June Issue 2017 by SLSS Press

SLSS PRESS | SUMMER EDITION | JUNE 2017

Hey Sharks, The school year is officially over! With another year passed, another awesome set of issues has been published by the SLSS Press. In an effort to expand our editorial content by offering articles and stories that are more relevant to you and your life, the SLSS Press has diverted a greater focus to our student body-- all the fun weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had and all that has happened this past school year. This final issue of our 2016-2017 year is no different. This issue highlights the achievements, events, and memories of the last two months of our school year. We hope that you have as much fun reading them as we had creating them!

EDITORâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NOTE

We would also like to give a big thanks to our lovely sponsor teachers, Ms. McBurney and Ms. Shearer, for all they have done for the club this past school year. We hope you have thoroughly enjoyed the contests and the myriad of articles published this year and continue to read (or contribute) next year! Have a fantastic summer! Editors Davy Lau, Hedy Ng, and Celine Tsai

Y T I N U M M O

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SLSS PRESS | SUMMER EDITION | JUNE 2017

For My Name Is Will By Angela Cheng and Elaine Ma

This year, the SLSS Drama Club performed the original production “For My Name is Will” for the spring show of 2017. The passionate author behind this exciting play is none other than Ms. Kosar herself, our resident drama enthusiast! This story revolves around a young William Shakespeare in his search for love and his pursuit of his writing career. “For My Name is Will”, built upon nothing but a vague history of Shakespeare and the imagination of an incredible individual, gives us an inside look at the life of the renowned playwright.

A Short Interview with the Author:Jean Kosar Q: What was your inspiration for this play?

A: I have always loved Shakespeare and I wanted to do something to honour the 600th anniversary of his death (which was last year). I wanted to write something that would give all our talented actors a chance to shine, too, and so I thought it would be fun to write something about Shakespeare’s youth and all the people he knew in Stratford, which is his hometown. We don’t know a lot about his life. We know when he was born and some things about his family. We know he married Anne Hathaway, a local woman, when he was 18 and she was in her twenties, and we know they had a child six months after their marriage. When I was doing research, I found out about the Lucy family, the songs that Shakespeare wrote about Sir Thomas Lucy, and the fact that they had a daughter who was close in age to Shakespeare himself and that made me think of the love triangle that the play describes. I also found out that Shakespeare’s little sister, Anne, died at the age of 7 of the English sweat (a mysterious disease that no longer afflicts people) and that is what inspired one of my favourite scenes of the play in which Will is writing a play after everyone has gone to bed and he imagines his mother as the character that will become Constance, in Shakespeare’s play “King John”. I also found it lots of fun to incorporate some of my favourite lines and passages into the play -lines from both Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe -- and write them a bit clumsier than the lines we know now, with the idea that both Will and Kit Marlowe would polish their work as they became more experienced.

Q: What difficulties did you run into while producing the play?

A: It is always difficult to cast a play -- you want to give everyone a chance and not everyone can be the lead. I was really pleased with how well everyone played their characters and how much thought people put into creating characters that were full of life and completely believable. Of course, I always struggle with kids’ schedules because our students have so many things on the go. I always worry if we’ll be ready. I don’t feel like I have much of a visual sense, so it is so helpful to have Mr. Price there to design the set and for this play, Kristian Bariso did a terrific job figuring out costumes which, as you can tell if you know me, is something I really struggle with. I included a lot of songs in the play and Kyle Yeung wrote some peppy music for the lyrics I wrote for the players (I’m still singing it in my head!) and our resident “jack of all trades” (and master of many) Isaac Hoyland created a really striking image for our poster and program! Thanks to everyone, cast and crew, for bringing this to fruition.

Q: Do you have anything else to add?

A: Not much else to add. I was so proud of the show and how it looked and sounded. I appreciate so much the devotion of the Grade 12’s who are saying goodbye after this show.

SLSS PRESS | SUMMER EDITION | JUNE 2017

An Inside Perspective: The Actors and Crew Q: What was your personal experience in this play? A: This was a whole new experience for me. I had never played a role in the past that exerted so much time and effort out of me. I had to be strict with myself, making sure that each day I had booked off a portion of time to memorize my lines. To play a character like Will, a confident flirt known for having a wit, I had to study a few of my friends to learn how to portray these aspects, as I’m not known to be flirty or witty. Playing Will was a privilege for me. Even though it took a lot of work and memorizing, I enjoyed the final outcome. Also, I would just like to make a quick thanks to Ms. Kosar, as she had to deal with me for 3 months while preparing this play. She put up with me leaving rehearsal early to go to my Ultimate games/practices, something that I can imagine stressed her out a lot more than she had already been. But she stuck by me, and placed her faith in me, and I’d just like to give her a big thanks for that. -Ryan Curtis, Grade 12 (William Shakespeare)

Q: What’s your favourite part about being an actor? v

A: I love bonding with the cast and crew and seeing the show all come together in the end. It’s very rewarding when the audience reacts to our scenes and it makes all the stress and work that goes into the show worth it. - Kayley Hirose, Grade 12 (Anne Lucy)

Q: Do you have a favourite scene in the play? If so, why is it your favourite? A: Scene III. Its definitely because I’m in it but there’s bias for ya. I think the real reason scene III is my favourite is because of its explosiveness‚ starting with John Shakespeare and all his drunken pals singing and enjoying themselves. The next thing you know, there is an aggression that could be felt for miles. The tension between William and his father brought an amazing exchange. I’ve been in three plays in my run as an actor thus far and that scene is by far my favourite because of the dynamic range and energy used to create it. - Jonathan Nakhleh, Grade 10 (John Shakespeare)

Q:What’s your favourite part about the play, or rather, the drama club? A: One of my favourite parts about the club is hanging out with people I wouldn’t normally talk to and aren’t in my grade. It makes it like an unlikely family that can relate over a shared passion and have tons of fun together through a learning experience! - Chevonne Thompson, Grade 12 (Anne Hathaway)

Q: What obstacles did you encounter during this production? v

A: The biggest obstacle was getting everyone to respect the play. It was written by our very own Ms. Kosar, and at times when the audience doesn’t understand it- as the play was about Shakespeare in his very complicated language- they overlook the hard work that has been put into writing, rehearsing, directing, and producing the play itself. - Rachel Wong, Grade 12 (Stage Manager)

Q: What influenced you to join the stage crew this year and what did you learn from your experience behind the stage? A: I was already in the drama club in grade 8 and I loved the experience, so nothing has really changed. To some people it might feel like a tradition to go back, and to others, like me, it feels more like a family. That’s why people go back every year. I personally don’t like to be on stage, so I choose to be backstage. From the experience, all I can say is that it’s super stressful, especially before and during the shows. I learned how props should be placed on stage to make a set feel more cozy, or how the stage can be made to give a metaphorical meaning to the play. - Clara Huang, Grade 10 (Stage Crew Member)

This year’s shows have both been great successes thanks to the efforts of the SLSS Drama Club. Nothing could have been accomplished without the dedicated actors who practiced tirelessly, the crew who brought the play to life, and the stage managers who kept everything under control behind the scenes. Mr. Price, as always, designed a beautiful set for Ms. Kosar’s incredible play “For My Name is Will.” But wait, producing these two spectacular shows this year must certainly have cost a Price ;-) Get it? In fact, these shows are a product of hours and hours of work, on the part of an outstanding group of students and staff with a burning passion for theatre. Don’t worry if you missed this year’s amazing productions, because with next year comes the promise of even more fantastic plays!

SLSS PRESS | SUMMER EDITION | JUNE 2017

Strathcona Trip by Krishangi Dandapure

Sleep-deprived and hungry, teenagers arrive at the Tsawwassen ferry terminal, hauling pounds of luggage – half of which they will not use – in the early hours of the morning. It only takes a few minutes for the fatigue to wear off, and all of a sudden they’re all back to normal, chatting their heads off. Excitement lingers in the air, as their departure time comes closer and closer. To make sure their luggage gets on the luggage carts, they propel and shove their way through, stuffing their bags in and walking away triumphantly. The ferry is a great fascination to the young ones, who walk around in awe as they get a taste of some sort of independence, while the older ones scoff and settle in their little groups. Students head for the food, or head up to the deck to add more flair their Instagram feeds, but a few just laze around playing card games. For some the ferry ride seemed to never end, while to some it seemed not to be long enough. Nonetheless, it ends eventually, and soon they are on the busses off to camp. The bus is a slight downgrade from the roomy ferry, yet there is entertainment all around. From a continuation of the card games, to jamming with Spotify playlists, to taking naps – nothing is lacking. It seems like it can’t get any better, until a lunch stop is made. Fast food all around; it’s a teenager’s paradise! Excessive amounts of food are brought back for everyone to share on the bus, and they all indulge in what they believe might be their last good meal until Friday evening. As usual, this leads to frequent trips to the cramped bathroom in the back of the bus. Soon, they arrive at Strathcona; excitement is at its peak! The foreign smell of nature fills their nostrils, as they walk through the mesmerizing camp. They brace themselves as they approach the cabin with low expectations, but suddenly they are in awe; they had clearly been given the wrong information. The grade 9’s disappear to embark on their own journeys while the grade 8’s stay back. Activities follow one after the other, and pretty soon, they are laughing and chatting comfortably as though they’ve been here for a long time. The day goes fast, and there doesn’t seem to be enough time to explore the camp. Disappointed by strict curfew rules, they all retreat to the common rooms to play Monopoly and charades with slightly bent rules. When it gets dark, they are forcefully ushered to their rooms, and though they should be sleeping, thrill and excitement for the next day’s adventures keep them awake.

The next morning, alarms simultaneously go off in each room, as the sluggish students drag themselves out of bed, with the regret of not sleeping that night. The day is packed with activities scheduled one after the other, but the favourite will always remain the water activities. Brave ones go down the kayak slide backwards, while the rest close their eyes and shriek, only to find out it wasn’t so bad after all. The water is freezing, but not cold enough to stop them from piling multiple people on the paddle boards or from jumping in and swimming. Those who swam regret it immediately, and as soon as they can, a herd of freezing teenagers stampede towards the sauna. Can it get any better? Dinner comes around to prove that Strathcona does not disappoint. Pulled pork is piled on plates and barbeque sauce is heaped on top in large portions, yet it is not enough, and they all go back for seconds and thirds. Satisfied and with full stomachs, they realize that the overnight trip is right around the corner, which means packing must be done. Oh, the dread of packing! Some promptly pack and are ready to leave that night, while some decide that they would be better off leaving it to the next day. The morning is full of buzz, with people packing at the last minute, stuffing sleeping bags in their bags that seemed to have magically shrunk. Everyone is in a rush, realizing that they still have to do activities that day, and many leave their half packed bags to to catch their groups going for ziplining and high ropes. The fun lasts only until it is time to leave for the overnight trip, when they come rushing towards the meeting spot to see their leader’s disappointed face. Then it’s off to Lost Echo, the mysterious land they are to embark for and a place that may be recognized as the hardest camping trip of their lives. Paddling a canoe no longer seems fun after a certain point, and rather than racing with the other canoes, just continuing becomes the priority. Lost Echo is hidden from sight, and though it seems as if it is miles away, it is reached very quickly. The sight of Lost Echo gives them some hope, as it doesn’t seem as hostile as imagined. In fact, there are so many good options as to where to set up a tarp, that half of the time gets spent arguing over which spot is better. Eventually, they settle for one and proceed to the difficult task of setting up a durable shelter. From there it gets tougher, from cooking food, to starting a fire and keeping it going. The ones in charge of cooking chop up vegetables intensely and make sure every can of beans is opened perfectly. Dinner seems like heaven to some, while to others it seems like something they would never want to touch ever again. Nonetheless, flatulence becomes common around the campsite. Despite this, they all indulge in a great amount of the most well-known camp treat – s’mores. Dropped it on the ground? No problem, just a little bit of added crunch. But it comes with its consequences.

SLSS PRESS | SUMMER EDITION | JUNE 2017

The dreaded outhouse is the last place anyone wants to be, but it is their only option. The stink is unbearable and it looks like an insect breeding house, but if your breath is held long enough and the critters are ignored, chances are that you’ll make it out alive. The highlight of the overnight is spending the night under the tarp. It is known that the right amount of sleep will definitely not be acquired. One by one they eventually doze off, with hopes of getting to sleep-in the next morning. Then there’s that one kid who forgets that his wristwatch has an alarm for 6 in the morning, and they have an earlier start to the day than they would have preferred.

Breakfast is not the best, but it is food and even the picky kids devour it happily. The weather seems okay, so they start to pack up and take down the tarp. Once the tarp is ready to be put away, rain immediately starts pouring from the sky and everyone runs to save their precious belongings. After a while, they leave a few behind reluctantly, some students without even turning back. The canoe ride seems shorter than before, and they are back quickly. They make lunch, and once again, it involves beans. The flatulence is not going away anytime soon. The pressure is on for the groups, who have to present some sort of a skit or song to the rest of the camp by the evening. They have known this since the beginning of the week, but they are Speckies, so obviously they have put it off for the last minute. Yay procrastination! The presentations are entertaining and everyone can admit that the Grade 8’s did a better job than the Grade 9’s. Then comes the lecture about clean up. “Easy!” they all say as they head to bed, only to leave it for the morning. Alarms go off at 5:30 and by 6:30, there is a swarm of kids going in and out trying to clean the whole place up. The waiting list for the broom is long enough to keep them cleaning for the rest of the day, yet miraculously it is over sooner than expected. Inspection proves that Speckies are masters of procrastination and can get things done last minute. Before they know it, it is time to leave. Though they look forward to going back home and getting to eat rice again, they feel sad leaving, despite the countless mosquito bites and the burnt skin they will take back as souvenirs. This trip has strengthened their bond, and they have become like family. Strathcona will forever hold a special place in their hearts because the memories made there can never be replaced.

Student Council In-House Elections By Caitlin Stephenson

After months of hard work with the guidance of the current executives, as well as three days of campaigning and thoughtful speeches, the Student Council executive team for 2017-2018 has been formed! Let’s meet the members!

Mark Cam – Vice President

“I am involved in many different parts of the school, including athletics, arts and many service clubs, which provides me with a wide range of experience. Next year, I want to make the grade representatives more involved in Student Council events, and start having food and drinks at school dances!”

Dylan Cobankiat –Vice President

“I’ve experienced a ton of L’s so that you don’t have to! Hopefully I can bounce back and use my resilience to learn and improve our Student Council. Next year, I’d like to have more geofilters created for the school and major school events!”

Caitlin Stephenson – Secretary

“I’m prepared to take on this role thanks to those grade 1 typing exercises, grade 8 linear notes and being in Student Council for four years! Next year, I would like to come up with unique spirit day ideas that are easy to participate in, so that everyone can show their school involvement!”

Sophia Gu – Treasurer

“My background in accounting and finance will allow me to be quick and organized with treasurer duties. An idea I have for next year is to set up a photo booth during spirit weeks so that everyone can take pictures with their friends! This will also encourage more people to dress up!”

Justin Wu – Volunteer Coordinator

“My strong organizational skills will ensure that I won’t lose your hours and we’ll all be happy. I’d like to start having weekly dance offs in meetings to showcase our skills, but I guarantee you can’t whack, hit dem folks, dab, or whip harder than me.”

Leo Wang – Tech Executive

“I will draw upon my experience and my ability to problem solve – and improvise – with others in order to reach the same goal. One idea I have for next year is to get more food at school events because food is good and everyone likes it.”

Ashwyn Dholliwar – Public Relations

“Ibti [Warsame] making me change the calendar almost made me quit shadowing. Good thing I didn’t though. My idea for next year is to make fun and exciting videos for all the different Student Council events, so we can document as much as possible, and play back our good memories in the future!”

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Emily Fuchiwaki – General Executive

“I will bring my fun and optimistic attitude to everything we do in Student Council, from huge events to weekly meetings. I hope to make Student Council and the whole school more inclusive, and my goal for next year is to host more school-wide events next year so everyone can interact and show off their spirit!”

Leanne Lau – General Executive

“I’ll be able to contribute to our team through my great leadership and communication skills that I have developed from participating in different school clubs and events. Some ideas I have for fun school activities are a blindfolded makeup challenge or a not-my-hands challenge!”

Jiro Luat – General Executive

“Although I took my share of L’s, I want to share my passion for student voice next year and inspire students of all interests, in all grades! One thing I want to do is revamp our Student Council YouTube account! In the summer, I’m saving up for a new video camera to create aesthetic vlogs and video montages to hype up our events!” These individuals will be working alongside Student Council President Kathleen Kong to plan lots of fun and exciting school events next year, including spirit weeks, school dances, Breakfast With Santa and many more! Their first task as a group will be to organize and plan this year’s Sharkfest! Together, these executive members have lots of experience and are ready to work hard to make your next school year the best that it can be!

An Interview with 2017-2018 Student Council President Kathleen Kong Paraphrased by Davy Lau

Congratulations to Kathleen Kong, your Student Council President for 2017-18! Read on for some insight into how she ran her campaign, her advice for younger students, and her future plans. 1. Memorable politicians often have a central underlying theme or issue that dictates their proposed policies, and also how they run their campaigns. For instance, Trump was associated with immigration, Sanders with socioeconomic disparity, and Keiko Fujimori with the Rule of Law. Explain what sort of underlying theme your campaign centered around, and why this was chosen. My platform was centered around a multitude of themes, not just one! They include: - increasing the student voice - introducing new events - improving existing events - and collaborating with other school clubs

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2. Though the campaign has essentially been just 3 days long, your journey to this stage must have spanned several years. For this year specifically, how have you grown through your efforts in preparing yourself to become a presidential candidate? Juggling academics and extracurricular activities was particularly stressful for me. For instance, I had AP exams and a dance competition the week before elections! I had to organise the campaign, study for APs, and prepare for dance weeks in advance so that I would be prepared for the most stressful month of my life! This year, I’ve started reaching out to more and more members of the school community. I’ve really grown as a person by listening to the input of many students and I developed my platform to address the issues that they raised. My platform is really the people’s platform: I consider it the work of the students, and not my own. I also made great strides in terms of my work habits. I touched on this earlier, but I found that leading up to election day, I was incredibly focused and put all of my time and efforts on ensuring that my campaign would be successful. I put 110% into every aspect of election week, from writing my speech to organising my campaign. 3. What main strategy did you have in mind when planning out this campaign? Did you want to appeal to the masses with your personality, creativity, ideas, experience, determination, etc.? Looking back, how would you have changed your campaign, perhaps to be more true to yourself, to gain more votes, etc.?

Two words: EXPERIENCE AND IDEAS :) I really marketed the fact that I’ve been in Student Council since grade eight, and that I have a lot of other experience as well. I even made a separate section on my webpage for it! I also had a very clear platform which I elaborated on in the first interview question. The use of a website allowed me to easily promote ALL of my ideas, which exhibited the issues I wanted to address and the inventive, entertaining events I had in mind! Additionally, I employed a ton of fun PR strategies, such as inventive in-school posters. Did you say the poster that said “Kathleen will take next year up, up, and away”? I attached real balloons to the poster! Other aspects of my campaign included memes and catchy slogans! I also filmed a video (credits to Sanford Lee); I didn’t cram in all my important ideas into the video, because my main objective was to spread the word that I was running for president! Overall, I tried to fuse a humorous and informative approach into my presidential campaign!

4. How did you prepare for the Presidential Debate on Tuesday May 17th, and what advice do you have for students who may be interested in the leadership aspect of Student Council president, but who may be concerned about the power of popularity in voting, as well as concerned about being able to communicate effectively? First and foremost, NOT procrastinating is essential! An example was my presidential speech; although it was scheduled to take place midway through May, I started preparing for it well in advance during spring break, because it was so important to my campaign! I practiced intensively the night before as well. My advice would be; Be confident, and be yourself! I tried some humour, but ironically, NO ONE laughed…So you can see that I’m a very funny person ;) But in all seriousness, I got my points across, and that’s all that matters! I practiced my speech a million times the night before and I stressed a ton because I didn’t know what to do with… my arms!!! So, I decided to do some good old research; I watched some of Michelle Obama’s speeches on YouTube and just stared at her hands while she talked. Long story short, it didn’t really help much, but who cares if you’re awkward and don’t know what to do with your arms? It’s all about what you have to say! Don’t change your speech the night before!!! I wasn’t able to memorize my speech because I was too nervous and because there were too many last minute changes. 5. What are your plans for next year? Of course, I also want to integrate parts of Dylan and Mark’s platform (Dylan and Mark are my VPs <3). For example, I appreciated Dylan’s ideas of adding school Geofilters and having additional general member committees within Student Council. Mark’s ideas for improving the Shark Idol audition process also really resonated with me! Thanks for this interview, Kathleen! We wish you all the best in living up to your promise of creating “The Best Year Ever”!

SLSS PRESS | SUMMER EDITION | JUNE 2017

Spectrum Ottawa/Quebec Trip 2017 Angela Hu

Every year, the grade 10s in the Spectrum program at Steveston-London travels to Florida, visiting fascinating sites like the Kennedy Space Centre, and participating in educational programs at the Animal Kingdom, or Epcot. However, this year’s final trip was slightly different in terms of destination. This year’s grade 10s spent May 13th to 19th in Ottawa, Montréal, and Quebec City. They visited sites like Parliament, the Supreme Court of Canada, the Canadian War Museum, while bonding together when they tried to break out from an escape room, and bowling. Students had an exciting opportunity to meet Richmond’s Member of Parliament: Alice Wong. In Quebec, students had the opportunity to watch a breathtaking show of Cirque du Soleil, tour Old Montréal, see Montmorency Falls, and make their own copper art at the Copper Museum. Spectrum 10 teachers, Mrs. Christie, Mr. Jarvis, and Ms. Shearer accompanied the students on this exciting expedition, leading them throughout the east coast. My favourite part of the Ottawa trip was when Ms. Shearer and Mrs. Christie bowled with us on my team. It made me look at them in a different way: they can be childish and silly, just like us! :)) - Cherry Chan My favourite part of the Ottawa trip was when we went to Old Montreal. Every part of that sector was very artsy and ig worthy. If you want to catch some of those Old Montreal pics in action, follow me @annie5chow - Annie Zhou To view more pictures captured by the Spectrum 10 students throughout the trip, check out @specsinquebec on Instagram!

Humans of SLSS: June Edition By Kathleen Kong and Sophia Gu

Hey Sharks! Hope you had a great school year like we did. Have a fantastic and hopefully relaxing summer. We will see you again in September!

“I’m looking forward to my summer job as a web designer to get some funds!” -Tristian Chen, Grade 11

“Our favourite memory from this year is when we made it to the Richmond finals and V&D’s for volleyball.” - Kevin Tan, Django Mavis, Ryan Yee (Grade 8 Volleyball Players) - Andrew Huang (Grade 11 Coach)

“I would have to say that one of my greatest high school accomplishments is winning RSSAA Championships for basketball four years in a row!” -Daniel Chen, Grade 12

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t n e m n i a t r e t en s h p a r g o hot P e h t nd a s e s o 19 The R Stands Alone ce n e i c S 1 2 l o d I y t i c n o i t i 22 Rich d e E t t r e La m a h m c u t S a : ht g 24 M u o h T for d o o F 25

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The Roses and the Photographs By Bertina Lee

They were sad things, my photographs. I had taken them a while back before the incident and they all had a grey tinge to them, as if theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d been glossed over by a layer of fog. It was strange, because I remembered them to be vibrant pictures a couple of weeks agoâ&#x20AC;Ś or was it months? Years? I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t quite remember the last time I looked through my pictures. Thanks to the camera I used back then, my pictures all had a fair bit of surrealism about them - not because they were all slightly grey, but because they still contained people and places and things that I would have never associated myself with today. The last few pictures, however were more focused and had a tinge of red along with the grey. I picked up the very first one, the one with the bikes and the smiles of old friends in it. It had a distinct smell to it - the smell of roses. A rose garden, a spring excursion, and laughter. Memories tried to float back to the surface of my stream of consciousness, only to be washed away before they truly materialized into anything worth interpreting. I delicately picked up the most colourful picture of all. Pastel pinks, baby blues and sunny yellows monopolized the colour palette of the photograph. It appeared to be a group picture of some sort. I squinted a bit, and could just barely make out the red and barely-there green. A garden. The last days of summer. A party. I remembered the smell of the memory before I could reimagine the images. The faint aroma of a fruity tea and the overbearing smell of roses. Again, they appeared in this memory, just like the first. There were only red roses, and they littered the garden and covered the other flowers. There was such an abundance of them that they were irritating to look at. With the memory of the roses came the recollection of the teacups and the flowy garments. Everyone was dressed in pastels and whites, carrying the finest of china teacups. And then came the sounds. I recalled the birds, the excited chatter, and the classical music that beckoned me into a peaceful slumber. It was a nap that I was too willing to take, despite being dressed so scandalously in party attire. They woke me up when they noticed the sun beginning to set, my pale hair tangled in rose petals when I awoke. I was barely able to recall the events prior to my nap and the events

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afterwards. Being unconscious was the clearest memory I had of that day. Who woke me up? Where did I go after the party? Ah. I remember now. The incident happened not so long after this memory. She had been refused something, and so had others. Someone my age with green eyes wearing an equally revealing white dress. A crash. The wailing. The lights. He was in terrible condition by the time he received any form of first aid. Barely breathing, barely conscious. He had been covered by the wilting red roses in the garden. They spilled everwhere - petals, leaves and all. So much that the man seemed to be wearing the red of the roses on him. Most of them were shrivelled up now. Someone at the party lost his composure completely, wailing hysterically before losing consciousness. At some point in my mind, it was the green-eyed girl that was severely injured and not the man covered in roses, which didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make sense. My memory must have been mistaken. I tried to verify my suspicions and reached for the next photograph, but my fingers found nothing but dust. It was colder now. Is it winter already? How odd. I got up to throw on a winter coat, only to find that my closet was dustier than usual and that everything had somehow lost some of its colour. I picked a white coat and decided to put on a completely different outfit to match the temperature. I picked up a nearby camera with pale and shivering hands, and took a picture of myself after assembling my outfit. Even though the camera I used was more advanced than the one I took most of my photographs with, the picture that came out was more washed out than any photo I have ever seen. The only colours I could see were the green of my eyes and the red of my dress.

Science Stands Alone By: Davy Lau

In a world that now prioritizes power, reputation, and money, the true essence of science is becoming increasingly susceptible to distortion, gradually conforming to this narrow-minded agenda. As Polish-born mathematician Jacob Bronowski said himself, “No science is immune to the infection of politics and the corruption of power”. Funding for research in recent years has gradually pooled toward fields of science regarded as having more relevance to everyday life, or in other words, science that can generate larger revenue. And although this relevance forms the backbone of society’s admiration of science, the value of science extends beyond its practical applications because it reveals greater truth concerning our universe and has the power to unify a nation and the world as a whole. Personally speaking, my interest and passion for science stems from an insatiable curiosity for truth. Above all, scientific study reveals the truth about the world around us through discoveries small or big, ranging from the Bohr atomic model to the earth-like planet Gliese 581, twenty light-years away. If one strips away any of science’s practical applications, its value lies in allowing humans to better understand their place in the world and live out well-informed lives. When pondering the value of truth in our society, I am often reminded of the Red Pill versus Blue Pill symbols employed in The Matrix, a 1999 film. Related to Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, these symbols represent a choice between liberty, knowledge, and the often bitter truth of reality (the Red Pill allows one to live in the outside world) versus security, blissfulness, and willful ignorance (the Blue Pill allows one to live an imaginary life in the matrix). On a personal level, taking the Blue Pill would really just be a waste of one’s life: How can one feel fulfilled if their entire life is nothing but artificiality? In the same way, science brings fulfillment to people’s lives because of its power as a bearer of truth. Of course, this characteristic may be less admired

by those wanting to take the Blue Pill, as I’m sure they’d rather not listen to climate change scientists or epidemiologists. On another note, science has the ability to unify society on multiple fronts, without having foreseeable practical applications. Take for example, the American-Soviet Space Race, which was a competition in the mid-20th century between Cold War rivals to see which country could achieve the greatest breakthrough in space exploration. Although it was apparent that rocket research would have extensive applications to the military, feats such as landing on the moon did not exactly have foreseeable applications. Nevertheless, despite being on nearly opposite sides of the political spectrum, the USA and USSR worked toward a common goal, pushing each other to further advance their knowledge of space, thereby generating tremendous nationalistic pride on both parts. We saw engineers, physicists, and teachers collaborate on these projects. We saw astronauts fly into space, regardless of gender, regardless of race, regardless of religion, and we even mixed in some different species! Above all, we mourned as a world over the deaths of astronauts, turned martyrs, then turned heroes, like Vladimir Komarov, Dr. Judith Resnik, and teacher-in-space Christa McAuliffe. As can be seen, the value of science is not limited to its practical applications, but extends to moral applications as well, by providing personal fulfillment through the constant discovery of truth and by unifying billions of people under a common purpose. Furthermore, science has shown us that practicality is only limited by how far one sees in the future. If there was never a drive to launch humans into space, we never would have been able to conduct hundreds of hypotheses about the world outside our world. In conclusion, greater revenue does not make better science; science stands alone, and it is powerful enough to speak on its own.

On May 30th, our Shark Idol, Mark Cam, won

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Richcity Idol By Celine Tsai and Jiro Luat first runner-up in the 14th annual RichCity Idol!

That Tuesday night, judges, contestants, friends, and family filled the Richmond Gateway Theatre, bubbling over with excitement. The cheers and applause roared when the hosts, Chloe Chan and Adelaide Chan, warmly greeted and welcomed the audience to the 2017 RichCity Idol with their vibrant 80’s-inspired outfit. The duo, both students from Steveston-London, amped up the theatre’s atmosphere with their quirky dancing and corny puns. With a “back to the 80’s” theme, the show kicked off with the nine Richcity Idol contestants singing “Love Never Felt So Good”. The nine contestants, each winners of their high school’s Idol, sang and danced their hearts out while the audience grooved to the music. Jaspher from Cambie Secondary started off the performances with a bang, singing “I Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You”, accompanied by his acoustic guitar. Performances from Angela Serias (McNair), Maria Deng (Richmond High), Samuel Fernandez (Palmer), Megumi Randall (McRoberts), Vivian Wu (MacNeill), Marielle Namuco (Burnett), and Audrey De Boer (McMath) followed. Mark Cam, with his own piano rendition of the classic “Man In the Mirror” by Michael Jackson, completely wowed the judges and the audience. The room roared with applause and cheers immediately after his performance, and the judges’ feedback

was nothing but admiration and praise. Judge Bruce Nip said: “You can rule just about anyone with that performance. I absolutely loved the original rendition of ‘Man in the Mirror’. You tell us a story from the beginning with a problem, and at the end, you have a resolution. How you arranged it shows that story. I [haven’t] seen a performance tonight that told a story. Your performance shows that. You did a wonderful job.” Another judge said: “You have such a sultry sound to your voice that’s really easy to listen to... And you know how ‘Man in the Mirror’ was an upbeat song? I like how you turned it into a ballad. [You told] the story of the song. You did a really good job. I’m so proud.” After the contestants’ breath-taking performances, the judges took their time to choose the five finalists that would be eligible for the audience vote. To alleviate the pressure on the judges to choose promptly, emcee Adelaide Chan (also a Shark Idol finalist) gave an impromptu acapella performance of Bruno Mars’s hit song “Rest of My Life”, which she learned simply from watching an episode of the TV show “Jane the Virgin”. At last, the judges chose the five finalists: Marielle Namuco, Megumi Randall, Samuel

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Fernandez, Mark Cam, and Maria Deng. After waiting to find out who won. It was close, but a vote during the intermission, the show kicked Marielle from Burnett was declared the winner it up a notch and had awesome performances of Richcity Idol, with Mark as the first runner from very talented groups, including last year’s up (Don’t worry, Mark! Though you were secRichCity Idol winner Patrick Doctolero, as ond in Richcity you’re first in our hearts!) well as our very own Steveston-London Dance Overall, it was an astonishing event. Creative Team. Director Dylan Cobankiat states, “I believe that The dance team went all the way back to the RichCity Idol went very well this year, to the late 20th century (with some “swag music”) and danced to pop culture’s “Music has been such a big part of my life greatest hits. Their routine ranged ever since I was little. Having the chance to participate in RichCity Idol 2017, as well as from funk and disco from the 70’s and 80’s to Destiny’s Child’s 90’s soul. having the honour of placing second, was such an amazing opportunity. I didn’t realize The performance had an abundance what this competition meant to me until it of energy, and it was obvious how was over: the knowledge and skills I gained, much hard work and dedication the the invaluable friendships, but moreover, the team had put into creating such an chance to perform for an incredible crowd amazing performance in such a small of people. I really encourage anyone who has just even a slight interest in music or amount of time. In the creation of performance to audition for Shark Idol; bethis routine, one of the dancers, Aning able to take part in RichCity Idol was regie Yam, explained: “It was honestly ally one of the highlights of my year so far.” very stressful and tiring to create this piece for RichCity Idol, since we only - Mark Cam had 2 weeks to create the whole dance from scratch. However, because of RCI’s theme (80s’), it inspired us to create our point where I’d say it went better than the year dance based on the storyline of an “old school before. Barring a few small hiccups, the show karaoke party”. This way, not only can we stick went smoothly, and we’ve had a really good to the theme of old school dance in our piece, response for this year’s show.” We encourage we also show the diverse dance and music style others to attend the show next year, or even back in the days. As you can see in the video, we apply to volunteer as a part of the RichCity Idol made our dance very simple (compared to the Committee! ones that we do at competitions) because we wanted to show and remind everyone how fun For more information, visit: RichCityIdol.com it is sometimes to just do some simple grooves and HAVE FUN.” This was the dance team’s final performance before officially ending their season. A special shoutout to Captain Deion Ramos and Asst. Captain Angie Yam for creating an amazing routine. After the showcase performances, it was time to reveal the 2017 RichCity Idol winner. The audience was on the edge of their seats, impatiently

Matcha Latte By Jiro Luat

Steam rises up into the air from the delicate paper cup. Satisfaction served as the milk pours through the grandiose foams. A shot of espresso plunges to describe the prodigious taste. The smell of matcha runs through the tip of my tongue. That warm feeling - gazing on the exquisite drink.

Food For Thought: Summer Edition! By The Hunger Management Counselors

It’s finally summertime, and what does that mean? That’s right; time for shaved ice and ice cream! This month, your favourite foodies will be giving you special recommendations on our favourite places to go for some refreshing desserts!

Icy Bar

First up, we have everyone’s favourite go-to place: Icy Bar. Icy Bar offers a variety of desserts, but as the name suggests, shaved ice is its forte. They have They have a wide array of shaved ice flavours, and they all come in different sizes. It’s the perfect place for a group hang, or a one-on-one! You’re given the flexibility to be creative and order a heap of your favourite toppings! There are lots of options for add-ons at Icy Bar, in addition to the pre-set shaved ice flavours. Some of the classics include red bean and mochi shaved ice with green tea ice cream, mango and strawberry shaved ice, and mango and mochi shaved ice with vanilla ice cream. Honestly, we have no specific favourite because everything tastes absolutely amazing. Their signature finishing touch, of course, is the slight drizzle of condensed milk on the perfectly stacked toppings of the smooth ice. You might’ve seen videos of your friends dousing it on shaved ice on Snapchat, or even personally squeezed the condensed milk on. If shaved ice isn’t your cup of tea, the shop offers about two dozen more options for you to choose from!

Sulmida

Let’s all welcome the long awaited, new addition to Richmond, Korean dessert shop Sulmida! Sulmida is a new dessert place that recently opened, and it’s constantly crowded with customers on a daily basis. Their special is bingsoo (Korean-style shaved ice), along with thick toast. Sulmida is vastly similar to Snowy Village, except they offer a larger variety of food. Their shaved ice is prepared with milk, giving it a creamy white colour, and a softer, more relaxing taste. The ice instantly melts at the tip of your tongue, leaving you feeling joyous, and tastes just like snowflakes. Their most popular choices include mango and cheesecake shaved ice, matcha and red bean shaved ice, and strawberry shaved ice. The shaved ice comes in two different sizes, but we recommend sharing with 1 or 2 other people. Every flavour leaves you feeling refreshed and craving more; perfect for the upcoming hot summer days.

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Timothy’s

Does anyone go for a walk in Steveston Village for a nice walk on a hot sunny afternoon in the summer? Whenever we go for a walk at the harbour, we always crave some sweet, cold food to eat, and we usually get ours from Timothy’s! Timothy’s Ice Cream is famous for their handmade frozen yogurt, gelato, ice cream, and without exception, their waffle cones. When we go to Timothy’s we usually like to order the cookies n’ cream ice cream with the kids size waffle cone, which is just $4. We highly recommend this place, more than Menchies, or any other ice cream shops in Steveston, since the price is worth the food you receive. Even though you can’t pick your toppings, like at frozen yogurt chains, it’s one of the most authentic and simple ice cream shosp in Richmond. The shop itself is also extremely photogenic! We highly recommend you visit Timothy’s the next time you’re in Steveston.

S C I T E L H AT oney t S h t i w w e i v r e ate 28 Int d p U s c eti 29 Athl

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What Do Basketball Coaches Do Off-Season? An Interview with Stoney By Michael Cui

Q: Not everyone knows who you are, so can you tell us a bit about yourself ? A: I’m Mike Stoneburgh, aka Stoney, and I’m a sporty guy who loves sports and helping to raise my niece. During basketball season, I coach the senior boys team, and during off-season, I work as an educational assistant, or EA, for the special needs students of SLSS.

Q: What made you want to work as an EA during the off-season? A: I just want to work in schools, and I want to work with kids, so that’s why I decided to become an EA. I’ve been an EA for two years now.

Q: So, how do you like the experience? A: I love it. I’ve been coaching here for 6 years now. I love the school. I love the staff. That’s the main reason why I wanted to work here.

Q: How does it compare to coaching basketball?

A: I find it’s about the same stuff, but in a different context. Here, I’m dealing with academics rather than athletics. The pressure here comes from learning and assignments instead of games and tournaments.

Q: Even though it’s the off season, are you still involved with athletics right now? A: Yes, I coach spring basketball, help sponsor other school teams, and participate in the intramurals and grads vs. teachers’ games.

Q: Now this is a little unrelated to the main topic, but how do you feel about players like Fardaws graduating and leaving the school?

A: Fardaws is awesome. He’s a special kid, and I’ll follow him throughout his college career. Sad to see him leave. Great player, great kid. Very interesting, Stoney! Thanks for your time!

Athletics Update Information provided by Ms. Lewin

Sharks got bite this May as several of our teams dominated in Richmond and then headed off to provincial championships. Junior and Senior Ultimate both brought home the Richmond championship title, and finished strong in provincials. Juniors came in 16th and seniors were 7th. Congratulations to both teams, their coaches and sponsors! The tennis team had a spectacular season. After taking the RSSAA championship title, the SLSS tennis team headed off to provincials from May 25 to May 27th at Queen Elizabeth Park. Although the heat was unbearable, our Sharks hustled hard and played hard. The senior tennis team placed 9th in the AA Provincials, and proudly brought home the Sportsmanship Award. Way to go SHARKS! Thanks to coach Roy for his endless commitment, Andrew for stellar management, and Mr. Wang for his strong supporting role. Bantam Badminton came 3rd in Richmond to wind up a great season. A shout out to Mr. J. Mah for his master coaching and Elina Jiang for managing. Junior Badminton demonstrated growth this season, thanks to the leadership of coach Katie Ngai and the support of managers Toby Lau and Rachel Sin.

After claiming the title of Richmond Champions, our senior badminton team went to represent Steveston-London at provincials from June 2nd to 4th. Our Sharks defeated Killarney and captured 5th place. Congratulations! A big thank you to coaches Matthew Lay and Richard Zhen, Ms. Queiroga for her dedication, and managers Davianna Chien and Michelle Ngai for their excellent organizational skills. The bantam boys volleyball team, led by Amos Cheng, Ryan Yee and Kevin Tan and coached by Mike Yee and Andrew Huang, have brought a resurgence to boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; volleyball here at Steveston London! The players, most of which have never played volleyball, all trained hard and accomplished what many teams fail to do.

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Our bantam boys placed second in Richmond and at the McRoberts Strikers Annual, and finished fourth at the Vancouver & Districts. Though they fell short of winning first, the players and the coaches acknowledge the potential in the team and continue to work hard to improve, with the goal of taking home a banner next season. (Shoutout to superstar managers Alex Chow and Ethan Wong). In the meantime, many of the players are continuing to get touches by playing beach volleyball. Captains Amos Cheng and Ryan Yee came in third place in this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s High School Beach Open. Way to go, Sharks! Grade 9 Boys Volleyball had a great developing season. Thank you to coaches Mr. Hockley and Nick Kong and sponsor teacher Mr. Hamm for

their dedication. Our Golf Team had a tough loss to Burnett in the Richmond finals. It was a great season; congrats to the team and coach Mr. Clements. A huge congratulations to Merveilles Amisi and Valerie Wideski for their stellar performance at the Track and Field Provincials! Merveilles was awarded bronze in long jump with a personal best of 13.90m and placed fourth for high jump. Valerie took home silver in discus with a throw of 42.97m! Go Sharks!!! We want to thank everyone who worked tirelessly to ensure a smooth and successful year in Athletics. GO SHARKS!

T S E T N O c ded to i c e d e w , he year t f o t s advice e t f n o o c s t d r s a o l give w o For the t on s t d a n e e d R u . t r s a e t n â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next y 8 ask curre e d a r s gave! g k r g a n h i S m r o u tions o s e to the inc g g u s e at wis to see wh

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TO THE FUTURE GRADE 8S... “You can definitely make friends by joining a sport or a club that you’re interested in, and don’t forget to have fun!” Sophia Gu

“DON'T WASTE TOO MUCH MONEY ON THE VENDING MACHINE AND CAFETERIA FOOD (EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE PRETTY GOOD).” Anonymous

“Explore. There are so many wonderful things inside and outside of school. Try out different things and find out what you like. Take your time to explore and find your passion.”

WINNER

“Don't be afraid to talk to other people from older grades. They aren't any different than you are.”

Marco Wong

“Advice comes simple and straightforward. First year will seem simple and straightforward. It will feel simple and straightforward. Make your new friends, because it won’t last for long. Stay strong and push through to the June finish line. There will be new obstacles you’ve never faced before, but they’re easy to overcome. Best of luck in the fields of justice!” Andy Li

Celine Tsai

“DON’T BE SCARED TO BE YOURSELF.”

Amos Cheng

“My advice to the future grade eights is to not procrastinate and focus on your work and, if you can, do your homework in class.”

Django Mavis

“Grade 8 is the time for self-discovery. Put yourself out there by joining the clubs and teams that you are interested in. It will help you find a group of friends that are like-minded, which will make your transition from elementary school to high school easier. You shouldn’t care about what others think of you, because you won’t be true to yourself. Make your own decisions and don’t let people pressure you into making decisions that you aren’t comfortable with.”

Leanne Lau

“Don’t stop in the hallways. Please.”

Chloe Chan

“

Fake it till you make it. A letter grade/percentage doesn’t define you. Take a deep breath and move on!”

Mandy Huang

THANKS TO... JOURNALISTS Angela Cheng Elaine Ma Bertina Lee Michael Cui Jiro Luat Hunger Management Counsellors Celine Tsai Davy Lau Sophia Gu Kathleen Kong Caitlin Stephenson Krishangi Dandapure Angela Hu

ARTISTS Bertina Lee EDITORS Celine Tsai Davy Lau Hedy Ng LAYOUT EDITORS Angela Cheng Hedy Ng Michelle Li SPONSORS Ms. McBurney Ms. Shearer

Without them, this issue wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have been possible! 33