December 2019 + January 2020
VOLUME 6, ISSUE 4
PIN TREE POS
NEW YEARS:
LOOKING AT OUR RESOLUTIONS
VAPING:
HOW DANGEROUS IS IT?
GETTING MOTIVATED: STOP PROCRASTINATING
THE CORONAVIRUS: ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE OUTBREAK
STILL LOOKING FOR A CLUB?
IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO JOIN
J A N U& A RY DECEMBER
2 FIRST GLANCE P.4: WORLD
P.8: SCHOOL
The Pinetree Post
STAFF
FOUNDERS Russell Kim, Felix Guo EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Briana Ho, Raymond Gao ARTICLE EDITOR Briana Ho
WW3 and the Coronavirus
P.12: FEATURED
New Years
P. 16: OTHER
CONTRIBUTORS Peter Peng, Sophie Zhao, Harim Chang, Kaleigh Morrow, Florin Lee, Julia Ye, Bryan Chen, Alex Zhou Stanley Yu, Amy Lee, Zoe Li, Jon Gough, Yoon Choi GRAPHIC DESIGN Raymond Gao ONLINE CONTENT Raymond Gao SPECIAL THANKS TO The Pinetree Administration, Rachael Pan, Mr. Lau, Ms. Hopkin, Ms. Browne
Dangers of Vaping
Comics of December and January
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
An End-of-the-Semester Finale!
It’s not our fault
Briana Ho, Raymond Gao Editors-in-Chief
Um, hi. I can explain. So, you may be thinking “Hey Editors, isn’t there supposed to be a PTP issue every month?” Well yes, that’s technically true, but that doesn’t account for a licensing problem to suddenly pop up that doesn’t allow us to use the program to put together the December issue. In short, in order to pretend that this was intentional, we’re calling this the “End-of-Semester Special,” where we’ve combined the December and January issues! As a result this issue is packed with topics revolving around the importance of getting involved (in school and in the community) and keeping up motivation. With a new semester comes new goals, challenges, and experiences! This may include volunteering (Volunteering, page 13), keeping personal goals (New Year’s Resolutions, page 9), or learning something new (Motivation for Learning, page 19). Looking to join a club to spice up your second semester? Some clubs are still looking for members (Clubs at Pinetree, page 15)! If you’re still looking for stuff to do, just ask the people around you (How students at Pinetree get involved with the school, page 14). Maybe you’re the type of person that’s involved by being updated on current issues in the community (Vaping, page 12) or in the world (Outbreak of Coronavirus, page 6), perhaps even to a radical extent (Getting Ready for WWIII, page 4). To recap a bit of December, we’ve also covered school events (Bringing Your Best, page 8; PROJECT ANGEL - Share your happiness with others!, page 17), and to bring in January we’ve got a student’s account of the greatest menace to many (Procrastination, page 10), as well as a celebration of new beginnings (Chinese New Year: The Year of the Rat, page 7). To add to the pile of content we also tackle the topic of guest speakers - their usefulness and role in student motivation (The Worth of Their Words, page 18). Additionally, as a treat for
Me after seeing my final marks
the fans, we have two whole “Ask Tommy” segments (It’s December, page 5; January, page 11). We’ve also got two comics (Merry Christmas, page 21; Motivation Comic, page 22) and a calendar for February events and other assorted fun times (2020 February Calendar, page 20). Hope you enjoy this issue of the Pinetree Post! Remember to like us on Facebook, check out our website (https://pinetreepost.wordpress.com/), and email questions to be answered in our monthly advice column “Ask Tommy” to pinetreepost.asktommy@gmail.com . Missed the last issues? Find them (in colour) at https:// issuu.com/thepinetreepost . Stay in school, Briana Ho and Raymond Gao
4 WORLD NATIONAL INTEREST
Getting Ready for WWIII
What’s so bad about war? You get a free trip around the world!
Peter Peng Writer Picture this- you’ve just passed your Class 7 N test, and you’re super hyped to slap that N sticker on your old, rusted-out Honda Civic that’s held together by zip-ties. However, we live in a society where it is literally super illegal to drive without purchasing at least $6000 world of insurance from a cruel, soulless monopolistic corporation known as ICBC. You’re sitting there, looking at the $6000 price tag, and think to yourself how you could NEVER afford that. Right before your parent’s insurance for you expires, you park your sack of rust on a grassy hill, and lay down on the hood. Absolutely bummed out, you tuck your keys back into your pocket, and stare at the starry night sky. A streak flashes screams past, interrupting the gentle twinkle of the stars. The sudden flash startles you, but you lay back
down, thinking that it’s just a shooting star. Almost immediately after, the darkness is interrupted by a gentle white flash. The ground shakes, and the wind roars. You shoot up- and see it. A full-blown mushroom cloud in the distance. However, you’re just far enough to not be harmed by the explosion. If that wasn’t enough, you get hit in the head by a stick of Old Spice Fresher Collection Fiji Scented Deodorant with Palm Tree Extract flying at Mach speed from the blast and are knocked completely cold. You wake up in a hospital room. You glance around you. To your left is an IV machine, your right a case of Campbell’s Condensed Chicken Noodle Soupand in front of you, ON THE BED, is a man dressed in an army uniform. Before you can even react, he grabs your arm, and drags you out of the bed. “YOU! Yes you, well let me explain. The President was playing Clash of
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WORLD Clans, and he got his gold stolen by a person named “ 我操鸡块“, so he nuked half of Communist Taiwan and long story short, you’re being drafted.” You don’t know how to react. As you’re being measured and fitted for a uniform, you wonder how this even happened. Hell, just a few short weeks ago, before your birthday, you were so young and sweet- only seventeen. And now you’re being sent to go get shot at by a bunch of angry Asian dudes halfway across the world. This can’t get any worse, can it? After all the basic training and whatever, you’re lead down your new role. The entire way there, you look down at your feet, and wonder how all of this even happened. Your entire train of thoughts are all dark, sad and just overall very hurt hurt. That is, however, until you’re shown your new designation. Remember how you couldn’t afford to pay the insurance for your slow little rust-box? Well, now, the government is paying YOU to drive a full on Leopard 2A7+ Battle tank. You’re no longer hurt hurt, but rather, skrt skrt- because after all, you get to drive something now. And unlike your old rusty Civic, a Leopard tank is CERTAINLY not boring. So what’s the moral of the story? If you can’t afford insurance, go drive a tank for World War III. If by the end of the war, your insurance rates have STILL not gone down yet, then just run the ICBC offices over. Now isn’t that neat? Sure, there’s the trauma and everything, but at the end of the day, you get to drive a cool, 1500 horsepower shooty-box machine, so it’s all worth it.
Thank you Pinetree, Very Cool!
ADVICE COLUMN:
Ask Tommy Tommy Sharpe
Hello all, and welcome to the December edition of Ask Tommy. Due to a crippling lack of questions last time, I unfortunately could not write anything. I was disappointed both by the lack of questions by the student community and how I expected better. Honestly, I shouldn’t have. That said, I’m sure that I will get many responses next time, right? RIGHT?! Ahem. That aside, I did manage to get one response. The person unfortunately declined to lend their name, but they posed a very interesting question: Hey Tommy, why do the bathrooms at Pinetree suck? Sincerely, Anonymous Thank you Anonymous, whoever you are, for providing this truly exquisite and well-worded question. Amy Lee, grade 11, answers, “Because the school uses all of its funds for coffee.” While I do not exactly agree with this statement, I understand where this sleepdeprived student is coming from. Lorenz, grade 11, states, “Because the sinks, you know, the – the surface, it’s always so wet, you know, and that’s a pain.” This is quite accurate. The sinks in the male bathroom – I do not know about the female one – always have water on their surface. I do not know why that is, but I do know that my shirt gets wet whenever I lean in. I personally despise this, especially since the sinks are at groin level, and if I lean in… I managed to get a statement from a teacher whose name will be undisclosed. Her belief is that the bathrooms are dirty because we, the students, make them dirty through our inaction. She is disgusted by how we do not clean up after ourselves, then have the gall to make the custodial staff do all the work. While this point of view is a tad pessimistic, I believe that she may very well be onto something. We do not clean up after ourselves, yet still wish for clean toilets and no aroma. There is a reason that the bathrooms smell like pungent strawberries and the toilets are desecrated. Just saying. That’s all for this week’s edition of Ask Tommy. Please send me any questions or comments you may have about school, life, or something else at pinetreepost.asktommy@gmail.com. I hope you all have a splendid winter break! Adieu, Tommy Sharpe
6 WORLD NATIONAL INTEREST
Outbreak of Coronavirus Bryan Chen, Alex Zhou Writers
On 12 December 2019, a coronavirus outbreak occurred in the city of Wuhan, in the Chinese province of Hubei. It is related to the SARS outbreak that happened in 2003, both are types of coronaviruses which are viruses in the shape of a crown. These are extremely prone to mutation and evolution, requiring more research and cure efforts. Symptoms include fever, coughing, shortness of breath, and pneumonia. It is reportedly transmissible via animals, and humans through respiratory expulsions such as coughs and sneezes. It was reported that open meat markets have been effective in spreading the disease, due to low sanitation standards. It was detected by Chinese scientists when several people in Wuhan suddenly contracted pneumonia. The World Health Organisation
A Coronavirus
(WHO) was notified of the disease on 31 December 2019. Chinese scientist Xu Jianguo reported to Xinhua News Agency (an official press agency run by China) that preliminary tests have indicated that the new illness was likely caused by a new strain of a coronavirus, as the WHO reported as well. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that this virus has infected not only China, but Thailand, Japan, South Korea, and other nations as well. China has taken action to prevent the spread of the virus, restricting travel and locking down major cities including, Beijing, Shanghai, and others. The city of Wuhan and many other cities with a population totalling over 35 million has been placed under quarantine. However, 300,000 people including some infected managed to escape the city before the quarantine took place. Emergency specialty hospitals such as the Huoshenshan Hospital (scheduled to be completed on Feb 3)
WORLD and Leishenshan Hospital are in the process of being established. Medical supplies and face masks have begun distribution. As of 25 January 2020, all of China with the exception of Tibet has been under Level 1 health emergency. The National Health Commission of China has advised that those who experience symptoms should seek medical attention, and the Centre for Health Protection of Hong Kong has advised to avoid contact with animals while travelling and to seek medical attention if displaying symptoms. As of January 2020, there have not beenany reported cures or immunisation programmes. The WHO has also reported that its outbreaks in several neighbouring countries. Other nations have made precautions and taken action to prevent the spread of the virus. While Canada and the US have both confirmed an infection, the UK has only been suspected of being infected. Canada, having dealt with a SARS infection in 2003, is one of the most prepared countries in the world from its previous experience with handling a foreign pandemic.
NATIONAL INTEREST
Chinese New Year The year of the rat Bryan Chen, Alex Zhou Writers
The 25th of January will ring the bells for another new year, The Year of the Rat. Derived from the lunar calendar, Chinese New Year (Lunar New Year), also known as Spring Festival in China, is an ancient tradition observed in China, other Chinese-speaking nations, as well as East and Southeast Asia. The Year of the Rat is the first in the repeating twelve-year cycle of animals appearing in the Chinese zodiac. Though the traditions of Lunar New Year vary throughout Asia, celebrations are very similar.
7 Red envelopes (hóngbāo) are presented by elders to children, with money inside. The red colour of the envelope represents good luck, happiness, good fortune, and is symbolic of warding away evil spirits. Similar traditions are held in Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia. Fai chun (huīchūn), a traditional Chinese decoration made of red paper with black or gold characters inscribed, are also made use of extensively during this period, not only in China but throughout East and Southeast Asia. These decorations are placed on doors and walls to bring good fortune to households. In Southern China, a common tradition on the first day of Lunar New Year is the Lion Dance. The Lion Dance is a traditional dance in Chinese and other Asian cultures, usually performed during ceremonial, cultural, or religious festivals. Plates of lettuce are offered to the “lion”, who will approach the lettuce curiously and “consume” it, only to spit it out shortly after. The reason for this is because the Chinese character for vegetable 菜 (cài) has a similar pronunciation to the Chinese character 財 (cái), meaning fortune. There is also a Dragon Dance that is often performed on Lunar New Year, a dance which dates even back to the Han dynasty, two thousand years ago. This dance is performed by experienced dancers who use poles to control a flexible “dragon” figure. It is believed that the Dragon Dance brings good luck and auspiciousness to people. For fifteen days, people rest as families spend time enjoying the companies of each other. Those fifteen days are very important in Chinese New Year. On New Year’s Eve, a family reunion dinner is held where families reunite and celebrate dinner together. In this dinner, a variety of foods are eaten, and usually feature a communal hot pot symbolising the coming together of the families. A household clean-up is held before the new year to ensure that the bad luck from the previous year is cleaned away, and on the first day firecrackers and fireworks are lit to celebrate and scare away evil spirits. The fifth day is the birthday of the god of wealth, and dumplings are
8 SCHOOL eaten. The seventh day is known as “everyone’s birthday”. Businesses, government offices, and other institutions re-open after the seventh day, but factories only begin after the fifteenth day. The ninth day is the birthday of the Jade Emperor, celebrated by a feast and some offerings to honour him. The fifteenth day is the Lantern Festival, and tangyuan, a Chinese dessert with a rice exterior and a sweet filling inside, such as black sesame or adzuki paste, is eaten, and paper lanterns are flown to guide spirits back home. Music is also a large part of Chinese New Year, a popular song being “Gong Xi Gong Xi”, meaning “congratulations”. Despite the song originally being written in 1945 to celebrate China’s victory in the Second World War, its Chinese title which was a popular Lunar New Year greeting popularised the song for Chinese New Year. There are many celebratory phrases used in Chinese New Year, most notably xīnnián kuàilè (新年快樂) meaning “happy new year” as well as gōngxǐ fācái (恭喜發
Chinese New Year celebration and dragon dance in Hong Kong, 2007
財), also spelt “kung hei fat choy”, meaning “wishing wealth upon you”. This festival symbolises a new beginning for many; and as the festival itself wraps to a close, the zodiac animal, the rat, will guide these people into a new year. Remember to let the new year create a new you, whatever thing you wish to improve about yourself, and remember to persevere when times get tough!
STUDENTS
Bringing Your Best
Talent Show Kaleigh Morrow Writer, Interviewer
The end of the year is near! This is the time for students to show off what they have learned. Pinetree’s Talent Show is on Dec. 20. Every act will bring their best and make it an event worth seeing. There are singers, dancers, rappers and various instruments in the lineup. A change from the 2018 Talent Show, the 2019 Talent Show will be held in the cafeteria instead of the gym. Beforehand, The Pinetree Post interviewed Lucas Niu to hear about his performance.
Lucas Niu (Grade 11) PTP: What are you doing for the talent show? L: I am going to dance. PTP: What type of dance? L: South Korea rap dance. PTP: What song are you doing? L: I am doing Mic Drop by BTS. PTP: Why did you choose that song? L: Because it is popular and the song is catchy. Also, I think the song fits my talents. PTP: How long have you been dancing? L: Two years. PTP: How often do you dance? L: At least once a week. PTP: What type of dancing do you usually do? L: Urban style. PTP: Is there another song you could have done? L: Yes. Actually, [the music] is a remix of three songs, and the major one is Mic Drop. PTP: How long did you prepare for the talent show? L: Two weeks. PTP: How often did you practice? L: Once a week. PTP: Did you know the dance already?
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School L: No, I freestyle. PTP: Are you nervous? L: No, I am more excited. I want to show my talents. PTP: Did you do the talent show last year? L: No. I was going to, but I was shy. PTP: Now you’re not shy? L: Now I am confident. PTP: Are you doing the talent show next year? L: Yes. Maybe with more talented people. With a group. PTP: Anything else? L: I finished editing my music [early] this morning. PTP: Were you mashing it up yourself ? L: I kept changing my song. I changed my song like four times. PTP: Now it’s finalized? L: Maybe. PTP: Are there any practices you have to go to before the talent show? L: Yes. Only [one] tomorrow after school.
STUDENTS
New Year’s Resolutions
What are Pinetree’s 2020 Goals? Sophie Zhao Writer, Interviewer
With the year 2020 finally here, students at Pinetree are thinking about their goals for this new decade. Continue reading to find out what they will be working on! A Math and Science Addict (Grade 10): “Keep a fixed and strict schedule of the time I’m going to bed, hopefully before ten.� Anonymous (Grade 11): “Improve my English, speak more, and read more books� Anonymous (Grade 11): “Pass finals.� Anonymous (Grade 11): “To exercise for at least one hour a day, and I would try to accomplish this by trying to remind myself with my phone.� Anonymous (Grade 12): “Become more active. Going to
accomplish this by going for a run every Saturday :^)� Anonymous (Grade 12): “Get into a good university. Study hard.� Anonymous (Grade 12): “To be less self-deprecating.� Anonymous (Grade 12): “To hopefully be able to quit vaping.� Cleo Tong (Grade 11): “Stay alive.� Egg (Grade 11): “Swim every day!� Emily Lee (Grade 11): “1. Exercise 1 time per week other than badminton weekly 2. Read more books! 3. Procrastinate less to stop stress eating :^)� Jordan Li (Grade 11): “Be smarter and stronger.� Markus Soderlund (Grade 11): “Be the best boyfriend and always be there for her. I’m going to do this by keeping her happy and by being with her every step of the way.� Matcha (Grade 12): “I want to be less emotional and to be smarter. Instead of letting my emotions run my life, I want to be able to control them. Instead of letting all the negative come at me, I want to be able to find the positive. I also want to find who I truly am as I put on a mask to school and my daily life. To do that I am slowly going to control my emotions and to allow my true self to appear more often.� “Millennial� (Grade 10): “Not procrastinate by learning how to manage my time better.� Nghi Le (Grade 12): “My New Year’s resolution is to make time for important people in my life. High school is a very stressful time, and we often forget to make time to talk, help, and communicate with family and friends. Since I’m finished with my university applications, my goal is to focus on developing important relationships in my life.� ouo (Grade 11): “To mentally survive 2020� Rachel Song (Grade 10): “To eat less junk food at night and sleep earlier.� Rachel Youm (Grade 10): “Eat healthier.� Sherry (Grade 9): “Have fun with friends and do well in school .� Shimazaki (Grade 12): “I would like to kidnap the prime minister and ask him about Alberta’s oil sands and pipelines.� Sun Sur (Grade 11): “I would like to get at least an
đ&#x;˜Š
10 SCHOOL 80% in Chemistry 11 and also get a 1380 in my SAT in March.” It appears that most students are trying to improve their physical health and do well in terms of productivity. Many also hope to work on their mental health or their relationships with others. In general, goal-setting is a great way to stay on track with what you want to work on this year. We will be checking in with a few of these students in the next month about their progress on these resolutions. Good luck to everyone in 2020!
EDITORIAL
Procrastination
We’ve all been there, don’t worry Harim Chang Writer
I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t procrastinate on this article for January (sorry Briana!), but let’s just say I did that to bring out the authenticity of this article’s topic: procrastination! We’ve all been there: two weeks before an essay is due, and you’re feeling pretty good. Hey, it’s fine, the deadline is in two weeks! That’s plenty of time. Another week passes: the essay is due in a week. Okay, the panic is starting to set it just a little bit, but hey, you’ve got seven whole days to finish it! It’s all going to be okay. A couple days pass: the essay is due in three
days. Okay, okay, the panic is really settling into your brain. You tell yourself, “I should’ve done this two weeks ago!” But hey, hey, it’s all gonna be okay (right?). You finally open up the texts you need to analyze for the essay. Two more days pass: the essay is due the next day. Okay, okay, okay, you got this. Just, uh, word vomit your way out of this. You read somewhere that procrastinators were the most creative people! Maybe this could be your best essay yet! One more day passes: the essay is due. Sleep deprived and sluggish, you hand in your essay with regret and remorse. Man, that has got to be the worst essay yet. My friends know me as the biggest procrastinator in (probably) the entire school. Too many nights have they stayed up to help me mentally charge through units of Chemistry which I should’ve studied months ago. It’s definitely not a healthy lifestyle. I’ve probably lost more sleep than brain cells at this point. Now that finals are over and everyone has a couple days to de-stress, it’s a good idea to re-evaluate how you’re going to tackle the second semester. Although no one can change overnight, there are some ways you can change bad habits overtime to create a long-lasting effect! Imagine this: second semester rolls around the corner and you’re ready to start your new classes! Let’s say, for example, you’re taking biology. As most people know, biology requires lots of memorization, and an important thing to keep in mind is to not get overwhelmed right from the start. Take it slow! If reviewing five pages of biology seems to much, that’s okay. Just read one page! Even if you read just one page, you’ve done more work than if you had just “taken a nap” and ignore the work. Trust me, I’m still working on this tip myself ! It’s understandable though… procrastination. Sometimes it happens because we’re just mentally or physically tired, or just feeling down. It’s okay to have those days. But it’s also important to remember that these obstacles will even-
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School tually seem miniscule once you hurdle over them. I learned this the hard way, and, in fact, I’m still learning how to change my mindset. My friends help a lot though. I think, in my opinion, that if you’re going to try and change for the better, get some friends to help! Having friends that cheer for you along the way really helps when it comes to getting work done or simply talking it out. When you get down to the nitty-gritty details of procrastination, it really just boils down to the fact that humans crave instant gratification. Most people weigh the value of an hour of YouTube over ten minutes of studying simply because they know that YouTube will give them the mind fluff they need to just forget about everything that stresses them out. But you know what would feel even better? Treating yourself to ten minutes of YouTube after ten minutes of studying. Anything that will provide an incentive for you to work rather than play is what will help in the long run. Now stop reading this article and start working on your homework today!
ADVICE COLUMN:
Ask Tommy Tommy Sharpe
Hello all, and welcome to the January edition of Ask Tommy. I just received word that we are combining the January and December issues together, so you get two issues for the price of none! What a SPECTACULAR deal! Not only that, but I received not one, not three, but two new prompts this month! My exclamation mark key just broke! What fun! In other news, Amy Lee, grade 11, sent a very topical question: Dear Tommy, How do we stay out of that seasonal D E P R E S S I O N? Thank you, Amy Lee Seasonal depression? I’m afraid I do not understand the question. Oh? My report card just came in; please give me a second. Oh…
Ask Tommy (cont.) oh dear. Well, Amy, I understand perfectly now. I will offer you three differing points of view. My first is from one of my favorite psychologists, Carl Rogers, who developed the concept of unconditional positive regard. The gist of it is regarding everything around you in a positive light without fail. Rogers believed it to be essential for healthy development, and I am inclined to agree. My dad says to occupy yourself and find productive hobbies to “distract yourself from the all-encompassing sadness inside.” While dark, I agree with this as well. My point of view is a combination of the aforementioned two. Have hobbies and things that will bring you joy, such as reading or sports, along with optimism. Do the things you enjoy, and go into the things you dislike with your head held high. I’m being a hypocrite here, but be confident in yourself. This attitude is what I am striving towards, and it has not led me wrong yet. Another anonymous sender sent an important message regarding health and self-image. Dear Tommy, Do you think I’ll get that hot bod? Thank you, Anonymous Wow. Alright, that is not how I remembered that email being. To be truthful, I am not the best person to answer. I am out of shape and slightly overweight, and would not describe my “bod” as anything near hot. I’m not even close to getting a second opinion! That aside, if you put your mind to it, I’m sure you will get better. I wrote up a workout routine, and am sticking to it every day. I wish I could say it is 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and 10 kilometres every single day, but sadly it is something I can do, if barely. Just make a plan, stick to it, and be motivated, and I am sure you will be ready for beach season in no time! That’s all for this week’s edition of Ask Tommy. Please send me any questions or comments you may have about school, life, or something else at pinetreepost.asktommy@gmail.com. I hope you all have a splendid February! Adieu, Tommy Sharpe
12 FEATURED STUDENTS
Vaping
and the victims of a heartless industry Florin Lee Writer
Nicotine. The addictive substance that drives its victims to desperate measures just for another hit. During the 20th century, cigarettes were consumed by a large fraction of the population. Due in part to glamourization by movie stars, and concentrated advertising by the industry, smoking was commonplace, with many starting the habit as young as their teenage years. It was in the 1950s that studies began to surface concerning the link between cigarettes and lung disease. Afterwards, the world saw a decrease in smokers, with many choosing to quit the toxic habit for their health.
Which is the lesser evil?
However, addiction is no easy feat to reverse, and there are many today, more than half a century later, who continue to consume harmful chemicals that can potentially destroy their future. This lead to new inventions that could potentially help people quit, such as nicotine pads and candies. One such innovation was the e-cigarette, initially marketed towards people wishing to stop smoking. People coined a new term for this product: “the vape.” The most notable feature of this device, aside from its “electronic” nature, was how the user was able to control the amount of nicotine he/she inhaled, as well as add flavours that enhanced the
experience. In addition, numerous studies were published that supported the narrative that vapes were safer than traditional cigarettes, due to their lack of tobacco, a carcinogen. Many people fell victim to the targeted marketing of the industry, companies taking to social media to promote their product to the demographic that spent the most time on those platforms - teens.
This made these “new age” gadgets appealing not only to cigarette smokers, but also to a fresh generation of impressionable youths. The media, especially the film industry, has always romanticized smoking, utilizing the attractive actors in its arsenal. However, with the invention of the vape, the factors that had previously turned people away from smoking cigarettes, such as its health effects and unapproachable flavour, were now irrelevant. Many people fell victim to the targeted marketing of the industry, companies taking to social media to promote their product to the demographic that spent the most time on those platforms - teens. According to a study by David Hammond, the number of Canadian teens from ages 16 to 19 who “vaped in the last month [grew] 74 per cent, from 8.4 per cent in 2017 to 14.6 per cent in 2018.” What started as curiosity, with youth trying flavoured vape, blew out of control as an increasing number began to adopt the practice of inhaling nicotine. Many teens show symptoms of addiction, with people sneaking a hit in the washrooms throughout the school day. It is not unusual for a bystander to walk into a facility and notice the lingering scent of artificial strawberries. However, what the industry and its supporters failed to mention were the chemicals in e-cigarettes that are toxic, such as acetone, a substance more
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School commonly known as nail polish remover. Vapes can also contain heavy metals such as lead, nickel and tin, which can cause health issues after prolonged exposure. Another substance in e-cigarette smoke is acetaldehyde, a carcinogen that is also found in that of tobacco.
As of Dec. 10, 2019, there are 14 cases of lung diseases associated with vaping in Canada, with three being from British Columbia As of Dec. 10, 2019, there are 14 cases of lung diseases associated with vaping in Canada, with three being from British Columbia. People have realized that this is a crisis, and many of our youth are affected, with many more to come if they continue to consume harmful materials at this high of a rate. Nova Scotia became the first province in Canada to ban flavours in vapes, effective April 1, 2020. This decision was due to the belief that the flavours are what attracts people, especially youth, to vape. With increasing support from all over the country to restrict access to this dangerous product, can this crisis be resolved to the benefit of all?
EDITORIAL
Volunteering Stanley Yu Writer
“It’ll look good on your resume” is supposed to be just a joke about volunteering activities and the sort. A cherry on top of the experience itself. But I cannot help but feel like at Pinetree, this has become the main reason for some students to get involved. With this kind of mindset, there isn’t much motivation to improve oneself, and it’s hard to gain anything other than what is on the surface level. To me, the most important thing about volunteering is what I gain from it. This is rather self-contradictory because the very definition of volunteering is to “freely offer to do something” with no apparent benefit to oneself. However, that does mean that the offer to help should be of ones own free will, without reluctance. I volunteer because I want to provide some kind of assistance, and when doing something I want to do, there is always something to gain. Another mindset that I have noticed regarding volunteering is that it is pointless because I am not getting paid. This argument is built upon the sound capitalistic logic that money trumps all, but as the saying goes, money doesn’t buy happiness. The counter-argument to this reasoning would be the benefits of volunteering and the benefits of working are fundamentally different from each other, and the two should not be compared. For those Pinetree students who are thinking about doing volunteer work, I highly encourage you to get involved. You will meet new people and get to feel that warm fuzzy feeling that you only get when helping others. Volunteering is a great experience for anyone of any age and if your intentions are in the right place, it will make it all the more valuable.
14 SCHOOL STUDENTS
How students at Pinetree get involved with the school.
See what various students of different grades do! Peter Peng Writer With such a diverse student base, it should be a no-brainer that different students do different things at school. Most students try to get involved in one way or another with the school community around them. Unlike middle schools, students of all grades tend to at least somewhat intermingle when they join secondary school. Things such as clubs form, and students of different age groups are forced to intermingle with each other in them- whether they like it or not. For this article, we have chosen to interview several totally real students at our school on what THEY do to keep themselves busy in their free time at school. Our first interviewee, Noah Craigensen, a one hundred percent real ninth-grader, told us that he spends all of his spare time shooting Axe cans in the boys change room to “make the environment smell fresh.” Noah seems to be very keen on scent, as he also mentioned that he and a group of other freshmen like to “spend restroom breaks un-stinking the washrooms by making them smell like blueberries”. He never mentioned how, but we’ll take his word for it, and trust that it is a totally school appropriate way of freshening up the air. Thank you Noah, very informative! The second person that we questioned is Mooster Chun, who may more or less be too afraid to use his real name. This is also partially because just like Finland, Mooster may or may not actually exist. Anyways, according to him, he spends all of his time inside the music room, passionately tooting away at his trumpet. Food? Water? The Moost has no time for any of that. All his life-energy is dedicated to making
loud, brassy boops on his mini buttoned trombone. His commitment to music has given him a solo in the last band concert. Ok Moost, very cool! Unfortunately, we could not find any elevens to interrogate at gunpoint for this article. To remedy this, we had to go back in time by one year, so we could ask me, the writer, who was still in eleven at the time, how he was involved around the school. However, we found the past version of the author curled up in a ball and crying about chemistry and how he wished a painful death on Avocado or whoever the 6.02 times 10 to the 24 guy was. Just by looking at this, we can easily determine one thing- that despite being a year apart, the author is still useless and contributes nothing useful to society and the school around him. The final person we interviewed was Thogorak, Destroyer of Worlds, who claims to be in grade two million and a half. While we cannot verify what his true age is, his statements are just as out of this world as his proclaimed grade. “Ẅ̵ḩ ̘͗ e̵̴ ̓ n̢ ̦̾ ̷ I̴̬͛͜ ͑ ̷ c̷̼͘ ͜ ̛a̷̵ ͇̂ t̵̒c̡ ̈ ͍ h̴̴ ̋ ̣t̴̹̎ ͉ h̶́ ͕͑ e̷̶͆ ̫ v̷̝͒ ̙͂ a̶̵ ͝ ͍ p̶̹ ̀ e̴̺̓r̴͎ s̶̉ ̟̆ i̴̤̚ ̟ n̷̶̕ ͜ ͌ t̶̃ͅ ̛̦ h̴ ̓ ̴ ̣ě̷̡ b̸͇̕ ͗ a̷̢ ̟̿ ͝t̷̶ ͇ h͍̓ r̷̶ ̧ ͊ o̶̺̅ ö̸̹m̸͆ͅ,̷̟̚ Í̶̬ ̮̑ ̶ h̴͖̅ ̯̿ u̵̸ ͖̄ n̸̯͌͠t̶̟ ͝t̴̛͈ ̰ h̶ ̟̿ ē̶̶ ̘ m̶̩̑ d̸͔͑ ͌ ͅ o̴̸ ̯̾ w̶̤͑n̵̜͋ a̴̦͆ ̝̅ n̵̶ ͝ ̲ ḏ̸ ̕ d̴͙͝ ͈̍ r̷̷ ̞ á̵ ͝ ̪ g̴̥̍ t̵̛̤ ̞̎ h̷ ͉̑ e̵̷ ̦̋ ǐ̷ r̡ ͝ ̜ ̸ s̷̥̚ ̓ o̶̢ u̸̬͘ ͍̊ l̵̷ ̻͌ s̴̚ ̡ d̵̯̏ ̱̿ o̵̸ ̳̓ w̶̫ ń̶ ̯̎ ͝t̵̳̄ ̫ o̶ ̨͒ ̶ ͜t̷͙̿ h̵̵̉ ̻͊ e̶͎͘ u̴̲͋ ̤̄ n̷̶ ̞ d̵́ ̟̋ e̵̱ r̶̃ ̖ w̵ ̴̭̚ ̳͐ h̵̷ ̝̊ e̷r̺͘ ė̷̶̞ ͕ ̛ t̷͎̾ ͇͒ h̸ ͝ ͎ e̴̵ ͍ ý̷ ̑ ̢ f̷͇͒ ̠ a̶̵͗ ͚ c̴̃ ͖͌ e̸̤͠ a̸̝̐ ͔ ́ ̶ t̷̢͝ ̟͌ h̴ ̗͊ o̵̵ ̫̚ u̴͜ ̑ s̴̼ ̀a̷͈̅ ň̷d̢ ̵̼͘ y̵̺̔ ͗ e̴̡ ̏ a̸̸ ̬̣ ̕r̶̠ ̎ š̷̗ ́ ̝̚ o̶̖̊ r̵̨ ̍ l̵̲͒d̸̟̑,̴̭̈ w ò̵̼ f̸̣͘ ͉ ̷͑ d̴͔̍ ̬̌ a̸̴ ̋ ̨ r͝ ̬ k̴̶ ̞̚ n̴̞̚e̴̬̐s̴͉̈́s̵̖͆ ī̸̺ ̘ n̶̈ ͔ ̵̀ t̸̥̑ ̯̇ h̴ e̷̝͘ ̩̈́ ̵ d̶̳̀ ̱̈́ u̸̷ ͝ ̗ n̴̖͐g̶é̸ ̣ ̜̒ o̷̗ ǹ̶ ̋ͅ s̵̠̈́.̶̤̓ T ̶̟̅ ͉ h̶̷̀ ͉̓ e̷̼͝r̶͍̄ e̷͔ ̀,̶͎̆ ͝t̸̤̔ ̝ h̴ ͕̌ e̴̷ ͝ ̼ y̷͇͘ f̷̻̈́ ͉ a̷̵̋ ͈̑ c̴͖̈́ë̶̲ p̶̘̓ ̙̿ a̴̷ ̭ ̛ i̶̙ ń̸ ͔͒ g̸̪͝ ̥ ́ r̵̸ ̳ ͑ e̸͈ à̷ ͈ t̵̀ ͉ é ͈̈́ r̵̴̙͛ t̴͎̑ ̙̆ h̸ ͠ ̰ a̷̶ ͔͐ n̸̖ ̃ b̷̲̒ ̠̆ e̵̵ ̗̐ ǐ̶̻ n̵̳̑g̸̮͘ h̷̼̏ ̓ i̸̡ t̶̵͋ ̤ ̣́ i̵̹̓ ̤ n̵̸͑ ̟̔ ͜t̵̮͝ h̴̶̉ ͝ ͔ ë̶͈́ a̴͌ͅ ̙̅ n̴̵ ͇ k̵̃ ̇ ͅ l̸̺͂e͈͑ ṡ̸̷ ͜ a̵͈̕ ̷́ ḥ̴̫́ ̦ ̀ u̷̵ ̈ ̨ n̸͕͝d̸̺͒r̵̟ ̈́ e̵̞ ̛ d̵͍̒ t̴̟̕ ̝ í̴ m ̷̫͘ ͕͗ e̵̵ ̌ s̢ ̤ ̀ ̶ ḇ̴̛ ̺̽ y̸̶ ͚̑ á̴͍ ͝ ̖ ̴ s̵̭̀ ̲͌ c̷̸ ̭͛ ô̷͇ o̷̲͛ ṫ̸̤ ë̻́ r̷̸ ̘ ̓ ” Weird stuff. Anyways, it’s safe to conclude that most of the students at Pinetree are very involved with everything around them. Thank you for reading!
Featured STUDENTS
Clubs at Pinetree
Still looking to join a club? Sophie Zhao Writer
Joining new clubs after the beginning of the school year may be difficult as there is no longer another club fair and clubs have already begun their activities. However, it’s not too late! You can ask club leaders about how to get involved in their clubs, and the following clubs are still encouraging new members to join them at their meetings: Adopt Our Community Meetings: Thursdays at lunch in A113 Leaders: Zoe Li, Janelle Cai Official Website: https://www.adoptourcommunity. ca/ Adopt Our Community Foundation, a registered student-led non-profit organization under Corporations Canada, strives to improve the local community across the Greater Lower Mainland in numerous ways. Every month, we host a major event that benefits a certain disadvantaged group within the community, whilst doing street cleanups and minor events as well. On a regular basis, the leaders organize a weekly clean up where club members pick up the community’s garbage on sidewalks. The club is also involved with a program called Adopt-a-City. First Aid Club Meetings: Tuesday at lunch in A114 Leaders: Sophie Luo, JuanJuan Yin BECOME A LIFE SAVER! Join us and learn the art of first aid. Topics covered include Emergency Scene Management, cardiovascular emergencies, broken bones, severe bleeding, medical emergencies, and more. Looking to get certified? We prepare you for the certification to ensure that you are ready. As
15 well, the First Aid Club provides opportunities to gain volunteer hours and first hand experience for our members by providing first aid coverage at school events. No previous experience necessary, everyone is welcome! Graphic Design Club Meetings: Thursdays at lunch in A221 Leader: Harim Chang Join Graphic Design Club to learn how to use Photoshop, Canva, and more through creating posters and designs for other clubs. Key Club Meetings: Tuesday at lunch in A100 Leaders: Harim Chang, Sunny Qin, Erin Ilett, Zoe Li, Ianne Ortega Want to get volunteer hours by being a leader in your community? Join Key Club! Most or all proceeds go towards the Thirst Project to help young women and children get fresh, clean water in third world countries. And no, we don’t make keys, but we do open doors for opportunities! Pinetree Language Club Meetings: Fridays at lunch in A211 Leaders: Cindy Xu, Elaine Li, Natalie Jiang, Jonathan Gough Instagram: ptlanguageclub Pinetree Language Club provides students who have language barriers a place to learn and practice new languages without having the fear of being judged. Since many students in Pinetree Secondary School come from different countries and regions, our club is a place where they can share the customs and cultures of their home countries with other people. We encourage students who would like to share the culture of their mother country to join our club and meet more friends. During our weekly meetings, we hold exciting activities for our club members which can signifi-
16 SCHOOL cantly improve language and oral skills. For example, how to say hello in five different styles, and also how to answer twenty-five non-explicit words or phrases. We also have a lot of games to play such as kahoot. Moreover, we will also encourage students with poor English to join our club. In this way, students with strong English skills can help them improve their abilities. We provide tutoring for Japanese, Chinese, Korean, French, and Spanish and also English for EAL students. Three of our leaders had been through EAL program and understand the difficulties of learning a new language. Also, the club has weekly presentations from our members to introduce a new language to the club such as Japanese, Spanish, Korean, Chinese, French etc. Join language club today!
uno games every two weeks to promote the passion for learning. Join us Mondays at lunch in A219!
Pinetree Robotics Meetings: Mondays at lunch in A221 Leaders: Hoomehr Mangoli , Shahan Nedadahandeh Pinetree Robotics is open to new members at any point in the year. There is no commitment necessary nor prior experience needed. Join the club to make cool projects (such as remote controlled cars, drones, and battlebots) and compete in robotics competitions all around B.C.. This is a great place to learn more about technology and engineering. “Where software meets hardware” Pinetree Skills Connection Club Meetings: Mondays at lunch in A219 Leaders: Cindy Wang, Pongsakorn Poovantana, Suri Xiong, Mariana Acvz Pinetree Skills Connection Club creates a collaboration platform for club members to help each other in academics, sports and post secondary planning. We help students achieve academic and life excellence by providing them with the opportunity to engage, communicate, and make friends with other students. We give out volunteer hours to club members who are willing to tutor their classmates. We also play fun kahoot ( related to academics ) and
Ted-Ed Meetings: Tuesdays at lunch in A110 Leaders: Katya Kubyshkin, Nona Mohammadi, Sonia Sandhu Have you ever watched a TED talk, felt inspired from it, and wished you could do something like that? Well, then get ready to put on your thinking cap! In this club, you will identify what idea(s) you’re most passionate about, learn how to develop and present an idea worth spreading, and present it in the form of a TED-style talk. No matter who you are, this is an amazing opportunity to work on your storytelling, presentation, and communication skills - not to mention boost your confidence. You will discover what captures yours and your peer’s imaginations, discuss important topics, and obtain the ability to express yourself.
Orchestra Club Meetings (Rehearsals): Monday afterschool in the band room Leaders: Kevin Liu, Larry Li The orchestra club at Pinetree is a student lead community of music enthusiasts and prospective music students.When the music is ready to be presented, we organize charity performances at senior recreation centres within our city. It is a great and meaningful way of having community involvement. We welcome musicians of any level and on any instrument, and people can feel free to drop by any time to listen to our music.
UNICEF Meetings: Fridays at lunch in A209 Leaders: Jun Jai Kim (President), Jasmine Burmanmore (Vice-President), Sylvia Ying (Treasurer), Timothy Wang (Media), Zhenyi Tsai (Marketing), and Nancy Wang (Events Manager)
17
School UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund) Club raises money through fundraisers which will be donated to UNICEF to help children who have been made victims out of conflict. We meet every Friday at lunch in room A209 to discuss upcoming fundraisers, and provide volunteer opportunities with club members. We have already done a Tick-or-Treat Drive fundraiser back in October, and it was very successful. The club is currently collaborating with Key Club to plan the annual Wakea-Thon, so members will definitely have many opportunities to volunteer for the event. Our next UNICEF fundraising event will be after semester 2, where we will be holding a Tape Walk event; this is where we will spell out “UNICEF” with tape along the foyer floor and have students stick coins along the tape. We plan to hold a water walk event at the end of the year where we will go on a trail carrying buckets of water to experience what other children around the world have gone through. We will start our recruiting process for next year’s executives around May 2020.
STUDENTS
PROJECT ANGEL
Share your happiness with others! Yoon Choi Writer
Are you interested being a santa claus this christmas? Project angel is a great chance to be a wingless angel to many people. You can donate dry food, money, toys, gift card, anything that can bring happiness to others. There is also a nonprofit organization called “Project Angel Food” which provides free meals for people who is too sick to shop and cook for themselves. Project Angel Food is founded by Marianne Williamson in 1989 with the motto “ For life, for love, for as long as it takes…”. Project Angel Food is an 80% volunteer- driven organization and you can apply to be a kitchen assistant, dispatch helper and registered dietitian of this organization.There are various
ways to donate through Project Angel Food. You can shop at Amazon smile and donate a portion of the purchase price to the organization, join “Birthday Bag Program” that you can donate any seasonal items, bake delicious cookies with healthy ingredient by joining “Do Gooding Good Cookies”, and check out Project Angel Food website to find out other fantastic ways. You can also earn hours for university grant by joining nutrition services team at Project Angel Food. Giving is the greatest act of grace. Let’s share our happiness with others who are having a hard time this christmas.
18 SCHOOL STUDENTS
The Worth of Their Words
Guest speaker at Admiral Farragut Academy shares his story of finding purpose, 2017
Are School Guest Speakers Helpful?
Source: farragut.org
Kaleigh Morrow Writer, Interviewer
Guest speakers; every school has had one. They bring presentations, Powerpoints, songs and speeches to tell stories and teach lessons. Schools invite them to offer students deeper learning opportunities and a break from in-class studies. While there are so many, each speaker offers something different. The Pinetree Post set out to ask how helpful school presenters are, and whether students enjoy hearing them. Anonymous V. PTP: Do you enjoy guest speaker presenta tions? A: No. PTP: Do you think guest speakers are helpful? A: No. PTP: Is there any reason?
A: I don’t think anyone cares. PTP: Do you remember any guest speakers? A: I remember this guy came to talk about drugs and gangs. I think nobody cared because everyone was laughing. Anonymous Y. PTP: Do you have any memories of school guest speakers? A: No. I remember Justin Treaudau came to our school but I didn’t get to go and listen to him talk. PTP: Do you think that guest speakers are helpful? A: I think that they can provide insight or wisdom for students that they might not otherwise have had. I think that’s important.
School PTP: Do you enjoy the guest speakers? A: I think it’s fun. It’s kind of an excuse to get out of class. PTP: Do you feel like your enjoyment of them has changed throughout your time in [school]? A: Not really. I think I’ve always enjoyed learning about what they have to talk about or hearing their stories. PTP: Is there any guest speaker that you have particularly enjoyed? A: There was a man that came to our school who did a presentation on gangs. PTP: Do you feel that students would benefit from having a choice in whether or not they attend a presentation? A: I think that there are things that people need to hear. PTP: Do you think the presenter has an effect on the presentation? A: Definitely. If they’re not a strong speaker or they don’t know how to get the message across, it can really change how well the presentation gets to students. PTP: Do you think that students as a whole enjoy presentations? A: I think it depends on the person.
STUDENTS
Motivation for Learning
Bryan Chen, Alex Zhou Writers
Have you ever discovered that you might be good at something? Well, the beginning of the twenties’ is the perfect chance to tap into that hidden pool of talent you have. As it is said that humans never stop learning, thus, as a new year begins, what better time than now to start picking something to learn outside of school? You can always mix a little of entrepreneurship into it, market your hobby and make some serious money with the wonderful outreach capacities of the internet. Try making a commitment; this is going to sound like something redundant your mother always
19 says, but what you do will only gain meaning if you continue to do it. Here’s a tip on how you can do this without making yourself lose interest out of annoyance or disappointment: do what you love for one day, don’t set up a plan yet, and don’t think too far into the future. The next day, repeat the same thing, and don’t think too much or too hard about it, and it will become habitual. Of course, postponing your future will not avert it and it is something that you will undoubtedly have to face one day, but it is not fatal to lay off your worries only for a short period of time. If you’re stuck on what to do, why not follow what your heart says? Try and learn something you have always wanted to learn, whether it be a new musical instrument, a sport, a skill, or a language? If there’s something that you’re passionate about, pursue that part of you that’s striving to break out and stand out! A new year and new decade are an opportune time to learn a new skill. Perhaps you have a course you simply hate, and you’re stuck with it for the rest of this semester? Find something you like about it, or at the bare minimum dislike the least, and emphasise that part of the course over everything else whenever possible. Always adapt to the part that stands out to you the most and make the most enjoyment you can make out of it. Even if you find it unbearable, always remember as consolation that you’ve already completed half of the year and there is only another half that will fly by as quick as the first did. Learning something new or becoming proficient at something you’re new to is usually a difficult challenge. If spicing up your character is something you’d like to achieve, remember; exposing yourself to new thing is one of the fastest ways to learn about people and the world around you! In this new semester, go out there and be the best you yourself can be!
20 OTHER Calender by Julia Ye
SCHOOL
TRI-CITIES
TRACK SCHOOL EVENTS AND TRI-CITIES ACTIVITIES
1
BOOK CLUB MEET ‘N’ GREET WITH
AUTHOR LINDSAY WONG 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
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FAMILY DAY BRUNCH
22
YOUREDUCONNECT 2020
10:30 AM – 1:30 PM
9:30 AM – 5 PM
@ 340 West 2nd Ave, Vancouver
@ SFU Downtown
@ Coquitlam Public Library
HERITAGE FESTIVAL 11 AM – 4 PM
4
JUST SINGIN ROUND
VALENTINE GRAMS – WYNS
6:30 PM – 10:00 PM
DISCTRICT CLOSURE DAY MUSICAL: FREAKY FRIDAY @ Pinetree Secondary School
8
14
IKEA COQUITLAM & BIG BROTHERS
CLOTHING DONATION EVENT 10:00 PM – 2:00 PM @ IKEA Coquitlam
18
@UBC Sauder
ART MUSEUM NIGHT VALENTINE’S DAY
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
FAMILY DAY
BUBBLE TEA SALE – WYNS
CROSSING THE DIVIDE: DEEPENING
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY
OUR UNDERSTANDING OF DIVERSITY 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM
BUBBLE TEA SALE – SPCA
MINIENTERPRIZE 2020 8:30 AM – 6: 30 PM
@ 450 Stanley Park Drive
7:30 PM
@ Vancouver Art Gallery North Plaza
@ 2058-1163 Pinetree Way, Coquitlam
Other Comic by Zoe Li
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22 OTHER Comic by Amy Lee
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