June 2017 Issue

VOLUME 3, ISSUE 5

JUNE 2017

PIN TREE POS AP EXAMS A two sided retrospective

BC General Election 2017

It’s your democratic right to get these facts, stats, and infographics

TIMELINE Memories, moments, and the magic that went into their creation

GREAT DANCE DANCE GOODBYES (REVOLUTION?) The graduating staff of Pinetree Post drops some hot pearls of wisdom

An insider look at the Pinetree dance class of 2017

2 FIRST GLANCE P.4: OPINION

P.14: TIMELINE

The Pinetree Post

STAFF EDITORS IN CHIEF Emily Liang, Julia Park DEARLY DEPARTED Felix Guo, Rusel Kim

A Retrospective on Taking AP Exams

P.18: PROVINCE

Memorable Moments of the School Year

P.27: FAREWELL

CONTRIBUTORS Ben Connor, Jeff Feng, Beverley Fung, Leo He, Kate Huang, Emily Liang, Julia Park, Jeffrey Shen, Marvin Shi, Shirley Wang, Jenny Zhao, Sherry Zuo LAYOUT DESIGN Elaine Gao, Emily Liang COVER AND GRAPHICS Emily Liang WEBSITE DESIGN Zhen Zhen Tsai

BC 2017 General Election Results

Some Official Goodbyes

"THE CIRCLE OF LIFE"

STAGE 1

STAGE 2

STAGE 3

SPECIAL THANKS TO Mr. Clarke, Mr. McCullough, Mr. Lau, Jodie Wickens, Ian Soutar, Mr. Hamlin, Coco Chen, Pinetree Dance, Pinetree Music EMILY LIANG

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First Glance EDITOR’S NOTE

Until we meet again, Pinetree.

Julia and Emily physically together in Quebec.

Bye for now.

Photo courtesy of Julia’s cousin/Coco Chen

Flip to page 18 for a comprehensive report on the BC elections and the results of the Pinetree Emily Liang, Julia Park student mock elections. If you feel overwhelmed by the Editors-in-Chief amount of material to cover for the final and begin to doubt the meaning of life, tune in on the wisdom of Hey Pinetree!

Pinetree Post’s very own grads on page 27 and listen to Rolling into the final home stretch of the school what they have to say about the lessons learned from year, we have brought to you one final issue of the four years at Pinetree. Look on page 4 to hear two Pinetree Post to finish strong! Only two measly weeks strongly opposed cases for and against the infamous left until we impart on our long awaited two months AP exams. To read a detailed and personal testimony of sticky skin decorated by melting popsicles, testing of the consequences of sleep deprivation, check page the limits of our skin under the glorious UV rays, overcrowded beaches and polluted public pools, and… 22. Finally, end your study break with one last of university application essays and summer internships? trusted Classless Reviews of the Classics for the year this time, Metropolis.

Oh, what joy and freedom await! In all seriousness, We at Pinetree Post wish you all a stress-free, funwe’ve done it, Pinetree. Two more weeks and you can filled summer and stay tuned for next year’s updated abuse your circadian rhythm to your liking and sleep Pinetree Post. Special thank you to our graduating once the birds start to chirp. But first, let us persevere seniors for a great year full of last-minute deadline through our finals. extensions and badgering, antsy editors. Thank you To gift our student population with a chance to to Mr. Lau for sponsoring this newspaper, to the take a break from panicking about impending exams, administration for letting us print in the office, to you will find in this issue various matters even more anyone who has contributed to an issue in any way, fun than calculus. On page 12 , 10, and 16, you can find recaps on some of the latest Pinetree events, such and to you, for reading the Pinetree Post. Have a great as the Small Ensembles Night, the dance show, and the summer! You deserve it. grade 9 Zootopia night, respectively. Then to wrap up and celebrate our last issue of the year, check out page Best wishes, 14 to find an artistically crafted timeline of the most Emily Liang and Julia Park memorable events of the 2016-2017 school year.

4 OPINION A RETROSPECTIVE LOOK AT TAKING AP EXAMS

The AP Exam Life: Is It For You?

Who needs a Scantron pencil when you have a #2?

Just when you thought regular testing was enough, the AP College Board is here for more fun.

Ben Connor, Shirley Wang Writers, exam takers They say that “April showers bring May flowers.”

For high schoolers, it seems to be more accurate to say “April cramming brings May AP examming”.

One of the greatest decisions you will make during their high school journey is whether to embark down the mysterious and unforgiving road of AP Exams. Perhaps you were a student full of dreams and hopes that you could write the AP exam and get a good mark. You may be a student who believes that you’re capable of getting a 5. You may be doing so well in your current AP class, that you think to yourself “I got this in the bag!” (and have 150 dollars just kicking around to donate to the College Board). As

Photo courtesy of the AP College Board

students who have taken AP exams this year, we would like to share some of our experiences with these tests.

My personal advice: Don’t take it. It’s a mistake.

You see, I did what all good AP students do; I procured myself a copy of Barron’s, a leader in AP exam prep, and studied the hell out of that book…. the day before the test. Now it’s true that I got my copy of Barron’s

“I got this in the bag!”

-A Foolish Lie

out of the library from 2007 because - let’s face it - I’m not paying 150 dollars to take a test and sinking even more money into this endeavor. Also, Barron’s has barely changed their study books in ten years. Barron’s is a very misleading… I mean reliable source for AP exam prep, but it did not help me at all. Here I was the day before the test cramming into my head facts about Von Frisch’s bee waggle dance, learning about how Skinner tortured his rat to prove operant conditioning, or learning about imprinted instincts in ducks to follow

Opinion

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the first thing they see move. You may wonder if these random facts really that helpful. No. No, Barron’s, it was not. And your practice test for AP Biology was not helpful either.

Of course in the hours before the test, I considered multiple times dropping out of the test… I mean I would be reimbursed fifty dollars, but I had to go all the way. I did not decide to take the money and run. It’s not because I believed in myself; it’s just that if I were to get a 4 on the test, I could save five hundred dollars by receiving credit for a first year biology course.

more than a first year biology requirement, take the actual course in school, even if that costs you an extra few hundred dollars. It’s beneficial to be in a first year class and learn what university expects you to know.

Secondly, and most importantly, by skipping the course and taking a second year bio course in first year, you would be just asking to drag your average down… and that is not a smart life decision. Unless you live by the mantra “C’s get degrees,” it’s not worth it.

If you do decide to take the AP Biology test, here’s a brief description about what to expect. It’s not primarily focused on memorizing facts. Yes, know what things are, but most of the questions are applied questions. Basically, the test gives you some data, graph, or questions about Billy and the entire backstory of why Billy conducted this experiment, and asks you different multiple choice style questions on what you can extrapolate from the data. It’s not so On a serious note, before taking the AP exams, take a much of questions like what part of the brain controls look at the route you are taking in university. If you are heart rate and digestion - which, by the way, is the going to specialize in biology or a science that requires medulla oblongata. Also, there is a short math section at the end of the multiple choice section so make sure Photo courtesy of Torch The average AP student. to give yourself lots of time to do it.

“I did not decide to take the money and run.”

“On a serious note, beore taking the AP exam tests, take a look at the route you are taking in university.”

The AP Calculus exam has two choices for those brave enough to attempt it: the AB and the BC. The AB has some more conceptual questions, while the BC covers topics not covered in the AB such as parametric functions and series and sequences. The multiple choice and written sections are also both split into two sections: calculator and no-calculator sections. Even though 33.3% of the exam allows calculators, we here at Pinetree Post can guarantee that the exam is 100% pain. Spending three hours in the library finding derivative after derivative, integral after integral, when the only prize is - if you’re good - the number 5

6 OPINION displayed on a webpage really isn’t worth it. I mean, do you really care about the amount of grain that leaked out of a silo in 20 minutes? Why not just be happy for the person who fixed it so that there’s no more grain leaking? Yes, the farmer who lost his grain will be sad, but surely, they’ll recover. We can all move on with our lives.

The AP Microeconomics and Macroeconomics are considered some of the shorter AP Exams, lasting roughly two hours instead of the usual three.

Furthermore, the subject is based primarily off of rote memorization of terms and application of these definitions in different scenarios. Does this make the exam any easier? Perhaps. Does this make the exam more enjoyable? Not at all. After drawing the 20th triangle between the demand and supply curves, perhaps it will finally occur to you that this exam is just as much of a deadweight loss as all those triangles.

How much marginal utility are you really gaining from this exam? Is the opportunity cost really worth it? It’s much more satisfying to keep all this talk about monopolies back in the board game, after all.

The dreaded Lagrange Error Bound.

AP Exam week is over now (thank goodness) and it is now time for all those unfortunate souls who took those exams to catch up on all the schoolwork they missed while they were studying for those

“The farmer who lost his grain will be sad, but he’ll surely recover.” exams. Next year, when the rest of you have the opportunity to sign up for these exams, take this into consideration - what exactly are you gaining from the exam? A course in university? You’ll just have to take a harder one instead. That credit and pride from getting a 5? Consider focusing on your current school work instead. Something to do for countless hours?

Consider taking on a new hobby. The AP Exams, while glamorous, are also time-consuming, expensive, and painful. There are much more pleasant things to be doing in your highschool life than them. , Photo courtesy of Youtube

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Opinion

AP Exams taken by subject in 2013.

HERE ARE WHAT SOME STUDENTS AT PINETREE THINK ABOUT THE AP EXAMS

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

“Don’t go on vacation a week before the exam and cram one day before at a sushi restaurant while eating California and yam rolls.”

-Ben Connor

“10/10 would not recommend.”

-Shirley Wang “Don’t start studying three days before the exam.”

-Shirley Yang “I didn’t sign up for this! (I literally did though)” -Shirley Zhang

“Coffee. Acne. Tears.”

-Zohreh Rezaiemanesh

“20 minute Youtube videos > 400 pages of a Barron’s textbook” -Sherry Zuo

8 OPINION A RETROSPECTIVE FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE

The AP Exam Life: Worth It!

Students bubble in scantron sheets.

It’s not a life for everyone, but it’s a rewarding life, nonetheless.

Photo courtesy of Kaplan Test Prep

experienced AP exams about the reality of the tests, so keep in mind my case for AP testing will be on a more serious note.

First of all, AP exams are strongly recommended Julia Park - if not necessary - if you are considering post Writer secondary education in the states. The US university Allow me to start with perhaps the biggest system likes to see that students have challenged understatement of the year: AP exams are terrible. By themselves, whether in the form of an AP class or terrible, I don’t just mean they are time consuming and a self studied effort (which, by the way, I’ve tried. challenging. I mean, I think I may prefer swimming 0/10 would recommend). Most students, even with through freshly spewed lava of an active volcano whilst their 10+ AP credits, don’t use them to skip first year being chased by lava-proof spiders who also can fly classes. The main function of AP exams, from what I at the speed of missiles. But do I regret taking them? have seen in my successful seniors, is as previews for No, not at all. They are not for everyone - it will feel introductory classes. I will go out on a limb and agree at times as if your trusty Barron’s workbook is eating that it may seem pointless to take these expensive you alive at times. But once you are able to persevere exams unless you plan on applying for colleges in the through the first two weeks of May, the sense of states. However, the experience itself is worth the accomplishment is uncomparable. Though the case coffee, acne, and tears, which leads to my second point. presented against AP testing is rather light hearted, I The ability to read a textbook and comprehend want to inform the general public who have not yet the material is invaluable. The AP exam requires

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Opinion students to delve deeper into each specific subject than a grade 12 course does. That also means there will be many hours spent in the library self learning from textbooks, Youtube videos, and supplemental materials, such as your best friend: Barron’s. Learning to read college level textbooks and understand the

“The main function of AP exams is as previews for introductory classes.” material without a lecturer at your shoulder is a skill you must learn at some time or another. The AP exam forces you to prepare for university, not only in the level of the curricula but in study habits and skills.

Furthermore, allow me to respond to a few complaints found in the previous section. My fellow staff at the Pinetree Post mention how random facts and practice tests from Barron’s are useless. They fail to see their folly; the Barron’s workbook is simply a supplemental book. It is a concise summary of the main points of a subject, say biology, rather than a thorough textbook to which one should devote all their time and effort. (Quick tip: for AP Biology, Campbell Biology in any of the latest editions is your safest bet.

It’s also what they use in universities to teach first year biology!) Attempting to learn a year of any first year

university level course from a small book of summary is analogous to reading the Sparknotes summary before your big Hamlet exam - you’ll get somewhere, maybe do well with a bit of luck, but it will not be enough for you to fully understand Hamlet’s indecisiveness.

Also, who doesn’t want to learn fun facts about the natural world? Von Frisch’s bee waggle dance that my fellow staff list as an example of useless information is in fact, fascinating. Or, may I say, factscinating? Honeybees fly in a eight shape, altering the size of and the distance between the circles to inform their fellow worker the direction and distance to the patches of flowers yielding nectar and pollen. There is a careful mathematics behind the dance and no, it likely does not appear on your AP exam, but reading about the nonverbal programmed communication in animals can be much more fun than you may presume.

With that being said, I beg you to not come to the conclusion that AP exams are useless. Until you have personally experienced the stress of the tests and the feeling of accomplishment that ensues which is dramatized by the number of breakdowns had, tears shed, and coffees drank, you will never fully comprehend the worthiness of AP testing. Know that they are stressful - read my column “Perhaps the Most Relatable Column Ever” on page 22 for details - but overall, I would challenge each and every motivated student who wants to take their education to the next level to go ahead and prepare for AP exams in their favourite subject. ,

Your best friends (or worst enemies) for two weeks.

Photo courtesy of Barron’s

10 SCHOOL A DIFFERENT SORT OF SCHOOL DANCE

Pinetree’s Dance Class of 2017

Students pose with the poise of dancers.

Just dance. (Except it’s more than that, so read on.)

Kate Huang Writer

Every year in June, the dance class at Pinetree Secondary puts on a spectacular dance show. This year, they put on more shows than last year, or the year before. In fact, Ms. Fera, Pinetree’s drama and dance teacher, says that there are more shows this year than she has ever seen in Pinetree’s dance history. So that’s pretty exciting.

What exactly happens in these shows, you ask? There are two types of dance numbers: group numbers and class numbers. Group numbers are dance routines performed by a relatively small group of people, usually friends, and they vary in nature: learned from the Internet, from an outside dance class, or self-choreographed. Class numbers are

Photo courtesy of Kimiya Bahreini

dances performed by the entire class. Some of the class numbers are choreographed and taught by the

“This year, we’re going to have a lot more dance numbers than last year! [...] It’s probably the most numbers in a Pinetree dance show.”

students. This year, the class numbers were diverse; the class has performed everything from musical theatre to Bollywood to Polynesian dances.

Last year, my teacher brought our class to watch the show. All the talent on stage really blew me away.

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School I was inspired to join the dance class this year and it has been incredible. Everyone in the class is fun-loving, energetic, and passionate about what they do. Ms. Fera is a wonderful teacher who gets along very well with the students. Everyone has put in a lot of effort into making the dance show successful, and the dances look fantastic. I feel like an amateur compared to most of these people, but I’ve learned to just have fun with what I’m doing.

“I feel like an amateur compared to most of these people, but I’ve learned to just have fun with what I’m doing.”

Obviously, since I’m in the class, this is probably biased, but the show was amazing. Consider joining the class next year! It’s a class worth taking. Dance as a class is significantly different from the other classes,

especially due to the lack of competition in class. No one is trying to show off. It is nice to find yourself in an environment where everyone just encourages each other to let loose and have fun instead of constantly competing for the top mark. At the beginning of the semester, for example, when Ms. Fera made an assignment for groups to perform individual, selfchoreographed “story-telling” dances in front of the class, no one cared about the quality of the dances.

Instead, most of the energy and time were spent on encouraging and uplifting each other. Honestly, my dance was terrible and yet, my classmates commented on whatever parts they found praiseworthy, which I really appreciated.

I see a lot of negative self criticism and competition in many other classes, but not much in dance. The class has helped me gain a more positive, confident perspective in school and in my relationships. I have learned that more things matter than marks and that sometimes, it’s okay and even beneficial to just let loose every once in awhile.

Overall, my experience has been overwhelmingly positive and I look forward to what the rest of the semester in dance class has to bring. 7

This is in black-and-white so you’ll have to imagine the colours.

Photo courtesy of Pinetree Dance Facebook

12 SCHOOL SMALL GROUPS, BIG TALENTS

Small Ensembles Night

Writer Jenny Zhao’s debut performance in 2015.

The theme of this night is talent (and Alice in Wonderland).

Jenny Zhao Writer Small Ensembles Night is filled with mesmerizing singing, skillful instrument-playing, and passionate dancing. It is a night of music and art, and certainly one of the most popular annual events in pinetree.

This year’s performers were all music students, including one Pinetree alumni who had graduated several years ago. For the performers, Small Ensembles night is the perfect platform to show their musical talents to the world. More than 100 audience members gather each year to watch the incredible show hosted

by Pinetree’s music department. This year’s show was undoubtedly a success, for everybody who was involved contributed his or her maximum time and effort to ensure a wonderful event for both the performers and the audience.

Photo courtesy of Kylie Fonacier

The first Small Ensembles Night dates back to 2008. Previously, the music department included six acts of small groups of students who wanted

“Hosted by Pinetree’s music department, more than 100 audience members each year show up to small ensembles to watch the incredible show.” to take the stage into the spring concert. However, because so many students were auditioning to be in them, Mrs. Carmichael decided to devote a separate concert for music students to provide an opportunity

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School for more people to shine. For this year’s concert, 28 groups auditioned, and 21 of them successfully made it into the performance. The music council, Mr., and Mrs. Carmichael worked together to make tickets, buy desserts and drinks, and craft decorations in preparation for the concert. Auditions were held just one week before the concert, lasting almost five hours.

On the day of the show, student volunteers stayed from after school to 6:30 P.M. to set up tables, make food, hang decorations, and set up sound and light systems to provide the audience with a worthy show. Even throughout the concert, music council students worked

“At the end of the night, everybody was amazed by the students’ performances, as compliments and positive feedback for the performers flooded the hallway.” tirelessly to place sets for the acts behind the stage and to serve refreshments in front. Although music students were spent after the show, everybody agreed that the concert was worth the work.

One notable trait that sets apart Small Ensembles from the other concerts is that there is a distinct theme each year to which the sets are created around. This year’s theme was “Alice in Wonderland.” Blueberry pies were decorated with “eat me” signs and string lights and hand-drawn decorations hung in the cafeteria. At the end of the night compliments and positive feedback for the performers flooded the hallway. Pinetree Secondary’s Small Ensembles Night is proof that it is possible to host a successful concert for nearly a decade. 7

I HAVE OPINIONS

10 000 Hours

Is it really possible to master a craft through endless practice?

Emily Liang Talentless

There are two basic schools of thought for the concept of expertise: one that says that anyone can become a master given enough hard work, and the other that says “you are a fool for trying, you rhythmless goon”. For the purpose of maintaining my optimistic attitude towards life, I generally prefer the first theory.

The “10 000 Hour Rule” was popularized

by Canadian journalist, Malcolm Gladwell, but his full thoughts on the matter are not so simple as “If I play Chopsticks for about a year non-stop, I’ll become Mozart”. He suggests that 10 000 hours of deliberate practice is what it takes to get to the top of your game, but you have to be playing the game first. Unfortunately, if you’re tone deaf, you might have to give up on those dreams of being a Chinese poetry recital virtuoso.

Still, that’s not a condemnation to anyone who believes they’re talentless. It would be pretty silly to apply a catch-all rule to all fields of human activity. For example, practicing to become an entrepreneur (first of all: how?) might get you nowhere, but you can probably get pretty good at carpentry if you have an extra 10 000 hours of life lying around. Fields that look for individuals that push the current boundaries of the craft and redefine its limits don’t guarantee mastery with endless practice, while fields that rely on the perfection of a static technique finds its elites with the most experience. Neither talent nor 10 000 hours is a prerequisite. But, boy, does it help. 2

TEXT BY JULIA PARK

9.5.

A HISTORY OF 2016-

As students persevere to finish the home stretch, the Pinetree Post staff wanted to provide an opportunity for students and staff to reflect on the most memorable and significant events of the 2016-2017 school year.The timeline below recaps a few highlights of the past year.

1.30. SCHEDULE CHANGE Semester two was celebrated with a dramatic change in schedule layout, from a rotating block schedule to a static one. Students and staff showed mixed opinions - the most common complaint being that the new schedule stripped Pinetree of its individuality. The static schedule will remain for the 2017-2018 school year.

1.3. “gas leak” On the first day back from winter break, Pinetree students had to evacuate the school because the gas from the uncleaned septic tank contaminated the school building. Students shivered out in the cold wondering if it was true that a vengeful chemistry student caused the so-called “gas leak”.

2.2. the sound of music

2.14. RAC WEEK

Pinetree Secondary’s very own Treehouse Theatre carried out a phenomenal production of the beloved classic, The Sound of Music.

Actors from the drama department were accompanied by Pinetree’s very own choir and orchestra. Over a hundred students and staff contributed to making the show a success.

Red Cross students participated in a district-wide Random Acts of Caring week in which they created a compliment board, had students write appreciation letters to teachers, taped candy to every locker, and so much more. The Red Cross class won the 2017 RAC Contest for such successful organization of the week, receiving $250 from the RAC Steering Committee.

5.1. ALL CANDIDATES MEETING 5.18. DANCE PAC hosted a Dance of the Decades, a throwback dance for all grades. Students came dressed in clothes representatives of the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s - neon colors and denim on denim flooded the foyer as the DJ dropped the beat.

On May 1st, NDP candidate Jodie Wickens and Green Party candidate Ian Soutar answered questions created by the students at Pinetree. On the 8th, 979 students voted, with a significant lead by Jodie Wickens (NDP), followed by Soutar (Green), followed by Joan Isaacs, who was not able to attend the meeting. The leadership class, led by Mr. Hamlin, coordinated the mock election at Pinetree.

6.1. BADMINTON To further evidence the newly started era of successful Pinetree sports teams, Pinetree’s very own Badminton team won Bronze in Provincials.

The team has trained tirelessly for months to achieve such accomplishment. Kudos to the team for a great finish of the school year!

-2017 AT PINETREE

GRAPHICS BY EMILY LIANG

9.29. TERRY FOX RUN

To celebrate the life of Terry Fox, Canadian athlete, humanitarian, and cancer research activist from Port Coquitlam, as well as raise money for osteosarcoma research, the students and staff of Pinetree participated in a run around Lafarge Lake. This annual school-wide run keeps Terry Fox’s legacy alive at Pinetree Secondary.

12.9. winter formal

Grad council hosted a night full of food, games, and music for the grade 12s. Pinetree Secondary could have been mistaken for Vegas as the DJ fired up the dance floor and teachers dealt poker chips to the students.

11.5. CHOIR TRIP

Pinetree’s choir went to Hangzhou, China to perform at the annual International Choir Festival, held by the Greentown Qinqin School. The students enjoyed tourist attractions and had the opportunity to take part various activities in Chinese schools.

10.30. SENIOR SAIL

To greet the starting of their final year of high school, the seniors dressed up to sail out for a night of memories on a cruise in Vancouver on the MV Britannia. Dinner, a DJ, the dance floor, and photos added to the fun and excitement.

2.26. basketball Pinetree Timberwolves made it to BC Championships with a 7-0 streak of wins and point average of 87 per game during the regular basketball season. The last time the Timberwolves performed at this level of success was a decade ago. Star players include Maban Teny and Armon Taef, who scored 22 and 28 points, respectively, during the Championship game against the Tamanawis Wildcats.

4.7. wrestling Elite wrestlers Jacqueline Lew, Kye Mills, Daniel Chernetski, and Harry Valdez all competed nationally at the Juvenile Canadian Championships in Windsor Ontario. Jacqueline Lew brought home another national title.

3.3. wake-a-thon Pinetree Key Club hosted a school wide Wake-a-thon in which students of all grades were invited to spend a full night at school to raise money for the Kiwanis Children’s Cancer Project. Students enjoyed free time, performed in a talent show, ate cup noodles, and played various games until the morning sun.

6.10. commencement Parents and friends gathered to congratulate and celebrate the graduating students at the commencement ceremony held at Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Congratulations, seniors!

6.29.

16 SCHOOL AN EVENTFUL EVENT

Zootopia

Grade 10 PAC’s official banner.

The wild jungle of event planning.

Jeffrey Shen Writer

This was not an easy event to put together. It took more hours than imaginable, and required the collective effort of more than forty Principal’s Advisory Council members to achieve. Pinetree’s annual grade nine event was held on May 18th, 2017. Not only did PAC 10 have the pressure of creating a fun and memorable event for the grade nines, but had to also live up to the tremendous expectations from last year’s grade nine event – March Madness.

Before even starting to plan for the event, the council’s first task was to select grade nine council members. After reviewing numerous applications, PAC 10 accepted ten individuals who the council thought were the most competent and most representative of all walks of life within Pinetree. The next task was to come up with a theme for the event. Numerous ideas were thrown around, ranging from ‘the secret garden’, to ‘Hawaiian Luau”. However, at the end, the idea of a zoo seemed most appropriate for a summer-themed event.

After deciding on a theme, PAC decided to create an interactive event in which the gym would act as a ‘zoo,’ with different stations not only hosting a different game, but also representing a certain section of the zoo – marine, savannah, tundra. Although there were some ‘questionable’ ideas that were proposed by some council members at first (such as games involving the throwing of ice across the gym and the shooting down of plastic birds), the members were eventually able to come up with fun and creative events.

Photo courtesy of PAC 10’S Facebook

However, the process of turning ideas into action was not a simple task. The original date for the event was March 15! However, due to conflicting events, spring break, and the badminton season, finding a date was difficult. PAC had to make sure to settle on a date in which the majority of council members were able to attend, as well as a day in which the gym was available after school. When PAC finally settled on a date, it seemed as though the most difficult challenges were behind the council. However, they realized the school dance was on the same day.

Even with a date set and events underway, the most important part of the event was still missing –the attendees! After numerous posts on social media and sign ups in the the foyer at lunch, PAC realized that its current promotion methods were simply not effective enough. The council members ended up walking around the school at lunch, asking grade nines to sign up. It was unconventional and definitely garnered the staring of many, but it was successful. PAC exceeded its goal of sixty attendees within the first two days.

Overall, even though the event took an extra two months to plan and was on the same day as the school dance, PAC still managed to organize what seemed like the impossible. The pizza arrived an hour late and people who did not sign up showed up to the event, but everybody still had an incredible and memorable night. This would not have been able to happen without the tireless dedication of the entire grade ten and nine councils, as well Mr. Wong’s patience with the Principal’s Advisory Council. Zootopia 2017 represented how much youth can accomplish, when passionate individuals come together to accoomplish the same goal. 8

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School SNAPSHOTS

Teachers versus Students Marvin Shi Photographer

Landon forms the centre of this Baroque painting.

Mr. Nelson is not holding back at all.

A tense moment at the free throw line.

Simon does a layup.

Go Sean!

Mr. Iacobucci and the wolf.

18 PROVINCE GENERAL ELECTIONS, 2017

BC Elections

The British Columbia flag.

While voters exercised their democratic rights, Pinetree students learned about politics.

Emily Liang Writer, graphics The 41st general election of British Columbia on May 9th, 2017 was a historical one for several reasons. While the BC Liberals have held a majority government in the province since 2001, their resultant 43 seats was 4 less than they had previously, and left the party one seat short of a majority. BC has not had a minority government since 1952, and the New Democratic Party forms a close official opposition with 41 seats, a 6 seat increase to the NDP’s previous numbers. Perhaps the most significant results of this election come for the Green Party. The Green Party won 3 seats, a 2 seat increase that established this government as the first in Canada to have more than one elected Green.

Christy Clark (leader of the BC Liberals since February 2011), John Horgan (leader of the NDP

Photo courtesy of Professional Employees Association

since May 2014), and Andrew Weaver (leader of the Green Party since December 2015) all won in their respective ridings of Kelowna West, Langford-Juan de Fuca, a nd Oak Bay-Gordon Head. As for the local riding of Coquitlam-Burke Mountain, NDP incumbent Jodie Wickens was ousted by Liberal candidate Joan Isaacs, making the riding the only one in Vancouver eastern suburbia to go red. Losing by a margin of 268 votes, a recount request was submitted for the Coquitlam-Burke Mountain riding, along

“The 43-41-3 seat count remained consistent, but the popular vote percentages were even closer than before.” with recount requests in Richmond-Queensborough, Maple Ridge-Mission, Vancouver-False Creek, and Courtenay-Comox. All requests except for the latter two were rejected. Vancouver-False Creek required a

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Province

NDP Liberals Green 41 seats 43 seats 3 seats 40.28% 40.36% 16.84% This election was the first to occur after the electoral map was redrawn in 2015 to increase the number of ridings from 85 to 87.

BC has no limit on political donations.

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The Globe and Mail and the Vancouver Sun both endorsed the Liberals.

Both the Liberals and the NDP had 87 candidates, while the Green Party hand only 83 candidates.

20 PROVINCE recount due to discrepancies in ballot count and vote totals, while Courtenay-Comox ended election night with a mere 9 vote difference between the two leading candidates.

Because of this vote proximity, both the Liberal Party and the NDP had hoped that the counting of absentee ballots would lead to some seats changing hands. The 43-41-3 seat count remained consistent, but the popular vote percentages were even closer than before. Subsequently, the Green Party had to decide between support of the Liberals and the NDP. On May 29th, 2017, Horgan and Weaver announced that the Green Party would give confidence to an NDP minority government, but stopped short of a full coalition. Clark responded that the legislature would sit in the subsequent weeks and she would try to get its confidence, although she acceded that this was unlikely. It is entirely possible that BC could be facing another election or dramatic change of government in the coming months or even weeks.

Early opinion polls favoured an NDP victory, but as the election got closer, the BC Liberals began closing the gap. Ultimately, the BC Liberals won with a popular vote percentage of 40.36%, the NDP trailing with 40.28%, and the Green Party pulling 16.84%. The remaining 2.52% was distributed among Independents, Conservatives, Libertarians, Christian Heritage, Your Political Party, No Affiliation, Social Credit, Communist, Vancouver Island Party, Land

“Early opinion polls favoured an NDP victory, but as the election got closer, the BC Liberals began closing the gap.”

Air Water, BC First, Refederation, New Republican, Cascadia, Action, Citizens First, and 4BC. Compared to the real election results, the results of the student vote were far more decisive. In an effort

to educate British Columbian students more about provincial politics and the electoral system, a student vote was organized to simulate the real one occurring alongside it. Candidates spoke at schools so that students could form their political opinions. One such school was Pinetree Secondary, where NDP candidate Jodie Wickens and Green Party candidate Ian Soutar spoke at an assembly to answer questions created by PACK classes.

“The students’ favour of the NDP was reflected province wide, in which the part won an astonishing 60 seats out of 87, with the Green Party forming an official opposition of 14 seats, and the BC Liberals close behind with 12 seats.

For Pinetree, this resulted in the highest voter turnout in the district after an election day facilitated by Mr. Hamlin and the Leadership class. 979 valid ballots were counted, with 429 votes for Jodie Wickens, 321 votes for Ian Soutar, and 229 votes for Joan Isaacs, whose scheduling conflict prevented her from attending the all-candidates meeting for Pinetree. The students’ favour of the NDP was reflected province wide, in which the party won an astonishing 60 seats out of 87, with the Green Party forming an official opposition of 14 seats, and the BC Liberals close behind with 12 seats. It appears that the government of British Columbia may be very different once the student demographic reaches voting age. 1

21

School SNAPSHOTS

The Pinetree Student Vote

Marvin Shi Photographer

Sticker after voting.

Leadership class volunteers handled ballot boxes.

Alex and Briana.

Poster, Sam, Janice, and Mr. Hamlin.

Rachel volunteering.

Students in the voting booths.

“I Voted�!

22 COLUMN PERHAPS THE MOST RELATABLE COLUMN YET

The Story of My Short-Lived Brain Tumour “Relatable” is used improperly here due to sleep deprivation.

Julia Park Tired columnist I’m sure, being the meme-obsessed teenagers we all are, you have all seen the image that says, “Choose two: Sleep, Social life, Good grades.” There is no need for choosing for many of us; it is our natural decision to forgo the God-given gift of glorious sleep. The consequences, however, are typically less than satisfactory. I’m sure many can relate. With the AP-exam season just behind us and finals week just around the corner, I have fulfilled my expectations as a biology student and noticed a growing trend in the number of students passed out during class. It is my duty today to warn the students of Pinetree Secondary about the perils of sleep deprivation.

Now, allow me to impart my wisdom in my area of expertise.

For me personally, I tend to experience an inversely varied relationship in my ability to sleep and stress level. Simply put, the more stressed I am, the less I am able to sleep. After a month of extreme changes in sleep schedule this past April (hats off to you, Collegeboard!), being the hypochondriac I am, I was sure that I had grown a malignant brain tumor.

It first started ordinary: my memory was deteriorating, I was rather temperamental, and I could sense the obvious delay in my thought and speech. I wasn’t too worried. I mean, yes, my academic performance was suffering, as were my relationships, but these were just typical consequences of sleep deprivation, or so I thought. Soon, things started getting a little problematic. I had entire conversations where I managed to reply regularly but walked away from unaware that such conversation had taken place. I couldn’t always find the right words to say and so

replaced them with similar words, hoping nobody would notice - they did. I started to get migraines.

I burst out into tears because my dad ate all my extra-hot cheetos. I had a near-breakdown while calling my mother because I thought I had misplaced my cell phone. I left a 35% tip, even after triple checking my math. I took the milk out of the fridge and put it back in the freezer. The list goes on and on, but I realized I had a problem when I started falling asleep during exams - not one, not two, but three exams! Oh, the horror!

I immediately went on my trusty Web-MD and typed in “Brain Tumor.” Skipped to page 2, looked under “Symptoms.” Let me save you the trouble and release my shocking findings: it is written, “A common initial symptom of a brain tumor is headaches. [...] Other symptoms include, seizures, changes in speech or hearing, [...] problems with memory, personality changes, inability to concentrate” (WebMD).

“For me personally, I tend to experience an inversely varied relationship in my ability to sleep and stress level.”

I nearly had a heart attack - the list simply described my symptoms of the past month! Imagine. A heart attack on top of a brain tumor? I was a mess. I couldn’t possibly tell my parents. Imagine their shock, to learn their 18 year old child had a malignant tumor. Probably stage 4 glioma, inoperable, given the extent of my symptoms! I decided,

23

Column in tearful acceptance of my fate, that I’d go in for my chemotherapy after my AP exams, and perhaps move into a home so I don’t burden my parents.

I wanted to visit the Maldives before death and perhaps Italy and Japan too, if my body permits. A few miserable days of learning to accept my imminent death passed, and I finished all my tests. I went home and lost consciousness for 17 hours, waking up once to use the restroom. The following night, I slept another 15. The next, another 14. This pattern continued for a few days, and after my brief preview at eternal, unwakeable sleep, I woke to find my symptoms of a malignant brain tumor completely gone. I was tumor-free!

Unfortunately, my moment of pure joy didn’t last long - finals are coming up in a week. Really, I can sense some pressure in the back of my head - my tumor must be growing back. With this cancerous tumor back in my poor head, I wonder - is there even a point in studying for finals now? Might as well plan my Maldives trip. It’s been good, Pinetree, it’s been good. 2

Front-back: Julia Park, Alex Liu, Kelvin Zhang.

Emily Liang / Pinetree Post

I HAVE OPINIONS

“GMO-Free”-Free Socially and morally conscious consumption isn’t so bad.

Emily Liang Human Garburator

Despite all the claims otherwise, GMOfree gluten-hating vegans with fair trade coffee beans don’t run the world. In certain areas of the world, like Vancouver, these people have amassed enough influence to change the landscape of the local businesses (that is, they’ve gone and gentrified the city, but that’s besides the point) and make the area a contained haven for ethical eaters. But that’s it. With only a few exceptions, the food sector and the major agricultural corporations that control it bow to the global demand for livestock and gluten abundant foodstuffs.

Don’t get me wrong. I will not make excuses for the hypocrisy of the movement, which can be detrimental (eg. environmental damage due to demand for exotic fruits), ridiculously short sighted (eg. refusal to acknowledge GMOs as a viable solution to possible food crises), and downright annoying (eg. targeting livestock shops in Chinatown instead of y’know... slaughterhouses). What I take issue with is that us omnivores use the goji berry tea sipping stereotype as an excuse to ignore hard questions about our own diet.

What is wrong with ensuring that the products we buy profit growers directly? How is it silly to be conscious of powerful agricultural companies like Monsanto? Why do we avoid the question of whether meat eating can exist without animal cruelty? Sometimes, people that we don’t like and don’t understand can have a point. To dismiss any validity in using morals when eating is just as weird and picky as our perception of vegans. 2

24 REVIEW CLASSLESS REVIEWS OF THE CLASSICS

Retropolis

Fredersen represents the volkisch movement rejecting mechanization, Rotwang represents the disillusioned intellectual elite, and the robot represents robots.

Photo courtesy of The Red List

The mediator between the film and the audience must be the reviewer.

Emily Liang Reviewer

Metropolis is a German expressionist science fiction epic, directed by Fritz Lang, written by Thea von Harbou, and first premiered in 1927. Like most people, I love robots, so the “Machine-Man” on the movie poster was enough to draw me in. Plus, I thought a foreign sci-fi film would be easy enough to riff off of. I was wrong. Here is where I must warn you: the jokes in this review are sparse, and the good jokes never bothered to show up for this column anyway.

The film delves into the divide between the working class and the ruling class in the most literal manner possible: by having the workers live in an underground city and the industrialists live in the

towering skyscrapers aboveground. H.G. Wells was miffed. Joh Fredersen rules Metropolis, and his son Freder defies him and eventually ends class warfare, with some help from Maria, a priestess/governess/ demure maiden upon whom all that is pure can be projected on. The robot on the cover pretends to be Maria and it’s very confusing. This guy with an unfortunate name (Rotwang… what a tough break on that one) lives in a magic shack. There’s a lot going on in these two and a half hours.

The opening sequence of Metropolis is actually pretty incredible so I don’t have anything funny to say about it. The scene of the workers moving in tandem, preceding the free running patrons of the Sons’ Club aboveground, really serves to establish the world of Metropolis. Despite the frenetic energy of each shot, there is an odd stillness to this sequence, with most of the human figures being dwarfed by the set pieces around them, repetitive motion and little camera

Review movement contributing to this illusion. The following scenes continue to fulfill my expectations, as they mostly set up how the workers of Metropolis suffer for the benefit of the wealthy. It was shaping up to be a classic dystopian worker’s rebellion bedtime story.

Then Maria enters the film preaching to her fellow workers with the story of the Tower of Babel, but she interprets the Tower’s destruction as a result of the “head” (management) not communicating with the “hands” (labour). Even my Bible-illiterate self could see that this was a twisted tale. Maria continues to preach that the workers should not rebel, and instead wait for a “heart” to mediate between the two groups.

The Mediator is supposed to bring together the ruling and working class, although how he does this is… vague. It’s not until the film introduces Rotwang that I realize exactly what’s going on. The mastermind behind the robot that tries to bring about the downfall of Metropolis is the only intellectual in the city, a mad scientist living in a dumpster house. He is mostly driven by his desire for nice women (Freder’s mother, Maria), and despite little connection with the occult, his associated symbol is a pentagram. That’s when the rather mystifying theme of Metropolis becomes startlingly clear. And uncomfortable.

“It was shaping up to be a classic dystopian worker’s rebellion bedtime story.”

The glorification of the proletariat is not just a communist thing, but also a nationalist thing. That is… nationalist socialism. Nazism, in case you still don’t get it. The concept of volksgemeinschaft (people’s community) seems innocent enough in its goal to unite people across different social classes, until a quick Google search says “well, actually…”. The populist volkisch movement that emphasized a romantic view of German culture and unity was a major influence on Nazism in the 1920s. Suddenly, the repeated calls of

25 “Bruder!” in Metropolis aren’t so funny. The imagery of the Mediator bringing everyone together in pursuit of a single cause (without criticizing the state, of course) makes it no wonder that Adolf Hitler enjoyed the film.

Then, there is Rotwang, whose lust for Aryan maidens characterizes him as a villain, and whose pentagram is one point short of another famous religious symbol.

All in all, Metropolis plays with and supports a political ideology that was growing steadily during the Weimar Period.

“Oh, it’s about fascism.”

I don’t mean to soapbox here. Lang later renounced the film and fled to America despite being Roman Catholic, because his mother being born Jewish was Jewish enough to warrant some antiSemitic squinting. Metropolis dedicates itself more to telling an entertaining story about people who don’t seem to understand factory machinery than it does to supporting Nazism. I’ve only put on my tinfoil hat because I was so excited to watch Metropolis, but that excitement quickly curdled into “oh, it’s about fascism,” so now I want to ruin this film for everyone else too. I probably should’ve just watched it in German. This is why we need pretentiousness.

Metropolis is not a bad film by any means, and I actually enjoyed it a lot. It has a compelling, if naive story to tell. It leaves some (ample) room for question about how labour-management relations are going to improve without questioning the societal structure of Metropolis. But that’s just setting up for a sequel, probably! The silent film acting is beautifully over-the-top, and it’s worth watching for the special effects and visual work alone. Every science fiction creator definitely looked at Rotwang and thought “now that’s the kind of guy I want in my story”, so there’s no denying that Metropolis deserves its place among science fiction legends. However, like many other works of art it is eternally married to its context, which makes it hard to watch if the viewer is at all familiar with Germany leading up to World War II. The heavy-handed moral of this review is: never read a history book. 4

26 HUMOUR BACK AND JUST AS MEDIOCRE AS EVER

Pictures With Words " UP WARD MOBILITY" SOMETIMES, YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE.

SOMETIMES, YOU LOOK UP IN FRONT OF YOU AND IT'S ALL THE SAME.

SOMETIMES,

SOMETIMES,

EVEN IF YOU WANT TO GET OUT, YOU CAN'T LEAVE THE WAY YOU FIRST CAME SO ALL YOU CAN DO IS WAIT.

YOU'RE STANDING IN PLACE BUT MOVING PASSIVELY, NOT REALLY CARING ABOUT WHAT'S AHEAD.

GUESS? macey’s

BUT OTHER TIMES...

CLOTHES? DESIGNER JEANS? HANDBAGS? AND SHOES?

PREMIUM DEPARTMENT GRADE PEPPER SPRAY

COLD TOPIC

MacDonald’s I COULD NOT CARE LESS THE CHICKEN NUGGETS MADEOF RATS I WILL EAT FOR THE CRUNCH

Orange BUY THE NEW oPHONE IT DOESN'T HAVE AN i BUT IT'S THE NEXT VOWEL OVER

YOU'RE JUST STUCK ON AN ESCALATOR.

Sunglass/Pizza Hut

EMILY LIANG

27

Farewells A FEW PARTING WORDS

Wisdom from Graduates

JEFF FENG: INTRO

As our departure from Pinetree creeps closer, I can’t help but reflect upon my past four years here. It has been a series of memorable events, and I’ve gone through a significant amount of personal growth. Teachers have developed my academic mindsets, providing my with not only extensive knowledge of the subjects at hand, but ways to improve my overall habits and attitude towards to challenges I face in life. I’ve made a countless number of friends who will stay with me even after we depart towards our separate paths. Yet, as I reminisce about all of my joyful times at Pinetree, I start to think: what made my experiences so great, and what could I have done to make them even better?

Also, without sounding overly arrogant, we as the “veterans” of Pinetree have certainly learned some valuable lessons along the way. So as graduates of Pinetree 2017, we would like to part with some first-rate (not really) advice on how to make your years at Pinetree the best possible, and some life lessons that we learned along the way.

BEVERLEY FUNG: REGRETTING LIFE CHERISH THE MOMENT When we’re young, we always look towards the future - excited for new friends, new classes, new experiences. There’s this fixation with the new that leads one to forget about what is happening in the now. With graduation creeping closer, I realize that I took the time here at Pinetree for granted. The one piece of advice I would give is to not neglect the people around you right now. Instead of trying to grasp at a lot of new friendships, pay close attention to the few who you are already friends with - the friends who have been there since day one and are still there. Let them know how much you appreciate them because there might come a time when you grow apart. You will no longer be friends and then, they will move on with their lives, having never known how much they truly meant to you. Don’t let time pass you by; cherish the moment.

SHERRY ZUO: ADVICE FROM A FAILURE One of the most important lessons I learned throughout high school is not to take myself too seriously. I try not to let setbacks and complications dominate my thoughts and day to day life. As difficult and as impossible certain problems seem, they will most likely be resolved in a few months if not a few weeks. Thus, concentrate on the positives of your high school experience and find enjoyment in even the most mundane activities. These four years at Pinetree are the perfect time to make mistakes, be a bit spontaneous, and find what you enjoy.

LEO HE: DISCOVERY It is my opinion that the next four years of your school life will be your most transformative, not just as a student but as a human being. I guarantee that you will not leave Pinetree the same person you came in as, and already I believe that the you of yesterday is a shadow of the you of today. High school can and will be a turbulent whirlwind of change for all comers, and it is amidst this turbulence that you will be tasked with knowing yourself best. This is a time, if not the time to discover yourself, and everything that the high school life has to throw at you – academia, extracurriculars, social lives, romance, rivalries, so on and so forth – all of these are merely opportunities to find (or define) who you are. It’s all about rolling with the punches and learning from each blow the years will throw at you. All of your experiences, no matter where they lie on the emotional spectrum, will prove to be valuable to your self-discovery in one way or another, so the next time you find yourself wrapped up in something unfamiliar or unexpected, run with it. You never know what the you of tomorrow might have to say looking back.

EDITOR’S NOTE

Part Two Hey Pinetree,

I have been honoured to have served as the Pinetree Post’s 2nd Editor-in-Chief these past years. It has been a great experience working with this wonderful team and I’m looking forward to see what they continue to accomplish. I’d like to thank all of you who have loved and supported this paper whether it be through reading our monthly issues, doing the little Sudokus, participating as a Human of Pinetree, or watching our videos. We would not be able to create these issues each month without all of you. Also, I would like to say congratulations to all of my fellow grads of 2017! We did it! It’s time to fly out into the world, experiencing new successes and challenges. #Bring17on Sincerely, your former Editor-in-Chief,

Beverley Fung

Beverley shaking hands with Mr. Phelan at commencement.

Photo courtesy of Benedict Tan