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Awesome Youth: Darren Touch

cathy
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Darren Touch. Do you know this kid? If not, then you have truly missed out on knowing one of the most awesome youth out there. Darren has chosen to live a remarkable lifestyle that is worth admiring and following. Anyone who dares to take on the challenge of living in the footsteps of him for a day would beg for mercy within a minute just knowing the lack of sleep you would be enduring. Darren works beyond his limits. His daily schedule consists of volunteering, youth coordinating, peer tutoring, and attending numerous club meetings as an exec. There is not a single second Darren is resting; his hands are always tied up, whether it is volunteering at the homeless shelter or coordinating activities for kids at the YMCA. It is puzzling where Darren finds the time to jungle all the activities he has going on for him.

Many positive changes at Western Canada High School and in our community have been made by Darren. As Co-President of the Western Canada Environment Club, he has brought forward initiatives to spread awareness about the environment through organizing events like the Bike In and the Green Life Challenge. Other clubs Darren is involved in include Model UN, Interact, and Amnesty International in which he has organized projects such as the 30 Hour Famine and Anti-Genocide Month. You can also find him at Youth Central where he is a co-chair on the ConocoPhillips Youth of Distinction Awards committee and a member of the Youth Volunteer Corps program.

Darren should be recognized for his devotion, initiative, and passion in bringing a change to many individuals’ lives. He has sacrificed entertainment with friends to volunteer endlessly, and plan projects to bring positive changes to the school, environment and developing countries. And among all these initiatives, he still manages to flourish academically. As a true social butterfly, Darren makes the effort to connect with students, teachers, and the community. He is always willing to put aside his busy schedule to help anyone with their homework and providing them with a package of his personalized notes. When he is asked to do anything, he will have it done immediately and flawlessly.

Darren is admired for his strong work ethics, altruistic and optimistic attitude. He never gives up and is up for any challenge which includes joining the wrestling team. In other words, nothing is impossible for Darren, literally. His can-do attitude and positive approach to everything makes him a very successful and charismatic individual. These characteristics reflect how Darren is a strong role-model for his peers and siblings. It is clear that his motivation comes from finding fulfillment when he achieves his endless list of goals.

All of these attributes make Darren an awesome youth. After giving and giving, he does not ask for anything in return. Darren’s contributions to our community does not even show how selfless he is until you truly meet him.

 

The merits of cheesy teenage romance novels

lucy
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Girls, we’ve all been there: browsing shelves of books on the library, and coming to a stop before the horribly clique and facepalm-worthy section of teenage romance novels. For girls with no taste for feminity or “girliness,” like yours truly, such a genre should not be allowed to exist. This is immature, but all I can say is, “EEEWW… GROOOOSS. TOO MUCH MUSH. EUGH.” What use does around a hundred pages of predictable plot, whiny or too perfect characters, and the most awkward situations have, other than ticking one off and wasting valuable time? And boys, I believe, wouldn’t be caught dead reading these. Or at least shouldn’t be.

Eww...glitter and lovey-dovey fluff makes me vomit! Give me Stephen King any day!

However, I’ve learned that I’ve underestimated those literary insults. In fact, some are quite good, other than the fact that you can guess what’s going to happen 30 pages in. But hey, there’s nothing new under the sun. It’s hard to come up with creative love stories, especially when stepping out of the orthodox line will result in some mutated disaster.  I imagine that although a chicken falling in love with its own grain is creative, it wouldn’t sell well…

Cute, but NO.

Moving on, teenage romance novels are like chick flicks. They serve as mindless distractions, and easy ways to release those spontaneous bursts of girliness kept inside. Yes, even boys can have spontaneous bursts of girliness. Isn’t it just great when your favourite fake characters end up together, just as it should be? Isn’t it so exciting when they share that epic first kiss? Gag if you will, but everyone has their strange, crazy moments. Even guys shouldn’t be afraid to release their inner girl. And even though the guys are always handsome, angsty, and actually extremely nice beneath their jerk-face masks, and the girls are always cute, ditzy, and somehow can make their crush love them instantly without reason… everyone should read a teenage romance novel. Everyone. You’ll have great fun mocking stupid characters anyways! 😉

Ah Twilight... A more serious(ly deranged) example of a teenage romance novel.

PSVita: Sony’s Next Generation Handheld Gaming System

Nico
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HELLO! So, it’s been a really really really really really long time… But I’ve got something to make up for it! I’m here to introduce you all to the rather surpring PSVita, Sony Computer Entertainment’s (SCE) new next-gen portable gaming device. Essentially it is the PSP and PSPgo’s successor.

Unlike the old and largely failed PSPgo, the PSVita is oh so promising in what it might deliver! Not only has it gone back to using disc-based data cartridges for its games, it also boasts a fully functional PS3 integration for specific gaming titles. Essentially what this does is allow users to begin playing specific game titles on their Playstation 3 systems and seamlessly transfer their gaming experience to their PSVita easily. SCE has suggested that this will allow gamers to enrich their experience by allowing them to continue their experience even when they aren’t near their stationary devices.

Also, other features of this new device include front and rear cameras, motion sensors, touchscreen as well as the classic D-Pad control and a new to PSP technology dual joystick on the left and right sides of the system. Systems will also boast wifi capability and currently in the US, 3G enabled devices using the AT&T Network.

What’s even more fantastic is this device is going to be available for us, the generous consumer, sooner than you’d think – in a mere 19 days! February 22, 2012 is when the PSPVita launches and it will be starting at $279.99. So! All I have to say about this is, CHECK IT OUT! You can see the Official breakdown of the PSPVita from Sony’s official site here: http://us.playstation.com/psvita/tech-specs/

City of Bones Review (The Mortal Instruments #1)

william
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If you haven done so, please read my introduction to “The Mortal Instruments” before reading this review.

So I was looking for a fast paced book that I could just read, be entertained, and then forget. Being the problem solving genius that I am, I typed in “fast paced novels” on this search engine called “Google.” City of Bones came up, and I remembered it being recommended to me by various people in the past, so I decided to give it a try.

So basically, the protagonist is a teenage girl named Clary who witnessed a murder carried out by a group of teenagers that are apparently invisible to everyone else. The victim (referred by the teenagers as a demon) vanished without a trace leaving no evidence that a murder has occurred. Thus Clary is introduced to the “shadow hunters” and soon dragged into a world where humans coexist with various creatures of western mythology.

“City of Bones” has a fast paced plot line, and violence typical of a “guy book,” but it emphasizes relationships and character development, making it approachable for either gender. At times the novels seem be too cliché, and hardly ever offers any deepness. That being said, it was a thoroughly entertaining read that was, at times, incredibly hard to put down.

Bottom Line: “City of Bones” will likely not be remembered as one of the great works 21st century literature. It may seem cliché, yet it’s not lacking in originality. It may not be the deepest novel you’ve ever read, yet it’s not shallow either. But what this novel is great at is entertaining the readers, entrancing the readers, and keep the reader up late at night turning pages. For that reason, I give “City of Bones” a 8.5/10.

Photo of the Day: Rocky Mountains

Sarah
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This photo was taken in Banff on the weekend. It displays the beauty of the Rocky Mountains as the sun gracefully sets over the horizon.

Summer Volunteering: Me To We Trips

Stephen
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Looking for a volunteering gig this summer? Want to travel the world?

Why not volunteer abroad with Me To We? (:

Me To We is a charity that works in partnership with Free The Children, creating environmental and social change in less fortunate nations around the world.

And best of all, it offers youth like you and me summer trips to locations all around the world! From their youth volunteer trips page, summer volunteering opportunities are offered in countries such as Kenya, India, Ecuador and so on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCfYEUcBXxI&list=UUWGubOLAqJoAzDrkepJmghg&feature=plcp

Through these trips, youth can build a first hand awareness of global circumstances, gain insight into leadership skills, and forge lifetime friendships with partakers from around the world.

“Better choices for a better world.”

 

 

 

 

 

You can check out their homepage here or visit their YouTube channel to get inspired.

Check it out for yourself and get involved this summer! (:

Video of the Day: Stars of Harry Potter tested on their American accents

ali
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I’m sure we’ve all done a terrible British accent at one time or another. It’s interesting to see things the other way around. I think Draco took the cake on this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moPRTR5ABE0&feature=player_detailpage

Photo of the Day: Starbucks

sarena
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I promise I am not a spokesperson from Starbucks.  Here is the result of another photo shoot at the coffee shop.

 

Canadian youth and our money: reality and tips

Kat
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Canadian teenagers have an optimistic outlook on their financial future, according to a recent survey.

A study done by the British Columbia Securities Commission revealed that teenagers have high expectations for their future earnings. However, we are all aware that expectations have little to do with reality.

The National Report Card on Youth Financial Literacy survey of more than 3,000 youth, ages 17 through 20 (most of whom were currently enrolled in post-secondary education), found that Canadian youth expect to make lots of money upon graduation. The report stated that the average survey respondent expects to earn $90,735 in 10 years. That’s roughly THREE times the average income of 25 to 29 year-olds with post-secondary degrees (according to Statistics Canada’s 2006 Census Data).

Student optimism is still apparent in regard to their understanding of debt. Over half of the surveyed teenagers have stated that they already have significant debt, where most of them (7 out of 10) have hefty student loans. 27% of  students surveyed owed a family member money, while another 25% had an outstanding balance on their credit card.

However,  we don’t seem to be too worried. Of those who have a student loan, just about half say that they will “definitely or very likely” have it paid off in five years.

So what’s really going on here? Are we really that disconnected from financial reality? It appears that it’s a definite yes.

The easiest way to make yourself stand out from the rest of the overly optimistic, under realistic teens? Learn about money. Here are four easy tips to get you started and well on your way to financial literacy.

1. SAVE!

The thing that most thing struggle with is saving money. Practice restraint and learn to save for the large things you would want to buy later. Banks can offer you interest and you can make money off saving money so that in the end there are more benefits of not spending your money.

2. BUDGET!

Plan out your financial purchases and you’ll find quickly find that you save more money and that you’ll understand where your money goes better.

3. COMPOUND INTEREST!

Compound interest simply means that the rate at which your money earns interest increases over time. Talk to your bank about opening a savings account with this interest.

4. WATCH OUT FOR CREDIT!

Credit cards can be valuable tools in a healthy financial lifestyle, but be careful about the amount of debt that you can easily acquire.

Album Review: Kathleen Edwards’ Voyageur

arielle
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While Kathleen Edwards may not be a familiar name to many, Bon Iver sure is. This is one of the points singer songwriter Edwards made about the advantages and disadvantages of having Justin Vernon, Bon Iver’s frontman, as her new beau. In an interview with the Globe and Mail, she said, “The nice dull side is that people will listen to me for the first time because his name is on the record. The bad side is that you feel as if you didn’t exist until you started dating someone. And that doesn’t feel good.”

The record to which Edwards refers is her newly released fourth album, Voyageur, co-produced by Justin Vernon and including songs inspired by her divorce in 2011. Hearing each of the songs on the record is like reading entries in Edwards’ personal diary. Just as her life is steering in a new direction, Edwards’ musical style is evolving from the country vibes she was previously associated with to folk-rock with more empowering lyrics than ever. Nonetheless, there is a certain element that does not distinguish her work from many other up and coming artists.Only time will tell if she will too experience the cult following attributed to Bon Iver.

Listen to “Change the Sheets” from Kathleen Edwards’ Voyageur.

To read the full article, visit http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/music/kathleen-edwardss-new-voyage/article2310814/

 

Biggest dodgeball game ever – with 4983 people!

E
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Ok, who’s up for a game of dodgeball… with 4,982 other people? Crazy, I know. Impossible? Well, with The Return of the U of A, students at the University of Alberta managed to gather 4,983 students and staff members – they hosted a game on Feb 3 of this year, as a counterattack on the University of California at Irvine, who claimed the World Guinness Record the year before. Talk about some rivalry!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QrnDSUxPKU

Video of the Day: How average are you?

lucy
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The global population has hit 7 billion. Have you wondered what the most average person on Earth looks like? If he or she looks anything like you, or lives a similar life? Sadly, the average human being probably doesn’t live like the general population here in North America. In fact, if you are reading this right now, and have access to internet, you are probably better off then the majority of the world. National Geographic is undertaken a year-long journey of discovery studying the global population. Here’s what they have to say about “the most typical person on Earth:”

 

The Vipers are gone??

arjun
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Today I’m going to talk about one of the most popular, influential and well-known sport teams in Calgary. That’s right, I’m talking about the Calgary Vipers. Now the fact that my first sentence is very ironic is sad because it displays a lack of awareness for Calgary’s very own baseball team. Many Calgarians know every single hockey statistic associated with the Calgary Flames. Many Calgarians have attended at least one Calgary Stampeders game. Many Calgarians also follow the day-to-day news of the Roughnecks (lacrosse). How many of those Calgarians can say the same about the Calgary Vipers?

I for one am not a baseball fan or an avid follower of the Calgary Vipers, but it is disheartening to know that a professional sports team that represents a city has no fans to represent the team. Sadly, due to management issues at the end of the 2011 season and lack of financial support, they are forced to fold (the team’s Website has been dismantled). Anyway, I thought I would dedicate this post as a memoir to the team that once represented Calgary in the North American League.

The Vipers:
Team Colours: Black, maroon, silver, white
Home Field: Foothills Stadium
Roster: Composed of many Americans as well as five Canadians and one from the Dominican Republic
Championships: Two League Titles (2009 Golden Baseball League & Arizona Winter League 2010)

So even though the Vipers are gone, this should serve as an example for all of us Calgarians to support local athletes and talent, and let it not go to waste.

The Name of the Wind blew my breath away

Juliet
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I know that the name of fantasy has been somewhat defaced by the emergence of books
such as Twilight (I apologize if I’m offending anyone with this statement) and various other dark “romance” books whose only selling point is that they take advantage of the teenage girl’s tendency to be attracted to supernaturally sexy/bad boy personalities.

Then, after walking into Chapters and seeing an entire section of books devoted to shallow and content-less stories about vampires/werewolves/necromancers, etc… etc…, I was on the verge of abandoning all hope of ever finding another good fantasy read. That is, until The Name of the Wind restored my faith in the genre again. If you’re looking for a solid fantasy novel, I am pretty much begging you to give this book a try.

Like many epic fantasy novels out there, the book takes place in a world in turmoil. There are rumours of an ongoing war, and few travelers dare to brave the open roads. It is here that a man known as the Chronicler ventures out, seeking to reveal the story of Kvothe (pronounced “Quothe”), a legendary hero who everyone believes to be dead. He finds Kvothe posing as an innkeeper in a shoddy town on the outskirts of society, and convinces him to tell his story. Despite his initial reluctance, Kvothe eventually relents, but requests that he be given three days to tell his story, thus setting up the trilogy structure of the books.

This is where the similarities end. As soon as Kvothe begins his story, readers are immediately whisked away from their present-day world and absorbed into that of Kvothe’s. Patrick Rothfuss literally builds an entirely new world from the ground up. His carefully thought out system of magic is a novel mix of chemistry, physics and voodoo, a combination that he so brilliantly develops that it borders on the believable. Rothfuss’ narratives are so smooth and seamless that at times his words seem more like poetry than prose. Kvothe’s story unfolds in a first person narrative, a style of writing that allows the reader to really connect with the story’s main protagonist.

Kvothe spends his childhood in blissful happiness with his father’s performing troupe. Along the way, the troupe picks up an an Arcanist, Abenthy, who teaches him the basics of magic and instills in him the idea to attend the famed University to further develop his abilities. After Abenthy departs, Kvothe’s troupe is brutally murdered by the Chandrian, evil creatures that many believe only to exist in fairytales. Kvothe, the lone survivor, then makes his way to the nearest city, Tarbean, where he spends three years living as a street urchin. At 15, he finally makes his way to the University, where his training under Abenthy gets him enrolled. Here, Kvothe makes friends and enemies, meets his first love, and continues his quest to discover more about the Chandrian.

Throughout it all, Rothfuss keeps the novel grounded, as not only is he gradually unfolding the story of a legendary hero, he is also telling of the transformation of a naive, insecure boy into a worldly adult. If you’re looking for an accessible, not to mention breathtaking, novel, try this book. You won’t regret it.

Youth Central’s Annual General Meeting

sheliza
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On Jan 26, 2012, I attended and spoke at Youth Central‘s Annual General Meeting. The AGM is held through Youth Central to recognize individuals that have been making a difference in their community, to inform others about Youth Central programs/initiatives and to distribute the Annual Report. My experience with Youth Central has been absolutely wonderful! I’ve been able to make new friends (including staff members), experience new opportunities and develop new skills. It’s given me the strength and opportunity to set goals and achieve them. Here is my speech that I presented at the AGM. Hopefully this inspires you to join these committees or get involved some way in your city.

My Annual General Meeting Speech- About the ConocoPhillips Youth of Distinction Awards committee & the Mayor’s Youth Council

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.- Margorot Mead. Youth Central allows youth to make a difference. The ability to implement change, and put ideas into action. The power is in your hands. My name is Sheliza Kassam and I have been actively involved with Youth Central over the past three years. It all started with me signing up for Youth Central projects online such as Empty Bowls or Habitat for Humanity. After a while, I decided to join a committee that would give me the opportunity to get involved with the City, so I started off with the Youth Week steering committee. Now, I am currently a co-chair of both the ConocoPhillips Youth of Distinction Awards Committee and the Mayor’s Youth Council.

In the Mayor’s Youth Council, there are three committees: Promotions, Research and Civic Engagement. The Promotions committee works to promote city wide events and MYC events such as Mayor for a Day. Mayor for a Day is a new contest for youth to submit an essay with the three things they want to do for Calgary. The three things idea was derived from Mayor Nenshi’s project called “3 Things for Calgary”. These three things to implement in the city can vary from a peer tutoring program or getting to know your neighbours. This committee also actively blogs on youthareawesome.com about current local issues or programs available to youth. The Research committee focuses on one topic for the year, for example, drinking and driving. The committee decided to involve all the high school graduates to sign an agreement saying they would ensure a safe ride home. The successful school won a graduation limo ride for free. Last but not least, our civic engagement committee. This committee promotes activism throughout our city. They recognize youth-friendly areas and attend forums around the City of Calgary. They also find ways to create a safer and cleaner Calgary.

I am also involved in the ConocoPhillips Youth of Distinction Awards committee where we recognize individuals that are making a difference in society. Our categories are: Sportsmanship, Arts and Culture, Volunteerism, Advocacy, Peer Support, Leadership, Perseverance and Environmentalism (Group and Individual). What makes YODA special is how all the awards are non-academic. Youth are also allowed to nominate their peers, which is what catches several people’s eyes.  The committee receives nominations until March 5 this year. The YODA committee then deliberates and chooses three finalists and the recipient for each award. All these guests are invited to the Calgary Zoo for an awards ceremony. The experience, the award, the environment truly gives the finalists a sense of confidence and happiness that they really do make a difference. The ConocoPhillips Youth of Distinction Awards allow people who aren’t necessarily recognized, to be recognized.

Overall, Youth Central is an environment that allows youth to enter with a sense of belonging and happiness. It allows youth to develop skills and connections for their future. The positive environment keeps you going when you’re stuck on an idea or looking for an answer. Both the Youth of Distinction Awards Committee and the Mayor’s Youth Council of Calgary give people like me, the chance to meet the Mayor, or promote your involvement with volunteering through television networks. Youth Central is your chance to make a difference. Youth are leaders of tomorrow. The time is now. Join Youth Central. And every step you take, you will start to change the world, one piece at a time.

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