St. Robert CHS Student News
Serena Ahmad (9) | STAFF REPORTER
Black Friday is a day many look forward to as sales begin to commence and prices begin to drop. The holiday is a phenomenon that causes many to go into a frenzy by lining up early in the morning and emptying stores within a few hours or less. However, the holiday has recently raised concerns as people begin to question its credibility and realize the malicious motives behind it.
Parnian Esmaeilishayeh (12) | STAFF REPORTER
Your favourite historical movie might be lying to you — but how far does the fiction go?
Angela Xiao (9) | STAFF REPORTER
March 21, 2025 has been marked as the release date of Disney’s live action movie for one of the all-time favourite fairytales — Snow White. However, even prior to the release of the official trailer, this movie had gotten mixed emotions from the public. Story altering, controversial interviews, and the lack of creativity are just a few of the many reasons for the viewers’ immense disappointment.
The actress playing Snow White, Rachel Zegler, stated in an interview that “She (Snow White) is not going to be saved by the prince, she’s not going to be dreaming about true love, she’s dreaming about becoming the leader that she knows she can be”. Of course, we all love a good story about a strong, independent woman, but is there a need to create this message of how love is outdated and unnecessary?
Snow White is undeniably one of the strongest princesses. She’s known to be a very feminine and innocent character. Her love story was enchanting yet touching, and despite all the hardships she had gone through, she chose to remain loving and kind. However, recent interviews hint at a modernized Snow White: instead of her original personality, they’ve replaced her with a independent, boss-girl character, one who apparently doesn’t need to be saved (even though one of the main plots of the story is Snow White being saved by the prince). It seems as if asking for a simple love story is far too difficult for Disney, and now the exact components that made us love the story of Snow White are no longer there.
Emily Yang (10) | STAFF REPORTER
For nearly 4 weeks, Canadians across the country have been facing a frustrating reality: delayed packages and the detrimental impacts, on both people and businesses. As the country’s primary mail courier, Canada Post, fails to reach a negotiation with its workers, represented by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, the 26-day strike threatens to drag into Christmas — or possibly even longer.
Christian Intendencia (10) | STAFF REPORTER
With tons more jobs being created, it seems like getting employed should be simple! False. Getting employed these days is harder than ever: there are impossible ATS’s (AI software used to simplify the recruitment process), endless rounds of interviews for the lucky few, constant disrespect from recruiters, entry-level jobs requiring 2-3 years of experience, etc. Understandably, youth are as frustrated as ever, often questioning, “How are we supposed to get experience if nobody is willing to give us any?” With so many eager and talented youth ready to get into the workforce, it’s a shame that youth employment in Canada has been at its lowest for over a decade.
Eva Guo (10) | STAFF REPORTER
60s, 90s, 100s — what do they mean? Are they just numbers on a paper or a prophecy of future success? As much as the student who just received a 49% on their biology test would like to believe that those test grades are meaningless, the unfortunate but undeniable reality is that the numbers in angry red ink that haunt our nightmares are an accurate indicator of success.
Parnian Esmaeilishayeh (12) | STAFF REPORTER
High school students have been sacrificing sleep to complete more work per day and to “feel more productive.” Not only is this lack of sleep counterproductive, but it also leads to more harm in the long run.
Sarah Morra (12) | STAFF REPORTER
As per the results of the recent U.S. presidential election, Donald Trump has been elected to be President of the United States for his second term. However, one major difference between this victory in contrast to his last is the emergence of far right rhetoric, extremist policies, and a faction of supporters since the 2016 U.S. election. It is vital that we note these key differences and what they may entail for Americans…
Christian Intendencia (10) | STAFF REPORTER
In the past few years, Black Friday has been quietly slowing down. Instead of just being a one-day event, it’s now turned into weeklong sales that aren’t as high as they used to be. Snaking long lines in the early morning have disappeared. What was 60-80% off is now 30-50% off.
Anya Yang (11) | STAFF REPORTER
Specialized programs admissions are changing more than ever all over the public education system. Dubbed “voluntary program(s) that uses alternative instructional strategies that respond to individual student needs and learning styles”, students who are especially interested in certain topics have the opportunity to receive a more focused education in those areas. In the past admissions have mostly been based on standardized testing, interviews and written applications, but recently they have become “interest-based”, meaning anyone can apply regardless of skill, making it a lottery: anyone can get in, and luck will determine the final decision.