Page 108 – Youth Are Awesome

February 2018 Blogger Of The Month: Dylan Zhao

-

February 6, 2018

February 2018 Blogger Of The Month: Dylan Zhao

Meet Dylan Zhao. Currently in grade 12 doing full IB at Western Canada High School, Dylan boasts a wide array of interests and involvements which range from economics and philosophy to his involvement in his school’s debate club and Model UN team. His latest achievement? Being Youth Are Awesome’s February 2018 blogger of the month. Since joining the team back in December 2016, Dylan has shared a wealth of knowledge on the site such as his understanding of trickle down economics and why they don’t work, the benefits of participating in Model UN , and of course his brilliant Netflix recommendations. I had the fortunate opportunity to meet up with him at the Rosso situated at the base of the National Music Centre a little over a week ago and we ended up bonding over our mutual admiration of Arctic Monkeys and Netflix’s Black Mirror.

When Dylan is not writing for Youth Are Awesome or participating in debate or Model UN, he can be found reading, watching Netflix, catching up on current events or skiing. I asked him right off the bat what are some possessions he couldn’t live without, and he answered “Definitely my laptop just because I probably spend too much time on it, and I guess everybody could say their laptop or their phone but in terms of more unique things, maybe a book? I like to bring a book most places and I like to sit down and read. So maybe it’s not exclusively one book, but something to be reading wherever I go.” which segued into a discussion of books.

If you’ve read his article “4 Books To Read To Not Go Broke”, you’ll know that Dylan is definitely an avid reader so it shouldn’t come as a surprise when I tell you he had a difficult time trying to come up with a single favorite novel, so instead, he gave me five. The first book to come to mind was “Nudge” written by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein which focuses on behavioral economics, followed by Stephen King’s horror novel “It”, his novel “11/22/63” which centers around a time traveler who tries to prevent the assassination of John F. Kennedy, George Orwell’s dystopian “1984” and “Catch-22” by Joseph Heller.

When you meet Dylan, it doesn’t take long to realize how involved he is with debate club and Model UN. One of the things he admires the most about his school is the number of activities it offers which is evident given how involved he is and I was curious… What made him so interested in joining Model UN? “…Some of the stuff you talk about in debate is also similar to stuff you talk about in Model UN like politics, economics, that type of thing. I think that has just naturally drove me to try out for Model UN. After I attended the first conference, I figured out that yeah this is pretty fun and I think I’ll stick with this.”

In terms of school, his favorite subject is Philosophy. This comes at no surprise when I recall his interests. Zhao strikes me as the typical academic: thoughtful, intuitive and wise beyond his years. He likes the class because they’ll often discuss controversial topics and carry out debates, which is right up his alley. “it’s really nice to apply the same things i’m doing in model UN and debate in a classroom setting” he remarks.

Alongside debate and model UN lies Dylan’s involvement with Youth Are Awesome. His interest in writing for YAA was sparked when his friends told him he should write about his TV recommendations. “So I started out with TV recommendations because I watch a lot of TV, but then I also thought hey this is a place where I can write about anything. So then I started writing about my other interests such as music, economics and whatever else popped into my head.” he notes. His favorite part of YAA? The freedom it offers.

In regards to where he finds inspiration, Dylan admitted it comes to him periodically and sporadically. “One second I could just be doing nothing in particular, like maybe on Reddit or something (his favorite site), and then I’ll feel an urge to write something about anything.” Dylan likes to write his articles as if he were having a conversation with someone, but the writing process is just as unexpected as his sudden bursts of creativity. “…[The inspiration] just comes out of nowhere, and as soon as it kicks in I just write it all in one go. I don’t usually plan something out and then go back to it periodically to finish it.”

As soon as I start on something, I get this urge to get it done.

“I feel like in a way, I like that I do that because I hope it comes across as more genuine in a sense, but also at the same time I wish I was able to plan everything out. It’s just hard for me because a day will come around and I won’t know what to say at that very moment.”

I asked him if YAA had helped him in improve in any aspects of his life, and he took a moment to reflect. “Yes. Definitely English because after writing for YAA, in terms of posts where I’ve been talking about parts of my own life, it’s actually helped me a lot with PRTs in English class. And then when I write posts that are a little more analytical, it’s more practice for CARs. On top of that, I also feel that just by expressing thoughts in a written form has made me a bit more open to talking about stuff, just because I’ve now gotten into this habit of being able to express how I feel about something.”

In terms of his many articles, his favorite blog post that he’s written so far remains his first one, which was a recommendation for the show Black Mirror. “…[That post] was my first real trek into this world of writing blog posts. It’ll always hold a special place in my heart.” He adds that it was the first instance where he opened himself up and expressed his thoughts to a wider audience, and because it marked the start of him doing that, it was still the most important to him.

Still from S04E04 of Black Mirror titled “Hang the DJ”

Black Mirror is also a favorite show of mine, and I had to ask him about the latest season but specifically which episode he enjoyed the most. “I really liked “hang the dj”. It had a really heartwarming ending but at the same time I’m not sure how much that is traditional black mirror. I feel like you’re supposed to feel hopeless after the ending.” and he’s got a point. I recall the episode “Metalhead” from the same season and shudder at the thought of robotic AI “dogs” trained to hunt and kill humans. Not exactly fun for the whole family.

Our discussion about Black Mirror eventually led us to technology and it’s effects on society, but more specifically human interaction.

I guess technology is almost like a double edged sword in a sense because all of us can’t live without our phones, laptops, or anything that keeps us connected to each other or allow us to get things done.

“I think there’s this problem because even now when I was just on the train, everybody is on their phones, me as well.. Guilty. But I think the more and more we rely on it, we’re going to be able to get more stuff done but also lose just a little bit about what makes human connections so valuable. The fact is that nobody is really obligated to seek those out anymore when you can just keep communicating with the people you already know, which makes it harder to meet new people. So then there’s no more instances where you’re just walking down a street asking somebody for directions when you can just look it up on google maps. So yeah I think it’s really, really great that we have all this technology to make our lives easier and better, but at the same time I feel like everybody should just try to communicate as we once did I guess. But that’s also somewhat hard to do I guess so we just have to accept what’s going on and go with the times…”

Reflecting on his time thus far on the blog, Dylan notes that his favorite part about writing for YAA is the flexibility the platform offers, comparing it to other blogs that may possess an established direction /or target audience. “When it comes to YAA, it really is just complete creative freedom when it comes to what you wanna do, and I think it also makes it unique from some other blogs.”

Dylan is set to graduate this year, and when I asked him what he’d like to accomplish on the blog before he’s done, he had a succinct answer: post more. “I’ve tried to maintain a somewhat consistent schedule since I’ve started posting but in terms of volume, it’s not quite what I want to get out there. So if I just start posting more in these last few months before I graduate, then I think that would be my number one goal.”

Looking ahead 10 years, Dylan envisions himself hopefully having a positive impact on the world. “Either I’m still in college trying to pursue some sort of graduate degree, or I’ll have a job somewhere, hopefully in a city that I like and it’s either a job in economics, politics or something along those lines where I’m actually able to express my thoughts in a way where what I’m working towards will have some kind of tangible effect on people. So whether that’s crafting policy or whatever, I feel like ideas are best when they’re put into some kind of action. So that’s why I hope in 10 years I’m in some kind of position where I’m able to do that.”

Throughout our entire conversation, Dylan provided some rather earnest and insightful answers with wisdom beyond his years, however perhaps his best piece of advice was saved for last. I asked him if he had any advice for his fellow youth, and he replied “Do your homework.” with a small laugh, before admitting he had some work to catch up on himself after our meeting. I laughed at this omission, wholly feeling the pressure of senior year and my own homework hit me all at once. So believe me when I tell you that Dylan knows what he’s talking about. Please, do your homework!

I wanted to extend my gratitude to Dylan Zhao for meeting me downtown on a cold Friday afternoon amidst exam season. I can’t wait to see what else he recommends on the blog in the future, and what he’ll accomplish after high school. He’s a bright individual with a bright future and I’m very excited to congratulate him on being our February 2018 blogger of the month!

To read posts from our blogger of the month, click here!

Empathy

Uncategorized

Nikoo Givehchian

-

February 5, 2018

0

Empathy. As defined by the New Oxford American Dictionary, it is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. More specifically, it can be regarded as a measure of one’s ability to sympathize with others, to care about and see what they’re going through, and to feel strongly enough to try and help.

Empathy is something many of us strive to achieve; after all, an empathetic world implies a world where everyone cares for each other, and this is a part of a utopian society. What’s interesting to consider, however, are the limits of empathy.

I enjoy reading random articles, I suppose, and I was intrigued when I came across this TED article on empathy. I found the discussion of its limitations, something I had never personally thought about, to be intriguing, and I wanted to share this here.

So, I suppose my article will critically look at the concept of empathy- exploring the limitations, discerning the implications of universal empathy, and finally deciding to what extent empathy should be common in society. Just looking at that last statement, it’s easy to imagine a general reaction of ‘duh, society has to be empathetic, if we want a society of kind people who can get along peacefully.’ While I agree, I want to explore every aspect of empathy in detail: all the realities, and all the implications. There will be some tough questions, but the reality is, we all have to be aware of how exactly we are acting if we want to successfully achieve a positive, caring society. Thus, it makes sense to explore the limitations of empathy, and to also suggest ways we can overcome these limitations.

Situations in which Empathy is Limiting/Limited

The issue:

Empathy is narrow, and we can only focus on a few people at a time. Thus, we inevitably neglect some people while we prioritize those to whom we feel the most empathetic, and who we thus help.

An example of a situation in which this is an issue:

Everyone faces different struggles in their day-to-day lives, and it just so happens that all of your closest friends are going through difficult times. Their problems are totally unique, but you can relate to all of them and if you focus on one person, you could help them overcome their struggle. But the thing is, in doing so, you will be neglecting the others, and even though your friends will not judge you for it, you will be disappointed in yourself for not having been able to help everyone you felt for. You feel empathetic towards many- but in the end, you have to choose where to focus your efforts to help others, thus your empathy towards those you don’t help is, as you believe, useless.

The issue:

We spend too much time panicking about not being able to help everyone we feel empathetic towards, and as a result of feeling useless in the face of the overwhelming number of problems that exist, we feel anything we do is useless and maintain a justification in doing nothing. We may feel empathy, but its overwhelming nature prevents us taking any action to help others.

An example:

Let’s look at the same example as before. Last time, you made the choice to help one person- but what if you can’t bring yourself to make that choice? What if you feel this idea of ranking people’s struggles is something you should not be allowed to do, and rather than take any action to help anyone, you remain passive and allow everyone else to continue struggling? Well that’s no good- not only are you doing nothing to help anyone else, but you also feel useless and more miserable yourself. Too much empathy for too many who you cannot realistically help makes it possible for some to succumb to despair and become even more limited in their ability to help others.

The issue:

(this one’ll have quite the exploration )

When it comes to empathy, we can only feel so strongly and distinguish so clearly between a few cases we feel empathetic towards. For example, high death tolls after disasters are horrible- but it is difficult to feel worse about 6000 deaths than 5000. Deaths are an example of something we feel sympathetic towards, not empathetic, but similar examples exist in the world of empathy, when we feel bad for many people whose experiences we can relate with. Even so, knowing there are 1000 as opposed to 2000 who went through similar struggles as you really does not make a huge difference in our sense of empathy.

But then, is this really an issue? The reality of the situation is, huge numbers and statistics about others who endure struggles mean almost nothing to us, and though we may feel a faint sympathy or empathy for these troubles we hear about and possibly relate to on the news, for example, there is only so much we can actually feel without knowing the people involved. We feel sad that others have to go through such difficulty, but we prioritize empathy towards those we have emotional connections to, those people that we personally know and care about, and who we can more realistically help. Thus, for the most part, it’s simply a matter of faint empathy for those we see far away and don’t know much about, as opposed to the stronger empathy we feel for those we see in our own lives, and who we can actively do more to help.

Of course, the issue of distinguishing different types of empathy for those we see in our lives is another thing to consider within the study of different levels of empathy for different cases. Though news stories may not capture as much of our empathy, we do care about many cases we see with people in our lives, and to decide which of these cases is more important than another can be difficult- especially when we see several situations in which people we love are going through difficult times. This comes back to the first issue: choosing who to help when faced with several who struggle. But this time, I want to focus on the idea that though many people may be enduring hardships, who we choose to support may not necessarily be the person struggling the most.

It’s difficult to decide who is going through the most difficulty- how does one rank other’s struggles? How do I decide a person’s situation is worse than another’s? Because of circumstances that got them there? What they’ve lost? Their capacity to deal with their problems? The support they have? This is not easily decided, and rather than go through the process to evaluate other’s struggles, people typically don’t make their decisions to help others based on level of difficulties endured; rather, people will choose to help those they care more about, those for whom they will have greater empathy regardless of how the difficulties in their lives compare to that of others. It doesn’t matter if their struggles are greater or less than others- people will help those they love, because their love for them creates a stronger sense of empathy than for others they don’t know as well. So in the end, it’s not a matter of empathy causing you to help others- it’s a matter of how much you care about someone, and how strongly you feel the need to support them with anything that comes up in their lives.

Another Case Study

Looking at matters through a more negative lens, there’s also the idea that the issue is our insensitivity. There are societal pressures in place that cause everyone in a community to feel obliged to be empathetic or sympathetic towards some situations. For example, if a little girl is lost in a community, everyone will feel the need to express their sorrow over the matter and to even play a small role in helping find her. This isn’t a bad thing at all- the problem arises when people take situations like this, and use them to justify their notion that they are kind beings, or kind enough. Another example would be the idea of vegetarianism to spare animals a brutal slaughter. There has been much publicity about cruel treatment of animals in more recent times, and as a result, many feel obliged to care about these matters. For this reason, there is a general sympathy for this cause, and many feel empathetic towards those who turn to vegetarianism. The thing is, when people feel they are correct in this action based on empathy, they begin to justify other things they do in their lives as well. These same people can easily become dictators who unnecessarily involve their countries in wars and cause much death… and yet, because they feel empathetic and act on their empathy towards one cause (vegetarianism), feel they are morally correct and do not hesitate to carry out such brutal slaughter of humans. Hitler was such an example. His vegetarianism was out of disgust for the idea of killing animals, yet he felt nothing in killing humans; indeed, he often saw it as necessary. Thus, we have an example of a character who takes empathy and action based on empathy towards one cause as justification for moral righteousness, and carries this sense of correctness forward in the other terrible things they do.

Conclusion

In the end, the fact is that even if we can empathize with many, we cannot take action to help every single person out there. Our own sense of empathy towards everyone can even be a distraction that prevents us doing what we can to help a few people, and it is interesting that we have to overcome the general empathy we feel for everyone in order to successfully help a few people. Being aware of this reality is definitely valuable, and since empathy alone will lead to no action, it is clear that in order to get anything done to help people we feel empathetic towards, we have to take action. Nor can we expect that our actions will impact everyone we care about- there is only so much one person can do, and to recognize our limitations and not unrealistically expect that we can save everyone allows us to not be discouraged, but to continue with our own small efforts to help a few people. In short, if we all embrace our limited ability to help yet try to play our part in helping a few of the many people we are empathetic towards, our efforts will accumulate and become that much more significant.

This exploration was inspired by the TED article ‘Is Empathy Overrated?,’ which you should definitely give a read!

1/2

Dialogues #1: Apple Slowing Down Phones

Uncategorized

RunLin Wang

-

February 3, 2018

2

Hi everyone! This is the first post of a new series that Youth Are Awesome is doing, called “Dialogues”. Every month, we will post a short blog post about a controversial topic that occurred in the previous month, and we’ll have an open discussion/debate in the comments section of this post! Without any further ado, we’ll get right into this month’s Dialogues post: Apple Slowing Down Phones!

The Issue

Apple, Inc. is a world-renowned technology giant, credited with the creation of many consumer products such as the Mac, the iPad, and the topic of this article, the iPhone. iPhones take up over 40% of the market share of all phones in the United States, and Apple is the largest company on the stock market by market capitalization largely due to the iPhone’s commercial success. As such, when the shocking revelation that Apple was slowing down older phones on purpose was exposed to the public, there was immediate backlash and discussion.

In late December, Apple announced that a recent software update had been implemented for slightly older phones. They said that they were slowing down older phones because as the lithium ion batteries age, it becomes harder for them to keep up with the processing speeds of modern applications. Sometimes this incapacity of the batteries causes them to shut down unexpectedly during operation. In order to address this, Apple released the update to slow down older phones to prevent these spontaneous shutdowns. The backlash was immediate, with many displeased with Apple’s actions. So far, multiple lawsuits in 3 different countries have been filed against Apple for this reason, and Apple has been forced to apologize and offer replacement batteries at a lower price. Recently, the federal government even launched a probe to investigate Apple for this reason.

The Two Sides

One major perspective on this issue is the one presented by Apple, that they are protecting the batteries and devices of their consumers. They claim that battery shutdowns and overheats could prove dangerous for the user and the device, and that the responsible choice was to slow down the phones.

The other major perspective is the one that is represented by the public outcry against Apple’s actions. People have long heard rumours about how Apple purposely slows down phones to force users to upgrade to new phones and buy more of Apple’s products, and now some people see the latest software update as proof that Apple is attempting to increase their own profits in an unfair way to the consumer. Apple denies these allegations, saying that they would never try to shorten the product lifespan of any iPhone.

So what’s your opinion? Feel free to comment below. Please keep all comments appropriate and respectful.

Visuals: (x)(x)

Start Semester Two Right With These Tips!

Uncategorized

Julieanne Acosta

-

February 3, 2018

0

One down, one more to go! At least for this school year. Now I know all of our mentalities going into semester two. “I’m going to do better than last semester!” “I’m going to work harder and get better grades”

Quite frankly, what I’ve realized is that each new semester is treated like a whole new year in terms of all of the goals and resolutions we expect ourselves to follow. Now hopefully, with this new semester, we all hold onto these goals and follow through with them. So here are some tips to help you through our next cycle of homework, exams, quizzes, presentations, and not to mention another round of finals for the grand finale.

Be realistic with your goals

Step one: Don’t overdo it with your goals! That doesn’t mean that you can’t do it, it just sets a realistic standard for yourself. Nonetheless, don’t stop there. If you reach that goal, keep going. Don’t make the initial goal far out of reach because it might just seem like too much and you’ll end up less motivated. Make sure you don’t just reflect on your goals but you make a plan to achieve them.

Now that you have your goals, write them down and tape them down where you know you’ll see them often

This is just as important as making your goals. Write some down on a post-it and stick them on your mirror, your binder, your notebooks, really anywhere that you’ll be able to see it daily. This makes sure you’re constantly reminded and given some extra motivation. Sure it might sound silly, but it can really affect the way you go about your day at school.

Pay a little bit more attention in class by taking more notes

We all know it’s true. After the first few days back and we start getting less and less sleep, there’s not as much incentive to actually sit in class for 80 minutes. Try bringing out your notebook right away when you get into class and jot down some notes here and there. If you find yourself dozing off, make sure to bring a snack for class, this way you have something else to focus on. Don’t spend 80 minutes of your life in a classroom with nothing written down to prove it. This will also make studying a lot better because all the information is already there, your future self will thank you.

Up your organizational skills with bullet journals

Bullet journals aren’t just something you see on Tumblr! It’s helped immensely with my planning and time management skills. Not to mention, it’s a really fun creative way to get organized. If you don’t see yourself as an artistic person and therefore decide not to try bullet journaling, you’re missing out. Bullet journals are 100% tailored the way you want them to be because you’re the designer. They don’t have to be artistic, they can be completely simple. The idea of a bullet journal isn’t for it to just be aesthetically pleasing, but to actually help the person with their planning and goals! Give it a shot and you might actually really like it!

Get ahead when you have the chance

Again, your future self will thank you for this. When you’re given a project that’s said to be due in a month. Get it started. No matter how small the project is. Even with small homework questions or even just a worksheet. Things pile up quickly, way too quickly. Get it out of the way and get ready for another load, because you will for sure get one soon enough.

Make way for friends

Don’t go through this semester confined in your room writing essays, finishing IA’s and labs. Make sure you have time for fun. It’s not good for our brain to just be in a loop of homework. Your happiness is just as valuable than whatever piece of schoolwork you’re trying to get done. So get out of the house at least once a week and let yourself get loose. You deserve it.

Images: FI 1 2 3 4

The Apple HomePod, the newest Google Home and Amazon Echo competitor

Uncategorized

Lucas Ion

-

January 31, 2018

0

Apple’s HomePod is the tech giants attempt to cement themselves into the smart home speaker market. Prior to the HomePod, companies such as Google and Amazon have released products such as the Google Home and Google Home Mini, as well as Amazon releasing the Amazon Echo. Apple’s late entrance into the smart home market shows the Cupertino based company’s plan to diversify its products range, whilst deepening the Apple ecosystem for its consumers.

Its new HomePod is a brand new smart speaker, which aims to make a plethora of the features from Apple’s ecosystem more accessible by voice. However its most heavily branded feature is its ability to bring music and integrate it with a high-quality speaker with Siri. The Homepod features a high excursion woofer and a custom amplifier. It also features Apple’s A8 chip which was also the chip which was most notably used by Apple’s iPhone 6 and 6 plus.

The Apple HomePod utilizes Siri to navigate music, and integrates it into its design with a glowing light positioned on the top of the device. Siri gives the listener a variety of options to control their music and control a bunch of other features. Apple also aims to integrate the HomePod with its HomeKit platform, helping the HomePod give control over areas such as lighting, thermostats, etc.

The Homepod releases in the U.S.A on February 9th 2018; however a specific date has not been announced for Canada. Until then, many excited customers will wait to see if Apple’s newest product is going to be a game changer or just another product.

Image Source 1/2

Featured Image Source http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZmYde4GqWuLt9EJyXnnKFD.jpg

Information Sources:

https://www.apple.com/homepod/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_A8

http://business.financialpost.com/technology/personal-tech/refile-apple-launches-homepod-smart-speaker-sales-from-jan-26

https://www.apple.com/ca/ios/home/

Amazon Go, a revolution in the grocery store space

Uncategorized

Lucas Ion

-

January 31, 2018

0

Nearing the end of January, Amazon opened its “go” store to the public. The project from Amazon aimed to introduce a completely new shopping experience, which eliminated the traditional cashier payment method by swapping it for a cashier-less, walk in walk out experience. The store opened in Seattle and was quickly met with long lineups upon its opening to the public.

The “Go store” features a plethora of ready-made meals and other common items you would find in a grocery store. However, it does not offer certain items as they are hard to track, such as fresh produce.

The store features a large number of cameras installed in the ceiling which aim to track the individuals who are shopping while tracking which products they pick up and put back, the cameras are also used in combination with sensors in the shelves, all these technological aspects track and keep track of what you pick up and walk out of the store with . Ultimately the cameras follow the individuals and the products they take as they walk out of the front door, they then charge their Amazon account.

The ambition from Amazon with its new project is clear, however, the success of this new ambition is anything but clear.

Image Sources: 1/2/3

Featured Image Source: 4

http://money.cnn.com/2018/01/26/technology/amazon-go-store/index.html

https://www.amazon.com/b?node=16008589011

Opportunity: The Edgemont Youth Press!

Uncategorized

Asha Nenshi Nathoo

-

January 31, 2018

0

The Edgemont Youth Press is a group of youth who are passionate about writing and getting involved in their community. Our group is responsible for publishing monthly pieces for the community newsletter. This newsletter, the Inside Edge, is delivered to more than 6,000 households, apartments, and businesses within the Edgemont Community every month. The writing covers a broad range of topics from interviews with community businesses to issues our youth feel are important to creative writing all in an effort to connect ourselves to the greater community.

This group started back in 2014 as the Youth Reporters exclusively reporting on community businesses but since then has greatly expanded. Along with the name change, the Youth Press has broadened our areas of writing to create an environment where everyone is given the opportunity to make their voice heard. Some previously written topics have included feminism, the importance of community, and the Beyond 4 Walls Conference. Click here to browse recent newsletters for which we have created content.

We welcome anyone from grade seven up who either live in the Edgemont Community or attend one of the community’s designated schools. Not only do we provide a supportive environment for youth to enhance their writing skills, but also a welcoming and diverse group in which many memories and friendships are created. Additionally, by joining our little group, you would become a volunteer for the Edgemont Community.

After a little down period, we are planning to restart our monthly articles in the community newsletter in Spring 2018. As we reestablish this club, we are also very open to new suggestions, ideas and plans. Nothing is set in stone. We hope to move forward, with the aim to build community through giving youth a platform of expression.

So if you or anyone may be interested, please shoot us a note at edgemontyouthpress@gmail.com! We would love to invite you out to our first introductory & brainstorming meeting at the Edgemont Community Association on February 13th from 5:30 – 6:30pm.

Underrated Movies/TV Shows That Deserve Your Attention Now

Entertainment

Hilary Guo

-

January 31, 2018

2

I’ve been watching movies and TV shows for a long time now. Long enough to identify which ones are garbage and which are not. But one thing that has bothered me the most, is that the ABSOLUTE BEST films and shows (in my opinion) are coincidentally the most unpopular ones. It’s such a shame that these titles don’t have the recognition they deserve! They are life-changing, heart-breaking and all-in-all inexplicably amazing in every aspect. It’s time to justify their lack of attention and make them known!

BONNIE & CLYDE (2013)

Let’s just take a moment to appreciate this movie poster. Clyde and Bonnie. Bonnie and Clyde. Unquestionably one of the most iconic couples in history. This two-part miniseries (or three-hour-long movie if you watch on Netflix) follows the lives of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, from their first meeting to their last. Car chases and shootouts, all taking place in the dirty 30’s just to make it even greater. Watching this has evoked all sorts of feelings. This entire miniseries had been an emotional roller coaster, taking me on a ride and showcasing the rise and fall of the infamous Bonnie & Clyde. This picture says it all. Two people, madly in love, committing crimes along the way. Does it really get any better than this? I think this has got to be the best Bonnie & Clyde film of all time. The way the actors portray the roles of the two, it’s like they’ve become the actual characters. At times I felt like I was watching lost tapes of the real Bonnie and Clyde in action! Trailer

X COMPANY (2017)

I say this at least twice on a daily basis, but EVERYBODY GO WATCH X COMPANY, A.K.A. THE BEST SHOW KNOWN TO MAN. It pains me greatly knowing that probably only me and 4 other people have watched this show. It’s actually the most incredible thing that exists on earth, I’m just saying. This show could easily beat any other show on the face of the planet. 5 allied spies in occupied Europe during WW2? Tell me that it’s not the greatest thing you’ve ever heard. I would defend this show to the death without hesitation. Espionage, secrecy, drama, romance, kicking some Nazi butt. What more could you ask for? The plot never has a dull moment and trust me, this is the kind of show you’d pull all nighters for. Trailer

HANDSOME DEVIL (2016)

Handsome Devil is the cutest LGBTQ movie I’ve ever seen. It’s set in an all-boys, rugby-obsessed boarding school. Ned (right) is the only boy at his school who despises rugby, and just his luck, Conor (left), a rugby star has been assigned as Ned’s new roommate. But there was something different about Conor, something he wasn’t ready to admit to himself, much less the rest of the world. It’s a beautiful story about coming out and the fight against homophobia. It’ll make you cry and laugh at the same time. I highly recommend you watch this underrated movie. Trailer

OUR WORLD WAR (2014)

LIFE. CHANGING. I initially watched this three-part British miniseries on an airplane, which was a horrible idea because I nearly flooded the plane with my tears. I think I’ve cried more in these three episodes than I have my whole life. Let this be a warning, you’re going to need at least one whole box of tissues if you plan on watching. This BBC WW1 drama is so underrated it makes me angry. No shade, but this deserves twice as many views than the trashy shows on Netflix’s home page. It tells three different stories of the first world war, as told by people who lived it. This miniseries is nothing short of astonishing. From the trenches to the fields, the battlefront to the home front, it shows the tragedy and reality that was the great war. Trailer

UNDER SANDET [LAND OF MINE] (2016)

This German movie left me in a pool of tears. No joke. Don’t let the fact that it’s a foreign movie scare you from watching. It’s based on the true story of how after the second world war, leftover German prisoners of war were forced to stay and defuse landmines. It’ll make you feel so many emotions, by the time you’re finished you won’t even know what hit you. Plot twists are literally everywhere, and nothing goes the way you think it’s going to. It’s such a spectacular movie and deserves all the attention in the world. Trailer

Let these titles be known!

source 1 source 2 source 3 source 4 source 5

featured

Long receipts are absurd… or are they?

Uncategorized

Lucy Han

-

January 30, 2018

0

The Question:

These days, I rarely get receipts shorter than a 30cm ruler for purchasing a bag of chips at just about any store. It’s totally absurd so I wanted to find out why do stores did this.

Before researching this shower thought, I wanted to list out a few of my own reasons for why receipts are, what seems like, longer than my research papers I write for school.

1. For people to collect and turn into a mummy costume for Halloween. (Or in the holiday spirit, turn into scarves and keep warm.)
2. To be used to make origami stars.
3. Turn into DIY birthday party streamers.

My list could probably go on (it actually did but I’ll spare you from my ridiculous answers), but you can tell that I was completely stumped with coming up with anything reasonable. It’s just that typically I don’t see people casually reading their receipts any time after their purchase, or any time at all for that matter. And so I googled “why are receipts so long?”

My top 3 were Search Results:

– Why Store Receipts from CVS, Kmart, Target Are So Long | Money

– CVS receipts are so long they’ve become a meme … – Business Insider

– Why CVS Receipts Are So Long – Business Insider

For anyone who may not know what CVS is, it’s essentially an American drugstore, similar to Shopper’s Drug Mart, Rexall, or London Drugs. After reading these first few articles, I found out that CVS is (now, was) notorious for printing long receipts. If you thought any of our Canadian receipts were incredibly long, well you’re in for a treat. The lengths of CVS receipts is almost forgivable because they’re so long, it’s funny. This, of course, blew up across the Internet. Another google search of images of CVS receipts showed that my guesses weren’t too far off from what other customers were doing with their really really long receipts.

Boiling down the Why:

Some sources say that the long receipts from CVS were intentional. Having their receipts blowup on social media could have been a clever tactic to make customers out of curious people. Was it a marketing strategy? It makes sense because Starbucks is known for something similar. Their notorious reputation for misspelling names is purposely meant to get customers to share pictures of their drinks on social media.

Or…the strategy involves sending customers away with question marks bobbing above their heads and hoping that the customers will share their experience.

Fun fact! Starbucks recently spelled my name as “Lusie”. (I’d put a picture but I drank my mint mocha before I remembered a picture would be cool)

So long, long receipt!

As of May 2016, CVS implemented a digital receipt system where “Customers [could] have the opportunity to opt-out of receiving paper receipts for all in-store purchases when completing their transactions in the front of the store. Once the one-time process is completed, customers will receive receipts digitally, along with their coupons and rewards, each time they shop at CVS Pharmacy.” [x]

Just like VCRs, will we witness the elimination of receipts in the near future? While they still exist, lets celebrate the memories that receipts have brought to humanity up until this point.

I hope you enjoyed my scoop on long receipts and learned something new! Now, ttfn while I go make my next Halloween costume.

Images /1/2/3/4/

Dream-Pop Duo “Flower Crown” On Their Name, Debut Album “GLOW” and Influences

Uncategorized

Emily Donville

-

January 30, 2018

0

Coachella has inspired a lot. Whether its musicians at the beginning of their careers or questionable fashion trends, the size and scope of the festival has continually influenced music lovers all over the world, year after year. This includes Richie Colosimo and Aaron Mook. Together, they make up Pittsburgh, Pa’s “Flower Crown“. The duo have been busy making music since 2016, and just released their debut album “GLOW” back in October. I reached out to them a few weeks ago to chat about how they met, the music scene in Pittsburgh, the making of “GLOW” and what 2018 has in store for them. I knew I was in store for a good time when they sent me promo photos of them eating wings, and signed off with “hope all is gravy on your end”, so if you’re not yet convinced of their genius, keep reading to learn about Richie and Aaron and the magic they make.

YAA: How did you guys meet? When did you guys form the band?

Richie: Aaron and I met at a Halloween show (I was Bob from Bob’s Burgers – crucial info) in Erie, Pa in the fall of 2015. In early 2016, Aaron came on a few tours with another band I’m in and we started kicking around the idea of starting a side project. We eventually started tracking demos in the summer/fall of 2016.

YAA: Where did the name “Flower Crown” come from?

Aaron: In college, my roommate and I threw an annual Coachella party where we’d put a live stream up on the TV. Either Richie or I made a joke about how many flower crowns there were in one of the crowds, and at that point we already had a few demos and knew the sound we were going for, so we thought the name would be fitting. We liked how tongue-in-cheek it was.

YAA: What’s the music scene in Pittsburgh like?

Richie: While I’m fairly new to Pittsburgh, I got a glimpse into the DIY scene while passing through with my other band Frame and Mantle in 2015-16. Since the time I’ve been here, I’ve seen so many seriously good artists coming up and some very hardworking promoters, volunteers, and labels that are making the scene here really, really good. Through it’s ups and downs, the Pittsburgh music scene has always been strong and I think it’s getting much stronger as of late.

YAA: How would you describe your music to somebody who’s never heard it before?

Aaron: I try to explain genres like “shoegaze” and “dream-pop” to my family members and coworkers all the time. Those are the genre tags we usually fall under, but for people who aren’t familiar, I’d probably just describe it as dreamy pop music. We write pop songs, but we try to turn them into something special with the textures and tones we use.

YAA: In terms of all your songs, what’s your favorite lyric and why?

Richie: Aaron and I are pretty inexperienced with writing lyrics, so I don’t know if we have anything lyrically that we’re confident enough to say is our best. However, the entire song “Lady of the Lake” is about lying in a hammock, so between the song and the lyrics, it puts me immediately back in a hammock on Presque Isle. Out of all the places the album takes me, that might be my favorite.

YAA: Your debut album “GLOW” was released back in October. Now that it’s out, how do you feel?

Aaron: Honestly, GLOW is a little bit darker than it leads on, or at least some of the circumstances around it were, so it feels good to have some of those songs off our chests. Production wound up being a little rushed — “Pls” was the last song we did vocals on and we literally had minutes left to finish it — and we liked the record, but we didn’t really know if other people would, especially after sitting on it for a few months while it was being mixed and mastered. It’s just a lot different than our EP, simultaneously a lot poppier and a lot weirder. So the positive response we’ve seen surrounding the album has been surprising and overwhelming, to say the least. I keep saying that if people like this record, we can make sure that they love the next one.

YAA: What artists had the most influence in terms of your sound on “GLOW”?

Richie: During the writing process, I was listening to the new DIIV record that had came out in ’16, plus Real Estate and Beach Fossils’ records from ’17, even some atmospheric black metal as sound influences. It’s easy to write something that gets lost in those bands respective genres so I didn’t want to stick to any certain formula. I just know the direction I wanted to head and I wanted to make something fresh that I would enjoy listening to.

YAA: How long did the album take to finish and where did you guys record it?

Richie: I started tracking demos in the fall of 2016 and by early 2017, we had enough to start recording a full-length album. We did a bulk of the recording at my “home studio” in Pittsburgh, but actually finished and mixed the album at Aaron’s house in Warren, Pa.

YAA: Did you guys run into any roadblocks during the production of the LP? If so, what were they and how did you overcome them?

Aaron: I think the biggest issues we experienced during production were simply time-related. I spent a week in Pittsburgh working on the demos with Richie, but we weren’t in great places in our personal lives at the time, so we didn’t get much accomplished aside from writing “Bloodshade.” We scrapped a lot of the vocal ideas from those sessions and waited until we were in a better place to record, which was the right decision. Richie is also more of a perfectionist when it comes to recording, which is great considering I’m kind of the opposite. I remember doing vocal takes for “Bloodshade” over and over and having to step away and get some air so I could convince myself I was a capable vocalist. Recording can be frustrating, but patience and understanding is key.

YAA: Is there anything people should know about the new album or even your music in general?

Aaron: GLOW is a cool record and we’re very proud of it. But the next one’s going to be even better.

YAA: If you could support any artist/band on tour, who would it be and where would you tour?

Aaron: That’s a great question. I think we’d fit great on a bill with Beach Fossils, especially if we branch out a little more with this next album. As far as where we’d tour, this probably isn’t a typical answer, but I’d want to do the festival circuit and watch our name come full circle.

Richie: I think it would be fun to tour with Wavves. We’d probably be booed off stage, but I feel like they would be fun to party with.

YAA: If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what song would it be and why?

Aaron: “Dramamine” by Modest Mouse immediately comes to mind. It’s probably my favorite song by my favorite band, maybe my favorite song period, and that repetitive, plodding guitar part would be fitting for some kind of Groundhog Day scenario.

Richie: “Dopesmoker” by Sleep. Sometimes a riff is so good you just want to hear it for the rest of your life.

YAA: What’s next for you guys?

Richie: I recorded and released three records in 2017 and I have three LPs to record in 2018, so hopefully sleep at some point.

YAA: Any parting words of wisdom?

Aaron: This wisdom is recently acquired and untested, but for me, 2018 is about being myself and accomplishing as much as I can while I’m young. I recently had the epiphany that you’ll never get anywhere if you don’t start somewhere, so make a list of the things you want to achieve and the steps you need to take to get there. For me, it’s a podcast, a film script, and LP2.

Richie: Keep doing what you’re passionate about no matter how much time you can allocate to it and surround yourself with people who will support you along the way.

Huge thanks to Richie and Aaron for talking to me! Don’t forget to follow them on social media and definitely give them a listen to see what you’re missing out on!

Bandcamp: https://flowercrownmusic.bandcamp.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flowercrownmusic/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/flwrcrwnmusic

(All photos received were provided by the artist or retrieved from the artist’s Facebook. NOT our own)

Not Good Enough

Uncategorized

Madina Shaykhutdinova

-

January 26, 2018

0

They are never good enough.

They’re okay, but never enough to stand out.

They’re just sort of there. Filler.

Even though they work hard

Even though they try their best.

But what does it matter when everybody

Is doing the best they can?

Then they are all the same.

A homogeneous sea of consistency.

Going beyond the requirements

But unable to surpass

The achievements of others.

Those in charge still adore them

Because they have mastered how to

Exceed the obligations.

But when they’re all overachievers

They are all the same.

Toeing the line between being

Totally complaisant

And being

Creative

Unsure which will lead to a better result.

Is it better to follow the tried-and-true path to success

Or is it better to be innovative?

Whatever they choose

They continue to work hard.

Sometimes it doesn’t even matter

Because everyone else is working just as hard.

Some of them give up

And sink

Down

Into what they believe

Are the depths of mediocrity.

Then, they either continue

Down

The downward

Spiral

Or they learn to let go.

To let go from the constant pressures,

The ever-present expectations

For perfection.

Because some people

Endeavor to completely meet

Somebody else’s expectations.

Some people

Dare to be controversial

And ingenious.

Good for them.

But not all of them can stand out.

Sometimes,

It’s okay to just

blend in.

But even then, they still find themselves

Wishing they were good enough.

Image source: 1

Calgary Women’s March 2018

Asha Nenshi Nathoo

-

January 24, 2018

0

The diverse group of people came out to advocate for a range of issues including women’s rights, migration reform, LGBTQ rights, racial justice, freedom of religion and more.

I was incredibly honoured to be one of the speakers at the 2018 Calgary Women’s March performing an original slam poem. I have to admit that the days leading up the March were filled with nervousness. I had attended the March the previous year, incredibly inspired to see so many come together in an effort to bring about change. Yet, I knew again there would be thousands of attendees out there listening. I had participated in debate and public speaking competitions numerous times before, but by no doubt had ever addressed a crowd this large. What if I made a mistake? What if they didn’t like my poetry? On the morning of the event, as I stood in the brisk cold for my sound check, unsure of how far from the mic I should be or how loud I should speak, I still wasn’t too sure what I was doing.

*Courtesy of Women’s March Canada – Calgary FB page*

Over the next the couple hours as I met fellow speakers, volunteers and marchers, I was overwhelmed with support. It was evident that the vast majority of people where there to stand in solidarity with their neighbours and inspire action. Special shout out to my fellow two youth speakers – Jane (age 14) an LGBTQ activist, and Leanne (age 11) an Indigenous poet whom I got to know for their true sincerity and braveness.

When the time came to preform, the reason some of my anxiety evaporated and I was able to enjoy myself was because I felt the audience was engaged. As a speaker, the sense that my message of looking past our external differences was getting across, encouraged me to want to continue. Which leads into my belief that Women’s Marches all over the world have been effective in promoting human rights and bringing us together in common humanity.

Women’s Marches have been instrumental in uniting millions across oceans and national boundaries. Initiatives such as these will be and will continue to be powerful and progressive forces in promoting the equity, respect, and understanding that our world so direly needs right now.

Those who were impacted by these marches were not only the people who came out, but also those who wanted to make a difference, and watched from home. In a time where our world seems to be falling apart, and where many individuals have felt alone, these marches offer hope, and inspire them to take action. They foster a sense of togetherness and inclusiveness. When you are connected to others that are passionate about the same types of issues, you can move mountains.

Additionally, these marches have generated awareness among legislators, policy-makers, and leaders about the issues that affect ordinary people. Sure, we can all try and do our individual part by writing letters or having meetings to express our views, but there is no substitute for strong, peaceful public expressions.

Speaking of peaceful public protests, among the millions of people who came out for the first and second Women’s March, there was not one incident of violence recorded. Watching millions of people in every corner of the world peacefully stand together on issues and policies, sends a strong and clear message to our leaders.

Most importantly, Women’s Marches have been a means of raising public awareness and stirring others to think and reflect on how these concerns affect us all. Pictures and stories have been all over the media. It has sure been hard to miss them. No matter what your views, people all over the world heard about and talked about these events.

All of these are absolutely essential for the progress of any democratic society. Without such initiatives, as Martin Luther King warned, we fall into a world where “few care, and fewer still act.” And that is a world I believe none of us would want to live in.

Personally, all I can say is that as a speaker, a 14 year old Muslim female of a minority, the inspiration this event provided was like none other. Finally, I’d like to express my gratitude to all those that organized, volunteered, and came to out to these Marches. Thank you for empowering voices and motivating change!

Image Sources: Featured (courtesy of Jon Yee), 1/2/3/4

this peculiar trait of being human (and other euphemisms for love) : a conversation with Yi Nuo Cheng

Uncategorized

~ Chu ☆ ~

-

January 24, 2018

0

I’m sure at some point, we’ve all had the urge to write our own book. But for most of us, trying to actually start that process usually puts a damper on that aspiration. However, meet the girl who’s braved this daunting task.

This is Yi Nuo, a grade 11 student at Sir Winston Churchill High School. Between conquering partial IB, maintaining her own blog (here!), being a flautist, and keeping the Instagram aesthetic alive, she has published her own book! Clocking in at over 150 pages, and over 90 poems, it is a legitimate, published book. Whoa.

Fun little backstory for everyone: I’ve actually known (/known of) Yi Nuo since I was in grade four. Throw it back to elementary days, and you will find both of us at Hillhurst, me, an awkward 10-year-old, playing Temple Run, and admiring the super cool sixth graders, which is where Yi Nuo comes in. Admittedly, I was way too shy, and quite frankly, lame to actually talk to her, or any of the sixth graders. But luckily, I was quite the advanced internet sleuth and followed her Instagram. About five years later of mutual appreciation, I saw her post about how she had written a book. Finally given an excuse to meet her, I recently had the chance to sit down with the author herself to talk a little bit about the book “this peculiar trait of being human (and other euphemisms for love)“, and purchased a copy for myself! Captivating, and genuine, it was fantastic to meet a real-life author, and fellow student to talk about her unique endeavour. Here’s some of her insight:

Although Yi Nuo dabbled in poetry for quite some time before, her passion was really sparked when she joined her school’s slam poetry team last spring and went to a provincial tournament. Drawing inspiration from reading, and listening to other poets, and poems (her favourite being “Here”, written by Aman K Batra!), she continued to write, and compile little poems here and there. And then in summer 2017, she decided to check an item off her bucket list, and put them into a book!

poetry and prose for aching hearts and hungry souls. this peculiar trait of being human (and other euphemisms for love) explores love, friendship, insecurity, beauty, identity, and purpose. a profound and raw confession is housed in each page. it is a journal of fears and passions alike; vulnerable, stirring, and empowering. a collection that needs no voice to speak volumes.

With the help of advice columns and self-publishing, she was able to get it published through CreateSpace. It was a bit of a walk in the dark, but she figured out how to do everything by herself. Being a visual artist as well, the illustrations accompanying poems are all original, cover photo included.

Everything in the book except for the barcode is done by me

While dealing with the stresses of high school, Yi Nuo sees poetry in particular as a creative outlet, being able to let out streams of consciousness, and make them into something productive.

You can really turn your negative emotions into a form of art. So even when you’re not having the best day, you’re able to look back and say : “Well at least I got a good poem out of it.” And then when you emerge from the other side, you get to relive what you were feeling, and reflect.

a little sneak peak (courtesy of Yi Nuo)

But apart from being a creative channel, through poetry, Yi Nuo’s also been able to explore, and develop her own style, playing with stylistic choices, capitalization, and different spacing. But further from visual aspects, she’s seen her poetry grow from a very personal expression that only she would understand, to incorporate very universal themes.

Even so, her poetry is so unique in that she writes for a demographic that isn’t often addressed. In response to the adults who brush off work penned by younger individuals, she says: “Maybe I can’t write poetry that’s for adults, or people who don’t share my life experiences. But I can express the experiences of people my own age. And a lot of the people who buy my book are people I know, who tell me that it really strikes a chord with them because they can relate to what I’m talking about.”

Perhaps even more impressive to me was Yi Nuo’s blog, which she has run by herself successfully for quite some time now. When asked about how she continues to find inspiration, she told me : “What I really try to do is find inspiration everywhere, whether it’s watching poetry, reading books, blog posts, or drawing from people who matter to me, and exploring their stories. Never stop looking for inspiration. And have trust that it will always come back to you”

Surprisingly enough, although publishing a novel with a publication house is a major life goal, Yi Nuo’s also interested in the business side of things, specifically marketing: appealing, and relating to audiences. So as a little challenge, I asked for her best impromptu sales pitch for her book:

“this peculiar trait of being human and other euphemisms for love is an exploration of one person’s take on life. Although I haven’t been on this earth for a very long time, I like to think that I have learned a couple things here and there, but certainly have a lot of questions about life, and love. So if you want to read about my experiences, share some questions with me, or just read something that explores that, and opens up new questions for you, have a look!”

More info on how to purchase her book here!

The rise of AI – an impending crisis?

Uncategorized

Gavin Dan

-

January 24, 2018

0

Artificial intelligence permeates our everyday lives: present in our smartphone and computer “assistants”, orchestrating search engine suggestions, and dominating the scene of the NY Stock Exchange that quietly turns the cogs of the economy, the development of AI has undoubtedly revolutionized the modern world. The neural networks provide an increasingly capable and consistent alternative to the human mind in many major fields – production industries, data processing, and especially logical endeavors like chess or GO.

The rate at which AI developments have been made is astounding. The first electronic computer was built not even a century ago – a mere sliver on the timeline of human history – and yet, the application of electricity to simplify human lives has led to one of the most significant changes in the way we approach the world. CEO of Tesla and SpaceX Elon Musk has warned that artificial intelligence would eventually surpass and endanger the human capability, providing a tool for certain groups to exponentially consolidate power over the majority of people.

Elon Musk at The Summit 2013 (Credit to Dan Taylor @ Heisenberg Media)

I don’t want to really scare you, but it was alarming how many people I talked to who are highly placed people in AI who have retreats that are sort of ‘bug out’ houses, to which they could flee if it all hits the fan.

—James Barrat, speaker and documentary filmmaker

Perhaps the most straightforward way for this to occur is the replacement of workers by automation. Many critics predict the eventual domination of industry – especially manual labor – by robots, whose physical abilities can easily exceed that of a person’s. (There are already statistics for how likely jobs are to be replaced by automation, like here.) In June 2016, CBC reported that 42% of Canadian employment was at risk for this.

Will our children and grandchildren end up like this?

Historically, jobs have been threatened whenever labor-saving technological breakthroughs were made, such as the steam engine or automatic irrigation. In the years following the Industrial Revolution, textile workers especially suffered from being unable to adapt quickly to the invention of the spinning jenny.

It doesn’t stop there, though: even skilled and highly technical jobs may face a crisis as machines that can “learn” improve to the world’s standards. Machine progress is described in a trend called “Moore’s Law”, which roughly states that the number of transistors in a circuit doubles every 2 years – and transistors will get faster as well in addition to being able to cram more inside a given space:

Moore’s Law demonstrated in CPU Giant Intel

Where we would usually derive from history to predict the future, we are almost helpless now: something that could challenge human intelligence on our own planet has never emerged in the past. The benefits of developing AI, for now, seem to outweigh the negatives in our technologically driven world.

But fewer and fewer people know exactly how anything works, and most use computers without a thought for the circuitry inside, at the mercy of occasional system crashes or the whims of hackers. What happens when machines fully surpass our comprehension, and can perform astronomical tasks beyond our wildest dreams? This case, if any, is one where only time will tell.

Sources: 1/2/3/4

Images: Featured/2/3/4

Calgary’s “The Static Shift” Talk CTV’s “The Launch”, Rock Music + Being Young Musicians

Emily Donville

-

January 23, 2018

0

At first glance, Calgary’s rock trio The Static Shift (made up of Mitchell Brady (Guitar / Vocals), Keone Friesen (Bass / Harmonica), and Isaiah Stonehouse (Drums / Background Vocals)) are decidedly different than most acts in today’s music scene. Dressed in retro garments that reflect their sound, The Static Shift are an embodiment of their love of rock n’ roll and are nothing less than spectacular. Since bursting onto the local music scene 5 years ago, the guys have made a name for themselves here in the city and regularly play gigs at local venues, all the while inspiring their peers and playing their hearts out for people of all ages and backgrounds. The three young musicians have yet to turn 20 years old but they already have 2 albums, a gig at LA’s Whiskey A Go Go, several awards and an appearance on a new CTV reality show under their belts, among other impressive achievements. I approached them recently to talk about CTV’s “The Launch”, their music, being young musicians in Calgary and everything in between and they were gracious enough to accept. So without further ado, keep on reading and be sure to watch them on “The Launch” which airs on January 24th at 8pm MST on CTV!

YAA: How did you guys meet and when did you guys form the band?

The Static Shift: “Mitchell and Keone met when they were 12, at a rock band camp here in Calgary. About 6 months after that, Keone messaged Mitchell on Facebook asking if he wanted to create a band together. They played together for a few years, going through multiple members, before finding Isaiah. Isaiah moved to Calgary in late 2012 when he was 14, and after only a few weeks of living in the city, ran into a paper ad on the wall of Axe Music (a local music shop here in Calgary) that read “14 year old boys looking for drummer”. The rest really is history, and we’ve been playing together for 5 years now!”

YAA: Where does the name “The Static Shift” come from?

TSS: “Before our first full length album came out, we actually went by the name “Stone of Nowhere”, a name thought of by a previous band member a few years back. People simply could never remember the name, so we knew we had to change it before we released our first full album. After many months of name ideas, we finally decided to settle it one afternoon at The Ship & Anchor, a restaurant here in Calgary on 17th Ave. Us three, and our dads, rated each name idea out of 5 using a deck of cards. It came down to three names, The Static Shift being one of them. It was only after deciding on The Static Shift that we realized how contradictory the name is. Static, being something that stays put, and Shift, being something that is always moving. We originally were drawn to it simply because of its uniqueness, and it reminded us of the retro image we are always trying to show, while still having a modern twist. Sadly, there’s no secret meaning behind this band name like there is with some.”

YAA: What did you guys grow up listening to?

TSS: “We really did grow up listening to all sorts of music. Some major influences being, The Beatles (of course), Led Zeppelin, Super Tramp, and the Allman Brothers. Our parents introduced us to some of these artists, but many of them we found ourselves, through lots of exploring and digging around. There really are so many artists we could name.”

YAA: Who are your favorite fellow Calgarian musicians?

TSS: “There are some GREAT local bands here in Calgary, many who we’ve had the pleasure to play with. Some of our favourites include Crooked Spies, Amy Bishop, Timeboy, Free the Cynics, Fever Feel (who now reside in Victoria), and 10 Minute Detour.”

YAA: You released your debut album “Windsor Street” in 2014 and followed it up with your sophomore album “Common Bliss” last year. What did you learn after releasing the first record that you synthesized into your second record?

TSS: “I think one of the biggest things we learned between making the two records was to be more relaxed in the studio. Although we all still love Windsor Street, there were certainly some stressful moments in the studio, where we felt like we couldn’t “nail” a certain part. It was only when we learned to start treating recording more like we were still practicing in Keone’s basement that we put out the product we wanted.”

YAA: What’s your favourite song of yours to play live?

TSS: “This was a tough one, and we all have varying opinions!”
Keone – Elephant in the Room
Mitch – My Love
Isaiah – Somethin’ Else (a yet to be recorded song!)

YAA: When you guys started playing shows, you weren’t quite the age of majority here. Did you find the opportunities available to you guys were hindered by your age? If yes, how did you overcome this obstacle?

TSS: “We would say yes, there were certainly some opportunities hindered by our age. We were able to work around it, though. When we were 15, with the help of our dads, we were able to build a “mobile stage” that we drove around the city in, which allowed us to set up and play wherever we liked. We won’t lie, there were a few encounters with the police and by laws and what not, but it was totally worth it for us. At the same time though, venues like The Blues Can, The Ironwood, The New Black, and Ship & Anchor were extremely supportive in letting us play all age shows, and we can’t thank them enough for believing in us.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KW5m9OMGVk

YAA: What’s your favourite venue to play in Calgary?

TSS: “The Ship & Anchor. They have been so supportive of us over the years, and playing shows there is simply a blast. It is always packed. Not only that, but they are one of the few places in Calgary that will actually clear the floor, to allow fans to come right up to the stage. We highly recommend it.”

YAA: Recently you’ve started hosting youth jams at The Blues Can. What inspired you guys to do that?

TSS: “I think for us, it comes back to this idea of giving back. 5 years ago, places like The Blues Can were so open to letting us come in and play, and now it’s our turn to continue this. Also, we just love playing, and jamming for that matter. But really, that’s how we started. We want to give back, like others did to us when we were young. We really do want to lead the charge in providing more opportunities for young musicians to play here in Calgary.”

YAA: Do you think there’s enough opportunities for musicians under the age of 18 in Calgary and if not, what do you think the city of Calgary can do to improve the scene?

TSS: “No, absolutely not. We are making progress, but there needs to be more all age venues, and different bar licenses allowing minors to play later. We believe the city should invest some dollars into providing a few more venues like The New Black, which was forced to shut its doors a few years ago. As well, there needs to be a more accepting culture towards young musicians. They are more talented than you think, and really, they are the future!”

YAA: You guys are slated to host a youth workshop and play a show in Golden, BC next month. What can youth expect to learn at your workshop?

TSS: “There are so many things we’d love to teach next month at the workshop in Golden. I think ultimately, a message we want to get across is that as a young musician, IT IS POSSIBLE to pursue a career in music. It does take hard work, commitment, and willingness to practice your craft, though. If you are willing to do these things, the opportunities WILL come, just like they have for us. Things like how to develop a practice schedule, stage presence, and how to convey yourself as an artist are also things we have learned over the years that we would love to pass on.”

YAA: You guys are participants on the inaugural season of CTV’s The Launch. Describe the moment you guys found out you guys were gonna be on the show.

TSS: “Yes, we are!!! The whole experience really has been a blast. When we first found out we were for sure going to be on the show, we were actually about to play a gig at Broken City here in Calgary with Apollo Suns (a fantastic band out of Winnipeg, check them out!). As you can imagine, playing at Broken City that night was all the more exciting, knowing all that was to come.”

YAA: What was it like working with Dann Huff and Nikki Sixx?

TSS: “Absolutely amazing, really. It was such an honour just to bounce ideas and notions off of them. They both have been through so much, and know everything there is to know about the music industry. Furthermore, they know what it takes to create a hit song, let alone launch a career. We cannot wait for everyone to see us with them on The Launch!”

YAA: What’s your favourite part about the show’s concept?

TSS: “We loved that it was a completely different take on the classic music TV show. While it is still a reality show, it isn’t always focused on the drama. Rather, the music itself takes centre stage, and that was the most exciting part about it for us.”

YAA: When can people watch your episode?

TSS: “January 24th (Wednesday), 8pm mountain time (9pm everywhere else), on CTV!”

YAA: How would you guys describe your music to somebody who’s never heard it before?

TSS: “Loud. Hah! There are many ways we could describe our music. One of our favourites is, “a classic rock and roll sound, with a modern twist”. Zeppelin and the Allman Brothers are certainly influences, but we are inspired by many modern bands as well. And not just rock bands, but all types of artists! We would name them all, but we could fill an entire book with artists that have inspired us.”

YAA: If you could play a festival with 5 other acts (from the past or present, dead or alive) who would you guys pick and why?

TSS: “Wow, great question. Honestly, our answer would change everyday. If we had to pick 5 for today, we’d go with the Allman Brothers, David Bowie, Mac Demarco, Alabama Shakes, and Tame Impala.”

YAA: Any words of encouragement for fellow aspiring musicians?

TSS: “Don’t be afraid to be yourself, have fun, and don’t take yourself too seriously!”

YAA: And finally, any parting words?

TSS: “Long live good music and rock n’ roll! Thank you for reaching out to us, this was a pleasure.”

Huge thanks to Mitchell, Keone and Isaiah for chatting with me. If you’re 18 or older, you can catch them at their next gig this Saturday at Mikey’s on 12 avenue. Tickets are 10$ and the show starts at 9:00pm. For more information click here.

Wanna stay in touch with them? Check out their social media!

(All photos received are courtesy of Natalie Cole from Bell Media or retrieved from the artist’s Facebook/Website. NOT our own)

Situations in which Empathy is Limiting/Limited

The issue:

An example of a situation in which this is an issue:

The issue:

An example:

The issue:

Another Case Study

Conclusion

The Issue

The Two Sides

So what’s your opinion? Feel free to comment below. Please keep all comments appropriate and respectful.

Be realistic with your goals

Now that you have your goals, write them down and tape them down where you know you’ll see them often

Pay a little bit more attention in class by taking more notes

Up your organizational skills with bullet journals

Get ahead when you have the chance

Make way for friends

The Question:

Boiling down the Why:

So long, long receipt!

YAA: How did you guys meet? When did you guys form the band?

YAA: Where did the name “Flower Crown” come from?

YAA: What’s the music scene in Pittsburgh like?

YAA: How would you describe your music to somebody who’s never heard it before?

YAA: In terms of all your songs, what’s your favorite lyric and why?

YAA: Your debut album “GLOW” was released back in October. Now that it’s out, how do you feel?

YAA: What artists had the most influence in terms of your sound on “GLOW”?

YAA: How long did the album take to finish and where did you guys record it?

YAA: Did you guys run into any roadblocks during the production of the LP? If so, what were they and how did you overcome them?

YAA: Is there anything people should know about the new album or even your music in general?

YAA: If you could support any artist/band on tour, who would it be and where would you tour?

YAA: If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what song would it be and why?

YAA: What’s next for you guys?

YAA: Any parting words of wisdom?

YAA: How did you guys meet and when did you guys form the band?

YAA: Where does the name “The Static Shift” come from?

YAA: What did you guys grow up listening to?

YAA: Who are your favorite fellow Calgarian musicians?

YAA: You released your debut album “Windsor Street” in 2014 and followed it up with your sophomore album “Common Bliss” last year. What did you learn after releasing the first record that you synthesized into your second record?

YAA: What’s your favourite song of yours to play live?

YAA: When you guys started playing shows, you weren’t quite the age of majority here. Did you find the opportunities available to you guys were hindered by your age? If yes, how did you overcome this obstacle?

YAA: What’s your favourite venue to play in Calgary?

YAA: Recently you’ve started hosting youth jams at The Blues Can. What inspired you guys to do that?

YAA: Do you think there’s enough opportunities for musicians under the age of 18 in Calgary and if not, what do you think the city of Calgary can do to improve the scene?

YAA: You guys are slated to host a youth workshop and play a show in Golden, BC next month. What can youth expect to learn at your workshop?

YAA: You guys are participants on the inaugural season of CTV’s The Launch. Describe the moment you guys found out you guys were gonna be on the show.

YAA: What was it like working with Dann Huff and Nikki Sixx?

YAA: What’s your favourite part about the show’s concept?

YAA: When can people watch your episode?

YAA: How would you guys describe your music to somebody who’s never heard it before?

YAA: If you could play a festival with 5 other acts (from the past or present, dead or alive) who would you guys pick and why?

YAA: Any words of encouragement for fellow aspiring musicians?

YAA: And finally, any parting words?

STAY IN TOUCH

FOLLOW US

ABOUT US