I was fortunate enough to be able to attend Storybook Theater’s rendition of William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. I walked out of the theater with a single collective emotion: horror. The audience was able to journey with the characters through their spiral into insanity and with the close proximity of the actors to the audience,…
Religion has always been a fundamental aspect of identity, community and worldview. It has formed nations and destroyed them. It has driven people to explore new lands and also to close their borders. Religious beliefs, or even lack thereof, ultimately shapes our understanding of those around us, our interaction with others and ultimately the entire…
You are going to run out of time. In today’s day and age, it’s so easy to get caught up in scheduling and missing important pivotal life moments. With Instagram and Facebook and trying to get the perfect image, we too often fail to be a part of the moment we are trying so desperately…
“People who are bisexual have to live with the knowledge that they could lose everyone they care about with just two words.” My initial research into what it meant to identify as being bisexual held terrifying promises such as these. Words that I initially dismissed as untrue or perhaps an exaggeration. When I first came…
I was raised in a conservative home, with high expectations and little room for error. Although I rarely did what I was told, I forged a somewhat approvable path of relative achievement. I respected myself and despite my short dress phase, mostly my clothing reflected the seriousness to which I approached life. I began experimenting…
This Saturday, the Calgary Boys’ Choir presents “Sharing Peace” to highlight international issues of disparity and inequality worldwide as we enter the season of giving. Earlier this week I had the privilege of being able to speak with Choir Director, Paul Grindlay. Paul has been with the Calgary Boys’ Choir since 2004 and this year…
Does it even make sense to vote again this year? The Progressive Conservative party wins regardless. Maybe we’ll have a minority government? Typical, deficit isn’t even being mentioned…oh wait? Justin Trudeau wants to run a 10 billion dollar deficit in the first year?! Is he insane? That’s crazy. No way. Poll favour is going up…
Peace is defined as “the normal, non-warring condition of a nation, group of nations, or the world.” [Source Dictionary.com] But is peace normal? Or is it merely and ideal we are destined to strive for but never accomplish? The term utopia was first used in the 14th century in Sir Thomas More’s book Utopia which was…
This poem was inspired by the desire to just write something after quite a long break from poetry. The process of applying for university can be overwhelming with everyone trying to offer their advice, wanted or unwanted. It is important to have a way to sometimes break free and that’s what this poem is about.…
Going back to a new year can be scary regardless what grade, and it’s important that us kids stick together and pass on knowledge than only experience (and a little luck) can give. Now heading into Grade 12 with a younger sister going into Grade 10, I can sympathize with her worries and concerns about facing…
Soweto, the name of the South West Township that borders Johannesburg, the city where I was born. Merely thirty kilometers from where I was born, a drastically different country seemingly resides. It’s paradoxical the drastic wealth disparity between the luxurious golf and country estates to the township that many call home. A tour took us past…
I was recently given the opportunity to participate in a webinar put on by RESULTS Canada designed to train people to advocate for ending world poverty. We have the ability to end poverty by 2030 if countries donate 0.7% of their GNI* as promised when the Millennium Development Goals were set by the United Nations…
I never really knew why we were taught how to write business letters in junior high until I attended a webinar designed to increase advocacy to encourage governments to prioritize ending poverty by 2030. Seem crazy? Well I assure you it is more than possible if we meet the goals we have previously set. Unfortunately…
Changing the world surprisingly isn’t such a far-fetched idea. In fact, people have been doing exactly that for hundreds of years. As long as there is someone willing to speak out for something they believe in, change is possible. And that goes for you too, no matter how old you are. Change is about voice,…
Recently, the Supreme Court in America ruled gay marriage to be legal in all 50 states and various opposing reactions to this can be seen from both sides of the debate. Facebook profile pictures have changed to include the iconic symbol of pride. Many personal attacks from both sides have caused further polarization between the…