Late last month, the city of Turin, Italy, made waves when recently elected mayor Chiara Appendino, declared the city the first in Europe to take on a meat-reduction agenda. Appendino’s campaign strives to promote a vegetarian lifestyle in order to reduce the city’s environmental impact and improve the overall health of Turin’s citizens. However, as a…
Islamophobia is hatred, fear or prejudice of Muslims, in simple terms defined by the dictionary. This type of fear or hatred is far different then fear of heights or spiders for example. This type of fearmongering hatred and prejudice is a significant factor that once influenced and encouraged ordinary Germans to contribute to a genocide during the Holocaust. The rise of…
Dear Homophobe that killed 50 and injured 53, Here is the thing. You can’t combat ignorance with anger. But the truth is I’m not just angry, I am infuriated. The Orlando Pulse Club Shooting is not a joke. Taking someone’s life because you don’t approve of who they love, is not a joke. Thinking you…
Around 2 am this morning, a gunman opened fire on clubgoers of Pulse, a queer nightclub in Orlando, Florida. The hate crime resulted in the loss of 50 lives and 53 more injured and hospitalized. This tragic and horrific event marks the largest mass shooting in U.S. history. With so many mourning the loss of innocent lives…
Why is it that I was born in a safe country, embraced by my parent’s loving arms While another like me was born and soon abandoned in a dirty orphanage? What was the difference between him and I? Why is it that I had the privilege to scamper my beautiful streets, wildly laughing and carefree,…
They may remark on the horror, but they will, most likely, think nothing of it at all, like a dog with somewhere else to be. – From The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway I may immerse myself into a narrative or a film about war, but I can always step back into the comfort of my…
BALANCE. EMPOWER. ACTION. MOVEMENT. These are the principals of BEAM. Are you free this Sunday? Then you have no excuse not to attend BEAM Festival! Created by the founders of Little Hippies Kids Yoga, BEAM is a full-day event for teens ranging from 12-18 focusing on mindfulness and mental health through music, yoga, and the arts. Does Little…
Imagine yourself cheerfully living your life without producing any garbage whatsoever, in your house and outside. Furthermore, imagine yourself creating your own homemade, chemical-free, hygienic and cleaning products, including makeup, shampoos, and toilet cleaners, with the comfort of knowing that you aren’t polluting the world. The zero waste, or waste-free, lifestyle is defined by…
Introducing: Hafsah Syed, April 2016 Blogger of the Month! Not too long ago, I had the enlightening opportunity to get to know outstanding Youth Are Awesome blogger Hafsah Syed. (actually, we chatted on her 17th birthday!) We sat down at Good Earth Coffeehouse, and didn’t end up eating or drinking anything, but I still learned…
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,…
Ever since I was approximately nine years old and Miley Cyrus’ song “Party in the USA” was released, I’ve really, really wanted to visit the (in)famous city of Las Vegas. I guess my dream was pushed to the vacation backburner though, until recently when I was watching season 20 of The Bachelor, which happened to…
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…
Although it has only been recently broadcasted and heavily publicised, singer/songwriter Ke$ha has been in the midst of a legal battle involving her rapist, better known as her producer, Dr. Luke. Ke$ha has claimed that her producer sexually and verbally assaulted her over the past ten years and filed for a lawsuit, hoping to end…
February 14th 2016 marked the day of the Democratic primary election in New Hampshire, winning by 60.4% against his opponent Hillary Clinton. Making Bernie Sanders officially one of the front runners in the Democratic race. After entering America’s Presidential Election on April 30th 2015, Sanders was considered an underdog, starting out with only 7% of predicted…
How many times have you or someone else you know claimed to be “so OCD” for meticulously colour coding their school supplies? Or insisting that their friend is “being bipolar today” for saying hello to them in the morning but not responding to their text later that afternoon? Or having a “panic attack” when they…