editor’s note Happy
Holidays, Sharks!
Welcome to SLSS Press’s LAST issue of 2016! We’re thrilled that you’ve clicked on the link that led you to the masterpieces of our students’ creative minds and multi-faceted interests! This issue’s holiday theme reflects the multitude of celebrations that our multicultural school celebrates in December. Throughout the making of this issue, a number of our school’s writers, aspiring journalists, photographers, artists, and creators collaborated to bring you an issue that informs, inspires, intrigues, and enthralls. This issue encompasses all there is about the holiday season -- from nostalgic reflections of the year to suggestions for spending time away from school, we encourage writers and readers to stop and smell the winter air, to enjoy this strikingly iridescent and evocative season. Once again, thank you tremendously to everyone who contributed to this issue AND our Holiday Magazine/Contest! We hope you all enjoy reading our issue as much as we enjoyed writing it :) Warmest Regards, Davy Lau, Celine Tsai, Hedy Ng, and Angela Hu Your SLSS Press Exec Team :)
A Rocky Reflection On 2016 Caitlin Stephenson 2016 has definitely been a rollercoaster of a year. Many people may say that this year has been unusually horrible---there have been a lot of negative incidents, many involving violence, but there have also been a lot of improvements and advances in our world. Let’s look back on some of these moments!
MEDIA
WORLD
Death of David Bowie and Alan Rickman:
JANUARY
Drug Lord Captured: Joaquín Guzmán
We lost two extremely famous, influential men during the month of January. Bowie was a singer, songwriter and actor with wellknown songs, such as “Under Pressure” and “Let’s Dance”. Rickman was known for his role as Severus Snape in the popular “Harry Potter” films, and acted in many other movies, such as Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland”.
Loera (a.k.a. El Chapo), the world’s most notorious drug lord with a drug trafficking network of close to 1.4 billion, was recaptured after escaping the highest security prison in Mexico.
FEBRUARY
BEYONCE: Beyoncé performed at the 2016
Super Bowl halftime show, and made a big tribute to the “Black Lives Matter” movement. This was also the show in which she almost fell over, but she obviously handled it as Beyoncé does. Damn Daniel: The viral Internet video “Damn Daniel” was released. Many people recreated this video, and it was all anyone ever talked about. Also, this month, Vans saw a large peak in sales of white shoes.
Obama’s historic visit: Ever since the Cold War, US relations had been very sparse and negative. President Obama became the first U.S. president to travel to Cuba since 1928.
MARCH
ISIS in Europe: On March 22, three coordi-
The end to the Leo DiCaprio memes: DiCaprio finally won his Oscar! After starring in so many iconic films and being nominated five times prior, he took home his Oscar for Best Actor in his film, “The Revenant”.
nated suicide bombings occurred in Brussels, Belgium: two in the airport and one in a metro station. 32 were killed and 300 civilians were injured. This was the act of the ISIS terrorist group. Brock Turner: The controversial Brock Turner case was investigated in March. Brock Turner, a Stanford student, was convicted on three counts of sexual assault, but was released from jail the same day on a $150,000 bail.
APRIL
Prince Passed Away: The legendary singersongwriter Prince passed away due to a drug overdose. His most well known songs include “Purple Rain”, “Raspberry Beret”, “Little Red Corvette” and “Kiss”. He was an influential singer during the 80’s and 90’s who dared to explore gender and sexuality, and is still respected highly for that.
Harambe: In Cincinnati, Ohio, a gorilla
was announced to have spread throughout 55 countries, with a few cases situated in the southern United States. It was becoming more serious and worrisome for North America.
MAY Fort McMurray Fire: On May 1st, a wildfire
named Harambe was shot and killed by a zoo worker after a 3-year-old boy climbed into the enclosure at the zoo. This incident sparked enormous controversy over the taking of Harambe’s life, leading to numerous online references, memes, and tributes being made about the gorilla.
began close to Fort McMurray in Alberta. It grew to approximately 1.5 million acres in size and eventually destroyed around 2,400 homes and buildings, forcing a huge evacuation of the area. It took two months to gain control of the fire, and it is considered to be the costliest disaster in Canadian history.
JUNE
Death of Muhammad Ali: Muhammad Ali, arguably the most famous boxer of all time, passed away. He also worked as an activist and fought for black civil rights, inspiring many others to do the same.
Widespread of Zika: In April, the Zika virus
Brexit: After a referendum in June, 52% of
votes were cast for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union. The EU eliminates all border control between its members, allowing free flow of goods and people, and utilizes the same money and currency in all of the countries. Brexit will have a big impact since the UK is such a large contributor. Orlando Nightclub: The deadliest mass shooting by a single shooter and the deadliest incident of violence against LGBTQ+ people in U.S. history happened. A security guard killed 49 people and wounded 53 others in a terrorist attack in a gay nightclub.
JULY
Police in Dallas: 2016 was a major year
Pokémon Go: The Pokémon Go app was
released, sparking a huge obsession. All we could see were people walking around on their phones, and while it encouraged people to go outside, it was definitely just a fad. Stranger Things: The Netflix original series was released. Many people hopped on the bandwagon and began watching the show, and we are all still anxiously waiting for Season 2.
involving the controversial topic of police brutality and excessive force. In July, a man opened fire on a group of police officers in Dallas, Texas, killing five and injuring nine others. The officers were observing a peaceful protest against police killings of two young men that occurred a few days prior. ISIS in France: On July 14th in Nice, France, a cargo truck was deliberately driven into crowds of people celebrating Bastille Day. Eighty-six people were killed, and 434 more were injured. This was another attack linked to ISIS related groups.
AUGUST
Kanye and Taylor Beef: Kanye West
took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. During these games, Usain Bolt won three gold medals, ending his Olympic career on a high note, a refugee team competed, and Canadian 16-year-old Penny Oleksiak won 4 medals in the pool. There was the scandal with some male U.S. swimmers who claimed they had been robbed at gunpoint, but were actually trying to cover up their vandalism of a gas station bathroom.
released his song “Famous” which refers to Taylor Swift in a negative way, after which, she began feuding with his wife, Kim Kardashian.
Brangelina No More: One of the most
SEPTEMBER
The Royal Visit: The Duke and Duchess of
Cambridge, Prince William and Kate, along with their two children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, came to visit B.C. They visited Vancouver, Victoria, Bella Bella, Haida Gwaii, and Kelowna.
admired couples in Hollywood, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, filed for divorce after being together for over ten years. Samsung Mishaps: Samsung faced a huge issue with their Galaxy Note 7 cellphones, and were forced to recall them due to incidents of phones catching on fire or even exploding.
OCTOBER
Juju: The “Juju On That Beat” dance/
challenge goes viral. Many people have learned and recreated this dance craze to date.
2016 Olympics: The 2016 Summer Olympics
Bob Dylan’s Nobel: Songwriter and singer
Bob Dylan won the Nobel Peace prize for literature, and he was praised for creating new poetic expressions with music. The Chicago Cubs: The Chicago Cubs baseball team won their first World Series in 108 years.
NOVEMBER
Trump Is Elected President: Of course, there
Leonard Cohen: The famous singer-song-
writer lost his life to cancer at the age of 82. His most famous song is “Hallelujah”, which is truly iconic and inspiring. The Mannequin Challenge Started: This is a large group challenge where everyone freezes in interesting poses, and the song “Black Beatles” by Rae Sremmurd is usually played in the background.
was the long-awaited, shocking US presidential election. It seemed like the election and debates had been going on for years, and we couldn’t wait for it to be over. Now we wish it wasn’t over. Kinder Morgan Pipeline: Justin Trudeau approved the Kinder Morgan Pipeline, which angered some people and made them question what he values as Prime Minister. The pipeline will bring in more money for our country, but will most likely damage various aspects of our country’s beauty and environment.
So, what do you think? Has this year been one to remember or one to forget? It has been a year of terrorism, Internet challenges, tragic deaths and iconic advances. You never know what the future will bring; 2017 could be much better or much worse. Until then, enjoy the holidays!
Humans Of SLSS
Kathleen Kong and Sophia Gu
Hoping that all of you have a merry Christmas and a happy new year! Have a great winter break Sharks! From Kathleen Kong and Sophia Gu :) “What is your favourite part of the SLSS production, Macbeth?” “Well, I’m part of the crew and my role is quite important. There’s this one scene with two chairs on stage and my job is to run on stage during the blackout and take the chairs off the stage. That’s my moment! But honestly, I think that the entire play was amazing. The cast and the crew put in countless hours and were so dedicated and hardworking. Also shoutout to Mr. Price who created the set and of course to Melody Chen who designed and painted the stage!! Lastly, I’d like to thank Ms. Kosar for everything that she has done because without her, this play would not exist.” - Ashwyn Dholliwar (Grade 11) “Christmas is the perfect time to settle down and to reflect and prepare for the upcoming year- I’m looking forward to it!” - Andrew Huang (Grade 11)
È#dramaclubislit2016È - Sargunpreet Khurana (Grade 9)
Operation Christmas Child: A Huge Success Hedy Ng From November 9th to the 17th, International Issues, Jaws With a Cause, and Hope Fellowship worked together to bring Operation Christmas Child to Steveston-London. The project is an annual international campaign that strives to help kids in developing and war-torn countries. As part of the project, shoeboes were distributed to every class in the school. Students were asked to fill them with unused school supplies, hygiene items, toys, and other small gifts. Cash donations to cover the shipping costs of the boxes were also accepted. Within a week, the school managed to assemble an astounding total of 45 boxes and raise over $500 in donations. Execs and shadowers from the three clubs sorted through the items that were PICTURED: Jaws With A Cause, Hope Fellowship, and International Issues Executives and Shadowers who helped collected before the boxes were dropped sort the boxes. off at a collection center. The shoeboxes will be sent to 15 countries spread across Central America, South America, Europe, and Africa, where children often do not have the privilege of receiving Christmas presents. Operation Christmas Child is run by Samaritan’s Purse, a Christian charitable organization involved in international relief and development work. The group has collected and handed out over 124 million shoeboxes since the project began in 1993.
The 10th Annual SLSS Pep Rally Davy Lau What better way to mark the beginning of Basketball Season than with shortened classes, deafening noise, and friendly competition? On Nov. 29, With the presence of School Board trustee, Ms. Sherri Elwood, Steveston-London held its 10th annual Pep Rally, gathering all students together in the Shark Tank, one of the only times the gym’s safe capacity can be exceeded. The Pep Rally recognises the numerous SLSS athletes and honours our rich history of athletic achievement. Above all, it is intended to promote school-wide spirit, and essentially patriotism, through loud chanting, bleacher stomping, dance-offs, and games between grades. Compared to previous years’ Pep Rallies, this year’s was certainly more subdued. The noise of the blaring pop music and adolescent screams are often intolerable, and students plugging their ears with their fingers is not an uncommon sight usually. This year, not even the challenge where grades attempt to out-yell each other truly required such actions. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean our school is gradually dwindling in spirit. For starters, there used to be an entire village of students hiding under the bleachers, attempting to do their homework, converse with friends, or somehow shield themselves from the school’s enthusiasm. This year, that village seems to have lost a few members, with many of them rejoining their peers. Even the number of people that have managed to evade the teacher-guards and sneak out seems to have decreased. Of course, the main spectacle of the Pep Rally would be the newly-formed Basketball teams emerging from the equipment room, traditionally with the Boys team followed by the Girls. They burst through the paper barrier and display their hoop-shooting skills in quick succession. There was definitely an increase in the number of balls that actually went in, and in fact, it was a rare sight to see a ball miss the night, contrary to a recent Pep Rally where only two basketballs were able to find their way in. Commendably, the Pep Rally was quite well-organised, with the activities moving smoothly and the entire hour passing by quite quickly. The only real concerns were the lack of willing grade-specific volunteers to participate in the games, and also the lack of candy thrown out compared to past years. For the seemingly millionth year in a row, the Grade 12’s won the coveted Spirit Award, mainly thanks to their superior bleacher stomping and also the repetitive chant of “2017” that they decided to intersperse throughout the activities at the Pep Rally. Another year gone by, and another pep rally flown past. But in reality, the momentum of this one-hour event carries Sharks on for the remainder of the year, as our athletes divide and conquer High School Athletics with the tenacity and spirit our school has demonstrated so well. Source: SLSS Yearbook
Project ABC Fashion Show Was A-MA-ZING
Celine Tsai
Two of our senior sharks, Daphne Wong and Angela Yao, were inspired by a social justice class field trip to downtown Vancouver and decided to create an organization called Project ABC (which stands for Aspire, Become, and Create). They hosted their first annual fashion show to promote awareness for homelessness and to help at-risk youths in our local community. Since October, Daphne and Angela have been relentlessly planning and organizing the event, from finding sponsors and venues to selling tickets. On the evening of December 9th, all the hard work Daphne and Angela put into the project paid off. At the Project ABC fashion show, models, including many of our fellow sharks, strutted down the runway with an array of donated clothes from local businesses. Speakers from Pathway Clubhouse and Covenant House Vancouver delivered speeches on the topics of mental illness and homelessness. Items donated by local businesses, such as Ray Bans, were auctioned off and many were given away through raffle draws.
Srouce: SLSS Yearbook Pictured: Angela Yao and Daphne Wong, the organizerrs of the Even with the heavy snow, fashion show. people filled the seats at the fashion show and $1500 was raised, $500 beyond their $1000 goal. The donated clothes will be going to the Vancouver Covenant House, and the money raised from the fashion show will be donated to local charity organizations, including their partners, Pathways Clubhouse and the Vancouver Covenant House. Covenant House will also be tripling half the donations given. All in all, the fashion show was a huge success!
Thank you for all that you’ve done for the homeless community, Sharks!
December Contest: #tb2016slss WINNER: CHRIS TYLER
Thinking back about all of my favourite memories, many come to mind. So many achievements, firsts, and trips come to mind. But I think the one that means the most to me is one that happened a couple of months ago. For most of October 2016, something was going on in my family. My friends could tell something was going on with me. Finally one day towards the end of October, I didn’t go to school. After that day, I guess my friends started planning to surprise me with something to cheer me up. Since we had a collab day coming up, they decided to surprise me then. They showed up at my house at 9 in the morning with a pancake happy meal and a smoothie. We talked about getting milkshakes and fries from McDonalds a lot, so that’s what they were planning on getting me. However, McDonalds doesn’t sell fries at 9 in the morning, so they got me a pancake happy meal and a smoothie instead. They had also all written cards saying that they are here for me no matter what. It was really reassuring then to know that my friends were there to help me get through a tough time, even though they didn’t even know what was wrong. They just knew that something was wrong and were there for me instantly. I am truly grateful to have friends that care about me as much as they do. This is a picture of the cards that my friends got/ made for me and the toy that came with the happy meal. Every time I see them I am reminded of how much I appreciate my friends for doing what they did for me. My faaourite memory of 2016, was when we won third place in the MacNeill basketball tournament in grade 8! It was a tough match, and even though we didn’t win the tournament, it was an truly amazing experience fo rmy first year at Steveston-London. - Claudia Tong
I could talk about meeting Sarah Kay, going to Tori Kelly’s concert, or even participating in the Sun Run and the Colour Run. But since I can only talk about one memory, I’ll settle on the time Spectrum went to Florida! One of my favourite memories in Florida was when we all went to watch the Blue Man Group- a comedic group of men who do live performance art. I remember laughing so hard to the point that I couldn’t even breathe anymore! XD The show was amazing and absolutely wonderful. I would go back to watch them again in a heartbeat P.S. THEY TOUCHED OUR FACES!!!!!!!!!!! - Angela Cheng My favourite memory of 2016 was being a part of the SLSS Cross Country Team! I participated last year too, but I went to a lot more meets this year and really bonded with all of the other students on the team. It was so great to find other people who shared my passion for running, and seeing their dedication and determination really motivated me to practice more often. This photo was taken right before the start of the Richmond finals at Garry Point, the last stop for most of us on the team. It started raining really hard at the end of the meet, but I’ll never forget how we all huddled together and cheered one last time before the end of the cross-country season. It was such a genuine display of togetherness and accomplishment, and we were all so proud that our hard work had paid off. Defs joining again next year :) - Hedy Ng
My favourite memory was going to Harry Potter World at Universal Studios Orlando!!! I wanted to go there for so long and my dream finally came true! Harry Potter is my favourite and that day was so special (of course I tried butter beer and bought my very own wand!) :) - Caitlin Stephenson
My favourite memory of 2016, was when I went to the Fan Expo in Vancouver with a few of my friends. I never imagined how amazing it would be! I tried Playstation’s virtual reality headset and my dream came true. I BECAME THE FREAKING BATMAN! Throwing virtual batarangs and donning the Batman’s cowl was all I ever wanted to do when I was a kid! What a year it’s been, I hope 2017 is as amazing as this year! - Mitchell Mah
My favourite memory of 2016 was not only the Spectrum Florida trip in general, but the Cirque show we watched. It was one of the most memorable because it was so nice to dress up and see everyone look so fancy and watch an amazing show. But the reason I picked this memory was because I got to spend the entire week having so much fun with friends that have become family over the past three years. - Sydney Ng
My best memory of grade 10 was the time when we all went to Florida and I got to bond (real bond) with people, form deeper connections with friends and conquer my fear of roller-coasters :) - Lucy Lu
My favourite memory of 2016 was pumpkin carving for the first time! It was so much fun :)) - Daniel Hosseini
One of my favourite moments of 2016 was the grad skate! It was fun skating with everyone, and watching them trying to not fall. - Elina Jiang (Grade 12)
Florida!! - Kathleen Kong TB to reuniting with my childhood friends after 5 years of not seeing each other in person!! I loved how we still clicked instantly despite not talking as much, but I guess that just goes to show that friendships really are forever :)) - Celine Tsai From all my favourite memories in 2016, I think ConnectMUN was my absolute favourite. ConnectMUN 2016 was my first ever Model United Nations conference, and it was one of the best experiences I have ever had. My friends berated me a little for not participating much.. Throughout the 3 days of the conference, I met all sorts of people, had many great experiences, and enjoyed the baby roasts we all had for one another. The memoires, they’re all unforgettable, and I hope the other MUN conferences will give me the same amazing experience. - Angela Hu (Grade 10)
11 Local Things to Do During Winter Break Azadeh Kashani 1. Robson Square Ice Rink What: Ice skating at the Robson Square Ice Rink. Skating is free if you bring your own skates and it’s $4 to rent a pair. Where: 800 Robson Street When: December 1st – the end of February
2. Enchant Christmas Light Maze and Market What: World’s largest Christmas light maze. It has over one million lights, interactive themed areas, live performances and a Dancing Lights show! It also features its very own Christmas market. Where: 1st and Crowe Street, in-between the Cambie Street Bridge and Olympic Village When: December 1st – December 31st
3. Capilano Suspension Canyon Bridge Lights What: See the hundreds of thousands twinkling lights on the bridge. Tickets are $37.95 and senior and student passes are available. Where: 3735 Capilano Road, North Vancouver, shuttles run from the Vancouver Convention Centre. When: November 27th – January 3rd
4. Ride the Stanley Park Train and Christmas lights What: Ride your way through tunnels and forests for two kilometers. The price is $6 during the day, $12 for adults during the night and $9 for youth. Where: Pipeline Road at Stanley Park, take the West Georgia Street park entrance When: November 26th – January 2nd
5. Winter Sports at Grouse Mountain, Seymour Mountain and Cypress Mountain What: Skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing and tubing. It’ll be the perfect activity if you’re looking for a fun physical activity to do over winter break! Where: 6400 Nancy Green Way (Grouse), 1700 Mount Seymour Road, 6000 Cypress Bowl Road. When: December- April (depending on conditions)
6. Visit the Greater Vancouver Zoo What: 120-acre zoo that was established in 1970 with animals of every shape and size. Where: 5048 264 Aldergrove Street When: Open from 9am-4pm everyday depending on the weather conditions.
7. Watch the Vancouver Canucks! What: During winter break, the Canucks will be playing against teams like the Tampa Bay Lightning, Winnipeg Jets, Columbus Blue Jackets, LA Kings and Anaheim Ducks. Tickets vary depending on seats and games. Where: Rogers Arena When: Full schedule available on nhl.com/canucks
8. Visit the Vancouver Aquarium What: Come see a wide array of wildlife and learn about the vast aquatic life through displays and research from $15 - $29 Where: 845 Avison Way, Stanley Park When: Check vanaqua.org for the full schedule
9. TELUS World of Science What: Explore different exhibitions for all ages. Admission prices for adults are $22.50, seniors, students with ID and youth are $18.50, children three to 12 are $15.25 and children under three enter for free. Where: 1455 Quebec Street, Vancouver When: All year round, check scienceworld.ca for full schedule
10. BC Sports Hall of Fame What: Explore the history of sports in B.C. at the Sports Hall of Fame. It includes: Vancouver 2010 Gallery, Parapan Am Games, Hall of Champions Gallery, Aboriginal Sport Gallery, Terry Fox Gallery and more. Where: Gate A of BC Place Stadium (777 Pacific Blvd, Vancouver V6B 4Y8) When: Year-round, check bcsportshalloffame.com for full schedule
11. Catch up on school work‌ As boring as it may sound, using winter break to clean up your binder, organize your notes and doing some extra studying for a class in particular can be very helpful and you will incredibly grateful when school starts again. Use this extra time to maybe study ahead and have a feel as to how the rest of your semester will look like.
Vaporwave is back, and it’s mainstream, too. Maybe we should start taking it seriously. Michael Cui It’s been two years since I last wrote about music for the Press. If you’ve been reading the Press for long enough, you might remember my satirical “review” of Darude’s Sandstorm, which was an internet meme at that time. It’s still available for you to read and cringe at, in the September 2014 issue of the old Press at slsspress.wordpress.com. This article discusses music and memes too, covering the comprehensive definition of “mainstream” as referred to in the title. Before we get to the main points, however, let me explain what I define as “mainstream.” My definition of mainstream music is anything that makes an international chart. It could be a song, album, artist, or even an entire genre. A common example is K-pop, which went mainstream after going beyond the Korean charts and landing on international ones. Vaporwave, however, was not mainstream. Unless you’ve been living in North Korea or another country with heavy internet censorship for the past six years, you’ve probably at least seen “vaporwave” somewhere online. In case you don’t know what it is, vaporwave is an electronic genre, originating on the internet from the early 2010s. Vaporwave music is best described as effect-heavy with low tempos and influences from 80’s pop, smooth jazz and ambient. Vaporwave frequently uses samples of 80’s music, although there are also many original compositions. Vaporwave also has a distinct visual style to its album artworks and music videos, known as “A E S T H E T I C S.” This visual style is generally interpreted as a critique or reflection on consumer capitalism and 80’s popular culture, and often includes vintage computers, Japanese text, and 80’s colors. Often, you will see it being described as “slowed-down 80’s music,” and this is often times true. Ramona Andra Xavier, holding the distinction of being one of the first vaporwave artists, released her first vaporwave album, Floral Shoppe, in 2011. Though she later went on to produce original compositions, Floral Shoppe consisted purely of slowed-down songs from the Source: Wikipedia late 70’s and 80’s, cut up and with added effects, The album cover for Floral Shoppe, by Romana especially reverb. Andra Xavier
One of the tracks from a Japanese album, in English known as Floral Shoppe, titled Lisa Frank 420 / Modern Computing is essentially a slowed-down, cut up version of Diana Ross’ It’s Your Move with added effects. This track is actually the one which drew the internet’s attention towards vaporwave, usually billed as “that one vaporwave song.” Vaporwave went viral online, but never went further than that. The slow death of the genre began in 2012. However… As with anything that went viral on the internet, vaporwave became a meme while it died as a genre. People began mocking the genre, making their own “vaporwave” by slowing songs down and creating parodies of the visual style. The most notable example of vaporwave as a meme is “Simpsonwave,” where one takes clips from The Simpsons then edits them to create a vaporwave music video. Because it’s treated as a meme, vaporwave isn’t taken seriously. Now that you know more about vaporwave, let’s get to the point. As you may have noticed in the illustration, the cover of The Weeknd’s recently-released album, Starboy, is displayed with the title in Japanese on the computer screen. Now you might be thinking, “what does The Weeknd have to do with vaporwave?” Remember how this article’s title stated that vaporwave went mainstream? You’ve probably heard the album’s titular track, Starboy. It was high up on several charts, making the Top 40, which means that you’ll hear it on radio stations such as Virgin, KISS FM, and Richmond’s very own Z95.3. If you ever decide to look it up, you’d see that the instrumentals were made by Daft Punk. Starboy isn’t the only track in this album that features instrumentals by Daft Punk. If you take a look at the track listing, you’ll see another collaboration between the two artists: I Feel It Coming. Source: Wikipedia I Feel It Coming, like the other collaboration beAlbum cover of The Weeknd’s latest album, tween the two, was also high up on several charts, Starboy, including the Top 40, and therefore, on the radio. Although I hate to admit that I listen to music that plays on the radio, it’s just that some of the songs I enjoy have happened to make the Top 40. The first time I listened to this particular track, I was immediately drawn to Daft Punk’s instrumentals, which didn’t feel like Daft Punk at all. Seconds into the song, I realized that this was vaporwave! As mainstream artists, this collaboration between The Weeknd and Daft Punk has not only brought the genre of vaporwave back from the dead and into the mainstream, but has also introduced it to a wider audience by making it onto the Top 40 and playing on the radio. Now that vaporwave is back and mainstream, I believe that it should no longer be taken as a joke, and that we should begin taking this genre seriously. I believe that vaporwave has the potential to become a genre as prevalent as pop, rock, and hip-hop. However, only time will determine how successful vaporwave will be as a mainstream genre.
The History Of Christmas Rebecca Allen and Michelle Cho Coming from the Middle English “Cristemasse” and the Old English “Crīstesmæsse”, Christmas is short for “Christ’s mass” but has many meanings and different names around the world. It is known as the Christian holiday honouring the birth of Jesus Christ, but surprisingly, a lot of popular Christmas customs developed independently from the celebration of Jesus’ birth. Some of the components have origins in pre-Christian festivals celebrated around the winter solstice by pagans who later converted to Christianity. In certain Protestant groups, celebrating Christmas was banned many times because some were concerned it was too pagan or unbiblical. In the Early Middle Ages, the forty days before Christmas became the “forty days of St. Martin”, which are now known as Advent. Christmas Day became gradually more prominent after Charlemagne was crowned Emperor on Christmas Day of 800 AD, as well as other leaders coming into power later in history. In the Middle Ages, during Christmas, there would be a public festival incorporating ivy, holly, and many other evergreens. King James I would insist on a play being performed on Christmas night and the court entertaining themselves with games. The atmosphere of Christmas has evolved from being a loud, drunken festival in the Middle Ages to a calm time for family and friends to get together and exchange gifts.
Advice To Prepare For 2017 Teresa Co After winter passes, many things, diminutive or not, will be changing. A new year will start us off and exciting adventures are lying ahead of us. Though, various perspectives will result in different views of 2017. Some will view it as hell or heaven depending on various reasons: academic pressure, having classes with teachers or classmates you abhor, and many others. It’s a good decision to improve yourself by having a good mindset and setting a goal. Setting auspicious goals will increase your chances of success and help ensure that you become the audacious and intrepid person you want to be. People often say aim high, like the quote posted up on the hallway near the C-Lounge says: “Shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” Be excited for 2017!
Richmond: An Oligarchical Exclave Davy Lau A constant uproar over taxes in our city of Richmond has erupted in recent years, mainly over the contentious issue of HST. However, it appears as if there is a different battle that we have to confront now: The illogical and undemocratic allocation of our taxes. Taxes are supposed to help achieve large-scale goals for the city of Richmond. Unfortunately, this year has shown that the municipal government is not so interested in investing in the goals of Richmond citizens, but instead, carrying out its own self-centered plans for Richmond. As taxpayers, it doesn’t make sense for our hard-earned money to go towards something we collectively oppose. Take the $250,000 “Multipole” that was proposed for the Minoru Park last summer. Is this project something that Richmond citizens really care about? Patronizing the arts is important, but there are many ways to do it that will foster public appreciation instead of generate outrage. The real worry isn’t the physical “Multipole”, but the fact that our city purposely disregards where we want taxes to go. They know fully well that citizens have genuine concerns that need to be resolved, but city council is reluctant to make the effort to address them. For instance, they know that Richmond citizens are concerned about the city’s natural beauty. Something as simple as increasing the number of cigarette disposals reduces litter and could prevent accidental, devastating fires in Richmond. If trees are cut down to accommodate mega-homes, city council needs to take responsibility to preserve the environment in other aspects of the community. Investing in the “Multipole” isn’t going to change people’s minds about Richmond’s urgent needs. Canada’s democracy is a major topic in the secondary school social studies curriculum. We are taught that a true democracy must be accountable to the people. Our representatives must actually represent citizens and their concerns in city council. If only Richmond’s councillors could reflect what we have been taught from a young age through their actions. Politically, Richmond is an oligarchical exclave and to me, this is the root cause of citizen frustration. If City Hall cannot summon the initiative to resolve this issue, the division between Richmond citizens and the government will grow irreparably. Unfortunately, our democracy is falling through the cracks of society, and back into history.
Movie Review: Home Alone Alice Fu Home Alone is a splendid and interesting movie to watch during Christmas time. Not only is it comedic, but it also connects to the idea of family. The movie opens in the Chicago suburbs with a house full of people on the night before a big family Christmas vacation to Paris---there are relatives and kids everywhere. When the family oversleeps and has to race to the airport, Kevin is somehow overlooked in the shuffle. When he wakes up later that morning, the house is empty! Kevin, now home alone, is thrilled and excited at first to have the house to himself. Upon discovering two burglars who are about to rob his house on Christmas Eve, Kevin decides to defend his own house. Kevin starts to wire and alarm his house with booby traps to stop the burglars and eventually bring them to justice. One of the aspects of the movie I am most attracted to is how they turn the scary nostalgia of being home alone as a kid into a comedy. The movie is interesting, but not stereotypical, and it skillfully uses the kid’s imaginative tricks and traps. Macaulay Culkin, the actor who portrayed Kevin, did a fantastic job throughout the whole film. His natural performance adds a realistic effect to the story, even though the plot is obviously implausible in real life. Anyway, Macaulay Culkin’s great acting skills in this film made the whole thing even more interesting. The last thing to notice about this film how it addresses the importance of a family. In the beginning of the movie, Kevin wanted his family to disappear. But as the movie progresses, he learns what it feels like to be alone, without his family’s love and care as he battles the two burglars. At the same time, his family members, including his parents and siblings, realize Kevin’s importance to each of them and to the whole family. The movie’s heartwarming ending evokes the idea that the best gift of Christmas is having your family and the people you care about around you. To conclude, Home Alone is a great movie to enjoy with your friends and family during the Christmas season, since it is not only a great comedy to watch, but the overall story also encourages people to cherish their own family.
The Engima Of Santa Claus Anna Patricia Sandoval “Ho ho ho,” said the plump, elderly man in the red suit with graying hair, generously and gleefully granting gifts to good children and giving pitch-black coal to naughty children. He ventures down chimneys and travels in his magical reindeer sled as he routinely go around the world in one special night. Everything seems fantastical and improbable, doesn’t it? But it is faith, whether it be from children or the young at heart, that keeps the spirit of Christmas alive. So, where did this whimsical old man come from? In 1822, Clement Clarke Moore wrote a 56-line poem entitled, A Visit from St. Nicholas, now known as The Night Before Christmas. His poem became the foundation for the contemporary Santa Claus. Moore’s two inspirations for the poem were St. Nicholas and Sinterklaas, who was the Dutch version of the aforementioned saint. The legend of St. Nicholas dates back hundreds of years to a particular monk named (you guessed it) Nicholas. He was admired for his virtue, altruism and piety, and became the popular subject of many legends. Stories tell that he relinquished his wealth and traveled to help the poor and sick, and was fabled for leaving gifts in stockings, a trait that the modern-day Santa Claus shares. The name Santa Claus derives from Saint Nicholas’ Dutch nickname, Sinterklaas, a shortened form of Sint Nikolaas. Moore’s description of Santa Claus was of a jolly, old elf in American fur, smoking a pipe with a knapsack full of toys whilst riding a sleigh through the sky led by eight reindeers. Still, Santa had an incomplete description relative to today. Where’s the North Pole workshop, the elves, and the naughty and nice list? Credits to Thomas Nast in 1881, who created the first likeness of the present-day Santa Claus by using Moore’s elf and transforming him into a taller, stout, white-bearded old man in the red and white-trimmed suit watching everyone from the North Pole. And let’s not forget about Mrs. Claus too. While Santa Claus may be a mythical figure created by parents to keep children in line, there is still a profound interpretation of him that somewhat justifies this fiction. We are kindly reminded of the act of gift-giving, charity, and thoughtfulness by the image of Santa Claus. But most importantly, he gives us hope that one day, our greatest desires or sincerest velleities will someday come true. We just have to believe.
Food For Thought: Winter Edition!
Hunger Management Consellors
Hey Sharks!! The Hunger Management Counselors are back at it again! Today, we are here to save the poor and the broke, meaning almost all the students at Steveston London. Let’s be real, who isn’t broke these days? One drink at the cafeteria is $3.50 and a small break snack is almost $4! So today, we bring you an article that talks about the BEST PLACES FOR BROKE TEENS WHO WANT FOOD. Hope y’all find this helpfu! 1. Icy Bar You guys may think this is weird but we, the Hunger Management Counselors, CRAVE shaved ice and ice cream 24/7. We are not kidding! If you are like us, in love with summer desserts and broke because your parents don’t give you monthly allowance, you must visit this place!! Icy Bar is a small cafe located in Richmond that sells desserts and bubble tea! The most popular food on the menu are the shaved ice bowls, which are around $8-$12. Stop right there! When you saw the price, did you think “THIS IS NOT CHEAP!”? Well, let me tell you why it’s worth it. First, it’s very big so you definitely cannot finish it on your own. Share it with a group of 2-5 friends, and you’ll only need to pay around $2-$3 each!! Pretty cheap, huh? The second reason is that it comes with a lot of toppings! The toppings vary based on the version you pick, but for the one we picked, it came with mochi, fresh mango, and the best part, CONDENSED MILK! The condensed milk is honestly the best! It gives the food a sweet taste and you will never get bored of it! Icy Bar is pretty busy at night so you may need to wait for a seat, but it’s still worth it, ya know? We highly recommend it!! Location: 4940 No 3 Rd #115, Richmond, BC, V6X 3A5 Wifi & Takeout: Yes! 2. Ice Queen Have you heard of FRIED ice cream? Weird, right? Well, the new dessert place called Ice Queen sells just that! It’s unique and completely amazing! One will stand in awe as they watch the workers make their frozen ice cream. When I went, I created my own and got to choose the flavour of ice cream, two things to put in it, and additional toppings. There are so many choices that one can’t possibly know what to choose! It’s really a struggle to pick the perfect combination of ingredients. If you’re lazy however, you can just choose a combination they have, which is guaranteed to be delicious!! The ice cream tastes amazing, isn’t too hard or soft, and has a different texture than normal ice cream. The fillings inside are perfectly blended with the ice cream itself. In addition to the good taste, this ice cream is also extremely photogenic! It looks great in pictures and the workers always try to make it look appealing! This is such a wonderful place to try new things! And if you’re like us foodies, I guarantee you’ll have a fantastic experience! Location: 2355-4000 No 3 Rd, Richmond, BC V6X 0J8 Wifi & Takeou:: Yes!
3. Mr. Pretzel “OH MY GOSH! RICHMOND CENTRE SELLS PRETZELS? NO WAY!” That was my reaction when I first saw people walking around with pretzels in bags emblazoned with the words “Mr. Pretzel”. I immediately became interested in this new store, so as the food-obsessed girl I am, I sought to buy a pretzel of my own! The first thing I noticed was the price and the variety of flavours. They are definitely not expensive! Each decently sized pretzel only costs around $3.50! The flavours vary too, from sweet (chocolate, caramel, cinnamon) to salty (parmesan, neapolitan), and even hot dog style!! I chose the neapolitan because I was craving something salty. The first bite into the pretzel was soft, savory, and amazing! The parmesan and the seasoning went so well with the well made pretzel bread! One simply cannot stop eating it! Unlike usual pretzels, it isn’t hard to chew or dry at all! This is great for the mall when you’re hungry and looking for something fast and easy to eat. They take no time to make your order and it was definitely one of the best pretzels I’ve ever had! 4. 720 Sweets Want to know what the duo’s favourite nitrogen ice cream shop, 720 Sweets, serves? Well, keep reading!! 720 is a small dessert store that sells drinks, snacks, some savory food, and ice cream! It started in Vancouver but because of its popularity, it came to RICHMOND! Today, we got the Matcha Madness, which was amazing! We felt as if we were in heaven! The Matcha Madness consisted of a creamy, green tea soft ice cream, with Rice Krispies sprinkled on top! The side toppings (included in the price) are some sweet, Japanese flavored, red bean paste and everyone’s favorite, chewy mochi!!! There are also two other flavours: Classic and Milk Tea. The size was moderate, not too big and not too small. If you are a guy or a girl with a big appetite (like Eve!), you can finish this easily, but if you are a girl with a somewhat small appetite (like Lily!), we recommend you share it with your friends! The place and the food was pretty photogenic, especially the window chair and desks; so if you want a Tumblr-like feed for Instagram or vsco, maybe come visit this place! The people working there are super nice and friendly and it’s not that busy, so you can get your food fast!!! If you want a place to study, this place is also good because it’s pretty quiet. Both as good as the Matcha Madness!! All the ice cream cost around $6.25 including tax (it’s worth the price) and if you share it with your friend, you only need to pay around $3 each! Location: 1121-8328 Capstan Way Wifi and takeout?: YES! Hey guys!! So this is the end of the list of best places for broke af teens who are craving small snacks! Did you guys like it? Hope it made your stomach growl because ours sure did! If you like what we write, look forward to the next issue as we will be writing about food and relatable life there too!
Bon appetit: Winter!
Angela Cheng
Hang in there, guys! It’s the Christmas season! That means it’s the perfect season to make some sweet festive treats for family and friends! Below are 3 enjoyable recipes for you guys to try for the holidays :) Bon appetit! Sugar Cookies with Crushed Peppermint Candy Bits! ‘Tis the season to be jolly! Embrace the holidays with this incredibly easy to make recipe! For a festive twist, add crushed peppermint candy bits or even mint chocolate chips! This is hands down one of my absolute favourite recipes! Prep Time: 15-20 mins Cook time: 8-10 mins Ingredients: 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 cup butter, softened 1 1/2 cups white sugar 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup crushed peppermint candy bits or mint chocolate chips (optional) Directions: Preheat oven to 375°F (190 °C). In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and place onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks. Serve chilled or straight from the oven! Enjoy! Perfect Mashed Potatoes The holidays just don’t feel complete without potatoes in some way, shape, or form. So why not give this recipe a shot? You can never go wrong with potatoes! :) Prep Time: 20-25 mins Cook time: 20-25 mins Ingredients: 3 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut in half lengthwise 1/4 cup butter 1/2 cup whole milk salt and ground black pepper to taste Directions: Place potatoes into a large pot, and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain, and return the potatoes to the pot. Turn heat to high, and allow the potatoes to dry for about 30 seconds. Turn off the heat. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher twice around the pot, then add the butter and milk. Continue to mash until smooth and fluffy. Whisk in the salt and black pepper until evenly distributed, about 15 seconds. Prepare your favourite gravy and serve hot! Enjoy:)