In 2014, 17 year old Reshma Qureshi and her sister were making their way to an exam center in Allahabad when they were attacked by her sister’s hostile husband and two other men. Reshma, being mistaken for her sister, was pinned down and doused in sulfuric acid, leaving her with severe burns to her face…
Have you ever gone someplace new feeling all excited, then realizing all you want to do is go back home but soon you adapted? Then, when you go home again, it isn’t what you expect? Well that roller coaster of emotions is called Culture Shock. Culture Shock is the concept of entering a new environment,…
Dear Friend, I would first like to apologize for being quite long-winded, but I have a lot to say and this letter does not even scratch the surface of what would like to express. I do not pretend to operate under any pretence that religion plays an active role in my life any more than…
Jambo! Habari Gani? Mzuri? Mzuri! And that was it. My level of competency in Swahili reached a grand level of four words. And that’s where verbal communication ended. I didn’t literally comprehend what the children were saying, but their eyes expressed all that needed to be heard. Our relationships weren’t based on anything that could…
It is no question that getting an education after high school is expensive, but has it become so expensive that students are unable to afford the luxury of a degree. As the job market becomes more competitive going to university or college is a no brainer. How has the expense of university risen over the…
The “I’ll do it tomorrow” mentality is something that all of us are familiar with, but why? We’ve all heard it multiple times that we should always always always focus on the now. Yet we all know, it’s not that easy. The thing about tomorrow is that it makes the perfect excuse for everything and,…
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Chances are you’ve almost certainly heard this quote somewhere. Whether it was on Instagram set to a generic sunset background, or pasted up on the wall of your third grade teacher’s room, these words probably sound pretty familiar. This quote is the emblem that anyone…
Clowns are meant to be funny but for me they have never been, they’ve always been annoying and unsettling. However, recently they have increased to a level of absolute fright and terror. Why, you might ask? In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past few months there have been sightings, clown sightings.…
Fact: one-in-four people will be affected by a mental illness throughout their lifetime. It is actually one of the leading causes of disability in North America. The World Health Organization predicts that by the year 2020, depression will be the second leading cause of disability worldwide. Despite all the recent talk going around about spreading…
Ah, Halloween, a time of frights and fun, candy and costumes, ghosts and ghouls, and – cultural appropriation and racism? Halloween is the one day a year you can decide to be something you’re not, to get creative, and try something new without consequence, making it one of my favourite holidays! However, when people take…
The issue of conforming to societal ideals has been around for far too long, and sadly it is prevalent pretty much everywhere on this planet. Although women in every culture are relentlessly faced with the societal “ideals” of appearance and mannerism in their societies, today I would like to shine a light on the insecurities that…
Opinions: the thing you say you don’t care about, and yet you still do. If you go on the web and do a little research on ‘not caring about other people’s opinions’ you will find a ton of websites, and pretty sure, you’re going to be overwhelmed, what with an article with a whole inquiry…
I’m happy to have been the Life Junior Editor since last summer, but I’m even more proud to announce Youth Are Awesome’s new Life Editor who will be taking up my position. Overcoming Failure: You Can Do It! was Hafsah Syed‘s entry into YAA and since then, she has been known for her articles about self-improvement,…
The last time I read this heart-breaking poem, written by Khaled Juma as a tribute to Gaza’s children, was two years ago, when the large-scale bloodshed in the Gaza-Israel conflict came to an end. Noting the approximate 1500 civilian casualties and 500,000 displacements (x), the dilapidated schools, homes and hospitals, the astonishing 44% unemployment rate…
Summer is almost over (sniff), but if you’re looking for something to do in these last couple of weeks, why not take part in Calgary Pride 2016? This year marks Calgary’s 26th annual festival, running from August 26th (today!) to September 5th. This festival is presented by ATB, through an organization called Calgary Pride, a…