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Our Childhood Together – A Personal Memoir

Claire Li
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My older brother is graduating this year. Watching him make important college decisions has got me reminiscing about our past childhood together. Here is a piece of creative writing I wrote in light of my memories.

To Rob:

Remember when we used to ride our bikes in the summer time? Mom and Dad would stroll behind us, listening to our little giggles escape our tiny mouths? We used to pretend we were firefighters, police officers, and top secret spies. It was a world where we could be any character we imagined. Zooming around with our training wheels, elbow pads, and dirt-covered knees, we were inseparable buddies having the best time of our lives. And when the sun would set, it was time to go home. We would hold our little bikes and crawl up the big hill, waiting to get hugged goodnight by mom and dad.

Remember when we built a village of animals in our basement using wooden blocks and stuffed animals? Our creativity and endless play exhausted us at the end of the day. But that meant we got to snuggle in our parents’ arms while a Disney movie played in the background. I miss these days. The days where the only concerns we had were about each other, our family, and our friends. I miss our childish optimism, our contagious giggles, and our innocent confidence.

Remember when we started Junior High school? We hid in our rooms as we finished homework and called friends. I started playing club volleyball around this time, and you were becoming a talented cross country runner and student council leader. We would talk on the way home from school, exchanging jokes, and words of support. I miss running after you in the mornings when we would almost miss the bus. I miss hearing your funny stories and laughing along. I even miss the silly arguments we had. I miss them because it meant that you and I were close.

Now remember this:

When you move away to college, I hope you share your contagious humour with the world. I hope you continue making everyone around you laugh and smile. I know our childhood together has come to an end, but I hope you recall upon it the way I do.

I can’t wait to see where the future takes us.

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Putting Calgary on the Map

Daniyal Sait
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When it comes to some of the world’s most famous cities, some big names that come to mind may include Paris, New York, London, L.A., and many others from across the world. Diving deeper into Canada specifically, people may think of Toronto, Montreal, or Vancouver. However, in recent decades, Calgary seems to be on the rise when it comes to exposure not only in Canada, but far beyond. Let’s take a look at some factors that have been putting Calgary on the map, including film and television, sports, and music.

Film & Television: Shooting locations + Dwayne Johnson

In one of my recent articles, entitled “Did You Know: These Movies & TV Shows Were Filmed In Alberta”, I wrote about exactly what the title would lead you to believe. The article highlights some notable cast members from each TV show/movie, in addition to the exact area of filming and some other cool information. That article can give you some knowledge surrounding some of Calgary and Alberta’s biggest entertainment projects over the past few decades, and illustrates how the region is making a name for itself in the film industry. 

In terms of a more current event, the most recent episode of the NBC sitcom Young Rock highlights Calgary’s involvement in the life of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. In 1995, Dwayne Johnson played for the Calgary Stampeders. His stint in the CFL wasn’t lengthy, but his initial dream was actually to be a pro football player, eventually in the NFL. However, the Calgary Stampeders decided to cut The Rock from the team. At the time, his “dreams were crushed”, in Johnson’s words. But in spite of that, he returned to Calgary almost 20 years later – this time, to film a movie as one of the stars of Jumanji: The Next Level. So, in a way, Hollywood can thank Calgary for The Rock, and everything he’s contributed to the film industry as a result of his football dreams not working out at the hands of the Stampeders.

Sports: The Calgary Flames

Anyone who has been watching the Calgary Flames for a long time knows that it has been full of ups and downs. So far, this season has been one of the ups. The year is far from over, and there’s no telling how things could play out come playoff time – but the team is looking stronger than it has been in a long time. An analysis of their roster, current standpoint and overall build could go on for pages, but I’ll make it fairly quick. The Flames’ top line of Johnny Gaudreau, Elias Lindholm, and Matthew Tkachuk has statistically been one of the best lines in the entire National Hockey League – with Gaudreau currently having the 4th most points in the entire NHL this season. In terms of depth, it seems as though the team has little to no weaknesses. Players from all lines contribute by bringing physicality, IQ, and defensive skill to enhance the offensive star power mentioned above. Jacob Markstrom, Calgary’s starting goaltender, has been among the best in the league – solving past goaltending issues and establishing himself as a potential candidate for the Vezina Trophy which is awarded to the best goaltender in the league.

Mar 5, 2022; Denver, Colorado, USA; Calgary Flames left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) celebrates his goal with center Elias Lindholm (28) and left wing Johnny Gaudreau (13) in the first period against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Another impressive factor has been their adaptability – after losing former captain Mark Giordano to the Seattle Kraken in the 2021 NHL expansion draft, the Calgary Flames have bounced back in a couple of different ways. Despite the loss of their top defenseman and former Norris Trophy winner, the Flames have been solid on the defensive end. In addition to their performance on the ice, the now captain-less team has found leadership from players like Matthew Tkachuk, Sean Monahan, and Mikael Backlund, who are three of the team’s current alternate captains. However, what is arguably their most significant sign of flexibility was their response to a coaching change that occurred just over a year ago. The team had gone through multiple coaching changes over the span of a couple of years, but the hiring of Coach Darryl Sutter was one of the best things that could happen for the Flames. Sutter has history in Calgary and success as a coach in the NHL – he coached the Flames to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2004 and coached the 2014 L.A. Kings to a Stanley Cup Victory a decade later. Tyler Toffoli, Calgary’s biggest recent acquisition, played for Sutter on that cup-winning team, and players like Milan Lucic have also played for Sutter at different points in their careers. In Sutter’s words, he has “unfinished business” in Calgary and is looking to accomplish what they fell short of in ‘04. The team chemistry is looking great – in addition to players that have been in Calgary for a long time, even the new guy has connections with several players on the team. Overall, the team seems to be as well-rounded as possible. Currently sitting at the very top of the Pacific Division, the Calgary Flames seek to win their first playoff series since 2015, make their first finals run since 2004, and ultimately win their first Stanley Cup since 1989. The dreams are big, and there is no guarantee that they will accomplish all of those feats, so the playoff success will have to come step by step. Regardless of what happens, Flames fans are excited to see how far the team can go this year, and the team’s success so far in the season has been drawing attention to the city as a whole. No matter what happens in the postseason, the Calgary Flames are making a name for themselves in the world of sports.

Music: Tate McRae

Finally, let’s look at a Calgarian music artist who is already having a very successful career. Tate McRae, a former student at Western Canada High School, is only 18 years old and is releasing her debut studio album on March 25th, 2022. Many of her songs, including “You Broke Me First”, “That Way”, and several more have already made her famous on a large scale. In the year 2020, McRae was the youngest musician featured on Forbes’ 30 under 30 list. She has been nominated for many awards, including “The New Artist of 2021” at the People’s Choice Awards, in addition to winning a few others. In the upcoming 2022 Juno Awards, Tate McRae is nominated for two awards as well. Although her career is just starting out, she has already established herself as one of the best young artists and is putting Calgary on the map in the world of music.

Image Source 1/2/3

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Adrift: The Shocking True Story

Hannah Kuipers
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I recently watched the movie Adrift, starring Shailene Woodley and Sam Claflin. It’s a beautiful movie with a shocking twist ending, although the most shocking part is that it is actually based on a real story.

Tami Oldham was an adventurous soul and spent her life traveling. She met her fiancé, Richard Sharp, while they were both working in South Africa. Their love blossomed quickly and soon after they made a plan to sail around the world together. Unfortunately, this never happened as Richard got an offer to sail the Hazana, a 44-foot yacht belonging to a wealthy couple, from Tahiti to San Diego. The journey would be over 4,000 miles and would take more than a month, but Richard and Tami accepted the challenge. While they were both experienced sailors, Tammi had never been at sea that long. In the middle of October 1983, 3 weeks into their voyage, a big storm hit.

Hurricane Raymond, a category 4 storm known to be one of the worst to ever hit the Pacific Ocean

Trying to outrun it by going north, they battled waves over 40 feet high, but sadly they ended up being caught right in the middle of it. Richard sent Tami below deck to keep her safe while he tied himself to a tether line and stayed on deck to ride out the storm. The yacht capsized and Richard went overboard, never to be seen again. Tami was unconscious for 27 hours, and when she woke up she found his safety line hanging over the edge of the boat.

20 years later she wrote a book called Red Sky in Mourning: A True Story of Love, Loss, and Survival at Sea. She says she had always wanted to write about her experience, but it took her years to work through her trauma. It also took her 6 years to read another book as she was left unable to read after getting a severe head injury during the crash. In the book, she describes talking to someone after waking up from the boat capsizing, like an ‘inner voice”. However, in the movie, Tammi hallucinates seeing Richard. She cares for him for 6 weeks while using whatever food and water they have left, but in the end she faces the grim reality that he won’t survive. When she realizes she needs to use the last rations on herself, it becomes clear that Richard is only a hallucination. 

Tami used a sextant, which is a navigational tool that measures the angle of the sun, to find her way home. She was alone at sea for 41 days before a Japanese boat off the coast of Hawaii saw her and picked her up. 

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War and Dictatorship – An Unbroken Cycle of Dominance

Diya Devendra Patel
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“I use emotion for a few, and reason for many.” – Adolf Hitler

Hitler is one of the cruellest men known to mankind. He and his Nazis killed approximately 16.3 million people. Although events today have thankfully not reached the extent of the deeds of dictators like Hitler or Stalin, it’s important to consider that such events of war and dictatorship continue today. It’s crucial to consider that war doesn’t cause dictators—dictators cause war. Comparing and contrasting the lives of dictators we can observe a complete sense of dominance. As dictatorship still continues today, lets observe the differences that have been made in history and work towards “ending” it by donating to the organizations listed below. 

Understanding War and Dictatorship is crucial to absorb the information presented. Following are the definitions of war and dictatorship to further understand this topic. 

War – A conflict that occurs between 2 or more different groups, nations, states. 

Dictatorship – An individual(s) who has absolute power without considering the ideas of those in the country

Dictators in the Past: 

Adolf Hitler – Germany 

Adolf Hitler is known as one of the most vile men in history. Hitler is best known for the Holocaust (1941). Hitler started ruling Germany in 1933, yet died in 1945 as he committed suicide with both a cyanide pill and a gun. Hitler had various ideologies of what is right and wrong. His most famous belief was that there should be inequality between races and nations. He proceeded to plan accordingly to his belief systems, as he formulated a plan to destroy all Jews entirely. His tactics consisted of taking them away from their families, and killing them in gas chambers and labour camps.

 

Mao Tse-Tung – China

Mao Tse-Tung (Mao Zedong) was well known for is leadership of the Chinese Communist Party until his last breath. He wanted to advance China’s economy through what is known as “The Great Leap Forward.” In this Zedong had contributed in the death of 55 million individuals (1958-1962) through a famine. Although he did achieve what he wanted, he misused his power and put it against the people of his country. This represents true dictatorship, as one could misuse their power for a certain benefit (in this case, economy).

 

Saddam Hussein – Iraq

A secularist some many refer to him as, as he used this way of leading (by separating religion and the state) in order to increase his countries economy. Through the eye of dictatorship, he could have cared less about the deaths that had been does to execute and torture the individuals of his own nation. Hussein’s objective through this was to gain “oil wealth”, which can serve greatly in the increase of economy. Due to the mass killings that Hussein caused (50,000-100,000 deaths), he was later sentenced to death and died in December 2006.

Josef Stalin – Soviet Union 

Stalin was particularly well known for his desire to grow his country’s economy. He had great power as he was the Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. In addition to that,  Stalin was Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union. Due to a large famine, nearly 5 million people died. In fact, a total of 20 million died due to the Soviet Union collectively. Stalin died in 1953.

Dictators Today: 

Vladimir Putin – Russia

The recent Russian invasion of Ukraine was started by Vladimir Putin and has been going on for many days now. Putin has been a dictator of Russia since 2012. In a grab for power, he has recently decided to invade Ukraine. This invasion has caused the loss of countless military and civilian lives. The many deaths involved in Putin’s invasion of Ukraine shows how vile the lens of dictators can be, especially when they seek to grow their power. The desire for money over the lives of innocent individuals is what brings out the reality of such dictators. Spreading awareness through social media platforms has not resolved the issue, but it has created an impact for Ukrainians who are trying to survive this monstrous invasion.

Kim Jong Un – North Korea

Kim Jong Un has been a dictator since April 13th, 2012. Following his father’s footsteps, Kim Jong Un became the next dictator of North Korea after his father’s death in 2011. There have been various laws that he has made which can be seen outrageous. Some include banning the Holy Bible completely from North Korea, which is a form of ethnocentrism. Not only that, Kim Jong-Un has suppressed the rights of the citizens of North Korea, such as the right to freedom of expression, the right to life (to an extent), etc.

Organizations:

Organizations are a incredible way to make a difference directly to the cause that YOU are wanting to support. Creating a difference starts with YOU. The following organizations can allow you to progressively decrease occurrences of specific wars, and make a difference. They do this by providing necessary survival needs to improve their quality of life, and live through the conflict they are placed in.

  • CARE International

    • https://www.care-international.org/​​​​

  • International Committee of Red Cross

    • https://www.icrc.org/en ​

  • International Rescue Committee

    • https://www.rescue.org/​

  • The World Food Programme

    • https://www.wfp.org/​

  • World Vision International 

    • https://www.worldvision.ca/​

  • International Medical Corps 

    • https://internationalmedicalcorps.org/​

  • War Child

    • https://www.warchild.ca/​

Bibliography for Post  

 

Night On Earth – The Documentary that Reveals the Secrets of the Dark

youthareawesome
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Night on Earth realizes the unnoticed secrets and systems that occur as the world turns dark. It’s a six – piece nature documentary series, each with its own central theme and location. With stunning, unique visuals and magically poetic commentary, Night on Earth blew me away. 

Why Night on Earth?

From Night until Sunset, in cities, the ocean, the plains, jungles, and harsh environments, Night on Earth illustrates the hidden world of animals, only seen after dark. The show delivers a calming yet driving narration by Samira Wiley. The script spins elegant sentences, detailing a dramatic story for each animal(s). That might not be the tone for everyone, though it did captivate me. 

In order to produce the visuals, the show uses cameras that are built to take clear and steady shots, despite the low light conditions. The result is stunning cinematography, with heavy dim and cool tones. These are previously unseen shots. Most night photography depicts star-lit nights or urban cityscapes. Night on earth still displays such shots, with gorgeous spinning skies, though it delves so much deeper into the oceans or under canopies. The expectation is that these dim tones would be ‘boring’. The camera work is incredible, using the thrill and mystery of the darkness as a medium to create vivid movement. 

There’s a raw beauty with the quiet, yet just as complex interactions that occur at nighttime. Night on Earth displays those, showing both the physical and behavioral adaptations of certain species. One they heavily delve into is the role of the sun and moon on behavior. I especially enjoyed the differences in behavior in response to human traditions and actions. Halloween for example offers a feast to the animals, the documentary showing moose gorging on pumpkins from house to house. In general however, the copious amounts of food waste in garbage cans leaves a feast on its own for nocturnal creatures.

Night on Earth is overall a gorgeous and highly calming series. I’ve seen criticisms of the information, with mistakes in parts of the script. That would be the greatest preventer of watching this show. I’ve also seen mixed reviews on the narration, though that’s more gated to personal preference to Wiley’s tone and inflection. However, I do believe that the excellent camera work is enough of a driver on its own, even with lacking research in certain parts. 

Links

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First Image

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Third Image (Night Sky)

Fourth Image (Cephalopods)

Fifth Image (Scorpions)

The Phonemes of Linguistics

David Shao
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The study of linguistics is frequently about language in its most theoretical form. Syntax and morphology focus on the form of words and language; semantics are about meaning.

However, none of these fields exist in a vacuum. In fact, linguistics as a whole tries to observe and understand language in a social context—as the central of communication. Meaning depends on context and some pre-existing social framework between speakers. Words and phrases in vogue change over time.

Perhaps no more clinical is linguistics than the study of sounds—the sounds of language.

The two key areas of study are phonetics and phonology, which respectively focus on speech sounds and relating those sounds to patterns and meaning. This post will explore some of the basics of phonetics.

Phonemes?

To start, spelling—or orthography, as it relates to speech, is often inconsistent. And it’s especially prominent in English:

  • she
  • free
  • sea
  • people
  • many
  • key
  • seize
  • machine
  • believe
  • Caesar
  • amoeba

All eleven of these letter combinations represent the same “sound”, known as a phoneme—a basic unit of sound in speech.

Conversely, the same set of letters can often represent wildly different phonemes. Try reading these out loud: though, plough, rough, cough, through, hiccough, and ought.

Other issues with regular spelling involve single letters representing multiple phonemes (e.g., exact) or multiple letters representing only one (e.g., shape). Sometimes, letters are not pronounced in words (e.g., write).

Phonetics addresses these issues by standardizing sounds in writing using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). This alphabet defines sounds based on the place and manner of articulation (for consonants), and the location of the tongue (for vowels).

Crucially, however, the IPA can record all sounds of speech, between languages—and it even has sounds that are not in any language at all.

Here is an incomplete IPA only for sounds that are in English:

For example, “people” is spelt /ˈpiːpəl/ and “amoeba” is spelt /əˈmiːbə/. We can now resolve the fact that “eo” and “oe” have the same pronunciation using the IPA, which represents this phoneme as “iː”.

Other Features of Phonetics

Of course, many additional factors also play a role in pronunciation. These are prosodic features, which include length of certain sounds, pitch and stress, as well as tone.

Tonal languages, such as Chinese, Thai, and Punjabi, differentiate phonemes based on the tone in which they are pronounced. In French, words are generally spoken without stress, whereas in English, there is always at least one stressed syllable (syllable-timed vs. stress-timed).

Stress, which usually increases pitch and length, also functions to differentiate between meanings. In English, the second syllable in “digest” is emphasized for the verb (to break down [food]), while the first syllable “digest” is emphasized for the noun (a compilation of information).

Phonetics is a branch of descriptive linguistics, meaning that linguists use it to observe and record linguistic behaviour.

All of this allows them to study the sounds of speech more carefully—in a more consistent manner, paving the way for theoretical areas, such as phonology. The ways in which we speak constantly evolve, making the careful documentation and recording of sounds—across all languages—ever the more useful.

Sources: 1/2

Image Sources: Featured/1

Eileen Gu: An Inspiration For All

Chloe Zhai
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After securing two gold medals and a silver medal in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics at only 18 years of age, Eileen Gu made headlines around the world. She is the youngest Olympic champion and the first to win three medals in freestyle skiing. Over the past few months, Eileen garnered the attention of athletes, models, students, and parents alike, all the while being stuck in political crossfires. Despite all the controversy surrounding her name, Eileen has done what she has always done best: try her hardest to achieve her goals and move past the distractions along the way. But to understand what truly sets her apart as a role model, let’s take a closer look at Eileen Gu’s biography.

Biographical Information

Eileen Gu, also known as Gu Ailing (谷爱凌), was born in San Francisco, California on September 3, 2003, to a Chinese mother and an American father. Her mother, Yan Gu, raised Eileen as a single parent, with the help of Eileen’s grandmother. Yan Gu is a highly accomplished scholar and athlete herself. As for Eileen’s father, this topic has sparked many heated discussions. The identity of her father remains unknown since Eileen was donor-conceived, however, sources say that he was a Harvard graduate.

Athletics

Eileen started skiing at the age of eight, influenced by her mother’s passion for skiing. Little did she know that a decade later, she would win three Olympic medals in the sport. In addition, Eileen competed at the 2021 Winter X Games, obtaining a bronze medal in Big Air and two gold medals in SuperPipe and Slopestyle. At the FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships, she won two gold medals in Freeski Halfpipe and Freeski Slopestyle and a bronze medal in Freeski Big Air. Eileen’s achievements in skiing have motivated aspiring young skiers in China and set the standard for Chinese women in sports. 

“In China, where the extreme sports scene is so underdeveloped compared to the U.S., there are almost none of those idols to look up to in skiing, and there are no female ones. I wanted to introduce snow sports and freeskiing in particular to Chinese people, and particularly to youth and girls… if I can just change one young girl’s life and show her one new passion or help break one boundary, then the decision was worth it.”  –Eileen Gu

A series of Instagram stories that Eileen posted in February 2022 shared her progress in learning to ice skate. By day three, Eileen was able to glide smoothly over the ice and perform several spins on skates. These glimpses into her life further prove her athletic abilities and determination.

Academics

Not only is Eileen gifted in sports, but she is also a straight-A student in school. She scored 1580/1600 in her SAT examination. In January 2021, Eileen was recognized as a candidate for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, an elite national scholarship. Eileen graduated early from high school and received admission to Stanford University in February 2022. She will study at the Ivy League University starting in September 2022. Eileen also appeared in 2020 Forbes’ China 30 Under 30, being the youngest person to ever be included on the list.

“Eileen is incredibly smart and likes to make the skier boys feel dumb. She uses bigger words than they do . . . talks about things that go beyond skiing and hanging out. She throws chemistry stuff at them.”  –Eileen’s former coach

Hobbies

In her spare time, Eileen enjoys (and excels at) playing the piano. For reference, check out 12-year-old Eileen performing at a piano recital posted on her mother Yan Gu’s YouTube channel. Eileen is also fluent in Mandarin Chinese and English due to her mixed ethnicity.

Modelling

A passionate influencer, star athlete, devoted scholar, talented musician… AND fashion model?! Standing at 1.68 meters (5’6″) tall, Eileen is signed with IMG Models and has modelled for luxury brands such as Fendi, Gucci and Louis Vuitton. She also has partnerships with Vogue, Victoria’s Secret, Tiffany & Co., IWC, Estée Lauder, Beats by Dre, Cadillac, and Red Bull. In September 2021, Eileen was Marie Claire China’s cover star as well as attended the U.S. Met Gala. 

Politics/Controversy

So now you know more about Eileen Gu, you may be wondering what exactly caused her to be in the center of intense geopolitical debates. Many factors are in play, however, they mostly stem from one: her nationality. Eileen received criticism for training in the United States but competing for China in the Olympics as a Chinese-American. This decision has caused her to be under fire from Western media and the American public. Related to that is her citizenship status, which also invokes many opinions. Eileen was born in the US, meaning that she is an American citizen. This sparks some confusion, as China does not allow dual-citizenship, yet it permits Eileen to compete for the country. Regardless, Eileen’s achievements are her own, not for the US nor for China.

Another heated topic is the fact that Eileen chose to advocate for Western matters, such as the Black Lives Matter movement and anti-Asian hate, but does not voice her stance on affairs surrounding China. On one side of the argument, people say that the Chinese Communist Party is using Eileen as “propaganda” and treating her like a “puppet”. On the other side, people believe that Eileen should not be kicked around in political dirt or be involved in said issues.

Eileen should be able to choose the country she competes for, not only for herself but for others as well. As discussed earlier, Eileen longs to motivate younger generations and to be a trailblazer for Chinese-Americans. She aims to “unite people, promote common understanding, create communication, and forge friendships between nations” through skiing.

TL;DR

Eileen Gu powered through an inordinate amount of pressure that most would crumble under while picking up three Olympic medals along the way. We should all strive to be like Eileen (not necessarily her achievements but more so her traits). Assertive, motivated, respectful, determined, intelligent, well-rounded… the list goes on. Eileen Gu is the definition of a 21st-century prodigy; all hail Eileen!

Sources:  1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Writing With Meaning & Voice

Bhavani Potdar
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“If you want to change the world, pick up the pen and write.” – Martin Luther

Writing is important as it is the method through which we convey our thoughts and ideas to others. It is an important part of communication, as it fosters our ability to explain our ideas to others.

But going beyond this, writing also offers a medium through which we can advocate to truly make a difference in the world in a positive manner. Even though oftentimes, the message of books, poems, and other pieces are about human experiences and feelings, writing can also have a message about other things- for example, writing could be about global issues or current events or about advocating for a particular cause that may inspire and benefit society. 

This topic could be anything from: 

  • Climate Change
  • Racism 
  • Plastic Pollution
  • Sexism 
  • Government Policies 
  • Current Events
  • Politics
  • Deforestation
  • And the list goes on…

And regardless of what topic you chose to write about, whether its global warming or racism, the topic you write about matters and your writing matters. And even though our writing may not be perfect or a “masterpiece,” it still is something of value that will someway or the other will make a difference. Your words are a powerful tool for teaching, inspiring, and educating people in the world.

And, this is true for anyone of any culture, race, religion, or background. Or, even age. Especially, as youth, we have many topics that we have a strong opinion towards or want to advocate for, so we can use writing to convey our voice towards that issue. 

You are never to young to change the world. When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful. The more youth begin to recognize that they have a voice, the more change is possible.

Youth voice matters. You matter. And your writing matters.

So, the only thing left to ask you, is: Are you inspired to pick up your pen and start writing? 

Sources: Featured Image/2/3

Sunday Mornings: A Memoir

David Shao
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The best part of a weekend is naturally Friday evening.

There’s this sensation that you have all this free time before you. In fact, I think it’s quite remarkable how far my mind is willing to stretch in thinking about the ways in which I could leisurely spend the weekend.

(Of course, the converse is also true. The worst part of a weekend is Sunday evening. And my habitual activity for that time is worrying—if not panicking—about the obligations I have to attend to the next morning.)

On Fridays, there’s a freedom that comes with ignoring the Monday ahead. It’s almost certainly two full days away, and that’s far enough for me to write it off as “in the somewhat distant future.”

But time is fickle over a weekend. Sunday evening arrives in fleeting hours, while I’ll still think it’s Saturday afternoon.

I imagine this is all common knowledge. As you should know, any reasonable person who has a weekend off knows they can’t relax for most of a Sunday on account of the Monday which follows.

However, I also argue that the second best part of a weekend is Sunday morning. And it’s also the period of time over a weekend I often appreciate the most.

Sunday Mornings

First of all, I find I still wake up with the relaxed pace befitting a weekend schedule. For the first little while, the mind is distracted by the little things part of any comforting routine: perhaps some type of beverage (warm perhaps), hopefully a decent breakfast (though, for me, not too heavy), and some idea of leisure to brighten the mood (maybe a book).

Soon after, the inevitability of tomorrow sets in. I’m increasingly keen to start thinking about the few hours left in the day. The worries of the outside world begin to furtively invade the subconscious, and that project or assignment you were working on starts appearing with an uneasy prominence.

Yet the morning is also when I’m able to temporarily repress these worries. What fills the gap is an introspective and higher consciousness that seeks distraction in the mundane.

It would seem that once the nagging feeling of Monday starts, it’s ever-present behind-the-scenes, preventing one from turning on a TV or scrolling through their phone for long periods of time.

However, being halfway on edge, neither willing to do work nor seek actual leisure, I find I end up wallowing in the small moments I would otherwise not make an effort to appreciate in my attempts to “pass the time”. Little things: the wind, the sensation of a pen on paper, the very act of staring at the clouds.

On Sunday mornings I begin to feel anxious, but I gravitate to appreciating little pleasures to come to terms with it. For that, I sometimes look forward to Sunday; for that, I am frequently grateful.

This is all assuming, of course, that you go to bed not too late the Saturday prior. If you wake up on Sunday past noon, it will be quite unfortunate for the next few hours as you anguish in the lack of time left in the weekend.

Personally, I find that to be a terrifying prospect—one which I have experienced a few times too many.

Image Sources: Featured/1

Russia Ukraine

Jaida Chadha
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The war started in 2014, but has now escalated, leaving people in Ukraine hurt, scared, and without homes. During this escalation, Russia bombed a maternity ward in Ukraine that had many day old infants. Learning about this at school and hearing about it on the news makes me want to cry. I feel pain for all those Ukrainians who have lost their homes, families and much more.

WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 24: Anti-war demonstrators and Ukrainians living in the U.S. protesting against Russia’s military operation in Ukraine in Lafayette Park on February 24, 2022 in Washington, DC. Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24th. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Putin should not be doing this, he is arresting people for protesting. One woman faces the penalty that is up to 15 years in prison for protesting! She stood up on a Russian news show and held a sign that said “stop the war!” To me, this woman is amazing. She is trying to make a difference among many other Russians who do not support Putin. 

There is always good in the bad. But, in this situation it’s hard to find. In Poland several people greeted the Ukrainians at the train stations with first aid, food, and water. Some people left their strollers for the people who could not bring their own. These all look like small acts but they really mean so much. 

When I heard about this Russia Ukraine situation all I could think about was the people who are suffering and fleeing because their homes are not safe anymore. I look at this situation, and try to imagine what it would be like if this happened to us. Imagine leaving your home and everything you knew because people or a person doesn’t care about you and your well-being. What he is doing is affecting so many people around the world. I hope for this to be over soon, for the Ukrainians to return home and for Putin to stop or be stopped very soon.

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Green Brands: Positive Impacts on the Environment

Lucy Choi
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A few generations ago, it seemed as if our resources were not limited. We assumed that resources like gas, oil, and even coal were infinite. However, now we are starting to see these resources are limited. We’ve been fighting against issues like global warming and carbon emissions from non-renewable sources (primary resources). As these crises get serious every day, our generation is looking for a way to make the Earth a better place. Scientists are finding renewable resources (secondary resources). The government is in the process of changing a policy in regards to the environment. Some businesses are also promoting and prioritizing the values of being “eco-friendly.” Just as individual consumers do their part by reducing their energy usage and recycling their waste, eco-friendly companies are working hard to make a difference. 

Green initiates are becoming important as consumer groups continue to publish studies about the rising demand for more environmentally-friendly practices in business. Eco-friendly brands are the companies that recognize the seriousness of the biggest threats that our planet is facing and try to come up with unique and practical solutions to overcome these issues. These brands are not only prioritizing the way of just using recycled packaging or turning their thermostats down during the winter. Today, they are investing in new initiatives and ideas that can help our environment. This trend of valuing our environment in a business field is spreading to the business leaders of tomorrow. Around 88% of business school students think social and environmental issues are essential to business branding. These three eco-friendly brands try to impact the Earth with their unique ideas positively.

1. Starbucks

Starbucks has promoted non-dairy milk and eliminated plastic straws to reduce its carbon footprint. Now, the company is adding the uniqueness of another way to make its operation greener. Customers are encouraged to use a “personal or Starbucks-provided reusable cup” for every visit by 2025. One of Starbucks’ pilot programs, called “Borrow a Cup,” is to put a Starbucks-branded reusable cup in customers’ hands to return professionally cleaned cups to the store. The cups are then put back into the rotation for other customers. From this, Starbucks noted that its test run in South Korea prevented 200,000 cups from hitting landfills in the program’s first three months.

2. TOMS

TOMS tries to impact the environment positively in a unique way. Countless children growing up without shoes inspired the founder of TOMS, Blake Mycoskie. Mycoskie launched a for-profit business that promised to donate a pair of shoes to communities in need every time a customer bought a pair. Also, TOMS offers clean drinking water, eye services, safe birth kits, and more to communities around the globe. However, as they help as many people as possible, TOMS also respects the planet by making shoes and shoe boxes with recyclable and sustainable materials.

3. Patagonia

Patagonia doesn’t just have an excellent reputation for its wide selection of durable clothing. This unique brand also has the vision to build the best product without harming the environment. The great thing about Patagonia is that the business is frank about its practices. Patagonia knows that not everything is eco-friendly; they use fossil fuels to produce some of the outer-shells on their coats. However, the impressive thing about Patagonia is that they are being transparent about the situation. Also, they share information about their environmental initiative on social media. Lastly, Patagonia gives 1% of its sales to Earth Tax. Earth Tax supports ecological organizations worldwide to restore forests, take down dams, and protect endangered species. 

Resources: <1>

Image sources: <1> <2> <3>

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TV Tropes: Writers, Watch And Learn

Lara Mylde
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Calling all writers, readers, TV-watchers, serial binge-watchers, gamers, etc!

Do you ever feel like your shiny screens just aren’t distracting enough? Are you bored and/or embarrassed enough of your fictional obsessions to claim that you have ‘no discernible hobbies?’ Worse still, do your favourite pastimes happen to involve the creation and consumption of fiction and/or media of various shapes and sizes? Well, allow me to introduce you to a website which will undoubtedly provide an hours-deep rabbit hole of entertainment: tvtropes.org! There’s something for everybody! (No, really, there is.)

What Is It?

TV Tropes is a massive pop culture wiki that catalogues and cross-references recurrent plot devices, archetypes, and tropes in the media. This isn’t limited to TV shows by any means; . They even have a page for what they call “The Other Wiki,” perhaps more commonly known as Wikipedia. The page, which you can find here, dissects all (or at least most) of the tropes inherent to Wikipedia’s existence and long history. This includes Moe Anthropomorphism (did you know that Wikipedia has its own anime mascot?), It Will Never Catch On (Wikipedia actually has a page about “Predictions Of The End of Wikipedia), and many, many more.

Tell me you’re not at least a little bit curious to see what it’s all about; I dare you. Better yet, tell me you’re not wondering what other pieces of media TV Tropes might have dissected, just waiting for you to come find them. From the popular to the delightfully niche, I was definitely surprised at the sheer magnitude of the wiki, which has grown exponentially over the years. As TV Tropes itself would put it, it’s a real Doorstopper.

Besides Being An Awesome All-Devouring Database Of Coolness, What Is It Useful For?

Well, for fun, for one thing (*insert “if you’re boring, just say that” sound here*). But in all seriousness, TV Tropes itself has a page on the benefits of being able to look critically at a piece of media and pull it apart, aptly named TV Tropes Will Ruin Your Life.

This especially applies if you’re a writer or someone with an interest in storytelling, which is how I got into it in the first place. I think it’s fascinating how media tends to mirror other media, and how storytelling evolves to fit the attitudes of a time as well.
Once your eyes have been opened, you’ll never be able to go back. You will have a better understanding of how stories work and be able to recognize what makes a good story. And if you’re ever in doubt, you know where to go for reference!

Further Reading (Watching) (Yay!)

If this sort of entertainment appeals to you, consider also checking out the YouTube channel Overly Sarcastic Productions, which I’ve recommended before for history videos but which also does a series called Trope Talk, which reviews and dissects common tropes like Evil Empires, Love Triangles, the Five Man Band, etc.

Happy rabbit-holing, and good luck!

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Child Labour: Hands too small to work

Harshita Jindia
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Have you ever wondered about a 12-year old child working at a store during school hours, when they should be learning? If we put ourselves into the shoes of such children who face child labour, it would seem very challenging and horrendous. Child labour exists, and this is a fact, but we should be focusing on the next steps to eradicate this issue.

Child labour and poverty are inevitably bound together and if you continue to use the labour of children as the treatment for the social disease of poverty, you will have both poverty and child labour to the end of time.

– Grace Abbott

What is Child Labour?

Child labour refers to the exploitation of children under which they are forced out of education to fulfill their work. Industries under which children are asked to do labour include agriculture, mining, manufacturing, serving at restaurants, and being sent to war in extreme cases. This greatly deprives the children of their childhood, as they get little to no education and face many dangerous situations depending on the factories they work in.  Not only are they being impacted negatively throughout the factories, but are also tortured physically, mentally, socially, and economically. Moreover, statistics also represent how approximately 215 million children between the ages of 5-17 have been victims of the ongoing issue known as child labour.

What are the Causes of Child Labour?

Parents Viewpoints: Children under child labour come from very poor families and require money to meet their basic needs. In these cases, parents view the child as a solution to end their poverty by sending them to work. Parents have certain mindsets that lead them to look at the short-term solutions by earning money through their child working, instead of the long-term solution of giving the child education, so that they could have a successful career in the future.

Expectations: Sometimes children believe they have expectations or are a burden to follow and help their family. When children are in orphanages, or their parents are very ill, the child wants to earn money so that they could support their family.

Business Owners: A major cause of child labour is the fact that business owners accept children to work in their companies. Many business owners expose children to work through sweatshops and keep them on very low wages, which benefits them.

Lack of Government Action: There is less government action to restrict business owners from accepting children to work for their companies. Moreover, the abusive language and actions the children face are also not accounted for.

Poverty: One of the biggest and start causes of child labour is poverty and the need to survive. Children are sent to work so that they could earn money for the family and meet their basic needs.

What are the consequences of Child Labour?

Education: As parents rely on children to earn money for the family, they send them to work. This deprives the children of education as their efforts and time are focused on labour, instead of attending schools. Connecting this to the long-term consequences, children in these circumstances receive fewer opportunities to secure their future and establish a career.

Health: Most industries children work in involves the use of chemicals, risky machines, and various kinds of toxins. These factors greatly impact the child as they could have serious health conditions, such as diseases and illnesses, or even deaths. Not only can children get illnesses, but can be physically, verbally and mentally be abused by store owners.

What are the solutions to Child Labour?

  • Involve children in free education Child Labour and how we can contribute to stop it today!
  • Donate money to establish the schools
  • Spread Awareness, and raise a voice for all children suffering
  • Help end poverty by establishing jobs or other effective ways for the parents to earn money safely
  • Focus on undeveloped countries, and poor communities
  • Create new legislations to underline the consequences of keeping a child for labour work
  • Movies, books, poems, quotes, news, and many more sources should portray this message
  • Inform parents that we cannot end pov
  • Poverty with child labour

 

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Metamorphasis- a poem

Alex K
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Fluorescent lights, pale and sticky

Illuminate by their ignorant light

A small bare room

 

In it

A girl of lackluster frame

Sweat on her brow

Sits with her back turned to the door

 

The smell of tin and stone and paper,

Familiar in her desolate corner,

Invites for the seeking of truth

 

Her hair flows in a delicate stream 

Rippling down her back 

Her eyes carry a black so deep 

That She Herself has drowned

 

The skin of Her hands may seem clean and unused

But beneath them the blood of the heart quivers

Working to maintain a warmth that has since birth been lost

 

Herr doctor,

Does She terrify?

 

Peel back the skin

To find Her very insides rotting

 

Desperate She cries for the sin of night to die

Allah above hears

But to Her God is cruel

 

With Her eyes a fine slit

Her heart frozen in limbo

The singing voice entices

From outside where the sun is lustful

 

She can almost imagine

That the walls of her room

Were not stone

 

And then a match

 

Brilliance blazes 

In the dark of the night

Power reborn

Like a dying star

 

Coal seethes

Hot and sticky

Dry clay and bitter smoke

Her skin oozing from every orifice

Melting to the ground

The forging of iron

 

Out of the ash

 

He emerges

 

Cat eyed and grinning

His skin bronzed as earth

Indignation deep in his bones

 

He stretches his hand to the sun, 

And welcomes warmth 

 

What’s done has been done

Let the young know

A phoenix has come

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A Mouthwatering Delicacy: Pizza Bread

Diya Devendra Patel
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Crunch! As your friend chews on the slightly burnt part of her bread, she slowly yanks the smooth cheese. She eats her bread so seamlessly. Meanwhile, you have yet to finish the same salad that you pack for school almost every day. But change is always fun, and maybe it’s time that you treat your taste buds to a real explosion of flavors. After all, it’s not like you bring something as delicious as your friend’s bread wherever you go.

The food you were just visualizing was right in fact pizza bread. Food can get you stuck in the moment, as it can be so hard to resist. The explosion of flavors can seem endless when it comes to food like pizza. But what if I told you that you can make an exact copy of pizza at home in the matter of 5 minutes? I know what you’re thinking: it’s impossible. Let me show you a quick and easy way to make pizza on an everyday slice of bread. This can also work with bagels. Let me get you hooked on, as most like to call it, PIZZA BREAD.

Trust me when I say this, I could eat this everyday if I could, but I sadly am not allowed. I feel as if this snack can get addicting to those who are foodies like me, but what can I say? It’s too good to be true.

Ingredients/Materials Needed:

  • Pizza sauce
  • 2 spoons
  • Oregano
  • Chili Flakes
  • Ranch 
  • Toppings of your choice
    • Green Pepper
    • Cheese
    • Olives 
  • Toaster Oven

*Note*: The amount of the vegetables listed above would depend based on the amount people you are planning to make it for, and how many bread slices you eat. If you are planning to make it for yourself then plan to use one of each vegetable chosen.

[Estimated serving size: 2 slices]

Recipe:

  • Take one spoon of pizza sauce and spread it evenly over each slice of bread.
  • Take your ingredients such as green pepper and other preferred vegetables and chop them into small cubes.
  • Distribute the vegetables across the bread slices
  • Depending on the type of cheese, grind preferred pizza cheese over top of the bread. If you’re using cheese slices or shredded cheese, spread them directly on top of the vegetables already on the bread)
  • Add oregano and chili flakes as desired
  • Place bread in toaster oven, and turn it on high if you want a burnt-like pizza bread or medium for a slightly burnt pizza bread (all based on preference)
  • If you are 13 or younger have a parent take the bread out for you for safety purposes. If you are given permission to remove bread, take two spoons and place one on each side of the bread. Slowly pick up the bread slice(s) and carefully place them on a plate
  • Add ranch on the side, and top it off by adding chili flakes inside your ranch for some extra spice
  • Bon appetit! Now turn on your current favorite show, and watch it while devouring the flavors that seamlessly explode in your mouth.

Let me know how you like it, and comment if you try or have tried it!

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