English 12

  Visit a park, choose a bench, explain your choice, and describe your bench For my bench, I chose the one outside the library. It’s the one just outside city hall, sheltered by a huge tree, hulking overhead. The backing of a tree makes it feel safe, as though I’m sheltered by this great spirit. The bench itself is not particularly comfortable. It’s made of wood slats, up the back and on to the concrete block below. The wood is a cool brown, bleached over the years by the sun. The lack of space below the bench prevents one from swinging their legs back and forth, or folding them beneath themselves. Much of the library landscaping is very modular and modern. The benches aren’t quite ergonomic enough for people to sit there for long periods of time. Much of it is mildly hostile, in attempts to ward off homeless people. All harsh lines and the most practical of shapes. I haven’t been to the library in quite a while. When I was younger, I used books as a form of escape. While my childh...

Posted: June 6, 2022 By: Simon Little Ten years ago, the case of Amanda Todd and her suicide swarmed aroudn the internet. It was used to spread a message: stop cyber-bullying. Now, the case has gone to trial, and Aydin Coban, the Dutch man accused of harassment and extortion, has plead not guilty. He was initially extradited to Canada in 2020, and charged with “extortion, possession of child pornography, communication with a young person to commit a sexual offence and criminal harassment.” The Crown alleges that he used a variety of accounts over four episodes to pressure Amanda to send him pornographic material, or threaten to distribute such to her family, friends, or school. While there is no question about whether or not Amanda Todd underwent extreme extortion and harassment, her mother hopes that this case will close the “who” and give Amanda the moment she deserves.    I find this article fascinating, as I remember watching this video when I was much younger in elementar...

Posted: May 31, 2022 By: Victoria (no last name given) The minimum wage in BC is increased from 15.20 to 15.65 as of June 1, 2022. This is the highest current minimum wage of any province. This increase comes as a part of a five year commitment to “help support workers and their families.” The change has so far benefitted up to 400,000 British Columbians, many of whom are “women, immigrants or youth.”  This increase is in conjunction with the 2.8% calculated inflation rate over the course of 2021. The Minister of Labour, Harry Bains, says that this is “a key step in helping to… build a strong economy for B.C.”  I think this is great news, especially as a young worker. I am, and likely will be for the foreseeable future, working minimum wages jobs to build up some savings. Anying increase in wages is always incredible news. However, I also recognize that this means a great deal more to a lot of other people. There have been consistent reports of people cutting back how much foo...

Posted: June 5, 2022 By: Tiffany Crawford and Joseph Ruttle Hospitalizations are dropping in BC, with 421 hospitalized from May 22-28. However, COVID-19 cases rose by 10.4% in a week, and we may have to be looking out for other respiratory viruses as well. There is also a data void due to a lack of centralized information and very little information available to the majority population. This means we may miss out on valuable data about the lasting effects of COVID-19. However, it has been found that when the vaccine is administered during pregnancy, it has cut down on the number of  infant infections. Canada has kept the travel restrictions, and they will stay in place for at least another month. They have authorized 16 and 17 year olds to solely get a single shot of Pfizer or BioNTech, as it’s been found that a booster shot increases risks of inflammatory heart conditions.    Ultimately, I find this article interesting as, despite that there is still a pandemic clearly g...

Posted: May 18, 2022 By: Gerald Vander Pyl The Canadian company Zygg is introducing a subscription-based plan to own an electric bike. Electrical bikes have seen a massive boom in popularity in the past few years, and even more so as we see the rising gas prices. The Vancouver based company looks to provide residents with access to e-bikes for 99$ a month. Included is the “e-bike, free regular maintenance and reduced liability coverage.” Once interested, you would get to choose the model off of their website, fill out the forms, and the bike will be delivered directly to your door. With the subscription based model, it’s hoped that more residents will be willing to try e-bikes, due to the lack of commitment and lower prices.    I find this really interesting, and truly, if I were in need of more regular transportation, I would use this model. I’ve used e-bikes before, and I think they are something that needs a bit more development to be truly successful, and I believe that mo...

Posted: May 26, 2022 By: Zeena Saifi, Eliza Mackintosh, Celine Alkhaldi, Kareem Khadder, Katie Polgase, Gianluca Mezzofiore and Aber Salman           An incredibly important Palestinian-American journalist was assasinated by Israeli Occupying Forces on May 11th. The journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh, has been doing coverage for the Arab speaking world for nearly 30 years. She was a part of the ever-shrinking Palestinian Christian community, and was an American citizen. The Israeli Occupying Force was conducting a raid into a UN-recognized refugee camp, Jenin, when they opened fire on a group of journalists who were clearly marked as press. All journalists were wearing press helmets and vests, and Shireen was shot in the neck. It’s believed that someone personally aimed in a place where they could kill her, and many of the eye witnesses testify to such. The Israeli forces have denied these accusations, saying that it was the fault of Palestinian terrorists. They...

Posted: May 30, 2022 By: Ashley Burke      A report from a former Supreme Court justice has come out on the Canadian Armed Forces, and includes recommendations for huge changes, including recruitment, military colleges, and for them to permanently give up control of sexual offence cases. Louise Arbour recommends that the cases are moved to be dealt with by civilian police and courts. She says that the military courts have dealt with these cases for years, but have done “little to improve efficiency, discipline and morale.” Victims have been calling for these changes for decades, saying that the Canadian Armed forces haven’t properly investigated or prosecuted cases. It’s also necessary, as military courts can take years to implement changes that civilian courts have had for years.         I feel as though it is a necessary change that should have been implemented much sooner. The military has consistently displayed violent, old fashioned, misogyni...

Posted: May 29, 2022 By: Jennifer Maas      The article explains that Netflix has added a warning card to the beginning of the newest season of Stranger Things. This is in response to the Uvalde shooting, which has left 19 children and two teachers dead in Texas. The warning card reads: “We filmed this season of ‘Stranger Things’ a year ago. But given the recent tragic shooting at a school in Texas, viewers may find the opening scene of episode 1 distressing. We are deeply saddened by this unspeakable violence, and our hearts go out to every family mourning a loved one.” This trigger warning will show at the beginning of the episode for U.S. viewers. Netflix also added a warning for “graphic violence involving children” to the premiere description.         I think that this brings up a fair topic that has become more and more common within the media: trigger warnings. Whose responsibility is it to label triggers and add warnings? It seems that the...

Posted: May 24, 2022 By: Jonathan Edwards     Reverend John Lowe II, at the New Life Christian Church and World Outreach in Warsaw, Indiana, confessed to adultery during a Sunday service. However, quickly after, a woman came up and spoke about how she was assaulted by the pastor when she was 16. It’s said that she has attended the church for many years, but the “sexual relationship her pastor had initiated” began when she was 16. She began to think of telling the church when her brother approached her, saying that he was still bothered by the trauma he inadvertently faced, in seeing “his pastor in bed with his younger sister.” The pastor admitted to the molestation, and yet, after he confesses and asks for forgiveness, many members of the church hugged, formed a prayer circle around, and forgave the pastor.         I think that this story, while despicable, is becoming both increasingly common and unsurprising. I’ve grown up with story upon story ...

Posted: May 12, 2022 By: Philip Drost      Bobby Kolade, a Ugandan fashion designer, takes clothes that have been sent to Uganda, and upcycles them into new items to be sold back. He says that this is in an effort to “battle a culture of excess that… has infected and degraded Ugandan culture and fashion.” Almost 80% of clothing is second hand fast fashion, and many items, such as jackets or heavy suits, aren’t able to be put to use due to the Ugandan weather. The donations, which first started as helpful charity, have morphed to a business that pushed out local Ugandan designers. Now, he takes pieces that were donated, upcycles them, and puts them on his website. Each of his pieces include a “passport”, which “explains the origin of the items used for the piece.”  He hopes to educate people on the larger implications, and that they can help by buying his “sustainable creations.”      I feel as though this article is a perfect example of the growing att...

Posted:  April 22, 2022 By: Julien Gignac A new bill has been passed that requires Yukon schools to create inclusive spaces for LGBTQ+ students. The bill, passed on April 19th, will require administrators to establish initiatives to create a safe space for students who identify as LGBTQ+, and to dispel discrimination and inequality. These activities, which should be run or revised yearly, should be centered around gender identity, sexual orientation, and self-expression. This also involves the creation of GSAs, or Gender Sexuality Alliances. Both are designed to help students in multiple forms, being a place to connect with the community, get help from teachers, and to help gather advocates. The goal is to “ the move will ensure supportive environments for everyone, regardless of where they live in the territory.” This is also seen as incredibly rare, considering it was originally proposed by the NDP, making it one of the very few opposition bills to have been passed. I feel as tho...