Youth Are Awesome, commonly referred to as YAA, is a blog written by youth for youth.
YAA provides the youth of Calgary a place to amplify their voices and perspectives on what is happening around them.
Youth Are Awesome is a program of Youth Central.
Any views or opinions expressed on this blog belong solely to the author and do not represent those of people or organizations that the blog may be associated with, unless explicitly stated. All content is for informational purposes only.
It has been almost 2 years since the pandemic started. As of now, 247,114,753 Covid-19 cases have been reported across the world. 5,010,059 deaths have occurred due to Covid-19. And the pandemic is still far from over yet.
Everyone has been affected by the pandemic, in one way or the other, and the impact will be undoubtedly long-lasting. As a way, to remind you of all the different experiences that you went through these unprecedented times, and highlight the positive ones, I am writing this blog today.
In the past, COVID-19 was a new idea, and there was so much anxiety, and tension revolving around it. Nobody knew what it exactly was, or how it came about, but we did know that it would write a new chapter in history. In the initial stages of the virus, we never used to go outside, and if we went, we would wear masks, carry hand sanitizers, be cautious of other people, and always maintain social distancing. There was a little leeway, as the case numbers slowed down, but most of the precautions remained the same. Suddenly, now these ‘precautions’ seem like part of our daily routine if we go outside.
As we remained at home for longer periods of time, we have gotten more time to spare to explore new hobbies, passions, and interests. Personally, I got a lot of extra time on my hands, and used that to get into new hobbies and explore new passions. For example, I learned how to bake successfully (but let’s just not mention the number of failed attempts I had)! I also had the opportunity to play badminton and soccer, learn a bit of coding, start branching into a wide genre of books, and learn more about my favorite topics. Of course, I also used this time, not so productively, to binge-watch my favourite Netflix series and movies. And to just do nothing, staring at the wall, being occupied with my thoughts or simply sleeping. But that’s fine too. If you, dear reader, think about it more deeply, you will also realize the importance of time and how much time the pandemic has given us.
Another thing, we have learned, as a society, though the years of 2020 and 2021 was about the importance of family. That kind of sounds self-contradictory right? But, ironically that’s what happened through the pandemic. Through zoom, people were able to connect and meet my family more than ever before, the seldom in-person family gatherings became the frequent zoom meetings. And talking about immediate family, with the amount of the free time we received, we were able to have more game nights and movie nights, and connect with our loved ones better. Personally, for me, by now, zoom video calls have become the ‘new normal’ for me, and the cousins I have seldom met, have become my good friends. I have also developed a closer bonding with my grandparents, and I loved spending time on zoom with them.
In fact, this leads me right into my next topic. One of things for sure, one of the things we, as a society, learned in 2020 and 2021 is about the virtual world and the internet. The whole world transitioned to the online world; zoom, google classroom, google meet, Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Amazon, etc. And phones became more frequently used, for staying connected. I am sure many of you experienced this too, right? And this experience even though it could be the most frustrating and challenging at times, was a surprisingly good one too. As we learned how to shift to the global internet world, we all learned many new things and improved our skills on using the internet. We, as a world, also got to experience the capability of us, as a species to be able to advance so much in our technologies to get to the world we have today.
Now when I reflect on all the experiences I’ve had through the crazy situation of the coronavirus, I understand that I’ve learned many new things! As they all say, it’s better to look back on all the positive experiences that you have had from a situation. I can now definitely say that I’ve cherished all the new lessons, I’ve learned from this inevitable COVID experience!
And you, dear reader, as you are reading this blog, I hope you are doing and keeping well. . Even if you are facing tough times right now, take a flashback to the positive times, and learn to reflect on the silver linings of things. After all, “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light” – Albus Dumbledore (Harry Potter).
As the end of October moves closer, along with it comes the final few days of “spooky season.” Halloween is on Sunday and there are many ways to get into the spirit. From haunted houses to pumpkin carvings, there’s something fun to do for everyone.
Have A Movie Marathon
Movie night!! Put on some cozy PJs and watch a ton of scary/Halloween movies! A few examples are, Annabelle, The Exorcist, Nightmare Before Christmas and The Shining.
Host A Murder Mystery Party
A murder mystery party would allow guests to wear costumes based on their character and figure out how and who killed the victim. You can purchase a gamer or create your own. This is would be a super fun and trendy idea for teens/young adults!
Haunted House
Either host, or go to a haunted house. Haunted houses are just the right amount of scary.
Carve/Paint Pumpkins
Carving pumpkins is a super generic thing to do for Halloween. Whereas, painting pumpkins is something more unique!! Use your creativity, or Pinterest for some really cute, trendy ideas. Or to make it more interesting, have a pumpkin painting competition! Have the contestants vote on their favorite pumpkin, and reward the winner.
Bake
Invite a few friends over, or do it by yourself, and bake. If you want to spice things up, give a theme and/or try not to use a recipe! At the end, taste-test and declare a winner.
Trick Or Treat
A generic, but fun Halloween tradition that is loved by many. Go to your nearest Spirit Halloween and find a costume. Then go trick or treating and score some candy.
Halloween is a season of scares, thrills and fun. Don’t miss out on it just because you don’t have plans! There are many ways to get into the Halloween spirit.
Finding a great restaurant can be the perfect touch for any occasion. Some of us prefer the quality of the food over the ambience, while others wish to find a balance between both. Calgary has many amazing restaurants with a variety of different cuisines and eye-catching decor. If you are looking for a list of delicious and affordable restaurants, here are some restaurants that you should consider trying this Fall!
Orchard Restaurant
The Orchard Restaurant is definitely one of the prettiest restaurants on this list. You may have previously heard about it as it is one of the most popular dining places in Calgary. Inside you will find large chandeliers and a lot of greenery. This restaurant is ideal if you want a casual and elegant dining experience surrounded by stunning décor! You can find this restaurant in the downtown core near the residential project, SODO. As for the menu, it consists of the perfect mix of Asian and Mediterranean cuisine. Some of their most captivating menu items are the cheese-stuffed garlic bread, seared gnocchi, and the Rocher chocolate cake. Now that we are approaching the holiday season, you might want to visit the Orchard Restaurant for a great experience!
Calcutta Cricket Club
The Calcutta Cricket Club restaurant presents a new refreshing take on Bengali dishes with a modern touch. At this restaurant, you can expect to find many authentic dishes in a retro café setting. Its ambience is created by black and white tile flooring that is extenuated with gold décor. My favorite part of this restaurant is its menu! The dishes that caught my eye were the chips and curry, the Kati rolls, butter chicken masala, and a bucket of kulfi. One of the most notable features is their outdoor patio that once again shows a beautiful retro-Indian style. Additionally, it is in the downtown area, so check it out if you can!
Tokyo Street Market
Tokyo Street Market is one of my favorite places to go with friends after school. They have easy, accessible take out Japanese Street food and dine in and patio options available. When I am in a hurry, I usually get sushi and vegetable spring rolls. You can choose from the California Roll, Dynamite Roll, Avocado Roll, and many more, But, they also have ramen, takoyaki, gyoza, and homemade ice cream. The overall ambience is welcoming and rustic. This establishment is perfect for getting delicious comfort food! Furthermore, their location is near downtown, so you can see amazing views of the skyline especially during the evenings. You can find them near Centre Street.
Sugar Marmalade Calgary
Do you ever crave something sweet or savory? If so, visiting Sugar Marmalade is perfect for you! Sugar Marmalade has a trendy and vibrant aesthetic that is great for pictures, but their desserts and menu are also just as amazing. My favorite menu items are their mango Taiwanese shaved Ice, mint and lychee Italian soda, and Japanese style teriyaki fries. They have a lot of variety to choose from, and the prices are affordable. Not to forget, the portions sizes are huge, which makes it easier to share with friends and family. Also, you can find them near Centre Street. Next time you want to celebrate a birthday or hang out with friends, try visiting Sugar Marmalade. I am sure you won’t be disappointed!
I am currently in the midst of my post-secondary applications, so here are some of the tips that I have used that have helped make the last few weeks bearable. Hope this helps any current or future grade 12 students.
Start Early
Start early in all areas possible. Here are a few examples of what I mean:
Create a resume as soon as possible (even if you’re in grade 10) and keep updating it every other month. This is super helpful when filling out activity lists because the last thing you want to happen is to forget some extracurricular that you did while submitting an application. (Trust me, this always happens)
Begin to research universities early. You could consider location, offered programs, social life, class size, faculty to student ratio, and more.
If possible, start touring universities starting in grade 11. Of course, actually stepping on foot is so much better than looking at photos online.
Forge excellent relationships with all teachers, starting literally as early as possible. This sounds trivial, but you never know which teacher will end up writing your reference letter.
On this topic, when asking for letters of recommendation, reach out to teachers as early as possible. As soon as school starts, they will be swamped with requests from a ton of different students. You want to do your best to be on the top of that list.
Don’t be afraid to reach out for help
All of my essays have been shown to probably at least 5 different people, with different perspectives. For instance, my guidance counselors, parents, siblings or teachers could all be options. Everyone always has a different perspective, and since you have no idea what kind of person your Admissions Officer will be, it is always a good idea to get as much input as possible for structure, style, tone, diction, etc.
Remember, it’s about balance
Just because you’re starting one of the most stressful periods of your life, doesn’t mean balance cannot be achieved. No matter what, still make some time every few days to do something you love. For me, that means practicing volleyball. It may seem like a waste of time when the deadline seems close, but believe me, it actually helps boost productivity so much that it completely makes up for “lost time.”
That’s all! I hope you enjoyed! I’m gonna go back to editing some more essays now…
I always told myself I wanted to start practicing yoga, but I never thought I had the patience for it. Fortunately, this year I’m taking a yoga class at school, and while I didn’t initially choose this option, I’m super grateful I get to experience it. Because it is a class in my timetable I don’t get to quit when I don’t feel like doing it anymore, so this is the first time I’ve actually stuck to it for more than two days haha. The first week was challenging since I’m very out of shape, but with doing it more often it is getting easier and easier, and now I’m actually starting to enjoy it. Also, I am learning more about the history and origins of yoga, and how important it is to go through every yoga practice with an intention, rather than just doing it for the aesthetics. Even by just doing this for a month I have noticed improvement in both physical and mental aspects of my life, so I would like to share some of my ideas with you, and hopefully you think about trying it out for yourself sometime.
Origin of Yoga
The origin of yoga can be traced back to Northern India over 5,000 years ago, it was first mentioned in the ancient text of the Rig Veda. This is a set of four sacred texts written in Sanskrit, we see evidence of this as all yoga poses have a Sanskrit name behind the common name we use today. For example, one of the most famous yoga poses is the Downward-Facing Dog, this is the name we use, but the Sanskrit name of that is Adho Mukha Svanasana.
Yoga can be performed by anyone, but it does have deep religious ties to the practice of Hinduism. Hinduism contains six major schools of thought, with yoga being one of them. This is because people believe there are many different paths that exist to reach liberation, or a oneness with the gods. Yoga in particular is used to control, or unite the senses, and ultimately the mind.
With that being said, it is important to know the meaning behind the way of yoga, so that we can accurately give credit to the people and practices that created it. An interesting article I read about this idea is called Yoga: The True Hindu Roots Behind the Western Trend, by Rutu Patel. She talks about how yoga has been rooted in her religion for thousands of years, and how she has seen yoga become more and more westernized. She mentions things such as sacred prayer beads, also called mala, being sold as knockoffs made of plastic. She admits that she let things like this slide at first, but she has realized that this leads to bigger discrepancies. Ultimately, the practice of yoga is sanctified, and it should be treated as such. She concludes it by saying that her culture welcomes everyone, but it asks people to acknowledge and understand these importances before taking part.
Mental Benefits
I’ve personally noticed that yoga has helped me release, or at least find ways to deal with anxiety. There was actually a study done where 2 groups of people participated. One did yoga and the other did not, the ones who practiced yoga recorded a significant decrease in stress compared to the other group. It has also helped me fall asleep faster by doing breathing exercises and meditation to clear my mind. It has been proven that yoga decreases the primary stress hormone called cortisol, this also influences levels of serotonin, the neurotransmitter often associated with depression.
Physical Benefits
There are also many physical benefits of yoga, for me it has really helped with my balance, flexibility, and so on. Yoga also helps to improve strength in many areas, and can release tension and stiffness. There was also a study done that found participants over 40 years of age who practiced yoga for five years or more had a lower blood pressure and pulse rate than those who didn’t. These types of studies have also been done in relation to inflammation and chronic pain.
Types of Yoga
There are many different types of yoga out there, they all do different things and are used to achieve different outcomes. If one type does not fit you, you can also try another one. Experts say you should try at least 3 different classes before you decide that yoga isn’t for you.
Hatha yoga: Ha means sun and tha means moon, so this hopes to connect these 2 elements together and create a balance. Hatha yoga practices more still postures, thus working on your strength both physically and mentally. It also focuses on your breathing throughout the practice.
Yin vs yang yoga: Yang yoga focuses more on your muscles and stamina, while yin yoga is slower and focuses on the connective tissues such as fascia, ligaments, and joints.
Bikram yoga: Also known as hot yoga, this is practiced in a hot room where the floor is carpet so it is more forgiving on your hands and knees. In these classes it is important to listen to the instructor as they orally guide you through the practice, and the most important part is to get sweaty.
Iyengar yoga: This was named after B.K.S Iyengar, Indian writer and yoga teacher, it places the emphasis on precision and alignment, as well as breath control and mental clarity.
From time immemorial, humans have imagined the stars in the form of any animals or humans, divided them into groups and added interesting stories. Using the constellations made it easier to find the stars and remember their positions. Therefore people used constellations to navigate while sailing or having a long journey using constellations as a map. That’s why people called constellations a map of the night sky or a storybook of the sky. These storybooks of the sky have interesting stories behind related to greek mythology. Here are 3 constellations that have interesting myths beyond.
Perseus
In Greek mythology, Perseus was the son of Danaë, who sent by king Polydectes to bring the head of Medusa. Medusa has winged human females with living venomous snakes in place of hair. Those who gazed into her eyes would turned to stone. Perseus rescued Andromeda from the monster by killing it with his sword. When Perseus proved his mission success by showing Polydectes the Medusa’s head, Polydectes and his wedding guests all turned to stone. Perseus gave to Medusa’s head to Athena, who attached in to the front of her shield.
Perseus lived to a great old age and became the king of Mycenae, and married Andromeda. After his death, Zeus gave Perseus a place among the constellations next to his beloved Andromeda.
Aries
Athamas, the king of Thessaly, and his remarried wife Ino had two children named, Phrixus and Helle. Unfortunately, Ino treated her children very badly. Hermes saw kids treated cruelly by their stepmother and sent a magical ram, Aries, to help children escape their stepmother’s wrath. Children flew over land and sea to the east. Unfortunately, Helle failed to get a good hold on ran’s fleece. She fell off and drowned. Phrixus landed safely on the edge of the Black Sea, Colches.
In gratitude for his safe deliverance, Phyrixus sacrificed the ram and gave its golden fleece to the king of that country. Zeus placed the ram’s constellation, Aries, who had great sacrifice in saving the children in the night sky.
Orion
Orion was a great skilled hunter, and he provided meat each day for the gods. One day the moon goddess, Artemis, asked to hunt together with him. On their hunt, Orion shot deer with his arrow perfectly and pleased Artemis. At dinner, Artemis told everyone including Zeus, about Orion’s great skills with the bow. All of them praised and pleased Orion, and he vowed to impress Artemis, even more.
The next day, Orion shot every animal he found. He put a large pile of dead animals to Artenis’ house. Then, he shows Artemis the dead animals to impress her. Artemis was horrified. She is the protector of animals and punished those who killed more than they could eat. Artemis stomped her foot on the ground, and a great scorpion appeared. It stung Orion, causing him to die in great pain. However, in honour of his great service to the gods, Zeus placed his constellation in the sky.
You can find out more interesting stories beyond the constellation from these sites:
All in all, autumn is a pretty stacked season for mental health awareness. With mental health week from October 3rd-9th, World Mental Health Day on October 10th, and Men’s Mental Health month coming up in November, a lot of conversations are currently ongoing.
After all, everyone’s heard the “eat well, exercise, talk to your friends” spiel. And while it’s helpful, it doesn’t necessarily address the core of the issue when even those “simple” tasks are too much to handle. The real key to improving your mental and physical wellbeing starts with reframing the way you think about these tasks and your relationship to them.
1. Starting is always the hardest part.
Once you get past the first five seconds or minutes of a task, studies show that you’re much more likely to continue. And even if you don’t, at least you can have the comfort of knowing that you did something. Flossing a few of your teeth is better than not flossing any. Writing one or two sentences of your essay is better than not writing any words. Progress accumulates all the time; the hardest part is learning to do things in small increments rather than feeling like you have to tackle a big task all at once. That’s how you start to feel hopeless and paralyzed; that’s how you end up not doing anything at all.
Just start. Brush your teeth (or just gargle with mouthwash, if that seems too daunting), do one (1) math problem, or take a few sips of water. Every little thing counts. And if you can’t keep going after starting, do your best to forgive yourself. Learning healthy patterns takes time, and you don’t have to get it right immediately or even consistently. Something is better than nothing; just hold on to that.
2. The little things are important.
It’s true: sometimes, everything just seems impossible. But it’s important to recognize that not only is the act of starting something worth celebrating; the even the most “silly” or basic tasks are milestones on the hard days.
If you’re a to-do list kind of person, try putting “get out of bed” or “change out of pyjamas” on the list somewhere. Being able to check off these little things will empower you and help you feel like the things ahead of you are more manageable.
3. Don’t be afraid to set boundaries.
Especially for high school students with little control over their homework schedules and sometimes their lives as a whole, this one can be difficult. But there should not be shame attached to needing an extension on an assignment or taking a sick day every once in a while just to focus on yourself for a bit. Trust me: if you don’t carve out time to rest and prioritize your well-being over the bajillion things you need to do, your body will do it for you. And you’d much rather live a balanced life in the first place than go through intermittent periods of suffering for no good reason, right?
The art of the sleep schedule, at least in my experience, is probably the hardest aspect of your life to get a handle on. But sometimes it’s better to get your full eight hours than it is to grind out that last bit of math homework. Seriously.
4. Ask for help.
This plays into the last one, but there are people out there who can help you no matter what it is you’re going through. Yes, “you’re not alone” is a massive cliche, but people say it often because it’s actually true. Ask your teachers, your parents, and your friends for support; odds are, these are people who want to support you. If you don’t feel that way or you think that you may not get a positive reaction from the people around you if you ask for help, there are also multiple helplines which you can call or often text in order to get immediate assistance.
ConnecTeen (Calgary distress centre helpline for teens, by teens): (403) 266-1601
Kids Help Phone (you know, the one on all the Smarties boxes): 1-800-668-6868
AHS Mental Health Helpline: 1-877-303-2642 (toll-free)
No one deserves to suffer in silence. To close, here’s a short video (3:27 minutes) featuring some more advice from people who struggle with depression and anxiety.
“Good books don’t give up all their secrets at once.”-Stephen King. Never the wiser, I’d say. Mystery is one of the best yet most complicated genres out there in terms of novels. A good one can keep you so absorbed that you don’t notice three hours have flown by. A bad one, on the other hand, can spoil the ending within a matter of chapters due to over-foreshadowing. It seems that finding such balance when it comes to dropping clues to readers is a very hard skill, if the amount of bad mystery novels I’ve read is any indication. To make up for all these unsatisfactory ones though, I have read my fair share of incredible mystery novels. And to make your life much easier (and to keep your sanity intact), I have compiled a list of the best Young Adult mystery novels. So, are you ready to be taken on a journey of a lifetime?
All Your Twisted Secrets by Diana Urban
What do the queen bee, star athlete, valedictorian, stoner, loner, and music geek all have in common? They were all invited to a scholarship dinner, only to discover it’s a trap. Someone has locked them into a room with a bomb, a syringe filled with poison, and a note saying they have an hour to pick someone to kill … or else everyone dies.
Amber Prescott is determined to get her classmates and herself out of the room alive, but that might be easier said than done. No one knows how they’re all connected or who would want them dead. As they retrace the events over the past year that might have triggered their captor’s ultimatum, it becomes clear that everyone is hiding something. And with the clock ticking down, confusion turns into fear, and fear morphs into panic as they race to answer the biggest question: Who will they choose to die?
This book, my friends, truly threw me into a loophole. I had absolutely NO idea that it would end as it did. I loved the unique plot of the book, and how it weaved in modern-day societal issues into the theme. The book has a relatively fast pace, but every little detail has a place in the plot. This adds to the shock factor at the end. Although this isn’t a super well-known novel, it still has the elements that makes it such a good read.
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Avery Grambs has a plan for a better future: survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Avery has no idea why–or even who Tobias Hawthorne is. To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House, where every room bears the old man’s touch–and his love of puzzles, riddles, and codes.
Unfortunately for Avery, Hawthorne House is also occupied by the family that Tobias Hawthorne just dispossessed. This includes the four Hawthorne grandsons: dangerous, magnetic, brilliant boys who grew up with every expectation that one day, they would inherit billions. Heir apparent Grayson Hawthorne is convinced that Avery must be a con-woman, and he’s determined to take her down. His brother, Jameson, views her as their grandfather’s last hurrah: a twisted riddle, a puzzle to be solved. Caught in a world of wealth and privilege, with danger around every turn, Avery will have to play the game herself just to survive.
Twists and turns, scandalous family secrets, romance, and high-class society drama: this book has it all. I am a huge fan of Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ novels, and this one definitely did not disappoint. The author does an outstanding job at mashing up several different plotlines without straying from the central plot. I know I know, you’re probably thinking, how does that even work? But trust me, this novel knows what it’s doing. It’s going to take you on one heck of a ride, and it’s only going to leave you hanging. Don’t worry though, it all comes full circle in its sequel. Do yourself a favour and check this novel out.
Killing November by Adrianna Mather
It’s a school completely off the grid, hidden by dense forest and surrounded by traps. There’s no electricity, no internet, and an eye-for-an-eye punishment system. Classes include everything from Knife-Throwing and Poisons to the Art of Deception and Historical Analysis. And all of the students are children of the world’s most elite strategists—training to become assassins, counsellors, spies, and master impersonators. Into this world walks November Adley, who quickly discovers that friends are few in a school where personal revelations are discouraged and competition is everything. When another student is murdered, all eyes turn to November, who must figure out exactly how she fits into the school’s bizarre strategy games before she is found guilty of the crime…or becomes the killer’s next victim.
Did anyone else read and re-read and re-re-read the Spy School series when growing up? Yup, me too. This one is similar in that it’s set at a top-secret boarding school and there are killers on the loose. However, it has a much more complicated plot full of surprises that is a step up from the childhood classic. Not only is it an incredible mystery, but the book also teaches you all these cool things about history and body language that leaves you feeling kind of like a spy yourself. You will find yourself on the edge of your seat while you walk with the protagonist through the plot. You can thank me later!
During my free time last Saturday, a movie on Netflix caught my eye. I wasn’t in the mood of hesitating so I just decided to take a look at it. Just before the ending song came on, I started to realize how astonished I was by the plots and conclusion. It was so brilliantly made that my heart was warmed up by it in seconds when it started. The movie was able to successfully drag me into different scenes and feel the emotions the characters are feeling. It was also able to make me relate to my childhood memories and how they shaped my current identity.
“A Silent Voice”
The movie is called “A Silent Voice”, made by the Japanese director Naoko Yamada. It takes you through a short journey between 2 characters who’re fighting against the deadly force of being diagnosed with mental health disorders. “A Silent Voice” captures a vivid image of a coming of age story that relates to social anxiety, uncontrolled fear and guilt/regret in the past.
This movie takes place in Ogaki, a small city located in the center of Japan. This is the hometown of the 2 main characters, Shouko Nishimiya and Shoyo Ishida. Ishida first met Nishimiya in grade 6, but his thoughts back then were naïve and couldn’t make relevant choices which caused many negative problems to her.
Nishimiya was born with a disability in the ear, which made it difficult for her to hear. Her disability made many students in her grade 6 class take advantage of the issue and started to treat her unfairly. 6th grade was also the beginning to their unforgettable past as for, Ishida’s choices effected both of them negatively. From stealing and wrecking her hearing aids to physically injuring her, Ishida’s action made Nishimiya have a really hard time at school. This also forced her to transfer away into a different school, and this serious act of abonnement made Ishida truly recognize his mistake.
“I intended to listen to your voice, but it really was nothing but intentions” – Shoya Ishida
Not only Ishida recognized his mistake, all his friends and family did too. And this act of recognition led to disagreements, accusations and broken friendships. As these negative problems all entered Ishida’s life without a warning, he slowly started to become diagnosed with depression without realizing it. His mind couldn’t take in existence of others and in his perspective, everyone around him has the letter “X” marked on their faces. Indicating that they were not important to his life. This caused a form of negative isolation to Ishida and he was detached to the social crowd.
“Things would have been so much better back then… If we had heard each other’s voices” – Shouya Ishida
It wasn’t until high school when they were able to meet again and Ishida wanted to truly apologize to Nishimiya as for, he was able to recognize his mistake. But life is unfair and not everything goes as planned. Worst problems started to arise and Ishida didn’t have the ability to stop or control it. This dragged Ishida deeper down into the dark hole of depression. But luckily, with the help of close friends and family, Ishida was able to climb back onto his feet to face reality again. And Ishida was also able to change his current lifestyle into something more comfortable for him and others, as well as making different amendments to life and changing the way he acted in front of others.
“There is nobody to give your life meaning! You must grasp it yourself.” – Yoshitoki Ōima,
Overall, I think that this movie is able to help many teenagers and young adults overcome and recognize their true value in life. Not everything will go perfectly and everyone will face their own obstacles. But what’s most important is how to overcome these issues in the best and most appropriate way. Even if it requires scarification of certain important things.
It has been almost two months since students have returned to school, and whether that return came with resignation or excitement for the new school year, everyone has more or less gotten back into the swing of things. However, it is at this exact time that students will struggle to juggle all the different aspects of their life. Trying to keep on top of daily homework while balancing extracurriculars like sports and clubs is difficult enough, and doing all of that while parents are badgering them about helping out with chores or spending time with family is nigh impossible.
At this rate, it’s no wonder actually getting 8 hours of sleep seems like more of a fantasy than finishing the assignment in front of you.
Studying, especially while you have bad study habits only adds to the workload, so perhaps these common mistakes during studying will tell you what to avoid.
1. Studying is not a marathon (don’t make it one)
It can often seem that the best way to study for upcoming tests is to find a spot, get comfortable, and spend the next 4 hours studying without stopping. After all, the spot is quiet, you can focus, and it can seem like breaks are simply a waste of time at that point. Unfortunately, that is exactly where the problem lies. While it may seem like an efficient strategy at the moment, your brain simply is not built to integrate information that way. The Pomodoro strategy recommends taking a short break every 25 minutes to allow yourself to not overload on the information, or risk the chance of forgetting it by the next day. The strategy holds off any exhaustion from studying while making your mind feel refreshed and ready to learn.
2. Passive learning is not the best way
While studying passively, whether it’s reading notes or listening to lectures, is not necessarily a bad thing, it is certainly not the best way to study for a test the day after. Passive learning creates “an illusion of knowing”. Students think that by re-reading knowledge that is familiar to them, they believe they know it. Regrettably, this type of learning does little to store information long-term. In a test setting, people will struggle to remember the information as well. Strategies that incorporate more active engagement, such as answering practice problems or re-teaching the information to someone else are a much better way to get the information stuck in your mind.
Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.
― Benjamin Franklin
3. Studying chronologically (when you don’t need to)
It’s a rather upsetting sight when someone can spend hours studying for a lesson, re-writing notes, and making diagrams, but still manage to score low. One of the most common reasons this happens is because students will study chronologically, instead of by priority. You can sit down and read through your notes in order, and on top of this being a passive learning strategy, it puts you at risk of running out of time without truly learning the information that is most critical. Especially for classes such as math or languages, studying by priority is much more important as the workload only increases in difficulty.
4. Having distractions nearby
While this one might seem obvious, a shocking number of students struggle to actually make an isolated space free of distractions. While simply having your phone on the table might not seem like a big deal, even one notification can make a difference with how well you understand the material. In a recent study published in the Journal of Educational Psychology, 118 students upper-level college students we studied by researchers, and the students with laptops and cell phones open for non-classroom purposes scored half a letter grade lower on exams. While not the most surprising pitfall, it is certainly one of the most common.
5. Going in without a plan
This final pitfall causes the greatest downfall of them all because this is the one that affects all the others. For students who try to start “studying” without a clear plan of their priorities, or what they need to focus on, chances are they will end up getting distracted or simply spinning their wheels. Worse yet, multitasking will not help you either. The human brain is surprisingly bad at multitasking because while we may think we are focusing on two topics simultaneously, we are actually switching back and forth between the topics failing to comprehend either properly. Eventually, you will end up going into the exam far less prepared than you could have been, so try to avoid going in blind.
In the end, how you study is up to you. Nonetheless, small changes like planning your study session or taking breaks can go a huge way in reducing the time and increasing the efficiency of studying. There is still a while left to go, but we can begin with a running start.
For those of you reading this who don’t live in Calgary, sorry, but this post may not be very relatable. But for my fellow Calgarians, or even other Canadians, I hope you find this post (consisting mostly of my rants) entertaining!
What’s up? (AKA my rant)
I’ve always been a fall person (pumpkin spice for life), so if I had to choose between the winter and summer, I automatically turn to winter. My opinion on this subject has always been pretty definite, but Calgary winters are definitely beginning to make me question my stance.
Before Calgary, I lived in Atlanta, Georgia; Houston, Texas; and Copenhagen, Denmark. Living in the Southern United States was the exact opposite, weather wise, compared to Calgary. When I was younger, in the winters when the temperature was 17 degrees Celsius (63 Fahrenheit), I would wear the largest puffer coat possible and cover every exposed part of my skin in some sort of winter attire. Now, it’s currently 10 degrees Celsius (50 Fahrenheit) in Calgary and I can leave the house in a light hoodie without a worry in the world. Danish winters were a drastic switch from Houston, but now I realize that compared to Calgary, they were nothing.
The first year that I lived here, in about mid-September we were surprised with the arrival of at least 5 inches of snow on our driveway. Mind you, we didn’t own a single piece of winter equipment yet and not a single store in a reasonable distance had snow shovels. The only place we could find was Shoppers Drug Mart. What?! Oh, and guess what? The only shovels they had were literal children ones with shovels slightly larger than my face. The following winters, I came to the unfortunate realization that the temperatures and snow fall in Calgary were crazy every year, they weren’t just coincidences. Last February, the coldest temperature was around -30 degrees Celsius. And guess what? The snow in Calgary only completely melted in May!
Tips and Tricks?
Clearly, I am not a fan of Calgary winters, but I have to admit, they are absolutely beautiful (at least until the slush hits). In order to help you all get through this next winter, which I have no doubt will have some “special” surprises, I wanted to provide a quick list of ways you can make your winter a little warmer!
Community:
Calgary Mustard Seed Winter donations
You can purchase items on the Mustard Seed’s wish list to help the less fortunate stay safe. Last year, this program was incredibly helpful because of dangerously cold weather.
Calgary Food Bank
I encourage you to donate either non-perishable foods or money to the Calgary Food Bank. Many schools and workplaces have food drives, so you can donate there too! The Calgary Food Bank’s work is incredibly impactful for families in need, especially during the winter times, so your donations would be put to good use!
Personal:
Always keep an emergency pair of gloves with you.
Are your hands too cold to type or write? Run them under warm water for a few seconds!
If it snowed overnight, shovel the snow covering the path of your driveway that your car would pass over. This way, the snow won’t become packed and practically impossible to shovel!
Keep a hand lotion tube in your pocket for those really dry days!
Be especially organized when it comes to taking transit or walking to your destination. You don’t want to get caught in the cold! Download the Calgary Transit app on your phone!
This post was primarily me ranting about Calgarian weather, but I hope you still found it entertaining and maybe even the slightest bit helpful. Enjoy the rest of October! I have my fingers crossed that we’ll get through it without significant snowfall! Stay warm!
If I asked you what you thought the deadliest animal on earth was, what would you say? Living in Canada sure makes deciding one animal pretty hard. Surprisingly, unlike what many of you would have guessed, the deadliest animal on earth is smaller than my finger nail. Our culprit is mosquitoes, which are considered the deadliest animal on earth because of their role in spreading diseases, like malaria.
“Malaria may cause anemia and jaundice (yellow coloring of the skin and eyes) because of the loss of red blood cells. If not promptly treated, the infection can become severe and cause kidney failure, seizures, mental confusion, coma, and death” (CDC – Malaria – About Malaria – FAQs, 2021). People who have weak immunity to the disease are more likely to become extremely sick or even die, meaning the lives of many people, especially children, are at stake.
I don’t know about you guys, but mosquitoes are my archnemeses. Like almost everyone, I enjoy spending my time outside during the summer (which lasts like 2 months in Calgary). However, when I’m outside, I have a one on one battle with a swarm of mosquitoes every time. To make matters worse, rather than having an itchy area on my arm for a couple of days, I am presented with a whole ligament being sore and swollen. Like most of us, I have always wanted to get rid of mosquitoes, but how would that work?
Solutions?
If you are a mosquito hating maniac like me or just interested in science, you may have heard about something called CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing. For a fantastic explanation of what CRISPR is, check out: https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/genomicresearch/genomeediting/. Some scientists want to apply this advanced gene editing method to our mosquito situation. CRISPR-Cas9 would be used to impact the fertility of male mosquitoes and interestingly, it would also impact the fertility of female mosquitoes. In other words, the infertility gene mutation could be contagious, as a result, slowing the reproduction rate of mosquitoes.
Another similar idea scientists have is to release a significant number of infertile male mosquitoes into an environment so that females will mate with them but won’t be able to reproduce. In other words, more females would be mating with infertile mosquitoes rather than fertile ones, therefore slowing down the rate of population. This solution is more temporary than using CRISPR though, because after the group of infertile male mosquitoes die, the fertile ones will begin to mate with females once again.
These ideas may seem far-fetched for now, but as new developments are made in science, who knows? Maybe we’ll find ourselves looking towards a future where we don’t consider mosquitoes as significant of a threat.
Despite the odd timing of this post, with winter around the corner, I hope you still found it enjoyable! Stay safe!
Self-esteem is a negative or positive opinion about ourselves. Experts say people with high self-esteem believe that they are worthy, deserve to be loved, and have a positive attitude. On the other hand, people with low self-esteem have a lack of confidence, feel depressed, focus on their negatives, and ignore their achievements. Self-esteem plays an essential role in a variety of areas in life. Psychologists say self-esteem impacts your decision-making process, relationships, emotional health, and overall well bring. Here are three tips to improve your self-esteem, which will make your day brighter, happier, and meaningful.
1. Don’t be afraid to fail.
Failure might make you feel depressed and think you can’t do anything. But failure is a great learning experience that you can have a chance to develop yourself, know more about your weaknesses and strengths. When a reporter asked the great inventor Edison, “How did it feel to fail 1000 times?” he replied, “I didn’t fail 1000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1000 steps.” Don’t forget that failure is a path to success, and there are many chances to try again. So don’t be afraid to fail. Believe in yourself, and be confident!
2. Stop comparing yourself to others.
-Sometimes, we compare ourselves to others. They might be better at something than me. They might have something I don’t have. However, comparing yourself to others will lead to depression, becoming less confident, and low self-esteem. It’s “your” life that you should be the captain of your life, not others. Every people in the world are special and unique in their own way, and nobody is perfect. We each get 86,400 seconds each day. Don’t use that time to compare yourself to others. Instead, use that time to explore yourself. Explore things that you like, you hate, your strengths, and your weakness. This might help you to understand that you are special in your own way and that you are a worthy person. Be a captain who can handle your own life. Try to live each moment happy!
3. Stop being self-critical
“I look fat with this shirt,” “I can’t do anything,” “I am useless.” Are you thinking of these questions in your mind? Then don’t. Self-critical people are very hard on themselves and tend to see the negative part of themselves, not the achievement. They are most likely to experience more negative emotions than positive emotions. Try to be more compassionate with yourself. Remember, you deserve to be loved, and you are doing great!
Please keep these 3 tips in mind. You are a precious and worthy human being. Nobody is perfect, and you are doing great in your own way. Have a happy and meaningful day!
The question of how much sway money has over politics has been a resounding debate for years. Now, it’s a debate that has once again been brought up due to recent events regarding American Senator Joe Manchin and a key climate change program. This may very well change the course of the United State’s policy toward climate change for years to come.
Sen. Joe Manchin has told the White House that he opposes the clean electricity program, several officials and lobbyists said.
On Oct. 15, 2021, one of the most crucial parts of President Biden’s climate change agenda, regarding a program to rapidly replace the nation’s coal and gas-fired power plants with different renewable energy options, had been cut from the Democrat’s reconciliation bill. As the person responsible for the bill’s climate provisions, as well as one who has deep ties to different oil and gas corporations, Sen. Manchin reportedly has told the White House he strongly opposes the clean electricity program. This has barred Democrats from ever gaining his crucial vote which was needed to pass the bill.
The Clean Electricity Performance Program, or CEPP, was a $150 billion dollar program. It would have driven energy suppliers to switch from fossil fuels (whether they be natural gas or coal) to more renewable energy sources such as wind, solar or nuclear energy, and penalize those that do not. This type of clean energy, which already makes up roughly 40% of the industry, would have been a critical step to reducing carbon pollution significantly within the next decade within the United States.
Leah Stokes, an expert on climate policy who has been advising Senate Democrats around the policy, spoke to reporters about how this “is absolutely the most important climate policy in the package. We fundamentally need it to meet our climate goals. That’s just the reality. And now we can’t. So this is pretty sad.”
Sen. Manchin, raised in coal-rich West Virginia, has repeatedly been reported to have strong connections with different energy corporations. Most notably, lobbyists from the multinational oil and gas corporation Exxon Mobil bragged about having regular access to Sen. Joe Manchin according to leaked comments by a senior lobbyist. Overall, Manchin himself benefits from the coal industry, and this has certainly not done him any favors in the eyes of the public.
Sam Runyon, Manchin’s spokesperson, told the New York Times that Manchin opposed “using taxpayer dollars to pay private companies to do things they’re already doing.” However, no points were raised about how Biden scaled back his already dwindling budget involving environmental policies; This is compared to the $715 billion asked for the Pentagon by the White House.
In the end, all of this has simply angered or depressed climate change advocates in their already bleak position. Climate activists have been lobbying for change around carbon emissions, desperate to stop the global temperature from rising by 1.5 degrees Celsius. A threshold that, if reached, would have disastrous consequences for the entire globe. At two degrees, it’s expected that $150 million additional people would die from air pollution, millions more would be driven out of their homes in South Asia and the Middle East due to the temperature rising so much that it would be impossible to simply walk outside without risking the chance at heatstroke. Not only that, but storms and floods would ravage cities like none seen before.
All of these problems are issues that will be inherited by the new generation if nothing is done by the government. The very same people that sit in their classrooms today will be the ones who have to deal with this catastrophic future that is at the precipice of the politics happening today.
It is up to the people of today to decide whether giving this power over to corporations, allowing money to influence politics in such a way, is worth allowing this same future to run its course.
Citations:
Davenport, Coral. “Key to Biden’s Climate Agenda Likely to Be Cut Because of Manchin Opposition.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 15 Oct. 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/15/climate/biden-clean-energy-manchin.html.
Images, Alex Wong / Getty, et al. “Exxon-Tied Manchin Favors Climate Policies Pushed by the Oil and Gas Industry.” Truthout, Truthout, 20 Sept. 2021, https://truthout.org/articles/exxon-tied-manchin-favors-climate-policies-pushed-by-the-oil-and-gas-industry/.
Ioanes, Ellen. “Joe Manchin Won’t Support a Key Climate Program. Alternatives Won’t Be Enough.” Vox, Vox, 16 Oct. 2021, https://www.vox.com/2021/10/16/22729648/manchin-climate-change-reconciliation-clean-electricity-program.
Terkel, Amanda. “Exxon Lobbyist Brags about Regular Access to Joe Manchin.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 1 July 2021, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/joe-manchin-exxonmobil-lobbying-environmental-groups_n_60dcc8e3e4b001b8d59bbbd8.
In this day and age, many new businesses are on the rise, in ways that we would once never imagine. As times are changing, new entrepreneurs must adapt in order to keep up with the competition and make it in a cutthroat world. With that being said, learning from a teenage blogger may not seem very effective. However, this article highlights one of the world’s most successful money-making organizations and uses it as a scale for reference.
Giving you a very general overview of a few marketing methods can be hard to follow. Just by reading about a few broad, vague techniques, it is difficult to replicate the outcomes. However, by seeing how these strategies are implemented within one of the world’s largest industries, you can visualize an avenue that allows you to incorporate the same methods in a way that works for you. With the following strategies, you can follow in the footsteps of a league that generates an average of $7.92B USD per season, while taking a personalized approach in order to optimize your entrepreneurial success. Without further ado, here are a couple of marketing strategies through the eyes of the NBA.
Scheduling Events
The NBA is highly intelligent when it comes to scheduling games and events. Not only does the league do a great job of commercializing events such as All-Star Weekend, but everything is planned and thought out down to every last matchup. Sure, it is a great idea in terms of accumulating hype to hold games throughout Christmas Day. But going beyond that, the teams that they select and the order of the games has a huge impact on the overall success of Christmas Day viewership. The league considers the history of the teams to orchestrate blockbuster matchups – an example of this would be scheduling NBA Finals rematches or [putting] two heated rivals against each other. By analyzing the teams’ playing style, position in the league standings, star players and their history/relationship with opposing teams and players, the NBA can design several matchups that attract fans and draw them in like moths to a flame. The league does this on many occasions, such as opening night.
In the real world, cleverly scheduled events can really have a positive impact. As an entrepreneur, you can use this to draw attention and increase consumer interest and activity.
Keeping Your Options Open
In the NBA, free agency policies are relatively elastic. There is much more player movement in comparison to leagues such as the NHL. It is easy and common for players to switch teams, and this culture leads to frequent blockbuster trades. This ties back to the idea of improved viewership. When star players join forces and form ‘superteams’, their games are very fun to watch, which is another factor that attracts fans. Think about the current Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers – when Kevin Durant+Kyrie Irving+James Harden and LeBron James+Anthony Davis+Russell Westbrook teamed up on the Nets and Lakers respectively, an insane amount of hype was created. This goes beyond viewership, as well. For example, when Kawhi Leonard signed with the Los Angeles Clippers, all of the Kawhi Leonard Toronto Raptors merchandise became outdated, therefore forcing people to buy his Clippers merchandise. This connects to the economic concepts of conspicuous consumption and planned obsolescence, which will be explained in terms of the real world below. In terms of the NBA, when merchandise becomes outdated, or even the possibility to purchase newer products is presented, the societal norms and behaviour of the general fan population can instill an internal obligation for people to buy the newer products. All of a sudden, due to the policies that allow player movement and general league changes, the NBA generates a ton of revenue.
In the real world, planned obsolescence is a business strategy through which products are designed and crafted to lose value quickly. Similar to the NBA merchandise, if your products are designed in such a way, consumers will need to purchase more of the product and enter a continuous cycle. Put simply, conspicuous consumption occurs when people purchase certain goods for the purpose of displaying wealth and achieving a high social status. If you are able to produce such goods that consumers are willing to pay solely for that purpose, then this method is another effective way that utilizes the idea of creating new products to attract customers.
All in all, countless entrepreneurs will spend hours examining companies and businesses of their type. While this can be helpful, learning from unique types of organizations, such as the NBA, can provide a new perspective that can give you an advantage that other people do not possess. By innovating and thinking outside of the box when you implement existing strategies in a personalized way, you just might be able to become a dark horse in the business world.
