Drug Mart may sell new Adult and Concession Compass Cards, however they won’t be able to reload cards. Cards can be reloaded at all stations, online and by phone. You can also register your card to have it auto reload once you’re low on stored value. Compass Tickets are available at all SkyTrain, SeaBus and West Coast Express Stations.
It’s finally time. Translink has been testing the Compass Card System for three years. Initially scheduled to be rolled out in Spring 2013, it went through a bevy of delays, and is finally due to come out in November of this year. Compass is a new way of paying for transit. Currently, there are four methods of paying your fare: single-trip transfer fares, FareSavers, DayPasses or Monthly Passes. This new pass integrates these into two products: Compass Tickets and Compass Cards, which are further divided into Adult and Concession. Compass Tickets are typically for riders who take transit only on occasion. These can be bought as DayPasses or single use tickets, similar to the current fares that you can buy on a bus. Compass Cards are reloadable. These cards cost an additional $6 up front, which is a “reserve” in case you go into a negative balance. Compass Cards are ideal if you take transit regularly, such as going to and from school. Compass Cards can be loaded with two types of fares: Stored Value and Monthly Passes. Stored value is like adding cash to your card, and will be deducted after each trip. You can load and reload as much Stored Value as you wish. Compass Monthly Passes are exactly like the current monthly passes.
If you get onto a bus without a compass card, you will have to buy one of the old, existing transfer fares, which can’t be used on Skytrain, SeaBus or West Coast Express. If you wish to switch from bus onto another mode of transport, you will have to pay for a new Compass Card or Ticket.
Stored Value fare prices Type
1 Zone
2 Zone
3 Zone
Peak Fare Adult
$2.10
$3.15
$4.20
Peak Fare Concession
$1.75
$2.75
$3.75
Off-Peak Adult*
$2.10
Off-Peak Concession*
$1.75
You can load your compass card with as much stored value as you wish, just know that this is how much you’ll be charged at the end of your trip (90mins after your last tap in).
monthly pass prices
daypass prices
Type
1 Zone
2 Zone
3 Zone
Type
Price
Adult
$91
$124
$170
Adult
$9.75
Concession
$7.50
Concession
$52
Cash fare prices (Compass Tickets & bus transfers) Type
1 Zone
2 Zone
3 Zone
Peak Fare Adult
$2.75
$4.00
$5.50
Peak Fare Concession
$1.75
$2.75
$3.75
Off-Peak Adult*
$2.75
Off-Peak Concession*
$1.75
*Weekdays after 6:30 p.m., and all day Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
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Back To School Edition September 2015
How do I use my Compass Card? Now that you have your Compass card/ticket, using it is another thing. On Skytrain, SeaBus or West Coast Express, you simply “tap in” your Card/Ticket at the fare gates when you enter, and “tap out” at the gates when you leave. On a bus, you only have to tap in; there is no need to tap out (I’ll explain why in a bit). When you tap in, you are automatically charged for a three-zone trip. When you tap out, the system calculates where you are, and returns money to your card/ticket depending on if you travelled only one or two zones. If you do not tap out, you will be charged for three zones. Just remember: every time you pass a Compass reader, you must tap (unless you’re getting off a bus). Scenario time: You want to get from SilverCity Riverport to Coquitlam Centre Station. You tap in as you board the 404 bus to Brighouse Station. Once you get to Brighouse Station, you do not tap out, since you’re getting off a bus. You want to take the Canada Line to Waterfront, so you tap in as you pass the fare gates. On arrival at Waterfront, you tap out at the fare gates, and tap in again at the entrance to the West Coast Express. When you get to Coquitlam Centre Station, you tap out. You must tap in/out during each change; you cannot just tap in once on the 404 bus and tap out at Coquitlam Centre. This is to prove to the bus driver that you have a valid card, and so you can pass through the closed fare gates.
Adult & Concession Compass Cards (left) are blue and orange accordingly; Compass Tickets (right) are white.
I should emphasize that you do not get charged a new fare on each tap in. With the current system, you have 90 minutes until your fare expires. With compass, you also have 90 minutes after your initial tap in until you will be charged on your next tap in. Oh yes, zones. Zones will also be affected by Compass. Starting October 5th, on buses, you may travel across all three zones using a 1-zone fare. Zones will only effect Skytrain, SeaBus and West Coast Express travel, not buses. This is why you only need to tap in on buses; there’s no zones to calculate. I should also mention that existing fare products, such as Monthly Passes and DayPasses will be phased out and integrated into the Compass System, as I explained earlier. FareSavers will be discontuned completely by the end of this year. Transfer Fares will no longer be available to purchase at Skytrain Stations, only on buses. When can I start using Compass? By the beginning of September, you will be able to purchase Compass Tickets as Compass Vending Machines slowly begin to replace the existing machines at SkyTrain Stations. By November, Compass Cards will be available for purchase at the aforementioned locations. Fare Gates will close once the full Compass System has rolled out. This article was much longer than I expected it to be, but hopefully you now understand how compass works. TL;DR: Make sure you have enough money on your card and tap at every card reader, except when getting off buses. Want to learn more about Compass? compasscard.ca askcompass.com translink.ca/compasscard Photo Credit: Translink
Fare gates will close after the full roll-out, and you’ll need a Compass Card or Ticket to open them.
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Back To School Edition September 2015
in the news In case you’ve been living under a rock this summer.... By Irene Wong Tom Mulcair is in the Lead for the Canadian Election: A new poll says that Mulcair is leading at 37%, while Harper is at 31%. Trudeau is at 34% but “he’s just not ready”. Everyone Loves Cheerleader: OMI’s Cheerleader was basically the song of the summer. How do I know? IT’S EVERYWHERE.
The Killing of Cecil the Lion: Cecil the Lion was a common tourist attraction in Zimbabwe, as well as a study by Oxford University. Walter Palmer decided to disregard all of this and hunted him anyway for sport. Now everyone hates him. BC Forest Fires & Drought At one point this summer, BC had more than 886 forest fires going on at the same time. This led to the large amounts of smoke being blown all over Richmond, making the sky look like it was constantly under the Kelvin filter on Instagram. The lack of rain was a large contributor to the large number of forest fires. Fantastic Four Flops Fantastically: If you thought the Fantastic Four with Captain America as the Human Torch was bad, wait till you see this one. Although it had high expectations, the movie failed spectacularly, earning the lowest Cinema Score for a superhero movie by a major Hollywood studio as well as a measly 8% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Cast Revealed for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The next movie in the Harry Potter franchise began filming this summer with Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander. However, Harry Potter won’t actually be in this movie. In fact, Harry’s dead parents wouldn’t have even been born yet as the movie is said to take place around 70 years before the original franchise. Comic Con 2015: Every year it happens and every year the internet loses its mind. Exciting things that took place this year including the premier of the Suicide Squad trailer, a Dumsmash war, and an amazing superhero selfie with Stan Lee, the cast of Suicide Squad, Deadpool, X-men, and Fantastic Four. Deadpool Trailer: Ryan Reynolds stars as Deadpool in the upcoming movie. The trailer was preceded by a trailer trailer, because Deadpool is just a jerk like that. The movie, however, will be rated R, meaning you have to be 17+ or with a guardian. But to be honest, you don’t want to watch this with your parents.
America Realizes Donald Trump was Serious about Running for Office: Good Luck America. McArthur Glen Designer Outlet Opens: A new outlet mall opened in Richmond (A five min walk from the Templeton Skytrain Station). Full of designer stores with a lot of discounts, still pretty expensive, but definitely a lot cheaper than normal.
The Zone Shut Down for About 4 Days: Everyone’s favourite bowling center, partially because it’s our only bowling center, shut down for 4 days due to a legal dispute before reopening again, much to Richmond’s relief. Photo Credit: Wikipedia Commons; VanCity Buzz
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