From the Editor Dear Readers, It’s the summer time and the living is easy (yea right lol)! However, we are here to make life as stress free as possible for you by giving you content that you can use in your everyday lives. I'm so excited about the growth of our magazine and the support we Malcolm Armstrong Jr. have received over the past year of circulation. We are looking for more and more ways to serve and entertain you better so again, let us know if there's something you’d like us to produce for you. June is the beginning of the summer and now is the time for parties, BBQ’s, gatherings and relaxing in the sun with your ipad, ipod, and some good e-books. Remember whatever you do this summer, keep it honest, happy, and most of all...keep it healthy! Happy Father’s Day to all Dads! Yours in #WELLNESS, Malcolm M. Armstrong Jr. Founder & Chief Editor marmstrong@cognitionmagazine.com Follow us on twitter: @cognition_mag Like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/cognitionmagazine
2
MASTHEAD Founder & Chief Editor— Malcolm M. Armstrong Jr. Creative Director—Quinn Gordon Public Relations– 365 Public Relations Interns— Corey Armstrong Daniel Doubleday Contributors Ada Craige Roberson, Ed.D., LCSW Alanna McCreary Cory Turner, B.S., CFT Gentelle Pedescleaux Lavonia Perryman Paris Hughes Elizabeth Parker Contact Us Cognition Magazine, LLC Visit our website at: www.cognitionmagazine.com For Advertising inquires: Advertising@cognitionmagazine.com For general inquires: info@cognitionmagazine.com Connect with us on social media @Cognitionmagazine @cognition_mag @cognitionmagazine Cognition Magazine™ is a trademarked product of Cognition Magazine, LLC. Reproduction of any part of this publication without the expressed written consent of the publisher is strictly prohibited. The information within this publication is believed to be accurate but cognition Magazine does not guarantee accuracy. Cognition Magazine, LLC will not be held responsible for the quality or performance of goods and services provided by advertisers or any portion of this publication. © 2012 Cognition Magazine, LLC
3
CONTENTS Volume 2 Issue 2 June 2013
14..
2. Editor’s Note 8. How to Really Loose Fat 9. Health & Fitness 12. Real Thoughts
14 Artist Feature: Kris Baptiste 17. Love & Relationships 18. Mental Health: American Dad & Keeping Dad Stress Free
21.
20. Sexual Health: 18.
4
Learn how Self Pleasure can be Healthy 21. Event Coverage 23. Be Inspired
5
6
7
Health & Fitness
L
Loosing the Weight
sets. This is important as to keep interest and motivation; you must gradually increase distance, pace, and levels of ast month, I wrote about resistance. Again, a competent trainer can assist you in the how to determine the development of a training plan that will continue to number of calories you need at rest. challenge you. This month, I’m going to take the conversation to the next step. The journaling process, along with helping to chart the When people start a fitness course of your workouts allows you to gauge progress you program the first problem is might not see. Additionally, after a few months, have a overcoming the individual’s desire trainer recalculate your body’s fat content. Increased to see immediate results. There is muscle mass may account for some of the weight you Cory Turner, B.S., CFT no safe, non-surgical, overnight don’t consider as being lost. way to lose weight. Health and weight loss are goals that must be worked toward, and expectations should be Commitment to exercise will make you healthier but to realistic for both the long and short terms. attain goals that you can see visibly, you have to address To be effective as a weight management or weight loss your diet. One of the keys to health and weight loss is to tool, exercise must be combined with more efficient stop eating fast, processed, and junk foods with high fat, eating. A pound of excess weight equals approximately sodium, and sugar contents. This is not to say that you can 3500 calories. One must prepare for a long-term never consume these foods again, but know the nutritional commitment and consider that weight loss will not occur if content (calories, fat, etc.) of your choices and practice you eat more calories once the exercise program is started. both moderation and portion control. If you must indulge, To lose weight, one must exercise more and consume make it planned as a reward for living well and, most fewer calories. importantly, don’t binge! Though trainers can offer some guidelines to healthier eating practices, I highly Instead of having a near-term goal of losing ten or more of recommend a visit to a licensed nutritionist who can help pounds, a better gauge is to measure increases in you build a healthy and balanced diet based on your goals. endurance. When starting, as with anything else, it is Finally, once you have reached your goal, remember imperative that you have a plan. Work with a professional everything you have learned and stay active. Don’t return who can develop a program to help you reach your goals. to old eating habits because you have found yourself at a Include both cardio (aerobic) and resistance (anaerobic) new starting point. Remember, if activity goes down and exercises in your routine. Aerobic exercises, such as calorie consumption rises, you will gain weight. There is walking, cycling, or running, burn calories effectively, nothing more demoralizing than reversing all of your hard while anaerobic exercises (working with weights and work and having to start all over again or worse, giving up resistance) build muscle which will work to help your body burn calories long after your workout. on your health. A simple walking schedule, for walks taking place either outdoors or indoors, can be designed for up to six days per week, building up both distance and pace. At the same time, a resistance (weight) training routine can be developed for every other day. I recommend at least one day of rest during the week for adequate recovery. To measure the attainment of goals, keep a journal of the distance and length of time you walk each day, and of how many repetitions you are completing in your resistance 8
Bio Cory Turner is a freelance writer and an ISSA Certified Fitness Trainer in New Orleans. A former law enforcement officer and non-profit leader, he has a keen interest in health and fitness, especially in promoting community health and wellness and empowering through improving personal fitness. He can be reached at coturner@fpnola.com.
Health & Fitness Healthy Eats
Putting SEXY into your Workout 5) Sweat: Contrary to popular belief, sweat is sexy especially on a man. It conveys hard work, determination and effort. Gentelle Pedescleaux
Roasted Garlic Lemon Broccoli
4) Attire: Your workout attire can have lots of sex appeal. Tight fitting clothes on both sexes can show muscle definition and curvatures. When you're out shopping for fitness attire, make sure your comfortable and feeling confident and sexy in your selections.
Ingredients: 2 Heads of Broccoli (separated into floret's) 2 teaspoons of olive oil 1 tablespoons of sea salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 clove of garlic (minced) 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice
3) Rhythm : When exercising, try coordinating your movements to music. It’s fun and sexy to have your music pumping and you are lifting weights or flowing on the treadmill to the beat. Think “Workout choreography!”
Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees 2. In a large bowl, toss broccoli floret's with the extra virgin oil, sea salt, pepper and garlic. Spread the broccoli out in an even layer on a baking sheet. 3. Bake in the preheated oven until florets are tender enough to pierce the stems with fork, 15-20 minutes. Remove and transfer to a serving platter. Squeeze lemon juice liberally over the broccoli before serving for a refreshing & tangy finish.
1) Fantasize:
Source: allrecipies.com 9
2) Music: To enhance your workout, put on some sexy dance grooves like Ciara, Brittney Spears and Janet Jackson. You will be amazed at how enhanced your energy will become when you are working out to those grooves. Get creative and move with the music...feel your inner sensuality working hard to the beats.
During your workout, pretend that you already have the desired results. Continue your fitness routine as if you already have the body of your dreams and watch how sexy and energized you will feel. Gentelle Pedescleaux is a certified Zumba™ instructor and dance fitness instructor with extensive knowledge on nutrition & fitness. Her incredible dance & fitness techniques have enabled her to instruct in Germany and the southern region of the United States. For more information on Gentelle and her classes at PEDS-Nola contact her at 504-606-5389
10
Dispelling the Myths about Hospice Gulf South Hospice would like to take a minute to inform the community about the importance of outpatient hospice. Within this 6 month series of informative articles, Gulf South Hospice hopes to eliminate the myths, phobias, reservations, and even ignorance surrounding hospice care. We can surely agree that hospice can be a difficult subject because our culture is not fond of talking about death and life transitions. We must understand that death happens to everyone, even the ones we love. Hospice is a family and team oriented program that brings comfort to individuals/ patients faced with limited life expectancy. Hospice ensures that the patients last days consists of controlled pain, comfort and constant efforts to preserve their quality of life. Hospice not only involves care for the patient, but it also provides support for his or her family members as well. Hospice care assist families in coping with the life transition of their loved one for we know that losing someone we love is not an easy task. Gulf South Hospice would also like you to know that hospice is not a “death-bed� concierge service. Hospice care consists of a concise plan for the last 6 months (usually longer) of a patients life. Once a patient has been notified of having limited life expectancy, hospice initiates care to relive physical pain and to address life transition needs. Let Gulf South Hospice be at your side for the care of your loved one during their time of need and life transition. The sooner hospice care is initiated, the more comfort your loved one will experience. Let us be there for you. 11
Real Thoughts
S
Bugatti to Honda
metaphoric tale of her downgrade from Bugatti o… to Honda at the tender age two of 14 and how she months ago I instantaneously became came across every bit as expendable this YouTube and common as every video and as other Honda or “box Deanna Theriot with just Chevy” on the block. She about proceeded to postulate everything from YouTube brought to inarticulately and my attention by way of Twitter, I was anauseum about how she finds that chagrinned to find that human beings being a virgin is special and this are still rather under evolved. I didn’t “nuance” makes a girl socially better write about it then because I was so and higher in demand than her disgusted by what I saw that I could non-virgin peers. In short she believes scarcely gather my thoughts well that when a girl/woman who loses her enough to speak with any eloquence on virginity she loses value and her the matter. Fortunately for you, I do feminine singularity in the process. believe I am able to do so now. (I will do my best to refrain from any Now if you’ll entertain the exercise, This-Dumb-Bi*@es and Look-Hereallow me to break down for you ALL H@es.) I won’t mention the name of the ways that this little allegory is so the video blogger in question but I’ll f@!#ed up. There is possibly no object say that her name is also synonymous of our time more symbolic of the male with the infamous “struggle plate” as ego than the automobile—none. A man she believes she is a chef in addition to will hang damn near all his masculinity an Internet life coach. (In my opinion on the type of car he drives and she holds neither claim.) Quite frankly congruently on the kind of women he I’m not here for the further can get to ride in it with him. This advertisement of such nonsense, so this woman has not only allowed her vagina time around, kids you will just have to to be reduced to that of a material take me at my word if you haven’t seen object whose value is in part based on it yourself. She began the video with a its mileage but she has directly identified her female sexuality as an extension of that male ego. She has totally bought into the ideal that the only woman truly worth having is one that no other man has had. And if it weren’t sad enough that she has molded her own psychosexual identity in the image of a 12
man’s prized possession, she’s passing the dysfunction down to her daughter and other girls under the guise of motherly advice. Ladies, are we still teaching our girls this ass-backwards, patriarchal ideal that a woman should base her value on how many men she has or hasn’t slept with? Seriously? In 2013 we’re still doing this? The optimistic side of me would like to believe that this dumb b—this woman is the last of her kind, but alas, I know this cannot be so. There are plenty of you out there who still equate your worth with your “number” and our society’s inability to come to terms with the many degrees of female sexuality speaks quite loudly to that belief. Now I can’t tell any one of you how to think but be for real—sexual attraction, desire and activity are some of our strongest, most basic human instincts. If we weren’t all (women and men alike) supposed to bone we wouldn’t be so driven by that need, and this chick who got up on this ridiculous soap box knows it. She has HUGE jugs that she is not at all shy about flaunting.
She is hardly above bending over in front of a camera with her ass out, but by all means, Madame let your daughter believe that she is less of a woman for behaving like a sexual being. Maybe the problem is that YOU, Miss Self-Proclaimed YouTube Sage, feel like a Honda and YOU have commoditized your own body in the process. Look here h—woman: if you feel devalued for losing your virginity at a young age then that is YOUR hang-up and yours ALONE. Don’t project your selfsubscribed notions of depreciation onto every last woman in the world. Is it my opinion that 14 is too young to start having sex? Hell yeah it is. A 14 year-old can’t get a damn job to support a kid. A 14 year-old can barely rationalize the changes she’s going through in her own body and mind and much less understand the many responsibilities inherent of being sexually active. But even though I think 14 is too young to lose one’s virginity (girl or boy), I would NEVER suggest that this young woman or young man has undermined their worth by doing something that comes so naturally to us. And, hey, if any of you reading this happen to be virgins, I am in no way suggesting that you have made an “unnatural” decision to wait. The point is we all have to make our own choices when it comes to sex. We all have our own way of figuring out what lifestyle works best for us and if your lifestyle doesn’t hurt or violate you or anyone else then I say, “Baby go ‘head on”. Yes, we should teach our kids to make good decisions in all aspects of life including sex but we are not in a position to cast down judgments of shame on them for simply being human. If we adults could pass on to younger generations that we are sexual beings and stop belittling them for acting on these urges, then just maybe we’d have much less sexual dysfunction within our society. Maybe if we would stop treating homosexuality, bisexuality, pansexuality, etc. like deformities of our purported “heterosexual nature”, people would feel less psychological pressure to conform to a lifestyle that goes against their true individual nature and in turn be less prone to self-destructive and abusive behaviors. Or maybe we all should just be for real about what we want on an individual level society as a whole would reflect that same self-assurance… I’m just saying.
13
kris Baptiste...
Just Shut up & LISTEN Interview by: Malcolm M. Armstrong Jr. Images Courtesy of : Kris Baptiste CM chats with our boy, the rising singer/rap sensation Kris Baptiste to talk about his craft and how he remains motivated. Check out what he has to say...right here!
14
CM: Describe your style of music. KB: I don't want to hold myself down with one particular style. I’m ever evolving. A track that you have heard me on a year ago will sound completely different from a track you will hear next week. I sing with emotion and as my emotions change so does my style.
had fake hair. Gradually it became a norm and now you'll see different races wearing it. I did my research on Remy hair and I was blown by these outrageous prices. I wanted to let women know in general it’s gonna get expensive in the bed room with Kris Baptiste because I'm pulling and tugging on that hair, natural or fake it doesn't matter.
CM: How did you discover your passion for music? KB: About 8 years ago I evacuated to Memphis, Tennessee due to Hurricane Katrina. Once me and my family found a place to stay we became members of St. Augustine Catholic Church. From there I met my best friend Bobby Harold. Not knowing Bobby was a producer I was able to cut my first record and boy it was crappy quality but I knew we were on to something great. Years later here I am with a fan base, air play and opening up national recording artist.
CM: Is your music mostly influenced by personal experiences? KB: Mainly; Personal experience always results in good music. But I still have those records that are just for fun. Leggo Leggo was definitely one of those records.
CM: What was or is your toughest struggle in your music career? KB: Actually I have a song titled "Thank Ya Mama" that elaborates more on this subject. My toughest struggle is seeing my mom working a 9 to 5 job. I want to give her the world some day and soon because she gave me and my two siblings a better life for years. She kept us in private schools, a roof over our head, food on the table and that’s only to name a few of her motherly duties. Now I feel it’s time to give back. Knowing where I came from really helps keep me grounded and motivated. Who wants to go back to a struggle? CM: Who are some of your current music idols? KB: Usher, Chris Brown, Trey Songz and Mario CM: What artists have you collaborated with thus far? KB: Since I'm just starting to scratch the surface here in New Orleans I was able to work with artists such as: Kourtney Heart, Raw D.I., Allie Baby, Elliot Love, Reggie Nic, Gus & Buddy, and Rantz Davis. They are all hard working people who deserve your support so please youtube them and become a fan.
CM: Do you write your music? KB: Yes. Lately I have been open to checking out other songwriters’ music. A different sound is called for here and there. If you’re a songwriter and would like to submit new material, email me at krisbaptistepromotinals@gmail.com. CM: What is your advice for newcomers on the music scene? KB: Never lose sight of your goals. In this industry you will experience good and bad criticism. You will have performances that are not so good, and every song may not be a hit single but give it your all and continue perfecting your craft. Keep your team small and make sure to select members that are solid and ready for an adventure which will eventually pay off. Artists such as Usher didn't make it overnight, they worked hard each day and sooner or later God revealed the blue print. CM: What’s next for Kris Baptiste? KB: Performances, heavy street promotions and new material is always on my agenda. My biggest objective is to have every night club playing my new single "Dump it" and making it the hottest single of the summer.
CM: How can we learn more about Kris Baptiste? KB: Please visit www.KrisBaptiste.com Twitter:@KrisBaptiste Facebook:KrisBaptisteFanClub Instagram:@KrisBaptiste CM: Name 3 mainstream artists you want to get in the Youtube: Krisbmusic4u studio with and why. KB: Usher, Kanye West, Chris Brown would def be my top pick. Each artist has made an impact on the sounds you hear today. CM: Explain track #5 “Remy” on your latest project “Just Shut up & Listen”? KB: Lol Back then women was ashamed to admit they 15
16
Love & Relationships
D
The Gatsby Effect
him as a man. More so I had to challenge myself of what I gain or lose in ealing with a significant the argument and weight of having expectations. It was other can be such a chore, less about the disappointment but the anticipation of effort. not because loving someone is hard or This thought process also made me realize that as we age even that communicating is all that and gain experience we tend to approach matters of the tricky but because we humans like to heart with fear and hesitation. We want to expect less so over complicate simple things; that we hurt less. We tend to put stock into our past whether it is a task, a feeling, or an experiences and anticipate that history will repeat itself in idea. Relationships are no exception new endeavors. This is a tragic recipe for loneliness. Alanna McCreary especially when we are talking Not that it is easy to break away or to approach every new expectations. experience as its own free standing moment but it’s something we should all strive to do. Not saying we should not Personally I am a firm believer that expectations are a learn from our past experiences but we should not expect necessity of life. My girlfriends would all without a doubt negative results when we have new feelings of bliss and cosign this notion yet recently I had this preposterous argument about expectations with a man that I deal with, in butterfly’s. Instead of expecting the worst we should anticipate the best. which somehow I ended up being the irrational person. His point was that expectations create problems, mainly disappointment. My perspective was that expectations are a For dating or relationship advice email AJ McCreary at amccreary@cognitionmagazine.com social norm that we need. It was a silly fight, and in that moment I was furious and ready to verbally assault him in the worst kind of way due to my own insecurities. The frustration stuck with me because it really made me think about how expectations affect us in our interpersonal Hot Date Spot; relationships.
Roux Public House
I made a solid effort to understand his perspective which made me agree. Yes, when we have expectations we often times find yourself disappointed, but how can you not have them? I expect my friends to call me back and or call me from time to time. I expect to get a pay check from my job for the work I have done. I can list numerous reasonable expectations that are part of our everyday existence. If we did not have expectations why would anyone follow any laws or societal rules? For the sake of trying, I tried to get on board and not have expectations, I tried to approach us or the lack of an us in a free and boundless way, only to become more and more bothered and desperate to have expectations. The more I thought about it the more I started to make myself crazy. When I took myself out of the situation I realized that this individuals need to not have expectations was less about me and more about his inability to meet my expectations, his limits. If I have expectations that he cannot meet then 17 him to be a failure, perhaps even threatening I am forcing
Roux Public House is full service restaurant & bar with lots of Old New Orleans charm located in the Lower Garden District on Magazine Street. They serve traditional New Orleans entrees created by Executive Chef John Bell and custom cocktails in a charming and intimate atmosphere. The staff is knowledgeable and attentive without cramping your style. This local gem that is perfect for intimate dinner dates with your main squeeze. I personally recommend the smoked salmon deviled eggs followed by the BBQ shrimp, any way you go it will be a delicious and memorable meal that will leave a lasting impression on all parties involved.
Mental Health
T
American Dad
President Obama exemplifies what fatherhood means...what it looks likes... what it feels likes; however, I he role of fathers in the modern would have to add one more father. One who can do American family is changing in homework. One who can work from sun up to important ways. Fathers who live with their sundown. One who can out cook Martha Stewart it's my children have become more intensely involved 89 year old Daddy. Happy Father's Day. in their lives, spending more time with them and taking part in a greater variety of activities. Sources: *The Pew Research Center However, the share of fathers who By: Lavonia Perryman *The White House are residing with their children has Chair Michigan Democratic Party fallen significantly in the past half century. Black Caucus In 1960, only 11% of children in the U.S. lived apart from their fathers. By 2010, that share had risen to 27%. According to Pew Research Center analysis of the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) fathers’ living arrangements are strongly correlated with race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status as measured by educational attainment. Black fathers are more than twice as likely as white fathers to live apart from their children (44% vs. 21%), while Hispanic fathers fall in the middle (35%). But all is not lost. President Barack Obama has made his position on fatherhood clear. "We need fathers to realize that responsibility does not end at conception. We need them to realize that what makes you a man is not the ability to have a child - it's the courage to raise one." For these reasons, President Obama started a National Conversation on Responsible Fatherhood and Strong Communities and made the issue of fatherhood and at-risk youth one of the Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships’ four key priorities. The Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships is helping to coordinate the Federal Government’s fatherhood policy, and has launched a national fatherhood tour to hear directly from local communities about how we can come together to encourage personal responsibility and strengthen our nation’s families.
18
Top 5 Ways Fathers can Reduce Stress: 5) Enjoy Healthy Sweets Enjoy the simple things! Fruit and dark chocolate can be a great treat for those dads with a sweet tooth. Get creative and play with recipes with your loved ones. 4) Mentor Every man likes to share their life experiences. Volunteer at community organizations and mentor young adults. This is a relaxing process and it helps you to share your wisdom with others.
3) Meditate There's nothing more relaxing than quieting the mind. Take 10 minutes out of your day to sit still and ground yourself. Focus on your inhale and exhale and you will soon feel the stress leaving your body. 4) Sports Engaging in physical activity can reduce stress dramatically, especially within men. Get your kids together and have a sport day where you can teach them your favorite sport. Competition is a great way to productively reduce stress also. 5) Tap into Spirituality Relax and tap into your spiritual side. If you're Christian, pray and meditate to God. Meditate and confess your problems to the creator. Light candles, and send love and light to yourself and those you love.
Mental Disorders In America Below are “at a glance� statistics for some of the most common mental illnesses. These statistics are based on Americans aged 18 years and older. 26.2% of Americans 18 and older suffer from a diagnosable mental illness
Bipolar Disorder
5.7 million Adults Suicide
90% of individuals that have died from suicide had a diagnosable mental disorder Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
2.2 million Adults 19
= One in Four Americans
Schizophrenia
2.4 million Adults Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
7.7 million Adults Major Depressive Disorder
14.8 million Adults Resource: National Institute of Mental Health www.Nimh.nih.gov
Sexual Health
B
Self Pleasure
efore I begin talking about the alternative to sex, I'm going to just blurt out the word. Not for shock value, but just because I want to break the ice and get past all the foot shifting awkwardness. Okay, here Paris Hughes goes...Masturbation. There. I said it. Now that we got that out the way, let's talk about it. Yes, even saying the word is enough to make some people uncomfortable. Despite the fact that one national study found that 95 percent of men and 89 percent of women have admitted to masturbating, it's still a taboo subject. It's everyone's biggest bedroom secret; people enjoy the experience but it's still tainted with a sense of shame. But what's the reason for the shame? This can be a very natural and safe feature to your sex life, and no part of human sexuality should be dampened by guilt and notions of it being dirty or corrupt. In fact, I'm about to go beyond relieving the shame. I encourage you to masturbate (with or without a partner) because: ⦁Masturbating is a crucial part of self-exploration. From masturbation, you learn about what you enjoy. If you never figure out how to please yourself, then how can you expect another person to understand your needs? ⦁Masturbation helps you to understand that your sexual pleasure is a priority. Far too many sites and magazine articles discuss tips on how to please a part-
20
ner. Very few are about techniques to please yourself. ⦁There are health benefits. Studies have shown that men who masturbate more than five times a week decreases their chance of prostate cancer, when they "flush" out their system of what could be cancer-causing chemicals. Masturbation supports both genders’ reproductive organs, blood pressure, heart rate, brain chemistry...the list goes on. If this is your first time warming up to the idea of masturbating, don't worry. To get an idea of where to start if you're a beginner, there are plenty of sex toys to choose from. There are masturbation cups for men, which mimic the feel of a vagina or mouth. The shaft of the penis can fit into a masturbation sleeve in order to imitate intercourse. For women, common toys include vibrators and dildos that may stimulate the clitoris and mimic the feel of a penis, respectively. A popular sex toy commonly called the rabbit vibrator can stimulate both the g-spot and the clitoris. You can find sex toys at sex shops or adult websites. You might venture to websites online so you don't have to worry about people seeing you buy something for masturbation. But as I stated before, the shame that covers masturbation should finally come off. We are talking about the best alternative to sex, a great way to relieve sexual tension without the risk of STI's and pregnancy. It's more than an alternative to sex; it should become a mandatory part of human sexuality, without the dirt we call guilt covering it.
Events Teen Beauty Makeup Mixer
T
he W Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana fluttered with teen girls as the Makeup Lab Artistry hosted their Teen Beauty Makeup Mixer. Local teen girls received in depth instruction on makeup application, use of natural facial structure, color balancing, use of brands & tools plus much more beauty tips and info. The girls also enjoyed making fun poses with cool props using the photo booth sponsored by Booth232. Kisha Williams, Executive Director of Artistry stated that “I want them to walk out of here feeling like they had fun, they had a great time, and they have embraced every flaw that they thought they may have had. Overall we wanted to create a fun environment. We are not a very traditional makeup company; we like to have fun and get crazy so we want to create that same energy for any type of makeup class we have.� Proceeds from the Teen Beauty Makeup Mixer benefits Girls With Gifts, Inc. A non-profit agency dedicated to inspiring and empowering young girls one at a time. For more information on The Makeup Lab Artistry and Girls with Gifts visit www.themakeuplabartistry.com and www.girlswithgifts.org.
21
Events CM Anniversary Cocktail Affair
O
n Saturday, May 18th 2013 Cognition Magazine celebrated a year of circulation by hosting an Anniversary Cocktail Affair at St. Joe Lofts in the warehouse district. Guests were greeted with lime green mental health awareness ribbons and complementary cocktails sponsored by Tito’s Vodka. The event included an indoor bar area as well as an outdoor two part lounge setting where guests grooved to the tunes of Dj Shine among ambient lighting. To conclude the evening, Nola’s most soulful songstress, Gina Brown gave an astonishing performance to remember. Gina sung familiar R&B tunes along with some of her new songs as well as leading the crowd into fun line dancing. It was such a classic affair to celebrate a year of creative mental health advocacy. Thank you again to our sponsors & partners Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Q. Bleu Photography, 365 Public Relations, Gulf South Hospice, Santa Fe Tapas, Southeast Louisiana Home Health and Smoke Nola.
22
Be Inspired
S
The Finish
By: Elizabeth Parker of life.
chool is drawing to a close, just about all the essays have been written and the last of the lockers have been wiped cleaned. There is an eerie hush over some hallways now, only the lockers listen with their gaping doors awaiting the next arrivals. Free of all the usual clutter left by typical exiting students; their doors have slammed for the last time, and their contents and secrets are never to be spoken of again. Teachers have posted grades, written comments and recommendations, and held the last of learning is over for now and there is no the parent conferences. need to memorize and recall anything else. And now, summer is upon us all; Some students spent part of the school it’s a time for parties, movies, and year sending pictures on instagram of summer jobs. Everything learned in funny moments when classmates school will almost be forgotten. A presented projects or embarrassing friend of mine chose to seize the moments at school dance parties. summer for a different kind of classLooking back, there may have been a room for her child. She has decided to few assignments that were forgotten at travel with her son and teach him what home. There may have been a few no teacher or counselor can teach. She fights in the hallway just before lunch decided against leaving him in the or even the occasional food fight hands of a camp director at the local hosted by the football team. There may community center. Instead, she plans to have even been a few secret crushes instruct him in lessons that will last a who took the opportunity to kiss in an life time. She plans to share with him empty hallway. Overall, some students who she is as a mom and learn about passed, failed, or barely made it in one who he is as her growing son. There or all of the core subjects. Still, many will be assignments with due dates, no breathe a sigh of relief that all the projects, or grades, just the classroom
23
Her goal is to be the more than a friend, but a parent whose child feels his and is sure of his mother’s great love. There was a time when he was very little that he would ask why. Now it seems he asks other’s why. With his daddy in jail, he’s found answers that he needed from so many other influences. But now is the time, maybe even the last time before he becomes a man, to look into his eyes and tell him how he is unique and wonderful and gift.
Every moment with her child is a chance to provide him with more than rules that encourage routines. He, like so many other children, deserve more than what can fit in a binder, whose contents will be thrown away to be used for another purpose. There is a treasure in parenting and the rewards are innumerable.
24