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.
Something can really ruin your day is applying lipstick and noticing your flaky lips showing through, and making it look very bad. On that note, lip balm is great for any season. Lip balm inhibits skin cell reproduction on your lips. It’s so easy and a layer or two of lip balm will keep those lips hydrated throughout the night. In the morning, you will have soft lips.
TEETH WHITENER
A quote from Crest commercial really works in this context: “if you’re not whitening, you’re yellowing.” How true that is, right? Gradually, our teeth have a build up of many stains. This causes your smile to yellow, and no longer have that youthfulness. Some simple solution ideas are teeth whitening strips. They should be used bi-weekly or on a monthly basis to prevent enamel damage. So, using teeth whitening products while sleeping is a great way to brighten up your appearance, and someone else’s day.
LOTION
I am a person who cannot stand the greasy feel of lotion on my skin. Especially when you use your iPhone or another mobile device and it leaves finger prints all over your screen. Thus, as a result of not applying lotion in the day, my hands will get pretty dry, especially in wintertime. A simple remedy is to apply an intensive crème on the hands right before going to sleep. This way I don’t have to worry about pesky fingerprints, and still wake up with soft hands without coating my with lotion all day. I mean I wash my hands many times so reapplying lotion also becomes an issue throughout the day.
What is the value of youth? It’s a lively and productive period in our lives. What do people miss about this period? What advice do older people have for youth? Through this collection of blog posts, I hope to build a unique bond between people living through two very different yet special seasons of life. Today’s youth need to understand the value of this priceless period of in our lives. What could be more effective than getting to know about youth memories from the people who have had time to reflect? They have “been there, done that.” Here’s my second interviewee.
So I interviewed this old gentleman sitting at the bus stop. Turned out to be a very special interview! Unfortunately, he did not let me take a picture!
Me:If you were to share one secret about your youth with us, what would it be? Him:I am a holocaust survivor. I had written a book during those times, but never published it. Me:Why so? Him: I did not want to spread the violence and negativity. Me:True. If you were to give a message to today’s youth, what would it be? Him:Remember if you can, spread the good. And if you can’t, don’t bother doing anything!
Do you ever wonder about how to make this world a better place to live? What needs to be done? How things need to change?
But the answer to your question is really those simple acts of kindness that make this world a better place to live. These do not require a lot of time or money. All you need is the attitude, and we have got the right one!
So here I would like to list a few simple things that you can do to spread the love!
Smile!
I always tend to smile at strangers as I walk past them! You never know who is having a crappy day, and if your smile is all that takes to brighten up someone’s day(even little), why not do it? I mean, who does not appreciate FREE SMILES?
Be polite, be nice!
Simply put, BE CANADIAN. When you get off the bus, always say thank you to the driver.
Greet people around you with a smile.
Give way to the elderly without giving them a grumpy look
Cheer people up!
Could be your friend or a colleague who is upset over some issue. Cheer them up! Simply saying “You can do this!” or “everything is going to be okay” might help them. A lame joke works best in such situation!
Use Social Media!
There’s too much cyber bullying; lets invent cyber kindness! We see enough abuse on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.; you need not add in to it! Instead, spread some goodness. Appreciate people. If you observe a person writing depressed status updates, message them and cheer them up. It works, guys! Let’s use social media to help each other.
Spread the kindness!
Remember to spread this current of kind acts. Always pass on an act of kindness for every instance of kindness you experience. Lets make this a chain! No one should be left out.
Try following these simple things and you will start seeing and feeling the change around you. It not only helps others, but makes your life all the more brighter. That feeling of making someone randomly happy is just priceless… it automatically brings a smile on your face too.
I have listed a few things here, but in reality, there are many small and simple acts that can help us create the change we want. If you can think of any other such actions, comment below. Let us together, share and execute these ideas.
The ConocoPhillips Youth of Distinction Awards (YODA) committee received over 270 nominations this year! Schools across the city participated in an annual competition called Race to Nominate where the top three schools that nominated the most students will win cash prizes. Here are the winners for 2014:
Discovering Choices, $1,000: 110 nominations
Crescent Heights, $750: 50 nominations
Western Canada High School, $500: 33 nominations
Congratulations to all Calgary schools for recognizing so many outstanding individuals. The YODA Ceremony will take place on May 3 at the Calgary Zoo where the top three schools will accept their cash prize in addition to recognizing the YODA finalists and announcing the recipients.
Seeming I already did a mini review/advertisement for the Nerdblock company, which you can read here, I decided I would show you what I got this month. This is everything that was in the box for the month of March, and they even partnered up with Ubisoft for one of the cool surprises inside! Now it may not look like much, but the total price of the items featured in the box each month are well over the $20 you pay, so it is definitely worth it! Like what you see? Sign up today to get your own monthly subscription at: www.nerdblock.com!
At one point or the other in our lives, all of us have had that brief five second panic while watching the new episode of our favorite series: Oh shoot, isn’t that four page book report due tomorrow? But fear not, because just a few tips and tricks up your sleeve will help you avoid that problem.
www.mocks.ie
One of the key aspects of being a great learner is being organized. You could literally have the mind of Albert Einstein, but if you’re as absent minded as a first-day kindergartner, your intellect would not be reflected on your report cards. Many people I go to school with have suddenly taken a turn in their academic careers and have decided to get an agenda and calendar to remind them of impending due dates.
Who knows? Your key to success may just lie within a book shop, awaiting your arrival.
Okay, so now you know when all your homework is due. But how should you juggle it between piano lessons, karate, and that oh-so-fun speech and debate class? Not to mention that city wide volleyball tournament that’s breathing down your neck.
But fear not, because the next thing to do is to prioritize. Seems easy enough, right? That’s because it really is as easy as 1, 2, 3. Prioritizing your work may seem like a daunting task, but simply remembering to do the things you need improvement on instead of the things you can do with your eyes closed is the most important tip. You may be a complete whiz as biology, but a math test may be coming up soon and polynomials just seem to be gibberish.
www.getacoder.com
But along with all the things that you have to remember to do are the things you have to remember not to do.
Do not cram. This blasphemous act is sure to make any nerd cringe in there seat. Make sure you study well in advance now that you have a schedule reminding you. Another major problem that could even get you kicked out of school is the horrid act of plagiarizing. Don’t attempt it, consider it, don’t even think about it! No matter how late your essay is, do not resort to copying someone else’s work. Some of the easiest ways to insure you do not is using quotes and citing your work.
Use these tips to make sure you stay ahead of impending dates and stay organized!
When I came across it, I had no idea that this picture would become the desktop image of every digital device I own. This picture calms me down and there is a certain kind of relaxation and peace that it radiates. This has to be one of my favorite pictures of all time, if not the favorite.
This photo was taken by Cindy Clark and it is the prefect portrayal of innocence.
My friend is a huge fan of kefir, a probiotic bacteria similar to yogurt. So I asked myself what all the rave was about. Thus, I present with a blog! There are several benefits of using kefir that you probably don’t know about. Kefir is a source of probiotics. These help keep you healthy in many ways. My friend is passionate about animals rights, as well as where her animal sources come from. When you buy this product you help animals that aren’t harmed by unnatural hormones. You are also able to give your body better nutrients. Make the most out of the food you eat.
Below I have put some possible smoothie recipes that you could try out with kefir!
Bananatastic Strawberry Surprise!
1/2 large banana, broken into chunks
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup kefir
Spoon of honey (optional)
Directions:
Put your banana, strawberries and kefir into your blender and blend away for a couple of minutes or until smooth. Pour into a glass and enjoy!
Fruity Kefir Smoothie
1/3 cup frozen or fresh blueberries
1 orange, juiced
1/2 mango
1/2 cup vanilla kefir
Directions:
Blend until smooth. Pour into a mason jar, put a orange slice to the side and enjoy!
Groovy Smoothie
2 bananas
1 cup of fruit flavoured Kefir (or you can use plain)
It is hard balancing time, efficiency and health, especially when it comes to breakfast. The most important meal of the day is meant to send you on your way full of energy and ready to go.
My go to for breakfast is yogurt. Full of antibiotics and milk protein, yogurt is a great way to start your day with enough energy to last you until lunch. When on the go, I tend to incorporate my morning yogurt into a smoothie to take with me. But one delicious and easy to make breakfast is the parfait. Originally a
A tasty blueberry parfait
French dessert, the parfait has recently graced many a breakfast table. With the perfect combination of yogurt, granola, and fruit parfaits provide a balanced breakfast, in a short amount of time. Here’s how:
1. Use fresh or thawed frozen fruit for a base. I like to use berries in my parfaits, and if I don’t have fresh I will substitute frozen. Or, bananas also make a great choice.
2. Add half a cup of your favourite yogurt. I prefer to use Liberte greek yogurt because of its rich, full flavour. Any flavour works, but I prefer a vanilla or berry for the purposes of a parfait.
3. Top with granola and serve. I use Jordan’s granola (sold at London Drugs) because it is less sweet then other granolas.
To take a parfait on the run, simply make it in a mason jar and take it with you.
And, as it turns out, some change is indeed occurring. It has been confirmed that there will be a change in Western’s mascot, and as a result, Western Canada High School is teeming with opinions.
This was previously considered back in 2004, when Western “engaged with First Nations groups, students and parents about the name but at the time determined it wasn’t offensive and simply made a slight alteration to the feather in the team logo.” (Global News).
The logo similarity suggests quite a strong stereotype (Image source)
From what I hear, some of the motivation behind this shift in mindset started with the recent decision to change Bedford Road College’s team, also the Redmen. There was an interesting change in meaning as originally Bedford’s “Redmen” were fairly innocuous, as the “name originally referred to the red uniforms the team wore, though it took on a new meaning when the team adopted the logo, based on that of the Chicago Blackhawks, in the 1960s, when the school was trying to update its identity.” (Calgary Herald).
I’ve read a number of dissenting opinions on the matter. One of the most intriguing was an editorial letter:
“Please tell me the CBE has asked the Tsuu T’ina Nation what their views are concerning the Western Canada High School Redmen name.
I think they were asked several years ago and they had no concerns. What is their perspective on this issue now? I don’t see it as being derogatory.
We honour our history with names such as Deerfoot, Blackfoot, Peigan and Crowchild trails, Calf Robe Bridge, and others. We don’t have to follow what Washington, Atlanta, Cleveland or Chicago do. We’re not American.
We need to hear what our First Nations people think.”
I reckon the difference lies in the name itself: “Redmen” is something of a slang term, whereas Blackfoot and Peigan refer to specific, local First Nations groups. Otherwise, Deerfoot, Crowchild and Calf Robe are no different than honouring Sir Winston Churchill or Henry Wisewood.
This all being, said, I too hope that the First Nations have been and will continue to be consulted on this issue.
Other criticism of the decision did not merely declare “Redmen” inoffensive, but an honour. Peter Glenn wrote that despite this common perception, it, quite frankly, is far from it. “Intentions and school tradition aside, creating a caricature of a native and using it as a logo and reducing an ethnic group to a nickname for a team, reinforces stereotypes and inhibits progress in addressing real issues that have made the relationship between natives and non-natives in Canada a painful one.” (Calgary Herald)
So yes, this is the end of an era. However, while the it will look a bit different with this mascot gone, the school that these athletes are playing for won’t have changed a bit. The same school spirit and competitive streak remains; this doesn’t change no matter what name you’re playing under.
As for our new mascot? Personally, I support something a bit cuter, like the Western Geese or the Western Mallards.
They’re fittingly vicious for a sports team (Image source)
Many of you probably listen to new music. By new, I mean anything released in about the last 30 years or so. In every genre with lyrics, there are many prevalent themes among songs. These, as I have noticed through much late-night browsing, are visible, at least to a certain extent, in most newer music. The three I noticed most commonly were respectively partying, love (cheesy love song type love) and sex. Combinations of any of these in any order are not uncommon either. Is this really the type of music that we want to be influencing today’s youth?
We can link many emerging problems in today’s younger demographic to these themes in one way or another. Drugs, teenage pregnancy, alcoholism and mental issues are becoming more and more common all the time. Could it be that media, music included, is influencing young people in a way that can be detrimental to their well-being? From a very young age, children are exposed to a lot of different opinions and views through popular culture. Music, to me at least, is outstanding because it’s so incredibly accessible. I recall listening to the radio with my parents for as long as I can possibly remember. Today, music streaming services are just a click away. Looking back at the songs of my childhood, I now see that a lot of them are not nearly as innocent in nature as I saw as a kid. Looking even more into what’s popular today, I can see that a lot of popular music artists’ suggestions are vulgar, suggestive and sometimes just plain dangerous. From a neurological perspective, music and auditory arts can be extremely influential as they trigger multiple series of reactions, producing varying effects. Going back to the popular themes in mainstream and most commonly heard modern music, they are being pumped into youth at an alarming rate, which begs the question of what effects they could cause in their listeners.
As adolescents are the target demographic for most of the music heard today on radio, we must stop to ask what sorts of motivations artists have behind what they write and release. Much of it is based on personal experiences or stories they’ve heard or made up themselves. The personal sentimental value aside, if we take a moment to look back on the deeper meaning (if there actually is one) of music, it could evoke unfavourable reactions in today’s vulnerable and culturally exposed youth.
All evidence, as far as my opinionated and stubborn mind can see, lead to the conclusion that the negative effects stemming from exposure to today’s music outweigh the pleasure that listening causes. If artists had a better sense of discretion and moderation towards the music they churn out to their audience, we may well see a difference in the audience itself. This is not to say that all music is bad. A lot of it is good in one way or another, but the bad is what we should be concerned about.
One of the most notorious liars and heroes of our childhood. Retrieved from Italy Magazine.
Unless you live in a utopia, you have probably been subjected to lying. Deception is a common theme throughout society, for the best or for the worst, is up to one’s own discretion. In order to protect oneself from detecting deception or being detected of lying, here are some few tips for empirical observations:
Eye contact: Indeed, when the people say, “Look me in the eyes…” the statement actually has some accuracy. People who desire to hide something will usually avoid eye contact (check out this link to decode the meaning of the direction eyes look at). Eyes are truly the window to the soul.
Timing: Timing is everything. A slightly delayed response or action may reveal that a person is not sincere and that their answer is forced. For example, when you ask a friend, “Do you like my new haircut?” and they respond with a slight hesitance, “Yeah, it’s nice.” You should re-evaluate your hairdresser… or your friend.
Mismatch: If someone’s face expression does not match their words, it is evidence of lying. I think I first became aware of this as I watched someone on CNN or Nancy Grace analyze Lindsay Lohan’s body language during one of her court trials. When someone says “Yes,” yet shakes his/her head, you know that their is some part of them that self-consciously is saying no.
Distracted much?: A liar will appear to get distracted easily. They will look at other objects around the room or pick up something to put in between you and him/herself. This is a method that means to describe the uncomfortableness of the person lying as well as stating their self-conscious means to distance him/herself from you.
Detail overload: Too much detail in a statement may reveal that a person is being insincere about what he/she is saying. Creating an overly intricate statement is a sign that the person clearly thought comprehensively before responding and thus, leading to unnatural behaviour and deception.
Not every liar may or may not display these areas of observation. But at least you will be prepared for a society tainted by deception, we call the “real world.”
From March 7-16, Calgary foodies and food-newbies alike were able to discover restaurants around the city during The Big Taste. Essentially, The Big Taste is an event where participating restaurants have a set menu (often with a few options) of three courses for a fairly reasonable, set price. Dinners were generally $35, lunches $15, and some restaurants offered a gourmet five-course menu for $65. Prestigious restaurants like Teatro (Rated #2 in Calgary by Avenue Magazine), The River Cafe, and Blink (which was in Avenue Magazine’s Top 10, plus rated best dessert) participated.
I visited a little hidden gem called The Carmichael (formerly known as Jacqueline Suzanne’s Bistro). Located in Inglewood, this welcoming and elegant restaurant is full of quirks and overflows with charm. If you’re lucky enough to get a table on the upper floor, you’ll be told of the higher top step and the short (6’3″) ceiling, which are all part of the heritage of a building built in 1912.
Their standard menu is full of delicious-sounding choices, but since my family and I were there for The Big Taste, we had a couple options to chose from for each of three courses.
For course number one, I had Suzanne’s Salad Supreme, which was mixed greens with bacon, blue cheese, raisins, pecans, and a berry vinaigrette. It was a light yet pleasing start to my meal, and even the intimidating blue cheese was incorporated expertly.
Seafood isn’t exactly my cup of tea, so I went with the AAA Alberta Prime Rib for my entree,which came served with a vegetable medley and roasted potato. Everything on that plate was delicious, but oddly enough the roasted potatoes were probably my favourite, as their texture was uniquely perfect, roasted to perfection.
The dessert menu offered the most choices of all three courses, and so it was good that my parents were with me, as we then could sample each other’s desserts. I had a cheesecake, which sounds simple enough, but the flavours and crusts and layers were all special and all carefully prepared, making every bite amazing.
All in all, every dish that my family and I had was enjoyed thoroughly, and the atmosphere of the place tied the bow on the package. If I have to say anything critical, I guess the light was a bit too dim for my liking, but whatever. I could see my food, and that’s what matters, right?
I was too captured by the food to remember to take a picture beforehand…
The Carmichael is open for lunch as well as dinner (in fact brunch would be doable too), so all the more reason to head on over to Inglewood and indulge your tastebuds!
Youth Central has started something called the Pay it Forward project with Kids Up Front, where we recognize youth with a “pay it forward” attitude. I am very proud to present one of our nominees, Rahul Arora.
Rahul is in Grade 11 at Sir Winston Churchill High School in northwest Calgary. With many hobbies such as tutoring, volunteering, baking, drumming and hanging out with friends, Rahul really stands out in our volunteering community. Along with contributing over 63 volunteer hours to the Calgary community, he also volunteers once a week at the Salvation Army and the Drop-In Centre. He is also responsible for compiling the hours for Churchill’s YVC club, which contains almost 400 students.
A lot of us may be wondering what got Rahul into being such a dedicated volunteer. Well, when he volunteered at the Salvation Army for the first time, just over a year ago, the work they did really had an impact on him. The work that the Salvation Army does is truly incredible, and it wouldn’t be possible without volunteers like Rahul.
All of us can follow in Rahul’s lead and participate in making the world a better place!
Last summer, Alberta, and Calgary, where I live, was hit by the biggest flood most of us have seen in our lifetimes. Annually, during the spring, it is expected that Fish Creek Park will flood, and that some pathways and areas of the park will incur damage; last year’s flood however, was on a whole new level. During a time where homes were being destroyed, spectators crowded to witness the flooded downtown area; grocery stores sold out of water within hours, creating an apocalyptic feel to the city that surely would cause residents to put their own security and that of their family above others. Instead, Calgarians worked together in a volunteer effort to help the city. In such times of disaster, it takes a great leader to unify a city and rescue it from drowning, and during last summer’s floods that man was Naheed
Nenshi reported to Calgarians around the clock to ensure their safety and well-being
Nenshi.
When the devastation of the floods first swept Calgary, Nenshi was up and working for 43 hours straight, completely focused and dedicated on restoring the city that, as mayor, he was responsible to. To keep Calgarians updated on the state of affairs in their city, and to advise them how to best stay safe, he posted updates online several times throughout the day, at one point, even posting an update in the middle of the night. Eventually, concerned citizens implored the devoted mayor to go home, and take a nap. But Nenshi’s determination had payed off, only twelve days after being flooded, Calgary’s downtown was up and running as normal, and in just under two weeks C-train lines were back up, allowing over 110,000 people from the south to travel downtown to work.
While a large component of Nenshi’s effectiveness in dealing with the floods can be attributed to his phenomenal dedication to his city, the other key part was his communication with Calgarians. Known for his tech-savvy campaign at election time, Nenshi is fluent in social media communication, and relied heavily on Twitter to get his voice to the most Calgarians in the quickest time period. Nenshi used social media to support Calgarians, not only updating them regularly, but also using the sites to encourage citizens to do more, become involved in community initiatives to help neighbours in need. This proved highly effective in motivating citizens to act; a viral call for about 600 volunteers to meet at Calgary’s McMahon Stadium met with 3,000 volunteers by 10 a.m., five times the number
I’m sure many of us Calgarians foster much respect for our dedicated mayor
hoped for.
Nenshi took charge at the onset of the crisis, and involved the average citizen in the process of rebuilding the city, encouraging us to be leaders in our own right. That being said, despite the commanding yet reassuring approach Nenshi adopted during the flooding, if individuals chose to make foolish and potentially dangerous decisions, Nenshi exhibited little tolerance towards their behaviour. When some Calgarians decided to raft down the Bow River while it was still far above safe water levels, Nenshi handled the situation with gravity, clearly articulating the dangers of doing so, and denouncing those on the river as “selfish and ridiculous,” putting themselves at risk while taking away valuable and much needed emergency services away from flooded communities. With this statement, Nenshi not only demonstrated the inappropriateness of such behaviour, but also reinforced that as a collective, we all had a larger responsibility during the floods, a responsibility to our community, to both assist in recovery efforts and to ensure that we ourselves behave responsibly, and think of the community at large when choosing what we believe are merely personal risks.
The leadership that Nenshi instills in us, as responsible citizens and Calgarians, and the determination that he fosters in other, these are the qualities that truly make Nenshi a leader. Not only is he dedicated to the welfare of his citizens and of their city, but his effectiveness in communicating this devotion, around the clock, encouraged the citizens of Calgary as a whole to look up to his level of commitment and reach towards leadership in their community. Nenshi’s online campaign reached out to a variety of citizens throughout the city, and the constant encouragement provided empowered Calgarians to lead their city towards recovery.
The effectiveness with which mayor Nenshi handled the flood situation was impressive, he truly worked around the clock to help our city recover in phenomenal time from massive devastation, not only this, but Nenshi opened himself up to the citizens of Calgary, providing updates constantly to ensure both safety and public awareness. His inclusion of all Calgarians into the flood recovery efforts, through regular communication and an encouragement for the practice of stewardship in flood devastated areas, met with outstanding individual initiative on behalf of Calgarians. Post flood, Nenshi’s popularity ratings soared, unsurprisingly, considering the awesome dedication and leadership skills he exhibited; if the floods proved anything, they would be a demonstration of the personal integrity of the common citizen when inspired by a true leader. Nenshi is surely a man we can all respect and aspire to emulate.
