by Milan Streit

THE FEDERAL ELECTION

For around ten years, King George has participated in the Student Vote program. It’s a fun and educational chance for students to be active in elections and gain a better understanding of federal, provincial or municipal politics. So, I decided to host a poll to see currently which political party students want to see take office.

This poll was conducted using the Instagram social media platform with students given five options; Liberal, Conservative, NDP, Green Party or Other such as the People’s Party of Canada or the Bloc Quebecois.

Results Here:

KING GEORGE HALLOWEEN

It's that time again, October means the spookiest day of the year is back! So far, no Halloween dances have been announced. However, wearing your costume is strongly recommended by principal Jason Lauzon, who last year dressed as an 80’s dancer.

If you're looking to trick or treat this season, staying in the West End always leads to a great haul of goodies. Mole Hill is Halloween central, with many of the historic homes adorned with creepy lights and decorations.

INCREASED BUS SERVICE

In the last issue of The West End Journal, I reported on the dire need for more transit service on the #23 Beach Community Shuttle.

Well, TransLink has made that a reality as of September 2nd. TransLink has also increased service to the #5 and #6 buses, both on heavily traveled routes for KG students and West Enders in general.

STUDENT LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

I was invited to the annual Canadian Student Leadership Conference, which took place last month in Abbotsford, to represent King George Secondary. More than 1,000 student leaders from across the country took part. Keynote speakers included former senator and general Romeo Dallaire, two-time Olympic gold medalist Heather Moyse and Darrell Fox, the younger brother of Canadian icon Terry Fox. I will be covering the event in my November column.

CHANGES TO SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Starting in October, the school announcements (read by me) will take a more interactive role. I’ll be including polls and students can submit appropriate “jokes of the day”.

CLIMATE STRIKE

Thousands of students in Metro Vancouver took part in another global climate change strike on September 27 at city hall. The Vancouver School Board allowed us to cut class with parental permission. This movement has been given a huge boost recently by 16-year-old, Greta Thunberg from Sweden. Vancouver’s protest began at 1 p.m. followed by a march over the Cambie Bridge and into the downtown core.

INTO THE ARCHIVES

This King George Archives photo was taken not too long ago! October 19 2015, during the last federal election when Justin Trudeau was elected prime minister.

The gym at King George High has been a long time polling place for federal, provincial, or municipal elections.

For all you adults reading this, I encourage you to please vote. Students, get ready for the upcoming student election!