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.
It’s rare to come across an artist that is as diverse in his artistry as is Dedos.
Vancouver-based Nelson “Dedos” Garcia is an animator, concept artist, and a founding member of the hip-hop group Rascalz. He’s also the recipient of a 2002 Juno award for his album artwork and a seasoned muralist whose artwork can be found around Vancouver. Some of his other notable work includes character design for Nintendo’s Punch-Out!! and work with artists such as k-os and Avril Lavigne. Now for the first time, he’s bringing his artwork here to Calgary.
On the intersection of 4 St and 17 Ave SW, you’ll notice his new mural in the works. Painted in monochrome, this gorgeous artwork shows a swan ballerina and her dance partner, a wolf.
Recently, I was fortunate enough to attend a Behind the Scenes with Giraffes at the Calgary Zoo. During the Behind the Scenes, the zookeeper led the group attending into the staff only areas and we got to get up close and personal with giraffes as we got to feed them. We held up their food and they grabbed it with their long tongues.
Either they’re extremely tall or I’m really short.. or bothThere were two giraffes. I got to feed this one first. Also in the picture is the zookeeper.
As you might be able to guess, there was quite a bit of saliva dripping from some our hands. Thank goodness there was hand sanitizer before and after. Also as part of the program, we got to see a life sized giraffe skull replica and got to touch an unattached sample of giraffe tail hair that felt more like thick dollar store wig material than actual hair. As the replica was shown, the zookeeper shared with us a bunch of interesting facts about giraffes. It was then that I realized that giraffes might just be my new favourite animal. Since I got to learn so many new cool stuff about them I thought I would attempt to share my enthusiasm with you with some fun facts.
Did you know?
Giraffes are the world’s tallest mammals, thanks to their extremely long 6 ft legs and necks!
Bulls (male giraffes) use their ossicones on their head to fight with other bulls for dominance. The also fight with their necks, this is called “necking.”
These giraffes might look like they’re sharing a warm embrace but they’re actually fighting … TO THE DEATH. Just kidding. Giraffes don’t usually die when they neck. The duel stops when one of them walks away. IMG Cr: DAVE MCKELVIE
When a calf (baby giraffe) is born, they drop 5-6 feet to the ground. Talk about an entrance.
A giraffe’s spots are much like human fingerprints and tongue prints. No two giraffes have exactly the same pattern.
Due to their long necks and legs, giraffes must bend down into an awkward position to reach the water on the ground. This position leaves them vulnerable to lions and other big African cats.
Luckily, giraffes don’t need straight up water often. They get most of the water they need from the 75 pounds of daily leaves they consume.
People use to think that giraffes were mute, but in fact they communicate by making moans or notes that aren’t discernible by the human ear because they’re so low. They can also surprisingly whistle, hiss, roar, and moo. What a vocabulary.
Overall, it was a good day. I enjoyed it, and have now added “feeding giraffes” as an interesting thing I have done with my life.
Sources
National Geographic Society. “Giraffe.” National Geographic. Accessed August 30,2014.
Gammon, Crystal. “Fun Facts About Giraffes.” LiveScience. Tech Media Network. Accessed August 30, 2014. .
Who here has a ton of stuff cluttering drawers, shelves, cabinets and boxes around the house? Are you running out of space for new acquisitions? I can, with supreme confidence, say that I possess many things that I probably should have gotten rid of ages ago. However, recently, the sudden urge to clean and get rid of unused, old and outgrown came upon me for some reason. I managed to get rid of tons of old stuff, a lot of which I had even forgotten existed (even more proof that it needed to go). And how exactly did I manage to achieve this wondrous feat? It was actually a lot simpler than it seemed at first. The key is to break it down into small, manageable steps.
The Sorting
This can apply to pretty much everything that you need to clean out or go through. In small sections, follow these steps:
1. Clear a large space on the floor or on a table and take everything off of the shelf/out of the drawer/from wherever you happen to be cleaning.
2. Create five distinct piles: Garbage, Recycling, Keepers, Donations and Unsure.
3. Sort all of the items into these categories. Be critical and try to suppress emotional attachment to silly little things unless they really are important to you.
4. Immediately dispose of the Recycling and Garbage piles properly.
5. Put the Donation pile to the side, perhaps in a cardboard box or a garbage bag to be dealt with later.
6. Put the Unsure pile off to the side as well, that way you can revisit it a bit later.
7. Dust off the items in the Keepers pile if necessary and put it back neatly where you got it. You can come back to it later if you feel you need to.
8. Repeat steps 1-7 as needed.
Maximize Your Space
Drawers like these can help keep your workspace neat and tidy.
Sometimes creative storage techniques are really all you need. Try a few of these…
1. Buy clear storage bins to put seldom used items away under the bed (if they can fit).
2. Use baskets to make better use of shelf space.
3. Use hanging organizers in closets for scarves, belts and even jewellery to keep clutter off of dressers. Also try a hanging shoe organizer that can hang on the back of your bedroom door (I have one and I literally have 20 pairs of shoes in it).
4. Buy drawer dividers to keep your drawers tidy and streamlined.
5. Use a set of mini drawers to organize items on your desk/work table.
6. Stack things neatly and somewhat tightly on shelved/in cabinets as to not waste space.
A lot of the organizational products I suggested can be found at fairly inexpensive prices at places like Walmart.
I swear, this is practically my dream shelf.
Reevaluate
1. Return to your Unsure pile and go through it again. If you truly can’t make decisions, ask a sibling, friend or parent to help you out. Sometimes a little push in the right direction is all that you really need.
2. Go back through how you organized things and see if there was something that you could have done better.
3. Marvel in your accomplishment.
It may seem like an arduous task at first, but when you focus and take things slowly, you can find that you have a lot more space than you thought you did! You may also find hidden treasures, lost items and forgotten memories along the way.
Alienware has devised a new gaming PC that is compact without sparing any performance. It is said that it will have a high power processor with intels new Haswell Cpu, up to three full size graphics cards, up to five hard drives. The amount of ram slots available is not known yet.
As you can see it has quite a lot of power but with that comes a high price. It is not known the exact price of this computer but it is said to be a few thousand dollars at the initial release.
Because this is an Alienware system, most if not all of their computers have a customization lighting system. So does this computer with the usual array of colors available.
Today’s video of the day puts banks into a different light. We always think of banks as soulless businesses that just want our money, but this video proves that theory wrong. TD bank, a very popular bank in Canada, decided to give back to some loyal customers. Whether it be sending a family to Disneyland or sending a mom to see her sick daughter, this video will leave you with a smile on your face.
Last week, I had the amazing opportunity to participate in The Color Run. The Color Run is a 5k paint run that was founded in 2012. It is a run that helps promote healthiness and happiness.
The Color Run was the highlight of my summer! It was such a great experience. We started the race at and ended the race at the Stampede grandstand parking lot. Every 1k we would get sprayed with a different colour. And at the very end, all the runners came together and did a grand color toss. If you haven’t gone to The Color Run, I recommend you go. It was such an awesome event, and it left me finding colour on myself for days to come. Now, I will share some pictures of myself at The 2012 Kaleidoscope Tour Color Run.
The starting line at The Color Run.The Color Run unicorn pepping the crowd.Let the run begin!About to enter the yellow colour station!The yellow station!Go purple or go home!The purple station.Everybody loves pink!Throwing some pink powder into the air.We reached the finish line!End celebration.This is defiantly the happiest 5k on the planet!
RANTY RANT TIME. Disclamer: I am really, really, really mad.
Alrighty so as some of you gamers may know, the newest Assassin’s Creed game, AC: Unity is set to release in October. It includes game play set during the French Revolution, multiplayer, beautiful graphics, and four carbon copies of the same old hooded white males sporting a little stubble. “BUT JESSICA!” the readers cry out, “THEY RELEASED A SPINOFF OF AC3 THAT HAD A FEMALE LEAD!!” Yes. I know. Fools, think I don’t do my research? This elusive game was known as Assassin’s Creed: Liberation, featured a woman of colour protagonist known as Aveline AND WAS ONLY RELEASED FOR THE PS VITA, which came dead last in sales when it was released in 2011 AND STILL CAME DEAD LAST IN SALES a year later, when AC: Liberation was released. Further to that, AC: Liberation received almost no advertising. I will not be satiated by ONE game that had a female protagonist and was barely advertised for a game console that, let’s face it, nobody wanted.
Being one of the 47 percent population of women that occupy the gaming world, I would like to see some recognition. I also want to clarify a few facts regarding the ‘elusive’ girl gamer. HERE’S YOUR FIRST FACT. We’re not elusive. We’re everywhere. Well, 47 per cent of everywhere. But do you want to know why I (and most likely other girl gamers) don’t advertise my sex freely when gaming? Because I go to gaming as a stress relief (even though I will admit League of Legends makes me want to scream BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE SO RUDE), and that stress relief is ABSOLUTELY CRUSHED and replaced with frustration when I am swarmed with “t*ts or GTFO,” “get back in the kitchen!” or “you know you’re pretty good – for a girl.”
Maybe if entertainment companies made games with comprehensive female protagonists the other 53 per cent of the gaming community would be more accepting, instead of women in companies being treated as sex objects to be one once your quest was complete.
life goals.
Excuses (I AM LOOKING AT YOU UBISOFT) like “animating female anatomy is difficult” and “women weren’t assassins during the French Revolution,” are not going to get you anywhere. I’m not an animator, but here’s an idea – instead of animating women to have unattainable 40-25-36 measurements or creating a risque sexy-assassin costume, how about you take a page from Valve Corp, whose AWARD WINNING GAME Portal and Portal 2 feature a realistic female protagonist who surprisingly survived escaping GlaDOS without having giant jiggling bits of female anatomy. Also, the fact that you neglected to include the female killer of a largely important figure in the French Revolution is just sad.
If you weren’t aware, homegirl Charlotte Corday assassinated Jacobin leader Jean-Paul Marat. “BUT JESSICA! CHARLOTTE CORDAY WAS EXECUTED!!!! IT WOULDN’T BE FACTUALLY CORRECT!” Yeah, neither is changing your vision so everybody is a shade of either gold, red or blue.
I had the absolute pleasure of seeing many talented artists this year at Xfest. The lineup included rock legend Jack White, indie band Arctic Monkeys, Death Cab for Cutie, the talented Fitz and the Tantrums, July Talk and many more. The weekend was jammed packed with wild dancing, amazing people, delicious local food and a lot of awesome music. Here are some incredible photos, that I am using with permission, taken by Tracy McKay.
Jack White:
Jack White, the former singer for the White Stripes, brought so much talent to the Xfest stage closing on the first day of the festival Saturday Night. His vocals are awesome and his guitar playing is even better. This man brings a unique and fresh take on rock music and even had some folk hits on his most recent album!
Fitz and the Tantrums:
Having not heard many songs by this American group, I didn’t know what to expect. I was surprised with the energy and a amazing performance they brought. Their music was upbeat, fun and perfect for the end of summer! They got everyone on heir feet with hits like the Walker, and even covered Sweet Dreams Eurythmics.
Death Cab for Cutie:
Death Cab For Cutie’s performance was great. Their hit, I Will Follow You Into The Dark, which features the line “You and Me have seen everything to see, from Bangkok to Calgary,” was a magical experience to hear live in our town, everyone was singing the words on the top of their lungs and swaying to the beat.
Keep calm, it’s summer vacation. But what if there is no summer vacation?
Here’s something to think about. Summer break has to go. Now, before you begin to spew profanity and attempt to knock my face in, think about it. What do you do over the summer? Don’t lie to yourself, you know as well as I do that a majority of time is spent doing pretty much nothing. While there are active and engaged youth (Youth Central anyone?) the majority of kids choose to spend their time vegetating on the couch. There was an article published last year in the Globe and Mail which discussed the advantages and disadvantages of having a summer break. Don’t get me wrong, I adore summer break, who doesn’t? But, I can also say that the negative consequences of summer far outweigh the positive. Pretty much everyone who doesn’t go to summer school experiences what I like to call “summer amnesia.” We forget absolutely everything we learned before summer and upon arriving back in September are absolutely lost for the first month or so. Frankly, I find it really sad when teachers spend the first three units of the year reviewing things we learned last year.
Source: http://www.summerspictures.com/
Canada used to one of the undisputed leaders in education around the world. While we still retain a top spot, many other countries are catching up to us including China, Finland, South Korea and France. Before I give my reasons as to why summer break is unhealthy for our youth, I want to provide some background on where summer break originated. Most people have a misconception of summer break being established due to the fact that kids needed to work on farms during the summer. However, summer break was actually conceived during the industrial era, along with the rise of the middle class. Summers were hot, humid and uncomfortable and without air conditioning absence rates skyrocketed. Parents now also had the money to take vacations and wanted to take advantage of the summer for a family trip. Instead of attempting to force students to come to school, education boards simply decided to establish a break through the summer months. It soon became a tradition, albeit not being a very good one. The Canadian Council on Learning conducted a survey which showed that all kids experience loss of data over summer. The break is especially hard on lower-income students as they are not able to access expensive enrichment programs or educational summer camps. Due to this, many advocates including President Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan have called for longer hours in schools. Britain meanwhile, has already proposed extended school hours with school days starting at 8:45 a.m. and ending at 5:30 p.m. to mirror typical office hours.
President Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan giving a speech at the Department of Education
But, as with any debate, there is another side of the argument. Many people are also calling for the retention of summer break, including mother Anne MacDonald who says, “I like the two-month break. It’s a time for us to regroup because the year is so busy.” Parents also argue that summer does not stop education, but merely provides different types of education or just a much-needed break for students’ over-worked brains. Many teachers are also against the proposed removal of the break. In an interview with the Vancouver Sun in 2012, previous president of the B.C. teacher’s federation Susan Lambert explained why summer break is an essential break for teachers: ” I can tell you that teachers need their summer break. It’s a very intense profession, where you are teaching for five hours a day, and then doing preparation and marking and evaluation.” A school system in Langley proposed a non-traditional calender which included either two three-week breaks in winter and spring or a calender with three months of school, with one month off. Neither passed a majority vote.
While I do think summer break is too long and causes more harm than it helps, I am not a supporter of something as ridiculous and extreme as a 365 day school year. As a student I know how much stress and pressure school causes, however I also know how hard it is to recover from two months moving at a much slower pace than the school year. In my opinion, something like the Langley school system’s proposed calender, which redistributes the break time at even intervals throughout the year, makes the most sense. It provides the rest that we, along with the teachers, require, while also ensuring we are learning at the most efficient pace. That’s only my opinion though, what do you think about the proposed removal of summer break? You can read the Globe and Mail article here and an additional PDF here before you make a decision. To summer break or not to summer break, that is the question. Leave your opinions in the comments below. I can’t wait to hear what you all think.
Are you a student entering Grade 6 this year and are searching for ways to enjoy your time? If so, you are eligible for a free membership at the YMCA!
Starting Sept 1, Grade 6 students in Calgary can receive a free YMCA membership thanks to a new partnership betweenThe Flames Foundation for Life and YMCA Calgary. For all you Grade 6 students out there, this is your opportunity to get active and have a great time with your friends while you are entering Junior High!
The Calgary Flames YMCA Grade 6 Memberships allow youth access to all YMCA Calgary locations and to special Calgary Flames sponsored activities to inspire them to live healthier, more active lives. The YMCA provides a place to hang out with friends on Teen Night and Flames Friday, and the opportunity to try new things, like quidditch games, theatre and vlogging, indoor rock climbing, parkour, arts and crafts, lego building and swimming.
Grade 6 is a time where you’re excited about growing up and having new experiences. You’re also at the age where we all usually face the choices of either living a healthy or an unhealthy life style. YMCA believes, “Youth need a place to belong, to feel safe, and to explore and grow during the important developmental stage of their Grade 6 year. We want to support our youth in this critical time as they: age out of traditional care models, develop new interests, and prepare for junior high.”
Well, now you may be wondering why the FLAMES Foundation is partnering with YMCA. This is all a part of their initiative to make Calgary the healthiest city in Canada. They too are well wishers for the sixth graders in Calgary: “We hope that this age group is exposed to elements of a healthy lifestyle and will have the education required to motivate healthy choices moving forward in their physical and mental development.”
What are some benefits that come with the membership?
Free membership for Grade 6 school year
Access to all five city-wide YMCA Calgary locations
Access to no-cost programs such as Adventurers (leadership training including character development, communication, volunteerism, and fundraising) and Active Y Kids (physical activity, nutrition, and goal setting) and Flames Friday & Teen Night activities
Advanced registration and discounted fees for programs
So why wait? I say take your parents to your nearest YMCA with a proof of your grade and sign yourself up for your membership! The memberships are valid for the student’s Grade 6 year – from September 1, 2014 to August 31, 2015. So go now, and enjoy living an active and healthy life, no time to waste! For more information you can go to: http://www.ymcacalgary.org
Image source here.Look at what one of my fellow organizers made. 🙂
Note: This event has been postponed to next Thursday (September 18th) due to the weather. We’ll see you then!
School is a reality.
The end of fun is not, however, despite popular belief. Take my word because Youth Central‘s Picnic Playground is going to be on the block soon.
I’m sure you’ll be anticipating sleepless Thursday nights too during the school year, constrained by that universal stress named homework. But honestly, that’s why you and I both need a chance to unwind over at the ContainR site over by the Sunnyside LRT station. The rundown will basically involve an extended picnic; and indeed, bring your gear and food over to join the fun. We’ll accommodate your school day in as the event starts at 5 p.m.
Two and a half hours of this outdoor hangout means a lot of especially board game fun. It’s not just that either; are you ready for giant Jenga and Tic Tac Toe? Come join outdoor Twister while you’re at it too. And of course, enjoy the ContainR site and that beauty less noticed.
How do you join in this golden equation? Bring your friend and picnic essentials on the day of, and check out the Facebook page (please and thank you). By coming, you’ll be able to socialize and congregate with your fellow quirky youth. You’ll make friends and sharpen those “gaming skills.” So come chill, okay?
Kudos to my fellow Youth Volunteer Corps (YVC) steering committee members for doing the heavy lifting with planning and Springboard Performance for the space. They shaped this rare opportunity to become reality. Take a part in their efforts, and head on in. 🙂
Here’s the official event poster. Feel free to get your friends in the loop.
GlobalFest 2014 was a blast. For those who don’t know too much about the event, GlobalFest is a not-for-profit that produces an inclusive, world class, multi-faceted arts and culture festival that celebrates and showcases cultural diversity and artistic excellence within Calgary and across the globe. In addition, GlobalFest is a 5-day event with each day representing a set country. This year, the first country was Japan, followed by Thailand, Vietnam, France, and the finale; but this event is so special because at the end of each day, fireworks are shot at the end of each day to light up the night.
Creds to Joel Agarwal
Although I had never volunteered with Globalfest or been to the event in the past, this year I had the opportunity to go to GlobalFest as a volunteer. I worked under the operations and had a wonderful experience. I was led by my wonderful leader (Scott) and on each day, I was assigned a different job. On the opening day of the event, I came along with my friends and we were assigned to be at the gate entrance to hand out programs of the event. On the second and third day, my friends and I were placed in the handicapped area of the park. On the fourth, we were assigned to be at the gates, but this time we were taking the attendees tickets. On the day of the finale, we were assigned at the gates to hand out programs.
Creds to Joel Agarwal
That might sound quite boring, but these jobs do not really completely characterize my experience at Globalfest. The jobs my friends and I were assigned usually ran from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., and as a result, we were all tired. But to be honest, it was not a complete loss because not only did we have the opportunity to volunteer with new people, but we also had the chance to volunteer with each other. In addition, our working shifts usually came with a 2o-30 minute break in which we had the time to buy food in the event, go explore the numerous cultural pavilions, or even attain free stuff from several tents that were advertising. Just reminiscing on what happened at the event, I recall that one of my friends who volunteered just went through each tent collecting free stuff – that made my day. More importantly, we usually had enough time to gather together to take pictures and record the amazing fireworks presentation that left in me in awe.
Creds to Joel Agarwal
Out of the five days, my favourite were France and the Finale. During France, I was assigned to be at the gate entrance collecting people’s tickets. The gate entrance was so unpredictable because at a moment, there were would be no one coming into the event and in another there would be a flood of people. At first I was not to sure about this position because I did not know what to really expect from it but in the end, I loved working in this area because it was unpredictable. The finale was also my favourite because since it was the last day, there was a flood of people that came into the event. In addition, the fireworks on this day was spectacular and to be honest, blew my mind away.
Creds to Joel Agarwal
I’m not completely sure of how other volunteers found the event, but my friends and I believe it was great and recommend it to anyone who loves to experience new cultures and fireworks.
Creds to Joel Agarwal
Photos of the fireworks:
Creds to Joel AgarwalCreds to Evan LiCreds to Evan LiCreds to Rick Liu
With unrest in the middle-east and the disappearance of Malaysian fight 370 during April and May, the western media seemed to have glossed over many other events that, while not as exciting, were certainly influential. One such event, taking place in India, will undoubtedly shape our global village in the future.
India, home to nearly 1/6 of the world’s population and a birthplace of democracy, held their general election from April to May 2014. This election was not only monumental in its magnitude of civil participation, setting the record for the largest election in history with a turnout of 814 million eligible voters (aljazeera); but also in its candidates, in which depending on the outcome, will heavily impact India’s economic and social standings with the world. Since India has heavy foreign trade agreements with the United Arab Emirates (one of our oil sources), the U.S., and China, we will inevitably feel the aftershocks of this election.
First, let us meet the two leading parties and their candidates. On our centre-left (of the political spectrum) is the Indian National Congress(INC), lead by Rahul Gandhi (Maps of India). Gandhi comes from a long line of famous politicians: his great grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister of India, his grandmother Indira Gandhi was the fourth Prime Minister of India, his father Rajiv Gandhi was the seventh Prime Minister of India, and his mother is the current president of the INC. Needless to say, Rahul Gandhi ran this campaign with no small scrutiny or expectations.
On our centre-right is the INC’s opponent – the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) – lead by 63-year-old Narendra Modi. The Chief Minister of the Gujarat state in West India since 2001, Modi is an experienced political veteran. He was named the best Chief Minister of India in 2006 and was even featured on the cover of TIME magazine Asian edtion in 2012. Lke Gandhi, Modi had also faced tensions during his campaign. Critics noted the Gurajat Riots of 2002, where the burning of a train filled with Hindu passengers resulted in mass anti-muslim riots, with a death toll between 900-2000. Modi was accused of indirectly promoting the violence by inciting the police with “shoot on sight” orders and strict curfews. Many believed that he did not properly handle the situation, and worry about the legitimacy of his current campaign, as his party also adheres to the name “Hindu Nationalist Party.”
The Indian voters look for change in the coming years, but will Gandhi or Modi lead the charge? On one end we have Rahul Gandhi fighting for equality for all Indians, including a right to health care and pension, and hope to grow India’s economy and GDP by waiving all export taxes. Modi chose to take a different approach. He proposes to focus on growing the economy by encouraging traditional methods of agriculture, while strengthening it by upgrading infrastructure and housing to promote self-employment. He even promised a high speed train network to the masses. His most striking promise however, even if it was overlooked, was his pledge to put a toilet in every single Indian household. While this seems to be a trivial matter for us, let us not forget that India is still a third-world country, and the fact that many do not have a access to clean hygiene is very alarming. I am not going to go into great details about Gandhi and Modi’s goals, as this article might span too long, but it is safe to say that they are our typical right-wing/left-wing politicians.
Election time draws near, and Indians from corners of the country flock to one of millions of polling stations to cast their vote. In order to accomodate the staggering amount of voters, the Indian government decided to use the electronic voting system. Each polling station is small enough to fit in a large suitcase (see picture at the beginning of article), and saves countless trees and time. This is very interesting because Canada and the U.S. still use the paper polling system for their federal elections.
As of May 16, the BJP officially won the general elections of India 2014 and Narendra Modi will become India’s 15th Prime Minister. This signifies a great wave of change that will crash onto India in the coming years. The whole world is watching as Modi steps into the spotlight. He is praised for his economic policies in his state Gurajat, while being condemned for the lack of human-rights development in Gurajat. For better or worse, I believe that India has the human and natural resources to become the next economical superpower, following in China’s footsteps, and Modi is the ideal man to bring about that change.
Don’t think I made you read that lengthy political word joust without a little bit of a mind-number at the end. I’ll let Jon Oliver end this election coverage for you.
High-profiled celebrities including, Jennifer Lawrence, Rihanna and model Kate Upton, have fallen victim to a hacking scandal that has ripped through social media, revealing a bit more than Nicki Minaj’s wardrobe malfunction during the 2014 VMAs. A rapid investigation into the mass-hacking has taken place to track down the culprit or culprits of the cyber attack (The Age, 2014). In this day and age, where our lives seem to revolve and be exposed to an online world, it seems almost inevitable that these infringements on our privacy will occur. At home, we can lock our doors, put things in a safe and install a security alarm. But how can we protect ourselves online?
Here are some tips to protect your online privacy:
Come again some other day, iCloud– Do not store valuable information or photos on iCloud. The convenience of iCloud seems harmless, however, one should note the dangers that come with the service. If your username or password ever falls into the wrong hands, all of your information and precious cargo may be revealed to the world.
Use a Virtual Private Network- Be weary of connecting too readily onto public WiFi networks. Through using a Virtual Private Network (VPN), your online connection will be sent to secure servers of the sites you are utilizing. Therefore, your true IP address will not be revealed as well as the fact that no one will be able to spy on your network usage.
Ever-changing passwords– This one may sound obvious, but do not use the same password for every account you posses. If that one password leaks, your online activity will be easily exposed.
Open up that cookie jar- Cookies are mainly used for benign purposes on sites, such as storing your password so you do not have to retype your password each time. However, turning on that cookie notification is extremely important to protect your online privacy. Some services may use cookies on sites to collect privileged data from you.
Nothing to be afraid of– Perhaps, the simplest method of all, do not take controversial photos. In regards to this sector of your online privacy, you will have nothing to fear, if you do not have anything to reveal in the first place. Just a small thought.
Everyone is vulnerable to an attack on one’s privacy via their online networks. Privacy is not a right, it is a privilege. So do whatever you can to attain it and protect your online privacy.
Ever since I entered high school, I’ve been constantly questioning my education: Why do we go to school?How effective is it?Are students missing the point?If so, why?
Up to then, I simply accepted that I was forced to go to school because of the government. I was urged to work hard in order to be “successful.” In a time when recess was most important, it’s easy to see how a young student may have a difficult time wrapping their heads around the future. I spent many years trudging through assignment after assignment. Although I got high grades, I was left feeling oddly empty. Why?
School is just right around the corner, so it’s important that I share my take on the purposeof school as we approach this new year.
Sure, we have to go to school, but what is it that makes you get up in the morning?
It will be different for each person, but I go to school for three main reasons: to learnhowto think, to pursue what interests me,and to enjoy myself. Getting high marks is notone of the reasons I go to school.
School should be teaching us hownot what to think. This means to become critical thinkers rather than regurgitating facts from a textbook. This means forming your own opinion and being able to defend it. This means reflecting on what you’re gaining from doing a particular assignment or project. Lots of information will be coming at us, so transform that into something applicable.
The material you discuss in a classroom is not limited to those four walls, it is in the real world. To this day, discussing current events in my social class were memorable times. It made me realize that the world is complex, constantly changing, but oddly compelling. School is a sheltered environment where we are being equipped with the necessary skills before we have to set off in the vast world on our own.
When you change the way you look at things, the way things look change. No longer is war simply a battle between “good” and “bad,” but something that actually has a lot of gray area as you begin to understand why they fight. Math is not simply memorizing formulas, but is essential to everything from our technology to our architecture. If I open my mind to the possibilities, then I find that I’m hungry to learn more.
You get to choosewhat you want to learn. Not everyone will love all the subjects, so thankfully you get to explore what gets you excited. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of doing what you love, because that pushes you harder to do well. There is no such thing as a “waste of time” if you truly enjoy that class. Who knows? It may end being one of your future jobs, but you won’t know unless you start walking down that path.
Enjoy yourself. Of course you’ll have to do work, but remember to balance your schedule. Have some quiet time for yourself. Hang out with friends. Join or even start a club if something interests you. Get involved with sports. Build connections with your teachers. Now is the time to be trying many things. School may seem long, but it’ll be a blink of an eye and you’ll be graduating already.
I’d be ignorant if I believed everyone loves to go to school. The truth is, even I have some pet peeves about things that could be improved. In my high school at least, it’s not uncommon to walk down the halls and see bullying. I venture outside and I see students have a smoke. I see rowdy behavior that presents a negative light on our youth – that we’re all immature, disrespectful and lazy. It’s up to you to decide if that’s true.
I can’t judge them though, because they all have their reasons for acting that way. School can be stressful on its own, and if you compound that with other issues they may be dealing with, that’s when it starts going downhill. For some students, their school experience is great, but for many others, it’s torture. I would like to see school being inclusive and effective for everyone.
When I was transitioning from junior high to high school, “getting jumped” or “initiation” was something that was rumored about frequently. That’s usually paired with saying “That school is ghetto.” I’ll be straightforward, it’s stupid. Violence should never be a normal part of going to high school, especially for someone who’s going to be new there. Furthermore, a school may have a bad reputation, but it does not mean that every single student is going to fit that stereotype. I would argue that the “bad” students are a minority, not a majority.
School is a social environment. Although I don’t support it, popularity and social status is a real thing. People will form cliques, which means that other people will be excluded. Physical appearances are judged, even though how they act is more important. Race. Religion. Sexuality. Height. Weight. Drama happens. Relationships and breakups. Loneliness.
In midst of all this, I can only ask that you see each other as humans. We are not perfect. We make mistakes. We experience sad days and happy days. We get frustrated sometimes and we just need to vent. We worry about our future. We get scared. We compare ourselves to others. We build walls to mask our insecurities. Strive to take an empathetic approach rather than be ignorant of what someone may be going through.
I think many students may have not even questioned their education yet, as I didn’t until I reached high school. Why is education so coveted in developing nations, but we take it for granted?What am I working towards?How do I want to spend my time?
Grades are only important to an extent. Numbers on a report card do not define who you are or what you can become. Perhaps you have something to prove or have to reach a certain standard. That’s great, but don’t let it cloud the true purpose of school.
It’s about learning to learn – learning the value of education and realizing that you’ll be a lifelong learner. School never really ends, even when you graduate. Your teachers may change and the classroom may look different, but you’re still be a student even when you’re old.
Don’t forget to respect your teachers. It’s certainly no easy task trying to teach in a way that reaches to all their students. That’s why I have such immense respect for what they do. They have as much if not more, homework than we do. They have to make teaching plans, mark your work, develop tests, be a role model and so much more. They’re as human as we are, they don’t live in the school, as our younger selves might have believed. In the end, they want to see you succeed.
School is just around the corner and I hope you take some time to reflect.
DFTBA! (Don’t Forget To Be Awesome!)
Further Reading
Back to School Checkup Panel was broadcast on CBC. Their panel of health experts discuss student stress and how it can affect physical and mental health, as well as ways to cope with it.
This Is What A Student-Designed School Looks Like is an article about how eight students were responsible for the majority of their own education, with help from teachers if needed. They would research their topics that interested them and present it to the group.
Crash Course: Entertaining educational videos is an article that I wrote about the YouTube channel, Crash Course. On there, you can choose to explore your subject of interest on your own time, including world history, psychology, chemistry and much more.
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