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The Hurt Locker – Best War Movie Of All Time

Sally Wang
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Introduction:

The film The Hurt Locker is an American war film released in 2008. Written by Mark Boal and directed by Kathryn Bigelow, the movie displays the memorable events faced by units of veterans during the Iraq war. Director Bigelow uses specific techniques to emphasize the daring nature portrayed by the main character and how it impacts the tensions between characters.

Summary:

The movie begins in Banghad 2004, three soldiers of an army bomb disposal unit are in operation to defuse an improvised explosive device (IED). The unit leader, Matt Thompson, was killed by the overpressure of the bomb during this operation while he was still in the kill zone. Soon after Thompson’s death, a new unit leader replaced him. William James is shown to have a risk-taking and aggressive nature, this leads to various conflicts between the rest of the soldiers. His failure to follow protocol made his comrade soldiers think of him as reckless and many disagreements and incompatibility is encountered throughout the film. But the film also depicted James’s internal culpability and guilt when his unit was called in to assist the situation of a human bomb. A man was forced to wander into a military unit with time bombs strapped and locked onto his body. Inhumanity of the war is depicted by the brutality of humanity’s actions. When James failed to disarm the bombs on the mans body and was forced to flee, he turned his face towards the explosion of the bomb last minute. This scene provided the audience with extreme details and formed a representation of James’s guilt for not being able to save the man. 

What I Liked about it:

The director of this film used very shaky and obscure scenes throughout to illustrate the uncertainty and tensions the veterans are forced to face in addition to the burden of dangers. The frequent use of handheld camera scenes helps to display a lot of unstable moves, sudden pans and quick focus changes helps me to realize that the overall style of this movie is filmed in “documentary style.” Throughout the scenes in which the army unit is on mission to defuse the bomb, the establishing shots used by the movie to show the location of each spot is very unique. Scenes establishing the above types of situations use mostly wide-angle lenses, and most shots are usually taken from a high perspective like the rooftop of a building. I also adored the POV shots used throughout, especially with the techniques of having the audience’s viewpoints zoomed in to look through the rifle scope. This helps me as a viewer to relate more towards the situational conflicts of the characters and experience what they’re feeling. 

In addition to the use of strong music and sound effects, the film provided the audience with a tense and suspenseful feeling throughout. Music composers of this film used guitar, piano and violin in order for the audience to feel a sense of sympathy for the soldiers. The gloomy and unease music used leave the audience wondering the possible events that might happen and the dangerous environments of war many soldiers are forced to face. This film also used various unique aspects to further improve the viewing of the audience. Throughout the movie, almost every mission scene included certain shots showing the outside observers. The addition of the citizens of Iraq looking through the windows and roofs created a sense of uncertainty and awareness. This really helped to grasp my attention more into the film. The use of close up shots towards the eye of a human helped to illustrate the intense moments of the movie. An example of this is the memorable taxi driver scene. The shots cutting between the extreme zoom up of the eye of the taxi and the gun pointing at him magnifies the emotional feelings the characters are trying to inform the audience. 

Conclusion:

In conclusion, this film really grabbed my interest and I love the main message the film portrayed in regards to “war is a drug.” The Hurt Locker presents a masterly reflection of the daily lives of many soldiers that’s still sacrificing their personal lives in order to maintain peace within a country. The harsh reality the movie concentrated towards throughout the various scenes showed the audience how war is a “drug” and many veterans abandon everything just to remain devoted towards their duty and job. 

Production notes and credits:

Studios: Voltage Pictures, Grosvenor Park Media, Film Capital Europe Funds, First Light Productions, Kingsgate Films, and Summit Entertainment

Director: Kathryn Bigelow

Writer: Mark Boal

Music: Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders

Cast:

Jeremy Renner (Sgt. William James)

Anthony Mackie (Sgt. J.T. Sanborn)

Brian Geraghty (Specialist Owen Eldridge)

Christian Camargo (Col. John Cambridge)

Christopher Sayegh (Beckham)

References:

The Hurt Locker Film Analysis – Academic Master (academic-master.com)

The Hurt Locker | Plot, Cast, Awards, & Facts | Britannica

The Hurt Locker movie review & film summary (2009) | Roger Ebert

Expository Versus Interpretive Writing

Chloe Zhai
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From TV shows to novels, literature is present in every media type. Writing can be divided into two general categories within media; expository and interpretive writing. Movies, shows, plays, and/or books are all considered media. Expository writing conveys the author’s message directly, often using dialogue or narration to get the point across. This can be telling the viewer what the story is about or how the characters are feeling. On the other hand, interpretive writing is when some of these details are left unexplained. The meaning of certain events and concepts in the media is up to the viewer to decide. So, which form of writing is most effective in media?

 

PROS OF EXPOSITORY WRITING

 

1. Sense of fulfillment

Humans have a natural tendency to inquire and attempt to understand things that evoke our curiosity. This proves difficult to achieve with interpretive writing. We’ve all read at least one book with a “cliffhanger,” which typically ends with the fate of the characters unknown to the reader. With these types of books (using a technique known as interpretive writing), the reader is often left unsatisfied, confused, and most likely frustrated as well. Chances are, the abrupt ending ruined the reader’s entire perception of the book. Through expository writing, however, the reader is able to fully understand the plot, meaning that the ending will be understandable and logical. The reader will not be left with a plethora of questions and irritating what-ifs. Viewers are instead able to feel that satisfying sense of fulfillment at the end.

2. Clear communication

The whole point of media is to entertain or create feelings of enjoyment for the viewer. In order for the viewer to even judge the media that they have sought for entertainment, they must first be able to understand the plot and messages within the media. Expository writing achieves exactly this. There are fewer misunderstandings since the author directly communicates the point. Therefore, the author expresses their message more effectively and efficiently. This results in a thorough, reliable, and well-rounded plot. Again, the entire purpose of media relies on the type of writing that conveys its messages, and expository writing is able to execute this more successfully.

3. Eliminates opinion and personal preference

Creating an unclear scenario where the message is confusing can lead to misconceptions that are avoidable with expository writing. Children’s books are a great example of why too many viewpoints can be harmful in media. For instance, children could see the moral of Cinderella as an encouragement to disobey their parents instead of perseverance or forgiveness. If a book is too open-ended, the viewer may interpret it in a different way than was intended. People are influenced to a large extent by the media they take in, so when the point of the media is hazy, their outlook and behaviour in the world could be negatively impacted.

 

PROS OF INTERPRETIVE WRITING

 

1. Promotes thought and perspective

Interpretive writing encourages creativity and open-mindedness by allowing viewers to view the media as they wish. This is extremely important for children and adolescents, who make up a significant portion of media consumers. Interpretive writing strengthens the imagination, which is crucial for healthy mental development. Children can use their imagination to create fiction, while young adults can take their own stance on the topic while thinking outside the box. Moreover, media should not teach you facts like a science textbook. Rather, media inspires and motivates, as well as boosts creativity. Interpretive writing in media provides hints for the viewer to uncover its hidden messages and gives them as much information as required. Oftentimes, media has more than one interpretation, and interpretive writing propels these perspectives.

2. Offers flexibility instead of structure

The structure that expository writing follows weighs down the entire purpose of media. Again, media should inspire and foster creativity in individuals. By leaving some events and messages unexplained and open-ended, the material becomes more engaging for the viewer. Entertainment is, after all, the main motive of media. Diverging from convention, interpretive writing allows room for different viewpoints that depend on the viewers themselves. Media should not deliver facts like a textbook and should be open to many perceptions. Instead of boring the viewer time after time and providing an expansive explanation for every single event, interpretive writing allows the viewer to find joy in their imagination. Imagine the world of media if all there was is one scene, explained to the point of boredom, after another. Blunt realities replace all the interesting components that media uses to define itself.

3. Increases engagement with the media

Interpretive writing builds a deeper connection and relatability with the media. Rather than being straightforward, allowing the viewer to connect with the media on their own level is beneficial for both the viewer and the author. Due to the reasons listed above, interpretive writing attracts many. As such, higher profits for the author are possible. In addition, media is a means to let creativity and imagination run free and provide us with joy. Only interpretive writing achieves this, by allowing other viewpoints of the concepts presented. As humans, nothing is more exciting than the unknown, and therefore, interpretive writing proves to be of greater interest to viewers.

 

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Ice Cream Spots in Calgary That You Need To Try!

Gabrielle Cadiang
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With school being out for summer, the warm weather has influenced me to leave my house and not play video games all day. I’ve finally had the time to explore around the city and find more food places that every Calgarian should try! Now that it’s summer, an excellent way to beat the heat is to get yourself a bowl or cone of ice cream. Listed below are a few of my favourite ice cream shops in Calgary!

Village Ice Cream

Britannia Plaza - Village Ice Cream

A local, Calgary ice cream staple, Village Ice Cream has made it onto my list of ice cream places you need to try. With 10 ice cream flavours, seasonal ice cream flavours (which change monthly, yum!) and 4 locations in Calgary, Village’s menu is tremendous, even though it’s very small. They have vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free options on their menu. Whenever I visit Village, I usually get their seasonal flavours; they recently had their ten-year anniversary (congrats Village!) and I tried their seasonal special flavor, Dunkaroos (the best decision I made). It brought me back so much nostalgia to when I used to snack on Dunkaroos constantly, I loved it so much.

Village Ice Cream has four locations in Calgary 

  • Brittania Plaza, located on 820 49TH AVE SW
  • Victoria Park, located at 431 10 AVENUE SE
  • University District, located at 4019 UNIVERSITY AVE NW
  • Bridgeland, located at 69 7A ST NE
  • Garrison Corner, located at 2406 34TH AVE SW

Made By Marcus

Made by Marcus

Made By Marcus, another Calgary ice cream chain staple. Similar to Village, they have their seasonal flavours and their staple menu flavours. They have 3 locations in Calgary and 2 locations in Edmonton, and they also carry vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free options. My favourite ice cream flavour is Malted Chocolate Honey!

Made By Marcus has three locations in Calgary 

  • Bridgeland, located on #121 1013 17th Ave SW
  • 17th Avenue, located on 1105 1st Ave NE Calgary
  • Hillhurst, located on 221 19th St NW

Abbey’s Creations

Abbey's Creations - Ice Cream Shop - calgaryplaygroundreview.com

I found out about Abbey’s Creations through some of my family friends and I’ve enjoyed going here ever since it was mentioned to me. As a Filipina, Abbey’s Creations carries Filipino ice cream flavours, like Queso, Sans Rival, Ube Pandan, Macapuno, and many others. I’ve never had ice cream in Calgary that had Filipino-inspired flavours, and this brought me a lot of comfort. My favourite ice cream flavour is Sans Rival; originally Sans Rival is a meringue cake with layers of buttercream frosting and cashews, but in this case, it’s in ice cream form. I am a very big fan of Abbey’s Creations.

My Favourite Ice Cream Shoppe

MY FAVORITE ICE CREAM SHOPPE, Calgary - 2048 42 Ave SW, Altadore - Menu & Prices - Tripadvisor

A quaint spot, I’ve been going to My Favourite Ice Cream Shoppe ever since I was five. The portion sizes are massive and they have a large array of ice cream flavours. I kid you not there are so many flavours every time I walk into their Marda Loop location I feel so overwhelmed with how many flavours there are. My favourite flavour to order is hedgehog.

My Favourite Ice Cream Shoppe has two locations in Calgary

  • Marda Loop, located on 2048 – 42 Ave. S.W
  • West 85th Street, located on 1114 – 8561 8A Ave. S.W.

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Calgary’s Hidden Gem: Ajito

Yuri Choi
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Last night, I had the pleasure of visiting Ajito, a Japanese Izakaya restaurant on McLeod Trail. With COVID restrictions being mostly lifted, it seems as if everyone these days are going out to eat. Because of this, restaurants are usually packed with people, and so noisy to the point where you can’t hear yourself talk. While Ajito was decently populated, it wasn’t to the point where I couldn’t carry on a conversation with my friends. 

Ajito is actually located inside Sho Sushi. This might be why not too many people know about it, as well as the fact that you must enter through a “hidden” door. This door is a replica of a coke machine, which makes the perfect photo location. Despite its underratedness, Ajito had some of the best food I’ve ever tasted. It also had very good vibes, not too crazy but just enough to get your spirits up. 

When I went, I ordered the Fisherman’s Bowl, which came with seasoned rice and assorted sashimi, alongside pickled daikon radish. The serving was quite small, but generously priced at ten dollars. They also have a small array of dessert options, but the dessert menu must be requested separately as it is not on the main menu. I got the Japanese tiramisu cheesecake, and it was one of the best tiramisus I ever had. 

For those of you looking to try a new place out for dinner, I highly recommend you visit Ajito. 

Sources [1][2][3][4]

Try a hand at Sugee Cake

Iman Alvi
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What is Sugee Cake?

Sugee cake is essentially the Eastern counterpart of your regular butter cake. Originating from Malaysian and Singaporean ancestry, it is one cake that holds a sweet place in my heart. Also known as suji cake, Eurasians often serve this cake on special occasions such as birthdays, weddings, and New Year. Considering there are numerous different variations of the sugee cake recipe, you can feel free to play around with different ingredients and amounts all you want, and with summer break finally arriving, what better time to try out a new recipe?

Ingredients: 

– 4 eggs 

– 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

– 1 cup cream of wheat 

– 1 cup melted butter 

– 1 cup of sugar 

– 3 tablespoons yogurt

– 1 cup of all-purpose flour

– 2 drops of yellow food coloring 

Instructions: 

  1. Mix the melted butter with sugar with a whisk or conventional mixer for 3-4 minutes. 
  2. Add in eggs, one at a time. Beat well after each addition of egg until it’s creamy and light. 
  3. Here, add in vanilla extract and 2 drops of yellow food coloring, and mix it until it is well incorporated. 
  4. Add in flour, cream of wheat, baking powder, yogurt, and mix until well-combined. 
  5. Cover and leave for 30 minutes.
  6. After 30 minutes, preheat the oven to 350° F. 
  7. Pour batter into a lined and greased cake pan and level the top evenly. Bake for 45 minutes or until skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. If cake is browning too fast, cover with foil during the last 10 minutes. 
  8. Remove cake from oven. Let cool for 5 minutes then unmould and leave on wire rack for 20-30 minutes until completely cool before cutting to serve.

I hope you enjoy the recipe!

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Texas Abortion Law

Jaida Chadha
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“My body, my choice!”

Many women have been protesting for many years. Now it has really come into shine, but why?

The bill

The Texas Heartbeat Act, Senate Bill 8 (SB 8), is a piece of legislation passed by the Texas Legislature that outlaws abortion whenever embryonic or foetal heart activity is discovered, which typically happens after around six weeks of pregnancy.

Texas passed the bill on September 1st, 2021. A little less than a year ago. The law is illegal in Texas once a fetal heartbeat can be detected. Many women who have been impregnated in Texas, whether on purpose or by accident, face many obstacles. 

Rights

Women should be allowed to have rights to their bodies no questions asked. Today and this year the world is asking women and young girls to give up their rights to our bodies. No, they are taking not asking. Ever since humans defined genders women have been less than. Our pay, our jobs, and our rights. Women who don’t have homes or that are struggling are looked down at. We never know their full story. Due to this new law, many more women will be on the streets. 

Corruption

In situations like these, we are told to not speak out and to just deal with it. But just like other women, I’m done keeping my mouth shut. Many girls in school such as myself are not allowed to talk about this subject. In school topics like these are forbidden unless you are in human sexuality classes. So outside of that week we can not speak on issues that have to do with the rights of our bodies. I’m not just our governments that is corrupted it’s our society and our schooling systems.


What should we do?

As the young women of this generation and as the women of the next it’s our job to speak out to help ourselves and the women and girls who come after us. This is a real problem in the real world that affects us as women and as humans. I am not going to stand around while being told that the only time I get rights to my body is when someone violates those rights first. Because I and every single women and girl out there deserves their rights just like anyone else. So speak out. Raise awareness in your community and home.

 

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US supreme court overturns Roe v. Wade abortion rights

Lucy Choi
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The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on Friday in a 5-4 decision. Roe v. Wade is the historic decision that established the constitutional right to an abortion in the United States. As the result of the Supreme Court’ decision, almost half the states severely restrict abortion. Now, these laws will affect millions of people from the country, who may have to cross state lines to seek reproductive health care. 

 

Supporters of abortion rights immediately showed their strong opposing arguments through social media and protests, while abortion opponents praised a decision they had long supported for and worked to ensure.  

 

The majority opinion was written by Justice Samuel Alito, who was joined by four other conservatives. The three liberal justices disagreed with the outcome. Despite not supporting completely overturning Roe, Chief Justice John Roberts voted with the majority to uphold the Mississippi abortion restrictions.

The ruling is considered an extremely rare move that completely overturned the previous Supreme Court case. As a result, political disputes that cause national division are expected to continue.

 

In places where opinions on abortion are tightly divided, such as Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, legal status may change depending on the outcome of the election. Elsewhere, legal disputes may arise over whether an individual is legally able to undergo surgery in a state where abortions are allowed or to receive abortions.

 

President Biden criticized the Supreme Court ruling, noting that women living in states where abortion is prohibited can undergo surgery in states where abortion is legal.

 

Several Democratic governors in California, New Mexico, and Michigan have already announced plans to specify abortion rights in the state constitution.

 

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves welcomed the decision shortly after the Supreme Court ruling, saying, “We have led the nation to overcome one of the biggest fires in American history.”

 

“This ruling will have a direct impact on more children, strollers, report cards, and small-scale sports games,” he said adding, “Today is a happy day.”

 

Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, who has long criticized the Roe v. Wade ruling, urged supporters not to stop until “the dignity of life” is protected by law in all states.

 

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said the “Republican-controlled Supreme Court” had met the party’s “dark and extreme goals.”

She also emphasized that American women do not enjoy more freedom than their mothers’ generation. By asserting that this cruel decision is shocking and heartbreaking.

Concerns have grown that the Supreme Court’s reversal of precedents a long time ago could affect precedents that guaranteed other rights.

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Recreation: A Poem

David Shao
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several years ago i disappeared
behind a one-way mirror
as i stared into the past
with unkempt eyes
i gazed at the remnants of a fool’s trail
the surrounding dark comforts the stranger searching
for a place far away from
the bitter frosted track where
he was welcome
to come back and try again
yet try could not so easily try
with guilt ensconced inside
the light reflected away
and i was there behind
a screen of night
lay in flower
the disquiet beyond
had to suffer through for but
a glimmer of warmth
and it is only
to step before their reflections
now find the resolve
to live
to err
to fall
to triumph
to recreate life out of life
D. S.
Calgary, 2022.
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My Summer TBR List

Shraavni Patankar
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The month of June marks the end of the school year and the beginning of yet another summer vacation for many of us. While I believe that I have a strong passion for reading, I have not found enough time for this hobby. In fact, throughout the course of the school year, I have spent more time reading my science textbooks than the novels I used to spend hours immersed in. As a result, I have accumulated a far larger list of books for my TBR (To Be Read List). In today’s blog, I wanted to share a few notable books on this list with all of you and inspire you to read a little more this summer!

1. Circe by Madeline Miller

While I started this novel more than 8 months ago, I haven’t found the time to fully enjoy all that it has to offer. This summer break, I plan on restarting it while annotating. Hopefully, annotating and truly taking the time to enjoy it will allow me to reflect and enjoy it further.

2. Crescent City by Sarah J. Maas (Books 1 & 2)

Recommended by a close friend, I was instructed to go into the series with no knowledge of its premise. Therefore, this summer, I plan on reading the first two books that this series and truly understanding if it truly worth the hype.

3. An array of Colleen Hoover books including, November 9, Reminders of Him, Ugly Love and Confess

After reading It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover late last year, I fell in love with Hoover’s writing style. While I love reading YA fantasy, I had not experimented with contemporary. However, after reading her novel, I truly felt motivated to read some of her other books and broaden my range.

4. Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber

After reading her Caraval Series, I truly fell in love with her character and world building. Since it was my  favorite series for a number of years, I was elated to hear that she had come out with a new series. Since this is the first installment in a new fantasy years, I am eager to read this book over the summer.

5. Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur

This is a book that will truly allow me to broaden my range and step out of my comfort zone. While I mainly focus on YA fantasy, this book is a collection of poetry and prose. While it is unlike anything I have ever read, I truly believe that this will allow me to experiment and truly find another genre that I love!

That’s it! These were 5 of the top books on my Summer 2022 TBR! I truly hope that this blog helped inspire you to read and gave you additions that you can make to your own TBR lists!

 

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Sources (Images): 1/2/3/4/5

Learning A New Language

Bhavani Potdar
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Learning a new language over the summer is always a great way to be productive and is a great use of your time. Here are some tips on how you can get started:

1. Start with a goal.

It can be hard to start to motivate yourself to start learning a language, which can be strenuous. So to start off, making a goal or plan with realistic and specific timelines to discipline yourself can be a great idea.

2. Learn the basics.

When you are learning a language, you should start with the roots of it, no matter how intimidating it sounds. For example, maybe start learning the verbs and what they mean to make sure you know the fundamentals of the language before exploring into more difficult tasks such as speaking it.

3. Learn Common Words.

After you get familiar with the verbs, you can get started on learning the common phrases in the language. Learning to say “hello” or “how are you” as well as saying “I am fine” and “thank you” can be great starting points.

4. Consume Media & Engage With that Culture.

After you begin to understand more of the language and how to speak it, a more interesting form of learning the language can come from looking at the media of that culture. That may come from watching a movie in that language or even trying to connect with the other more fluent speakers of that language.

5. Keep Practicing & Continue Learning More.

Once you start becoming confident with that language, it is important to keep with it and not lose touch. Always remain true to your goals and keep practicing the language- once you are completely confident, you can eventually make it to the point to start advanced parts such as to read and writing the language.

The key to learning a new language is to be disciplined with your goals, to preserve through this difficult task of learning, and to enjoy this process. Bonne Chance!

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The Psychology Behind Rewatching TV Shows 

Hannah Kuipers
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My Netflix list is full of exciting TV shows and movies that I intend to watch one day, yet whenever I have some extra time, I always turn to the ones I’ve watched too many times already. So why is that? Well, there is actually a ton of research out there that uses psychology to show why humans are creatures of habit, even when it comes to simple tasks such as watching television. Below are three of the main points I believe show this idea best. 

Cognitive Overload 

Our working memory is a cognitive system with a limited capacity that can hold information temporarily. When there is too much stress put on this, we go into cognitive overload. Our memory is a limited source, and there comes a time where it just can’t handle anymore. An example of this is the Covid-19 pandemic. During this time we had to make many difficult decisions, plus we had to draw our attention to new things such as Zoom meetings, online classes, and so on. After all of this, we don’t want to put anything new on our plate by starting a new TV show. It might seem small, but we watch television to wind-down, and watching something new takes more energy than you might think. 

Familiarity 

Watching TV shows takes energy because we need to pay close attention to new storylines and characters, this can be exciting, but it can also be stressful. This relates to something called the exposure effect, which basically states that the more times we are exposed to something, the more we start to like it. The more times we watch a show, the less we need to pay attention, and the less stressful it gets. Therefore, in order to relax, we go back to things that are familair to us. 

Control 

It is true that we use TV for distraction, but we also use it for satisfaction. There are so many things in life we cannot control, so when we rewatch old shows and we know what happens, it gives us a little bit of control back. Specifically, when we feel depleted in life, we need to have a feeling of self-control to restore the negative emotions we have because of things such as stress. We also don’t like wasting the limted time we have to ourselves, so by choosing something we know we will enjoy, we are not at risk of that. 

Now you know not only why you tend to opt for the obvious, but also that you are not alone in the matter. So watch your favorite soapy dramas without shame, and whenever you are up for it, you can finish that Netlix list. Who knows? Maybe you’ll find another comfort show you enjoy enough to rewatch a thousand times. 

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Sources: 1/2

What Pride Month means to me

D P
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As Pride Month comes to an end. Here is what pride means to me. Regardless of whether you’re part of the community or not, this is why I think pride month is crucial for our societal developmental growth.

Safety and belonging in streets

I feel like cisgender people tend to regard the privileges’ they have in todays society. To me, cisgender people usually lack the acknowledgement that they wont ever face discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation. For example, only 29 countries out of the 195 countries in the the world legalized same sex marriage.  So Pride to me means safety and belonging, it means that every person regardless of their sexual orientation feels safe in public. feels comfortable, regardless of what country they live in, feels they have the same rights as every other straight person in the world, and just feel a sense of belonging from their loved ones and their community.

Safety from Hate Crimes

This kind of correlates with the title above, but pride to me means that every person has the right to live in our world safely without ever getting hate-crimed, for purely living. Pride month is a celebration of all the amazing hard efforts our ancestors put in to give us a better opportunities and a safer life. people should never die on the basis of who they love. Although the past can not be reversed (For all the lgbtq+ members who died) it can be improved. I believe it should be improved.

Safety At Schools

Pride means that every person regardless of who they are wont and get bullied at school for literally being a minority. Like come on its the 21st century we shouldn’t be bullying someone because their different than the group. As social media became more popular, it also became vital place for teens to bully their classmates. So pride to me means that they wont get bullied. It means that regardless of you’re opinion on the lgbtq+ community, you leave them alone. because at the end of the day words sting, and will stay with us for the rest of our lives. Like for example, a couple of years ago I wore a dress to picture day, (it was the first time I ever wore a dress to this new school) I was feeling really insecure that day, and while we waited for our pictures to be taken, I had a male friend tell me “you look pregnant,” that was followed by a bunch of giggles from my “friends.” I was mad, (obviously) so I confronted him but that was followed by “Its a joke.” so after that day, I went home and threw out the dress. And it has been over three years, and only this year have a worn a dress in public, and its been over two and a half years since I even owned a dress, (this year I bought a dress) this just shows that words hurt. That day what my friend told me, led me on an endless spiral of whether I was deemed worthy, and to me, and many girls being deemed worthy was being a size 00 I was a size 0 so I felt worthless. So pride to me means that regardless of what your sexual orientation is, or who you are, you won’t and should never get harassed on the the basis of who you are.

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Summer Events in YYC

Yuri Choi
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With school finally being done, many of us are looking forward to enjoying the summer break. However, for me personally, I often find myself during the summer sitting around the house, because I’ve run out of things to do. I mean, one can play on their phone for only so long, right? For those of you going through the same crisis as me, I have compiled a list of events in Calgary that are happening over the summer to cure your boredom. 

Canada Day Celebrations 

With Canada’s anniversary coming up on July 1st, many places are hosting events and celebrations. Eau Claire Market is hosting a free all day event, with food, live entertainment, artisan markets, and much more. Why not go check out some Canada Day celebrations and showcase your national pride? Plus, many of these events are free. 

Shawn Mendes’s Wonder Concert

Whenever artists go on tour, it seems that Calgary is often missed on their tour. However, Shawn Mendes will be hosting a concert in Calgary on July 4th. This is to promote his album “Wonder”, and will be his first tour since the pandemic. There are still some tickets left, so if you are interested, you can go grab them.

Calgary Stampede

Is it truly summer in Calgary without the Stampede? Thankfully, the Calgary Stampede is back in full swing this year, and rumour has it that there are some cool new attractions. Also, in the week leading up to the Stampede, there will be many local community events, such as Stampede Breakfasts. Keep an eye out in your neighbourhood to see if there will be one in your area! 

GlobalFest

GlobalFest is an annual festival held in Calgary during August. It works to promote cultural diversity and artistic excellence, and is a great event to check out. This year, it will be hosted from August 18-27, which gives you ten full days to experience its wonders. You definitely don’t want to miss out on those fireworks!

I hope you check some of these events out, and enjoy your summer!

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5 Smart Tips for the Summer 

Harshita Jindia
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  • Don’t forget to wear sunscreen

Sunscreen is an essential necessity on hot summer days. Even if it means going out for a short walk or running some errands, you should still use sunscreen. No wonder why sunscreen is so important? Well, sunscreen protects you from the harmful UV waves that radiate from the heat of the sun. UV radiation can be detrimental when exposed to skin for an even shorter duration of time and can cause skin cancer. Make sure that the sunscreen you use is at least SPF 30 and that you are applying sunscreen on a regular basis to minimize the risk of radiation. Moreover, here is a fun fact. Ultraviolet exposure increases by 4 to 10 percent every 1000 feet above sea level. So if someone was living in Georgetown, Ontario, then they would experience UV radiation 50% more intensely than someone living in Vancouver, British Columbia. 

  • Keep hydrated 

The hot summer days make us crave some delicious cold beverages. And why not, this is the time to enjoy some yummy and mouth-watering summer drinks and desserts. But most importantly, make sure to consume at least 8 glasses of simple water to keep hydrated and nourish the body with fresh oxygen. Upgrade your drink with some fresh berries, lime slices or mint leaves. Furthermore, you can even opt for high-water content fruits and vegetables such as watermelon, cantaloupe, cucumbers, tomatoes and much more. However, avoid junk food such as burgers, fries and other oily dishes as they can affect digestion and cause acne and pimples. 

  • Get well-rested 

Even though the days are longer and the nights are shorter in the summer, you should still get those 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night. This is crucial as sleep improves productivity, and metabolism and stimulates overall longevity of the human body. For a good night’s sleep, keep the room cool and curtains closed to increase comfort and relaxation. 

  • Socialize

Summer brings more opportunities to hang out with friends and family after the winter blues fade away. This is the time to host outdoor picnics, parties and more. You can even take a hiking trip in nature to enjoy the beautiful nature and fresh air. The biggest benefit of hanging out with others during the summer season is that you can become stress-free, content and positive. If a large crowd isn’t your cup of tea, then don’t be shy and meet up with a friend or two at home.  

  • Stay fit and active

Nowadays, lifestyles are becoming increasingly sedentary for most people and we must change that. In order to keep ourselves healthy during the summer, pick up a workout routine and try to perform it in the morning hours. This is because added heat in the summer can make exercising uncomfortable during the day. Moreover, yoga is one of the best fitness regimes that could be followed in the morning as it is calming and increases one’s focus. 

Have a safe and fun summer this year!

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is treating others how you want to be treated a good phrase?

D P
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Recently I’ve been contemplating whether the phrase ‘treating others how you want to be treated’ is valuable. So here are some reasons I think treating others how you want to be treated is beneficial.

  1. It leaves people thinking. For example, recently I’ve been treating everyone at my school, in public, etc. how I would want to be treated. For me, I would want people to be socially aware of what could be going on in my life. Typically when I am stressed I  seem mad, distant, and mean. I know this is not good, (I’m working on it), but if I was, I would want someone to ask me if i was okay, or just leave me alone. Not like how usually people treat me such as “must be her time of the month” or “why are you acting like this?!?!” or just straight up giving me a dirty look.
  2. You don’t know what people are going though. I feel like this is the most valid point. I won’t ever know what anyone is going though, so I found that no matter how mean someone is to me, it usually is due to some underlining problem that they could have. It’s not their fault. I’m a teenager, all teenagers are trying to do is figure themselves out, and unwrap the underlining problems of their ancestors, or just of the environment they grew up in.
  3. It could better their day. I recently been more smiley and outgoing. i.e. If we made eye contact i would smile (which not a lot of teenagers do) and usually I found that it made my classmates day. Just giving them a simple compliment such as “I like  your shirt” made such a big impact on their life. For example, my friend recently got complimented on his outfit by a worker at Calaway, and he was overjoyed. He mentions it every now and then, as well as saying “that’s the first time anyone ever complimented my whole outfit.” Now opposed to me, I get compliments on my outfit, my hair, my smile daily. It doesn’t better my day as much as his. So treating others how you want to be treated could in end better their day, and who doesn’t like bettering someone’s day?

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