VOLUME 4, ISSUE 6
APRIL 2018
PIN TREE POS How Canadian schools handle safety in emergencies
READY, SET, PLAN
THINK ABOUT IT n i ts ing n e rn d m a roa p e l lo e ab e ev nlin ing D o r h, tee c ar lun e es vo r r and e c
IN G N A LD H R C On Wca
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Mental health, education, and mental health education
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W vo om ice en s t of o th Pine e so tree cia a l d dd isc th ou eir rs e
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2 FIRST GLANCE P.4: WORLD
P.8: SCHOOL
The Pinetree Post
STAFF
FOUNDERS Russell Kim, Felix Guo EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Emily Liang, Julia Park
Cancer Research and School Safety
P.10: FEATURED
How Leadership Works and Popular Library Books
P. 17: LIFE
ARTICLE EDITOR Julia Park CONTRIBUTORS Kate Chou, Noemi Galdamez, Maryam Gamar, Emily Liang, Sunny Liang, Julia Park, Marvin Shi, Sophie Zhao GRAPHIC DESIGN Emily Liang ONLINE CONTENT Saina Adamy, Katherine Liu SPECIAL THANKS TO The Pinetree Administration, Mr. Lau, Ms. Hopkin, Ms. Mohamed Ali, Ms. Browne, Ms. Ikeda, Sonia Sandhu, Camila Gomez, Bernice Liu, Shehzeen Arshad, Michelle Deng, Deborah Berman, Gabrielle Chu
Mental Health, Online Homework Help, and Women’s Voices
Global Retrospectives: Project Laos
GET INVOLVED IN THE PT POST! Although we at the Pinetree Post try our best to represent the voice of the everyone at Pinetree, we are only a small group of students. To find the most pressing topics and interesting avenues to explore, we rely on input from readers to curate relevant content only. Anyone is welcome to suggest a topic or provide an opinion for Pinetree Post writers and
contributors to look into further. Do you have something to say that needs your voice? The Pinetree Post also welcomes guest content, any time, of any kind. Feel free to submit an article on a topic you are passionate for, a comic you think everyone deserves to see, maybe even a letter to the editor! You can submit your original content to us at thepinetreepost@gmail.com.
Have a question or a request? Contact us at: facebook.com/thepinetreepost
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First Glance EDITOR’S NOTE
Hoping for the Best
Let’s hope Emily wakes up from this gravity-defying nap before Calculus starts.
We hope you enjoy this issue. Emily Liang, Julia Park Editors-in-Chief
Wow, has it been a whirlwind of two months! We decided to forego printing a March issue, because half the month was eaten up by Spring Break. That month we focussed on online content, which you can view at facebook.com/thepinetreepost. As for April, we struggled at first to come up with a theme, but after the first few article suggestions from our lovely writers, it became clear that this month was going to more solemn of an issue than past collections. We looked on the bright side for this month’s theme: Hope. In honour of the Canadian Cancer Society’S Daffodil Month, we start off with an article about cancer research innovations (Breakthroughs in Cancer Research, page 4). With the influx of news coming from the United States about violent incidents in schools, learn what Canada is doing to counter similar tragedies in hope that they may never occur again (Safety in Canadian Schools, page 6). For some lighter information, we know that readers are looking forward to more events from Leadership... as soon as we all
Source: Kelvin Zhang
figure out how that group is organized (Rundown on Leadership, page 8). We hope that you get the chance to dive into the school library for Poetry Month (Popular Books, page 9). Believing that something can indeed be done about mental health issues among students, we trust that you’ll read this month’s editorial very carefully (Mental Health Education in Schools, page 10). In the vein of looking toward the future, we also investigate the increasing role that auxiliary educational websites play in modern schooling (Homework Help on the Web, page 13). Women from Pinetree share observations about their lives, hoping to be heard (Listen Up!, page 15). Finally, we look back for a moment to wonder what global development will look like in a personal account (Global Retrospectives: Project Laos, page 17). This month is probably one of the most important that our talented staff has tackled, with reporting on a wide variety of relevant issues. We hope that you’ll keep staying informed. Sincerely yours, Emily Liang and Julia Park Editors-in-Chief
4 WORLD SCIENCE
Breakthroughs in Cancer Research
The daffodil symbolizes new beginnings: a symbol of hope for cancer patients.
It’s daffodil month. Julia Park Writer
April showers bring May flowers, and April donations bring hope to the hopeless in the form of advancements in cancer research. April is the Canadian Cancer Society’s annual Daffodil Month to raise money and awareness for cancer research. According to the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS), Daffodil Month is one of the longest running Canadian fundraising traditions and involves thousands of volunteers who sell freshly cut daffodils and lapel pins. Since 1957, donors have given $1.4 billion to the CCS as a way to fund critical cancer research, education and advocacy. In light of the month of yellow flowers and hope, the Pinetree Post has prepared for our readers some recent breakthroughs in cancer research. Through the CCS’s funds alone, in 1990s, Dr. Eduardo Franco contributed to finding that the human papillomavirus (HPV) causes cervical cancer which then led to the development of the HPV vaccine, and in 2011, a clinical trial that tested sisters in Manitoba found that the drug exemestane could reduce the risk of breast cancer by 65%. Aside from the CCS, US scientists found a way to shrink glioblastomas, an aggressive type of brain tumor,
Source: CCS
in mice using the Zika virus. It has been discovered that the virus kills brain tumor stem cells, which are what are thought to make glioblastomas particularly difficult to treat. The Zika virus can cause serious birth defects such as microcephaly. This is because the virus targets and kills specialized stem cells in a developing brain, which resemble brain tumor stem cells. The team injected two tumour samples with one of two modified strains of the Zika virus, and both strains successfully infected and killed tumor stem cells in the lab, while avoiding healthy tissues. One of the modified viruses shrank tumors in mice with glioblastoma, and the treated mice survived longer as well.
Improvements in medical technology and biomedical engineering have hastened the advancements of cancer research.
Improvements in medical technology and biomedical engineering have hastened the advancements of cancer research. Another recent highlight from France is that bacteria in cancer patients’ bowels may influence how well immunotherapy drugs work. To support, US labs have found a strain of gut bacteria that may help spread bowel cancer cells. Furthermore, US scientists developed MassSpec pen, a handheld device which helps surgeons spot tumour tissue. A late stage
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World trial found a drug, rucaparib (Rubraca) that lengthened the time before a patient’s disease returned, irrespective of tumor genetics. Additionally, the US FDA approved an engineered immune cell treatment, the first of its kind, called CAR T cell therapy. The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting presented the results from a STAMPEDE trial, which compared a range of treatment combinations for men with metastasized prostate cancer. It showed that combining abiraterone (Zytiga) and prednisolone with standard therapy boosts survival. This finding is revolutionary in prostate cancer research. ASCO also announced that spinal cord compression, a debilitating complication of advanced cancer, may be relieved by a single dose of radiotherapy. A celebrated milestone in cancer treatment research involves a completely new form of treatment called molecularly targeted therapy. Most existing drugs and treatments are poisons which affect healthy cells, which result in detrimental side effects on top of the damage from the cancer. However, the molecularly targeted therapy consists of drugs designed at the molecular level to only attack and kill cells of a specific type of cancer. The model drug is STI571, or Gilvec, active against a rare form of leukemia and gastrointestinal cancer. A case study in Finland showed that a patient treated with STI571 witnessed a significant reduction in the size of his gastrointestinal stromal tumor. The molecular drugs are created working backwards from a known abnormal molecule specific to a certain type of cancer. Once it is identified, a drug can be designed that interferes with that molecule, limiting the spectrum of use for the drug.
Cancer is the leading cause of death in Canada and is responsible for nearly a third of all deaths.
Cancer is the leading cause of death in Canada and is responsible for nearly a third of all deaths. Approximately 40% of all men and women will be diagnosed with some form of cancer at a point in their lives. Cancer is no longer just the heart wrenching story of your mother’s friend’s daughter. It is a ubiquitous entity, but thankfully, breakthroughs in research have significantly dropped mortality rates and have taken mankind a step closer to a hopeful future. 9
I HAVE OPINIONS
Out of (On)line
The curmudgeons might have a point with this one. Emily Liang Doesn’t understand the iPhone numbering system
As one of the lucky 29 students who went on this year’s Global Perspectives trip to Vietnam and Laos, I made the decision to leave behind my phone. Although I felt a little left out not knowing what was going on in the group chat and never being able to Google anything, I think I made the right call to go offline for three weeks. Left without the entire World Wide Web of distractions, I spent my free moments on the GP trip writing in my journal, catching up on sleep, or forcing friends to forfeit their alone time and interact with me. All of these activities, I would argue, are more productive than mindlessly consuming the easy entertainment of the Internet. I certainly felt like more connected to the world, even though by all means, I was isolating myself from anything that wasn’t in the physical vicinity. One could rightfully point out that it’s pretentious to assume that certain actions are more valuable than others, which I would agree with. However, what inherently separates phone-related pastimes versus other interests is that a phone carries all the information and communication capabilities you need in one slim, pocketsized device. For the average person, this is an incredible feat of technology that makes life so much more productive and convenient, for the easily distracted, like me, it’s a curse. Why should I read my textbook, when the entire world is at my fingertips? Staying connected is a crucial part of modern life and participating in society almost universally requires a smart device of some sort. I don’t think it’s feasible to kick the digital habit entirely, nor would I advocate for that, but I think afflictions like Internet addiction are a symptom of boredom. When there are so many interesting things to see and do outside the digital realm, it probably won’t hurt to log off every now and then. 4
6 CANADA NATIONAL INTEREST
Safety in Canadian Schools
The École Polytechnique Massacre in 1989 led to strict gun laws in Canada.
With all the news coming from our neighbour down south, what is Canada doing? Noemi Galdamez Writer
Canadian students scrolling through social media or watching television have a slim to no chance of running into a breaking story of a school shooting in Canada. However, Canada has an impressive record when compared to other places. Canada has only had only a few school shootings in history; the latest shooting was on April 5, 2013, in Quebec. None of these shootings took place in British Columbia; instead, they happened in Ontario on three occasions and once in Quebec. All of these occurrences appeared once someone got their hands on a weapon. However, Canada can confidently say great massacres or school shootings are rare in Canada due to the laws made to protect its citizens. These same laws affect our safety in our learning environment. In 1999, after the school shooting on April 28th,
Source: ottawacitizen.com
the premiere of Ontario pledged 10 million dollars for resources to ensure safety for schools in Canada. These resources included surveillance, locked doors, security guards, and metal detectors which were eventually removed by a movement by teachers. All this brings a multimillion dollar question: what is British Columbia doing to ensure the safety of their students? After the school shooting, B.C. Education Sector Integrated Response Plan constructed emergency management plans in all schools across Canada. The British Columbia (BC) plan includes classroom safety audit form, school hazards assessment, employee emergency preparedness skills survey, student emergency release (elementary and middle school), student emergency release (special education-grades 8-12), student emergency identification, partnering with law enforcement, and emergency equipment and resources. B.C. also has created forms such as the bomb threat telephone checklist, class status report, school student release. And of course, we cannot forget the infamous plans: earthquake and fire drills. All of these are checklists and drills made to ensure that all possible actions are taken towards to achieving safety under
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Canada challenging situations. Though during these drills one’s head may be clear enough to make wise decisions, under the pressure of a real situation, thinking straight is difficult. For example, the checklist for a bomb threat checks for the phone number, the duration of the call, and the location of the call, and even gives the person receiving the bomb threat questions to ask. These questions include, “Did you bomb the place?” “Why?” “Are you alone?” “Who else is with you?”
Though during these drills one’s head may be clear enough to make wise decisions, under the pressure of a real situation, thinking straight is difficult. After the bomb threat, the checklist asks for characteristics that can help the police identify the caller; for example, in the list, each box has an aspect of the caller’s voice: accent, angry, crying, nasal, slow, slurred, coughing, clearing throat, deep breathing, intoxicated, raspy or soft. Identifying the caller’s background is essential. The list also includes check boxes such as: music, quiet, office machinery, partying, street noises, household noises, vehicle noise. All of these lists are provided on the gov.bc.ca website. The B.C. Education Sector Integrated Response Plan organization is not the only group focused on security in work/learning environments. School safety association of B.C. is one of the most prominent organizations; they are related to other organizations such as OHS Regulation, Workers’ Compensation Act First Aid, Joint Occupational Health and Safety-related OH&S, Canada Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, Canadian National Workplace for Health and Safety, Canadian Standards Association, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, American National Standards Institute, and Fraser Health. For the most part, Canadians tend to follow the stereotype of being sweet by nature. However, this is not a fact about life in a general sense. Difficult, dangerous situations occur every day, and British Columbia and other parts of Canada have acknowledged this and have taken action in order to achieve safety. Canada has created laws, checklists, and organizations entirely focused on improving safety in schools. 8
I HAVE OPINIONS
“Nice” Canada
The national self-image of Canada hides some ugly truths. Emily Liang Born with Canadian citizenship, believe it or not
Everyone knows the story: Canada is diverse, Canada is a peacemaker, and Canada is definitely not America. While these things may be true (to an extent), I believe that the cumulative social effect of this national narrative is harmful. Among the stereotypes for different countries in the world, Canada is lucky in that it escapes many negative perceptions that the United States of America seems to absorb like a global blame magnet. But just because Canada neighbours a world superpower doesn’t mean that it should escape criticism, especially when so many American issues prevail in Canada too. Take, for example, the plight of First Nations people and their communities. They are incarcerated at disproportionately high rates, lack access to necessary amenities on reservations, and constitute far too many disappearances or murder victims. While optical strategies like teaching children about pre-colonial Canada and acknowledging the use of unceded territory can be important gestures in true reconciliation, they do little to directly improve the material conditions of people who are disenfranchised by the policies of past governments, and the disregard of current ones. In the face of pernicious issues such as reduced quality of life for an entire demographic of people, the familiar tale of Canada’s liberal sensibilities and social equality serves as little more than propaganda. I won’t go so far as to call conspiracy; there are many valid reasons why Canada ranks highly in human development. However, virtue of comparison should never excuse a state for its failings. The sense of Canadian national pride born of the idea that Canada is a benevolent wonderland merely makes citizens complacent in the status quo. For the real improvement of Canadian lives, we must never settle for our country being “good enough”. 4
8 SCHOOL FOR YOUR INFORMATION
A Rundown on Leadership
How is Leadership organized? Kate Chou Writer
To make plain the complexities of Pinetree Secondary’s elaborate leadership factions, we can first recognize each one as essentially ushered under a shared umbrella. Leadership, Principals Advisory Council, Student Council, Grad Council, and Delta Wolves comprise the multitude of leadership classes and courses at our school. The confusion lies mainly between the distinguished division of these groups. To clarify, Principal’s Advisory Council was the previous title essentially allotted to a group of motivated students who worked closely with Pinetree Secondary’s retired principal, Mr. McCullough, in creating, organizing, and executing interactive events for the entirety of the school. PAC students were inevitably studentelected by representatives of the PAC Council itself, yet each applicant had to undergo both a thorough speech process and detailed written applications to be considered. However, with our former principal’s term having been brought to a close, Principal’s Advisory Council has morphed into a course named Leadership, whereby students are to be selected by teachers, notably Ms. Kayley, Mr. Wong, and Mrs. Hopkin. An application process is not involved, whether you have previously been involved with Principal’s Advisory Council or not. A crucial step to be in the class is that Leadership must be self-selected in one’s course requests. After the deadline of April 11th, teachers of the course are unable to add those who are interested. It is common to overlook the congregation of Principals Advisory Council as a hierarchy, as it is comprised of three representatives, seven leaders, and past PAC members, yet each member works jointly in liaison to bridge the gap between each grade level and create fun events for all. In addition, student council, led by Sophia Lacuna, the current presidential figure of our school, acts as the figurative metal ribs in the shared umbrella of the leadership teams, giving structure to
Two Leadership students manage the concession at the spring dance, Light It Up.
Emily Liang / the Pinetree Post
the whole entity. Student Council handles large scale planning such as spirit week, the annual Christmas food drive, adjustments to the school, as well as pep rallies. Grad council continues to lend a hand in organizing graduate events, movie nights for the younger grades, as well as interactive, competitive, seasonal events such as Twelve Days of Christmas, and all grade dances. In response, grade ten and nine council then handles the grade eleven and twelves’ movie nights and seasonal events. Finally, Alpha Wolves, currently led by seven Delta Wolves, have also now been ushered under the Leadership course team, while it stood as an independent student-run club prior to its joint association with them. Leadership is a large, complex member body, yet each council faction, club, and team essentially works within the umbrella to both generate and heighten school activity, and thereafter, school spirit. 3
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School LIBRARY
Popular Books
Discover your new favourite book!
learning that life can be unfair. Willow’s journey is uplifting and heartfelt. “The people who understand you and choose to have you in their lives are the most important people”. “The most wonderful things in the world is feeling like you belong.” As Willow understands more about the world around her through the hardships, the readers get to enjoy a light but meaningful story.
Sophie Zhao Writer
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
What’s the point of having a voice if you’re gonna be silent in those moments you shouldn’t be?” Starr Carter is a sixteen-year-old girl who lives in a poor neighborhood while attending a fancy prep school. Her life takes a turn when a police officer shoots Khalil, her childhood best friend, who was unarmed. Khalil’s death made national headlines and people call him names like “thug” or “drug dealer”. The question becomes what the real truth is and Starr is the single witness who can answer that. Her struggle through what she should or should not say turns this book into an inspiring and powerful story. “The Hate U Give” digs into the matter of racial bias and confronts a society that the protagonist knows is working against her. However, the author still incorporates humour into it despite presenting a fight for justice.
Source: Viz Media
My Hero Academia by Kohei Horikoshi
Source: Harper Collins
Counting By 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan
“The ability to keep your mouth shut is usually a sign of intelligence.” Twelve-year-old Willow Chance is a genius interested in anything and everything. Unfortunately, she finds herself utterly alone after her adoptive parents die in a tragic car crash. Yet, she pushes through grief despite
“Dreams can become reality!” My Hero Academia is a manga set in a world where most of the population have superpowers known as “Quirks”. The protagonist, Izuku Midoriya, dreams of becoming a hero despite not having a Quirk. However, he is given a chance as he encounters the number one hero, All Might. Through hard work and special training, he inherits All Might’s power and enters UA High; the elite hero training academy. He begins his journey to becoming the successor of the world’s best hero. Midoriya refuses to give up on his dreams and therefore poses as a motivational character. The general tone of the story is optimistic although the characters still go through certain troubles. This manga would be highly suggested to those who would enjoy a positive, teen superhero story. 4
10 FEATURED EDITORIAL
Mental Health Education in Schools
Two-thirds of Canadians living with mental health problems reported that they first began showing symptoms in their youth. Source: Mental Health Commission of Canada
How the school system isn’t preparing us properly for what truly matters. Briana Ho Writer, Interviewer
[Note: This is an editorial, which means that the views expressed belong purely to the author and quoted individuals, rather than the Pinetree Post.] If according to the 2013 statement from the Mental Health Commission of Canada, in any given year, one in five Canadians will personally experience a mental health problem or illness, why hasn’t the school system ever taught me how to support a depressed friend, family member, or myself ? Why do only a few people I’ve talked to know what OCD actually is? How come we aren’t being taught how to recognize the warning signs of serious mental conditions if Canada’s youth suicide rate is the third highest in the industrialized world? Throughout school I’ve had full units on substance abuse, bullying, healthy relationships, mindfulness, and sex (although I do think that the way they teach these still needs massive improvement). Why is there still such a silent grey area around mental health? If school is meant to teach students, then why not teach us about real, important life lessons if many of us spend more hours at school then we do at home? Some adults believe certain stereotypes or even hold
ill will towards those with mental health conditions, because that’s what they had been taught to think. Teaching students early on to normalize open, safe discussions about mental health issues, whether it be from a personal or general standpoint, can encourage healthier, richer minds.
I believe that because we don’t get taught enough about mental health, people often get the help they need much too late. I believe that because we don’t get taught enough about mental health, people often get the help they need much too late. Whether this is because they missed the early warning signs, they didn’t know how to help themselves or get the proper help from another, or they were too ashamed and chose to ignore the problem, reasons for silence vary but all cause further harm. I’ve met many people who have misinterpreted the symptoms of different mental illnesses (if we ever talk about the subject at all) since the only examples they have been given are exaggerations portrayed in the media. I think that equipping youth with the knowledge and skill to deal with real mental health conditions in themselves and others in a healthy way will remove that negative stigma around mental illnesses, and show society that people living freely with said illnesses can lead productive and fulfilling lives.
Featured Personally I’ve found that I only managed to learn about mental health conditions because I’ve taught myself independently through questions and research, initiating conversations with others, and experiencing it in my personal life. That isn’t how it should be. Why aren’t their units in regular classes, not just classes that specialize in subjects such as mental health, about this issue? Mental health doesn’t just affect the students taking Psychology and such, it affects everyone.
Another reason that this issue is important is because it makes youth aware of all of the possible healthy ways to cope (whether it be with stress, trauma, etc.), for this doesn’t just improve the lives of those living with mental conditions, but those who aren’t. Another reason that this issue is important is because it makes youth aware of all of the possible healthy ways to cope (whether it be with stress, trauma, etc.), for this doesn’t just improve the lives of those living with mental conditions, but those who aren’t. What I’ve personally seen is that there will be a corner of a school meant for counselling, with many posters advertising suicide helplines, anti-drug use, and the like. Most educators will suggest counselling or calling said helplines if students feel suicidal, depressed, and such, and that would be it for learning about mental health. How can students call helplines or ask for counselling
How can students call helplines or ask for counselling if they haven’t been taught what warning signs to look for or what different conditions feel and look like? if they haven’t been taught what warning signs to look for or what different conditions feel and look like? The school system also never taught me that different things work for different people, and no case is exactly the same. I’ve met people who have depression, yet don’t have suicidal thoughts or harm themselves, and who cope by expressing themselves creatively through
11 hobbies such as art, literature, music, and so on. I’ve met people who have schizophrenia, take regular medication for it, and are high functioning members of society. Counselling isn’t the only option, and I’ve seen it work for some, and not for others. There should be no shame in having to take the right medication in
Teaching mindfulness in schools is an important step towards mental health education, but I believe there is a flaw in the way it’s being taught. healthy, regulated amounts. Youth should be taught when it is safe to experiment with different positive coping strategies, and what to do if the problem becomes more dangerous (such as if anyone involved is being caused physical harm, whether self-inflicted or not, or if there are serious considerations about death, and so on). Teaching mindfulness in schools is an important step towards mental health education, but I believe there is a flaw in the way it’s being taught. The only way I learned about mindfulness in school was when my teacher, whomever they may be at the time, would decide to stray away from the normal curriculum to teach the class a mindfulness exercise. Why should it be an impromptu, off-the-main-road lesson to ensure that students are building healthy habits? Why isn’t it engrained in the curriculum to make sure that all students are aware of the various positive coping strategies? Curious about the experiences of others, I interviewed an anonymous grade 11.
PTP: What are your experiences of mental health/mindfulness education in middle school? A: In middle school they talked a lot about depression and anxiety, and where those might be stemming from in terms of school. Besides that, there wasn’t much in-depth mental health education; teachers never thoroughly explained how depression or
12 FEATURED anxiety works, and that they just happen because of a few set, specific reasons that haven’t stuck with me. No, when I was in middle school there wasn’t as much mental health awareness as today because they were just getting on that bandwagon, and only touched upon it.
PTP: How have you found mental health awareness in high school? A: My first year of high school wasn’t at Pinetree, but I remember that at that other school we were given a giant school-wide talk on mental health and stuff.
PTP: Was it effective for you? A: Oh yeah, I found it very effective. I found that in middle school brains are pumped up with useless information rather than life lessons, and I have never heard or was taught about mindfulness until you asked me about it today.
PTP: So besides that presentation you were given at the other high school, have you seen mental health awareness here at Pinetree? A: I only really remember having that talk in grade nine. We may have had something here, but it didn’t stick with me like that did. Otherwise, no, in Pinetree I haven’t seen that much mental health awareness.
PTP: How do you think more mental health education could have helped people in our generation/people in your grade? A: If we had been more aware of symptoms, causes, and how different mental conditions worked instead of not knowing anything, I think a lot of people could have avoided suicides and stuff. We would have been happier because we would’ve gone to get help instead of being ashamed that we needed it. People’s thoughts on mental conditions could have changed from thinking of them as shameful problems to not being embarrassed to go get help, and I know in my personal battle, it would have helped me more to know that instead of kicking my problems under a rug. Throughout this interview, an anonymous grade nine had been respectfully commenting about her own experiences and connecting them with the grade 11’s, which I found highlighted the diversity and similarity between different students’ accounts of mental health education in our school system. This grade nine had been exposed to a lot of mindfulness strategies throughout middle school and into highschool from impromptu, off-curriculum lessons from teachers and coaches, and believes that many people of all ages think that mindfulness exercises are a waste of time. I can see how that can become that case in many busy lives.
The school system is far from perfect, and never will be. The school system is far from perfect, and never will be. Currently we are in the midst of an educational, technological reform of the curriculum, and I believe that if students speak up about what they think needs to be changed, then they can shape their own futures for the better. 2
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Featured EDUCATION
Homework Help on the Web
Soon, a computer lab might see more use than a normal classroom.
Coquitlam Open Learning might have competition from other online educational resources. Sunny Liang Writer
For many students at Pinetree, Khan Academy videos put at 1.5 times speed are a staple of our education. The comprehensive non-profit educational website Khan Academy and others like it, including Lynda, Brilliant, and MIT Open Courseware receive tens of millions of users every year. Khan Academy in particular has thousands of videos on various subjects including mathematics, science, economics, history, and programming. With the increase in
Source: sendaiben.org
internet accessibility among youth, online tutorials are becoming an increasingly common option for students to supplement, or even replace, their learning in school.
Sites like W3Schools, Codecademy, edX offer various different styles of education on coding with varying forms of monetization. Educational websites essentially allow students the ability to have subjects to be taught on demand at any pace right at home or anywhere else with internet access, often at no cost to the user. Coding is a particular subject that benefits heavily from online courses. Sites like W3Schools, Codecademy, edX offer various different styles of education on coding with
14 FEATURED varying forms of monetization. Coding is something that benefits especially from the internet for a host of different reasons. One reason is that coding is taught much better through hands on experience which can be done through prepared exercises in the courses. Another reason is that coding requires the use of a computer anyways, so having to use a computer to access the learning material becomes less of a burden. The convenience offered by these websites means that students can easily compensate for classes missed or simply, lessons not paid attention to. Students who have trouble keeping up with the pace of teacher’s lessons can now keep up by relearning the topics online. On the contrary, students who find school’s pace to be too slow, can begin learning advanced subjects at an accelerated rate using the very same websites. Besides giving fast and slow learners a way to learn at a comfortable pace, online tutorials have yet another advantage. They often have courses in subjects not offered or not thoroughly explored in public education systems. In particular, subjects based around certain arts and niche sciences can be difficult to learn at school where there is not enough concentrated interest to be able to form a class. Online courses, on the other hand, have a large enough user base that they can create such courses giving users a way to learn these subjects. Some websites, such as the freemium community based site Skillshare, even offer tutorials and courses for specific skills and hobbies. These skills and hobbies can range from things like photography, typography, and music production, to specific computer programs such as Adobe Photoshop, After Effects, and Final Cut Pro.
Besides benefiting students, some schools and teachers are taking advantage of online courses as well. Besides benefiting students, some schools and teachers are taking advantage of online courses as well. Some teachers will reference videos from sites like Khan Academy, and even incorporate Khan Academy’s courses into their curriculum. Teachers are able to easily see the progress of individual students to see who is learning quickly and who needs additional support. Some propose a system where students are given lessons at home online, while homework is done
at school where the student can easily get help from a live person if they get stuck.
Critics of the reliance on online education argue that these online courses are repetitive and don’t encourage a more fundamental understanding of the concepts. In the case of Khan Academy’s teacher, Salman Khan, in particular, some criticize his teaching style, his repetition of words or equations, or even his credibility as a teacher. Critics of the reliance on online education argue that these online courses are repetitive and don’t encourage a more fundamental understanding of the concepts. In the case of Khan Academy’s teacher, Salman Khan, in particular, some criticize his teaching style, his repetition of words or equations, or even his credibility as a teacher. Many are critical of the accuracy of some of the things he teaches, some are also critical of the depth, or lack thereof, at which he teaches subjects. On a more general note, online courses as a whole decrease the amount of social interaction with peers, they strip away from the student the ability to be immediately assisted when encountering an issue, they lack the tone of voice and body language involved in critical feedback of a student’s work, online courses are not flexible to your personal needs, merely catering to the largest audience. A last criticism, online courses create a sterile and lonely learning environment in which the only end goal seems to be to learn the most knowledge in the shortest amount of time using the least amount of effort. Whether you think our education system must innovate online to be able to create a more highlyliterate society or if you think that doing so would be detrimental to the education of our youth, online education appears to growing rapidly. Whether or not this will bring about a new generation of smart and capable people is dependent largely on how we choose to incorporate this new medium of tuition into the status quo, and indeed, we must do so carefully. 7
Featured
15
VOICES
Listen Up!
What Pinetree women have to say about media, sports, beauty, and more. Maryam Gamar Writer, Interviewer A few weeks ago, I was selling clothing at the annual Female Ice Classic Hockey Tournament. The merchandise included sweatpants, hoodies, and other hockey accessories including one folded pile of T-shirts that read “You only wish you could play like a girl” across the front. Throughout the day groups of girls and parents passed by and I noticed that the T-shirt prompted a common reaction. One girl pumped her fists in the air when she saw it and another exclaimed “Yes! That is so true!” A third little girl read the words once, then twice, whispered “That’s awesome” and then just walked away, her grin lighting up the room. Some of the girls came back with their mothers or sisters, wanting to share the strength they felt from reading something so simple. The reaction that a T-shirt slogan received is incredible and I could only wonder at the change each of those girls could accomplish if that kind of encouragement was given freely and consistently instead of being a novelty. To celebrate how impactful supportive words can be, Pinetree’s students and teachers have contributed their thoughts and advice on what it means to be a woman. “Being a woman isn’t to be obsessed with makeup or with your phone. It is to stand up for what you believe in and support your sisters. Let’s all support each other instead of tearing one another down. Be smart, be strong, be fearless and do what you love. We can do anything.” -Sonia Sandhu, Grade 9 “Women represent the potential unity among people.” -Camila Gomez, Grade 12
“It’s disappointing that whatever a women wants to do has to be twice as good as what a man would do to be considered good. The good thing is that most of the time that isn’t difficult.” -V.C., Grade 11 “As a woman to another woman, I feel that being comfortable in your own skin and loving who you are is super super important to how you see yourself and how other people may view you as well. Confidence radiates out from within, and that can help attract more people you want to be surrounded by. Just be you, and don’t let the media or your peers tell you otherwise.” -Bernice Liu, Grade 10 “In many situations, I think society thinks of being a women as an outside appearance or show. This makes us try to live up to certain standards that really cannot be attained. One thing I learned this year is that as a women, I need to know my value. The failures and accomplishments don’t necessarily matter, because if you are trying to become someone else, your will never find how much you have already on the inside.” -Michelle Deng, Grade 12 “My definition of a woman would be anything but an object. We are so strong and brave, I mean just think about what our bodies can actually do! In the past and even now (in some cultures) people are not very happy that a girl is born and not a boy. It hurt me quite a bit because I see girls as so precious and valuable but they can end up seeing themselves as worthless and that is not ok. In our society, women have come a very long way, the power that we have in our voice is yet to be heard!” -Shehzeen Arshad, Grade 12
16 LIFE “I think that especially in the media, there are a lot of misunderstandings about feminism from both females and males. The basic representation of feminism is man-hating, when in reality, it is a push for equality across all genders. Men shouldn’t hit women, yes, but in return women shouldn’t hit men without being provoked. Men can and should be feminists, and if not for overall justice, then for sisters/brothers, daughters/sons, and mothers/fathers who deserve to be treated as people.” -Briana Ho, Grade 9 “I think the most important thing for people to remember about this is, above all, it is about equality. And although it is 2018, there is still a long way to go and it is on everyone. Progress is slow, but after you look back at all of the baby steps, you will see the miles you have travelled. Be patient, keep going. For now, a big part of being a strong woman I would say do not let anyone tell you - directly or indirectly (sometimes indirectly is the worst) - that what you want in life is wrong. Whether it is with respect to careers, relationships, what you wear - you do you. It will be hard, but we need leaders to take the baby steps. Sometimes that is just a word. Actions have power, but words too; words have so much power. Think about it: “bachelor” versus “spinster.” The same thing, but entirely different connotations. Words have power, actions have power. It is not about being better or cutting down, that will only cause more problems. At the heart, it is about equality. Which means the responsibility to achieve equality, in turn, is equal.” -Ms. J. Hopkin “Despite making progress with respect to gender equality, women continue to be marginalized. I think it is important that people continue to recognize and to tackle issues of gender inequality. It is also important that women recognize strength in themselves and admire strength in other women. When I traveled in Africa and South America,
Source: Pinterest
I saw that women were burdened by a huge amount of responsibility, but had very little say in decision-making. I was impressed by what they were capable of doing and by how resourceful they were despite having less opportunity and less of a voice than their male counterparts. Here, in Canada, women have more opportunities, but they still face issues of gender inequality. My mom taught me to speak my mind and to hold my head high in the face of any kind of injustice. I would tell Pinetree students to recognize their worth, to stand up for what they believe in, and to work hard for what they want to accomplish.” -Ms. S. Mohamed Ali “I think the biggest thing that has stood out to me throughout my Pinetree experience that made me question myself was in gym when the teachers would tell you that if a girl scored it was 2 points and if a guy scored it was 1 point. I know that they meant to encourage girls to get involved but it didn’t feel like it. I think that it made me more driven to showcase that girls are not only just as physically able but just as mentally able as well.” -Deborah Berman, Grade 12 “Being a woman means to suffer every month… Being a woman is truly powerful.” 0 -Gabrielle Chu, Grade 11
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Life EXPERIENCE
Global Retrospectives: Project Laos
The Global Perspectives class of 2018 in front of the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.
More than a regular school trip. Emily Liang Writer There were far too many incredible experiences that came from this year’s Global Perspectives trip to Vietnam and Laos to describe in one student newspaper article, so you’ll have to settle for some short summaries and pencil scribbles. What I write here only reflects my own thoughts, rather than representing my entire class. The trip started a week before spring break, in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. From there, we acclimated to the country of Laos by way of Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage City. After that, we made our way south to Pakse, and then to the tiny town of Champasak where we would spend a week volunteering in local schools. Our project work involved painting walls and furniture, putting up barbed wire, and teaching English. With our project work over with, we had a day’s excursion out on the Bolaven Plateau, near Pakse, where many ethnic minorities worked and lived. From there, we made our way to Vientiane, the capital of Laos, just across the border with Thailand.
Source: Ms. Browne
After three days in Vientiane, we left Laos for Vietnam, in Ho Chi Minh City. Then suddenly, it was all over. For more pictures and details, you can always visit tinyurl.com/projectlaos and read the class blog. I think the trip was a wonderful, incredible experience for the class, and as far as I could tell, the local students we met in Champasak felt the same way. It was endlessly fun for us students, Canadian and Laotian both. But I won’t kid myself or anyone else here: realistically, our Global Perspectives trip wasn’t the pinnacle of humanitarian progress. Whatever help that we could offer to the schools was minor, given that we had such a short time frame to work within and not many resources to make a permanent difference. Labour intensive work such as painting and putting up barbed wire did not have to be done by Canadian teenagers. I can attest that at the smaller school, the headmaster and translator were much more skilled in working with barbed wire. What we had that these schools were missing was native English proficiency, and even that was questionable. As we learned the hard way, English is really difficult to learn for people who didn’t grow up speaking it. While the Lao students waited patiently, we bickered amongst ourselves whether to teach English as
18 LIFE
we spoke it, or go along with the textbook that taught grammar rules we’d never even thought about in our lives. The only students who likely benefited from these sparse few days of English lessons were the ones who already had a working knowledge of English. If anything, we probably learned more from the Lao students than they learned from us. They taught us how to make rice baskets, how to play soccer barefoot, and how to laugh at ourselves more easily. The kids we met came to school on old, oversized bikes and went home to stilt houses, but they loved the same soccer stars that we did and demanded our Facebooks when it
came time for us to go. They were just regular kids, and like regular kids, they’ll forget about us soon. While my fellow GP classmates and I may try to remember, we’ll forget too. We’ll be fading memories of each other in due time, living worlds away. And maybe that is for the best, that we don’t cause too many ripples in the lives of others. I’ve seen what that does to a culture, and I fear contributing to that disruption myself. The alms-giving procession in Luang Prabang, wherein the monks rise at dawn and collect gifts of rice from Buddhist worshippers for their food, is now a photoshoot for tourists. The living ethnology
Life
museum in the Bolaven Plateau, where minorities live displaced from their native communities, is little more than a human zoo. Weeks later, I am still lost at the sight and understanding of how “development” can bring about so much destruction as well. It is better what we’ve done, to help without harming, than to blindly and carelessly reform an area with only our Western consciences for guidance. When we spend more time learning, that paves the way for
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purposeful action. Lasting humanitarian work will have to wait until we’re older, wiser, and more prepared to understand harsh truths about development. For now, it is better that we go quickly, understanding better how other people live, and leaving behind only freshy painted desks and happy memories. I just hope that we don’t leave those Lao students with a permanent impression of Canadians as being always sweaty and covered in red paint. 2
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