VOLUME 8, ISSUE 3
February 2022
SAYONARA FIREBOY
DESSERT AND DIVERSITY
CHINESE NEW YEAR
2022 WINTER OLYMPICS
RUSSO-UKRAINIAN WAR
HOW TO RUN A PET ACCOUNT ART COLUMN
February
FIRST GLANCE 2 P.5: SPECIAL
P.7: WORLD
The Pinetree Post
STAFF
EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Jennifer Shui, Kevin Fan ARTICLE EDITOR Jennifer Shui
Sayonara Fireboy
Dessert and Diversity Chinese New Year
2022 Olympics Fires Up!
P.12: INT’L
P.16: OTHER
CONTRIBUTORS Bryan Chen Kevin Fan Jacob Fu Hanny Jin Na-Yeon Kim Sun-Ho Kim GRAPHIC DESIGN Kevin Fan SPECIAL THANKS TO The Pinetree Administration, Ms. Rioux Kaylin Brereton-Stiles Jenny Hui, Amy Lee
Russo-Ukrainian Conflict
How to Pet Account 101 Art Column
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
3
FIRST GLANCE
EDITOR’S NOTE
We’re Alive. For Now... The saga of fireboy and watergirl concludes. Jennifer Shui, Kevin Fan Editors-in-Chief
Hey Pinetree! It’s been a while since our last issue and, we have to say, a lot has transpired but at the same time not a lot has happened. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but the least that’s happened is the New Year celebrations for anyone who still knows how to read the Lunar calendar (aka, not Jennifer or I). You can read a lot about traditional foods and snacks in (Dessert and Diversity, p. 7). You can also find stuff about (Chinese New Year, p. 9) in this issue of the Pinetree Post. Beyond the New Year, I’m sure everyone is aware that the 2022 Winter Olympics were held in Beijing, China. Our Team Canada, despite the lack of NHLers (yes, I’m still salty about that), racked in impressive feats and displays of strength. You can catch that article, (2022 Olympics Fires Up!, p. 11), and read about our wonderful athletes! Some somber and heavy-hearted news follows, though I suspect it is no longer “news” to most of you. The Russo-Ukrainian tensions have escalated to war for a week to date. Many have tragically lost their lives, as the pointless war rages only 6,000 kilometers from where the Olympics closed. It is with no joy that we bring you (Russo-Ukrainian Tensions Escalate to War, p. 12) in this issue of the Pinetree Post. On a lighter note, seeing as I want a puppy myself, our wonderful writers and owners of floofs have taken to Instagram and surfed through thousands of puppy pics. In this issue, we bring you many tips
Myom myom myom myom.
Source: Jenny Hui
and tricks into how to run a successful pet account, in (How to Run and Grow Your Pet Account on Instagram 101, p. 16). Jenny, you really should run a pet account for that ball of fluff. A lot of our staff members are extremely busy, especially with the start of the new semester and the return to some sort of normalcy in school. Oh yeah, on that note. I’ve graduated and I’m leaving the PTP. Kevin, not Jennifer, no need to get too upset. I’ve written a short little goodbye, if anyone wants to read
FIRST GLANCE 4 it, feel free to. If you don’t, well, it’s not like I’ll know. Or will I? Find that in (Sayonara Fireboy, p. 5)! Look out in our next issue for more on the Pinetree tennis team, from the other neuron, Jennifer! As always, the (Art Column, p. 18) is available for your viewing as well! I swear our artists are on another level of talent or something... That’s about it from us, have a great read!
Jennifer Shui & Kevin Fan Editors-in-Chief
5 SPECIAL END OF AN ERA
Sayonara Fireboy
The saga of fireboy and watergirl concludes
What does the moon represent for you? To me it’s, not only the end of a day, but also the beginning of the next.
Kevin Fan Editor-in-Chief, Fireboy Dear reader,
It was only a year ago that I joined the Pinetree Post as a photographer. I remember the previous Design Editor dragging me onto the Teams call where I, reluctantly I might add, was voluntold to photograph for a teacher interview on Pink Shirt Day. I couldn’t have been more thankful for anything else. I’ve learned so much over the past year and I’ve met some of the most amazing artists, writers, and friends. When I first came to Pinetree two years ago, I couldn’t really find a foothold or a community to belong to. But when the previous editor (not allowed to say her name, for some reason) yanked me into taking photos for the Pinetree Post, I found a haven for photographers,
Source: Kevin Fan
writers, and designers like myself. It was a place where rotational inertia couldn’t touch me, where differential calculus doesn’t exist. If you ask me, the PTP is a medium for Pinetree artists and authors to collaborate to paint a picture in a thousand words and a photo. For that,
I want to thank the PTP and our wonderful teacher sponsors, Mr. Lau and Ms. Rioux, for making this haven possible… In April last year, I became the Design Editor, something that I’m honestly still not quite sure what it means. I still remember hopping on the Google Doc with Jennifer the first time, two clueless Chief Editors. I remember thinking, “Oh boy, I actually gotta work with other people? Definitely not what I signed up for.” I was right; it definitely wasn’t something I signed up for. I didn’t sign up for a second neuron that I had never found before. I certainly don’t remember asking for someone I rely on, not only to publish each issue
SPECIAL 6 of the PTP but, just when I’m just not having a great day. And for that,
748887 and thank you, watergirl. Here, I want to say a really massive thank you to this lovely thing we know as , and yes, I am using sigma notation. I just wanted to say that the Pinetree Post could not have flourished nearly as much without your ever-so-helpful hand. Whaaaat, what do you MEAN sarcasm? This is 100% surely certainly absolutely positively unequivocally genuine. Thus does the saga of Fireboy and Watergirl come to an end, not by fire but by water. From the very first issue cover that I photographed…
This looked cooler in my viewfinder.
It’s been a pleasure, PTP. Fireboy
This looked cooler in my head.
Source: Kevin Fan
... to the most recent issue of “This looked cooler in Kevin’s _____.”:
Source: Kevin, probably
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Dessert and Diversity: Making Lunar Festivity Sweet
Sugar and (cultural) spice makes everything nice Jacob Fu, Hanny Jin Writers
Does celebration have a taste? In both literal and figurative means, it could be argued that festivity is only as sweet as the food that comes along with it. Coming alongside the majority of cultural celebrations around the world, is the accompaniment of edible specialities, many of which are only traditionally consumed during the time of the festival itself. Whether it might be the traditional desserts of a Lunar New Year Festival, an immaculately ordained wedding cake, or even a plate of microwave nachos shared at a hockey pool, it comes as a fact that food and drink can be seen as both one of the few universal constants and catalysts of shared celebration. Like the mystical knot holding together a bulging bag of presents on top of a red, reindeer-drawn sleigh, or the tears wept by an elaborately colourful ice cream cake as lit candles illuminate the dimmed darkness of a Crash Crawly’s birthday room, food is not technically necessary for these events, or moments of wonder to exist: but its presence sure does help. Ranging from gas station cookies on game day, gingerbread houses, or the crumbs and melted cream left behind on a birthday paper plate, it is no understatement to say that food brings people together, and that more specifically, that dessert is the perfect vehicle to do so. As civilizations revolving around agrarian and agricultural structures, a new moon served as an invaluable benchmark for early farmers to manage their crops, and more importantly, a planetary pomodoro timer calling for a time of much-deserved rest, relaxation, and of course, celebration. Over time, the initial farming intentions of Lunar New Year have been washed away, leaving behind an annual time of joy and
festivity, meant to be shared among family, friends, and of course, at a table filled with delicious food, drink and dessert. While the amount of traditional and modern Lunar New Year desserts in every practicing culture is absolutely massive, the writers of this article (that’s us!) wanted to focus on how our own cultures (Southern Korean and Southern Chinese) traditionally choose to savour the sweetness of a passing moon.
Lunar New Year Desserts in their natural habitats.
Source: Hanny Jin
On Southern Korea’s side, Sikhye(식혜) and Sujeonggwa (수정과), stand out as the popular traditional drinks on Lunar New Year’s day. Out of those two tasty drinks, this paragraph is about 수정과, which is the writer’s favorite LNY drink. 수정과 is the drink that South Koreans drink not only on Lunar New Year, but the festivals like Korean Thanksgiving Day. Simply, the translation of 수정과 is Korean Cinnamon Punch. It is usually made from dried persimmon (곶감), ginger, and cinnamon and is often garnished with pine nuts. Honey, ginger, and cinnamon will be brewed together before the dried persimmons are to be soaked in the brew hours before it is served. 수정과 is often served cold and usually considered as a dessert with a sweet taste and smooth texture. Along the drinks, 약과, or “yak gwa” is one of the popular Korean traditional desserts. 약과 is translated
WORLD 8 as honey cookie. It is a crispy fried confection, coated with honey-ginger syrup, with a sweet taste. The reason why it’s called a honey cookie is because it has a solid and dried texture on the outside, but the inside has a very moist and soft texture. It also may be sprinkled with various toppings such as pine nuts or sesame seeds on the top. 약과 is served on many festive days such as Korean Thanksgiving Day and marriages, meaning it isn’t solely exclusive to LNY day. 약과, (yakgwa; 药果), consisting of two syllables, 약 (yak; 药) means medicine, and 과 (gwa; 果) means confection, meaning “medical confection”. Pre-modern Koreans considered honey to be helpful in various medical conditions, leading them to name most of the honey-based foods with a syllable 약 (yak; medicine). Other than 약과, dasik or “다식” is also one of the popular traditional desserts, which is a bite-size cookie that is often served with tea. On a dasik plate, full of colorful 다식 with various edible seed flour or pollen with honey. It has a light, mildly sweet taste, which melts in your mouth easily. 다식 compliments tea quite well with its unique and crispy texture. With its appealing colors of green, yellow, pink, black and white, it not only satisfies the mouth but the eyes as well. For all the different colors, chestnut, black sesame, yellow/green soybean, pine pollen, and rice flour can be used. 다식 on a serving plate looks very artistic and colorful, setting the tone of the celebration. 다식 is shaped with 다식판 (dasikpan) which is a wooden or porcelain press that forms a patterned confectionery. 다식판 has shapes such as letters, flowers, or a geometric pattern, of Chinese letters (寿·福·康·宁; meaning long life, luck, health, and peacefulness). How much of this paragraph could be dedicated to prasing one specific LNY dessert, before it would be flagged down for writer’s bias? 年糕, or “Nian Gao”, is one of the more popular centerpiece desserts of a traditional Chinese New Year, and for very good reason. Alone, 年糕 could be described as a steamed, sticky and fluffy glutinous rice dough, with a darker colouration indicating greater sweetness. While on its lonesome, 年糕 is essentially just a slightly tasteless, ricey lump of mass with no present aspirations to become anything more in life, the real beauty of 年 糕 comes from the various ways in which 年糕 can find motivation and become something greater. While traditional Eastern Chinese cultures normally con-
sume it as part of a savoury main dish, accompanied by various meats and pickled vegetables, geographically Southern Chinese approach 年糕 from a dessert perspective, calling upon generous amounts of brown sugar and dried dates to add sweetness, and pan-frying the sinfully sweet cake with an egg or two. The results: a moist yet solid, filling, and incredibly versatile festival food that lends itself to both salt and sugar (just don’t look at the nutrition facts). Of course, there is far more to this treat than meets the mouth. Linguistically, 年 (Nian) is the Chinese character for “Year”, while 糕 (Gao) represents the idea of “Pastry” or in this specific case, “Cake”. However, 糕 (Gao) is pronounced nearly identically to the character 高 (Gao), conveying the idea of “Tall” or “High”. 年糕 is a play on (Chinese) words and sounds, alluding to the idea of a greater, “higher year”, symbolic of progress, auspiciousness and good fortune in the year to come. Other traditional Chinese Lunar New Year Desserts also contain associations to the notion of a pleasant and prosperous new year. 汤圆, or “Tang Yuan’’ is essentially the brainchild of a madman who decided to put Nian Gao in soup, because of course, everything is always better with the presence of soup. 汤圆 is also a dessert made from glutinous rice dough, but it differentiates itself from 年糕 by both being served within a sweet, slightly spicy ginger soup broth, providing a sharp contrast to the sugary sweetness of the soup dumplings. Some 汤圆 come solid, but others are often filled with black sesame or red bean paste. The only thing sweeter than the dessert itself is the story behind it, and 汤圆 is no exception, the syllables “Tang Yuan’’ resembling that of 团圆 (Tuan Yuan), the Chinese characters for “Union” or “Gathering”. It would be an understatement to say that modern festivity bears some difference to the traditions and aspects from which they originated from. Yet, among all of the components of Lunar New Year, dessert finds itself not diluted, but instead, given new life by modern interpretation. While the recipes may change, and the recipe altered to incorporate the appliances on top of our kitchen counters, the original intention of traditional Lunar New Year dessert still remains unchanged (Yes, our ancestors might scoff at such convenient cooking… but clearly, our ancestors never
9 WORLD
owned an air fryer). That intention, of course, is to have a time for gathering, where friends, family and the people we love, take their seats at a laden dinner table, laughing well into the light, moonlit night, a celebration of both the collective present, and the prosperous future yet to come.
Chinese New Year
A month of celebration and food (mostly food) Kevin Fan Writer, Interviewer
Many cultures across Asia celebrate the departure of the year prior, and the arrival of the next, on what’s called “The First” of the lunar calendar. Since the rise of the Tang Dynasty, my ancestors began celebrating the New Year as the “Spring Festival”. Spring marked the sowing of the seed and, in an agricultural civilization, a good year of crops roughly equated to the blessing of the heavens. Over the millenia, as the nation we now know as China warred, shattered, and pieced itself back together, the celebrations for a new year diversified. In the northeast of China, where I call home, we eat dumplings on the 7th to “not lose children”. A little further south, you might find 年糕 on the table. In Hanny and Jacob’s article, you can find a load of different traditional desserts and foods. Come to think of it, there’s some 56 peoples of China. Each with their own culture and heritage, each a story to tell. Here, I’d like to introduce everybody to my mom to tell me about traditions from the northeast of China, in the city of Dalian! Sit back, grab a little 汤圆儿 or a 年糕 and enjoy the interview! I translated the entire interview from Mandarin Chinese... please forgive me if some of the words aren’t the proper terms!
My mom lol PTP: What is 大年三十儿 (Da Nian San Shier) and what happens on that day? M: 大年三十儿 is sometimes known as 初一 (Chu Yi), which is the first day of the Lunar calendar. Technically speaking, Chinese people start celebrating Chinese New Year 22 days prior to this date. Celebrations last until around 15 days after 初一. Honestly though, the
really important dates are the final day of the previous year [in the lunar calendar], the first day of that year, and the final day of celebrations. PTP: So that’s only around 3 really important dates out of some 37 days of celebrations; what happens between those dates? M: They have different traditions to observe, different food to eat, and different meanings to each day. Every region is different, so for example, on the eighth day of the final month of the prior year, we eat a type of congee made of eight different grains. PTP: And is that just where we’re from? Or is it nationwide? M: The tradition, interestingly enough, originates from India! It commemorates an important day of celebration of Buddhism. It’s observed wherever Buddhism has touched. PTP: And what’s the meaning behind tradition? M: Well, after it entered the “mainstream” in China, it became known for its potence to prevent people from catching colds. After a while, it kind of just caught on. It also later became a commemorative tradition for a warrior named 岳飞 (Yue Fei), who made this congee for his soldiers in the winter. PTP: And what about the week leading up to the New Year? M: Exactly a week before the New Year, we eat something called a 糖瓜 (Tang Gua), a sticky candy. We eat it to pay respects to the god of cooking. The tradition comes from the philosophy that, if we give him sticky candy, he won’t be able to open his mouth to speak. Now, that seems a bit morbid, but that day is the day he ascends to the heavens, so we don’t want him to speak poorly about us humans to his fellow gods. It’s pretty funny to think about! PTP: So why do you make me clean the whole house six days before the New Year? M: Six days before, we sweep the house, symbolically sweeping away all the bad luck of the past year. And five days before, the emperor of the gods descends from the heavens to visit his people. From this day forth, we don’t say any bad words or curses. PTP: Okay, now this is where the fun begins. What happens on the eve of the New Year? M: We go out and stick up those things called 春联 儿 (Chun Lian-er), couplets, for the Spring Festival.
WORLD 10 It’s basically just to welcome and spread wealth and prosperity. I can also tell you what doesn’t happen. Sleep. You don’t sleep. And at exactly midnight, called 交子 (Jiao Zi) a homophone for 饺子, we eat 饺子; dumplings. Also, a lot of fireworks are set off at this time, to scare away a 魔鬼 (Mo Gui) a demon who eats humans. PTP: Scary. M: Yes, very. Next year maybe we won’t set off fireworks and leave you outside. Right after fireworks, though, each younger generation formally greets their elders to the New Year. PTP: What’s with 红包 (Hong Bao)? Do the red packets have any meaning in them? M: The red packets are really just for children. It’s called 压岁钱, or blessing money, in order to help them spend a healthy year. PTP: What about the second day after the New Year? M: The second day after the New Year, each family goes to the maternal grandparents’ place. In the old days, married women would never have the chance to go back to their homes and families. On this day, the whole family goes and brings gifts and greetings to the woman’s parents. PTP: And the third day? M: Nothing, we get a day of rest, thank heavens. But on the fourth day, the god of cooking returns. Nobody leaves the house, in order to be present when the god tabulates how many people are in each household. That way, each person is accounted for by the god of cooking, therefore will not go hungry. So yeah, that’s that. PTP: I’ve also heard a lot about something called 破五, the broken fifth. What’s that about? M: Right. From the New Year, you’re not allowed to do a lot of stuff like sewing, sweeping, or even working. The fifth “breaks” this, and you’re essentially free to do whatever you please from that day on. It also welcomes the god of wealth, which is why a lot of businesses will reopen on the fifth. PTP: Okay so why do you force me to eat dumplings and noodles on the seventh day after the New Year? M: The noodles are from your dad’s side of the family, a tradition in Changchun. The dumplings come from the tale of 女娲, Nuwa, where she created humans by molding mud. Dumplings must be molded in a similar
fashion when making them, so that’s where that one comes from. This day is important for children because it is the day for children, where the coming year’s prosperity is decided. The same goes for the 17th for adults, and 27th for the elderly. PTP: And last, but not least, the 元宵节, the Lantern Festival. What goes on here? M: In the old days, you would go to a night market, where you would listen to riddles and try to guess the punchline. If you guessed it right, you would be rewarded with a lantern. The 汤圆儿, (Tang Yuaner), comes from the saying of being 团团圆圆, or “together”. It shares the character 圆 (Yuan) with 汤圆 儿, hence the eating of tang yuan. PTP: Thanks mom! I never knew there was so much to the celebration of Chinese New Year! M: Yeah, our family doesn’t actually observe every single celebration there is, but we do have a lot of
Lantern Festival, hosted abroad.
Source: Asia Highlights
11 WORLD
Max Parrot celebrating his gold medal during men’s snowboarding slopestyle medal ceremony at Medal Plaza 27 year old Canadian snowboarder
2022 Olympics Fire Up! How is Canada Faring? Sun-Ho Kim Writer
traditions from our region that I think are pretty neat. The 4th of February has finally commenced the longawaited XXIV Olympic Winter Games, yet another continuation of the biggest global sports event. 2022’s Winter Olympics takes place in Beijing, China, and is hosting nearly 3,000 athletes from 91 nations in 109 events consisting of 15 sports. Although Canada is currently yet to be in the top ten with only three gold medals at hand, the few medalists we had so far have displayed jaw-dropping performances.
“It’s definitely amazing. They were really hard times and, at times, I felt like I was a lion in a cage because I wasn’t able to do what I love the most, which is snowboarding.”
Source: CNN
Max Parrot became the first Canadian to win gold in snowboard, closely beating the 17-year-old Su Yiming, who came in second with 88.70 points, with a score of 90.96. However, his backstory adds onto the significance of his performance; in December of 2018, Parrot was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, going through chemotherapy for 6 months. He declared his victory against cancer in June 2019. In his interview after receiving his medal, Parrot spoke out that
[he appreciates snowboarding] so much more than before. [He appreciates] being able to do [his] passion every day.
Charles Hamelin and his teammates after winning their gold in men’s 5,000-meter final at Capital Indoor Stadium
Source: CBC
INTERNATIONAL 12 While Parrot had his amazing return medal after his cancer recovery, 37-year-old Charles Hamelin finished his Olympics career, winning Canada’s 3rd gold with the help of his 4 teammates (Steven Dubois, Pascal Dion, Jordan Pierre-Gilles and reserve Maxime Laoun). Hamelin was able to reach the finish line in 6 minutes and 41 seconds; this gold brough the speed skater to become the Canadian athlete with most gold at either Summer or Winter Games, a medal tie with Hayley Wickenheiser, a women’s hockey player. After receiving his sixth medal, Hamelin expressed his joy on Radio-Canada during an interview, stating that
“finishing with a gold can’t be better than that. It’s the best win ever.” He also said “[he] just think if you love what you do and if you put the work in, anything is possible. [He believes that he is the] proof that if you do it and you love it, you can do anything” in another interview.
DEVELOPING SITUATION
After a short two weeks of events, the Beijing Winter Olympics came to a close on February 20th. Overall, our proud Canadian Winter Olympians came home with a total of 26 medals. Despite the impressive efforts everyone had put in, four golds, eight silvers, and 14 bronze medals had only placed Canada in 11th place, with the number of gold at its lowest since 1994 Lillehammer Olympics in Norway, where Canada had only netted 3 golds. Even so, Canadian Olympic Committee chief executive officer David Shoemaker expressed contentment with the performance displayed by his nation’s athletes, stating that he is
“[completely] satisfied with that performance” (David Shoemaker)
He also complimented his Canadian athletes for enduring through the pandemic restrictions, commenting that
“Team Canada, in [his] estimation, had to endure the most restrictive COVID protocols of any nation.”
Russo-Ukrainian Tensions Escalate to War Bryan Chen Writer
Missile strike in Kyiv.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
13 INTERNATIONAL Tensions between the Russian Federation and Ukraine mount once again as the two countries have built up thousands of soldiers along the border – breaking down into a full-blown war. Conflict between Russia and Ukraine goes a long way back. The East Slavic peoples, of which Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians trace their lineage from, were once within the state of the Kievan Rus. Calls for Ukrainian independence from the Russian Empire came to fruition in 1917 as the Ukrainian People’s Republic was declared amidst the ongoing Russian Civil War, only to be annexed into the Soviet Union in 1921 as the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. Decades later when Germany invaded the Soviet Union, the Reichskommissariat Ukraine (a German colony in Ukraine) saw a number of pro-Nazi collaborators take arms against the Soviets, though collaboration was not widespread and the Soviets were again welcomed by the Ukrainians as liberators in 1944. In 1954, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev transferred Crimea (predominantly ethnic Russian) from the Russian SFSR to the Ukrainian SSR to “strengthen brotherly relations between the two republics”, though both of the Soviet Republics were within the same country. With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Ukraine again declared independence and has since been an independent country to this day. Many Soviet missiles and warheads left in Ukrainian territory were handed over to Russia in exchange for guarantees of Ukrainian independence. However, many predominantly ethnic
Russian territories part of the Ukrainian SSR remained within the new Ukrainian state. Ukrainian politicians sought to distance themselves from the former Soviet bloc and pursue closer relations with the E.U., though these broke down when Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych refused to sign the free trade agreement with the EU, which sparked widespread anti-government protests (the so-called “Revolution of Dignity”, commonly known as Euromaidan). These protests ended in the removal of Yanukovych from office, and the beginning of pro-Russian unrest in the eastern part of the country. Eastern Ukraine, a primarily Russian-speaking region of the country, largely opposed the Euromaidan protests and began demonstrations against the pro-Western government in Kyiv, pushing for federalization of Ukraine and some even pushing for outright annexation into Russia. In the conflict, Crimea (primarily Russian-speaking) joined Russia by referendum and the Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic (both Donetsk and Luhansk are collectively referred to as the Donbass region) declared independence from Ukraine, prompting NATO to conduct military exercises in Ukraine (which is not a NATO member state). The conflict ended in a ceasefire in 2014 following the signing of the Minsk Accords, though they failed to end immediate fighting. Today, Russia is led by President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine is led by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
President Zelensky of Ukraine (left) and President Putin of Russia (right)
Source: Wikimedia Commons
INTERNATIONAL 14 Putin has said that Ukrainians and Russians – both East Slavic ethnicities, “were one people”. This statement drew criticism from many Ukrainians as “irredentist” and “nationalist”. While it is true that Russians and Ukrainians share a common ancestry and history, there exists several distinguishing cultural differences between the two peoples. Russia demands that NATO stop its expansion – several former Soviet republics, such as Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia are already member states of NATO and Ukraine continues to push for ties with NATO and pursue membership. Putin’s approval rating skyrocketed in 2014 with the annexation of Crimea, and it is believed that Putin’s nationalistic policies against the West are backing his approval ratings. Many Russians are nostalgic for the Soviet Union – that is, regretful of its dissolution, and believe that Ukraine’s independence was illegitimate. A poll conducted in 2018 by Levada Centre showed that 66% of Russians regret the fall of the Soviet Union. However, many Ukrainians feel that their connection with Russia was that of colonial oppression, as the Ukrainian language faced several historical bans and the Russian Empire made several advances towards the Russification of Ukraine. The Holodomor famine in 1932 led ot the deaths of around 3.5 million Ukrainians, and this is often attributed to a deliberate attempt by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin to deter Ukrainian independence, however its intentionality and classification as a “genocide” remain the subject of academic debate. In late February, Russia made steps to officially recognise the two states in Donbass – the Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic, as independent from Ukraine. On the 21 of February, the Russian Ground Forces were given the order to enter the Donbass region as part of a “peacekeeping mission”. Russia began evacuation of its embassy in Kyiv, and on the 23 of February, Zelensky aired a public speech aimed at the Russian people, appealing for peace. A full-scale Russian invasion broke out on 24 February, which Putin termed a “special military operation”, in which he expressed that he had no intention to occupy
A map of the ongoing war between Russia (red) and Ukraine (yellow)
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Ukrainian territory, and that his actions were to “denazify” Ukraine. Though it is true that there exist farright, neo-Nazi militias within the Ukrainian National Guard (such as Azov Battalion), Putin’s claims that the Ukrainian government was aligned with neo-Nazism were rejected by many news sources such as CNN and NBC. In response, the Ukrainian government declared martial law. The Russian Ground Forces launched three offensives: the Kherson offensive (from Crimea in the south), the Eastern Ukraine offensive (from Donbass), and the Kyiv offensive (from Belarus to the north). Especially within the larger cities in Ukraine, such as Kyiv and Kharkiv, the Russian military was met with staunch resistance from not only the military, but also the civilians of Ukraine who have either resisted peacefully by blocking Russian convoys and confronting soldiers in the streets with words, or taken up arms as part of militias. Zelensky ordered the civilians of Kyiv to assault Russian soldiers with molotov cocktails. The ongoing Battle of Kyiv is the site of one of the largest operations in the war, and its capture is one of the major objectives of the Russian operation. The Antonov Airport in Kyiv, for example, has changed hands multiple times during the Battle of Kyiv. The mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, stated on 27 February that the Russians had encircled the city, though this statement was later retracted. The Battle of Kharkiv, which lasted from 24 February to 27 February, ended in a Ukrainian victory with Ukrainian forces regaining control over the city.
15 INTERNATIONAL
Anti-Russia, pro-Ukraine protests in Toronto.
International sympathy has predominantly been in support of Ukraine, with many in particular Western nations condemning the invasion by Russia. Protests have broken out in many countries, such as Germany, United States, Canada, France, and others in support of Ukraine, and there have even been protests within Russia itself opposed to the war (though these have met suppression by the government). Within these protests, several monuments have been lit up with the blue-yellow of the Ukrainian flag, such as Brandenburg Gate, Eiffel Tower, and the CN Tower. Western nations have also levied sanctions against Putin and Russia, and many nations have also begun supplying Ukraine militarily with weapons, supplies, and PPE. A humanitarian crisis has also broken out, with many refugees who were displaced by the ongoing war entering the European Union through the Polish border. Though no countries have outright supported the invasion, some have blamed the war on NATO provocation, such as
Source: CBC
Belarus, Syria, and North Korea. Meanwhile, other nations such as China and India have remained neutral. Despite the ongoing war, there appears to be some hope for a diplomatic solution, as Putin and Zelensky have agreed to meet for peace negotiations in Belarus. President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus promised that while the two countries met, that Belarusian soldiers would stand down during the invasion. It remains unknown what the outcome of the war will be or whether the peace talks will end successfully.
How to Run and Grow Your Pet Account on Instagram 101 #petaccounts #tips #advice Na-Yeon Kim Writer Have you ever seen a pet account on your feed while idly scrolling on Instagram? Or on any other social media platforms for that matter? As you clicked on these pet account profiles you might have noticed the overwhelming attention these accounts receive. It makes you wonder, how does one grab thousands of users’ attention solely by posting pictures of their pet? At first glance, it may seem as if the photos are driving these accounts to success, but in reality, there is a lot more going on behind the scenes. Today, we will explore how to effectively run a pet account on Instagram with a few simple tips. The first tip is to establish a theme in your little gallery. The theme will be different for each pet, depending on its personality and characteristics. For instance, if your dog is exceptionally active, focusing your feed
Bertram :D
Source: Bertram the Pomeranian
OTHER 16 based on your dog’s energetic nature will help maintain consistency in your posts and clearly depict the unique playfulness of your dog. By establishing and sticking to a theme, you are allowing the users to easily recognize and associate the themed posts with your account. Of course, it also boosts visual appeal. For instance, a pet account by the name bertiebertthepom (Bertram The Pomeranian), with 435,000 followers, focuses on the pomeranian’s cuteness and its bear-like appearance. While creating the theme of a bear in each post, the owner also made Bertram more noticeable to the viewer which, as can be seen, worked successfully. The second tip is to regularly post your photos/videos on your feed. It is generally recommended that you post once per day. A consistent upload schedule provides the viewer with constant content to enjoy. Long breaks should be avoided since viewers tend to leave when there is a lack of content, which will slow the growth of your pet account. This pressure to upload consistently may be overwhelming, considering that each photo requires good quality. Hence, in lieu of trying to post several poor quality photos a day, finding a comfortable uploading schedule and sticking to it is the ideal method. For example, cat.nicogura with more than 4,500 followers, uploads photos of two British Shorthair about once per day, and we_love_corgi__ uploads contents of Corgi every day and has gained a lot of popularity among Corgi lovers.
We do, in fact, love corgi <3
Source: we_love_corgi__
17 OTHER Last but not least, it is crucial that you use hashtags and tag other pet accounts. The hashtag feature on Instagram acts as a keyword for posts, meaning that, if you were to search up the word “dog” into the search bar you could view every post which has the hashtag. When you search up a keyword, you can also view how popular each hashtag is by looking at the number of posts for that particular tag. As such, using hashtags can greatly help spread your posts to more viewers very easily. An efficient way to take advantage of this feature is to keep a list of popular hashtags in your notes and copy and paste them into your posts later on. In addition, tagging other users is also a helpful tool that enables you to get more exposure on the platform.
Be mindful that these are just a few of many tips that will help run your very own pet account! There is an abundance of meticulous strategies that help people gain followers. Growing any account takes time, so have patience when you don’t achieve expectations. Pet accounts are there to share fun stories and interact with various people about your beloved animal companion. On that note, try making your very own pet account and most importantly, have fun!
I should start an Instagram for Luna
Source: Kevin Fan
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Silhouettes slap hard The god-ray queen strikes again
Inspired by the Winter Olympics
This is so cute omg
Source: Kaylin Brereton-Stiles
Source: Amy Lee
Source: Ivan Luo
Source: Kaylin Brereton-Stiles
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