Throughout the last couple of years, the North American society has progressed significantly in terms gender equality and LGBTQ rights. Something new that has recently emerged is gender-neutral bathrooms. There are many controversial opinions surrounding this topic as many schools, universities, and even workplaces, are hoping to use these restrooms. {source} A large conflict concerning the…
Source Last Saturday, Partners for Mental Health held a screening for To Write Love on Her Arms, a film that tells the story of Renee Yohe, a nineteen year old struggling with addiction, depression, self harm who attempts suicide, and how it inspired Jamie Tworkowski to create the organization “To Write Love on Her…
Within the last year I have personally undergone immense change in my life. A year ago today I was a competitive athlete that trained 6 days a week and went to a school at the other side of the city with a mere 160 kids in grades 9-12. Now I am no longer an athlete…
On Tuesday, I had the opportunity to attend the first performance of Alberta Theatre Projects’ Legend Has it– and on their “Tweet Night,” no less! As a “drama kid,” whipping out my phone in the middle of the show to post about my experience on Twitter felt a little raunchy, and more than a little unorthodox. But “unorthodox” is…
Do you have a pet? Yes, those cute, cuddly animal best friends. Whether it be a dog or a cat, hamster or a fish, we humans greatly cherish our furry companions. The sad reality is, not all animals experience love from their owners. In fact, many animals suffer from animal abuse on a daily basis.…
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…
[source] There’s nothing worse than seeing someone obsess over their insecurities, as I too have been in that position. A girl who I called a “friend” commented on my arms one day in 5th grade, stating how I should wear long sleeve shirts more often, and it bothered me. I knew what she said was…
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…
On October 15, 2015, Uber arrived in Calgary. With its arrival came the usual debate that cities like Toronto and Vancouver have been experiencing over the past few months. In cities across North America, Uber has received very mixed reviews. Although the ride-sharing platform now provides over one million rides every month for its…
As of now, the Syrian Refugee crisis has been the largest humanitarian crisis of all time. Leaving 7.6 million Syrians displaced from their homes, as the flee from violence and terror. In the wake of the horrible terrorist attacks in Paris, Beirut, and Nigeria in the past week; more attention has been raised for the increasingly…
{Source} Mental health awareness is something I have been passionate about for almost 4 years. It started when I saw close friends suffer from depression and anxiety, and I felt helpless since I did not know how to rightfully approach their situation. It’s so easy to feel like your words of comfort and support are…
In our current society almost everything we wear, read, and use on a daily basis has been made somewhere overseas. This is especially the case for clothing, with an estimated 97% of all clothes being made abroad. When looking at a tag, it is difficult to find an item that does not say made in China,…
I’m going to be brutally honest here: I haven’t changed my Facebook profile picture to “support France and the people of Paris” and I have no intentions of doing so. Instead, when I logged into Facebook on Saturday night after a few days of being away and I was met with a newsfeed of 90% red,…
This picture was taken a year and a half ago when my family went to Europe over Spring Break. It was after midnight, yet our smiles as we stand in front of the Parisian landmark did not falter. It’s difficult to imagine bearing any other expression because the memories we had of Paris were of walking along the…
Most of us have dedicated time volunteering inside community centres, libraries, and other facilities. Some difficulties I find, as a youth especially, is transportation and time management during my full time school life. However, these difficulties are never an excuse to abstain from giving back to our communities. So, what are some easy and convenient ways I can volunteer…