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slci-lions-roar · 5 years

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Legal Cannabis: Hey, it’s Mary Jane

By: Dan Cheng (Gr. 12)

Legal marijuana… that’s the hot new political trend in Canada and it’s surprisingly so soon that it might as well be tomorrow. Actually, as I write this article, recreational legalization is just 4 hours away.

You may take this article as the written version of the Simpsons in that I shall predict the greener days of our strange country. Yes, pouring maple syrup on snow to roll it up with snow and putting milk in bags is weird, people.

So what does legalization mean for us as consumers? Absolutely nothing. Yes, the legal age limit will be 19, like literally EVERYTHING else that tickles my fancy.

Yes, you won’t be openly prosecuted by cops for being high as long as you have a beard or… “mature” traits, but I’m pretty sure a certain race will still be pulled over and under the new pretense that the weed is laced with something a little more hip for your hop. But other than that, there’s no change from the time when it was illegal.

Your family will still demonize you, you’ll still need a dealer because there’s only one place to get legal weed and they’re government trained to check for ID, and the legal stuff will be weaker to the point where you’d have to break laws in order to get the stronger stuff. People will still be crazy enough to try stuff that leaves track marks and/or gives hallucinations.

The TDSB will still put the hammer down on you as use of any narcotics at school is still against the Leacock code of conduct.

You only really experience the legal changes when you reach the age of 19, but even then, it’s suffocating. You can’t drive high, you can’t be high at work, you can’t get high near schools, you can’t get high at a restaurant, you can’t get high at a bus stop, you can’t get high a recreational facility, you can’t get high in your own car (the darn thing doesn’t even need to be running to get charged).

But you can get high in your own home and at parks… OH WAIT, SOME OF US ALREADY HAVE BEEN DOING THAT WHILE IT’S BEEN ILLEGAL! There’s literally no change except for the fact that you will now be able to have marijuana delivered to you from the internet by a government employee and you can legally grow four plants in your house.

In conclusion, this legislation is just a smokescreen that has fooled you all with pretty words. Marijuana, by the restrictions placed in this legislation, is technically still prohibited. And all of you called me a jerk in 2016 when I said news of legal marijuana wasn’t all that to be excited about. I was right, you fools! I WAS RIGHT!

#december2018

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slci-lions-roar · 5 years

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Gender Inequality In The Film Industry

By: Gimasha Perera (Gr. 10)

On Saturday, September 8th, 2018, the Toronto International Film Festival organized a rally in downtown Toronto that addressed gender inequality in the film industry.

This Share Her Journey Rally was a part of Toronto International Film Festival’s forty-third annual festival. Several hundred people, both men, and women, who value gender equality and promote feminism, attended the rally.

The Share Her Journey campaign was launched at this rally. This campaign was organized to promote female careers and representation, and to focus on the occurring gender imbalance in the film industry.

Inspiring women such as Geena Davis, Amanda Brugel, Nandita Das, Amma Asante, Dr. Stacy L. Smith, Mia Kirshner, Zavia Forrest, Keri Putnam, and Cathy Schulman spoke at the rally. They shared significant information regarding gender inequality occurring in the film industry, and about many simple ways to include women in films. They also spoke about how to eliminate sexual violence on film sets, and the desperate need for diverse and coloured woman in the film industry.

The nine speakers enforced the idea that change can occur almost instantly, but only if television producers, script writers, and filmmakers made simple adjustments to the measure of female characters on screen.

Davis advised script writers to “Ask who here could become female … Change a bunch of first names. Where it says ‘a crowd gathers’ write in the script: ‘Which is half female.’”

Dr. Smith stated that “Of the last 1,100 most popular films made in the U.S. the last eleven years, only four percent have female directors.”

This event represents the fact that our society (and country) is no longer gender biased, and that it promotes and values gender equality and feminism. Because, we are now in the twenty-first century, this change in perspective is critical to us.

It is crucial for us to value gender equality in not only the film industry but in all other industries as well, for our society looks upon various forms of media (such as television) to get a general knowledge and understanding of how our current society is operating.

#december2018

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slci-lions-roar · 5 years

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Book Review: Heartless by Marissa Meyer

By: Gayasha Perera (Gr. 10)

You have all heard of the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, but have you ever wondered what occurred in order for her to become such a nasty piece of business?

Query no more! The #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Marissa Meyer composed the novel Heartless to answer all questions. In this stand-alone novel, we learn the backstory of The Queen of Hearts. The story tells the tale of how the Queen went from being a kind, pure, and innocent girl to the vile and ruthless person we know today.

Before Alice ever fell down a rabbit hole and encountered the world of Wonderland, It was ruled by the young, unmarried, and utterly ignorant, King of Hearts. The land was enchanting and inhabited by people and animals alike.

Catherine (Cath) Pinkerton, the main character, is the sole daughter of a Marchioness and Marquess. She is currently one of the most desirable girls in all of Wonderland, and although she knows she has to, she has no desire to get married. She hopes to open a shop to sell her pastries and other sugary delectables.

One day, the King of Hearts throws a royal ball. Here, Cath is most shocked to learn that he will be proposing to one lucky girl…and that she will be his bride-to-be. When her shock sends her running away, she encounters Jest, the undeniably attractive, and mysterious, Joker.

Like Romeo and Juliet, Cath and Jest must keep their romance a secret from her parents as they keep bothering her to court the king. Cath wants control of her own life, but with what fate already has for her, will she be able to gain control?

If you consider reading this book, you must keep in mind that this is the backstory of the Queen of Hearts…. Not all stories end happily.

For more information regarding this novel, visit Marissa Meyer’s website at https://www.marissameyer.com.

Happy reading!

#december2018

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slci-lions-roar · 5 years

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Tattoos: To Tat or Not to Tat, that is the question...

By: Dan Cheng (Gr. 12)

Needles, ink, a load of cash and unmarked skin. That's all you need if all you want is designs on your body that’ll either look good for the next 50 years or fade if you’re an idiot or sag if you live too long or kill you if you’re a full blown moron. KIDDING! But seriously, don’t get a horse or your future grandkids will question the odd looking giraffe on your body.

If you’ve seen me around, you know I have six tattoos by the time I’ve written this article. Oh, you read that right. SIX. You’re probably wondering what kind of sick person I have to be to, with as many times I’ve gotten inked, enjoy what you could believe as pretty painful from stories that people say. Yeah, I’m quite demented and twisted. I sat there for about an hour and laughed like the Joker while imagining some exquisitely disturbing scenarios involving people I hate. Point is, it fills you with adrenaline. And that's not all I’m here to talk about. For those thinking about getting a tattoo, this for you and your overprotective mothers who believe that TV shows are made by Satan while going on Facebook to complain about it as Mark Zuckerberg literally sells their private info like he IS Satan. Maybe take out the part about mothers. Mine didn’t see my first three tattoos until a couple months after and she’s eerily quiet.

So let’s delve into the stuff you need to know.

It’s a service, not a product:

One issue I absolutely must stress about tattoos is that you can’t be a cheapskate about them. Choosing a shop is one thing, but choosing what you’re getting is another. As a wise man once said, “If you want a good tattoo, pay for it”. If you want to pay $20 for some stick and poke art at a party where the artist is probably drunk, go for it. Even though it's cheaper because there’s no hourly rates, its unclean and its unprofessional, so you’re risking what could be hundreds in hospital bills for a simple Walmart smiley face that got infected. If you want to shell out a couple hundred for cool piece, just be sure to stack on some extra bills as hours are charged. But if you want to shell out near a grand for a great piece, go to New York and stay there for a month or two, then pray the different climate doesn’t make you prone to infection. Or you could do what I did and go to Phat Buddha in Pacific Mall for the last friday of every month special thats $40 per decent tattoo.

No pain, no gain:

Oh, the needle will have a form of discomfort. Just because I can sit still in the chair like an emotionless psychopath doesn’t mean it’s painless. Unlike smoking cigarettes, your pain tolerance will not go up because you’re inking different parts of your body, as opposed to your tolerance of strong tobacco going up because you switched between multiple brands. The rules of forbidden placements still apply. Don’t tattoo your face, eyeballs, inside your mouth, lower back, baby makers nor the place the sun don’t shine.

Feet and hands are iffy areas, but we’ll come back to that in the healing section, as this part pertains to pain. Most people say the first tattoo shouldn’t be on the bone, but being honest, my third tattoo was the least painful and it was on my chest. Like, on the boned up area of my chest, but there was still small bits of pain. The most painful one was my fifth tattoo, which is the chinese word for death, somewhat placed near the front of my left bicep. That area had some serious bone and had me Joker laughing through most of it. So now you know that not every with bone will hurt the same and that the chest does not hurt as much as you imagined. But you’re most likely wondering how the sensation is. “Dan, pain is a sensation”, you said in your head. WRONG!. Pain is merely a rating of how comfortable you are with a sensation. The needles pierce the skin multiple times per few seconds and the gun holding the needle is constantly moving like a sharpie on a drunk friend that passed out at a party. In short, it feels like a cat is scratching you until it gets your attention because it wants a bloody ball of yarn. After the session is done, you may find relief in that the arduous pain is over, but dear child… it was only the beginning. After the bandage is on, your tattoo will begin to hurt on its own. It will feel like a thousand midgets are branding the word of Immortal Joe on your pathetic body after the branding stamp was heated to over 9000 degrees by the fires of Hell. If you’re one of those lucky people whose tattoo bleeds profusely after the bandage is on, the blood will act like a sort of coolant and make you surprisingly satisfied. Then there’s me, after my third time, that burning sensation became disturbingly relaxing. If I’m being honest, the pain of the entire process is addictive. The first time is like “Ah, it doesn’t hurt as bad as I thought”, then the next is “Maybe one more couldn’t hurt” until you reach “PAIN, THIS IS WHAT I LIVE FOR! I FEEL NOTHING BUT PAIN! LOVE IS FOR COWARDS!”. Yeah, everyone tells me I should see a shrink about that…

Doctor Who? Doctor You:

The healing process begins as soon as the bandage is on. It generally takes three weeks, but I say four just to be better safe than sorry or infected or dead of infection. Oh yes, tattoo infection can kill you, then your overprotective mother will see them tattoos on your corpse and die of shock. Way to go, buster, killing your own mother from beyond the grave. The tattoo will be oozing blood and other fluids into your bandage.

I always left my bandage on for five hours and so should you. #NobodyDryHeals. The removal of the bandage is, of course, a delicate process. You turn on COLD water. I want you to remember to always turn on cold water. For the whole healing process, you cannot touch a lick of warm or hot water, as the steam will cause the tattoo to open up and cause problems from within. Now, continuing, the cold water must be turned on low. You don’t want to have a strong flow blasting everywhere and you can’t submerge your tattoo in water or let it get showered on. With that in mind, only let the water pour on the bandage, making it easier to pull it off. But do it slowly. This will be time consuming, but you may find that while it is also painful as it is literally stuck to your skin, it is also enjoyable. Disturbingly so. Stop that. Stop looking at me weirdly, I have my likes, you have yours. After the bandage is off, I want you to take one hand and cup it under the faucet. After that, use that hand to gently pour small drops of water on the tattoo and very delicately rub the water on the tattoo. This will clean the dried blood and ooze from it. Afterwards, let it dry on its own. For the first night and every night to come during the healing process, don’t sleep on your tattoo. If it sticks to your bedsheets, you’re in the same situation as a gold digger whose old and dying husband won’t leave her money after he’s dead. In the morning and every morning to come during the healing process, wash your tattoo the same way you did after you peeled off the bandage… then let it dry off on its own before proceeding to apply moisturizing lotion. I recommend Aveeno. It keeps it moisturized for 24 hours, so you really only need to clean your tattoo once a day instead of two or three. After a couple weeks, your tattoo will begin to peel and have a burning sensation. The peel is just extra ink coming off, so do not pick the skin. Let it fall on its own, do not force it to come off prematurely, if its off… it will be on your hand while you wash your tattoo in the morning. A lot of people say that the peeling part of the healing is the most dreadful part of a tattoo because it also means there will also be an insane itch that you MUST NOT scratch… but the peeling process is also one of my favourite parts. Okay, yeah, I SHOULD see a shrink about my masochism. If you’ve got that routine down pat, then you really only need to remember these few rules. No sun exposure, no swimming for the first three weeks (you will definitely get infected and die. One guy tried swimming after two days and his arm looked like it was cut open by a chainsaw), no bathing the part of the body that has the tattoo for the first three weeks, no scratching your tattoo (if it itches, just pat it like you would pat a kid), no tight clothing (certain fabrics and clothes that are too tight will cause your tattoo to stick and rip off the color, leaving patches of irritated skin), no exercising for the first two weeks (your tattoo, like a newborn baby, is vulnerable to all forms of bacteria. Yes, your sweat counts), no sneezing on your tattoo, no letting your romantic partner lick your tattoo, no hickeys on the tattoo and no perfume or cream or soap that is highly scented. Now, in the pain section, I said I would discuss the iffy placements of tattoos here. Hands and feet will cause heavy restrictions. To prevent infection, you’d need someone else to do things for you that you normally do yourself. Even after it heals, the hands and feet are still prone to fading the fastest out of all placements because they’re not only the most active parts of the body, but nobody wears gloves every time they go out in the sun and some people like sandals or flip flops. Most of the placements I said are forbidden are because well... they’re the most dangerous and having a strategy for the healing process of them is utterly pointless as it is impossible to lotion your own eyeballs, tattooed baby makers are essentially a form of giving yourself an HIV simulation where you actually die, tattoos where the sun don’t shine will pretty much be fatal after you eat taco bell or basically ANY solid food, tattoos inside your mouth are impossible avoid infections on unless you live a month without eating or drinking or brushing your teeth and that’s if you're lucky your saliva hasn’t killed you yet.

28 somethings later:

Yeah, that’s pretty much it. If you want to see my tattoos, just walk up to me in the halls or something. Check out my other articles, dear disciple.

#december2018

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slci-lions-roar · 5 years

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Manga Review: Nisekoi False Love

By: Gayasha Perera (Gr. 10)

Do you like humorous stories? How about romances? How about both of them put together?

Nisekoi is a romantic comedy Manga series written and illustrated by Naoshi Komi, consisting of twenty-five distinct volumes.

Raku Ichijo made a promise with a girl. She presented him with a lock and kept the key. The girl said that when they meet again, they will unlock the lock with her key and get married. Raku no longer remembers what the girl looks like, or what her name was, but he has never forgotten that significant moment.

Ten years later, Raku is the sole heir to the Shuei-Gumi Yakuza clan. Although he is the successor, he aspires to become a civil servant.tHis future career is not all that is on his mind. Raku often daydreams about Kosaki Onodera. She is a classmate of his at his High School, and also his crush. She is sweet but very shy, so Raku does not speak to her much. Onodera is the girl Raku hopes he made the promise with.

However, when another girl comes crashing (literally) into his life, Raku’s life turns upside down. Chitoge Kirisaki is an exuberant, half-American girl, who lacks etiquette. They accuse each other of their problems and loathe each other since first sight.

The situation becomes worse when Raku’s father, the leader of the clan, informs him that he has made a truce with the leader of another clan in the city, called the Beehive Gang. The truce prevents any combat between the Beehive Gang and the Yakuza. Raku’s father and the other leader decided to have their children enter a false relationship with each other to keep the peace. The leader of the Beehive Gang just so happens to be the father of Chitoge. Now Raku and Chitoge must act if they are completely in love with each other when really, they drive each other mad!

This story will make you laugh until tears stream down your face! It is recommended to those who love a good comedy and romance.

If you are concerned about the measure of romance included in this Manga series, worry not. This story is not filled over the top with lovey-dovey moments. It is mainly filled with humorous moments where oblivious characters do not realize that others have crushes on them.

You should also be aware that there exists an Anime based on this Manga series by the same name. According to sources, two seasons have been released as of now.

Happy reading!

#december2018

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slci-lions-roar · 5 years

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Goodbye Leacock: an Ode from the Worst Student Ever

By: Dan Cheng (Gr. 12)

I was 14 years old when I first stepped into these halls in 2014 for Grade 9. I was already 2 years into being a heavy cigarette smoker. Feels like a lifetime ago, being that young and stupid, you know? This is my last semester. I was just behind on credits, so I couldn’t graduate with people my age, but it’s a form of comfort to have stayed behind one more semester. Kind of odd, you know. I’m just a relic of an old era. I’m a worn out soldier, seeing all the maggots learning to get dirty in the trenches of high school before rushing into the war known as adult life. So… you want to know my story?

Grade 9:

This is most likely the most ridiculous year of my life. I spent 20 bucks on packs of cigarettes that were worth 12 bucks. I left all my friends in Whitby. It’s also the last year I had frequent problems handling my extreme anger. Shame the last year wasn’t the year before this. I quickly became the most hated person in the school. Thinking back on it now... I don’t know if it was because of my brutal honesty, my irrational anger, lack of fear for irritating people or lack of empathy. Either way, people didn’t like people who weren’t normal back then and now.

Grade 10:

This is the year that I got into rap. I think people remember that phase I had, styling myself as “Dreaker”. During this year, I began to be more open with my talents. SInce I was a little kid, I always had a gift for creative writing, so I started putting more focus during the creative writing parts of English and History classes. At the same time, I was finally going back to acting again, having not acted since grade 5. Guess I had a gift for that, too, seeing as how the same people always wanted to stay in a group with me for each skit in drama class. This year was also the worst for me, as I had been fighting depression since I was 7 and it got horribly worse because my little brother died in the summer.

Grade 11:

By this year, I had finally established that my skills laid best in the entertainment industry. Abandoning the idea of being a rapper, I took TV class and became the voice you hear on the aboriginal acknowledgement every morning. No joke, that’s my voice telling you our school is situated on aboriginal territories. It’s also the year that I joined the Lion’s Roar thanks to the recommendation of a former Vice Principal who was still in office at the time because he acknowledged my writing ability. My very first article was about my journey back home to where my people live, while also revealing that I am half indigenous. This year also taught me an important lesson in life. It taught me what falling in love is like, taught me that changing who you are does nothing because someone who knows you personally will always betray you because of some stories or rumors about your past and that I’d rather smoke cigarettes ‘til I die of lung cancer than spend another minute being tricked by false hope of a cure for depression.

Grade 12:

I had relapsed into the darkness of my woes, my life crumbling back into square one, and I was basically messed up. I didn’t have the credits to graduate, the means to go to college, or the motivation to get out of bed. I didn’t spend my summer making ropes or standing on edges of roofs, trust me. I just didn’t have the will to do what I liked anymore. I was alive, but I wasn’t living. And I sure wasn’t gonna pull no Hannah Baker. This was the quietest year. I had nothing on my mind then, except for basic needs like food and drink and sleep. I took Co-Op and was placed in a film program where I got one of my films published for the first time. Dozens of parents and their children went to a film festival in this theatre downtown where my movie was one of the lucky ones chosen as worthy. Toward the end of this year, I took up a hobby of reviewing cigarettes on my Instagram. I went to prom, even wrote an article about it. That was a couple hundred bucks wasted. A week after school ended, I got my first tattoo.

PRESENT DAY:

So here we are, Grade 13 and first semester is my last one. I got a G2 now and can drive my car (2011 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart) whenever I want, with six tattoos on my body… basically everything materialistic I ever wanted as a kid. Memories I’d rather forget. Nieces and nephews are now old enough to remember if I’m a bad uncle or not. Basically I spent the summer reinventing myself. But all that doesn’t change the fact I’m basically an old man in high school years. I look around these halls and all of these new ninth graders look like elementary school kids about to have their first spelling bee. Kind of annoying to hear them talk about wanting to be grown up and pretending they’re the best. Then there’s the older ones you’ve known since they were ninth and you can hardly recognize them. Times are changing, I know. Still… for the first time in my life, I want time to move slow. No more rushing to grow up because rushing into post secondary debt is a bad idea, the type I’m an expert at choosing. I guess it's time to finally have a good one… after my city-wide infamy dies down. As I write this article, the whole city and Brampton want to beat the holy hell outta me because of how I ended up being the most hated man in Toronto.

Goodbye Leacock.

#december2018

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slci-lions-roar · 5 years

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Book Review: Renegades by Marissa Meyer

By: Gimasha Perera (Gr. 10)

If you are looking for an epic and adventurous science fiction and fantasy novel, Renegades might just be the book for you!

Having been published on November 7th, 2017 by Feiwel & Friends, Renegades is the first book of the Renegades trilogy written by the #1 New York Times-bestselling author Marissa Meyer.

Marissa Meyer has also written several other works of literature, such as Heartless and the #1 New York Times-bestselling series The Lunar Chronicles (Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, Fairest, Winter, Stars Above, Wires and Nerve, and Wires and Nerve: Volume 2. Gone Rogue).

In the futuristic city of Gatlon, the society is in the process of recovering from a chaotic civil war between the Renegades and the Anarchists.

The Renegades are a group of heroic prodigies who possess supernatural powers and believe that they are the protectors of the city. The Anarchists are a group of prodigy villains who loathe the Renegades for overthrowing them during the Battle of Gatlon. They believe that the Renegades are failing the people since the citizens of Gatlon have come to rely on them for their every need.

Ten years prior to the beginning of the plot, six-year-old Nova Artino witnessed the murder of her mother, father, and baby sister Evie. Using her gift of sending one off to sleep with just a touch, she caused the hitman who had murdered her family to pass out before he could shoot her. She had been promised several times that if she, or anyone she knew for that matter, were ever in trouble, the Renegades would always come to the rescue.

But that day, they didn’t.

Nova, still in shock, was found by her uncle Ace, who then shot and killed the hitman and took Nova to safety. More than anything, Nova loathes the Renegades for failing to protect her family. She decides to side with the Anarchists as her uncle Ace, the leader of the Anarchists, was the only person who had come to her rescue.

Ten years later, Nova is known to Gatlon as Nightmare, her villain name. Since joining the Anarchists, Nova has become one of the most feared villains of the city.

During an Anarchist’s mission to assassinate the lead Renegade, Captain Chromium, at the Renegade Parade, Nova meets Adrian Everhart. Adrian is a Renegade. He obtains the power to bring his drawings to life. He has his reasons to despise the Anarchists, although he has only shared them with the people closest to him.

Nova thinks nothing of him after their encounter, but little does she know that her life will become entangled with his.

When Captain Chromium appears at the parade, Nova disguises herself as Nightmare and prepares to shoot the lead Renegade with a poisonous dart. Later, she finds herself fighting off a group of Renegades.

While defeating the group, she encounters a powerful Renegade that she had never met before. He is mysterious, and unknown to the city. He has abilities that should be impossible to be contained by a sole prodigy. He introduces himself as “The Sentinel”. Nova narrowly escapes him in a heated battle and leaves querying “who in Gatlon is he?”

With the mysterious Sentinel making appearances during combat, Nova struggles to obtain vengeance and Adrian’s need for justice.

Will Gatlon City ever be at peace?

Renegades is recommended to anyone who loves a good fantasy and science fiction crossover. This book will get you hooked from the first page and tear you through the entire story in a flash!

The second book of the Renegades trilogy, Archenemies, has been released on November 6th, 2018!

For more information on Renegades or any of the other books the author has written, you can visit Marissa Meyer’s website at https://www.marissameyer.com/.

Happy reading!

#december2018

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slci-lions-roar · 5 years

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Red Dead Redemption 2: Best Game of 2018

By: Dan Cheng (Gr. 12)

Backstory:

In 2010, Rockstar Games released one of the greatest games in history, Red Dead Redemption.

It pretty much set the expectations of what a video game based in the wild west would be like to the highest and broke those expectations with an uppercut through the roof, scaring all the other video game developers out of ever trying their hand in the old west genre.

It told the beautifully painful story of John Marston, a former outlaw turned bounty hunter, as he hunted down his old gang to save his family from the Feds. The gameplay mechanics of Red Dead Redemption, such as the weapon wheel and Dead Eye, have since inspired a great many games that came after. But what did that leave us after we beat the game? Only 8 years of anticipation and conspiracies., Iin 2016, we finally got confirmation that Red Dead Redemption 2 was coming. Having been delayed twice, the game finally released (for PS4 and Xbox One) on October 26, 2018.

Installation details:

Red Dead Redemption requires 106GB of hard drive space available to install. After installation, it gives back 50GB of space back to you, so it only takes up 56GB to keep it inside your system. Delete it and you need 106GB to reinstall it. Capiche? If that’s not enough to make you punch yourself in the gut, the game comes with TWO discs. Yeah, that two disc thing hasn’t happened since “Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes” on the Gamecube. Anyway, the first disc is the data disc that has the first half of the game’s data and the second one is the play disc. It has the second half and it's the disc you will use to play the game. What else…?? Oh yeah, the installation is two to three hours long and takes even longer if you aren’t quick enough to change the discs as soon as the first half of the installation is done.

Story Details:

The story of the game is 60 hours long and I’ve only been playing for 17 hours. Yes, I’ve destroyed my social life, mental health, vitamin intake, kidneys, and mother’s patience in the first 8 hours. What is real life? Is it a legendary animal? ...Girlfriend, you say? Is that an expensive weapon? Anyway, the story is a prequel to the first Red Dead Redemption and the gist of it is pretty simple.

Set in the 1890’s, the beginning of the end of the Wild West. You are Arthur Morgan, a member of the Van Der Linde gang led by Dutch Van Der Linde (a major antagonist in the last game) and accompanied by not only the guys you were supposed to kill in the last game… but also John Marston. A robbery went bad in a town called Blackwater and now the government is hunting your gang down. The main objective of the story is to go on the lam and survive off the land. The story so far is quite amazing. It not only engages the player in dialogue, it also makes you want to keep going. Keep seeing how it all plays out in the end. The first chapter, in my opinion, was a little stretched. While it did set up some good introductions to characters, the chapter mainly acted as a tutorial disguised as part of the story when you could have essentially taken that part out all together or made it as an option for players who want a tutorial and as an option to skip for players who don’t… either way, it wouldn’t change the story that much as the beginning of chapter two likes to reinstate the issues in chapter 1 enough that anyone who was just finally starting to pay attention would be able to understand. Either way, it is quite amazing to see how the gang members develop into the villains you kill in the first game. You will play as Arthur Morgan for the first 6 chapters and play as John Marston for the epilogue, setting up the start of the first Red Dead Redemption.

Gameplay:

Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of those games that truly lives up to its predecessor and then some. The gameplay is so vastly improved and dynamic from the first game;, it’s like video games can hit puberty. The mini map design, dead eye and weapon wheel mechanics make a return, but better. The mini map is now interchangeable to a degree that it's more convenient than the tediousness of just pausing the game to open the map. The Dead Eye mechanic no longer relies on a V.A.T.S-like protocol of waiting for you to confirm where you want to shoot, it will automatically mark a spot, allowing you to be quick when using Dead Eye and conserving Dead Eye power. This more reliable Dead Eye also has a drawback in that constantly turning on Dead Eye means accidentally shooting where you don’t want to, making you waste needless Dead Eye power. I like this as it not only makes players treat Dead Eye as a valuable resource instead of just an easy way to play, it also forces the player to get better at hand eye coordination so they won’t rely on Dead Eye. The weapon wheel is pretty much the same as always, with a few changes. Because Red Dead Redemption 2’s game engine is meant to be realistic as possible, the weapon wheel has been limited to only three firearms (or two firearms and one bow) because nobody can realistically pull 30 different types of guns from an invisible bag in their pants (looking at you, Grand Theft Auto V). Switching weapons ingame is also quite cinematic. Say you’re in a gun-fight and you want to switch from your carbine to your revolver. Arthur won’t just sling his carbine over his back or make it disappear from reality. He’ll hold the carbine by the barrel with his left hand and use his right hand to shoot the revolver. This realism of how guns are held was no doubt inspired by Max Payne 3, especially when you get the option to dual wield two revolvers or pistols. One excessively strange feature is the Eagle Eye ability. This is essentially a carbon copy of the Eagle Vision from Assassin’s Creed, most notably the version from Revelations. Eagle Eye essentially slows down time when you walk or crouch (like Dead Eye, but without being able to shoot a gun) and tracks animals you hunt by highlighting the trail they took. Red Dead Redemption 2 is teeming with several things to in your free time when you feel like exploring the world. You can shave your beard, get a haircut, get a bath, get a girl to give YOU a bath, play five finger fillet, order food, order drinks, cook food, go hunting, murder people, rob people, play poker, buy guns, buy clothes, get drunk, rob houses, rob everything, kill everything and most importantly… all you had to do was follow the train, CJ!. No really, Chapter 3 has a mission where you literally follow a train. It nearly broke my thumb.

I absolutely enjoy the fact that there is more customization in this game than the first one, as the first one only had full outfits to choose from and this one allows you to mix and match to create custom outfits while also forcing you to dress according to the weather. Yes, like Breath Of The Wild, you have to dress according to the game’s climate (hot, cold and average). The option to wield a bow is awesome, but I wish there was more than one. As an archer myself, I do pride myself on knowing what kind of wood my bow has and if its a recurve or longbow.

Unlike the first game, Red Dead Redemption 2 focuses on realism, so that means survival needs and hair upkeep. Eating or neglecting to eat will affect Arthur’s cores (Cores are Health, Stamina and Dead Eye). Eating will increase health, but bring down stamina, with neglecting to eat doing vice versa and causing Arthur’s weight to change. Yes, you can be a fat outlaw. Sleeping is essential for keeping your cores recharging at normal speed. The same can be said for consumables, although it does annoy me that Arthur takes one puff of a cigarette or cigar (both of which increase Dead Eye at the cost of stamina) and throws it away. Its surprisingly satisfying to watch Arthur eat a meal or drink coffee at camp while walking into the morning sun. Hair and beard will grow over time, but slowly. It’s annoying if you want to keep short and clean shaven like in the military and agonizing if you want to do Forrest Gump during his three years of running.

The bounty system also makes a return from the last game, but in a much easier fashion to survive and harder to be rid of. Bounties are more realistic, forcing you to wear a bandana to avoid being identified, lest you pay hundreds to the post office to remove your bounty.

Speaking of realistic, the weather in the game is highly dynamic. The snowy mountains feel like Canada during the winter of 2009, the canyons feel peaceful as you gallop through to see the sun shine over the road, the desert landscape in certain towns bring a paranoia of lack of vision and the night is ACTUALLY dark.

Final Thoughts:

Red Dead Redemption 2 deserves a 13/10. It truly is game of the year and nothing can beat it.

Excellent story, a vast amount of activities/sidequests, the most massive playable map I’ve ever seen and near flawless realism with a few hiccups of glitches that are forgivable.

Lets have some moonshine, boys and girls, Arthur Morgan’s story will go down as a classic.

#december2018

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slci-lions-roar · 5 years

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Book Review: The Perfectionists by Sara Shepard

By: Gayasha Perera (Gr. 10)

Do you want a change of genre from the books you are reading? How about a mystery? A murder mystery?

The Perfectionists is a novel by Sara Shepard. She is famously known for the Pretty Little Liars series and The Lying Game series.

The Perfectionists is the first book in a two-part duology. The second book is The Good Girls and provides a dramatic ending to the duology.

This book is told from the perspective of five girls with distinct personalities: Julie, Ava, Caitlin, Parker, and Mackenzie. These girls had never thought to befriend each other until they realize that they all have one thing in common: they all loathe Nolan Hotchkiss, a heartless, and cruel womanizer.

Nolan has hurt each of the girls in wicked ways. When the topic of Nolan was brought up in class one day, the five girls formulate a master plan to murder him. They were joking, of course, they were not going to kill Nolan Hotchkiss.

However, Nolan is later discovered to be dead after a night of vigorous partying and Julie, Ava, Caitlin, Parker, and Mackenzie find out that he was murdered using the exact method they had proposed during class. Unfortunately, the girls are now the primary suspects for his murder. The only problem is, neither Caitlin, Julie, Makenzie, Parker, or Avaactually killed him.

There is a murderer on the loose, and the girls must discover who it is before any of them find themselves behind bars.

The Perfectionists is a mysterious and suspenseful novel. If you enjoy reading murder mysteries, then this is the book for you!

If you want more information on The Perfectionists or any of the other books Sara Shepard has written, you can visit her website at http://www.sarashepard.com.

Happy reading!

#december2018

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slci-lions-roar · 5 years

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Book Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

By: Gayasha Perera (Gr.10)

Are you looking for a great book to keep you occupied? Well, you’ve come to the right place!

Cinder is a novel by Marissa Meyer, an American novelist. It is the first novel in the #1 New York Times Bestselling Series, The Lunar Chronicles, which is followed by Scarlet, Cress, Fairest, and Winter. In addition to these novels, there is also Stars Above (a companion novel consisting of a collection of several short stories), and two graphic novels (Wires And Nerve and Wires And Nerve, Volume 2: Gone Rogue).

Cinder is a retelling of the well-known and well-loved fairytale Cinderella, but with a twist. It is not categorized as a fantasy like the original tale but as a science-fictional novel. It is also very humorous in many ways.

The story takes place in the future, in the city of New Beijing, the capital city of the Eastern Commonwealth. There, lives Linh Cinder, a sarcastic sixteen-year-old mechanic. She also happens to be a cyborg. She lives with her stepmother (Linh Adri), two stepsisters (Linh Peony and Linh Pearl), and an android named Iko. Cinder’s stepmother despises her and severely mistreats her. Her only friends are Iko, the android, and her stepsister, Peony. As she was in a tragic accident when she was only a child, Cinder has no memory of her life before the age of 11, causing her to forget who she used to be.

Cinder’s life was proceeding well (“well” defined as being loathed and shunned by everyone for being different) until she meets Kai, the gorgeous, and sassy, Prince of the Eastern Commonwealth. Before she knows it, she gets caught up in the middle of an intergalactic situation between Earth and Luna (the moon, which is inhabited by a large population of Lunars).

Throughout this adventure, Cinder uncovers significant information about her herself. As her past commences to unravel, Cinder begins to see what is truly occurring. Will these discoveries aid her to save Earth - the only home she’s ever known - and all the people she has ever cared for? And not to mention the menacing plague (Letumosis) that is already eating away at the population of Earth…

In the end, the fate of the world rests in Cinder's hands...(the real one and the mechanical one).

Cinder is recommended to those who fancy science fiction and humorous tales. This book will have you hooked by the first page and will make you laugh till you cannot breathe. If you love to fangirl/fanboy over sarcastic mechanics, sassy princes, and many other lovable characters, then this is the book for you!

Cinder, along with many of the other novels in the series, have been translated into several different languages. You just might be able to read this in your dominant language!

If you consider reading The Lunar Chronicles, it is entirely okay to read the series according to the publication dates. Although, if you want to receive the full experience, read the series in the following order:

Cinder

Scarlet

Cress

Fairest

Winter

Wires & Nerve

Wires And Nerve: Volume 2 - Gone Rogue

Stars Above

If you have not figured already, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter are retellings of beloved fairy tales too! Scarlet is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, Cress is a retelling of Rapunzel, and Winter is a retelling of Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs. All of these novels, including Cinder, Fairest, Stars Above, and both volumes of Wires and Nerve, unite with each other to create one big, hilariously enjoyable, mind-blowing story!

For more information on Cinder/The Lunar Chronicles, you can visit Marissa Meyer’s website at https://www.marissameyer.com/.

Happy reading!

#december2018

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slci-lions-roar · 6 years

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Lion’s Roar celebrates 2017-18 school year!

Here we are at the end of the school year... and it’s time for your Leacock CI e-Newspaper to celebrate!

We’re looking forward to a great year in 2018-19 with a promising staff of Grade 9 writers. Please join our team in September to have your voice heard by the students and staff of SLCI.

This issue, our feature article is written by our Grade 12 writer, Daniel Cheng. Read on to check out his unique perspective on the May ritual in our feature article: Til Kingdom Prom.

See you in September!

#mayissue2018

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slci-lions-roar · 6 years

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Feature Article: ‘Til Kingdom Prom

By: Daniel Cheng (Grade 12)

Hello there, fellow prisoners of education. A new day, it’s almost the end of the semester and there’s loads of new information you must nosedive into. This entire particular article is about prom, so if you’re not a mushy mushiry musher mush kinda mush-less person, feel free to mush-lickity split to the next article. If you wish to read this article, you’ve saved your finger the effort of scrolling too often, so mazel tov to your #FingerLivesMatter efforts. Without further ado, please proceed to read the rest of this article in a British accent.

Prom is a once in a lifetime opportunity. The one night of your life to celebrate the end of your high school days… Unless of course you’re also being dragged by someone to another school’s prom, then that’s two nights of your life and one of them’s free, you lucky beef jerky.

If you’ve yet to go to prom, then this article should surely help you. I, for one, can tell you this. It’s NOTHING like the movies. Believe me when I tell you this. There’s been years of an endless cycle of people not believing that and discovering that it’s true. The movies have lied to you, my friends. There is no prom king or queen, there is no huge fight that’s recorded with the potential of haunting someone in the next 20 years, nobody is spiking the punch, and if anybody’s getting pregnant, it’s definitely not during prom.

Point is, it’s not what you expect. But let me tell you what to expect. Have you ever been to a wedding before? No? Then, you’re absolutely lost. If yes, then imagine that… but everyone is literally your cousin and there’s no alcohol. You know what that is? A funeral. A funeral with a dance floor containing a bunch of dudes wearing bright colored suits because the funeral was last minute, and they wanted to look like they cared and the deceased had passed away just yesterday. But bless the soul of the passed that in their will, they bequeathed to thee a playlist of really bad songs that I’m still waiting to see the English versions of. Yes, only 3% of God’s Plan is in English. No wonder so many people failed the Literacy Exam.

Moving back to the topic of prom, there’s not much to do at the event. You go in, get some picture frame thing you’ll probably never use unless you partake in some Cheech and Chong activities. You spend 10 minutes looking for a seat only to realize that saving one for later is pointless when an entire group of people you hate takes over the whole table.

You pray to whichever God you believe in that the food doesn’t kill you, and then use the photo booth with a bunch of people like it’s a teen drama where you wanna set up some sort of emotional connection (before a character you didn’t care about gets killed off in some cheap attempt to save production budget money). You pretend you’re at a rave so you don’t look like an idiot who can’t dance, so you brood in the corner to the point you realize that the myth about being the mysterious dude in the corner who attracts dance partners is a lie. You take the occasional cigarette break outside while having a chuckle to yourself about the fact a certain nicotine addicted teacher watching the students is unable to have his own cigarette break as you pop out your second one because you can.

I mean, hey, at least I bought a suit for a couple hundred bucks and I’ll probably never wear it again. Call that pointless, but my mom has a closet filled with dozens of purses she bought and never used, but tells me video games are a waste of money when I actually play them. My advice for prom would be… well, only do it if you want your instagram to look pretty. I’m not that good at math, but I’m definitely sure you’d be spending around 400 bucks (includes ticket, clothes, shoes, and gas for your car) to make your instagram look like you’re hiding Victoria’s Secret under all that “I have an addiction to kissing frogs and making talking snowmen”. But heaven forbid you don’t doll yourself up, lest you be Pandora’s Box.

Seriously, the prom myth is alive and well. Also, I’m the one who put country music on the song request list.

Catch me if you can. Yippie ki yay, mother fruit bruce willis loopers.

#mayissue2018

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slci-lions-roar · 6 years

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Leacock-Buchan Fun Fair

By: Gimasha Perera (Grade 9)

From 10 AM to 3 PM on Saturday May 12, 2018, Stephen Leacock Collegiate Institute and John Buchan Senior Public School hosted their fourth annual Leacock-Buchan Fun Fair. This year, the Fun Fair featured various inflatables, a dunk tank, an antique car show, and a rock climbing wall.

With the assistance of volunteers from both Leacock and Buchan, it was possible for the younger generation of the community to enjoy over twenty games and activities, such as bowling, tic-tac-toe, ring toss, plinko, pin the tail on the Buchan bee, and pin the tail on the Leacock lion. Children were also given the opportunity of unlimited use of the inflatables. As well, volunteers held a face painting and henna station where they painted incredible designs on the faces and hands of both the younger and older generations.

The craft show in the Cafeteria displayed outstanding handmade and homemade products for sale. These products ranged from lovely homemade scented candles to beautiful handmade keychains. The crafts of the show also included colourful scarves, dazzling headbands and hair clips, handmade Harry Potter wands, magical fairy wands, delicious almond cheese, scrumptious homemade pies and treats, gorgeous hand-knitted products, stunning handmade jewelry, and classy sunglasses embedded with exquisite jewels.

Delicious food was provided to the community by numerous food trucks. These food trucks allowed locals the chance to savor the sweet, sour, and spicy of the food world.

The community found the Fun Fair to be quite extraordinary. Many of those who were not able to attend found themselves wishing they had shown up after overhearing their friends discussing the spectacular day.

“It was fun!” - Taylor Edmond

“I didn’t go but it sounded cool.” - Ivy Zhao

“The food was the best part!” - Rasikka Ramesh

“I didn’t go but it seems like it was really fun.” - Judy Nguyen

“It was legitness…” - Breanna Larmond

This event was made possible with the assistance of the parent councils of both Stephen Leacock Collegiate Institute and John Buchan Senior Public School, the student volunteers of both schools, and the companies and businesses that provided the fair with the equipment they needed to ensure a full day of fun for everyone.

#mayissue2018

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slci-lions-roar · 6 years

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Movie Review: The Avengers Infinity War

By: Laksana Suthahar (Grade 9)

Main Cast of Characters:

Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man

Chris Hemsworth as Thor

Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/Hulk

Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America

Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow

Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange/Dr.Strange

Don Cheadle as James “Rhodey” Rhodes/War Machine

Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider- Man

Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa/Black Panther

Paul Bettany as Vision

Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch

Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Falcon

Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier

Tom Hiddleston as Loki

Karen Gillan as Nebula

Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer

Zoe Saldana as Gamora

Vin Diesel as Groot

Bradley Cooper as Rocket

Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-Lord

Josh Brolin as Thanos

There’s no surprise that for its tenth anniversary, Marvel Cinematic Universe released a blockbuster film in the Avengers series titled Avengers: Infinity War. Currently, it has grossed over $1.8 billion at the box office and broke the record for the world's highest film opening with $640.5 million. It’s the sequel to 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron and 2012’s The Avengers.

Synopsis:

Since the Civil War, the Avengers have broken off and many of them have not been in contact. Meanwhile, in space, the Guardians are trying to do their duty to protect the galaxy.

Trying to emerge through this advantageous opportunity is Thanos (the immortal villain from Titan). As a result of his failure of an attack on Earth in the first movie, he decides to collect the Infinity Stones (a group of stones that when used all together, can control the fate of the universe) along with his extraterrestrial crew. To him, collecting the Infinity Stones and destroying half of the universe will help him avenge the destruction of his home-which ruined due to overpopulation. Previously, he captured the Power Stone from the planet Xandar and slowly starts to capture the others. At the beginning of this film, he captures the Space Stone from the Tesseract (an energy cube) that Loki had stolen when the planet Asgard fell. Moving a bit further into the movie, Thanos creates a series of attacks and searches all around Earth and other planets to find the other Infinity Stones. Now, it’s up to the Avengers to reconcile and join forces with the Guardians of the Galaxy to fight their most powerful enemy as the future of reality is at stake.

Review: (*WARNING: SPOILERS MAY BE AHEAD*)

The Avengers: Infinity War is a film that is not only action-packed, but an emotional rollercoaster with outstanding performances by the entire team, incredible special effects, and one that has an exhilarating storyline.

It’s a movie where different audiences are trying to be reached and form an emotional connection with the characters. The actors and actresses pull off their characters so well that you can sense, relate and feel the pain they were going through. For instance, when Thanos killed his adoptive daughter, Gamora, you could just feel the sadness and anger of the audience. As well, the purpose of each character seems to interconnect with each other (despite being distanced from one another). This to me, is very impressive because over 60 characters had to cooperate in this film to achieve a story that thrives to bring fiction to reality. Thus, the characters play a big role in me enjoying this movie as a whole.

Additionally, the CGI of this film is stunning! Most of the film took place in space and you actually felt you were there. The special effects artists perfectly embedded an unseen universe of countless planets that contained unique biological and extraterrestrial life on them. Therefore, the special effects in this movie take it to a whole new level and made it spellbinding to watch.

Infinity War’s storyline is extremely creative and mind-blowing as it has a solid foundation and a climax that just keeps growing. It’s amazing how there are many events happening at once in the movie, but are not confusing (if you have watched the previous two movies in the series of course⌣). The bigger picture is that the story consists of heroes that are at different places at different times and yet they work together coherently. In the end, the storyline comes to work out beautifully as it has a strong foundation that leads to an untypical climax and conclusion.

Overall, the film was constructed well (which includes acting, CGI, and the story) and it takes you on an exceptional ride into Marvel’s world of superheroes and mythical creatures.

#mayissue2018

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slci-lions-roar · 6 years

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What a Trumping Good Year

By: Daniel Cheng (Grade 12)

That’s right, this is an article about the President of the United States. It’s 2018 and people still refer to Obama as President for some messed up reason when it is Donald J Trump. Anyway, this is a political article and if you hate Trump, skip it. If you’re right wing, stay and read. Although, I’ll be surprised if this article gets published because anything that’s not liberal these days is considered hate speech and cause anyone responsible for its creation to be ridiculed or shamed to utter nothingness… But that’s already happened to me because everyone thinks I’m a jerk, so what can this article do to me?

This past year, Donald Trump has made great strides as President. With a few bumps along the way and a golf course on the odd weekend or so, he still ranks a better world leader than our own Justin Trudeau. Trump may not be the best world leader in history, but he’s certainly on the list of being one of the most effective. This year, President Trump had become a major factor in ending the long drawn out conflict between the two Koreas. He pulled the U.S out of the Iran deal, which made Iran less dangerous to America. Say what you will, but if I ran a country that was giving nuclear weapons to another country whose citizens were screaming death to my country, I would also stop all transactions of nuclear weapons.

He has installed right wing judges in courts. I know what you’re thinking. “Oh Dan, you right wing biased jerk who hates good things”. And you’re wrong. Believe it or not... right wing judges, unlike left wing, aren’t biased and won’t immediately say guilty because the suspect fits into a category which that particular political wing hates.

We’ve reached the point of the article where you probably rolled your eyes about 27 times plus privilege tax. So, let me say one thing Trump has done that I really don’t like. Even though people in America can join the military at 18, Trump went against the NRA and decided to raise the age limit of buying firearms to 21. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m all for restricting certain people from military service when they use military funds to pay for surgeries they should pay for themselves, but this is a rick roll to the American people. Sure, you can be 18 to die for your country, but 21 to defend your home. That’s like if I’ll eagerly walk 2 hours to the nearest Walmart, but I’m too lazy to get to my mini fridge for a Dr Pepper when it’s literally a 3 second stroll from where I am as I type this. But nonetheless, we are in Canada.

So what good things has our Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, done?

Uh…. hmm, hang on, let me look. Huh…. Yeah, absolutely nothing. He just lets his wife sing about herself at formal events and cares more about people from other countries. People from other countries instead of homeless citizens from our country and underappreciated veterans who come home from protecting our country, only for us to treat them like dog poop that got stuck under your shoe. Jeez, the least Canada could provide for us legal citizens who were born here is the opportunity to buy Marlboro Red.

#mayissue2018

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slci-lions-roar · 6 years

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2018 Billboard Music Awards

By: Majuri Gnaneswaran (Grade 9)

On May 20th of this year, the ever-so-waited-for Billboard Music Awards 2018 were held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and was hosted by Kelly Clarkson. With so many talented and stunning artists and performances, these music awards were one to watch. There were to-die-for fashion statements, many well deserved winners and speeches, and extraordinary performances.

When you enter on a red carpet, one of the moments everyone is looking forward to is the wardrobe choices. Ariana Grande killed her look with a simple black dress along with a big bow on her ponytail, high black heeled-boots, and a sparkly choker. Other celebrities such as Hailey Baldwin went for an elegant look by wearing a gold, tight fitting wrap gown. She looked gorgeous as it complimented her short, blonde hair. Camila Cabello, one of the winners of the night, embraced her Latin American heritage by wearing a dress that has a black top with a bow and a white fringe skirt. However, the female artists weren’t the only ones who made great fashion statements. Nick Jonas wore a maroon shirt with his tie loosened to one side and he paired it with black dress pants. Shawn Mendes wore a black shirt with a grey plaid suit and a striped undershirt to make things unique. These were just a few of the stunning looks we received on the Billboard red carpet.

There were so many artists who received well-deserved awards and gave heartwarming speeches. Taylor Swift, who hadn’t been on the red carpet in nearly two years, took home two Billboard awards and gave an empowering speech for women.

She said, “I wanna thank all the female artists who paved the way for us to get to do what we do the way we get to do it. All the new female artists who are killing it out there right now-we’re so inspired by you and I don’t know, shout out to the future female artists who just picked up a guitar or learned how to play the piano...”

She was so sweet and inspirational while accepting her awards for the Top Female Artist and the Billboard Music Award for the Top Selling Album. Next was Janet Jackson, the first black woman to receive the Icon Award. And who can forget about her speech when she addressed the #MeToo movement by saying, “It's a moment when, at long last, women have made it clear that we will no longer be controlled, manipulated or abused. I stand with those women and with those men equally outraged who support us in heart and mind.”

Nevertheless, the award winners of this night left their mark on the viewers with their inspiring speeches.

It’s not very often you get to see some power-packed performances like the ones at the BBMAs. For instance, the South Korean boy band, BTS, debuted their first Billboard stage by performing their new song Fake Love with some killer dance moves.

Another rare performance seen by the audience was Taylor Swift’s “Look What You Made Me Do,” alongside Kelly Clarkson.

It was no surprise as the host performed a variety of songs along with a variety of artists. Other artists, such as Christina Aguilera and Demi Lovato shook us with a riveting performance of “Fall in Line” that had a medley of a dark and bright side to it.

Norami gave the audience a charismatic dance break when performing with Khalid for “Love Lies”. Debuting her new song “Dinero”, Jennifer Lopez gave us a flawless performance that followed a gold theme and brought continuous applause from the crowd.

One of the most iconic and emotional performances of the show was when Khalid and Shawn Mendes performed “Youth” with the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School choir. It brought tears to the audience and brought an influential message speaking out about the recent tragic events in the world, including the recent school shooting.

Thus, all the performing artists at the BBMAs proved quite well to astound the crowd with their show-stopping performances.

The 2018 Billboard Music Awards were one to remember as the host Kelly Clarkson kicked things off in Las Vegas. Performances were not just filled with singing, but dancing, tears, laughter, and just a whole lot of fun. There’s no surprise that this award ceremony brought breathtaking outfits, speeches, and performances to bring a great night not only just for the artists, but the audience as well.

#mayissue2018

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