The Olympics are over now. Canada’s team of athletes won an impressive total of 25. And, all for a very real price tag. I’m of two minds when it comes to programs such as Own the Podium. (You can see a nice breakdown of their portion of the funding on their website.) The reality is that Own…
1. Famine in Sudan by Kevin Carter This picture induces pity and guilt due to the huge disparity between the third world and first world. I feel that it is a sin for me to not take any action for people like these. In this picture, a child is crawling towards a food camp in Sudan,…
As most of us know, the 2014 Olympic winter games have arrived. Although it may seem like everything will run smoothly, there has been extensive speculation on the safety of the athletes. Some even say that terrorists are plotting to ruin these Olympics. The question is, are the Olympics really a symbol of peace? Is…
Patriotism is an interesting thing and I’m not sure even a whole Social-30 course on nationalism enlightened me. It doesn’t hold much of a role in my daily life, but every two years, over the course of a few weeks, it becomes everyone’s focus: after all, all the fun and pride and joy of the…
Going through my years in the Calgary Board of Education and the Alberta Education system, I have had times where the things we learned in math class seemed useless. And it stems beyond that, from choices such as school locations to curriculum content. I feel, in many ways, disconnected from those who make the decisions.…
As the athletes of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games are pitted in fierce competition with each other and against the ticking clock, two European women raced each other to a perfect tie in women’s downhill skiing. On Feb. 12, 2014, at the Rosa Khutor Alpine Center, Tina Maze of Slovenia and Dominique Gisin of Switzerland…
Racism, ageism, sexism are among the common forms of discrimination polluting our present society. Are today’s children being bullied due to their level of “intelligence”? Beyond the problems of skin colour, age or sex, my demographic seems to also be subjected to “IBism,” what I refer to as the prejudice against students not in the…
As many people already know, the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics will be beginning this Friday, Feb. 7. The wait for this Olympics has been rather tense, with controversies surrounding Russian homosexual intolerance and dangerous shootings, particularly some advances in completely boycotting the games this year. Despite some issues, the games will proudly continue on. After…
Move over Angry Birds, there’s a new bird in town! Nearly a week ago, the indie game Flappy Bird was released on the Google Play Store, and yet in a matter of days it found itself at the top of the free charts with over 10 million downloads. Why the sudden smash hit, you ask?…
A Saturday morning, I am dressed in my most comfortable flannel jammies, prepared to waste away the day with some much needed R & R. But to my distress, a roaring ruckus arises from a snow plow. My annoyance escalates as it has taken nearly two weeks for the snow to be fully plowed in…
New Years may have happened already, but Chinese New Years is today (January 31st), and I’d like to reveal the little traditions that make this “new year” so fun. First is the Chinese zodiac, and much like the western zodiac, it consists of 12 “signs.” But instead of signs like Libra, Capricorn, Leo, etc., we…
Throughout history, the human race has progressed drastically. Our leaders, important figures for our progression, have often facilitated this societal progress through speeches, where they explain to society how how to make this progress. Some of these speeches may be relatively drab while others may make profound impacts on society and its progression. This list…
Exam season, the most traitorous season of all for some. Ahead of Calgary winters, exam season is a dreaded time in which students diligently put to work their accumulated knowledge in a final leg to “prove” to teachers, parents and themselves that they have actually learned something in the past few months. But as the…
Canadian politics have always been interesting, but only as I’ve emerged from my shell of general oblivion to the world outside of school and homework have I come to appreciate it. 2013 was perhaps Canada’s year: sure, the US government shut down, but Rob Ford probably got more attention then that. Needless to say, here…
As winter Olympics approach us, we seem to approach something I like to call extreme athleticism. For those of who are unaware of Olympics, excuse me as I lift up the stone under which you have been living- Olympics began in Athens in 19 1896, and this year, the Winter Olympics are being held in…