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.
On Thursday April 16th the 2015 Calgary Expo kicked off and on Sunday April 19th the curtains closed with a round of applause. The expo in Calgary got to share it’s 10th year anniversary, and with what it had in store it’s not a surprise they’re still standing and going strong. The Calgary Expo is the second largest convention of its kind in Canada and fourth in North America. There was an impressive line up of guest stars and creators this year. Con-goers had the opportunity to see Game of Throne stars Gwendoline Christie and Jason Momoa, Arrow lead Stephen Amell, Marvel’s Agents of Shield leads Ming-Na Wen and Brett Dalton, and leading lady of Marvel’s Agent Carter Hayley Atwell among many popular artists. They sure blew everyone out of the water when they announced that for the first time in the history of ever that Neil Patrick Harris was to appear at a convention.
Emily Expo looks like she’s absolutely swooning. I understand why.
“It’s fair to say that our office has never been so universally excited for a guest to attend Calgary Expo as we are for Mr. Harris,” said Calgary Expo host, Emily Expo. “His charm and talent cross all genres from films to Hollywood awards shows to silver screen to web series and we are truly honoured that he has selected Calgary for his first convention appearance.”
This news was both exciting and devastating. Why would this news be devastating you may ask? I’ll tell you.
I only had entrance for Saturday.
“You never know how many foams there are until you start foam smithing” said in the panel when the topic of making LARPing safe weapons came up.
Despite the fact that I wouldn’t be able to stand in the same room as Neil Patrick Harris, Saturday was a blast! This was my second year going to the Calgary Expo and I enjoyed it as much as last year, perhaps even more. This year I didn’t spend most of my time volunteering for the expo, instead, I went a full day to enjoy what it had to offer.
I went to panels for the first time ever.
The first panel that I decided to head for was the “Learn to LARP” panel. For those of you who don’t know, LARP stands for “Live Action Role Playing.” The panel was being hosted by Alliance Alberta and they talked about what it takes to survive in the world of LARPing as well as how their specific chapter functions.
Did you know that Brett Dalton has a Masters Degree from Yale? I did not. Impressive good sir. Very impressive.
On top of learning what LARPing was all about I also went to the Spotlight on Agents of Shield panel. You know, the one with Ming-Na Wen and Brett Dalton. They were both really funny and entertaining and honestly kudos to them, especially Ming-Na Wen because she was apparently running on like two hours of sleep because they had finished filming season two of Marvel’s Agents of Shield the night before. One would imagine kicking that much butt that late into the night would tucker someone out completely but not her. She was still standing and dancing around poking fun of Brett Dalton in a friendly good humored kind of way. If that didn’t make her one of the chillest people, she apparently was willing to stay past her alloted time in order to sign everyone’s picture at her autograph line up just so people didn’t have to be turned away.
How cool is that? Answer: the coolest.
I certainly had a great time at the Calgary Expo and it was nice hearing all of the stories that my other friends had. Especially when you hear stories about their experience with a celebrity they really liked and how truly down to earth they all were.
Panels are not the only thing that make the Calgary Expo a go-to destination for many, there’s also the cosplays and artist booths. But more on that in the second installment of “Surviving the Calgary Expo 2015.”
Before I leave you for this post, I want you to look at the picture on the left. Impressive right? Look at all that detail and craftsmanship that went into that. (Honestly, the picture does not do it justice.) You can see how much effort went into creating this, so much talent and effort was put it into, in fact, that you might feel like it could be on a TV show set or something. Maybe you imagine this guy behind the mask and because the costume is hardcore, he has like a really deep and gruff voice? (I’m working off of stereotypes here)
Imagine my surprise that when I asked to take a picture, one of the perkiest and cutest feminine voices piped up and said “Oh yeah sure!”
Ladies, gentelmen, and everyone in between, I present to you a prime example of the power of…
Bobby Mileage is at the helm of an event that Calgary and the world has never seen before. The Change the Game Project (CTG) is a week full of unique dance camps and battles taking place from August 17-23, 2015. With $60 000 in prize money for every dance category, including house, hip-hop, breaking, and popping, the Change the Game Project is a part of a movement to support dancers and their futures. I had the chance to sit down with Bobby Mileage to discuss the potential of the Change the Game Project, his partnership with Pulse Studios, the importance of recognizing dancers’ worth, and beyond.
Rebecca Yang: Can you provide a brief summary of what CTG is all about?
Bobby Mileage: It is an event about a whole experience. We are going to have dance battles as well as a dance camp week with teachers who are going to help spread these dance styles around the world. It’s not just about the old school [dance]. We have people who implemented these styles to make them what they are today, so youth will have the opportunity to gain knowledge and information from these great inspiring dancers. Not only that, it is also about having a great party together and can vibe together every night. It’s not just about attending classes and battling, but also having the chance to really dance with each other. I feel like the social element is lost in these types of events, but Change the Game will also feature chances to get to know one another with great music from DJs all around the world, who also know the culture and the dance style.
RY: So it’s not just about educational or instructional sessions?
BM: Everyday there will be a preliminary battle. That way, it is not all bogged down to one day. Each day there will be a different style: one day, it’ll be hip hop; one day, it’ll be house; one day, it’ll be popping; one day it’ll be breaking, and then the Friday everyone will get to relax and chill before the final.
Every night, it’ll be filled with great music, EVERY night. We won’t categorize the genre of music every night, but it will just be great music every night, so EVERYONE will have the ability to have fun and dance to, and not just be constrained to one type of style. That’s why I don’t want it to be a jam where one style feels uncomfortable to be there. It’s going to be a variety of music that everyone can get down to and just jam to every night.
RY: I think it is extremely important to offer that kind of diversity of music and dance.
BM: And we need it so we don’t get into this situation where the b-boys have their event and the house kids just have theirs, and so forth. Then there’s no community or really coming together, which is crucial so that everybody can just really vibe and jam. This is a really great way to be inspired to learn other styles of dance.
RY: What made you want to partner up with Pulse Studios to make CTG a reality?
BM: I was actually trying to do this with another company, but I didn’t like the way things were going. They weren’t seeing the vision, as I was seeing the vision. From coming to Pulse Studios a couple of times, I saw how they were supporting their dancers and the street dance culture. They have also brought so many pioneers to their studio and I saw that as something that we could connect together with and ride it out to realize the vision of this type of event, so we communicated and felt confident that we were both a part of this movement of changing the lives of dancers forever.
Bobby Mileage has big plans for Calgary and the global dance community. Retrieved from ctgproject.com
RY: What do you think it is about street dance that draws youth out to come out and participate?
BM: With all this traveling I do in every country, the best thing I’ve discovered about street dancing is that it allows kids to have freedom and an identity and to not be afraid of being themselves. These things are important at a time when things can be stressful—school can be too much or stuff just happening at home. It allows them to de-stress, and that’s the best thing.
In certain countries, it can all be too homogenous, where the society is made up of primarily one race [or culture]. But street dancing allows people to be free from that and find who they are as an individual. The best thing about hip hop and street dancing and music is that it allows all these countries to come together. It doesn’t matter what colour of skin you are, you just come together, dance and have fun.
RY: You have quite the extensive resume, from working with Michael Jackson to Missy Elliot, and so with this experience what insight were you able to bring when you were developing CTG?
BM: With years and years of going to dance contests and visiting country to country, and seeing how others run their events, people are going to be happy with my event. It’s going to be seamless and organized, which most events like this lack. I also have a new judging system that I think is going to work better. I am going to change it up a little bit from what has traditionally been done. I have been a part of this community for a long time. I think that we’re going to have something that will make everyone really happy because I know what like and what I have always wished I had had from experiences like this.
RY: And what was it that you wished for?
BM: Not to put any other events down, but some events aren’t as organized as I would like them to be. Sometimes they just go over time, people don’t know where they are going and some of the people are very rude and unhelpful, but with this event, we have volunteers throughout the week and I am hoping that it will be something that will make people happy and make them feel comfortable at all time, so that everyone will feel a part of something, a part of a change, a part of a family that is going to make this whole thing so unique.
RY: This is the going to be the first CTG and you chose to launch it in Calgary. What was it about this city that drew you to do so?
BM: I mostly chose it because I felt comfortable with the people here, especially the people at Pulse Studios. It’s a great city; I like it. It’s clean and not too dirty. It’s a nice place where people can go downtown and be active and it’s not in the middle of nowhere, like most camps are. That way kids won’t be stuck in the woods and can experience this kind of city life too. So I think it is a perfect fit for what we are trying to do.
RY: How do you think this will impact our city’s dancing community?
BM: Well we are going to have 40 of the top battle dancers come in from all over the world. The impact on the city is going to be amazing because the kids here may not be used to a very high level of competition. It will give them a chance to be inspired by these top dancers and will help motivate them to work harder. Kids can get to see dancers on YouTube in the flesh and help inspire them to dance like them. They will get to realize that their dreams are reachable and create a whole new phenomenon here.
RY: Who are some of the dancers CTG will be seeing this year?
BM: I am super happy about all of the guests I invited to come out to Calgary. We are going to have Hero from Japan, Acapella, a house dancer from France. We got Guchon from Japan, who is one of the best poppers. We got Nelson and Iron Mic from France. For popping, we also have Jay Smooth and Slim Boogey from the US. We got Hurricane, who is one of the top dancers in the world for many categories in hip hop. We have top rate b-boys coming out as well, like Maino and Morris from Europe. We also have some new up and coming dancers, like Nick from the Yukon, right here in Canada. We also have other Canadians , like Monster Poppin’ and Venom from Montreal. So we have a great diversity of dancers coming who are all very well known around the world and it’s going to be amazing. Even with these top dancers coming out, I am not saying that lesser known dancers cannot win whatsoever. But it legitimizes the fact that someone who really deserves it will win it. It’s the chance to spot that new kid who works hard and is hungry and that is what it is all about. To have the opportunity for these new dancers to win money they have never won before and a sponsorship with my company and I.
Also, they have the chance to become connected with someone like me, who has deep connections in the dance industry, as well others rooted from all over the world, giving them a chance to travel and dance.
It gives dancers the chance to truly implement change in their lives. I cannot stress enough how big dance events are. But if we were recognized like skate boarders, BMX riders or snowboarders, these great, big dancers would also be winning a lot of money. So we need something like this to happen and someone with a company to really endorse dancers like they deserve. People are using hip-hop and street dancers for commercials, movies and other forms of media and making millions of dollars, yet the street dancer is still wondering if they can dance for the rest of their life. That’s what made me say that I am going to use the platform of my own company [Bobby Mileage Clothing] to give back to the culture I love so much and has made me who I am and can help others change their lives, which is how Change the Game was inspired.
Bobby sits down with students in Los Angeles, as Change the Game plans to expand internationally. Check out ctgproject.com/blog for more information on where CTG is headed next.
RY: What is the future for CTG?
BM: First of all, I really want to grow the prize money so that dancers can recognize how much it can change their lives by winning one contest. But the goal of the project is to also help other events, so that they will be better and will help dancers from all around the world. I see this as a way to infuse change and to improve the rewards of other competitions and events like this to provide dancers a chance in this world to live better through dancing, judging, and educating. I hope that this will spark change to have dancers be recognized for the value of their art.
The money value at competitions have significantly gone down from when I was at my peak, which is the saddest part about this. So I hope that this will change the way that dancers are looked at for generations to come. That’s the most important thing, for the money value to go up. The hope is to spark a change that will help every aspect of the dance world, even if you work as an artist. These competitions will help recognize the value of dance so that when someone approaches you to star in a film or a commercial, they can’t undervalue you, like we have been throughout the years so that we can be recognized like athletes and other artists. I hope that this will exponentially change for them.
RY: How can youth get involved with CTG?
BM: If people are excited about it, they can go to ctgproject.com. They don’t want to miss it, because this is the first time it is launching and it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to be apart of something like this for the first time. I also want to highly encourage other studios to come out and to learn different aspects of street dancing, as it exposes them to the history and background to the dance types that are being taught at their studio. Each year, as we grow, we will have different types of people and dances, so I hope that they can enjoy this learning process for all types of dance studios.
Thank you so much to Bobby Mileage and Pulse Studios for providing the opportunity for this interview. The Change the Game Project is going to be a huge event, not just for Calgary, but for dancers all across the world. To support and/or to register, please go to ctgproject.com.
Over the course of 4 years, Instagram has become the most popular social media app in the world. We use the app to happily share our lives and promote our endeavors through pictures. In addition, as the transition from white border pictures to square ones becomes a trend, there is no doubt that we are greatly influenced by the people we follow.
As an Instagram-user, I always find myself scrolling through various accounts and seeing what they are up to. I can guarantee you that what once started as looking at my friend’s Instagram led to scrolling through her cousin’s best friend’s older sister’s account. The possibilities are quite endless. So with that in mind, what one person would call “stalking”, I call “finding hidden treasures” because that is how I found the wonderful community of contemporary poets.
Ever since our poetry unit in grade 3, I have been intrigued by the beautiful ebb and flow of words you can read from the likes of Roald Dahl, Robert Frost, and Edgar Allan Poe. In modern times, it’s interesting to see how our peers take on poetry and make it their own. From the Instagram accounts I’ve seen, poets like to keep their work looking vintage by using typewriters or handwriting it on scraps of paper. It blows my mind that while all poets are unique, they hold a collective mindset of simplicity.
Although typewriting and handwriting stanzas upon stanzas of poetry may get tedious, it definitely pays off! Some of the poets I mention have gained popularity solely through their fan base on Instagram. From this recognition, they have gone to publish their own books or work in big-time newspapers or magazines. This goes to show that words leave imprints on human beings. We can find ourselves relating to all kinds of poetry if we set aside time to stop scrolling and just read.
With over 1 million followers, R. M. Drake is an Instagram household name who quit his job to become a full-time poet. His work has been recognized by celebrities like Sophia Bush, Kylie Jenner, Khloe Kardashian, and Shay Mitchell!
If you’ve been to Chapters in the last 2 years, you probably walked by a Lang Leav book without even knowing! Both her books, Love & Misadventure and Lullabies, are popular all over the world!
Tyler Knott was the first poet I discovered on Instagram about a year ago and I still follow his work to this day. He recently published his first book, Chasers of the Light: Poems from the Typewriter Series, which is available at Chapters and Anthropologie! Aside from being a poet, he also co-owns a photography business.
This week I’m going to talk about imperfections, we all think of imperfections differently. Whether it’s about our body, our hair or anything you might think bad about yourself.
We judge ourselves differently about how we look, I have imperfections myself, like I don’t like my body. I’m around 5′ 9″ so I’m shorter than others but also taller than others. I realize over time we shouldn’t judge ourselves over the way we look.
Some people think they will look more beautiful with makeup, I’ll tell myself that I look better with make up and I’ll need to put a lot on just to feel better about myself. That isn’t true, others and myself should know and remember that natural beauty is the best beauty. God made us who we are.
Never let someone tell you different. Always listen to yourself and your heart.
We should love how we look and accept ourselves for who we are.
We also shouldn’t judge ourselves for our body as well. If you’re short, embrace it, if you’re tall, embrace it! There are so many advantages to being tall and also to being short. So why judge yourself over your body? Don’t judge yourself because I will tell you now, the person reading this, yes you. You are beautiful. Just the way you are!
This March, the provincial budget was released. We saw changes to the flat rate income tax, our health care system, gasoline tax, and as always education. Education faced heavy cuts this year, as it did last year and the year before that, and the year before that. You might not be thinking too much about these cuts and how they’ll affect you, so let me shed some light on this situation.
1) Fewer teachers and larger classes
With less funding, we will lose 2,500 teachers across the province this year. As the positions for teachers are dropping, the amount of students enrolling in public schools has been said to increase to 12,000 students next fall (without additional funding for textbooks or teachers). What does this mean for class sizes? Some high school students can expect to see their classes reach 40 students. This means that when students need extra help, they cannot be accommodated by their teachers due to the amount of extra time teachers will have to spend marking.
2) Fewer extra curricular activities
Due to budget cuts, you can expect to see some of your school’s extra curricular programs be taken away. With stricter budgets and teachers teaching more classes, schools will no longer have the money or time to run these activities.
3) Basic funding per student will decrease
As the years have gone by, we have seen the basic funding per student go down. This year will be no different. Students that cannot afford the field trips hosted by their schools will no longer have the opportunities to attend them due to substantial decreases in the funding for students.
4) University tuition will increase and programs will be cut
Universities will also feel the shock of this new budget. Many already have. The University of Alberta has suspended 20 programs already. As the Alberta government tries to move further away from public dollars, you can also expect university tuition to increase. Slashes bursaries will be decreased by 25% making it harder to many people to afford post-secondary.
As you can see, the Alberta government is doing nothing for the students of this province. It’s not just in Alberta though, these cuts have been happening all over the country. It is clear that our government only cares about large corporations and our oil industry. The government never has and never will value the voice of students, unless we stand up for ourselves. The only way these injustices can be stopped is if we show the government that we are aware of what is going on and we don’t approve it. If you would like to show your support for this cause visit http://supportourstudents.ca/ and e-mail your local candidates and have your voice heard. Also, use the #StudentsMatter on Twitter and please come out on April 25th to the Calgary City Hall from 6-8pm to participate in a peaceful protest against education cuts. Help be part of a change, and show our government that students matter.
The 17th Annual Youth Hiring Fair will be held in the Big Four building in Hall B on Tuesday, April 21, 2015. It begins at 1:30pm and ends at 6:00pm. Although the fair takes place on a weekday, there’s still time to get there after school ends.
An expected 5,000 youth will be there with about 80 employers ready to interview you! So be prepared with copies of your resume and dress as if you were going to a regular interview (formal), plus admission to the fair is free!
Make sure to check out their list of employers and research about the company you would like to work for beforehand. The job opportunities are categorized into the minimum age that they are willing to hire. When greeting the representative at the booth of the company that you wish to work at, say your name, list any experience (volunteer, work experience etc.) you’ve had that relates to the job and ask a lot of questions. Asking questions will make you seem more informed and ready to be interviewed and work.
Migraines are moderate to severe headaches that usually affect a certain area on the head. The headaches usually last from an hour to 2-3 days may include nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light and noises. As a fellow migraine sufferer, I often feel dizzy and a throbbing pain on the right side of my head that usually only lasts a few hours.
Signs and Symptoms
If you are experiencing a migraine or frequently suffer from migraines, you may go through
– coloured spots in vision
– dizziness/spinning feeling
– sensitive to light/noise/smells
Causes
Migraine triggers are different for everyone or it may be the result of genetics. If a family member suffers from migraines, it is possible that you could experience a migraine as well. When I suffer from a migraine (which is not often), it is generally when I am feeling stressed.
Treatment
For headaches and migraines alike, I find that lying down in a quiet, dark space helps relieve the pain. If I’m in class and I have a migraine or headache, I like to drink a pain reliever like Advil or Tylenol and go to the washroom to splash some water on my face. For the most part, this lessens the severity of the headache/migraine and helps me stay focused in class.
*This information may not apply to everyone, as it is based on my personal experience.
On a scale of 1-4, how stressed would you say you are?
4 being always stressed, losing sleep, and feeling as though you don’t have time to do fun things in your life. I had a presentation about stress-management not too long ago where this same question was raised. A surprising number of students said 4, while only perhaps two to three people said 1. Although some amount of stress is necessary in our lives in order for us to remain productive, too much of it can cause you to eventually burnout or have a mental breakdown.
One way to relieve this stress is to simply change your mindset about situations you’re dealing with. In other words, changing your negative thinking into positive thinking. A useful skill to acquire in life is the ability to look at things from multiple perspectives and grasp the bigger picture. One bad test mark is not the end of your life. Or you may feel like all these problems are being stacked onto you, but if you take it one step at a time, you’ll make it. Today is a new day – let go of yesterday and focus on the present.
It’s key that you are able to have a balanced lifestyle. If you make a schedule for yourself, you’ll be able to do all the things you want to do in life. If your whole life revolves around academics, that can quickly become a monotonous routine of waking up, going to school, doing homework after school, going to sleep, repeat. You need to balance academics when doing other things that you love. It may be sports, music, art, volunteering, writing, and the list goes on.
What’s a negative thought you have about yourself? Now, what’s a way to think positively about that negative thought?
The presenter also asked the above questions. After hearing the responses from my class, I was amazed to see how a simple change in thought had a powerful impact. One particularly memorable moment was when one student said how she was worried that she didn’t fit in, but another classmate quickly jumped in and explained how she was accepted by the class for who she was. (Bravo! You know who you are.)
I was inspired by this presentation and took it upon myself to ask those same questions to other youth. The goal is to show that there are other people going through similar struggles and that it’s possible to look on the brighter side of that situation.
Here are the responses I’ve gotten, hopefully you’ll be able to relate to someone else:
“Negative: I will never be the best at _____ (sport, school, etc.) Positive: I will be the best ME.” – Julia
“My negative: I lack the worldly experience and exposure people my age already have.
Positive: I must stay focused on my own ambitions and not worry about my pacing because I am doing what I feel like I need to be doing at the moment.” – Kandace
“I have various insecurities about people who have a family/friend relationship with me, but I know that they remain in my life because they value me as a person.” – Anonymous
“I’m scared my life won’t go as planned after High School. But whatever happens I know it will happen for a reason and maybe I can learn something new from it.” – Carman
“Negative: Not muscular enough. Positive: Watch motivational vids and read books to improve myself as a person and physical as I improve my fitness.” – Anonymous
“I’m hilariously weak, physically. It’s a struggle just to carry groceries or move boxes around. I was really embarrassed going to the school’s fitness center at first, and I still am sometimes. But I’m gradually getting stronger, and it’s important to recognize that progress, as slow as it may be.” – Naoreen
“I don’t like the way I have panic attacks but I’m learning to control them and calm myself through having one.” – Anonymous
“I always worry that I’m too selfish and conceited. I think a way to change that into a positive is to think about what I can contribute to the world and to the lives of others- especially to those I care about. I also should just remember that I have more confidence because I accept myself for who I am and how I think- sure I make conceited jokes but it’s only because I love to make people laugh while bringing myself up and remembering that I am a good person.” – Armina
“I usually feel like I annoy people because of the type of person I am. I’m pretty talkative/outgoing but I feel like it just comes off as over-the-top or just “too much” sometimes. Even though people reassure me that I’m not an annoyance, the thought is still always there at the back of my mind.
A positive way that I can think of it though, is that certain people look for the personality traits that I have. Even though I may feel like a bother sometimes, I know there are those who actually like me because of the aspects I mentioned since it makes up who I am.” – Pauline
“I hate being in public because I think everyone is judging everything about me and making fun of me but then I think “well they don’t even know me why would they care” and it tends to help a lot.” – Vanessa
“I think that I annoy people sometimes, but I guess that the positive side is if some people are annoyed by me acting as myself, they’re people I don’t really want to hang around anyways.” – Jayson
“I feel like I get judged on how I look like for example, I always tell myself that the people that kept seeing me with make up on will definitely judge me without any make up on one day. However, I realized that the people who will dislike me because of my looks aren’t worth keeping in my life. The people that love me for who I am would see me the same no matter how bad I look. To think positively about myself, I tend to say to myself, “Nobody’s perfect in this world so I might as well just live the imperfect life without worrying about anything” – Anonymous
“I’ve had a lot of negative thoughts such as “I’m not good enough” and “I hate myself”. I’ve realized that the problem is the stigma that comes with saying these things. It’s as if there’s something wrong with wanting to crawl into a ball and not get out of it, feeling self-pity, or voicing out those negative emotions. It’s not a mistake to feel; in fact, it makes you human.
We’ve been programmed to feel as if these negative thoughts are a burden, but in truth, positivity comes from confessing these problems, even if it’s just to you. We’ve been disillusioned to think that we need to flush out all our negativity in order to be happy, but people don’t realize that to do this we need to confront the negativity and be able to voice it without hesitating or swallowing the words back.” – Vivian
“My boyfriend broke up with me in January and I’ve been having trouble with understanding why, because he implied that it was only for a short time and that he still cares for me. It turns out he lied, and that he just doesn’t want to be with me because he’s a partier and extroverted and I’m not. But anyway, I was feeling bad about it because I thought you know, if I hadn’t spent years isolating myself that he would have still wanted to be with me.
But the thing is, I grew up a lot while we were dating and I became a much nicer person, I haven’t self-harmed since November, and I’ve been way more controlled with taking out my anger on the people I care about. So, even though I was frustrated that I couldn’t suit his needs because of my personality, being with him opened me up a lot more and changed me in many good ways, and I can now appreciate that instead of dwelling on the fact that in the end it didn’t work.” – Anonymous
“Why can’t you look beautiful? But BEING beautiful from the inside is much more important than being beautiful on the outside without being a nice person. It is important to be presentable and neat and clean, but it is just as important to have a heart of gold, arms that reach out to help people and a bright smile on your face which makes people’s problems disappear. To me, that smile is as beautiful as it gets.” – Nabila
Want more inspiration? I’ve been following Youth of YYCand You Belong YYC, two projects started by the Youth Week Committee and Mayor’s Youth Council, respectively.
Youth of YYC is akin to Humans of New York, but it’s focused specifically on the youth in Calgary. There’s many wonderful stories on there that I love reading and I would encourage you to submit a picture as well.
You Belong YYC is a campaign that is focused on the issue of youth mental well-being. I think it definitely deserves a lot more attention as it’s an important topic that’s often ignored.
Ever wondered what to do in your free time? I’ve got something better than watching TV. How about catching up on some reading? There is nothing better than getting so attached to a book that it pulls you inside their imaginary or non-fiction world. If you’re looking for a few book suggestions; keep reading and I’ll give a little preview on the following books that are some of my favorite!
The Kite Runner is one of my favorite novels as it grips the reader into an emotional story of betrayal and redemption. This book had me thrilled and moved, both at the same time. It tells the story of Amir and Hassan, two best friends, as good as brothers and also experts in the art of kite flying.
The Great Gatsby– F. Scott Fitzgerald
Would you like to read about life of rich ‘businessmen’ in the jazz-age? The Great Gatsby is an American classic which demonstrates brilliant understanding of lives that are corrupted by greed. The book focuses on an individual, Jay Gatsby, who is urbane and world-weary. Gatsby is in fact nothing more than a man desperate for love.
PS: There is a 1974 version of this book and for all those Leonardo DiCaprio fans; there is also a 2013 version in which he plays the role of Jay Gatsby.
Pride and Prejudice– Jane Austen
This novel is a romantic and witty classic set in the 18th century. The plot and characters are engaging for teens in my opinion. Those who are open to the pleasures of 18th-century prose and manners would gladly enjoy reading this book. This book revolves around two young girls called Elizabeth Bennet and Darcy as they struggle to love and accept.
Uglies presents a society where beauty and appearance is priority to happiness. Like all other teenagers in this society, a 15 year old named Tally Youngblood is anxious for for her sixteenth birthday because she knows her life will change. Personally, I love the message in this novel as it educates the readers that an individual’s phyisical appearance is not and should not be top priority. The book manages to be fun, exciting, adventurous, romantic, and engaging without straying from the story line.
A Bend in the Road– Nicholas Sparks
This novel has a perfect mixture of romance and a little mystery. It will embed images in your mind that will be hard to escape. Love and forgiveness are the main themes that seem to appear repetitively in this book. I can admit, this book takes you on an emotional ride as the narrator griefs in the memory of his loss. Do you think this book has a happy or sad ending?
My friend had suggested this book to me and I went to read it with no particular assumptions, so I didn’t really have my expectations set too high, but after finishing Choker, my feelings were kind of conflicted. Choker tells the story of Cara; a girl whose pretty much been ignored at school until an incident occurs and sets the book to surprise the reader. It’s quite the spooky, haunting and mysterious book to read!
Also, this book taught me not to judge a book by it pretty little cover!
“Spring? Calgary? How do those two words fit in a sentence without the word ‘not’ existing somewhere in between?”
These were my thoughts as I was sipping hot chocolate, staring gloomily out the window as snow fell. It was the long weekend, and I had been planning to step outside and enjoy the sunshine. Well, that sure didn’t happen.
Then I realized the negativity of the situation, prompting me to write to like-minded Calgarians about why spring in Calgary is awesome.
1. Because it’s Calgary
Regardless of what we say, Calgary is our city and it will be awesome forever. I often find myself cursing the wind chills that creep up my spine every winter, but no matter what, life in Calgary is unique in every way and I love it to bits. Even the harsh winters. Because nothing matches the feels associated with sitting on a windowsill and watching time stop as the snow falls. It feels very poetic to be in that moment, absorbing everything in one’s surrounding yet remaining oblivious to them.
2. Because it’s Rare
Calgary spring in a nushell 😛
Calgary’s weather is a whole lot like the mood swings of a teenager- it keeps changing. So I tend to enjoy the moments of sunshine and warmth with my friends every time I can. Those moments don’t appear again and again, and I HIGHLY recommend laying/sitting on the grass during spring days. It is a very peaceful feeling indeed. I feel the most alive when I’m outside (with the exception of being out during winter. it leaves me ‘Frozen’ to the bone and it is tough to ‘Let it Go’) (Forgive my pun, my ‘punny’ bone has been pretty active lately.)
3.Because of All the Colors
Spring is the season in which life bursts from the most dull of beings-the most visible form of life being vibrant colors. Flowers are in full bloom, grass is greener and spring colors are back in fashion. Besides, you can finally ditch those boots and that heavy winter jacket for some flats and a light hoodie. I mean, come on- who wants to lug heavy layers on their body all day? Spring is here to ditch those layers and run free with the wind(Remember how I had mentioned that I felt poetic in spring? Here’s a peek of my inner poet)
Hopefully, by this time, you realize how amazing spring in Calgary is 🙂 Have any more reasons? let me know int he comments below, or reach out to em on Facebook and Twitter 🙂 Happy Spring, people 🙂
The unique thing about our homestay experience is that it is also an exchange opportunity. I feel that the education system in a particular country is very telling in the sense that it shows you what the society values and what the social dynamic between individuals is like. On Wednesday we were given time to work on our healthcare project with our group for the first period of the day. Even though English is a very common language that most of the population understands in Denmark, there definitely will be a language barrier that prevents long and titillating conversations and this was definitely a case where that occurred. Though it was harder to communicate the differences in our respective healthcare systems due to that, all members of our group developed an understanding of our healthcare systems. After a 20 minute break where most people ate parts of their lunch, we joined our homestay students to their class, English. Luckily, the entire class was conducted in English and was much more enjoyable than the music class. The particular topic we studied was urban legends. We learned though discussion, reading and recounting short stories to partners, watching clips of movies, and doing a few short questions from a workbook. The diversity of teaching methods used in just one class (1hr and 30mins long each with a 5min break in the middle) was very impressive, and was definitely a factor that made the class so interesting. As well, instead of only focusing on English, we were encouraged to explore other topics that had to do with what we were learning about, such and filmography and social. I also found the class structure to be pretty different from Canada. Teachers were not particularly strict or controlling of a student’s learning, instead choosing to leave the responsibility of their education in their own hands. Students are not punished for using their phones in class, but instead will see their marks suffer if their performance drops. Most of us Canadian students were shocked that this was the case. After lunch, we bused up to Aalborg and spent two hours sight-seeing downtown. We were given a map with spots we should look at, and were given the freedom to do so on our own accord. We teamed up with Danish students, and even they were surprised about how much history was behind each location we visited! One of the girls I toured with lives in the area and walks by some of the sights every day, and was still shocked.
Denmark is one of the world’s oldest countries, so it makes sense that they would have many buildings that date to as far as the 1200s, but the fact that they stand in their original locations preserved in fine condition is a testament to the Danes’ continuation of their culture. The fact that their history is so valued and rich is something that makes me incredibly happy. This is especially because Canada’s history is filled with centuries of incredible aboriginal and minority contributions that are barely recognized. It’s not a completely fair comparison to make since Denmark mostly still retains the descendants of their indigenous peoples, but nevertheless, it is one of many things I think Canada could take a hint from through Denmark. We later went bowling at a local alley and then to the Aalborg Zoo. There were quite a few species of intriguing animals, but I felt as though the enclosures were not was roomy or well-kept as Calgary. They also had much more exotic animals than us (around 7 giraffes), which I thought was strange. It was an interesting experience and definitely a lot of fun since we were able to go with not many others around (a Danish student’s mom got us in after hours). There was also a goat petting zoo and we all had the chance to hold a snake, iguana, and a beetle.
To add on to the day of intense activities, my homestay host who horse rides was able to gain permission from a friend to take me for a ride on one of her ponies. I’m infinitely grateful to her for doing this (and for course for hosting me!). What better way to spend a night than to ride horses in the Danish sunset, watching the skies of shades of pastel whilst windmills turned and lush green fields swayed?
(Yes I selfied with the goats)
Thursday went similarly. We finished up our group projects and I attended an a English class once again, but with other Danish students in the Canadian equivalent of grade 11 (my host is in grade 10). The students had expressed interesting in meeting Canadians and wanted to ask us some questions. Their curiosity about our lives and society, even though most of them were not part of the homestay, was much appreciated. We watched the movie This Is England, a film about the Faulklands War and the skinheads that emerged from London during that time. It turned out to be an interesting experience since the film was by no way a PG rated film and contained mature subject matter and language. I remember thinking about how a film like this would definitely not be shown in a CBE school, which brings me to my next point. The Danish are much less sheltered to themes like that in their education system. To learn about the ugly parts of history through sources that may be considered inappropriate by us is a norm for them. I think that this also has to do with the independence of the student and how they are treated like adults in the school environment. I would love to go on about the school system, but the differences are so numerous that this blog post can’t possibly contain my thoughts about it.
In the afternoon, we participated in a gym class where the student population was divided between sports like dodgeball, volleyball, and soccer. I chose volleyball, and two Danish students decided to join in despite their not knowing of how the game worked and it ended up being lots of fun.
All Time Low is by far one of my favourite current bands for more than one reason. First of all, they’re really easy to listen to and are catchy without being obnoxious. Secondly, their sound lies in between pop and something with a heavier sound (they’re technically classified as pop-punk), which suits my taste but is still more upbeat and appealing to a larger audience. ATL haven’t released a full album since 2012 so this release, Future Hearts, was much anticipated.
All Time Low never really strays too much with their sound so the fact that Future Hearts follows that pattern was expected, although I would have liked to see them experiment a little bit more. In fact, the album seems a bit like a cross between previous albums Nothing Personal and Don’t Panic! That said, it still offers fresh tracks that are enjoyable and that pretty much everyone can enjoy. It’s nice when bands experiment with their sound, but All Time Low is consistent and there is something to be said for that as well. Heck, they explore the same themes for the most part as well.
I can’t say that there’s any single track that stands out from the rest because they all follow such a similar pattern. It’s all good, but nothing is particularly exceptional. That said, featuring Mark Hoppus of Blink-182 on the track Tidal Waves made it that much better. My favourite tracks off of the album are Dancing With A Wolf and Don’t You Go. Dancing With A Wolf has a different beat to it and stands out from the rest in that respect and Don’t You Go defines upbeat and is really easy to sing along. Overall, although slightly homogeneous in quality and even in sound for a lot of the time, Future Hearts packs a punch.
The biggest issue that I have with the album as a whole is that Satellite, the opening track, is slow and so vastly different from the rest of the album. It doesn’t seem to fit in quite right. I can see why it’s at the beginning, but it still doesn’t sit quite right with me and is by far the song I like the least.
Everything taken into account (Including the hilarious music video for Something’s Gotta Give which you can watch here), Future Hearts is a good album, not a great one, but is still worth a listen, especially if you’re not familiar with All Time Low’s previous works.
You can stream Future Hearts from Hopeless Records here.
Jessica Nigri, professional cosplayer, dressed as gender-bent Edward Kenway from Assassins Creed Black Flag. She’ll be appearing at the Calgary Expo 2015.
It often takes weeks of one’s time and an abundance of talent to create a great Cosplay costume. Some of us aren’t gifted with such talents, nor do we have enough time, possess enough money, or procrastinate until its too late. If you’re affected by any of the last four things, then you are just like me. (You and I are basically conjoined twins if it’s the lack of time management skills that get you every time… every gosh darn time.)
With the Calgary Expo coming up along with the POW! Parade of Wonders there are some of us who are beyond ready. This is like going into battle and these four days are your days to show off all of the hard work you’ve done. All of those awesome cosplayers are part of what makes going to conventions fun and exciting!
I’ve thought up of some quick cosplays that can be done cheap and easy for those of us who just want to go in casual or didn’t find the time to prepare an elaborate one. Hopefully these ideas can start the cogs rolling in your own brain and they aid in expanding your available options.
Not only is this easy, it’s hilarious. Just slap on some generic blue eyeshadow, line the top of your lids with a thin wing, apply black mascara, lather your lips with red lipstick and you’re good to go. With a liquid eyeliner that you don’t really care about or black body paint, line your eyebrows rather heavily with it and plop a black dot near your nose like in the picture. With a black pencil you can do the beard. It should not be as heavy as the eyebrows because even in the movie, it’s suppose to be drawn on. To finish the look put your hair in a bun, draw some yellow flowery things on paper, cut it out, and then pin it on the bun a with a bobby pin. If you don’t have round yellow earrings, you can probably go without them. For the dress get an oversized purple shirt and tie it up with a blue scarf. Ta-da!
Most of what she’s wearing is actually fashionable now. A lot of girls have combat boots, and beanies. The black jacket is easy enough to get a hold of. The red dress can also be an oversized red t-shirt if need be. The tights I can see as being harder to get but as long as you get the key elements of any cosplay then you should be recognizable as that character.
Key Elements: Orange beanie, black combat boots, black jacket, red dress, ponytails
To cosplay either of the brothers (Sam Winchester and Dean Winchester) it’s basically the same thing: Blue jeans, boots, plain t-shirt, plaid open shirt on top of that, and a jacket like in the picture. Castiel has a different but very iconic get-up. Trench coats are popular this season so that shouldn’t be too hard to find. To complete his look just wear black dress pants, dress shoes,a white dress shirt and a blue tie. Underneath he has the the suit jacket which matches the black dress pants This part isn’t SUPER important as we can’t even really see it. This is a layered look and wouldn’t be ideal on a hot day. If it’s fairly warm out maybe you’d like to cosplay Castiel after he took on Sam’s mental state in the episode The Born-Again Identity. Much more room to breath I imagine.
Key Elements:
Castiel- Trench coat, blue tie, black bottoms and black shoes OR Trench coat, complete white “nurse” attire
Sam- Luscious brown locks, plaid, blue jeans
Dean- The necklace Sam gave Dean A.K.A. “The Samulet”, plaid, blue jeans, Sam or Castiel (joking… but really though)
With popular shows with a large fanbase like Supernatural, it is not unheard of to “gender-bend” characters. As long as you have key elements in your costume, you can still be technically be cosplaying your chosen character.
Best thing about cosplaying and dressing up in general? There are no rules when you create.
Look at all of these choices. Just wow. All twelve versions of nem are looking very spiffy and all of them are varying levels of difficulty. Which one is the simplest to do? I’d probably say the ninth doctor. Black jeans, long black pleather jacket, a t-shirt underneath, a sonic screwdriver, and waves of unsquashable energy should do the trick.
Key Elements: Depends on the doctor. The ninth was given as an example.
Most cartoon characters are easy enough to replicate because of the simplicity of their design. You can easily replicate characters like Lisa Simpson, Peter Griffin, Turanga Leela, and Charlie Brown. I have come to love the show Bob’s Burgers
so it has made it unto the list. They’re all basically wearing something one might find in an ordinary closet and if not, they are still easily accessible.
Key Elements:
Tina Belcher- black “nerd/hipster” glasses (you can use 3D glasses I imagine), yellow hair clip, short dark hair, blue shirt/skirt, converse, high socks with red ring (basically everything for this one)
Linda Belcher- red rim “librarian” glasses, longsleeve orange shirt, half apron, 80s hair
Bob Belcher- White/grey t-shirt, full apron, mustache
Louise Belcher- Bunny ears hat, green dress
Gene Belcher- yellow t-shirt, blue shorts, hair (to make this character more recognizable you can use a prop like shown in the picture on right or do the full design including the red converse).
Probably one of the easiest things you can do is dress up like a sim. All that is needed is a crystal (a plumbob) attached to a headband and your everyday clothes. There are various videos on how to create one yourself on the internet. The one that I like the most would be the one done by Karen Kavett on YouTube. Just click “here” to be directed to it.
So there you have it! Those are some easy cosplays you can do. As you can see, cartoons and anime characters can be some of the easiest looks to replicate. Think about what shows or movies you like to watch and maybe even your favourite video games. Pick a character that you know doesn’t have a lot of intricate details and go with that. Maybe even pick an easily recognizable iconic character like Waldo or a member of the Flintstones family. You can also carry around props to make things more exciting. If you want to eventually one day do an elaborate costume, build up to it. Don’t take on a big project and expect yourself to finish it if you have minimal experience with sewing and crafting. Remember, cosplaying should be fun! If you haven’t done this kind of thing before, who knows, it can perhaps become your new hobby.
Just one last thing: Costumes Do Not Equal Consent! What does this mean? Emily Expo did a wonderful job of explaining this.
“Here’s a few tips for con-going that will make everyone’s lives a little happier.
• Avoid using degrading language. This applies to Expo social media as well. Commenting on someone’s body in a way that is derogatory is considered sexual harassment and our convention won’t stand for it.
• Rape jokes, or jokes that are marginalizing to someone, are not funny. Please don’t make them, and if you feel that you have been the subject of such harassment, please come forward to Expo staff so that the issue can be dealt with confidentially.
• Always be respectful of someone’s physical space. It can be pretty close quarters at the Expo during peak hours, but that’s no excuse for inappropriate behavior. “
Speaking on stage in front of an audience full of hundreds of individuals is a wonderful but nerve-racking privilege. It is only natural to be intimidated by a large group of people whose undivided attention is focused on you. To be honest, I had also experienced ‘stage fright’. However, once I got up there and started speaking, it felt very calm and comfortable. If you need some help with public speaking, keep reading my tips below!
This is the most important skill to consider while talking to an audience. It is crucial to maintain eye contact with the public to indicate that you are speaking directly to them. Practice your presentation beforehand and know what you’re talking about. But hey, we’re not robots, we might lose track of our train of thought. In that situation, just take a quick glance at your slide or speech.
Take a Pause
Pause for two or three seconds and the audience will think you’ve lost your place but five seconds makes a difference. In fact, never taking a pause will make you sound like a robot. When you start speaking again the audience naturally assumes the pause was intentional.
The worst thing to do after making a mistake is making pointing it out to the audience. If possible, try to blend it into the speech. However, if it was obvious, there’s nothing wrong in making a small joke about it. After all, we’re all human and everyone makes errors! It is important to acknowledge them and continue on.
No audience wants a figure stick speaking to them. Moving around and using body language such as, hand gestures and facial expressions allow to remain relaxed and in control. On the other hand, to make the public comfortable, simply smile at them. To engage the audience, gesture with your arms and hands in a natural way and remember to make eye contact as i have mentioned before. This will make your presentation more lively as well!
Sound Confident
Believe it or not, being confident and sounding confident are two very different things. The tone of your voice should be convincing. Not only does this make the presentation sound more lively, but the audience’s minds will most-likely not drift off and instead will be focused on you. Nonetheless, the more you act like yourself, the more confident you’ll seem, and the more the audience will be able to relate to your speech.
I know that may be a lot to practice but once you’re up there and start speaking freely, all the fright will eventually go away.
Over the years, spring break has been highly romanticized in pop culture. We often associate spring break with wild parties, bikinis and beaches, or doing dumb stuff with your friends. While I wasn’t able to get any of the former two things, I was able to get the latter: fun with friends. You don’t need to go on a vacation or do anything spectacular to have a good time. Adventure and excitement is waiting for you, right where you are. This past spring break, I set out to enjoy myself in the confines of Calgary city limits. Join me as I reminisce about spring break times passed.
{Day 0.5}
The Thursday before spring break, we had a half day at school. Of course, with a half day, there was nothing but goofing around in class, but I was still feeling the stresses of the week. Therefore, I decided that it was justified to travel to Sunterra Market to grab myself some gelato before making my way to a YODA meeting. I felt pretty productive (more productive than the earlier half of that day) and it was a good start to the break.
{Day 1}
On the first official day of spring break, I had to get up and go to school anyways to help with Parent-Teacher Interviews. It was a bit drab, but the fun part came afterwards. I worked together with our teacher coordinator to pull together an Amazing Race team building activity for my Student Council. It was pretty stressful trying to string things together and keep it running smoothly, but it turned out okay in the end. They had a ton of fun and it was worth it. (As a side note, there are boys on the council, but none of them happened to be available on that day.)
Afterwards, I moseyed down onwards to a spontaneous Get Happy Project, in celebration of International Day of Happiness.
We stood at the top of a bridge and held up a sign that read “Happy Friday!” and watched the cars go home at rush hour. We received an amazingly positive response, with lots of waves and honks (the only time it’s acceptable to honk at teenagers). Overall, it was a super uplifting start to spring break.
{Day 4}
Over the weekend, I went to see Divergent and Cinderella (in 3D both times) with my family, and spent a lot of time generally bonding. I also had time to go get my nails done, since I had peeled them off in a slight bought of anxiety. Then, on the Monday, I took a much-needed shopping trip to do retail therapy with friends. I finally gave in and let myself buy a selfie stick, and I do not regret a thing. It came in handy over the next couple of days.
{Day 5}
Our crew met up again the next day to have a fun little hot tub party. There was pizza and Cards Against Humanity involved. I spent a good couple of minutes chasing my friend’s cats around, trying to get them to love me as much as I loved them. Taking a dip in a hot tub at night is super fun, and I recommend it to anyone who gets the chance to. We didn’t end up having a sleepover because we were all busy the next day, but it was nice to just hang out for a few hours. We started telling some ghost stories in the hot tub while it was dark outside, but we were interrupted by parents arriving to pick us up.
{Day 6}
Around noon, I made my way down to the Youth Central office to work on a little design for YODA. Then, I took a wild bus adventure to downtown. A couple of friends and I have banded together, and for the past few months we have been starting on a non-profit mental health initiative. We met up at Tea Happy for one of our monthly meetings. I got there a bit early so I ordered some lunch to keep me company. Their restaurant is super modern and cute, and the iPad ordering system is one of the greatest ideas of the 21st century. We had a great meeting, then I went home to a whole lot of nothing.
{Day 7}
I went on another mini shopping trip, this time to the CORE and found some cool stuff at H&M. I added this sassy tank top to my pyjama repertoire, but I would probably still wear it out as a regular shirt. After I got home, I immediately changed into pyjamas, as most people do, but then my parents decided we were going out for dinner. I had just started doing my laundry, so the only thing I had to wear was a chiffon pink maxi dress. Needless to say, I looked pretty out of place at the Asian Buffet.
{Day 9}
I had the chance to interview one of our super cool bloggers, Katie Kim, who is April’s Blogger of the Month. (You can check out that interview here!) She’s a super cool girl and we had a pretty chill conversational. Afterwards, I got to go pick up my graduation dress and find matching shoes. I got the whole outfit together, so now it’s off my mind. (The only thing left is maintaining my sanity until it’s time to graduate.)
The last day of spring break was reserved for catching up on last-minute homework and stewing in the realization that I had to go back to the daily grind. As you can see, I’m not the most exciting person on the planet, and I had a relatively tame spring break. There were no palm trees, beaches, or famous landmarks, but I managed to have a great time. Having fun isn’t about where you are or what you’re doing, it’s about being with the right people.
(
Plaid, Plaid, Plaid. Did I say plaid?
coats are popular this season so that shouldn’t be too hard to find. To complete his look just wear black dress pants, dress shoes,a white dress shirt and a blue tie. Underneath he has the the suit jacket which matches the black dress pants This part isn’t SUPER important as we can’t even really see it. This is a layered look and wouldn’t be ideal on a hot day. If it’s fairly warm out maybe you’d like to cosplay Castiel after he took on Sam’s mental state in the episode 
