Winter Issue 2018

The Highlander Report

Editors

Contributors

Alexa Harrison

Ashley Kempton

Lynette Yu

Ariella Sebba

Lynette Yu

Chloe Chen

Ashley Galvin

Maddie Mullen

Parnian Amani

Alison Komlos

West Vancouver Secondary School’s Student Newspaper

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P o e t r y Dreaming By Ariella Sebba I wanted to wake but I only dreamt I flew through castles in my dream You journeyed into strange lands And through different gardens in your dream She slept on pillows of rainbows In the sky, she had been dreaming They spoke in different tongues Creating stories in their dream He bloomed in a country made of emerald And wore only black silk, he had dreamt I awoke from my dream But I hadn’t dreamt

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By Lynette Yu

By Chloe Chen By Ashley Galvin

Comic Corner P h o t o s

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E v e n t s Pink for Christmas: A Festive Fight Against Cancer By Maddie Mullen When we think of Christmas, we are reminded of good food, decorations, family traditions and snow. Christmas is a favourite time of mine, as the days grow darker and the nights grow colder, I find myself looking forward to the promise of a feast and family fun, complete with a viewing of a holiday classic like How the Grinch Stole Christmas. If you’re anything like me, shopping is a nuisance and trying to find the perfect gift for every person just about drives me crazy as I always find myself reflecting on what I really need. But truly, the whole of Christmas is about giving, sharing time with your family and friends, and of course the tradition of gift-exchanging that populates almost every household. This year, two girls are working to spread giving beyond just their own cozy homes, into the hands of cancer patients who are enduring the holidays in a hospital. “Pink for Christmas,” is described as a professional youth Christmas concert and Silent Auction to raise money for pediatric cancer through the Team Finn and Terry Fox foundations. This event included acts such as the West Vancouver Dance Conservatory, both of the West Vancouver School District Honour Choirs, the Collingwood Choir and Musicians, RNB dancers and multiple other Fine Arts based performances including actors, all who I’m sure you’ll see in the near future. This was no small feat to accomplish by the high schoolers themselves, but to say the concert was a success would be an understatement. With such a great cause being supported, I was glad to see the large audience turnout. Everyone had a great time enjoying the music and dance. I had a chance to speak with the one of the organizers, Gabby, backstage and was interested by what she had to say. “I started last year, in May, basically starting to get all the groups organized, and yeah this is the third year we’re doing it,” she told me, “makes it easier for sure.” When I asked why she chose to support pediatric cancer specifically, she described how her sister originally began busking for Team Finn to raise funds for kids with cancer, and then from there they considered how they could make the foundations bigger and how they

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could get the community involved. One thing led to another, and the concert idea was born. The concert was almost entirely student-run, and seeing the kids scramble around with clipboards and schedules was quite inspiring. On top of it all, there was a silent auction items donated from local businesses, that raised even more funds for the organizations. I asked Gabby what they wanted the message of this concert to be, and she gave me a great answer. “Kids can make a difference,” she said, “Our motto is ‘kids helping kids’, so we’re making a difference on kids lives who don’t have the opportunity to do things like this.” As you can see, these girls have certainly worked very hard to ensure that everyone has a Merry Christmas, even those facing something so challenging. By donating their time and energy to the fundraisers, they are truly making a difference. Not every teenager would volunteer to help such a great cause, and it really is encouraging to see students focus on such charity and kindness. After experiencing such a great night of fun and friends, one final take away was apparent to everyone. If your family already has enough material items, finding other ways to donate to charitable organizations to help the less fortunate is a great way to share holiday cheer. Instead of spending lots of money on something that will be rarely used, why not give to someone who really needs it and make their year? This concert was a great community experience for a wonderful cause which only made it more of a fantastic night. A huge congratulations to all the performers, and even more of one to all the students who put this together. Bravo! Remembrance Day at WVSS By Parnian Amani

This year, in honour of 100 years since the end of World War One, West Vancouver Secondary School changed the format of the Remembrance Day Assemblies. Instead of MCs narrating the assembly, the fine arts department created a smooth and solemn show to present their respect to the thousands of Canadians who sacrificed themselves for their country. The three choirs and the orchestra; including the newest ensemble at the school, the Treble Chamber choir, each performed a piece at this year’s assembly. The performances were accompanied by videos of the war, put together by the Film department. Students from the Drama classes read letters that were written during the war, describing the anticipation, hardships and reality of the war. While portraying different people, these students honoured real life stories, that may have never been shared before. The letters were diverse, as some were written by people in minority groups of the time. Moving forward, the staff at the school library, will try to create a West Vancouver Secondary School Veteran’s database, an online database with information and experiences that West Vancouver Secondary School alumni veterans have had in war, including WW2, the Korean War and more.

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Bak ing

Best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe! By: Alison Komlos

Photo Credits: https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/oatmeal-chocolate-chip-cookies/48acadc3-f7e1-46b5-bb33-33bee95f6cf7

Ingredients

•   1 cup butter - 2 tbsp milk - 1 tsp baking powder •   1 cup brown sugar - 1 cup all purpose flour - 1 tsp baking soda •   1 cup white sugar - 1 cup whole wheat - ½ tsp salt •   2 eggs - 2 ½ cup oatmeal •   4 tsp vanilla extract - 1 ½ cups chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Using an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugars. Add eggs, vanilla, and milk all separately; beating the mixture after each ingredient is added. Blend all the dry ingredients together (flour, oatmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt). Add the dry ingredients to your butter and sugar mixture. Blend. Bake in the oven for 11-13 minutes. Enjoy!

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Popcorn