2 FIRST GLANCE P.4: CLUBS
P.6: LIFE
The Pinetree Post
STAFF EDITOR IN CHIEF Beverley Fung
What is Nap Club?
P.13: EVENTS
Encountering Encounters
P.14: OTHER
EDITOR Jeff Feng WRITERS Ben Connor, Beverley Fung, Emily Liang, Jeffrey Shen, Jenny Zhao, Sherry Zuo LAYOUT DESIGN Coco Chen COVER AND GRAPHICS Emily Liang WEBSITE DESIGN Zhen Zhen Tsai SPECIAL THANKS TO Mr. Clarke, Mr. Lau
Nightmare at Pineplex
12 Angry Movie Notes, #8 Will Shock You!
GET INVOLVED IN THE PT POST! A lot of people dont’t seem to fully appreciate the fact that The Pinetree Post is a student newspaper, fully run and produced by the students. This means that any student can submit content of any kind, whether they be a letter to the editor (I’ll have to prepare myself for these), editorials on issues you feel strongly about, or even comics. Plus, there will be prizes
up for grabs for the best content submitted that month! We also have many positions to fill in our staff, since some members graduated last year. No matter your niche, whether it be writing, editing, drawing, coding websites, navigating savvy business deals, or marketing, we’re looking for students in all grades to join us!
Join us Fridays in Room A204 during lunch to learn more about PTP.
3
First Glance EDITOR’S NOTE
Up and Running
Editor in Chief, Beverley Fung.
New ones have joined the team.
Beverley Fung Editor-in-Chief
Happy Halloween, Pinetree! Are you ready for an exciting issue? ‘Cause we have a ton of great articles lined up this month! Recently, there have been several Clown sightings across USA and Canada. Where do these clowns come from? Are they violent? Read up in our feature this issue about the origins of the clown phenomena, local sightings, and student opinions on the matter. Did you spend all month looking for or making a costume for Halloween? See if it fits the bill in a dress code letter from the admin! See what you can and cannot wear as a part of your costume.
Henry Liu / Pinetree Post
If you’re having trouble staying awake in class? There’s a club for that! The new “Nap Club” is being hosted in Pinetree. Read our article about it to see if it is the right club for you. I, personally, got the chance to visit Ottawa as part of the Encounters with Canada trip. I got to see local sights and attractions, including Mr. Justin Trudeau himself. But for his issue, you can read about the firsthand experiences of one of our new writers on his trip across the country. We have more to see including a thorough movie review, and a feature on all of our new members for this year! We hope to have a great year working with them and expect to see great things. Sincerely, Beverley Fung
4 CLUBS OKAY, BUT REALLY THOUGH:
What is Nap Club?
BCIT’s library now boasts two sleeping pods.
Don’t sleep on this one.
Emily Liang Nap enthusiast
Real talk: Is anyone in this school getting enough sleep? The most accurate answer would be: Yes, it is probably that there is at least one person at Pinetree who is getting their government mandated 9-10 hours recommended for teens. The most relevant answer would be: Sure, there are some sleep-happy students out there, but they’re not statistically significant enough to outweigh the teenage mass of sleep deprivation that seems to plague Pinetree Secondary. Almost 70% of teens are getting less than seven hours of sleep per night, according to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. Sleep
Photo courtesy of cbc.ca
deprivation is also associated with risky behaviours like lack of exercise, substance abuse, and even thoughts of suicide. Of course, not all night owls are prone to these traits, so don’t go mass texting all your friends and staging interventions just yet. Even if your life is perfectly dandy, missing an hour or two of sleep still poses a problem for the average student. Missed sleep leaves people without the energy they require to get through the day, which makes paying attention in class, performing well in extracurriculars or a job, and generally functioning like an actual human being much harder. Missed sleep essentially means missing out on what life has to offer. Out of all the high schools in School District 43, Pinetree Secondary has the longest day, due to the inclusion of a sweet, sweet, off-block. Opinions may differ on whether that wonderful, beautiful,
Clubs at Pinetree fantastic off-block of precious, treasured free time is worth it, but the fact still stands that the perfect offblock makes the schedule longer. Pinetree starts earlier and ends later than most other schools. Coupled with the reputation of high achievers, there could easily be
“It is a hobby club if you like sleeping, a charity club if you want to give to your quality of life, and an educational club if you, like me, have fallen asleep in the middle of a test. All you need to do to join Nap Club is to sleep.
a case for this school having the least amount of sleep compared to student population. So, welcome to Nap Club. This new club is the brainchild of Mr. Hamlin, Mr. Wong, and the Leadership class as part of an effort to improve the overall health of the student population. It is a hobby club if you like sleeping, a charity club if you want to give to your quality of life, and an educational club if you, like me, have fallen asleep in the middle of a test. All you need to do to join Nap Club is to sleep. Mr. Hamlin was inspired to create Nap Club when he read an article about the British Columbia Institute of Technology installing two sleeping pods in their library. The sleeping pods at BCIT are 120cm long sealable cylinders with vinyl sleeping mats inside, and cost BCIT a few thousand dollars. Over the past couple of years, educational institutions have become increasingly aware of the uneven sleeping habits of their students, and have made amends to accommodate for that issue. BCIT’s recent addition to the Burnaby campus library is an example of the push to change
5 the way students learn. Even Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and members of the Liberal Party have gotten in on the sleep wave, with a new law set to take place in the 2017/18 school year, pushing high school mornings to 10AM. The times are a-changing, and not just in bell schedules. Pinetree has yet to invest in major scheduling rehauls or the latest sleep technology on the market, but the right attitude, anywhere can be a nap palace. The Nap Club meets weekly in a computer lab, with the monitors turned off, pillows and freshly washed pillowcases for each cubicle, and a rotating staff of volunteers supervising the nap. Other sleeping aids include soft music and artificial candles, as well as a sleep bouncer outside of the room ensuring that no one intrudes on this time of rest. This designated time and place for undisturbed rest means that students don’t need to catch up on snoozing in places like the library, the cafeteria, or in front of Mr. Lockwood’s actual, real, talking face during an important Biology 11 lecture. For too many students, sleep is a luxury rather than a necessity. Until the entire system reforms around the hormonally skewed teenage sleep pattern, students will keep losing sleep and suffering academically, physically, and emotionally for it. There’s no sense in adding onto that pile of exhaustion any more than necessary. For now, there is always Nap Club.
TLDR; INFORMATION ON NAP CLUB: Who? Mr. Hamlin, Mr. Wong, and Leadership students What? A secure place for students to take a power nap When? Thursdays at lunch Where? Room A219 Why? Improving school life for students, one nap at a time.
6 LIFE ENCOUNTERS WITH CANADA
International Relations Week
The beautiful city of Ottawa at nighttime.
The awkward adventure of an anti-social teenager.
During the beginning of October, I was fortunate enough to partake in the long running program, Encounters with Canada. For those of you who are Ben Connor Writer
unfamiliar with it, it’s a program that allows high school student from grades ten through twelve travel to Ottawa and attend a themed week of activities. There are weeks such as International Relations, Health and Medicine, Art and Culture, and First Responders. It also gives you the opportunity to meet around onehundred other students from across Canada. So if you want to partake in the program, have seven hundred dollars lying around, and can afford to miss a week of school, then quickly hop on a plane straight to Ottawa. Thinking back to the trip, I remember many people were using the phrase, “this has been an amazing week.” Almost everyone raved about how much they enjoyed the week, and how they were so glad that they had the ability to go. Now, I enjoyed the week as well, but I wouldn’t exactly call my experience amazing. I had fun, it was a good week, but I’m not
Photo courtesy of ottawabestwestern.com
thinking about how much I would love to be back there. A week was enough for me. So for those of you who seem interested in going, I would recommend it. I’m going to do a quick overview of the week and my personal experiences, as well as tips that may improve your experience if you plan on attending. Keep in mind not every week is like this one, and that you will probably have fewer mishaps at the airport than I did. Day 1: Take Off and Accommodation I began my adventure like any other traveller - at the airport. I was searching for my gate when I saw a clump of teenagers all socializing with each other. I assumed it was the Encounters group. Now you may be wondering what the other travellers were thinking with all these teenagers getting on their flight. One of them asked one of my friends who was sitting beside her on the airplane if she knew what all these teenagers were doing. My friend responded “yes” and that was it - no further inquiries. So long as nothing was wrong in the universe that was good enough for the traveller. Anyways, I got on the plane and headed to my seat (which was the window seat), and long and behold, someone was sitting in my seat. No, it was not Goldilocks, but just like Goldilocks, the seat-thief didn’t ask. I just let her have the seat, not really caring. Four hours later, I arrived in Ottawa. I was standing at the baggage claim looking for my luggage
Life when it came around the corner... and then it was gone. Someone took it thinking it was theirs. I was in Ottawa for not even ten minutes and I was already almost robbed, but the person quickly figured out what had happened, and minutes later, I got my luggage back. Then we boarded the bus and headed to centre that we would call home for the next six days. One of the first things that people bonded over was how the dorms look like jail, which brings me into my review of the accommodation. If you are the type of person that doesn’t like to share a room with forty strangers with bunk beds separated by dividers, and one communal bathroom (such as myself), then it may be a little awkward at first - but after a few days you get used to it. Day 2: Strange Music and Making Introductions Every morning strange music would wake us up at around 6:00am. Everyone complained about the music. I heard it affectionately be refered to as “propaganda music.” But for me, I was already awake before then. If you want to avoid a crowd of people all getting ready, get up half an hour early to avoid bathroom lines. Bring your own towel as well. Also another tip: you might want to bring your own pillow or something, just because the beds aren’t that the comfortable. The first day was very relaxed. It was mostly composed of waiting for all the participants to arrive so we could get the week started. We watched a movie, played some games, but what people mainly did was start to build relationships with each other. The day really didn’t begin until 5:00pm, where we played ice breakers and were told about what we got ourselves into. There was also constant surveillance and cameras around the cafeteria and leisure areas. One of my friends told me that it felt like being on a reality T.V. show. I mean - she wasn’t wrong. Day 3: Parliament and the First Taste of What’s to Come Monday is when everything sort of began. We had a keynote speaker, a former Member of Parliament. Who it was, if I’m honest, I don’t really remember, nor do I remember much of his speech. I just remember that I felt like he was trying to sell his book to us. Parliament on the other hand was amazing. We got to watch the Members of Parliament bicker at each other during question period, which was actually
7 really entertaining to watch. You would think that elected officials would conduct themselves properly at Parliament, but that is not the case. They would “boo” certain speakers when they were speaking, and bang on their desk, stand up, or clap when they heard a point they liked. They would also be roasting and insulting each other as well. They talked about the carbon tax, and that the Liberal government was implementing relationships with Russia and China. However, it mostly composed of the opposition criticizing the government, and the Liberals basically saying that they were going to continue on with whatever they felt like. Monday night we had the choices of a fitness challenge, bowling, mini golf, or yoga. Being out of shape I ran away from the fitness challenge for something more my speed - bowling. Bowling was great; we traveled to Quebec, which was kind of strange because they have horizontal traffic lights. One of the things I’m also going to mention was the food. The food was overall okay or decent. I didn’t find too many problems with it; however, I’m not a very picky eater. Everyone else thought the food was terrible, except for the vegetarians. They all said that their meals were good. Sure, some of the food was a little bland, and some of the soups I’ll admit just were not very good (the chicken noodle that lacked both chicken and noodles); however, it was edible. If you’re pickier, you may want to eat with the vegetarians for a week because they said they had no problems. Days 4-6 Global Affairs, Aga Khan, the Diefenbunker, Canadian War Museum The next few days all blur together in my mind. We listened to civil service workers speak to us at Global Affairs Canada, which assists in international development and projects. It was previously known as CIDA. My afternoon was then composed of listening to more people talk from an organization called the Aga Khan Foundation. Apparently it’s a large global organization; however, many of us hadn’t heard of it before. Again, the topics were global development. Throughout the week, we would have something that resembled class time in little groups of around sixteen. We would discuss topics such as child labour, the environment, bilingualism, and so on each
8 LIFE day. Then there were cultural sites we visited as well. There was the Diefenbunker, which is a cold war era museum, originally built to protect the government. Honestly, it was one of my favourite sites we visited. It was really cool seeing this giant relic of the past. Then there was the Canadian War Museum, which I also really enjoyed. Depending on the week you chose, you may see more history based cultural sites or more science based facilities. Also, at the Canadian War Museum for those of you who like old books, they sell them for really cheap, and many people gladly bought books from the 1940’s. I missed out, but if you’re in to that kind of thing, bring some money for it. Finally, we visited a cemetery and paid our respects to veterans. I couldn’t help but wonder if they bring the participants to the same graves every time, or if they rotate around the graveyard. Evening activities during those days were honestly probably the best part of the week. We did some folk dancing one night, which actually turned out pretty fun, even though it was kind of bizarre. On Thursday, there was also the choice between a haunted walk, listening to classical music, watching a play, and watching a movie about African animals. I opted for the haunted walk. I may have gone to listen to the music; however, I was basically almost falling asleep everywhere all week, so I made the decision to stay away from classical music just in case. The walk was actually really good. I’m not going to spoil anything. They took us through a “haunted” jail. We were actually standing in a hallway when a door suddenly shut downstairs (the entrance and exit of the jail), and everyone freaked out. They basically fell to the ground, leaving me confused and wondering why everyone was freaking out and on the ground. I definitely recommend going on it. Day 7: Downtown Ottawa and Saying Goodbye The last day we were given enough freedom to navigate Ottawa on our own (actually in partners), for about three hours of shopping. The Byward Market in Ottawa was really cool to check out. It is right beside a mall called the Rideau
Centre, which honestly wasn’t really worth going into since it was basically like Pacific Centre - full of high end stores I couldn’t afford. It is worth spending more time at the Byward than the mall because you can find souvenirs and items that you can’t get anywhere else. If you’re going to buy lunch at the Byward, do it early or get it to-go because you will run out of time otherwise. The evening was followed by a fancy banquet, which I thought was funny because we still ate from cafeteria trays. There was an emotional group talk afterwards where people shared heartwarming and personal messages. All I said was “I’m going to keep this short, it was a good week.” I probably spoke the least out of everyone. Then there was a dance, which was kind of strange because it was in the cafeteria, and there was just a clump of people in the middle dancing. I made the error of staying up until three and having to get up at four to make my flight. I regret that decision now. Then it was to the airport where apparently I looked really suspicious. I had a “random” swabbing of my bag for drug residue, which there was none of. Then I set off the metal detector, so I had to go into this scanning machine. Just when I thought I was clear, they had to go through my bag again because they couldn’t see into an empty wooden box I bought. After all that, I was free to get on my flight. I fell asleep during takeoff. Closing Thoughts Overall, it was a good week and I really enjoyed it. Faced with the question if I would do it again, I would probably say no. A week was enough for me. By the end I was really tired of being around so many people, and really wanted my own space back. I did make new friends from across Canada, which is pretty cool. Also, about a half of the people there during my week were from B.C., especially Surrey, so you can probably meet up with them on the trip back home afterwards. I think that how good the week turns out depends on the type of people who are attending, and how many one can connect with. I was fortunate to have a good group of people during my week.. If I had to rate my experience on a scale from one to ten, I would probably give it an eight and half. But then again, I can only speak for myself. Everyone will have a different experience and different stories that made their week.
9
Life WORLD WAR III
American Presidential Election 2016
The two US presidential candidates of 2016.
Something is happening in the United States of America. Jeffrey Shen Writer
With American presidential elections being less than a month away, the world is biting their fingers, anticipating what could possibly be the most heated election in history. Representing the Republicans, Donald Trump is up against the Democrat leader, Hillary Clinton. These two people are arguably two of the most well known people in America at the moment, with nearly everyone anxious to see who
Photo courtesy of kqed.org
will become Obama’s successor. While people in the United States of America may be scratching their heads, and trying to decide which candidate will truly make “America Great Again,” us Canadians are simply watching the show, powerless in the decision that could eventually affect us all. Both candidates have had their fair share of ups and downs - it’s difficult to tell which one is more suitable for the position. Each side has different views, and a fair number of supporters, as well as opposers. But what are the parameters behind this debate, and why do people have varying opinions? It is easier to tell when it’s been a spelt out for us.
10 LIFE Hillary Clinton: The former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton is one of the most politically influential people in the world. Having been the former First Lady, she knows her ways in the field, and is an extremely driven person. This is something that she has wanted for a long time, having run against Obama in 2008. She is extremely prepared, and has the experience to back up her attempt to obtain the head seat in the Oval Office. Pros: She is a very experienced politician. She knows how things in Washington, as well as in the White House function. After all, she was former First Lady, as well as Secretary of State. She is a very seasoned politician, especially in terms of foreign policy. She is internationally known and accepted. Diplomats, ambassadors, and politicians from all over the globe know who Hillary Clinton is, and are aware of what she is capable of. She will be taken seriously in office, and she has the ability to maintain alliances. She has a stable platform and plan. She’s the kind of person who is going to continuously push for what she believes is the best for the country, both domestically and internationally. Cons: Unfortunately, she will bring baggage of “scandals” into the White House. Regardless of how many of them are true or not, there is still going to be speculation. There have been numerous stories published about her, starting in the 90s. She is not quite exactly what one would call an open-door person. A clear example of this was the notorious email-scandal that occurred earlier this year, in which she was grilled for hours by the FBI. Yes, she’s admitted to her mistake, but ultimately, was caused by her desire to keep things internal. She’s considered insincere as a politician, and occasionally seems to “stretch” the truth. She can come off as not genuine, and appear to always have ulterior motives. Many political opponents dislike her for her high-strung personality.
Donald Trump: You may have known this man as a businessman, TV personality, and real estate tycoon before he dove head-first into politics. You might have known him from his television show, “Celebrity Apprentice,” or from his many cameo appearances. However, don’t for one second underestimate ‘the Trump.’ He is a force to be reckoned with, and he will try to win at all costs. Pros: He is fresh face in the political scene. He is independent from the traditional party structures, and definitely isn’t your stereotypical presidential candidate. He drives away from the status quo, and instead opts to do things his own way. He is an extremely established businessman. This should make him financially capable and independent, and able to manage a large organization. He might just be what America needs to fix its struggling economy. His platform resonates strongly with a large group of voters, that feels as though it has been harmed by the current American economic paths and policies. If he can solve the problem, he can help ameliorate growing issues. Cons: He has been involved in various scandal, far before he ever announced his run for presidency. These include business malpractices, tax dodges, and possibly corruption. He has also been accused of having sexually assaulting women in the past, but has denied any allegations. He is extremely abrasive, and is strongly disliked by minorities groups, or other opposed groups. He is often perceived as a racist, and Islamophobic. This may hamstring his ability to enact policies. He position on many important issues is not very solidly planted. His platform is either unclear or exaggerated to the point of unlikely happening (i.e. building a wall). His position has changed dramatically over the past couple of years, isn’t as steady as it should be.
11
Life CHILDHOOD FEARS BROUGHT TO REALITY
Clowning Around
Clowns are terrifying enough not in real life, never mind being violent in person. Sherry Zuo Writer
Lately, certain individuals across North America have been taking “clowning around” too far. The first incident of the ongoing clown epidemic took place in South Carolina where children reported seeing suspicious clowns near their apartment complex, and has since spread to several cities across the USA and Canada. Some of the activities the clowns have performed include chasing after cars, luring children into the woods, and on one occasion, even fatally stabbing a civilian. As of late, some Vancouver residents have encountered these frightening Bozo cosplayers, with one of the closest incidents occurring in Surrey, where a man clad in a clown mask jumped out of the bushes and chased down a group of four teens. The clown craze is something that has wildly escalated into something essentially known as a ‘meme’. While some have been having fun dressing up as clowns to join in on this, others have been chasing the clowns in return and threatening them back. In Cumbria, England, a man has begun dressing up as Batman to “chase down the creepy clowns”. Due to so many attacks on clowns, the movement “Clown Lives Matter” has started in order to protect haunted house workers who dress up as clowns for their living. McDonalds has even given an official statement that they will be reducing the imagery of their mascot, Ronald McDonald, until this clown craze dies down. A common response to this clown epidemic in the US seems to be general fear followed by the classic US response of banning and trying to hide from sight the issue, this taking the form of banning
clown costumes from most schools and public attractions. Some stores have begun putting up “No Clowns Allowed” signs, while schools have enacted bans on clown costumes for Halloween. In Penn State, students have flooded the streets to hunt for clowns, and there have even been conspiracy theories that the White House is behind these clown attacks. According to a recent survey, more US citizens are currently scared of clowns than terrorism or death, which may be a good representation of how out of hand this entire clown issue has gotten. Creepy clowns are spooking a country already freaked out by political ones, what’s next I wonder. What is it about clowns that makes people so afraid? When all of you were children, being afraid of clowns was common, but once people grew up, they grew out of it. Well, coulrophobia is the official term for fear of clowns. Clowns have long been associated with a history of murder, financial ruin, infidelity, and other crimes that really don’t seem like they should belong to something that was originally made to entertain children. But you as kids didn’t know that (probably). A possible explanation is the “uncanny valley” effect, saying that something being familiar but simultaneous oddly unfamiliar will create a response of revulsion. Seeing clowns smile, which is supposed to be good, but smiling all the time creates something unfamiliar and we register that as something not good, creating the creepy clown image. Clowns are covered in layers of makeup that we have no idea what’s underneath. Mass media has played on this image and now dozens of scary clown movies and television shows exist, one prime example being Stephen King’s “It”. Well, either way, clown hysteria is sweeping the country faster than it ever did. Our own grad class seems to be handling the issue semi-well. When asked about how they feel about clowns:
12 LIFE “It is really creepy, I don’t want to experience it. Kate Huang Plus I hate clowns.” - Angelina Wu Photographer “I’m sad because it ruined my Halloween plans. I was planning on dressing up as a clown.” - Janie Wang “If I see one at school with a tall person by my side, I would be fine. But if I see one in a shady dark alley somewhere, then that’s an issue.” - Shirley Yang “Clowns are overrated.” - Shirley Zhang “Send in the Clowns. Come see Charity Band perform in the December concert!” - Harry Ahn “You mean Harry?” - Phil Wong “You mean Harry?” - Eric Jung “Harry?” - Jason Li The general consensus amongst our grad class seems to be that while the clown chasers are scary to think about, our community still feels relatively safe. Students should keep in mind that any behaviour that acts in accordance to this new ‘clown craze’ will be dealt with harshly by administration, so before any of you decide to chase around clowns like Batman, you should remember whether or not you still want to go to university.
13
EVENTS MOVIE NIGHT
Nightmare at Pineplex
Students gathered for Nightmare at Pineplex.
Free movies are good movies. Jenny Zhao Writer
It is that time of the year again - Halloween is right around the corner! For the purpose of this holiday, the grade 10 and grade 11 Principal’s Advisory Councils decided to host a movie night specifically to invoke our fears. On October, 27th, 2016, Nightmare at Pineplex showcased three creepy films of different genres, Coralline, Insidious, and the Maze Runner, that definitely put students into the spooky Halloween spirit. From thriller to horror, students from grades nine and ten enjoyed a freaky and spine-chilling night of movies filled with screaming. Even the children of teachers came to join the fun as they watched a more family-friendly film, Hotel Transylvania, in the school library. After a numerous amount of positive feedback from attendees, the event proved to be successful. Nightmare at Pineplex originally started off as a continuation of an idea of a movie night from the previous semester. Although PAC did plenty of
Photo courtesy of Kate Huang
planning last year, they did not have enough time to organize a full event for students to enjoy. However, this year, with the help of PAC members from grade 10, the grade 11 Principal’s Advisory Council decided to host a freaky Halloween-themed movie night for grade 9s and 10s as a way to get new students more involved in school life and to have fun. Since council members wanted students to have the experience of that of a movie theatre, the council had volunteers help at sign in centres, coat rooms, ticket checking stations, concession stands, and security. The intricate planning took over two months, as PAC carefully constructed the event to provide maximum satisfaction for guests. Since Nightmare at Pineplex proved to be a successful night, PAC has been planning more events for students to enjoy. Some events to look forward to include the grade 10 and 11 winter competitive festivals, and the annual spring dance. PAC events are great opportunities for both senior students and new students to get involved in the school and to make new memories.
14 OTHER CLASSLESS REVIEWS OF THE CLASSICS
12 Angry Men
Who wouldn’t cry when having to stare down twenty-two whole eyeballs? Photo courtesy of mubi.com You don’t mean you’ll review me, do library, and checked out the first movie that had a funny title. It may not seem funny in print, but there you? is an intrinsic hilarity in a 5’4” tall Asian teenager pointing at a library DVD with Henry Fonda and the Emily Liang words “12 Angry Men” on the front, and saying out Writer loud, “That’s me.” I guess you had to be there. Welcome back to Classless Reviews of the Classics! 12 Angry Men looked like a classic, even in For those unfamiliar with this beloved portion of 1957, when colour pictures were making a splash the Pinetree Post, this is a column where I consume across silver screens everywhere. Today, even more some sort of classic media (so far only movies and one so. The original cast of twelve white men would not novella, but who knows!) and make goofs about it. fly in the theatres of 2016, even though a cast made Prepare for unnecessary comma usage, references that entirely of centenarian phantom actors would be are only funny to me, and full spoilers. cool, if not profitable. One thinks: wait a second - is It’s been a summer chock-full of nothing, so, this the proverbial point? Could the black and white predictably, I spent it re-watching some favourites of colour palette be a conscious decision to illustrate the mine, like Pacific Rim and Ratatouille. However, once themes of justice? Does it mean something that twelve September rolled around, shopping-cart-full-of-ricesharply-dressed, white gentlemen are deciding the sacks style, I realized that giant robots fighting giant fate of a poor, ethnically ambiguous defendant? One aliens and French rodent chefs with big dreams might concludes: Nah. not make the cut for the oeuvre I’ve established with I knew nothing about 12 Angry Men, except this column. After that, I took a trip to the public that there were twelve men and that they were angry.
Other I didn’t even read the back of the DVD case. It took me a good ten minutes to figure out what exactly the premise of this film was, but after the other eighty-six, I concluded that this was getting at least 95% on Rotten Tomatoes (it currently holds a score of 100%, more than can be said for Toy Story 3). Grudgingly, I found myself agreeing with this theoretical internet critic score that I made up in my head. I genuinely liked this movie, which was worrying because the enjoyment of the classics is supposed to be either perfunctory or ironic. 12 Angry Men is a movie about twelve jurors debating the guilt of a teenager accused for murdering his father. Eleven jurors vote “guilty” almost instantly, while Juror #8, Henry Fonda’s character and the clear protagonist, votes “not guilty”. It’s a bottle episode of a film, has a dialogue-heavy script, and in my arrogantly humble opinion, a heckuva better courtroom drama than To Kill a Mockingbird. It’s straightforward, but still complex enough that I had to take show notes. I, as in me, wrote notes. Note-writing. Me. On graph paper. Taking notes. I did that. Now, I don’t want you to get the idea that this is some kind of morally grey 2010s-era conundrum - no, 12 Angry Men offers a pretty clear cut message. The film is definitely (Henry) “Fond” of Juror #8’s position on the matter. It condemns the impatient attitudes of the “guilty” jurors, perhaps even convicting them, if you will. What is poignant here is the message itself - doubt. Anyone remotely familiar with the American legal system, or watched Law and Order once, knows that the concept of “reasonable doubt” is central to the defense’s case. 12 Angry Men is careful to never clarify the contents of the trial itself, except for in-film recollections by the characters. Everything the viewer knows about the case is second-hand, and the jurors are shown to have fallible memories and biases - y’know, like human people, instead of those artificial movie people that Hollywood seems to enjoy putting on screen. Already, the audience doubts the majority verdict, which is made worse by the fact that if not for Juror #8’s single dissenting vote, the defendant would have received the death sentence by electric chair. Did I mention that? I think I forgot to mention that this is literally a matter of life and death. Of course, 12 Angry Men is utterly inaccurate. Speculation is not a valid form of reasoning and pulling
15 out a knife on your fellow jurors is probably illegal, no matter how cinematically cool it is. However, the film is still realistic. People stutter when they speak, they talk over each other, they forget details, they are biased, they argue in circles, they sweat, they get frustrated, and they look vaguely like Sylvester Stallone. In-trial evidence points towards the defendant’s clear guilt. The film never reveals what really happened. Yet, the audience can still leave 12 Angry Men believing that the verdict of “not guilty” is the correct one. There’s something kind of beautiful about a film that starts out with eleven men yelling at one, then turns into eleven men yelling at a different dissident, until that man starts crying. Strangely, for all the jurors’ incompetence (they very nearly decide on guilty within five minutes out of peer pressure for goodness sake) and the lack of concrete answers, 12 Angry Men is the kind of movie that leaves you a starry-eyed idealist. It was after watching this movie that I had the sudden realization that “not guilty” didn’t mean innocent. Of course, I am what the scholars call a “dummo”, so this should have been obvious. What is inspiring about 12 Angry Men is not the jurors’ use of rhetoric or how they convince others to their side, but that these twelve men realize that building consensus is about the truth, and, more importantly, what isn’t the truth. Even if the courtroom isn’t your thing, I highly recommend giving this movie a look. It’s short by modern standards, it’s fun to follow along and make your own deductions, and I promise you - there are some truly hilarious close ups. It’s a film of reversals, great camera work but no fancy movie magic, heavy on character flaws but ultimately forgiving, and based around twelve people yelling at each other in a small room; but, it is still as thrilling as jamming a Dark Souls 2 rip you got from a witch behind Arby’s into your expensive computer’s optical drive. It. Is. Good. However, I would be remiss to write a review without airing any grievances, so here is one final thought: two of the men aren’t even that angry.
16 OTHER Pinetree Post’s New Members BEN CONNOR
EXTRA-CURRICULARS: Indian Umbrella, Environmental Club FAVOURITE ACTIVITIES: Sleeping, eating, hanging out with my pets BEST BOOK: Shadow of the Wind BEST MOVIE: None WHY YOU JOINED PINETREE POST: I joined on a whim
KATE HUANG
EXTRA-CURRICULARS: Science and Tech Club, First Aid Club, Key Club FAVOURITE ACTIVITIES: Singing BEST BOOK: The Book Thief BEST MOVIE: Interstellar WHY YOU JOINED PINETREE POST: I joined because I like writing, and want to get better at it
PHILLIP KONG
EXTRA-CURRICULARS: UNICEF, Key Club FAVOURITE ACTIVITIES: Basketball, chliling with my friends BEST BOOK: Under the Bridge BEST MOVIE: The Martian WHY YOU JOINED PINETREE POST: I joined because I wanted to be more involved at Pinetree
BILLY LEE
EXTRA-CURRICULARS: UNICEF FAVOURITE ACTIVITIES: Snowboarding BEST BOOK: Harry Potter BEST MOVIE: Harry Potter WHY YOU JOINED PINETREE POST: I joined because, although I am already part of yearbook, I wanted to take more photos
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Other JULIA PARK
EXTRA-CURRICULARS: Not yet, but taking recommendations FAVOURITE ACTIVITIES: Hanging out with friends BEST BOOK: The Screwtape Letters, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat BEST MOVIE: The Dead Poets Societ, Les Miserables, Pitch Perfect WHY YOU JOINED PINETREE POST: I joined as, at my previous high school, I was the editor for our school paper
MARVIN SHI
EXTRA-CURRICULARS: Key Club, Alpha Wolves FAVOURITE ACTIVITIES: Badminton BEST BOOK: The Knife of Never Letting Go BEST MOVIE: Constantine WHY YOU JOINED PINETREE POST: I joined because I want to help out, as I know how to take photos and am some kind of IT guy
DANIEL TAN
EXTRA-CURRICULARS: None FAVOURITE ACTIVITIES: Sleeping, drumming, photography BEST BOOK: The Bible BEST MOVIE: The Matrix WHY YOU JOINED PINETREE POST: I joined for a new experience in my last year at Pinetree
SHIRLEY WANG
EXTRA-CURRICULARS: Anime Club, GSA, Lit Club FAVOURITE ACTIVITIES: Fighting, playing piano, petting cats, running my dictatorship BEST BOOK: Calculus Early Transcendentals 6th Edition BEST MOVIE: Video of my cat chasing after a laser pointer WHY YOU JOINED PINETREE POST: I joined for the sudoku
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EVENTS AND NOTICES Sunday
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Cupcake Sale
Curriculum Day
November 2016 Tuesday
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Lip Sync Battle
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Lip Sync Battle
Business Fair
ADVERTISE HERE The Pinetree Post is now selling advertising space for local businesses and club/school events on its website as well as in the print copy. We average about 3000 visits a month to our website and we have a readership the size of Pinetree Secondary-around 1300 students. The prices for ads are as follows: $10 for a credit card-sized ad $15 for a banner size ad $20 for a half page ad $35 for a full page ad
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Remembrance Day
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