OCTOBER 2019

VOLUME 6, ISSUE 2

October 2019

PIN TREE POS HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

CLIMATE GIRL: GRETA THUNBERG GETTING INVOLVED: THE IMPORTANCE OF JOINING SCHOOL CLUBS

2019 STUDENT AND FEDERAL ELECTIONS:

HEAR FROM YOUR STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES

OCTOBER

2 FIRST GLANCE P.4: WORLD

P.6: FEATURED

The Pinetree Post

STAFF

FOUNDERS Russell Kim, Felix Guo EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Briana Ho, Raymond Gao ARTICLE EDITOR Briana Ho

Climate Girl

P.6: SCHOOL

Advice Column

P. 18: OTHER

CONTRIBUTORS Peter Peng, Jon Gough Sophie Zhao, Kaleigh Morrow, Jerry Chiang, Parsa Basirian, Florin Lee, Cosmo Sun, Esther Kim GRAPHIC DESIGN Raymond Gao ONLINE CONTENT Raymond Gao SPECIAL THANKS TO The Pinetree Administration, Rachael Pan, Mr. Lau, Ms. Hopkin, Ms. Browne

Elections

Comic of October

GET INVOLVED IN THE PT POST! Although we at the Pinetree Post try our best to represent the voice of the everyone at Pinetree, we are only a small group of students. To find the most pressing topics and interesting avenues to explore, we rely on input from readers to curate relevant content only. Anyone is welcome to suggest a topic or provide an opinion for Pinetree Post writers and

contributors to look into further. Do you have something to say that needs your voice? The Pinetree Post also welcomes guest content, any time, of any kind. Feel free to submit an article on a topic you are passionate for, a comic you think everyone deserves to see, maybe even a letter to the editor!

You can submit your original content to us at thepinetreepost@gmail.com.

Have a question or a request? Contact us at: facebook.com/thepinetreepost

3

First Glance EDITOR’S NOTE

Rev up the engines!

Just stop it. This is a cry for help.

Let’s kick this back into gear.

Briana Ho, Raymond Gao Editors-in-Chief

Hey Pinetree!

It’s us again, the Pinetree Post, back with new staff, new ideas, and ready for a great year! See that? Not sure how many students come back from summer vacation with that attitude. In fact, for many students it already feels eons away. That’s why, for this month’s issue, we’ve decided to think about mindset. You know, like the “growth mindset versus fixed mindset” posters around the school? While many students have already started to run solely on caffeine and stress (it’s only November, guys-), it helps to keep in mind the power your brain has to influence itself and others (no, not telekinesis).

How many times have you been so nervous about doing something that you make mistakes simply because you feel nervous? You’ve studied and practiced, but for some reason, when the day comes to take that test or do that performance or compete in that tournament, you don’t do as well as you’d hoped. In other cases, you just might not have prepared as much as you should have. Maybe you believe that you’re just not good at whatever it is that you’re doing, that it’s “just not your thing.” It happens, and it’s natural, and I’m not trying to say “oh yeah just try harder, then you’ll be good at everything hahaha” because that’s dumb and discouraging. However, the fact is that everyone has different strengths and limits, so it’s unfair to compare yourself to others. First of all, believe that you can improve. You can! Learning is what your brain was designed to do. Try different strategies for practicing and studying, and find a routine that works for you. While preparing and organizing your time, make sure you leave room to rest the night before performing/taking that test/

competing. Last is the confidence, which is the hardest part of all for a lot of people. Are you ready? Overconfidence is bad, but being so nervous that you’re hesitant about answering every other question on a test is also bad. You need to figure out how much you need to study/ practice, and once you know that, you have to believe that you’re ready! If you are in that “I can do this!” mindset, then you’ll feel less nervous and have a clearer head. Of course, this “I can do this!” mindset has to be backed up by facts, like “did you spend enough time studying and practicing?” If you can feel proud about the work you put into preparation, then you are ready to do your best!

This is only one instance about how your mindset can influence the outcome of something in your life. Standing up for what you believe in (Climate Girl, page 4) and breaking bad habits (Sleep Tight, page 16) are other situations where your mindset is important. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes (Don’t Worry, page 17)!

I am proud to announce that we have a wide range of content this month, from a new advice column (Advice Column: Ask Tommy, page 5), current events (Recent Canadian News, 14; Voting Season/ Election Season, page 7), and ways to improve your high school experience (Participation in Clubs, Sports, and Extracurriculars, page 6), to a Halloween survey (Spooky Survey Amongst Students, page 12), events calendar (2019 November Calendar), and seasonal comic (Trick or Treat Comic, page 18).

Thank you for picking up this issue of the Pinetree Post! Remember to take care of yourselves over the cold months.

Until next time, Briana Ho and Raymond Gao Editors-in-Chief

4 WORLD NATIONAL INTEREST

Climate Girl

*Jojo theme plays in background

The sixteen year-old girl that is spooking energy corporations Peter Peng Writer

In recent months, Greta Thurnberg has become one of the most controversial figures of our generation. While generally praised by one side of the political spectrum for her environmental activism, Thurnberg has been brutally bashed by the opposing end, who condemn her as a puppet paid by the elite to undermine the energy industry for their own personal gains. On platforms such as Face-

...met with an angry gaggle of Boomers screeching bloody murder about how this Greta girl from Europe is actually an evil communist trying to take away their precious big-block, gas guzzling, made-inAmerica engines.

book and Twitter, or really anywhere where older folks hang online, anything referencing Thurnberg is immediately met with an angry gaggle of Boomers screeching bloody murder about how this Greta girl from Europe is actually an evil communist trying to take away their precious big-block, gas guzzling, made-in-America engines. However, left or pright, there is no denying that Thurnberg has exponentially more of a spine than almost half the politicians out in the wild. People say she’s too extreme. Some parts of the media give insult her and give her negative reactions. And while the derogatory phrases aimed at her are supposed to discourage her, it so far has had the exact opposite effect. By shocking crowds with her bold and brash statements, Thurnberg is somewhat following the footsteps of PETA, who also rely on a similar shock-advertising campaign. Do either of them get good P.R.? Not exactly. But for both PETA and Thurnberg, any P.R. is good P.R., so long as they can get their message out. And this tactic has been

5

WORLD working tremendously well for Thurnberg, who has risen from being a nobody that just cared about the environment, to someone that is causing giant en-

...causing giant energy companies to have mental breakdowns as they nervously chew on the ends of their Dixon Ticonderoga Number 2 pencils. ergy companies to have mental breakdowns as they nervously chew on the ends of their Dixon Ticonderoga Number 2 pencils.

Thurnberg is a controversial young woman. While by no means should everyone mirror every belief that she has, learning from her resilience would probably be beneficial for plenty of people. This is someone who was born in the same year as our eleventh graders who is being personally criticized on national television, and even by the President of the United States himself. Yet, she still holds her ground and stands up for what she believes is right. The moral of the story here is clear- if you firmly believe in something, then do yourself a favour and stand up for it. Not everyone will support you, and plenty will attack you. But as long as if you can hold onto your idea until the very end, then you have succeeded to some extent.

ADVICE COLUMN:

Ask Tommy Tommy Sharpe

Hello all, I’m Tommy Sharpe. Are you one of the many students throughout the year who feel intense academic pressures weighing down on them? Are you struggling to maintain a good social life without staying up until four in the morning?

Are you trying to muster up the courage to ask the classmate you’ve been eyeing for a while on a date? Cast your worries aside, because with the new Pinetree Post advice column, Ask Tommy, you can ask me all these questions and more! I do not claim to be omniscient, though. Cut me some slack, I’m not God! You will be able to submit things you want advice with at the email Pinetreepostasktommy@gmail.com. Just put Ask Tommy in the subject line, and tell me your name and grade.

Keep it PG, and please do not submit your entire 15-page term paper! Keep it around 30 words or less. Otherwise, go at it! I look forward to reading and responding to your prompts.

Prompts include subject matters like advice, and certain issues or topics you would like me to discuss.

For our first prompt, my friend Jon Gough, grade 11, just turned 15. He asked me this: Dear Tommy, what is being 15 like? Do you have any general advice?

Sincerely, your friend, Jon Well, Jon, my advice to you is to keep on striving to become better and self-improve. Turning 15 is an accomplishment, but it is no excuse for stagnation. There are so many things to do in life, and at the tender age of 15, there is so much potential moving forward. Keep on keeping on!

That is the end to our first column. I greatly hope for responses and prompts, and am excited to read and respond to what the readers want. For next month, what sort of things are you looking forward to this year? I am interested in your responses!

Until then, Tommy Sharpe

6 SCHOOL INFORMATIVE

Participation in Clubs, Sports, and Extranew passions that can open the door to many other excurriculars periences. Also, these activities can be a way to take your Getting Involved Sophie Zhao Writer Pinetree students are lucky to have a variety of opportunities. These include extracurricular activities like clubs and sports. From volunteering, to joining a hobby club, to playing on an athletic team, there is enough for everyone to participate. However, there are many who hesitate to attend meetings or sign up for activities outside of school.

This may be due to a lack of time or interest in these areas and, sometimes, it may be hard to know if it would be worth it to take on extracurricular activities when they are not mandatory.

In fact, there can be many benefits to investing some spare time into extracurricular activities. Not only are they some of the easiest ways to gain new experiences and meet new people, but they are often the most memorable part of high school for those looking back. Students in higher grades have said that what they remember best from their high school experience is often the activities outside of school that they dedicated their time to as opposed to their academic courses. For some people, the motivation to get involved in the community and in the

Students in higher grades have said that what they remember best from their high school experience is often the activities outside of school that they dedicated their time to as opposed to their academic courses. school comes from the thought of university applications.

Meanwhile, for others, clubs and sports are simply the perfect way to pursue something they love or to discover

mind off of the more intense sides of school by indulging in personal interests throughout the week.

Specifically at Pinetree, clubs would often post the places and times of their meetings or events on posters around the school. Many of them still hope to attract more people who share the same hobbies or are interested in their cause. The morning announcements just before lunches may consist of clubs and sports teams encouraging the student body to join them as well. In general, extracurricular activities can enhance your high school experience beyond academics. Look out for some posters and announcements or even go out to some meetings, since you just might find a perfect place for you.

7

School NATIONAL INTEREST

Did You Remember to Vote?

The leaders of Canada’s six major parties: Justin Trudeau (Liberal Party), Andrew Scheer (Conservative Party), Jagmeet Singh (NDP), Elizabeth May (Green Party), Yves-François Blanchet (Bloc Québécois), Maxime Bernier (People’s Party).

Federal and School Elections Kaleigh Morrow Writer

Election season is over. Not only was Pinetree’s student council elected, but also Canada’s House of Commons in Ottawa. Through the morning on Oct. 21, tensions were high as students cast votes in Pinetree’s foyer. At night, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, federal voting stations closed across the country.

Prior to the federal election, the Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam riding candidates for the Green Party of Canada, Liberal Party of Canada, and New Democratic Party NDP came for the “Town Hall Debate,” a meeting held in Pinetree’s cafeteria. At the meeting, candidates answered prompted questions for their party and accepted further audience questions. Pinetree

Source: CBC News

students ran the “Town Hall Debate.” Leadership and Leadership teachers Ms. Hopkin, Ms. Lu and Mr. Wong set-up, ran and took-down the meeting. Leadership students Leon Li and Erica Na moderated the “Town Hall Debate.” The Film and Television class (Mr. Wong, Cooper and Colleen Bayani) ran the live video, with Mr. Wong and Cooper on the live stream and Colleen on the camera.

The end of the 2019 federal election is the start of Canada’s 43rd Parliament. The voting results of the federal election re-appointed Justin Trudeau of the Liberal Party as prime minister of a minority government. The Liberal Party won 157 seats, 13 seats less than the 170 seats needed for a majority government.

The Conservative Party won 121 seats and are the official opposition of the House of Commons as well

8 SCHOOL as the Senate. The Bloc Québécois won 32 seats; the NDP won 24 seats; the Green Party won three seats; an Independent candidate, Jody Wilson-Raybould, won the Vancouver Granville riding; the People’s Party won zero seats.

The Liberal Party won the 2019 federal Student Vote with 112 seats. In British Columbia, the NDP claimed 25 of 42 seats (59.52%). NDP candidate Christina Gower earned 29.86% of votes in the Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam riding, followed by Brad Nickason (Green Party), Nicholas Insley (Conservative Party), Ron McKinnon (Liberal Party), Roland Spornicu (People’s Party), and Dan Iova (Veterans Coalition Party.)

The 2019 Pinetree student council election saw many candidates. Sally Kim, Johnathan Cai and Isha Ruparelia for Grade 9 Representative; Denise Olano, Diego Mintu, Nana Sim and Michael Mo for Grade 10 Representative; Kate Lee, William Zhang and Harmin Chang for Vice President; Kevin Zhou, David and Colleen Bayati for President. Kicking off the 2019-2020 Pinetree student council term, the winners of the election are Sally Kim, Jonathan Cai, Denise Olano, Diego Mintu, Kate Lee and Kevin Zhou. The Pinetree Post sat down with the winners to hear about their plans as student representatives.

Sally Kim - Grade 9 Rep PTP: How does it feel to be Grade 9 representative?

S: I still can’t believe that I became part of the student council this year because, this wasn’t something that I had expected myself to try out for. However, I am proud to be part of this group. Along with the fact that I can proudly represent the school as [its] Pinetree Grade 9 student rep.

PTP: Have you done any leadership in the past?

S: I have been in a couple of leadership volunteering events. However, I didn’t have a chance to be part of the leadership crew till the last year in Grade 8. So I didn’t have much to gain and learn, leadership skills,

in that short amount of time. I am looking forward to participating in lots of leadership opportunities.

PTP: Do you plan to run again next year?

S: I think if I find myself helpful and being a student council [representative] something that fits me well, I think I’ll take my experience from this year and try to run for next year’s student council.

PTP: How will you help other students and the school?

S: As I mentioned in my advertising video, I am willing to take our student’s voices, such as complaints or issues, and consider improv[ements] to make our students feel like Pinetree [is] their second home. I will be helping out [with] my outstanding leadership skills to help everyone communicate and socialize with varieties of excellent students in Pinetree.

PTP: Why did you decide to run?

S: One of the reasons why I decided to run for student council was because as a new student of Pinetree, I thought trying out for something related to leadership might help me get closer to our school environment, and getting to [know] more about how our school was running. And more than anything, I wanted to help others to enjoy coming to school by participating in creating upcoming fun events.

PTP: Is helping others something you enjoy doing?

S: Helping others is one thing that I do enjoy because that’s what makes others happy. However, more than anything I love to meet new people every day by talking and getting to know each other. So, as I get to meet new people, I guess there will be more chance[s] for me to help more people.

PTP: What are you looking forward to doing as a representative?

S: As a representative, I am looking forward to being part of planning the upcoming events in our school, to make our students enjoy coming to school. And, I’m looking forward [to] trying to solve out our students’ problems together.

PTP: How are you feeling about working with the rest of the council?

S: I’m excited to learn [from] the other student council

School [representatives] in our school by learning their leadership and the way they solve [a] problem.

PTP: Is there anything else you would like to say?

S: Thank you to all the Grade 9’s this year for choosing me as one of your student representatives this year.

Even though I’m still a developing student like every one of you guys, I am willing to work my way [to] become[ing] the representative that you will be proud to see. Please feel free to talk to me about any concerns and issues in school to solve the problem. Thank you.

Jonathan Cai - Grade 9 Rep

9 to be reelected and continue to help my fellow peers.

PTP: How will you help other students and the school?

J: I truly feel that to help my fellow peers I have to listen to them first. I plan on listening to all of their suggestions and review all of them. This position isn’t about me creating change where I see fit but merely for me to bring forward ideas the community would like. I plan on working with the rest of the leadership group to create a thorough plan to solve any issues.

PTP: Why did you decide to run?

J: I believe that the communication between the students and the school is very important. I would like to be the bridge for the students’ voice. I would like to use my past leadership experiences to help the school.

PTP: Is helping others something you enjoy doing?

J: I absolutely love helping others. When I receive help from others I feel very appreciative. I would like to return the favour to my fellow peers and give back to the community.

PTP: How does it feel to be Grade 9 representative?

J: It is an amazing honour to be elected as the Grade 9 representative. I hope I can justify the people’s choice by working hard.

PTP: Have you done any leadership in the past?

J: I have a lot of background in leadership. I’ve been in multiple leadership groups since Grade 5. I volunteered to take care of younger kids while I was in elementary school. When I moved on to middle school, I was part of Student PR. We organized many school wide events such as concerts and school dances. I love giving back to my community so I really enjoy being a part of these leadership groups.

PTP: Do you plan to run again next year?

J: I definitely plan on running next year. I would love

PTP: What are you looking forward to doing as a representative?

J: Moving forward I would like to fulfill all of my campaign promises. I will create an environment where everybody feels heard and take messages to the council to promote change. I would like to learn from the senior members to further my knowledge.

PTP: How are you feeling about working with the rest of the council?

J: I’m very excited to be working with my fellow council members. It will be a great place to get to know everybody and collaborate with them. I look forward to learning from my fellow peers and gaining more experience.

PTP: Is there anything else you would like to say?

J: I would just like everybody to know that I will do my absolute best to ensure everybody is heard and be the voice for the Grade 9s. I am not a person to make empty promises and I ensure that I will work my hardest to be the voice for the Grade 9 community.

10 SCHOOL Denise Olano - Grade 10 Rep PTP: How does it feel to be student representative?

D: I think it’s an absolute honour to be one of Pinetree’s Grade 10 representatives because it means I get to meet new people and help people out. Especially my peers that feel like they’re not comfortable talking to teachers.

PTP: How will you help other students, by talking to teachers?

D: For example, one of the other students feels that the toilet paper is not good quality. I would bring that up with the teachers and try to improve the toilets.

PTP: Is that the reason you wanted to run?

D: The reason I wanted to run is [that] I like to meet new people. I find helping other people, especially ones in need, really good.

PTP: Is this a passion of yours?

D: Yes, it has always been a passion [of mine] to help other people. I just like seeing other people happy and knowing that I did that.

PTP: Are you excited to work with your fellow student representatives?

D: I really am excited because last year I had a really fun time planning events like Spring Thing. This year, since I am one of the Grade 10 reps, I get to help out with Winter Formal, Spring Thing and hopefully next year if I get to become [Vice President] we get to plan Fall Haul.

PTP: Are you going to run again next year?

D: Yes, I am planning to run for Grade 11 and 12.

Diego Mintu - Grade 10 Rep PTP: How does it feel to be Grade 10 representative?

D: Being Grade 10 representative feels great! The election was hard fought and I’m very glad that my peers chose me to be their voice. This being said, I hold a great responsibility and I will try to do the best job I can for this school.

PTP: Have you ran for student council before?

D: Yes, I ran for student council last year. I ran for Grade 9 representative and I won. Last year, worked hard and did everything I could for our school. So, this year and next year I will put even more effort to make this school better!

PTP: Do you plan to run again next year?

D: Yes, I do plan to run for Vice President next year.

I plan to make great changes in our school if I were elected.

PTP: How will you help other students and the school?

D: I will try to include more school-wide events so everyone gets involved with school spirit.

PTP: Why did you decide to run?

D: I decided to run because I believe that I have the best vision for this school and I feel like I can do a lot for our community.

PTP: Is helping others something you enjoy doing?

D: Yes, I love to help people. I think helping people helps everyone around me including myself.

PTP: What are you looking forward to doing as a representative?

D: I look forward to help[ing] with leadership events such as Fall Haul and many more!

PTP: Are there any special responsibilities you have this year?

D: I am responsible for suggesting and carrying out student council events this year.

PTP: How are you feeling about working with the rest of the council?

D: I am really excited to be working with this year’s student council! I know Kevin and Kate are hard workers who have great ideas for our school. So, I’m looking forward to what they have planned!

PTP: Is there anything else you would like to say?

D: Yes in fact, I would like to encourage all students to take some initiative and appeal to student council. We are YOUR voices and feel free to approach us with any concerns about our school!

11

School Kate Lee - Vice President

Kevin Zhou - President

PTP: How does it feel to be student council vice president and Grade 11 representative?

K: I’m thankful that my peers found me trustworthy enough to check off my name on their ballot.

PTP: How does it feel to be student council president and Grade 12 representative?

K: It is an honour to be the president of Pinetree’s student council and to represent the student body.

PTP: Have you run for the student council before?

K: Yes, I have, twice.

PTP: Have you ran for student council before?

K: I ran for Grade 10 representative in Grade 10.

PTP: Do you plan to run again next year?

K: Likely, yes.

PTP: Why did you decide to run?

K: I decided to run because I see opportunities for positive change and I want to do more to help Pinetree come together as a community.

PTP: How will you help other students and the school?

K: High schoolers struggle, no matter how brilliant they are. And the ones who feel they are struggling too much complain enough that I can take this complaint and see what I can do to help them out.

PTP: Why did you decide to run?

K: I love being able to help others, and I am gifted in service. I decided to run because I know that when a group of determined students work together to effectively represent the student body, important issues can be addressed appropriately.

PTP: Is helping others something you enjoy doing?

K: Yes! Spending time with people and seeing their satisfaction when I help them out gives me energy.

PTP: What are you looking forward to doing as a representative?

K: Representing.

PTP: Are there any special responsibilities you have as the vice president?

K: Student Council will have our first meeting on Monday (Oct. 28) to delegate and assume specific roles, but the greatest and most special responsibility that I assumed as [Vice President] V.P. is to help set Council guidelines and present student feedback to administration.

PTP: Is there anything else you would like to say?

K: I’m looking forward to this school year, and I hope that you are too. Drop by anytime and feel free to say hi or let me know what you’d like to see at school.

PTP: Is helping others something you enjoy doing?

K: Helping others is very rewarding. It makes me happy when I know I can make a difference.

PTP: What are you looking forward to doing as a representative?

K: We do not enough bonding activities at Pinetree, so I plan to bring more events to build school spirit.

PTP: Are there any special responsibilities you have as president?

K: Some of my responsibilities include informing the school administration of ideas and working with students to resolve problems.

PTP: Is there anything else you would like to say?

K: Thank you to everyone who voted for me. We got this dough.

12 SCHOOL STUDENTS

Spooky Survey Amongst Students Read what Pinetree Students are up to for Halloween Jerry Chiang, Parsa Basirian Writer, Interviewer On Oct. 18, various students around Pinetree Secondary were surveyed about their plans for Halloween, and about different coping mechanisms for the quickly approaching midterms. They were also asked for their opinions on high school students going trick-or-treating.

Are high school students too old to participate? Many unique answers were given by each of the four students that were interviewed.

Ceaser Ni (Grade 12) PTP: What’s the move for Halloween, what are your general plans?

C: I think me and my friends are gonna dress up in costumes as a group.

PTP: Alright, do you have any ideas of what your costumes are gonna be?

C: Uh like probably Naruto [chuckles].

PTP: Okay, okay. Next question, what’s your stance on high school seniors going trick-or-treating?

C: I think it’s cool, I think it’s pretty fun, yeah.

PTP: Okay, and generally, what is your favourite part about Halloween?

C: Oh I like seeing different people coming to school dressed up in different costumes, I think it’s cool.

PTP: Alright very nice. As we know as Halloween approaches midterms are also coming with it so, what are some coping mechanisms for stress that you recommend to other people?

C: Just like eating and resting a lot…

PTP: So you would recommend eating all the Halloween candy you collected maybe?

C: Yeah, for sure yeah.

PTP: Any music you recommend for studying?

C: Like sad music or like slow music helps.

Miro Palahanov (Grade 12) PTP: What are your plans for this upcoming Halloween?

M: On the day of Halloween I actually have an interview at Walmart.

PTP: That sounds great, so you’re not gonna have any actual plans for Halloween except for the interview?

M: Uhh, I run trick-or-treating at my house, my parents don’t wanna do it anymore. I… [pauses] do it by myself.

PTP: Sounds very fun. Speaking of trick-or-treating, what are your thoughts on high school kids going trick-or-treating?

M: Uhh, more power to them.

PTP: Very well said, Mr. Miro. Moving on to the next topic. You know midterms are coming up right after Halloween, what are your mechanisms with coping with stress?

M: Umm, I usually don’t cope with stress but when I do, I go on my computer and have a good time.

Carter Stevens (Grade 12) PTP: So as we know Halloween is coming up, and it’s a big day.

What are your plans for Halloween?

C: I’m gonna celebrate Halloween… [long pause].

PTP: Are you gonna dress up as anything or is that it?

C: I haven’t decided yet.

PTP: Alright Carter, as we know midterms are coming up right after Halloween as well so do you have any ways of relieving stress?

C: You… [pauses]. Counting sheep.

PTP: Any other ways that people can actually use?

13

School C: What are you talking about, that’s literally all I do.

PTP: Alright, counting sheep. Thank you, Carter, for the inter…

C: One sheep. Two sheep. Three shee…

PTP: Alright any final words for the Pinetree Post?

C: Four sheep. Five sheep.

Anonymous PTP: What are your plans for this upcoming Halloween?

A: I think I will play some games with my friends.

PTP: Are you going to trick-or-treat, or do you think you’re too old for that?

A: I think I’m too old for that.

PTP: What do you think about other kids who are trick-or-treating, you think they should stop or do you not care?

A: I think it’s a fun thing to do so if you like it you can do that.

PTP: As Halloween approaches, midterms are also coming with it. What are some coping mechanisms for stress? How do you get over stress?

A: For subjects like say like math or biology, some people will worry about that. I would say, just play games.

14 NATIONAL NATIONAL INTEREST

Recent Canadian News

All you need to know about Canada’s current situation Florin Lee Writer

O Canada. Our home and native land. True patriot love, in all of us command. The recent change in the lyrics of Canada’s national anthem was due to its predecessor – in all our sons command – being “gender discriminatory.” Canada has an international reputation for its remarkable gender equality, and even the Prime Minister is a self-proclaimed feminist. This country legalized abortions in 1969, under the father of the current leader, and has continuously ranked very high on the “Women, Peace and Security Index,” placing seventh in 2018. However, amidst rising gender tensions both internally and externally, Canada has fallen four places on the 2019 index, now ranking at eleventh.

Daniel Leal-Olivas – AFP/Getty Images

Researchers from Georgetown University’s Institute for Women, Peace, and Security, together with the Peace Research Institute of Oslo, have found that “Norway and Switzerland are the best countries to be a woman, and Yemen and Afghanistan are the worst.” At the top of the list are Finland, Denmark, Iceland and Austria, while Syria, Pakistan, South Sudan, Iraq, Congo, Central African Republic, Mali and Libya came in at the very bottom. However, researchers have noted positive changes in many areas, such as increased representation in legislation, a decrease in discriminatory policies, and increased access to financial accounts for women.

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney is planning on holding public hearings for Albertans who are frustrated with the federal government’s plans for their province. They “cannot understand why they have been called on to contribute $20 billion more

15

National

(Jason Franson/CP)

annually to the Government of Canada than they receive back in benefits,” Kenney said, while their economic growth is stunted by the cancellation of pipeline projects. Albertans’ loss of faith in their leadership was evident in their recent provincial election, where the oil-friendly Conservatives won 33 out of 34 seats. Regarding the recent influx of “separationalist” sentiments in Alberta – those who wish for the province to leave confederation – Kenney said, “We should not let Justin Trudeau and his policies make us feel unwelcome in our own country…separation is not a solution to the problem….” This new panel will hear citizens’ concerns and consider ways of “reforming Alberta’s role within federation.” One of the main issues Albertans are concerned with is the federal “equalization program,” which, simply put, provides financial help to provinces with less money. Alberta, which is one of the richer provinces, generally lends more help to other regions than it receives. Kenney also said that “Ottawa should exclude non-renewable resource [oil] revenue from the equalization formula,” a source of income that the province is reliant on. He then said that he would allot the federal government two years to make progress on various pipeline projects, or else Alberta will arrange a referendum concerning its participation in the federal equalization payments.

In more local news, the suspect of the murder of an Abbotsford Senior Secondary School student

claims he did so due to a mental disorder. On Nov. 1, 2016, Gabriel Klein walked into the Abbotsford library, where he then stabbed his two victims.

13-year-old Letisha Reimer passed away from her injuries while Klein was apprehended by the police. Klein confessed to the stabbings while in custody, but continues to insist that the two girls “appeared to him as monsters,” rather than humans, when he attacked them. However, psychiatrist Samantha Saffy is “concerned” about the authenticity of his claims, due to the inconsistency of his testimonies. First, he claimed that he “heard voices telling him to ‘kill, ‘kill, kill,’” but later denied it.

(IHIT/TWITTER)

Another questionable detail of his statement was the inconsistency regarding his drug usage. Originally, Klein suspected whether the cannabis he consumed was laced with methamphetamine, a drug which can cause psychosis, but once again changed his stance. Dr Saffy is concerned that Klein may be “malingering” to avoid criminal responsibility, which can happen if the defendant proves that “they were either unaware of their actions or unable to distinguish right from wrong.”

Klein has been diagnosed with schizophrenia.

16 LIFESTYLE INFORMATIVE

Sleep Tight

The Importance of Sleep Cosmo Sun Writer

Last night was a blast. I played video games at my friend’s luxurious penthouse while munching on two refreshing slices of Papa John’s pizza. After that, we drove over to Gongcha to get a sip of their tea of the day while wrapping our day up with a good ole game of Jenga. I made it back home at around 10p.m. and hurriedly began writing my journal. After the general routine of showering and scrolling through my phone, I finally hopped into my bed at 12a.m. sharp. In my room that was mildly illuminated by the streetlights, I laid beneath my blankets, eyes wide open. For some reason, the usual fatigue that I experience at this hour did not ensue as expected. “Maybe it is the sleeping position.” I tried shifting my body sideways, adjusting whether I should have one arm or both arms hanging out of my blanket, even forcing myself to yawn, but still nothing felt right. Flustered by this, I tossed and turned in my blankets restlessly. “Tomorrow is a school day! I literally cannot function on less than 7 hours of sleep!”

I began to see the disasters that would take place when I run low on sleep. I pictured me sitting at the last row in my Psychology class, dressed in sweatpants and a comfy hoodie. We were watching this hour-long documentary about Sigmund Freud and dream analysis.

I could almost see my eyelids drooping and my head starts giving way to gravity. I tried to hang on to that last thread of consciousness, my head bobbing up and down as I traverse back and forth from the boundary of wakefulness and sleep. At the end, like a soldier who ran out of ammunition, I reluctantly put my head down on the desk and just thought “screw it.” Accompanied by the gentle voice of the narrator and the rapid “wake up, wake up” by Mr. Richards, I sprang up from my dream.

Horrified at this thought, I violently shook my head while lying in bed. Since a modern problem requires modern solution, I tried listening to some music. Sure the music was soothing and all, but I still hadn’t felt the slightest bit of sleepiness. Songs after songs have passed, the clock slowly ticked away from 1a.m.. It was then did I realize the severity of the problem. I was in a race against time. For every minute that I remained awake, one more difficulty level for me to remain vigilant toward tomorrow’s classes. Under the pressure of time, I resolved to my last line of defense.

I pulled out The Catcher in the Rye and began reading it. Awkwardly leaning on my bed frame, I read for around an hour. When I was eventually done reading, it was already 3a.m.. I wondered to myself if I should go back to bed at all and gave up.

As expected, I woke up beaten the next day. It was only when I was eating my cereal did I realize that it was probably the caffeine in the bubble tea that had kept me awake for so long. Moral of the story is don’t be like me. Sure, have fun from time to time, but also remain mindful if there is school the next day. Staying away from caffeine and electronic devices before bed will guarantee a better quality of sleep. Anyway, make good choices and welcome to high school!

Lifestyle INFORMATIVE

Don’t Worry

Do not be afraid of failure.

Esther Kim Writer There will always be some failure in every student’s life, but the thing about becoming a failure is that when we fail, after we can learn how to succeed or other good things. For example, Thomas Edison said, “ Failure is the mother of success.” When I was in grade 9, I took entrance exams for an art high school, but when I checked my success or failure, I found out that I had failed them. Then, I cried for half of that day, and after. I think that next time, I will try hard to do well in whatever I am doing. “ You are never a loser unless you give up the challenge” by Zing Zinger in other words, you only fail if you stop trying. We can do a lot of work to reduce mistake and get moral, in mind tool article tell, “ Own your mistake, learn from it, and don’t through five steps. 1. Own your mistake, 2.

Resume the error, 3. Analyze your mistake, 4. Put Lessons Learned into practice, 5. Review your progress.”

Likewise, it has a fair margin of profit for the whole of life. Never be afraid of failing because everybody makes mistakes; moreover, failure can help one’s self-reflection and furthermore, good influence. Don’t forget that to fail is a shortcut to success, including other friends who feel afraid of failing in their deepest hearts.

17

18 OTHER Comic by Zoe Li

17

Other Calendar by Julia Ye

TRACK SCHOOL EVENTS AND TRI-CITIES ACTIVITIES

2

HARVEST FESTIVAL GRAND FINALE

CARNIVAL

@City of Coquitlam – Municipality

11 AM-4 PM

Nov 8 at 7 PM – Nov 9 at 4 PM

@100 Braid St Studios Nov 2 at 11 AM – Nov 3 at 5 PM

Club

CULTURAL SUMMIT

@Leigh Square Community Arts Village

CEDAR SAGE & SWEETGRASS INDIGENOUS ART SHOW

3

8

PUMPKIN SHOOT AT BURKE MOUNTAIN @Port Coquitlam & District Hunting and Fishing

9

@ 2901 East Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC

@Vancouver Christmas Market 11:30 AM-9:30 PM

FUNDRAISER – WYNS @PNE Forum Nov 9 at 10 AM – Nov 10 at 5 PM

DRAMA PERFORMANCE

REMEMBERANCE DAY

BUBBLE TEA SALE – ANIME CLUB

MID-TERM REPORT CARD DISTRIBUTION

BUBBLE TEA SALE

11 AM – 6 PM

POTATO SALE – HOT POTATO INITIATIVE

VANCOUVER CHRISTMAS MARKET

VANCOUVER TRAIN EXPO

11 AM-2 PM

VANCOUVER COMIC & TOY SHOW

20

BUBBLE TEA SALE – UNICEF

30 2019 PORT MOODY CHRISTMAS CRAFT FAIR @City of Port Moody

FUNDRAISER – HOT POTATO INITIATIVE

10 AM-4 PM

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