YOUTH ARE AWESOME
Youth Are Awesome, commonly referred to as YAA, is a blog written by youth for youth. YAA provides the youth of Calgary a place to amplify their voices and perspectives on what is happening around them. Youth Are Awesome is a program of Youth Central.
Any views or opinions expressed on this blog belong solely to the author and do not represent those of people or organizations that the blog may be associated with, unless explicitly stated. All content is for informational purposes only.
Spoken word is a hybrid between poetry and speech, emphasizing certain words and rhymes to create a sort of music.
‘Undefined’ was written to highlight the empowerment we as youth have to break beyond expectations set by others or even ourselves and our peers.
This piece was written for me, and you, and for anyone who ever had a dream.
Dare to be change. Dare to be different. Dare to be undefined.
Cinnamon Rolls are everyone’s favourite! I really love baking and found this awesome easy to make recipe for cinnamon rolls using apples. Now instead of heading out to the store, you can easily make your own cinnamon rolls, save a ton of money and have them whenever you want! Enjoy!
Here’s the recipe:
Dough Ingredients
Ingredients for Filling
Now, top with caramel sauce, nuts, anything you like really. Hope you enjoy!
You may have seen this man’s videos floating around the Internet space, or at least heard about them. I only just recently discovered the face behind some of the most influential and powerful spoken word videos on YouTube, but I have been unknowingly watching Prince Ea’s videos for quite some time now. (You may know him better from his Facebook page, as he does have a larger following on Facebook than YouTube.)
Prince Ea’s most viewed piece, Can We Auto-Correct Humanity?, is what initially drew my attention to him. Contrary to Gary Turk’s spoken poem Look Up, which went viral about a year ago, Ea’s message is not one that condemns our society for our usage of social media. Instead, he preaches a balance and reminds us that although we feel our smart phones are necessary there is an entire world around us that harbours opportunity and entertainment as well.
His most recent piece, titled Dear Future Generations: Sorry, depicts a future where there the earth has been devastated to the point that we are simply living on a wasteland. The message starts out depressing, but by the end turns into a call for social justice. My favourite thing about Ea is the fact that he doesn’t simply want to tell us what’s wrong with the world he wants to do something about it. This video is complementary to a new movement, Stand for Trees, which protects a specific forest with each certificate bought.
I will leave you with two more of my personal favourites from Prince Ea, Low Battery and Why I Think This World Should End. I do have to say that some people find his videos a little too “preachy” or think that he’s just complaining, so I will warn you. This doesn’t really bother me and I happen love these types of videos. It’s understandable that most people don’t enjoy being told negative things or have their lifestyles questioned, but we have to be willing to be open minded and self-critical if we are to ever improve.
FTC: This is not a sponsored post, and all opinions are completely genuine. ♥
The 9th annual Concert of Hope was held on May 24th at First Baptist Church. Subtitled the “Best of Broadway and Opera” it featured a number of broadway hits and classical opera pieces that really blew me away by the end of the evening. More importantly though, the proceeds from the concert went towards Compassion, a child development organization who aims to end poverty in the lives of children and their families. All in all, it was an incredible concert and I would definitely watch them again.
Under the musical direction of Jason Erhardt, the performances consisted of a combination of the orchestra, choir and local soloists. The program was quite extensive, with over 16 pieces, all performed with great musicality and emotional depth. What I particularly enjoyed was the contrast of the slow, virtuoso operatic singing versus the upbeat, energetic singing in the broadway pieces. In this way, there was something for everyone. Opera isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but those people can also get a chance to indulge in some broadway later on.
Among my favorites peformances were “Casta diva” from Vincenzo Bellini’s Norma and “Singin’ in the Rain” by Arthur Freed & Nacio Herb Brown. By far the most powerful was the finale though. The orchestra, choir and all the soloists joined together for a rousing rendition of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” by Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein. There’s something amazing about hearing the whole hall filled with music and literally feeling the ground rumbling beneath your feet. That’s what I love about live music because it’s such a more immersive experience than say, listening to it on headphones. Everyone was up on their feet, clapping and cheering long after the last chord rung through the air.
Here’s BBC Proms 2012 rendition of “You’ll Never Walk Alone”
Besides the spectacular music, I also found the presentation of the concert to be entertaining. The host for the night was Jorge Aviles, who I have to say looks fabulous in that pink tutu. Compared to some concerts where there is only a serious atmosphere, this concert had an atmosphere that was still professional but it was clear that they were also having fun. Right from the opening piece, “The Anvil Chorus” from Verdi’s Il Trovatore, an audience member was invited to the stage to play the anvil part. Yes, they had an actual anvil and it was quite amusing to see someone hammering away to the beat of the music.
All of the soloists also had fantastic stage presence. Even though they’re only one person, their voices were more than powerful enough. I really liked how they showcased individual talent. Each soloist had one or more pieces to themselves and it was interesting to see the different flair that they each performer brought. Below is a picture of soloist Barb Thorson singing “My Man”. It was clear that she was putting her whole soul into it and I could feel that passion.
As previously mentioned, the proceeds from the concert all went towards Compassion. More specifically though, the money was going towards a project in Nicaragua. The project aims to prevent child abuse through parent education. Parents will attend workshops put on by psychologists about how to have a healthy home environment and relationships. Kristi Jacobson recounted her first-hand experience being in Nicaragua and shared some sobering statistics about child abuse. The University of Leon in Nicaragua found that 27% of women and 19% of men were sexually abused as a child and 68% of this abuse happened at home.
(For more information, click here)
The goal for the concert was to raise $10,000. However, all expectations were surpassed when it turned out that they raised their highest amount in 9 years, a grand total of $19,359! That’s really impressive and a big congratulations for their success! I also learned that the musicians were not being paid for this performance, so they were all essentially volunteering to support this cause. I find that especially touching, because it’s certainly no easy task to prepare for concerts of this caliber. It shows that music means a lot more than just entertainment, it can also have an positive impact on the global community.
The Concert of Hope was amazing and it instilled in me a hope for a better world where everyone can enjoy a happy life regardless of their circumstances.
“We find volunteering very fulfilling. Helping others and seeing the impact we’ve made in their lives is its own reward.”
Steven, 14 & Nikoo, 14 & Daria, 15
Every Tuesday, from April 21st to May 26th, I was lucky enough to have had a volunteer position as a Big Buddy for Calgary Public Library’s Reading Buddies program! This experience taught me a lot about patience and being a role model for my Little Buddy. I was able to use my love for reading to help those only getting the hang of reading and comprehension. What’s more, after each reading session, the weekly program would end with an easy arts & crafts activity that the children were able to take home! How cool is that?
If ever given the opportunity again, I would definitely help out with Reading Buddies! This was a special day out of the week that I constantly looked forward to because it was done out of passion and willingness to help. To know what a session in the Reading Buddies program was like, then keep on reading!
According to Calgary Public Library, Reading Buddies “bring stories and reading to life for students in Grades 1 through 3! Reading Buddies volunteers share books and play fun literacy games with their “little buddy” in a group setting that’s facilitated by a staff member. Volunteers encourage children to read, and make reading fun! This is a youth volunteer opportunity for Grades 7-12.”
• PROGRAM GOALS:
Ensure a safe and friendly environment for young students to experience the magic of reading
Spark an interest in reading
Provide an opportunity for youth volunteers to develop mentoring skills
• VOLUNTEER RESPONSIBILITIES:
Attend an orientation and training session
Create a positive, fun and rewarding environment
Be a positive role model for participants
Attend each program in the volunteer term
• BENEFITS:
Meet new people and explore new opportunities
Have fun and contribute to your community
Develop: inter-personal, leadership, problem-solving, communication, and time management skills
Of the many CPL branches in the city, this particular Reading Buddies program was at Fish Creek Public Library. The inside of the building was very cool with its pyramid structure and creative wall art! I was pleasantly surprised that despite the crazy aesthetic of the library, the ambiance was quaint, but still welcoming. I love great first impressions!
After climbing a set of stairs, I would go to a small room in the corner of the second floor where the children’s programs are held. There, the Reading Buddies coordinator, Jill, would be putting books on display for the children to choose from. What made the book display even better was that each week would have a theme, which were the colors of the rainbow! After putting on my name tag, the other big buddies and I would wait for our little buddies to arrive. It was suggested that we stick with one buddy throughout the program to track their progress with certain levels of books.
From 4:30 to 4:45, my little buddy and I would talk about how our week went and read the book he or she had chosen. After that, the little and big buddies would gather in front of Jill for a group reading until 5:00. The book for the group reading would relate to that week’s theme! Jill would ask the kids to guess what they thought the theme was (red, orange, yellow, etc.) and what objects were those certain colors. This would get silly as the kids pointed out very specific objects in the room that were the color theme and everyone would get a good laugh out of this! After the group session and going over the rules of the library, it was yet again time to have a one-on-one reading with my little buddy!
Now being able to venture out to the children’s area, my little buddy and I would go down a few aisles until she found a book appropriate for her reading level. After finding a quiet place to sit, I would ask her what she thought the book was going to be about. She preferred to read the book by herself with me guiding her through words she hadn’t seen before. We would sound out those difficult words and I would ask her to re-read the sentence it was in. I would occasionally ask my buddy what was happening in the book, how she thought the characters felt, and what she would have done in the characters’ situation.
In addition to reading the book my buddy chose, she would tell me stories that happened at school related to the book. I liked that she was able to tie real-life situations to the book because it made reading comprehension easier! When we met back with the other buddies at 5:30, it was time for arts & crafts!
4. SOUVENIRS:
Besides helping my buddy read, the arts & crafts part of the program was another favorite of mine because the projects were very creative! Relating again to the theme, the art projects were to make animals that were of that week’s color. For example, my buddy and I made a red ladybug and a purple octopus! Our little buddies, of course, got to keep the projects as a reminder of their time at Reading Buddies! At around 5:45, it was time to say goodbye to our buddies and clean up the area.
All in all, Reading Buddies was a fantastic program unlike any other! I was surrounded by energetic people who shared the same passion for reading as I did, and in return, we got nothing but beneficial experience. If you enjoy dedicating your time to others by doing something you love, I suggest volunteering for Reading Buddies or the many other programs brought to you by Calgary Public Library!
“Reading is escape, and the opposite of escape; it’s a way to make contact with reality after a day of making things up, and it’s a way of making contact with someone else’s imagination after a day that’s all too real.” – Nora Ephron
Best wishes,
Kandace 🙂
See this post for an introduction to this series, and this post for the second week of 5 Happy Things!
Your two favourite bloggers are back this week with yet another challenge video! Yes, this time, Rebecca and I yell incoherent sentences at each other and talk veeerrryyy slooowwwlllyyy in the Whisper Challenge.
There are a few things you may notice about this video. First, we are very orange. Yes, it’s a constant struggle to find a setup with good lighting. In our first video, we looked unfortunately white and in this one we tried our hardest not to be orange through editing. I promise, the next time we will look like normal human beings in decent lighting.
Now, the next thing you are wondering is why there is so much royalty-free music blasting in the background. Well, that’s because we couldn’t afford noise-cancelling headphones and the music was escaping out of our ear buds. In order to avoid being sued for any potential copyright issues, we decided to mask the music with more music! It’s the classic fighting fire with fire tactic. Once again, we apologize for this, but we’re trying our best with what we have. (Don’t judge us.)
I would definitely recommend that everybody check out this challenge! It’s actually really fun and you can play for hours on end if you’re really bored. For some reason, I’m actually pretty decent at reading lips so my guesses weren’t too crazy. On the other hand, if you play with someone who is terrible at reading lips, you will have hilarity.
You can find Youth Are Awesome on: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube!
If you would like, go check out the blog posts that Rebecca and I (Ailin) write when we’re not torturing ourselves.
Click here to go to the previous video. What challenge will Rebecca and I take on next week? Tune in to find out.
On a gloomy Thursday evening, at the Starbucks located in Chinook’s Chapters, I sat down with one of the brightest and effervescent young people I have met. This is not an understatement. Serena is one of the most intrinsic people you will ever have the good fortune to know. With her writing, she has tackled social issues and anything and everything that life may throw in your way. Throughout it all, Serena has been able to put her own twist to things and has always been able to maintain her voice along the way. So with the backdrop of middle-aged shoppers, countless laughs, and the oddest Starbucks order known to capitalist North America, I sat down to interview Serena.
Rebecca: What initially motivated you to join Youth Are Awesome?
Serena: Some of you may know Nikki Negre–we’ve been best friends since Grade 7 and she got into [YAA] because she met another Calgarian who blogged on an exchange trip. After being convinced of how cool it was, she informed me about it saying, “Hey Serena! You love to write. You should really do this.” I love reading and writing especially just about life. I also used to blog a bit on Tumblr and I would always write my everyday thoughts and opinions.
R: Why do you like to write so much?
S: I don’t know, I’ve just always liked writing and reading. In Drama, they asked us what our autobiography would be in six words. It probably won’t be six words as I am trying to explain myself here, but it was just the fact that you are awestruck when you can’t find the words for something. Words help me. I have never been good at public speaking, presentations, or giving speeches, and I can’t draw, so writing is an easy way to express myself.
R: Where do you draw your inspiration from?
S: Most of my friends and even just other people come to me and ask for advice. I feel like 90% of this world is able to give advice, but never really take it for themselves. I think my stronger posts are when I tackle personal issues, like post-secondary for example. School has always terrified me and the whole notion of, ‘What am I going to do for the rest of my life?‘ I like to talk about these types of struggles and feelings because I don’t think people talk about them enough. It’s good to express those thoughts because then people think, ‘Hey I am going through the same thing,’ and maybe it can help them in a way. I don’t think I am an activist, but I would like to be there one day.
R: Before I met you, one of my favourite posts on YAA was “Post Security High School Blanket”. I didn’t know who had written this amazingly insightful work that helped me so much at that time. How did you find the idea to do a blogpost on that?
S: A lot of my friends were getting conditional acceptances to schools at the time and I didn’t know what I wanted to do yet. So I talked about how some people were so confident in not going to school at all after high-school and those who were all about school in their future.
R: You mentioned a lot about writing about issues and you’ve written about social issues, like mental health. What kind of issues do you want to write about in the future?
S: Mental illness has always been something that I have been passionate. Everyone struggles. Sometimes people go through experiences that they don’t want to remember or talk about. Certain social aspects can come easier to some than others. but even though you can have an amazing social life, you can still be going through a lot of things internally and at home. Things that you may not feel comfortable having others know or discussing openly about it. I like to talk about things that pertain to these types of issues, especially for teenagers because I personally found junior high a very difficult time for me. So I want to aid people through that process. I want to make posts on a personal level. I know we get a lot of opportunities at YAA to go watch a concert or go to a screening, but I have always been more of an intimate person when it comes to people and enjoy writing about more personal issues that affect everyone.
R: Along with your more serious posts, you’ve also written posts about music, as seen with “Soundtracks to life.” What is some of the music a part of your soundtrack right now?
S: City and Colour, definitely. It was my first concert and it happened last year. I know, everyone saw Britney when they were seven, but here I am, first concert, and I was sixteen. Music-wise, I am very broad. I like Childish Gambino, getting into the rapping scene. One of my friends, Ethan, who I interviewed for a blog post, he’s really into punk and rock so I am warming up to it, as well.
R: You’ve done quite a few movie reviews, so what is your favourite film?
S: Oooh, I do not know.
R: It’s ok not to know.
S: Well, I really like watching romcoms. Even though you know it’s predictable, I still want to see it. I also like art films. I don’t get them, but I still like to watch them. I’m being cultured right now. (Laughs)
R: Do you think writing and blogging is going to help you with what you want to pursue in the future?
S: Definitely. I have been looking into journalism programs, so I want to apply to schools, such as Carleton and Mount Royal University.
Or I want to become an English teacher. I had the greatest English teacher. She made everything better and amazingly interesting. I mean, I can proofread really well–so I think I could also become a great English teacher. (More laughs)
R: Since we are at Chapters, surrounded by books, what are your greatest literary influences?
S: My sister is going to read this, and think I am a total poser (laughs), but I’ve read two John Grisham novels and they were great. Then I stopped because they are all along the same lines about lawyers. What else…Harry Potter. Everyone loves Harry Potter. I’ve read the series three times, and I have always noticed something new.
I also like to read autobiographies and biographies.
R: Any specific ones you’ve read?
S: (Hesitantly) Russell Brand’s. Not the most appropriate one I could’ve read, but it was definitely a good one. He is a weird human being. I read it for my Grade 9 English project and I had to “interview” him and film it. So I drew a mascara beard on my face and my hair was really short from being shaved–context, I shaved my head for cancer–I also put some sunglasses on and had a terrible British accent.
R: You seem like a very sociable person. Why do you think you are so intrinsically drawn to people?
S: People are just interesting. I have this older friend and she was on the train talking to a man in his 60s. I assumed they were family friends. When we got off, she told me that she didn’t know him at all and that if you don’t talk to people, you’re never going to know their story. I know it may be one of the most cliche things someone could say, but when you actually break it down and think about it, it is actually so true. You are going to meet so many people who you know nothing about, or maybe even those you think you know everything about will still hide things from you. So talk to people and give it a chance. I know people have cliques high schools, but I have always found it is those unexpected people that you can converse with really well. What if you become best friends with that person? What if they are able to broaden your perspective? It’s cool. People are cool. Super cool.
Wise words from a wise young woman. It was an absolute riot and pleasure to interview Serena. To see more of what Serena’s been up to, check out her Youth Are Awesome page here.
Ahhh… It’s almost that time of the year again. Summer vacations on glorious beaches, two whole months of little responsibility, sleeping in, spending all day in your pajamas. I could go on, but before I get you too rallied up on pre-summer excitement, we have to face the harsh reality that, once again, we are headed towards exam season. There’s no doubt I’ll be studying like crazy in the upcoming weeks, but personally, my house is filled with way too many distractions (ooooh, food!) for me to concentrate well. This often means I have to pack up my textbooks and papers and find somewhere else to study. I’ve made a short list of my favourite places I have discovered thus far if you’re like me. If you have any more suggestions, don’t hesitate to share them in the comments for your fellow peers!
The library has got to be one of my favourite palaces to study for many reasons. The branch I go to has a nice and productive environment, with desks for studying everywhere. There are tons of resources and study guides available for your use and some locations even provide quite study rooms for those who prefer to work in silence. A no-brainer in terms of places to study.
Pictured: Shawnessy Library, 333 Shawville Blvd SE, Calgary AB
Something about the smell of coffee and the environment of being in a coffee shop always gets me inspired and productive. I once studied for all my exams at my local Starbucks and to this day still think about studying when I smell coffee. Be it a blessing or a curse, the background noise of a coffee shop always serves as a nice background to my feverish last-minute cramming.
Pictured: Analog Coffee, 740 17 Ave SW, Calgary AB
Where else would you study other than in the very place you learned what you are studying for? School has the perfect learning atmosphere, but I find only in certain locations. As much as I try to study in the cafeteria at my school, there are always friends close by having fun and engaging in conversations that you can’t help but join. Having learned my lesson, I now study in my school’s library, which is much quieter and is usually only filled with people looking to get work done.
I was shocked to hear how many people had never considered going to Mount Royal University, SAIT, or U of C to study once in a while. On weekends, their ample facilities are often empty and void of large and scary herds of disgruntled students making their way to class. There are lots of desks and quiet spaces for studying that are under utilized during those times. The universities’ beautiful campuses are also great places to study for those who like to be outside.
Pictured: University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr NW, Calgary AB
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The month went by so fast that I’m not sure it even happened. But what I do vividly remember was being blogger of the month! Thank you to YAA for the HUGE honor! However, with the panic of exams settling in and the further panic of planning what to do over the summer, I had minimal time for finding new songs. Although that may be the case, the songs I do have listed are songs I played on constant repeat! I have no doubt that if you saw me with earphones in, I was listening to these great tunes:
• Unwell by Matchbox Twenty
Ah, a great throwback song to my childhood! Does this ring a bell for you as well?
“…I should get some sleep because tomorrow might be good for something.”
• Nobody Love by Tori Kelly
I’m sure we all saw her perform this song acoustically at the Billboard Music Awards! If not, it’s worth checking out here.
“Everybody’s scared of going nowhere…”
• Shots by Imagine Dragons
Any lucky fans seeing them at their show at the Saddledome on June 5th?
“And there’s always time to change your mind.”
• Open Season by Josef Salvat
“We were raised to take a stand, we were raised to keep an open mind.”
• Electricity by FMLYBND
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wtqm-GjVlQg
“I sing with all my heart and with all my might just to praise the one who gave me life.”
• Red Heart by Hey Rosetta
Cool note: watched the Calgary Flames’ video tribute to the C of Red? Then this song may be familiar!
“Maybe once in awhile you could try and maybe let your red heart show.”
• Go by Grant Terry
“ You got a smile that lights me up just like New York City.”
• Clap Your Hands by Whilk and Misky
This song definitely makes it feel like you’re at the beach!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKFSjlgV4XQ
“Make the most of this chance.”
• The Night Is Still Young by Nicki Minaj
“I never worry, life is a journey. I just wanna enjoy the ride.”
I hope we’re all still holding on to the last few weeks of school! Be on the lookout for lots of fun posts for the month of June.
Best wishes,
Kandace 🙂
“This internship is taking us places. Not a penthouse, but places.”
Elvin, 16 & Ryan, 16
Seen at the EarlyBird Youth Services shortlisted candidates meeting
From time to time, I like to browse my phone and listen to some spoken word poetry. As I shuffled through, one piece struck a chord and left a sizeable impression on me. Whether or not you’ve had the chance to listen to this viral spoken word, British writer/poet Gary Turk delivers a significant message in his piece, Look Up.
In his poem, Turk starts with the lines:
” I have 422 friends (…yet I’m lonely)
I speak to all of them everyday (yet none of them really know me!)
The problem I have sits in the space in-between
Looking in the eyes or at a name on the screen. “
It’s tough to imagine a world void of wifi, instagram, facebook, iPhones and iPads. Technology – whether we accept or not – is in the face of everything we do. It is in our very routines. We depend on it for work, for school/knowledge, for running errands, for entertainment, and for communicating. It gives us freedom to create and explore our identity. There’s certainly no harm in that is there? Essentially, technology is supposed to make our lives easier and smoother to run – and it does, it does it very well.
But in what I’ve seen and experienced, there is often a certain balance between using technology in a reasonable manner and borderline abusing it’s purposes. How many times have you noticed a pair on a lunch date, only to see their phones 3-inches away from their faces? Together; yet nobody is talking. When you go out to see a live concert, how many flashing phone screens do you see in the air? I don’t mean to be prude on the matter but – in moments like these, I think it’s important to put away our phones for a minute or two. Snap one picture if you have to, but then leave your phone and simply appreciate your surroundings. It’s liberating to have the power to witness something beautiful, something incredible with your eyes, and be able to resist the temptation of saving the moment digitally.
As Turk goes on, he also suggests that people are finding it difficult to interact with others and are choosing the comfort of our phones to hide from making new connections. Is this true? Do our phones close us off to other people that much? You could argue that the internet is supposed to connect us with each other – it breaks boundaries and lets us meet with people around the world, right? However I cannot deny never doing this at times; more than once I’ve found myself looking down, just to avoid potentially awkward interactions.
Ironically, I rant on this as I type away at my own laptop, keeping away to myself and avoiding other people. I found this poem on my phone as I take in free wi-fi at a Starbucks. In a way we are all a type of hypocrite, and I know it’s inevitable to be a part of this technologically-dependant culture. Let’s be honest, having a phone is amazing. Having snap-chat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr (all at once!) is wonderful and great. My point to all of this is there is a happy medium in the ways we choose to utilize technology, and that there’s really a time and place for everything.
In the words of Gary Turk, I will leave you with one last thought:
“Look up from your phone, shut down the display.
Take in your surroundings, make the most of today.
Just one real connection is all it can take to show you the difference that being there can make.”
Last weekend, Calgary witnessed a night of beautiful art and fashion at its finest, showcasing ten talented designers’ collections along with the work of the brilliant artist, Jenny Vallis, who completely transformed the Chinook Centre parkade into a world of paradise for Parkshow 2015.
Being a youth aspiring to follow my dreams into a profession in the arts, I was completely blown away by the talent, drive, dedication, and passion displayed by the designers I had the opportunity to meet on Saturday night. For a short amount of time, I was apart of a world of complete beauty and sincere hard work. Each collection was incredibly unique, while it told a special story of which was significant to each designers’ personal life.
When speaking to the designers, the one thing I heard from them collectively when asking them about advice in pursuing an ideal career was to “just go for it.” This is exactly what each of them did, they put their energies into working towards their dreams and persevered regardless of the circumstances. A lesson that we the youth must learn before it is too late.
The entire evening was full of creativity, culture, art, and fashion. It was heaven for one in love with the arts. Not only did I get the opportunity to meet with some amazing individuals, I also became inspired to pursue my aspirations and to perhaps one day end up feeling the success and contentment that one does from loving what he/she does.
Each collection was fierce, bold, and unique; radiating vibes of individualism and confidence. They all put out a statement in their own ways, a statement unique to each designer and to everyone else who was taken aback by the beauty in front of them. The collections were very distinct and breathtaking, all perfectly crafted by the designers and showcased wonderfully by the models.
The collections in themselves told remarkable stories of individuality. Rachel Zoe was right on point when she said, “Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak.”
Sharing with you some beautiful photos from various collections captured by the talented photographer Chuck Szmurlo from PARKSHOW 2015:
I’d like to personally thank Katie Marks for giving me the opportunity to attend Parkshow 2015 as media and to share my experience with all of you. The night was a dream come alive for me, and I couldn’t ask for more.