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Bill 29: Speak Up!

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Alberta been seen as a province that puts its oil above its environment.  Especially after being scrutinized by James Cameron in front of an international audience, Alberta is notoriously perceived as a place that doesn’t put much thought to its environmental impact.  However, a recent uplifting story can be used to show not to lose all hope in Alberta, and may even support the idea that we may have been unfairly labelled.  Bill 29, otherwise known as the Alberta Parks Act, was proposed recently and almost passed at the provincial legislature.  According to the Environmental Law Centre, Bill 29 would nullify specific prohibitions in some of our protected areas and make ecological reserves and wilderness areas into Provincial Parks under zoning regulations.  More simply put, Bill 29 would threaten our protected areas by opening them up to commercial development, resorts, off-road trails, and other activities that could seriously affect their ecology.  In response to this evidently controversial act, conservation groups including the Alberta Wilderness Association, Provincial Parks Stewards Association, Canadian Parks & Wilderness Society, Federation of Alberta Naturalists, and the Sierra club teamed up to raise awareness to the public about the lasting affects the act would have on our parks and attempt to have the proposition withdrawn.

Courtesy of Google Images

The public outcry that resulted was tremendous; Alberta citizens rallied to express their opposition to the Alberta government about the bill.  A youth-initiated rally was even planned to take place outside of City Hall this past Friday.  The protest did not need to go forward, however, because the bill was dropped a couple of days before.  It is evident that he Alberta government listened.  You may be wondering, if the bill has been shut down and our parks will continue to be preserved as they were initially, what is the point of this story?  What this story exemplifies, is that you CAN make a difference simply by raising awareness about an unjust cause and using your passion to educate the public.  Alberta is by no means close to doing all we can to protect our environment which many of us take for granted on a day-to-day basis, but this shows that there is still a glimmer of hope for the future of Alberta’s wilderness.  As cliché as it may sound, always speak up for what you believe in and your voice may have the power to make a difference.

Arts Around Calgary: Upcoming Events

Weijia aka "Melonmaru"
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Christmas is just around the corner, and our lovely city is already blanketed in snow. People are putting Christmas lights everywhere. It feels rather festive already even though a whole bunch of homework and assignments are weighing us poor high school students down deep inside our hearts. Well, no worries, because once winter break hits, there will be lots of awesome performances and concerts coming up in our own city. Here they are:

A Christmas Carol
Dec 2 – 26, 2010 “I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”

Theatre Calgary’s annual production of Dickens’ classic story of redemption, love, and most of all the holy Christmas spirits continues its tradition this year for thousands of Calgarians. Relive the heartwarming tale of Ebenezer Scrooge and rediscover the true spirit of the Christmas season.

Handel’s Messiah
Dec 3, 2010 Composed more than 200 years ago in a time and society completely different from the one we live in now, George Frederic Handel’s timeless oratorial still speaks to audiences today. Its festive and majestic chorus like the Hallelujah has accompanied the celebration of Christmas of many generations of people. This season, celebrate the timeless classic with Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra’s amazing performance.

A Canadian Tenor’s Christmas
Dec 8, 2010

There’s nothing like good old Christmas carols to raise the holiday spirit! Charming and festive, these four absolutely stunning tenors are one of the most sensational ensembles of Canada. Don’t miss the chance to hear them out! They will be singing classical favourites such as The Huron Carol, O Holy Night and more.

Around. Marbles.

Cindy
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Scary Movie Review #4: Case 39

dennis
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Case 39 Movie PosterI recently got the opportunity to see the movie Case 39. This movie was quite scary, so if you’re planing on seeing it…watch out!

This movie’s main character is played by Renee Zellweger, who is a social worker. She gets a call to go check out a house where the parents might be abusive. So like any other house, she goes and interviews the parents and the child. She knows something ‘fishy’ is going on in the house, so she wants her boss to keep her up to date on everything the child and parents are doing. When Zellweger was at the house, she gave the little girl her phone number and said to call her if she was ever scared.

So, when Renee was sitting at home one night watching a movie, the phone rang and it was the little girl. The girl said that her parents are saying they are going to hurt her, so the social worker calls the police and they go over to the house to find the parents trying to stuff the girl in the oven.

Without giving too much away, the little girl makes people see their worst fears, which somehow kills them. And then Renee  Zellweger finds her life in danger, and nobody believes her but the parents of the girl.

This movie is very good, but does have graphic scenes and the suspense is really intense. You are always scared and waiting for what is going to happen next. Definitely check this movie out!

1,000 blogs!

jen
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This is officially the 1,000th blog post on Youth Are Awesome, a milestone we are very excited about reaching here at Youth Central!

As the coordinator for the program, I’m so proud of this site and what it has become. We came from 5,000 page views in November 2009 to over 38,000 page views last month (that’s over 1,000 per day!) and our content is as diverse as the youth contributors themselves. Twenty-two writers from ages 12 to 18 blog about anything and everything important to youth, including current issues, fashion advice, music and art, movie reviews, awesome youth, photography, volunteering opportunities and much more.

Youth Are Awesome evolved from Calgary Urban Vibe, a website that provided information on numerous local programs and services offered to youth in Calgary. The Calgary Children’s Initiative, which was spearheaded by United Way of Calgary and Area to help increase the long-term success of every child in Calgary, brought together over 50 youth and numerous partners to make Calgary Urban Vibe a reality in 2002.

In June of 2009, the folks at Youth Central re-evaluated Calgary Urban Vibe and decided that it had become outdated. The old site was too crowded and missing a focus. We needed a site that would fill the void on the internet of sites that are dedicated to profiling fantastic youth and fantastic youth opportunities. Youth Are Awesome was created!

To learn more, visit our “about us” page at https://youthareawesome.com/about-us/

If you’re interested in advertising or becoming a contributor, email me at yoda@youthcentral.com.

Sir Winston Churchill, saint or sinner?

steven
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Vasanth and Shahriar from Sir Winston Churchill becoming the champions of the Sir Winston Churchill Debate Tournament
Vasanth and Shahriar from Sir Winston Churchill becoming the champions of the Sir Winston Churchill Debate Tournament

Last Saturday, Sir Winston Churchill was swarmed by a group of suit wearing, briefcase touting, dictionary carrying teens ready to do battle over the contention: This House believes that Churchill’s objections to Indian independence were warrented. This tournament, sponsored by the Sir Winston Churchill Society of Calgary, was one of the many debate tournaments that occur throughout the year in Calgary. Generally, Churchill is known for its academic topics that push the debators to do a plethora of research.

What is debate?

For those who have not participated in debate, I will provide a quick summary of what exactly constitutes a debate. There are two sides, one arguing for the contention, or the proposition, and one arguing against the contention, or the opposition. Both sides are represented by teams of two people, each speak for six to eight minutes, depending on the level of the debate. There are judges who decide, at the end of each debate, which side has the more persuasive argument. Generally, tournaments are composed of three rounds, and each team will debate both sides of the contention at least once. At the end of the day, a winning team will be crowned.

What about the topic?

This year’s topic was quite interesting. It was an extremely research intensive topic, and opened the door to a lot of different logic paths taken by each team. There were teams that presented a statistics based arguement that compared statistics like GDP, infant mortality rate, average lifespan etc, before and after Indian independence. Others presented a moral arguement, arguing about the morality of the right to self-determination from 1917 to 1949. In all, there wasn’t the trend of stagnation that marks so many debates with both sides essentially knowing the arguements that the other side will present.

What about the debate?

Many schools sent their delegations, including Webber Academy, Western Canada High School, William Aberhart High School and Sir Winston Churchill High School. There were over 47 teams that partipated in the tournament, and over 250 judges and volunteers. Churchill, the host school provided over 100 volunteers as chairpeople and timekeepers. There was a great showing by the school cafeteria in providing great wraps for hungry debators.  The coffee and cookies also were excellent.

The debate rounds were executed without a hitch, all the rooms were full and there weren’t any issues throughout the debate. I personally received feedback that said the organization of the debate was exemplary. There was only a small issue with the statistics that delayed the showround between the first and second teams by about half an hour. After the statistic issue was sorted out, the final round began. It was… amazing. I’ve been involved in debate for about five years, and I’m proud to say that side Proposition did one of the best debates that I have heard so far. It was enjoyed by the many volunteers, parents and debators that stayed to witness the debate-off.

Overall, great academic debates were enjoyed by all who came, huge thanks goes out to all the debators that attended, all the judges that gave up their Saturday, all the volunteers who woke up so early on a Saturday to come and support the event. Vasanth and Shahriar from Sir Winston Churchill won the first place medal for senior, statistics are still being compiled so the winners from the begineer category have not been announced yet.

Meet Robert Penner, Violin Virtuoso

lisa aka "Mangomaru"
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Image Source: The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra's Artist Spolight

The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO) is the home to approximately 65 world class musicians, and Robert Penner is one of them. Penner fortunately happened to be the father of a very good friend, and having been overwhelmed by the grand majesty of the CPO like in the Wonder of Chopin concert and the Mozart and Salieri concert, I felt very privileged to be given the opportunity to interview one of the extraordinary members.

Penner sits in the section of First Violins and is a man of seasoned experience, having joined back in 1983. This year will be his 28th season with the orchestra, so Penner knows quite a bit about the challenges and joys to playing the violin, especially when it comes to the large audiences in the world class concert halls. But his initial attraction to the violin and his dedication has been an interesting journey, even right from the beginning, hailing from Winnipeg, Manitoba, and growing up in New Brunswick, Ontario and Manitoba.

Robert Penner playing his violin

“My parents are Mennonites… [So] there’s a strong choral tradition of congregational singing and if you go to a Mennonite church, they all know how to sing for harmony, and so I grew up hearing hymns and harmony. More than that, I was musical in a fundamentally early age- my parents tell me I could carry a tune before I could talk, so there’s a way music was my first language and the words came later.” But, with a glint in his eyes, “there’s something very vocal about the violin, [and] that of all the instruments, it’s the closest to the human voice.”

Music, Penner believes, expresses the deepest parts of him. He sometimes won’t be able to find the words to express himself, but can only be felt by experiencing and hearing music. At 17 years old, playing Brahms’ violin sonata in G major, the piece became his outlet for what was going on in his life. It was a deeply satisfying experience, and Brahms continued to be a role model throughout Penner’s his music career because of the complexity of Brahms’ music. “[He was] always trying to reach for something higher, so there are elements of power struggles and resolution that I find very satisfying.”

His various travels with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra have been astounding, having played across North America, including in the famed Carnegie Hall. He has also toured across Europe, playing with the orchestra in Austria, Switzerland and France, with the highlight of the tour having entered the very famous concert hall in Vienna, the Musikverein. “It is a very old concert hall,” Penner explains, “and so to go into that place with such a deep musical tradition was very very special.”

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Calgary Police Cadet Corps

sara
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I was on my way home from school when one of my friends mentioned that she wanted to join the Calgary Police Cadets. Being intrigued, I went online to check out the programs website. I was fascinated by the program. The Police Cadets teaches you valuable skills that can be carried on after the program. Besides the fact that its a great learning experience, It’s also fun! Applications are due by Dec. 3, so I strongly suggest you fill out a form and send it to their office.

For more information, visit their website at http://www.calgarypolice.ca/kids-cadetcorps.html

Volunteering at: Zoolights at the Calgary Zoo!

lisa aka "Mangomaru"
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Courtesy of the Calgary Zoo

It’s after dark, 5 p.m., and when I walked into the Calgary Zoo, I was greeted by an enlightening path of brightly lit red and gold candy canes. The bridge had been hung with ivy-like vines of blue lights and cute shapes of kangaroos and butterflies lit up the zoo. Quite amazingly, patterns of monkeys swinging on buildings and butterflies flapping their wings are enchantingly matched with similarly shaped lights, but in different positions, that creates an atmosphere of animation and excitement. The feeling of exhilaration and childhood amazement ran through my body as my eyes were drawn to the colorful patterns of the displays of lights. They even had a choreographed flashing light display of hippos to the song, “All I want for Christmas is a Hippopotamus”!

Welcome to Zoolights at the Calgary Zoo!

Image Credit: Ericzchu, Flickr

Kids and adults will gape in awe at the amazing set, draping and shapes of lights that have decorated the Calgary Zoo. Events are planned throughout the Calgary Zoo for parents and their children. To keep environmental friendly this year, visitors were required to self explore the Zoo without programs. Walking around and around the paths of the Calgary Zoo, eventually, as all road once lead to Rome, all roads were on the path to the kids area.

With the “fun crew” of several Youth Volunteer Corp members, I was stationed with two other volunteers to supervise (in my opinion) the most interactive and fun activity: playing with bay of hay! Of course there were the activities centering around Styrofoam blocks and attempts to create semi-igloos, the dog sled races with crazy carpets and fun acrobatics balls enclosed in a small area, but our station was usually teeming with little tykes and energetic teenagers. With not many children coming into our area at first, my fellow volunteer and I had devised a plan to reform the placement of hay, or in other words, an easily amusing way to entertain ourselves.

Image Credit: Ericzchu, Flickr

These bays of hays were fantastic, as we were allowed to take off the twine restricting the hays into blocks, and mixed with the snow, the hay was extremely pliable and soft. We created a quaint rabbit hole, a hill to encourage rolling, a make-shift cave, a hay stack and a fortress. The hay stack was the most successful infrastructure that we had created, as we soon realized that while kids don’t necessarily find rolling down hills or hiding out in caves too much fun, they loved to jump and run from “alligators” that caused the utter laughter and delight. With a little ledge created by a stacked bay of hay, kids were jumping off the peak of the mountain into a even bigger mountain of soft hay.

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A Look Into My Closet: Oxfords

stephanie
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What are they?

So maybe you haven’t seen oxfords around, let alone knew what they were until I introduced them today. Oxfords are almost like dress shoes but a bit more casual. That’s not necessarily the true way to define them, but it makes it easier to point them out. You’ll also notice that almost all of them have a pointed toe and the majority have little “eyelit” holes  (almost like a mini hole-punch!) that the laces are put through. Oxfords were originally made of leather and were plain, but have been manipulated so that there can be intricate stitching, cutouts, different fabrics and  add ons.

vintage red-brown oxfordscontemporary black-white cutout oxfords
My oxfords

Why do I love them?

The two pairs I have shown above are my absolute favourite! I love them because I feel like they are new to us, yet vintage, so they’re old… but still stylish. I’m the type of person who tucks in her shirt everyday with a brown leather belt and jeans, because I enjoy the feeling of being a bit more dressed up. I feel like oxfords can give a different look to what I’m wearing, because I used to always wear flats. I also love them because they are unlike sneakers. I don’t enjoy the look of sneakers on my own two feet, because they feel too casual  and typical, but I know some people can pull them off very well. In my opinion, I feel like oxfords are almost like flats, they don’t puff out the bottom of your jeans and still look dressy. I also think that it’ll follow the same phenomena that flats did: everyone will hate them at first, but love them in a year or two.

Just a couple of suggestions:

Because oxfords are new, and probably a little bit more dressier than what you’re used to, it’s probably hard to understand the mechanics of how to style them. Well it’s not that different! But just in case, here are a few suggestions (for both girls and guys of course):

  • You really don’t have to change. Wear them with what you would normally wear!  Just because you have a casual outfit of a hoodie matched up with jeans, doesn’t mean you can’t dress it up with a pair of oxfords. There are even some oxfords that are distressed, so this laid back casual style will work very well.
  • With this whole skinny-jean epidemic taking over the fashion industry, it seems like it only makes sense that oxfords do go best with them. You don’t have to have them skin tight, but as long as they do not have a  flare at the bottom then I’m sure it’s fine.
  • Try balancing out the dressy with the casual. A suggestion would be a blazer layered with a v-neck, jeans and oxfords. Or even a dress shirt tucked into jeans with a brown belt and oxfords. And to make it even more simple, a plain v-neck sweater with jeans and oxfords.
  • Go simple. Plain t-shirt, whatever neckline it has, and jeans.
  • Being in Calgary, I’m sure theres an urge to look like a cowboy/cowgirl! So why not? For this I recommend brown/cognac coloured oxfords, with a plaid shirt, jeans, and brown belt.
  • So I’ve been recommended jeans for every single point BUT it’s because that’s what we wear most and they provide balance. However, don’t be afraid to replace your dress shoes, heels or flats with oxfords with dress wear! I love wearing a short dress paired with black translucent tights and oxfords. However, it gets more difficult for males because there is less flexibility in fashion for guys. But there are many different styles of oxfords to chose from. Some often look like dress shoes, which would work perfectly, but others can be grungy or casual. Just use your own judgment on this one and see if it flows.
  • I’m sure you’ve seen this way to style oxfords around on the streets very often and it’s with jeans that are cuffed or folded up. The top that can go with this is basically anything, whether it’s a leather jacket, baggy sweater, plaid shirt, t-shirt or cardigan.

So now…

I’m sure you’re wondering where to get them! Well you can virtually find them almost anywhere now. A few places would be at Aldo, Spring, Steven Madden, Browns, Town Shoes, American Apparel and vintage stores!  I love oxfords, but I understand if you don’t! They are different, they can be very unique and might just be outside of your comfort zone. Remember, fashion exists in many different ways, but your own style is what’s most important.

Memories of meeting Jan Lisiecki, Piano Phenomena

lisa aka "Mangomaru"
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WeiJia, fellow blogger and I had the extraordinary chance to meet and interview Jan Lisiecki at the Wonder of Chopin concert playing in the Jack Singer Concert Hall. When do you have the chance to meet a 15 year old piano prodigy? Not everyday, at least for me, but perhaps for his friends at Western Canada high school where he will soon graduate.  So I wanted to share this moment with the web, of having the chance to meeting him. The most fascinating aspect of Jan that I had noticed other than his extraordinary talent of piano? That he embodies both a extremely mature personality but still have the boundless and childish energy of a nine year old.

Me (Lisa) with Jan Lisiecki
WeiJia with Jan Lisiecki

You can read more on Jan Lisiecki in WeiJia’s previous article- Arts Around Calgary: Jan Lisiecki and the Wonder of Chopin or my previous post, Wonder of Chopin concert- celebrating  Chopin’s 200th Birthday!

Waking Life Movie Review

william
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I recently got the chance to watch a film called “Waking Life.” It was a very different kind of film, but I think that it’s different in a good way.

This is an animated film that follows a young man trapped in a series of dreams where he converses with people or acts as a spectator of conversations. The conversations deal with reality, mortality, free will, the meaning of life and the future of the human civilization. Through the insightful conversations, we are bombarded with multiple perspectives on politics, philosophy, science and spirituality.

As the movie progresses though its minimal amount of plot, the protagonist begins to realize that he is trapped in a dream. Then a new topic arises, what is a dream? Is it a figment of our imagination, or is it a part of reality? Is there an underlying message in our dreams, or are they just a compilation of meaningless events?

Bottom Line – this movie is an “eye opener’ and forces you to as a lot of questions. The art work was great, the discussions were deep, and the themes are relatively original. Though this film suffers from a lack of plot, I don’t believe that a movie this philosophical really needs much of a story. If you are looking for an exciting movie and have trouble sitting still for a long time, this one is not for you. But I enjoyed it, and I’d recommend it to anyone who’s 16 and above. I give it a 4.5/5

[youtube uk2DeTet98o]

Sonnet: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

tina
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The Shadow of Death by Tina

The rainy day, a tragedy happened to a little young boy,

But the boy knew nothing of the impending danger:

The young boy just ran to the fence with joy,

And he changed clothes to conceal himself a stranger:

When he started to explore a place that was grim,

Nervous and anxious, the boy could feel it,

Although he didn’t know of the darkness chasing him,

Though hard the search for his friend’s father, the boy didn’t quit:

All of a sudden, the siren sounded loudly,

Soldiers rushed into the tent and everyone was screaming:

Into the gas chamber the soldiers threw them proudly,

The little boy wanted to believe that somehow he was dreaming:

Holding hands, when terror invaded his mind,

The shadow of death swallowed him and made him blind.

The cookie must have tasted good, but does longer ER wait taste the same?

lisa aka "Mangomaru"
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President and CEO of Alberta Health Services Dr.Stephen Duckett emerges from a day-long meeting aimed at fixing the health system by refusing to talk to reporters, instead displaying a cookie as he walks to his vehicle.
Image Credit: Jessica Earle, CTV

The media is currently swirling around the issue of CEO Stephen Duckett’s controversial dismissal from the Alberta Health Services board. Angrily pushing off reporters and interviews while asserting he was eating his cookie, Ed Stelmach definitely did not sympathize with Duckett’s behaviour and termed it “offensive.”

Now three members from the AHS board have resigned in protest to Duckett’s dismissal, as Tony Franceschini, Gord Bontje and Linda Hohol claim Duckett’s behaviour regarding a cookie does not affect his performance as the CEO of the Alberta Health Services. However, a comparison in an article in another newspaper, 24 H, has Alberta doctors optimistic about Duckett’s discharge. Dr. Patrick White, President of Alberta Medical Association claims that this opens up the new opportunity for a fresh start.

But what does this all mean for Alberta healthcare, particularly on the focus of the long emergency-room wait times? I delightfully read an entirely different perspective, made by DJ Kelly in Metro Calgary, critically imploring that the consequences of Duckett’s notice of removal may be in vain.

The province's health superboard has let go of chief executive Stephen Duckett after he faced a storm of critcism over a cookie controversy.
Image Source: Archive, Calgary Herald

Avoid focusing on the remixes of Duckett’s cookie remarks provided on the Internet and all the hilarity dies down when Albertans must realize that the Albertan government is potentially endangering the lives of patients in critical condition. What does firing Duckett accomplish? Anything else but addressing the issues of longer ER waiting times. The healthcare system definitely could use some improvements, but now the AHS must find a replacement for Duckett and spend some extensive labour on training someone new. If you compare ER waiting times now and a week a later, the times will probably be the same, so any attention to considering improvements to the healthcare system will now be directed to navigating through the AHS’s newly created political minefield. Had Duckett’s cookie eating habits affected his decisions on shortening ER wait times? No, it had not, and unlike the AHS currently, had been trying before the incident involving the cookie.

Personally, Duckett’s behaviour was extremely rude and unacceptable, especially in front of cameras, but a press conference was going to occur 30 minutes after his ambush by reporters and interviewers, and he wouldn’t have had a cookie then. Accountable to the media yes, but has this incident been blown out of proportions? A Calgary Herald article reporting the consequences of the post cookie incident would argue that it has. I’m pretty sure the act of eating a cookie does not affect his leadership in AHS. The AHS would not have hired an incompetent leader to head the biggest medical organization in Canada, as that’s just too many lives to take into account. Stephen Duckket was leading tremendous work regarding the healthcare system, and now he’s being paid severance pay of $680,000 – which taxpayers will have to be accountable to. He could have been given the same salary for continuing to do his job and something for the healthcare in Alberta. I’m pretty sure Albertans have other bigger issues to worry about than a poor man trying to eat his cookie in peace.

I would also like to point out to another fellow blogger’s comment on a similar article discussing Stephen Duckett’s “resignation”:  Stephen Duckett is a health economist from Australia overlooking the health expenditures of the superboard. Stephen Duckett is entitled to eating his own choice of food if he is aware of his own health. Cookies do not send people into the ER.

Information sources:  Metro, 24 H, the Calgary Herald

DJ Masa

katty
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DJ Masa’s career began in 2005, when he discovered the mixing software Sound Forge. From that time on, he had a strong interest in music. His first project “Girls Yeah Top (BOA)” got a lot of positive reviews. As Boa’s projects became more and more known, he decided to expand his work to other Asian pop artists.

Until early 2009, he used 2008 Korean top songs to mix “ADIOS 2008 special mash up,” which is when he really became famous. There were 30 million visits just in one month (now it is about 1.2 million), and this was a big success in Masa’s career.

[youtube -jV1zov8hnc]

MASA wished to extend this state in 2008 and opened MasaMIXES in 2009, so there would be more people to hear his mix. But ADIOS’ song tendency did not continue into 2009. The song “ADIOS 2009 ~ k-pop special mega mashup” only had about 50 million visitors. Luckily “HOT K-POP 2009 pt. I, II” had a very good rating (pt.I was 1.95 million, pt.II was about 1.05 million)

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