This video makes me so proud of being from South Korea myself and makes me realize that K-pop is becoming more popular throughout the world.
Check it out guys!
[youtube I6bXG_gA-PE]Disney Songs
I’ve recently been rekindling my love for Disney movies. And with great Disney movies come beautiful and meaningful Disney songs.
[youtube TkV-of_eN2w] [youtube Z_ZBBicoY_c] [youtube DGSqt2fD4Xo]My first time giving blood
A few weeks ago, I turned 17. This might not be a huge deal to some, but I was ecstatic. Turning 17 meant coming of age… to give blood! According to the Canadian Blood Services, one in every two people will either need blood or know someone who will. As they put it, “Wouldn’t you hope there was someone donating for you?”
A “blood bus” comes to our school about once a month to take willing students over 17 downtown to the Canadian Blood Services Clinic. At the beginning of November, I signed up to donate for the first time.
Before
You’re encouraged to drink as many fluids as possible. I had my usual water bottle, and a few juice boxes, and I still don’t think that was enough. Next time I’m going to aim to drink at least 2 litres for three days before my appointment. You should also eat as much as possible throughout the day, including a hearty breakfast. Dontaing blood can be hard on your body and blood sugar levels, and it’s important to make the process easier on yourself by taking these precautions.
At the Clinic
I underwent a very thorough screening process. None of the factors applied to me, so I was cleared to donate, but I was glad to see that the clinic took the matter of safe blood seriously. If there was even the slightest chance you had an illness transmissible through blood, you were given every opportunity to back out, or anonymously declare your blood unsafe.
Donating
While the initial prick of the needle hurt, I’ve long since forgotten the pain. You sit for about fifteen minutes, as you give blood, and are constantly cared for by clinic employees. I was asked if I felt okay about a hundred times. It felt so good to give, looking up at the posters saying I was saving up to three lives with that donation. Once I was done, I was ushered to a recovery area where I could have as many cookies, cupcakes, cans of pop, and juice boxes as I wanted. I waited for about fifteen minutes, eating to restore my blood sugar levels and making sure I was alright, and then I was free to go!
Meeting Others
There was a man at the blood donation station next to me who had given blood over forty times. A boy in my grade, just a few months older, was already donating blood for the third time. A friend of the family who came to dinner that night showed me his blood donor card, which verified that he’d given blood 83 times! I was overwhelmed by this, until my mother said I was young, and had many years left to reach a donation count so high.
“Last year over 37,000 teenagers donated blood at Canadian Blood Services donor clinics – these young donors represented almost 9 per cent of all blood donors – that’s a pretty significant contribution! This year we’re challenging young donors to continue giving and to help recruit the new blood donors we need to keep pace with the demand for blood in Canada.” -Young Blood for Life, click the image for more information on getting your school involved.
I’m proud to see a movement in youth to save lives like this. It’s so easy, and it means so much!
Are you eligible?
Click here for more information on eligibility.
This Christmas, why don’t you give the gift of life by making an appointment to give blood?
SaM’s Serving of NeRd: Hot and Cold
If you live in Calgary, you are used to rapid–and random temperature changes. Yesterday it was above zero, today it is going to be well below.
So to ease the topic, let watch a video about liquid nitrogen and thermite! YAAAY 😀
[youtube Yex063_Fblk]Santa brings holiday joy to winter concert
Reprinted from the Scarlett Fever
By Benjamin Hilborn and Andrea Johancsik
To say that the Dr. E.P. Scarlett Band is “good” is an insult to them and the tremendous amount of work they put into the performance the evening of Thursday, Dec. 9. Every ensemble has been preparing for the winter show since October, during class and rehearsals before school. The evening was also dispersed with small, student-run ensembles. The groups had prepared songs themselves, and some decided on a holiday theme – four French horn players from Wind Ensemble even wore Santa hats and decorated their stands with garlands for a performance during intermission.
First to perform was the Chamber Choir, directed by Jonathan Bell. They performed the traditional Ave Maria, followed by a holiday song called “One For Frost, Two For Fire.” To finish the set, they performed their popular and talented chart, “Winter Song.” This features solos by Stephanie Perrault and Joy Barnet, as well as a string trio comprised of David Olmstead, Enoch Tseng, and the non-band-member, but nonetheless musically talented, Jocelyn Andruko.
The audience was treated to a very special performance when the percussionists all came out on stage twice during the night for two percussion-only songs. This was made possible by Mike Sackatch who, having recently retired from Lord Beaverbrook’s band program, was able to spend time with the players and prepare them for the performance. This type of percussion ensemble does not appear every year, but that did not stop the players from playing flawless performances that blew the audience away. The combination of a variety of instruments including xylophones, marimbas, and timpanis made for two pulsing, pounding, moving songs.
The Wind Ensemble was the next to perform, beginning with a traditional arrangement, “Toccata”, and followed by the winter favourite, “Greensleeves.” Their last song was a fast and challenging song that paid homage to the volcano, “Vesuvius”. After Intermission, the grade 10 Concert Band began with a march, “The Thunderer”. They then played the exciting “Abracadabra”, and ended the set with a soft and expressive “Silent Stands the Elm.”
Symphonic Winds concluded the evening, and their last song was the most fun of the evening. Having performed two songs already in uniform, it was surprising when the band members whipped out holiday-themed hats and decorations for their instruments to perform a Christmas medley. The percussionists became elves, trumpets were adorned with tinsel, and most exciting was the trombone section, who decorated their horns with antlers and Rudolph noses. The audience was thrilled when Santa came out to enjoy the concert!
Video of the Day: Giving Back to the Homeless
Being a person who is interested in fashion and beauty, I’ve come to love watching countless videos on YouTube. The below video is one of my favourite girls to watch, and she inspires me in so many ways even if she is younger than me. This is a video that demonstrates her compassion towards others, and inspired me to make a venture of my own this upcoming weekend – which I will be sharing with all of you!
[youtube WBHwLIcVpaw]Scary Movie Review #6: Trick ‘r Treat
The whole movie is actually kind of confusing. I mean, there is this guy with what looks like some form of potato bag over his head and he watches people that are not enjoying Halloween. And there is also this old tale about how there were troubled and violent kids on a special bus that fell off a cliff, and now they are out to get everyone.
A small group of kids want to go check out this myth for themselves to see what was up. So, the kids went down to the bottom of the cliff where the ‘special’ bus went missing. I do not want to go into too much detail, but let’s just say, they find the missing kids, and they go missing too. And then the guy with the potato bag is always there watching… kind of creepy!
The principal of the town school is quite strange as well. He finds a boy smashing pumpkins, and he thinks he needs a punishment. The principal’s son wants to carve a pumpkin, and they boy was overweight and was wearing an orange t-shirt. I think you know where I’m going with this, so I won’t go further.
This movie is pretty good overall. I would not say it is one of those movies that I want to see twice, but once was good. I would recommend this movie to an older audience because of some of the scenes that are in the movie. And feel free to comment on any movies you want reviews on. Make sure to check this movie out!
Video of the Day: Where is Rob?
I love the group Improv Everywhere. The audience’s reaction to their random performances are simply priceless. I recommend it for a mature audience because there is some strong language. Essentially this video is about the adventures of six people trying to find their friend Rob, and how soon they can involve at least half the audience in the baseball stadium to join in on their search.
[youtube NVAvF0IQgxY]Iran: Nuclear Energy or Weaponry?
Recently I saw an article in the Calgary Herald about Iran and how the rapidly modernizing country has joined the arms race and has joined the nuclear weaponry team by creating several nuclear power plants to create “additional energy” for Iranian national interest. This discovery was made by the UN when it built it a seismic monitoring station in Turkmenistan, near its border with Iraq. This station was built to detect tremors from nuclear explosions. The UN immediately suspected signs of nuclear activity. When the UN made an appeal to Iran to stop gathering WMDs (Weapons of Mass Destruction), Iran responded by saying that Iran is only creating Nuclear energy and has no intention of gathering WMDs. After further investigation from the UN, it was decided that the uranium for the energy had been in the process of gathering for a long time. The fact that Iran had been manufacturing and processing uranium for energy purposes put a lot of suspicion on Iraq and it is obvious that the uranium is not being processed for “security” or “energy” related reasons.
Through the recent discoveries of Wikileaks, it has also been seen that some superpowers of the middle east like Saudi Arabia and Israel would greatly enjoy it if the US were to step in and solve the problem of Iranian nuclear technology. A reason for this is because if the US is to step in to invade Iran, the oil exports of Iran would stop, thus greatly decreasing competition for oil in the middle east. This would bring most countries of the world that had been trading with Iran previously to bring their money to Saudi Arabia, thus increasing revenue in oil. Also, since Iran was believed to process uranium to make nuclear weaponry, the intervention of the United States would end any threat that Saudi Arabia or Israel might have from Iran’s nuclear weaponry. This is because Israel is a superpower in the Middle East in terms of military power and Saudi Arabia is a superpower in the Middle East due to their flourishing economy.
Holiday Movies
Chrisitmas is coming! During the holiday season, it is always good to watch some movies with your family. Here are some suggestions.
The Family Man
Film Description: Jack Campbell is an investment broker on Wall Street. With his solid professional and financial information and the keen sense of smell of opportunity, he became a recognized master in his business. However, his extravagant and fast-paced lifestyle all changed the night of Christmas.
The next day, he miraculously finds himself in a bedroom in suburban New Jersey, where he becomes a “family man.” He has a loving wife and two beautiful children, and his former life no longer exists. He gradually adapts to this warm and comfortable family life and he finds himself at a crossroads, as he must make a choice between his family and his business.
Personal opinion: This movie is an urban fairy tale to remind those who disregard Christmas and family values. Nicholas Cage, was the “diamond bachelor” who has all the money and luxury he needs, but on a Christmas morning he suddenly finds himself living a quiet and simple family life. He first refuses to change, and next was uncertainty until the end where Jack must decide. He was to have his original life or to have his wife and family, and of course, the choice is clear.
Christmas with the Kranks
This story describes an American couple, Luther (Tim Allen) and Nora (Jamie Lee Curtis) Krank on Christmas Eve making a “shocking” decision – this year, they are not going to celebrate Christmas – they intend to travel to Caribbean instead. They do this not only to enjoy a long vacation, but to save the annual “boring” holiday spending. However, the move immediately incurs criticism from friends and even neighbours. Even a small change led to such a huge social repercussions was totally out of Luther and Nora’s expectations. They had to face pressure from all sides. While the Kranks were struggling with their decision, their daughter Blair (Julie Gongze Luo) suddenly told her parents she will be home for Christmas. Despite the desire to escape the Christmas, Luther and Nora have to face it again.
Personal opinion: I believe many of us have watched this since it is such a classic Christmas movie. The novel “Escape Christmas” was once on Amazon bestseller list and its popularity is evident. Feeling tired of the Christmas but the inability to escape the tradition was described vividly through a comic tone. The Kranks moves of challenging the traditional were parallel to the author’s action of changing his writing style.
Eight test preparation tricks and tips!
Tests are the worst thing about school. Especially in Grade 12, where the majority of your mark depends on tests. I have a couple tips and study methods I use to help me get ready for tests that I would like to share.
1) Pay Attention in Class
It may be obvious but paying attention in class can really work wonders. It frustrates me when people bug me in the middle of notes and later complain that they didn’t understand any of it. If you be an active participant in class and pay attention you will take the most of it, so pay attention!
2) Do Your Homework
Throughout high school there are a lot of assignments that are not worth any marks, and people tend to put them aside. I’m telling you not to do that. There is a reason the teachers assign you homework from the textbook each day: so you can learn. It’s not that they are lazy and enjoy seeing kids wallow in the mounds of homework (I would like to think). Do your homework and you will receive the best results, I promise.
3) Make Your Own Notes for Review
When I don’t have homework I usually open up a textbook and take some notes on the computer about the unit. It doesn’t hurt to learn the material twice – heck, learning from multiple sources is the best way to get a lot of information. Before a test, open up that physics textbook and take down some notes about the unit test and you will be surprised at how much it helps.
4) Chew Gum During Tests
It may be myth, but it doesn’t hurt to believe in it. It is said that chewing gum can stimulate your thought process and therefore improve your memory. Even if it doesn’t work maybe you can get some false confidence from it.
5) Don’t Listen to Music When You Study (Unless Classical)
A substitute teacher once told me that listening to music when you study can negatively affect you during a test because the environment in which you study in is different than your test environment, which can in turn affect your memory. However there is another myth that says if you listen to classical music while you study, it can help you memorize information easier.
6) Don’t Cram
It may work for some people but for a majority, it doesn’t. The best thing to do before a test is just lightly review the material. Trying to cram new information and textbook rubbish will only increase your stress level, and during a test, panicking is the last thing you want to do.
7) Get Some Sleep!
I am very bad for this one. Sleep is nature’s medicine. It gives you energy and awareness. Without sleep you cannot concentrate and you will have a constant ringing in your head the whole day. Without sleep we are just mindless zombies walking around. Being well rested for a test is the single most important tool you can have on your side.
8 ) Don’t Cheat the System
If you don’t know how to do a majority of a test don’t do something idiotic like ABACADABA for multiple choice tests. It doesn’t work. If all else fails, especially for multiple choice tests, use some common sense, harness some of the information you do know and ask yourself: does this make sense?
I hope that you might find some of these tricks and tips useful and will help you on your future test taking endeavors.
Video of the Day: Food Court Musical
Performed by a great group, Improv Everywhere, this spontaneous musical launched in a food court will make you laugh, if not smile. Random singing and a unsuspecting audience makes for a great performance. This food court musical is original and funny.
[youtube dkYZ6rbPU2M]Youth Animation Project
The Youth Animation Project is a program for community action through animation involving 16 participants between the ages of 15-30. For 20 weeks, participants work as a team to create animations on issues related to youth, social action and the environment. The Youth Animation Project welcomes all youth, including immigrant youth, Aboriginal youth, street-involved youth and others who face barriers to employment.
TO APPLY, YOU MUST BE:
– Interested in art
– Between the ages of 15 and 30
– Not attending school full-time
– Legally entitled to work in Canada
– Not in receipt of an Employment Insurance claim in the last three years
– Experiencing barriers to employment
– A good team player, focused and open to tackling issues that bridge youth, social action and the environment
PARTICIPANTS RECEIVE:
– Full-time minimum wage employment & completion bonus
– Experience in animation and video production
– Consultations in career development
EARLY BIRD APPLICATION – December 15, 2010
FINAL APPLICATION – December 31, 2010
Application Submission:
1. A letter of application describing your reasons for applying, your work and school experience and how this project is important to your future
2. Suggested: support material, such as a resume, art work (photographs, slides, writing, videos, etc.)
Email your application to teamleader@quickdrawanimation.ca
or drop off your application to:
QUICKDRAW ANIMATION
201 – 351 11 AVENUE SW
CALGARY AB T2R 0C7
T: 403-903-3729
Call 403-903-3729 for further application information
Top 10 Things to Do During Winter Break
Winter break is almost here and it’s time to shout a big Hallelujah! It’s that time of the year again when you can say goodbye to tests, quizzes, tedious homework assignments, lectures, et cetera for a good two weeks. For a lot of us Grade 12s, it’s also the last winter break we get to spend as high school students. Instead of lazying around at home curled up like a dead worm, why not make some good use of that time and do some fun stuff in all this snow? Go out and hang out with friends, volunteer, toboggan; the list goes on and on. You can do so much in two weeks time. It’s time to get into the good holiday spirit and make yourself feel refreshed for the next six months of school.
Here’s a list of top 10 ideas to get you started:
10. Throw a Christmas Party
Invite all your friends, bake some tasty foods, and have a good old time by the fire place.
9. Christmas Shopping
Christmas is the season for giving…and BUYING. It’s always fun to go around trying to find that special gift for your friends. Besides, it’s so awesome to be in the malls when there are Santa Klauses and carolers brightening up the atmosphere.
8. Outdoor skating
Whatever happened to ice skating outdoors? It seems like everyone’s always going to Olympic Oval. It’s time to embrace the icy outdoors. What’s the fun in ice skating when it’s not even that cold?
7. Sleep
Catch up on sleep. You’ll thank yourself later.
6. Bake a cake
Bake something for your family, be it cookies, cakes, or even just really good bread. Try out that recipe you’ve always wanted to try out but just never found the time.
5. Caroling
As ridiculous as it sounds, caroling is a lot of fun. If you can, join in the caroling. I promise you it will make your day.
4. Donate to a charity
There are families out there in the world with no roof over their heads, children who will not be getting any Christmas presents, and teens who will be spending the holidays on the streets. Reach out a helping hand and donate some money to brighten someone else’s holiday.
3. Volunteer at one of the many Christmas events going on around the city
Be it making crafts with children at Once Upon a Christmas at Heritage Park, prepping canvas bags for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, or helping out at the Calgary Zoolights, there are definitely really cool, once in a year projects out there that you can have fun at while helping out around your community. And because it’s Christmas, I’m sure there’ll also be a lot of yummy food involved.
2. Drink hot chocolate by the fireside
There’s nothing better than to pad yourself with warm blankets, sit by the fire place, and spend a peaceful, eventless afternoon with a good book.
1. Tobogganing
Remember when you were a kid and had so much fun just sitting on a board and sliding down a snowy hill? Well, it’s never too late to bring that feeling back. Drag your friends out and I’m sure you guys will all have a good time.
