Grip - Spring 2012

G 2012 SPRIN

What do you consume and what consumes you?

Dollars and Sense How to make the most of your money

After the Diagnosis “Obsessive-compulsive disorder set my life on a new course�

Teen Activist: Why a 17-year-old started a bottled water ban at her high school PM #40020055

Grip magazine is currently seeking writers, journalists, illustrators and photographers between the ages of 13 and 18. Join the conversation and help Grip cover issues that are important to you. Articles, poetry, short stories, illustrations, comic strips and photography will be considered. Send questions and samples to creative@griponlife.ca. You will be paid. Really. Not a lot, but it’s still money.

17 what’s inside

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

What Consumes You?

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We live in a consumerist society, but that doesn’t mean we have to be complacent about it. This issue of Grip explores consumption in many forms, from the things we buy to the drugs and alcohol we may ingest.

What do we consume and what consumes us? What’s the impact of such constant consumption on us, on others and on the environment?

Conscious Consumption Why we should care where our stuff comes from and where it goes when we’re done with it

BY CODY METCALF

Is Stress Consuming You? Take this short quiz to find out how you can address your stress

BY CHRISTINE GREEN

Pressures of Consumerism We live in a consumer-driven culture, surrounded by the message of buy, buy, buy. What’s a teen to do?

BY ZOSIA PRUS-CZARNECKA

Make the Most of Your Money What is financial literacy and why does it matter?

BY ANALYN BELL

Alcohol and You Alcohol, especially before we’re 18, is illegal, unhealthy and dangerous.

Still, many of us do drink – here’s what we need to know first

BY ALIX KEMP

Stopping Sticky Fingers Call it what you want – “five finger discount,” “lifting,” “jacking,” “nicking” or “racking” – shoplifting is a crime

BY VANESSA STEWART

Drink on It It’s time to rethink the reach for the energy drink

BY JENA TANG

Debate: Junk Food Bans Should junior high and high schools ban the sale of junk food?

BY ZOSIA PRUS-CZARNECKA AND ANN LEE

Rock On Does the music we consume define us?

A Grip writer explains why he listens to heavy metal music and what it means to him

BY ALEX SAVAGE

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A message from a new Grip contributor, as well as introductions to three other contributors

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it Happens How to snag a sweet summer job; Think pink; Virtual pinboards; Eating green; We have a winner!

Plus! Music, book and video game reviews

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Off the Wall Zany links you don’t want to miss

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Help Wanted Need some advice? Just ask

COVER ILLUSTRATION: RICK SEALOCK

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Fan Fare The friends behind Calgary-based Boreal Sons are turning their passion into a career, and gaining many listeners along the way

BY SANDY XU

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The Dangers of Street Drugs Ecstasy containing a highly toxic substance has been linked to 10 recent deaths in Alberta. What do teens need to know about this deadly drug?

BY DARCY ROPCHAN

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The Meaning of Making Every Moment Count Two teens share how their perspectives changed after family members were suddenly hurt in accidents

BY HANNAH PURDUE AND BRENNON JARVIS

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Life with OCD My diagnosis with obsessive-compulsive disorder put a label on the superstitious thoughts blasting in my head, but it was just the start of my journey with OCD

This is … Claire Edwards An Edmonton teen passionate about water issues wasn’t content to wait for other people to change things. Instead, she educated her peers and started a bottled water free campus

BY MATT HIRJI

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Portfolio Creativity comes from all corners of this province. Check out photography, art and words submitted by teens across Alberta

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Dodge Sonny seems to be learning a lot in school these days

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Last Word It’s unlikely you’ll be seeing these sports in the Olympics any time soon, but some of them sure do sound fun

BY MIKAYLA BORTSCHER

BY EVAN TRAN

Find Grip on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/GripMag griponlife.ca grip onlife.ca

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04 From a Grip Contributor

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he spring edition of Grip magazine is here and it comes loaded with stories, advice, photographs, entertainment reviews and more, to stimulate your mind and for your eyes to indulge in. In this issue we examine the theme of consumption and how it impacts all parts of our lives, from the music we consume to what we eat and drink to the clothes we choose to buy and wear.

What consumes you and what do you consume?

The simple definition of consuming means to devour, absorb, or spend. Grip explores the intricacies behind this meaning, including what consuming does to you, how the pressures to consume impact your lifestyle, and what you can do about choosing how you consume. As this issue came together, our view of this topic grew increasingly bigger – we consume so much on a daily basis! You now hold a magazine that covers everything from the environmental impact of North America’s collective consumption habits to what to do when you’re at a party and a friend has consumed too much alcohol.

I first stumbled across Grip back in Grade 7 during a trip to the school library when a vibrant array of colour caught the corner of my eye. My curiosity got the better of me and while I thought I would only take a quick look at the magazine, I’m pretty sure I stayed in the library for the entire lunch period reading every single page. Fast forward about five years later and I finally decided to contribute to Grip, thinking it was better late than never. You can read about my journey with obsessive-compulsive disorder on page 46.

Since Grip magazine is written for teens, by teens, you will find articles from people who understand the things you are wondering about and know what you are feeling, which allows for a much different tone than a lecturing parent. This is our magazine and while we interview adult experts and seek the resources we need from trusted sources, it’s still incredibly refreshing to have our own outlet.

Whether you’re looking for a discussion on a contentious issue or you just want to share a simple picture, Grip is the magazine for you. So what are you waiting for? Open up the issue and enjoy!

Evan Tran

GRIPMagazine

Contributors Spring 2012 | Volume 6, No. 1 PUBLISHER

Ruth Kelly

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Joyce Byrne | comments@griponlife.ca EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Beth Evans

MANAGING EDITOR

Cailynn Klingbeil | creative@griponlife.ca ASSISTANT EDITOR

Michelle Lindstrom | creative@griponlife.ca EDITORIAL ADVISORS

Dr. Jonathan Eustace, Shannon Evans, Sarah Halton, Jackie Herman, Debbie Neddow, Tally Nixon, Barb Olsen, Taryn Pawlivsky, Dr. Marvin Roth, Erin Walton, Dr. Mark Yarema ART DIRECTOR

Charles Burke

ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR

Andrea deBoer

ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR

Colin Spence

Mikayla Bortscher is an eccentric Edmontonian of 15 years who loves literature, music, canoe polo, lemon desserts, and Polynesian dance.

Not sure what canoe polo is? Mikayla writes about it, and other sports you likely didn’t know existed, on page 54. She dreams too much and could use an upgrade on her social life, but that’s what imaginary friends are for, eh?

Only kidding! She has many wonderful people in her life. Finally, Mikayla has a particular disdain of mustard.

PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

Betty Smith

PRODUCTION TECHNICIAN

Hey! My name is Patrick Davies and I am from Edmonton. I am a Grade 8 student and a huge fan of Star Wars and anything sci-fi or fantasy. I love to read, or should I say live to read. I also enjoy acting lessons, swimming, writing and taking summer road trips with my family … this year we are off to Wyoming. Go literature! Read my book review on page 10.

Brent Felzien

DISTRIBUTION

Jennifer King | getgrip@griponlife.ca CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Analyn Bell, Chris Bell, Mikayla Bortscher, Jessica Chen, Calynn Dale, Patrick Davies, Jessica Highstead, Matt Hirji, Christine Green, Stephen Gust, Brennon Jarvis, Alix Kemp, Ann Lee, David Ly, Gabrielle McKinley, Cody Metcalf, Hannah Purdue, Zosia Prus-Czarnecka, Darcy Ropchan, Alex Savage, Mahmuda Sheikh, Kelsey Smith-Paris, Vanessa Stewart, Jena Tang, Evan Tran, J. L. Tran, Sandy Xu CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS AND ILLUSTRATORS

Eric Gravel, Buffy Goodman, Louis St. Laurent Catholic School, Holly Midkiff, Grace Noh, Heff O’Reilly, Raymond Reid, Rick Sealock, Mahfuza Sheikh, Mahmuda Sheikh, Masuma Sheikh, Sarah Spence, Vanessa Stewart, Alicia Van der Sluijs, Jacob Wong Grip is published by Venture Publishing Inc. for Alberta Health Services

The content of this magazine is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended to replace consultations with your doctor or to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any personal medical and health questions that you may have.

Printed in Canada by Transcontinental LGM Graphics Canadian Publications Mail Agreement #40020055 Contents copyright 2012 by Alberta Health Services. Content may not be reprinted or reproduced without written permission from Alberta Health Services.

Venture Publishing Inc. 10259-105 Street, Edmonton, AB T5J 1E3 Tel: 780-990-0839 | Fax: 780-425-4921 | Toll-free: 1-866-227-4276 circulation@venturepublishing.ca

Alex Savage currently lives in Crossfield, Alberta. He spends all of his free time listening to music and talking with friends. One day he hopes to have his own band, be signed to a record label, and maybe even attend a college for music. Alex plays guitar and games avidly. His favourite band is Avenged Sevenfold. His favourite animal (just because he was asked) are penguins.

The views expressed in Grip are the opinions of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Alberta Health Services or Venture Publishing

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News

HOW TO SNAG A SWEET

SUMMER JOB Thinking about applying for a summer job?

You’ll need to polish up your resumé, or, if you don’t have one, start from scratch. Get started now and you’ll set yourself up for success, ready to rock the all-important job interview.

A resumé is a short document that your potential employer will look at when considering you for the job.

Keep it short (a page or two) and use it tell your potential employer about your experience, education and skills.

While many teens applying for a first job don’t have previous work experience, there are other areas you can highlight.

List your related skills, which can be paid or unpaid work experiences, volunteer experiences and even hobbies.

If you’re applying for your first job in retail at the mall, for example, it’s still relevant to write about the babysitting work you regularly do and how your punctuality in that position will carry through to this new job. Listing a few of your interests and activities can also show an employer that you’re a qualified candidate. If you’ve played soccer for the last five years, highlight this commitment and the skills you’ve gained, such as teamwork or leadership.

Avoid misspelled words and coloured paper, and remember to keep it short. Learn more at http://www.youth.gc.ca/ eng/topics/jobs/resume.shtml#personal_information.

GRIPMagazine

Think Pink

In February, te ens across th e country wore pink shirt s to send a m essage to stop bullyin g. Pink Shirt D ay , as it’s called, began five years ago after a Grade 9 studen t in Nova Scot ia arrived at his high sc hool wearing pink. He was bullied and to ld not to ever wear a pink shirt again – bu t when two ot her students heard what ha ppened, they ha d an idea.

They invited as many students as possible to w ear pink shirts to school, and almost 30 0 students did just that.

Today, school s around the w orld hold an annual Pink Shirt Day on th e last Wednesday in February. Lear n more at www.pinkshi rtday.ca

r e n n i W d iPa

cently at end, we re izes and, to th lled fi ho Grip likes pr one w for grabs. Any ch ar se had an iPad up Pivotal Re survey from sed ea pl re out an online win. We’ as entered to om fr kh ei about Grip w Sh asuma our winner: M can I . ad iP e to announce ing. I love th az am is t “I d play games Edmonton. ework on it an m ho y m of T!” finish lots n, IT IS GREA me. Once agai during free ti .

Masuma says

Recommended Virtual Pinboards For All

By Chris Bell A relatively recent phenomenon on the internet has been the rise in demand for curated content. Now, this is very different from content that is compiled automatically by search engines. What is meant by curated content is online media (text, video and pictures etc.) that is gathered and organized en masse by people for other people. It sounds simple, but this concept has led to the meteoric rise of a certain media social networking website, called Pinterest (www.pinterest.com).

Pinterest’s concept is simple: after you log onto the website and add the “pin it” button to your favourites bar, you go off to browse the Internet. When you find something that catches your interest, you can choose to “pin it” with Pinterest. You select the image, add a description and then it is placed onto one of your virtual pinboards. Embedded within each pin is the URL of the web page you got that image from. (Think of it as a virtual version of Grip’s very own

Off The Wall, which you can find on page 15 of this issue.)

Pinterest is a place where you can gather and organize things that interest you from across the Internet, and it’s also a community. In addition to being able to pin images from around the internet, you can also like, comment on and even re-pin other people’s pins.

There exists a wide range when it comes to the kinds of things people pin about on Pinterest. For instance, when you search for “French cooking”, there are pages and pages of pins; the same goes for when you search “Call of Duty.”

Whatever you are interested in, you are sure to find an active sub-community dedicated to it on Pinterest.

To get started on Pinterest, you need to request an invite.

However, in all likelihood you will receive said invite within a few days. After you receive your invite, you make an account and off you go… as they say on Pinterest, happy pinning!

DID YOU KNOW? • Alcohol is a psychoactive drug that changes the way your brain works (learn more about alcohol on page 26).

• “Psychologists who research what makes people happy have found that happiness results from being compassionate, finding beauty in the world, having a cause that makes life worthwhile, having a positive outlook, caring for those less fortunate, and thinking about things beyond and bigger than yourself. Materialism and excessive consumerism are not primary sources of satisfaction in life.” (Find out who said that on page 22).

• Canadians use nine to 15 billion plastic shopping bags every year (read more plastic bag facts on page 53).

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it HAPPENS | News

MY DUSTY BOOKSHELF The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

by Arthur Conan Doyle

Reviewed by Chris Bell Sherlock Holmes is, beyond any doubt, an immortal character, one full of intrigue and mystery. To this day, Sherlock Holmes continues to captivate audiences around the world.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is a collection of the first 12 short stories written about Mr. Holmes (they were first published as single stories in a magazine in the late 1800s). The stories, while acting as standalone narratives, are loosely bound together by references by the narrator to other adventures that may or may not be included in the work itself.

Though the book lacks the continuity of a novel, its stories never fail to deliver suspense, mystery and surprise in large quantities. In the first story of the work, A Scandal in Bohemia, Irene Adler makes her first appearance and we are reminded that Sherlock Holmes it not as undefeatable as he sometimes appears. In The Adventure of the Five Orange Pips we become acquainted with a slightly romanticized account of the activities and history of the Ku Klux Klan and its birth after the American Civil War. And, in The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet we chart, along with Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, the path of a valuable jewel from a Duchess’ dressing room to the inside of a Christmas goose.

Reading The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is valuable beyond simple enjoyment, as the work is a window into a different time when the world was a very different place. Though the novel falls into the genre of fiction, the work offers a preserved look into the workings of Victorian society, which can only improve your view of history. It’s also valuable to understand the origin of a famous character that our culture has immortalized. I would recommend reading The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes to anyone even slightly interested in the mythology of Sherlock Holmes.

Grade: A This classic novel is an enjoyable read, as well as a window into a different time and place.

GRIP ALUMNI (almost) Meet Sandy Xu, a long-time Grip contributor who has been with the magazine since she was 13! Sandy is in Grade 12 this year and has plans to study honours neuroscience in Waterloo or Edmonton – “It’s something that’s always intrigued me,” she says of the subject.

Sandy has written for Grip on topics as varied as summer jobs and the limits of social networking sites. “Contributing to Grip has been a learning experience that’s given me much insight into youth mental health,” says Sandy, who is also quick to mention the other “fantastic teen writers” that work on Grip. “They’ve inspired me with their talent and motivated me to write,” she says.

While we’re not quite ready to let Sandy go yet (she writes about Calgary-based band Boreal Sons in this issue on page 36), we do know there will come a time when we’ll have to say goodbye. Until then, we say a big thank you to Sandy and all of our other contributors for all of their hard work.

GRIPMagazine

BACK TO NATURE When many of us eat food, we often don’t think twice about what we’re putting into our mouths. When we are hungry, we just eat – and that means that junk food is sometimes the first to be consumed, while veggies and fruits get neglected. That’s why I’m here to give you a little taste (no pun intended) of what I eat.

My diet consists mainly of raw fruits, nuts and vegetables. I am what is often called a “Raw Foodist.” I don’t eat anything cooked on a stove, in a microwave, in a toaster, etc.

While eating this way is obviously not for everyone, it works quite well for me, and I think there are tips every teen can gain from eating more raw fruits and vegetables and less processed foods. Whenever I am in a rush but don’t have time to make any food, I just grab an apple, or some celery, and run out the door.

People often ask me where I get my nutrients from or my calcium and I reply that I get it from the many greens I eat, things like kale, apples, Swiss chard, etc. What most teens don’t know is that they are packed full of vitamins and nutrients. Low on potassium? Grab a banana!

Need some sodium? Grab a beet!

Teenagers eating a raw food diet must be sure that they are still receiving adequate calories, protein and nutrients, especially as their bodies are still growing and developing.

Here are two of my favourite yummy raw recipes. (You can get all the ingredients at your local grocery store.)

By Gabrielle McKinley

The Raw Brownie Ingredients: 2 cups walnuts 2 ½ cups dates, pitted 1 cup raw cacao 1 cup raw almonds, roughly chopped ¼ tsp. sea salt Directions: 1. Place walnuts in a food processor and blend until finely ground.

2. Add the cacao and salt. Pulse to combine.

3. Add the dates one at a time through the feed tube on top of the food processor.

4. In a large bowl, combine the walnut-cacao mix with the chopped almonds.

Press into a lined cake pan or mold. Place in a freezer or fridge until ready to serve. Enjoy!

YUM YUM YUM YUM Raw Hot Chocolate Ingredients: 4 cups raw almond milk (put a 1/2 cup of almonds to 4 cups of water, blend, then strain through a cheese cloth) 4 tablespoons raw cacao 4 tablespoons agave (an alternative sweeter that can be found in many grocery and health food stores) ½ teaspoon vanilla extract Directions: Put all the ingredients in a blender. Blend on high for 3 minutes, or until it suits your taste.

While some raw foodies use a special blender that also heats food, if you don’t have one you can very carefully heat the mixture on a stove to warm it after it has been blended.

Use a kitchen thermometer to make sure it does not go over 105 degrees (then it wouldn’t be “raw”). Sprinkle some raw cacao on top, and enjoy. griponlife.ca

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Look! It’s a new book Inheritance is the long anticipated conclusion of Christopher Paolini’s best-selling Inheritance cycle. A real page-turner, it will captivate anyone with its original and creative look at some of our favorite mystical beings. The story is masterfully woven with humor, magic, intense action and a little bit of true love, and the twists and turns keep it fresh and exciting.

This book has many intriguing and well-developed characters. Whether it’s Roran’s brashness, Angelica’s craziness or Saphira’s dark humor, Paolini has produced a very human cast of characters.

Inheritance is a commendable end to a commendable series. I would recommend this series to anyone who loves fantasy, magic and action.

For new readers, however, I would advise reading the first three books first. They will make you laugh, and may make you cry, but one thing is for sure … should Paolini revisit this world, you’ll definitely want more.

Grade: A+ Though it has a very bittersweet ending, Inheritance is a satisfying conclusion to a great series. Well done Mr. Paolini, well done.

Inheritance

By Christopher Paolini REVIEWED BY PATRICK DAVIES

Prepare to enter a world of magic and myth, a place where elves, dwarfs and dragons still exist. Welcome to Alagaësia where Eragon Shadeslayer and the dragon Saphira Brajuskar, last of the Riders, help lead a heroic rebellion against the black king Galbatorix, bane of the Riders.

But, the closer they get to his citadel the stronger his defences become. With the threat of a powerful one-time friend turned enemy always looming, they can never let their guard slip. When Nasuda, leader of the Varden, is kidnapped, Eragon and Saphira must travel to the ruins of the Riders’ capital to discover two secrets. What secrets does the rock of Kuthian hold and what are their true names? They must hurry as time runs out and fate catches up with Eragon.

GRIPMagazine

Born Liars: Why We Can’t Live Without Deceit

By Ian Leslie REVIEWED BY SANDY XU

Lie. Cheat. Deceit. Was it society that taught us these Machiavellian skills? Or were these inherent? In Born Liars, Leslie argues for the latter. People often have confusing and conflicting views on lying. While we dismiss cheaters and liars in society, we are all unreliable narrators of our own true stories. Imagine if there is more than just your morality and insecurity deserving of blame. Imagine if evolution played a role in deception.

According to Leslie, lying is not only necessary, but is part of our identity; be it in the 21st century or the Bronze Age, the varying degrees

of deception in our lives is what it means to be a social animal. Let’s face it: How terrible are we if research proves Chimpanzees exercise the art of deception as well? Well no … I lied. They, like us, not only exercise this skill, but they embrace it. We like to believe that we can “read” the faces of liars, but sometimes even lie-detectors fail to distinguish lies from half-truths and truths. The best liar in the room is not the sweaty or the fidgety, according to Leslie, but the most charismatic, seemingly “reliable” person in the room.

Unfortunately, it’s more than just our morality that we should be questioning – it boils down to the brain. To what extent are the senses and our memory of those senses reliable? Memory is easily malleable and subject to external influences such as emotion. This book, backed with innovative research from neurology, psychology and philosophy, answers such questions and many more.

Grade: B+ In Born Liars, Leslie explores the role of deception in our childhoods, careers, health, politics and advertising. By the end, you’ll be questioning whether you can even rely on yourself.

eviews This spring, unplug yourself from technology and curl up with a good book. Your mind will thank you The Night Circus

By Erin Morgenstern REVIEWED BY JESSICA HIGHSTEAD

The Night Circus quickly captures the imagination of its readers, with the author creating a tale so intriguing that it’s hard to put the book down.

The book takes readers into the otherworldly account of Le Cirque des Rêves, a multi-tent circus that only appears, without warning, at night.

Readers learn about the beautiful makings of the glorious circus and experience the thrill shared by all who first visit the circus. In this book, every sentence seems to have its own story, and every word holds importance.

The author also takes readers inside the minds of several characters, including two main heroes, both young magicians. The reader watches as they grow up in only a few chapters.

The same elegance used by Morgenstern to describe the circus is used when describing the romance that develops between the characters.

Morgenstern’s characters are all perfect in their own sense, and give the needed aspects to make the journey through the book that much better. Inside there is a mix of magic, trickery,

mystery, love and death, which will certainly impress most readers.

The Night Circus is enchanting, and the author does a wonderful job of creating interest that entices every sense – making you feel as if you are right there, in the scene. If you enjoy the creative aspect of books or the serious perfection of each detail, The Night Circus will appeal to you.

Readers will find The Night Circus to be an astounding and magical book filled with knowledge and fantasy. It also has its share of things difficult to describe – leaving readers, just like the characters in the book, feeling slightly disoriented but impressed, excited and anxious for their next visit.

This tale of love wraps you in a happy world, one with beautiful images. And just to warn readers, this book will likely create an undeniable craving to see the circus for one’s self.

Grade: A- The Night Circus is an amazing story with beautiful descriptions that make an outstanding world come alive.

And Then Things Fall apart

By Arlaina Tibensky REVIEWED BY KELSEY SMITH-PARIS

And Then Things Fall Apart tells the story of 15 year-old Keek, who, armed with a typewriter and a tattered dog-eared copy of Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar, types out her not so perfect life, all while dealing with the chicken pox.

Just before finding out she has the chicken pox, Keek learns that her parents are getting a divorce, her best friend betrayed her, and the last time she talked to her boyfriend they got in a huge fight. While in her grandmother’s technology phobic house for the summer, Keek uses a typewriter to record her anger, sadness and fears, as she struggles to come to terms with everything. She tries to figure out why things went wrong and how she can make them right.

And Then Things Fall Apart is the author’s first novel, and for it being her first I found it pretty amusing at times. Keek’s voice throughout the book is strong and honest and she’s easy to relate to. That being said, I definitely think there is room for improvement. Keek’s troubles seem repetitive after awhile, especially when it comes to the subject of her boyfriend.

Grade: C+ I think a lot of young readers will like the book’s main character Keek and be able to relate to the book, but when Keek goes on about the same thing over and over again, it can get a little annoying.

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Sweet sounds for spring It’s the perfect season for flowers and sunshine and new music for all Ever After

By Marianas Trench REVIEWED BY J. L. TRAN

Unbroken

By Demi Lovato REVIEWED BY CHRISTINE GREEN

Demi Lovato’s latest album, Unbroken, has been shaped by her experience in rehab for her eating disorder and difficulties with self-harm. In early 2011, after struggling with body image issues for most of her career, she received treatment for two months. She began writing Unbroken in June 2010 and released it on September 20, 2011.

Lovato’s struggles sculpted many of the lyrics she wrote. In her single “Sky Scraper” her challenges are made known as she sings “Skies are crying, I am watching, catching tear drops in my hands.”

Then she sings, “Go on and try to tear me down, I’ll be rising from the ground, like a skyscraper, like a skyscraper.”

The heartache expressed in the songs is deep and it is obvious she has done a lot of soul-searching to compose this album. Many of the lyrics are saturated with pain yet they still sing a message of triumph.

Most of the other songs are pop/dance tunes about love. They are somewhat typical but still very catchy. Teens who are looking for great songs to dance to would enjoy songs like “All the Night Long”, “You’re my Shorty” and “Mistake”.

Lovato’s previous work was more Disney-esque and light hearted, but listeners will still be able to have fun and rock out to her songs featured on “Unbroken”. Lovato had many guest artists featured on her album, including Timbaland, Rock Mafia, Toby Gad and Ryan Tedder.

Grade: A- This album is a beautiful work that offers hope to listeners, as they can share Demi Lovato’s recent trials and tribulations. The only drawback is that some of the songs aren’t terribly original, but, overall, the album is excellent.

GRIPMagazine

Marianas Trench’s new album, Ever After, is the band’s third album, released on November 21, 2011. The band, which is from Vancouver, B.C., has been nominated and has won numerous awards in previous years for their music. Their latest album features 12 new songs and has already been praised by many as being different from their other material, yet still able to retain the unique Marianas Trench style.

Ever After is a concept album meant to form a storyline of a strange new land that a man stumbles into. In several music videos, the man is played by the band’s lead vocalist, Josh Ramsay. The smooth transitions of each of the songs also prove to emphasize the continuous flow of the story they create.

Compared to their previous albums, Ever After explores a different side away from Marianas Trench’s normal type of music, which contributes to their overall growth as musicians. This decision to cast a more fairy-tale and fantasy-inspired vibe into their music has received many positive reviews and definitely resonates a sense of respect for their band’s ability to magnificently create so many different styles of music.

Grade: A This album is a must for new and old fans of Marianas Trench, as the bands personality shines through their music and the diversity of the music allows the listener to appreciate the hard work put into this album.

views Better Off

By Ten Second Epic REVIEWED BY KELSEY SMITH-PARIS

Better Off is Edmonton-based band Ten Second Epic’s third full length album and it clearly shows how much the band has grown since it started 10 years ago.

Previous songs like “Life Times” and “Welcome To Wherever You Are” were pretty cool songs, but they got old really fast. This album, however, has songs that you’ll want to play over and over, especially on road trips or on those summer nights when you’re with a bunch of your friends having the time of your life.

Better Off contains quite the mix of songs, including a hard rock song to start things off. Some of the other songs are hard to tell apart

from each other, but there are a few standouts, like “Giving Up” and “Young Classics.”

This album would definitely appeal to almost anyone. It’s just one of those great albums that has that extra something that keeps you coming back.

Lots of the songs are about relationships, but the overall feel of the album is one that resonates with anybody. It takes you back to the times when things were much simpler and you didn’t have to worry about some of the problems that you worry about now.

Grade: A- Overall this was an amazing album, even with the one or two songs that fell short.

For Paolo

By Woodpigeon REVIEWED BY GRIP STAFF

Woodpigeon’s six track EP For Paolo, released early this year, will please the band’s fans until their next full album. Its songs were inspired by the cassettes that Woodpigeon lead Mark Hamilton’s parents listened to on road trips, and so it’s fitting that this album is perfect driving music, be it a road trip or late night car ride.

For those unfamiliar with this eight member Calgary band, this album continues Woodpigeon’s history of powerful and pretty folk-based songs.

Woodpigeon is a collective orchestra that includes hushed vocals and soothing keys, creating a sound that fans of Iron and Wine and Sufjan Stevens will definitely enjoy.

The first track “For Paolo” is also the title track, and an acoustic version of the same song ends this EP. These two versions of “For Paolo” sound different but both are beautiful and soothing songs, the latter one really emphasizing Hamilton’s voice. The other standout song is “One To Many,” a darker song that is a little faster.

On CBC Radio 3’s website, where you can have a listen to some of Woodpigeon’s work, the band’s influences are described as “pianos rusting in country fields, quiet cabins warmed by woodstoves, snow fall-

ing on dead trees, superheroes running over glaciers, water falling on hot rocks.” Anyone who enjoys such nature-infused scenes will enjoy the sounds of Woodpigeon, including the six songs on this EP. Grade: A Short but sweet is a fitting description of For Paolo.

It will be enjoyed by Woodpigeon’s current fans anxiously awaiting the next full album, as well as new listeners.

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it HAPPENS | Reviews

The Gamer

Off th

Grip’s picks for gaming this spring

Title: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Platform: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC Rating: M

REVIEWED BY: DAVID LY Nearly every Bethesda title since 2006 has been a game of the year winner and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is no exception. In the fifth instalment of the critically acclaimed franchise you are thrust headfirst into a living, breathing world.

The game’s subtitle is derived from the location of the game: the province of Skyrim, a territory on the continent of Tamriel.

It’s a dangerous, Northern land coiled in political strife, which you’ll be encouraged to take sides in. On top of that, dragons have suddenly appeared after having been thought extinct for centuries. You are the Dragonborn, a mortal with dragon’s blood who is destined to save the world from destruction.

After a few minutes in the game you’ll be asked to create a character. There are 10 playable races to choose from, each with its own advantages. For instance, the lizard-like Argonians have the ability to breathe underwater. There are also 18 skills in Skyrim. The more you use a skill, the more proficient you become at it.

Practice makes perfect, and Skyrim exemplifies that phrase perfectly.

Oh, and did I mention that Skyrim never ends? Once you’ve completed the main quest-line (which in itself is quite lengthy), there’s still dozens of side-quests available and an entire province waiting to be explored. You don’t need to play by the rules to enjoy Skyrim, just play your way. Explore, hunt, become a vampire, or even get married – it’s your choice.

Grade: A- The game is breathtakingly beautiful and the few glitches you may encounter rarely break immersion. Skyrim definitely needs to be experienced and is deserving of its game of the year award for 2011.

GRIPMagazine

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REVIEWED BY: JESSICA CHEN Assassin’s Creed: Revelations is the final chapter in both Ezio and Altaïr�s storylines and is another great instalment in a strong series. After the shocking finale of Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, Desmond is now in a coma and must relive the rest of his ancestors� lives. The game takes Ezio to Constantinople in search for Masyaf keys, ones that will let him experience key moments in Altaïr�s life. The player gets to control all three main characters. The gameplay and story segregation is excellent, even though the gameplay can seem repetitive at times.

As with all sequels there are additions to this game. Templar Dens, expanded from Borgia Towers in the prequel, are enjoyable experiences when you are on the capturing side. Den Defense, what happens when the Templars try to capture your den, is not as fun. Eagle Vision has taken an upgrade and is now Eagle Sense, which allows you to track your targets through a glowing trail on the ground.

The multiplayer option, very much like Brotherhood, is a tense and challenging part of the game. You assume the role of a Templar agent and face people around the world. You need to be on high alert the entire time to succeed in multiplayer. The game also has options to customize your character, and you can buy upgrades when you’ve played enough.

Grade: A The game is a great continuation of the Assassin’s Creed series and continues to deliver what fans love about it. The storyline is fast-paced and action-packed, the gameplay and controls are easy to learn and the animation is truly stunning.

Canadians produce seven million tons of organic waste each year, 66 per cent of which is compostable. In fact 70 per cent of all landfill waste is recyclable or re-usable, and 35 per cent of municipal solid waste is packaging.

Title: Assassin’s Creed: Revelations Platform: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC Rating: M

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griponlife.ca

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HELP wanTeD

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Got a question that no one can answer, or that you’re too Got a niggling question that no one that you’re afraid to ask your parents, teacher orcan bestanswer, friend?orSend it to us. too afraid to ask your units, teacher or best friend?

Send it to us.

We guarantee anonymity, and we’re beyond embarrassment.

We guarantee anonymity, and we’re beyond embarrassment.

We’ll find an expert to answer the most persistent question you We’ll an expert to answer the most persistent question you havefind related to any topic: relationships, school, sexuality, puberty, have related to any topic: relationships, school, sexuality, puberty, drugs, love, life and the pursuit of happiness. drugs, love, are life, you andwaiting the pursuit So … what for?of happiness.

So… what are you waiting for?

Question: I’ve been feeling down for quite some time and my parents want me to see a psychologist. I’m open to theAidea, am unsure Question: whilebut ago some kids whattalking to expect andbus am about a little were on the nervous.someone What is awas visit to a whether circumcised or therapist like? not.

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They were talking like being uncircumcised was and Meeting with a psychologist orweird therapist gross. it matter? for the Does first time can be nerve-wracking, so –Grip Denny Doesn’t Know Eustace, a turned to Dr. Jonathan psychologist and manager of the University Dear Denny,Hospital’s clinical psychology of Alberta It services, doesn’t really matter.

Sure,it’s there to find out what like.are some benefi ts of being circumcised; it reduces the “When you have an appointment with a risk of infections and for STIs transmitted therapist and meet the(sexually first time, the infections).

Butlikely that start doesn’t mean it’syou better or therapist will off by telling more whatnormal. to expect,” Dr. Eustace says. The first “The practice routinely circumcising meeting will alsoofinclude getting to knowchildren come in and outon of vogue,” says you seems and findtoout what’s going in your life.

Dr. Derek urologist.

WhileBochinski, a therapistan is Edmonton there to help you, “Often the decision to circumcise or not will it’s important to understand therapists depend on whether father been cirdon’t have a magicthe wand forhas changing cumcised.

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Dr. Eustace also says not to Chances are you reallyjust aren’t much expect a quick fix after oneasvisit.

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The setting that you visit a therapist Bochinski, says men report inBesides, is often aDr. comfortable office, says Dr. a decrease sensitivity circumcision.

Eustace,inwhere you’llafter sit on chairs, not lie Good lessens the risk of infection on a hygiene couch. As for if your parents will sit in uncircumcised guys. on the visits, Dr. Eustace says it depends on the situation, including the type of Question: My parents religious. issue the person is beingare seen for and I used to like going to church with them, the age of the person.

GRIPMagazine GRIPMagazine

Question: I just found out a close friend

has obsessive-compulsive disorder. haven’t changed, just your beliefs.

Like a lot of What is this?

Isgets there anything I can do problems, this one better tokeeping help her by theout? people that care about you Eustace inDr. the loop. explains that obsessive-compulsive disorder, also known as OCD, is a type of Question: I have visible hair on my anxiety disorder where the mind gets stuck breasts, and I’m a girl!

I’misworried on a particular worry, which called the I’m a freak,Quite or worse, guy.is a behaviour Question: My girlfriend and I have been obsession. often a there dating for eight months. She’s moving –that Hairy Mary goes along with that, something that you three provinces away for university this do to try and get rid of the worry. “So if you September,My andbrother I’m staying herehe’s for gay.

Question: told me Hi Mary, have a worry about germs it might be that school.

We’vetotalked about making this He’s scared tell our parents, as my There more girls with some around you’reare hand washing over andhair over againtheir to workislong distance, but the I’m starting to dad known to make occasional nipples youofthink.

It’s just not something try andthan get rid the germs,” he says. have doubts. What canI accept I do? my homophobic remark. theyAlmost talk about.

It isn’t freaky at all; it’s totally everybody has unrealistic brother for whorelationships he is but I’m sure “Long distance arenot quite common.

It can be of hard youtothink you are worries, but most us when are able dismiss my parents will. How cantake I help difficult to maintain and they a lotmy of developing in different than your peers, them and say they’re ways not going to happen. family toEustace deal with this?

-Keeping the work,” Dr. says, adding that long but don’t worry.

“But for somebody with OCD, they’re not able Peace distance relationships can work when leave thekind strayofhair to You filtercan thatalways worry just out so it just gets couples make them work. alone: nowhere near and as bad asin a stuck it’s andprobably it goes over and over over Dear the Peace, “IfKeeping you’re having doubts one very you think. loop,” Dr. Eustace says.

“Your brother has placed quite abe bit of important thing to do would totrust talkintoyou by There are a lot ways toyou getto ridbe of supportive the As a friend, heofadvises sharing this information you,” Dr. Eustace your partner and talkwith about your doubts,says, unwanted hair. Probably theperson best way is tohas pluck and understanding of the who “so it wouldifprobably be good to keepand thatthey trust and because you’re having doubts out the and rebelencourage hairs with tweezers.

However OCD, them to seek treat-you not this information.” areshare not dealt with, then those could interfere approach it, be It’syou a sensitive ment. If you or careful. someone know isarea! unsure of The most helpful thing,Dr. says Dr. Eustace, with the relationship,” Eustace says.would If it’s to a real you can laserdoctor, where turnproblem, for help, start withhave a family be to continueistoimportant support your brother in any way Honesty to all relationships, removal, that’ll cost you around $75 a who canbut make the referral to a psychologist or that can and ensure thatimportant your brotherinknows he andyou perhaps even more a session.

Sometimes excessive hair growth psychiatrist.

(Read more about OCD and one is verydistance supportedrelationship. and loved by you. It sounds like long can signal a hormonal If you think teen’s journey with theimbalance. disorder on page 46.) you’re doing a pretty good job of that already, so just you’re growing too much hair, you can ask your continue to be there for your brother. gynecologist to check your hormone levels. If Help Wanted isit’s provided informational purposes “Let your brother know that up to him to for general it is a hormone problem, your periods may be only andwhen is not intended to replaceaffected consultations with your choose the time he wants to tell your parents. too. doctor ortoto provide medical It’s his decision as when he wants to disclose advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Always the advice of your physician or other qualified and he’s the bestseek person to make that decision,” Help Wanted is provided for general informational providers with any personalpurposes medical and only and is nothealth intended to replace sayshealth Dr. Eustace. consultations with your doctor or to provide medical questions may There are supportthat groupsyou that can helphave. you. advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with PFLAG Canada (Parents, Families and Friends of any personal medical and health questions that you E-mail helpwanted@griponlife.ca Lesbians and Gays) has support groups in various may have. or mail Help Wanted, c/o Grip Magazine locations in Alberta.

The association supports, E-mail helpwanted@griponlife.ca 10259-105 St. educations and provides resources to anyone or mail Help Wanted, c/o Grip Magazine Edmonton, ABLearnT5J 10259-105 St. with questions or concerns. more1E3 at www.

Edmonton, AB T5J 1E3 pflagcanada.ca. assure them that your values

WHAT CONSUMES YOU? We live in a consumerist society, but that doesn’t mean we have to be complacent about it.

This issue of Grip explores consumption in many forms, from the things we buy to the music we consume to the drugs and alcohol we may ingest. What do we consume and what consumes us? What’s the impact of such constant consumption on us, on others and on the environment?

CONSCIOUS CONSUMPTION

WHY SHOULD WE CARE WHERE OUR STUFF COMES FROM AND WHERE IT GOES WHEN WE’RE DONE WITH IT? OH YA, THERE’S THIS THING WE LIVE ON CALLED THE PLANET. LET’S MAKE SURE FUTURE GENERATIONS CAN ENJOY IT, TOO.

PRESSURES OF CONSUMERISM

WE LIVE IN A CONSUMER-DRIVEN CULTURE WHERE WE’RE SURROUNDED BY THE MESSAGE OF “BUY, BUY, BUY!” BE IT FOR THE LATEST AND GREATEST CLOTHES OR TECHNOLOGY. WHAT’S A TEEN TO DO? GRIP INTERVIEWS DR. MARVIN ROTH FOR ANSWERS.

ALCOHOL AND YOU

ALCOHOL, ESPECIALLY BEFORE WE’RE 18, IS ILLEGAL, UNHEALTHY AND DANGEROUS. STILL, MANY OF US DO DRINK – HERE’S WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW FIRST.

STOPPING STICKY FINGERS

CALL IT WHAT YOU WANT – “FIVE FINGER DISCOUNT,” “LIFTING,” “JACKING,” “NICKING” OR “RACKING” – SHOPLIFTING IS A CRIME. HOW TO STOP IT BEFORE IT STARTS.

ROCK ON

DOES THE MUSIC WE CONSUME DEFINE US? A GRIP WRITER EXPLAINS WHY HE LISTENS TO HEAVY METAL MUSIC AND WHAT IT MEANS TO HIM.

18 22 26 28 34 griponlife.ca

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Conscious By knowing where all our stuff comes from and where it goes when we’re done with it, we can change our habits and protect the environment

ILLUSTRATION: RICK SEALOCK

any of us understand that the things we consume have an impact on the planet. Consumer goods aren’t created by the economy out of nothing; they come from the earth and when they’re used up, they’ll be returned to the earth as garbage and toxic waste.

We also know that we consume a lot, that we link buying and using goods to our satisfaction.

We like stuff and we like a lot of it, be it clothes or hair products or iPods or coffee or cell phones.

But when a finite planet is combined with our current rate of consumption, the results aren’t good. What can we, as teens, do to curb our consumption habits and protect our planet for future generations?

In order to answer the question, it’s important to understand where all this stuff comes from and where it goes when we’re done with it.

Annie Leonard described that process in 2007 in a 20 minute movie about trash, called The Story of Stuff, which has since been viewed more than 15 million times. (You’ve maybe seen the short documentary at school, but if not, you can watch it and other stories about electronics, cosmetics, bottled water and other things we consume at www.storyofstuff.org.)

There are five major steps of a materials economy, says Leonard in the film. Creating stuff first involves extraction, which means mining and cutting and gaining natural resources

GRIPMagazine

Consumption

By Cody Metcalf

through such means. Even at this initial stage, we’re running out of resources.

Next materials move to production. Energy is used to mix chemicals with natural resources to create products. Those chemicals may be toxic and we don’t know the full impact of them on our health and on the environment.

Once resources have been turned into products it’s time for distribution, which often comes at a low cost in order to keep people buying stuff. When we pay $6 for a new T-shirt, we aren’t really paying the full cost of that T-shirt.

The next step is consumption, where we shop and buy and shop some more. In North America, the percentage of total material flowing through this system that is still in use six months after its sale is just one per cent. “In other words, 99 per cent of the stuff we harvest, mine, process, transport – 99 per cent of the stuff we run through this system is trashed within six months,” Leonard says in the film.

So that’s a brief version of where our stuff comes from – now where does it go when we’re done with it? We dispose of it. Yes, some of it is recycled, but a lot of it is just tossed into the garbage and transported to landfills. Recycling helps, but recycling alone is not enough.

According to Leonard’s film, the good news about “such an all pervasive problem is that there are so many points of intervention.” Those points are based on sustainability and equity

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20 and include topics such as saving forests, clean production, labour rights, fair trade and conscious consuming.

Every one of us can take some time to think about what we consume and how we consume it. Are we buying clothes only to dispose of them in a few months? Do we really need that new cell phone when our old one still works? Why do we order our daily coffee in a disposable cup? Once we know more about our consumption habits, including the cycle of consumption that all of us are part of, it can be easier to make changes.

Two teens are doing just that. They’re changing their consumption habits in order to help protect the environment. Brenda Luo is an 18-yearold Calgary teen with an environmentally friendly beauty regimen. She aims to reduce products and packaging that end up in the landfill, so instead of using beauty products sold in drug stores, Luo focuses on using more natural products.

“These products are available out there for anyone and are really affordable,” Luo says. “What’s the harm in trying it if you’re also helping the environment?”

In the mornings, Luo cleanses her skin with tea or coffee grinds, using them as an exfoliating scrub. At the end of the day, she uses olive oil mixed with water or aloe water as a makeup remover. Luo’s bronzer occasionally comes in the form of hot chocolate.

“I found it to be a really light bronzer, so it will give you a very natural bronzy look,” she says.

Another practice of Luo’s is to take a mascara wand, dip it very lightly in Vaseline and use it to condition her lashes, instead of wearing mascara.

“If you’re constantly putting on mascara and going through the trouble of removing it, your lashes aren’t as conditioned as you would like them to be,” she says.

Luo’s approach has resulted in less waste and packaging. “You’re taking a bottle you’ve already used and you’re keeping that out of the landfill and mixing what you have at home and creating these products that will work for you,” she says.

Alec Forest is another teen who knows his actions can make a difference, and to that end he helps his peers think about their environmental footprint and ways to reduce it. Last year Forest, who is now in his first year of university in Edmonton, was head of his Calgary high school’s environment club and a member of Youth Earth Ambassadors (YEA), an initative of Youth Central. He helped YEA organize three major projects that were implemented across various Calgary high schools, including an inter-school biking competition, a green life challenge and a green youth gathering.

“The green life challenge encouraged youth to think about their environmental footprint and ways to reduce it,” Forest says. “We developed an excel spreadsheet based on three areas of sustainability: water use, power consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Using the spread-

sheet, people could calculate the footprint that different actions would have on the environment.”

Forest has three tips for teens wanting to reduce their environmental footprint. “The first is to do simple things, because they really do add up,” Forest says. He cites examples such as taking the stairs and transit, using anything and everything reusable whenever you can, and watching your water and paper and resource consumption. He also suggests taking the 48-hour test whenever you’re thinking of buying things, in order to evaluate if you really need that new thing. “When you see something that you want to buy, take two days to really think about it so you’re not buying something just as an impulse buy,” Forest says.

His second tip for teens is to get involved and spread change. “It’s about connecting with others, so that you can discuss with them and see what their perspective and approaches are to living more sustainable lives,” he says.

Thirdly, Forest says to look for ways to gain education and information on topics of sustainability. “One of my favourite resources when it comes to consumerism and ecological impact is called The Lazy Environmentalist,” Forest says. “It’s a really good resource because it understands where we as citizens of developed nations are coming from and it offers easy but good changes that we can make to our lifestyle that will make a big impact.” (Learn more about Josh Dorfman’s books, blog and TV show at www.lazyenvironmentalist.com.)

For teens unsure of where to begin, pick a cause and start there. It can be overwhelming to know where your actions will have the most impact, but don’t let that fear stop you from doing anything. As Brenda Luo says when asked why she started a more environmentally friendly beauty regime, “why not?”

Every one of us can take some time to think about what we consume and how we consume it. Are we buying clothes only to dispose of them in a few months? Do we really need that new cell phone when our old one still works?

GRIPMagazine

THINK BEFORE YOU BUY Become a more conscious consumer with these tips: • If you see a new item you want to buy, take 48 hours to think about it and evaluate if you really need it.

• Carry a reusable bag (or bags) and a reusable mug or water bottle with you to avoid using plastic bags and cups you will throw away after one use.

• While the stuff you buy often ends up in the trash after just a few months of use, its packaging is thrown away immediately. Be aware of this and buy in bulk whenever you can.

• Consider buying used instead of buying new. You’ll often save money and will help an item stay out of the landfill.

QUIZ

Is Stress Consuming You?

By Christine Green

Stress is a normal part of life, one that all teenagers face. But are you having trouble coping with the If you answered: stress in your life? Take this short quiz to find out Mostly As: You are managing to keep Stress, at its most basic level, is the body’s way of dealing with threatening situations. The following five questions will evaluate your stress level and how you cope with that stress. For each question, choose the answer that seems the most relevant to you. Add up your score to learn more about stress, including tips to stop stressing.

1. When it comes to sleeping and having energy throughout the day, you:

a) Get eight to 10 hours of sleep per night and have enough energy to do the activities you want to do. b) Get more than six but less than eight hours of sleep and often feel tired throughout the day. c) Get less than six hours of sleep per night and feel exhausted or sleepy most of the day.

2. Do you get easily upset by little things or find yourself becoming irritable quite quickly? a) I am able to compromise and most things don’t upset me. b) Sometimes certain things get on my nerves. c) People and the messes they create constantly annoy me.

3. When it comes to hunger and fullness, your appetite is:

a) The same as it has always been. b) I feel either more or less hungry than usual, but it’s not so drastic that it affects my day-to-day food choices. c) I have either a much stronger or weaker appetite than I used to.

4. Have you recently experienced any possible physical indicators of stress?

a) Rarely. I feel well most of the time and do not usually get unexplained pain or other physical symptoms. b) I have more aches, pains and tension than normal. c) I often experience headaches or muscle aches or stomach aches, as well as difficulty concentrating on school work.

5. As for your overall mood, how would you describe how you feel? a) I feel happy and upbeat overall. b) I feel upset frequently for various reasons. c) I often feel unhappy and anxious.

your stress levels low, which is good news.

Keep on getting regular sleep, eating well and making sure to have enough time for you. If you do find yourself feeling stressed out, don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Mostly Bs: Overall, your method of coping with stress may not be ideal, but you are making it through. Working on finding some good coping strategies now could help you in the long run. Remember not to over-schedule and leave a spot in your schedule for “me” time. And look to find an outlet, a hobby that can help you relieve some of that daily tension you might be feeling.

Mostly Cs: You may be struggling to cope with the stress in your life. Don’t feel that this is your fault; we all need help sometimes. Try talking to someone who you trust about the way you are feeling.

They can help you determine strategies to increase your personal wellness, such as doing one thing a day just for your enjoyment, like reading part of a book from your favourite author or going on a walk. You can also try doing simple breathing exercises to help your body relax, and remember to treat your body right and keep a positive attitude.

LEARN MORE about stress and how to stop stressing, go to www.griponlife.ca. Click archive and navigate on the left side to Fall 2011, then click Address Your Stress. griponlife.ca

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S E R U S S O F E R P CONSUM ERISM We’re surrounded by the message, “Buy, buy, buy!” be it for the latest and greatest clothes or technology.

What’s a teen to do? Grip’s Zosia Prus-Czarnecka interviews Dr. Marvin Roth for answers

W

hen we walk through a mall, we are surrounded by stores that flog brand names such as Bench, Hollister, and Nike. Although each of these brands sells products with certain appealing traits, we often catch ourselves buying them simply because others wear the brands and we want to fit in. The pressures of consumerism affect our decision making every day and often distract us from what is more relevant – the quality of the product and whether or not we need it. And, increasingly, teens face consumerism-related pressure because of technology, from social media to new phones. How can we stand up to these pressures, and why should we? Dr. Marvin Roth, a child and adolescent psychologist and the program manager of school age services for CASA, Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Health, in Edmonton, shares his insight with Grip.

GRIPMagazine

Q: What sort of consumerism-related pressures do teens face?

A: For many years, teens have been under tremendous pressure to somehow sense what it takes to feel accepted by peers. What has become different is that acceptance is not simply a matter of being included in an “in” group.

This is much different than what we see in old movies about the cool teens that were in a reasonably small group of identified elite, while others lurked at the edges trying to fi nd a way in. In the past, some of this being “in” may have involved a certain look, lifestyle, and was often benchmarked by buying certain pricey brands of clothing.

As such, being “in” would reflect not only a confident or charming attitude, but the ability to look and dress the part. This type of consumerism of the past that concentrated on fashion shifted some time ago to include various other groups.

Quite recently, belonging has taken on a new dimension. One significant area of pressure today is the pressure to be connected by way of social media, including cell phones and sites such as Facebook, along with apps that allow you to have the world at your fingertips.

For some teens, the thought of actually telephoning someone as compared to texting is horrifying, making them feel so “not with it.”

Q: What impact can these pressures have on a teen’s selfesteem?

A: Features such as brand-name clothing or talent and charm will likely always be factors that pressure others. However, the specific elements of consumerism have shifted. Since inclusion is no longer limited to face-to-face contact, consumerism has a different type of pressure, often related to technology.

Having the latest electronic gadgets and the capacity to maintain social connections has a wide range of impacts. The tactics for staying in touch and managing one’s image through this electronic media has unique elements. While staying connected has reduced loneliness and offered an avenue for acceptance for some teens, on the negative side, cruel gossip and false impressions can lead to diminished self-esteem.

Recent studies have revealed that the “self” presented on the media may not be the “authentic self.” Being accepted for one’s virtual image rather than for one’s actual personality can have damaging repercussions on self-worth.

Q: If prolonged, how can these pressures influence someone’s life?

A: Individuals who connect by playing a specific role may still feel alienated. Although they are connected with many people in a superficial way, they may lack face-to-face interactions. Wasting too much time on one’s social image reduces time available for self-development.

Consumerism finds what is trendy, and caters to exploiting surface things as a way to sell more products with the promise to expand one’s feelings of being accepted. The need to appear tanned (while increasing cancer risks), buy products to appear slim and beautiful, subscribe to the latest music, and constant bombardment with commercials adds pressure to teens.

Q: How do these pressures impact society as a whole?

A: Significant areas of impact on society are apparent. Nowhere in history has the generation gap been greater than today as many parents and grandparents are not in sync with the advancing technology and methods of connecting through social media. Teens can be much more connected with “500 virtual friends” and often less connected with their parents, or their parents’ old fashioned ways.

Another impact on society is environmental. Our constant need for new products results not only in inevitable impacts of constantly manufacturing new goods, but also in having to dispose of useful but outdated ones.

What do my consumption habits say about me, what I believe, and what I want to do to make the world a better place to live?

Join the conversation at www.facebook.com/GripMag

Q: What advice would you give someone who feels pressured to buy something fancy that all of their friends have, but cannot afford it?

A: The first question is to reflect on where the pressure is coming from.

If your reason to buy something fancy is because you feel that you are more acceptable to your friends, your assumption may be false. They may accept you as who you are with what you can afford. On the other hand, if they don’t, are these the most suitable friends for you? It may be important to connect with like-minded individuals who can share common interests rather than having to “buy” one’s acceptance.

We should also take pride in consuming less and caring for the planet.

Psychologists who research what makes people happy have found that happiness results from being compassionate, finding beauty in the world, having a cause that makes life worthwhile, having a positive outlook, caring for those less fortunate, and thinking about things beyond and bigger than yourself. Materialism and excessive consumerism are not primary sources of satisfaction in life.

Q: Are our approaches to these pressures getting better? Or are we succumbing to them more and more?

A: Consumerism, including social media, can have benefits. Things and products can bring us together and consuming is necessary to meet our daily needs. It’s hard to imagine how we would survive if we all tried to go back to the woods and live off the land. Not all consumerism is bad.

In confronting consumerism, all of us should ask, “Is my consumption supported by positive, unselfish values? Do I feel a responsibility to my fellow citizens and to the generations that follow me? What do my consumption habits say about me, what I believe, and what I want to do to make the world a better place to live?”

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What is financial literacy and why does it matter?

By Analyn Bell

Y

ou’re at the mall and you’re surrounded by things

you need, er… want. If you had unlimited money you’d buy them all but, of course, you don’t have unlimited money. You do, however, have a new part-time job – it’s your first one, and you’re discovering firsthand the joys of the fast food industry, as well as a regular paycheque. Still, when it comes time to pay for the new pair of jeans you’ve been thinking about since before you even got the job, you’re not entirely 100 per cent sure that you’ll avoid an “insufficient funds” message.

If the above scenario at all resembles a situation you’ve ever found yourself in – you’re not alone. Financial literacy, which means having the knowledge, skills and confidence to make responsible financial decisions, is a skill that a lot of people need to work on.

Money management skills are important as they help people to make wise decisions when it comes to spending, saving, budgeting and more.

And, to be blunt, if you’re struggling with your spending and saving right now (while you likely live under your parent’s roof and don’t have to pay for rent or food or utilities), things probably aren’t going to get easier from here.

Luckily, financial literacy is not a difficult skill to gain – it just takes some effort on your part.

There are lots of people who can help you become financially literate, such as Debbie Neddow, a bank manager at an Edmonton branch of Servus Credit Union. For the last six years, Neddow has been an instructor with Dollars with Sense, a Junior Achievement program that teaches personal money management skills to junior high school students, encouraging them to make sense of their dollars and cents.

Neddow, who has been in the banking business for 16 years, says that she often sees people in their early 20s who have run into financial trouble come into the credit union for help. “That was one of the reasons I got involved with the program,” Neddow says, adding that gaining these skills when you’re still young can help prevent trouble later on.

One of the big things that Neddow covers in the classroom program is the difference between needs and wants. Teens face a lot of pressure to consume, and it can be helpful to address those pressures by honestly evaluating what you need versus what you want. Clothing, such as a pair of jeans, is necessary, but a $400 pair of jeans is not. “We really try and talk about basic human needs, rather than brand names,” Neddow says. She further helps students identify needs and wants through a budgeting exercise where students have to balance a budget.

“Financial literacy is very important because if you don’t get that information as a teenager, it’s a struggle to start budgeting and saving as an adult when you don’t have any prior knowledge of how to do it,” Neddow says. “I see people all the time in their early 20s who come in and have already ruined their credit just by poor money management skills.”

Neddow says that another topic for teens to be aware of is credit cards, which are easily accessible to all teens when they turn 18. “We discuss what the best use of a credit card is, how it’s for emergency purposes, not for purchases that you can not afford,” Neddow says. While credit cards are a tool to help you build up your credit history, you also need to understand the consequences of the payment options you choose (you can make a minimum payment, partial payment or full payment) as well as the impact of the interest credit card companies charge you.

It’s never too early to start learning to budget and talking about money matters, says Neddow, the mother of two teenagers. If you’ve tried asking your parents to help you out without any luck, there are many other places you can turn. Neddow says that at Servus Credit Union, teens are welcome to walk into a branch and talk to a financial advisor. Her advice to all teens is to have a goal when it comes to your money – be it an amount you want to save up to in order to buy something, or some other purpose for your money. “Even if it’s a small goal, if you can start with a goal and say how do I get there, it’s so much easier,” Neddow says.

TOP TIPS FOR MANAGING YOUR MONEY • Lose the Labels: Do you spend extra cash just for the sake of a brand name? Look for the same quality at lower prices.

• Think on It: When you see something you think you must have, go home and think on it for at least 24 hours. This perspective can help you decide it it’s something you really need.

• Make a Goal: Have a goal for your money, be it saving for a trip, university, a car, or to start investing. When you work toward one goal at a time, you’ll know what each dollar you’re saving will help you accomplish.

• Budgeting Basics: Being able to identify wants and needs is important when creating a realistic budget (start now and you’ll be set for the transition after high school). Creating a basic budget involves recording all sources of income, creating a list of monthly expenses, breaking those expenses into wants and needs, then totaling monthly incomes and expenses and adjusting expense as needed.

• Learn More: www.themint.org/teens has lots of tips just for teens, including a debt calculator, info on investing and “What kind of spender are you?” quiz.

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By Alix Kemp

From counting up the money spent and calories gained on drinks, to helping a friend who is drinking too much, Grip covers what you need to know about alcohol

FOR STARTERS We get it – we shouldn’t drink. Alcohol, at least before we’re 18, is bad. It’s illegal, it’s unhealthy and it’s dangerous. We’ve heard it all. But most of us will drink anyway.

By Grade 12, 75 per cent of Albertan high school students have at least experimented with alcohol, according to Alberta Health Service’s 2008 The Alberta Youth Experience Survey (TAYES). And for most teens, drinking isn’t a problem – in the same provincial survey about alcohol and drug use among students, only 14 per cent of teens reported hazardous or harmful drinking habits. So what’s the big deal?

JUST THE STATS For one thing, the numbers are a little more complicated than they seem at first glance.

Alcohol consumption is more prevalent among older teens, and that’s where most of the problems happen. Twenty nine per cent of Grade 12 students demonstrated hazardous drinking habits, and 65 per cent of current drinkers in Grade 12 reported binge drinking, consuming five or more drinks on one occasion.

The “big deal” is that teens and young adults are more likely to experience harm as a result of alcohol. According to the Canadian Alcohol and Drug Use Monitoring Survey, 20 per cent of 15- to 24-year-olds identified as heavy drinkers, and almost 18 per cent of current drinkers in that age group reported experiencing alcohol-related harm in the previous year. By comparison, among people age 25 and over, only about six per cent were heavy drinkers and only five per cent of drinkers experienced harm as a result of drinking.

WHY WE DRINK Teens drink for a lot of reasons, and most often from a combination of things. If our friends or older siblings drink, alcohol may

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be more tempting. It’s especially a factor at parties and other social events, where drinking can make us feel like we’re more a part of the action. A drink or two can put us in a better mood and make us feel more sociable and confident. The problem is when we come to depend on alcohol for that improved mood, to help us navigate tricky social situations or just to make us feel better about life.

WHEN ALCOHOL CONSUMES YOU The first step is admitting you have a problem, but how do you know when it’s a problem? It can be hard to judge when your alcohol consumption is problematic.

Tally Nixon, an addictions counsellor with Calgary’s Youth Addiction Services says that quite a few teens will experiment with drinking alcohol. “The difference is if it’s starting to affect your life,” she says.

Counsellors look at alcohol’s effect on seven major life areas: family, peers, romantic relationships, as well school and/or work, health, and a teen’s legal and fi nancial situations.

“If alcohol is starting to affect any of those areas in your life, then it’s probably worth taking a look at and making some changes,” Nixon says.

TECH TOOLS FOR TRACKING ALCOHOL How do you know when you’re drinking too much? Increasingly, online tools are being used to track alcohol consumption and provide feedback about how much is too much. An anonymous survey at www. checkyourdrinking.net will measure how much you drink and give you feedback, telling you approximately how much you spend on alcohol, how much time you spend under the influence, how many calories you’ve consumed and how your drinking stacks up against your peers.

It’s the basis for a trial being conducted

by researchers at the University of Alberta, who are taking a similar iPad-based survey to hospital emergency rooms to see what impact they might have on curtailing teen drinking. “The goal is to see if giving personalized feedback on the iPad will actually get teens to reduce their drinking and harmful behaviours associated with drinking,” says Katheryn Dong, one of the lead researchers on the project.

Part of the hope is that teens may take the impartial advice offered by the iPad more seriously than a lecture from a doctor or their parents. It also aims to put things into real terms that teens can relate to – for instance, if you drink a six-pack per week for a year, you’ll spend $1,000 and consume 31,000 calories – the equivalent of around two iPads and 125 slices of pizza.

WHEN SOMEONE ELSE HAS A PROBLEM Maybe you don’t drink much, or don’t drink at all. But even with only 14 per cent of students reporting alcohol related harm, there’s still a good chance that someone you’re close to might have problems with alcohol, whether that’s a tendency to engage in binge drinking or a full-fledged dependence. Knowing what to do when one of your friends is drinking too much can be hard.

One of the best things you can do is talk to your friend about your worries. “Definitely talk to your friend about your concern, as much as it may be difficult,” Nixon says. It’s important to talk about it, even if your friend may not be ready to hear it.

You should also talk to someone older about it, whether that’s a teacher or guidance counsellor at school, your parents, or your friend’s parents, as long as it’s someone who can support you and give advice. “It may be too much for a young person to deal with on their own,” Nixon says.

Programs like Youth Addiction Services aren’t limited only to those who have trou-

bles of their own. Addiction and prevention counsellors are able to give advice to those who are coping with someone else’s alcohol use. If you or someone you know has a problem with alcohol, there is a 24-hour helpline you can call at 1-866-332-2322 for information and help finding an addiction services office near you.

IF YOU CHOOSE TO CONSUME Most teens will consume at least some alcohol, whether it’s with our friends or at home with our parents’ knowledge. And most of us will do so without causing any permanent harm to ourselves or anyone else. But if you do decide to drink, how can you be sure you’re making the right choices?

It’s important to be aware of alcohol’s affect on your body and how you process it. While most people can handle a drink or two, any more than that can cause trouble.

Know how much alcohol you can handle and only drink with people you know and trust.

LEARN MORE: Find everything you ever needed to know about alcohol (almost) in our Summer 2010 issue. It’s available online at griponlife.ca Click ‘Archive’ then ‘Summer 2010’ on the left.

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STOPPING Sticky Fingers

By Vanessa Stewart

Call it what you want – “five finger discount,” “lifting,” “jacking,” “nicking” or “racking” – shoplifting from stores is a crime 28

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e know that as teens we consume a lot of different things, from food and drinks to music and clothes. But what happens when people turn to shoplifting in order to acquire those goods? On a weekly basis I hear multiple stories about “racking,” which is a common slang term for shoplifting.

In my group of friends, stealing from retail establishments is, unfortunately, pretty common. Food, paint, clothing, makeup … I’ve heard of people stealing anything they can get their hands on or stuff in their bags quick enough. Oh sure, it makes for a good story, as well as some free stuff, but shoplifting is wrong. It’s illegal. It costs retailers money, and those costs are in turn passed on to consumers (more on that a little later). Plus, what happens when you feel that security guard’s hand grab you from behind? Getting caught shoplifting comes with serious consequences.

Statistics show that one in 11 people shoplift, with men and women shoplifting about equally. Teens in Canada often get involved in this crime for a few reasons, though it’s different for everyone. Some love the feel of their heart speeding up, the thrill of taking something that doesn’t belong to them and being able to get away with it. Getting a good “rep” for “racking” is important for some teens. It gives them a false sense of confidence that they are sneaky and stealthy enough to get away with theft.

For others, it’s a money thing. They don’t want to follow the rules and pay like everyone else. They would rather try and cheat the system to save some dough and do anything to avoid buying things. It’s not necessarily that they don’t have enough cash, but they feel reluctant to spend any of it.

Some teens may be working their first jobs, often in retail establishments, and may steal from their employer. Another common reason teens shoplift is peer pressure. This is usually the story for first and single time offenders.

If someone tries to pressure you into shoplifting, listen to your gut. Do you feel uncomfortable with the situation? Look further ahead and think about the consequences. Is that box of hair dye really worth it in order to fit in?

If your friends are pressuring you to steal things, ask yourself why you’re friends with them. Do a little self reflecting on the situation and you’ll be sure to come out with the right decision.

Another way to resist peer pressure is to practice saying no and being completely able to stand your ground. With good friends you shouldn’t have to lie or make up stories, just tell them how uncomfortable the aftermath of shoplifting sounds to you. Some teens aren’t pressured into shoplifting, but simply become curious and pick it up from others. You might hear stories about your friends taking cookies from Wal-Mart and start to wonder if you

could get away with it too. Free cookies sound good. But is that box of cookies worth the consequences?

What happens if you do get caught? A couple of my friends who have “been there, done that” gave me the details on the situation. The police who arrive at the scene decide whether or not charges will be pressed.

If you are a first time offender, most police officers will drop them. However, if you are charged, you will receive a court date you must attend within three months. In court, you can choose to fight the charges or plead guilty.

When you plead guilty, you must pay a fine (the amount of money differs with each case) and often complete community service. Police officers will often call your parents to give them the low down on the repercussions you will be receiving. Repercussions are different for every case. You might be assigned a probation officer, sent to do community service or have to attend family counselling.

If you get caught shoplifting for the first time, don’t expect to walk away without punishment. If you refuse to attend the program assigned to you, the shoplifting charges are picked up again and pressed. Casual shoplifters who have been caught in the past can receive much larger fines and even jail time.

People who have been arrested for shoplifting may end up with the charges on their criminal record, which can make it harder to get a job. What might seem like an innocent prank when you’re young can seriously affect your future.

If you are concerned about one of your friends who constantly steals, communicate your concerns with them. Remind them of the consequences, like what can happen if they’re caught and how those consequences will affect their life. If you’re still worried, discuss your concerns with a counsellor or other trusted adult. There are ways to help people who shoplift regularly.

Something I struggled with regarding shoplifting was the millions of dollars of profit that corporations make. So what if you steal food worth a measly $10? It’s not like Wal-Mart can’t afford it, they make billions of dollars in profit ever year! But what is rarely mentioned is how stealing things impacts the public. For every item you steal, the price of that item rises to make up for lost profit. Not only are you taking something that doesn’t belong to you, but you’re also making it more expensive for everyone else.

You’ve got to think about your actions. Getting caught shoplifting, even once, is a hassle and inconvenience for everyone. It’s one of those things that impacts your family, the economy, your friends and most importantly, yourself. Every shoplifter I’ve interviewed for this article has the same piece of advice: don’t start shoplifting, and if you have, stop before you’re caught.

Stealing things impacts the public.

For every item you steal, the price of that item rises to make up for lost profit. Not only are you taking something that doesn’t belong to you, but you’re also making it more expensive for everyone else.

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DRINK ON IT Rethink the reach for the energy beverage

By Jena Tang

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ll-nighters are a tradition for high school students and college freshmen, an almost inevitable trademark of adolescence. They’re often aided by an energy drink, the bottle or can we reach for that promises we’ll survive, and even thrive, during our last-minute studying session or Saturday night out.

Energy drinks are a rapidly growing segment of the beverage market, with a recent report in the medical journal Pediatrics showing that about one-third of teens and young adults regularly consume them. These drinks claim to provide extra energy, improve concentration and enhance performance. But is there harm in consuming these alternate forms of internal fuel?

According to Sarah Halton, a registered dietitian with Alberta Health Services, the consumption of energy drinks is not recommended for youth. “The caffeine levels in one 473mL can alone surpass the daily recommended maximum for teens,” Halton says. Such high caffeine levels have consequences, including side effects such as the shakes, an increased heart rate, nervousness, restlessness, feeling irritable, nausea, diarrhea and irregular sleeping patterns.

“Teens turn to energy drinks to obtain that false sense of energy and alertness, which they get from the caffeine, in addition to the flavours and added sweetness,” Halton says.

Manufacturers appear mindful of this, as marketers pitch the beverages to athletes,

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students, and anyone else requiring a prolonged sense of stamina. Halton says that such marketing, including endorsements by celebrities and athletes, plays a significant role in the growing intake of energy drinks.

There are numerous brands of energy drinks available and in 2011, sales of non-alcoholic energy drinks were expected to top US$9 billion, with each label claiming to unleash a previously untapped energy.

The advertised image of an animated go-getter is a hard one to shake, and when combined with the pressure and desire to be that person – the constant life of the party – it’s not surprising that energy drinks are overused. What makes less sense is the lack of knowledge concerning the impact of energy drinks, as well as regulation of the product. The American Association of Poison Control Centers reported 331 cases of energy drink overdoses and negative side effects in the first few months of 2011. In Canada, similar data is unavailable. While that figure might lead one to expect energy drinks to be regulated more stringently, like alcohol, they’re not.

Halton explains that many energy drinks are loaded with caffeine, which stimulates a dependency and adrenaline that ultimately lead to a crash. The caffeine stimulates the central nervous system and triggers an adrenaline rush – just like when your body is under extreme stress. While everyone reacts differently to caffeine, the instant result is

often a false sense of energy. (Energy drinks are different from sports drinks like Gatorade or Powerade, which re-hydrate the body and replenish electrolytes.)

The negative side effects of energy drinks, and the necessity to alert users to them, have only recently been recognized.

In October 2011, Health Canada announced it would start to classify energy drinks in legal terms as a food product, instead of the Natural Health Product (NHP) designation they previously had. Under the new designation, as of 2013, energy drinks are required to have a nutrition facts table.

Health Canada is now working with industry to label these products but, in the meantime, many energy drinks do not dictate specified amounts of caffeine or any other herbal ingredient. This can escalate the risk of overdose and side effects such as dehydration and seizures, as people do not know what they are consuming.

Alberta Health Services and Health Canada do not promote the consumption of energy drinks for youth. The recommended maximum amount of caffeine for youth is approximately 90 to 150 mg a day (based on 2.5 mg of caffeine/kg of body weight). An average 473 ml can of energy drink lists 160 mg of caffeine.

However, manufacturers only have to list added caffeine on the label. Many energy drinks contain naturally occurring sources of caffeine (such as guarana). Therefore, the total caffeine content may be much higher

than what is shown.The excessive amount of caffeine in an energy drink presents dangerous risks, which are magnified when mixed with alcohol. “Together the two increase the level of dehydration, resulting in a faster intoxication level and heightening the chances of injury,” Halton says. Energy drinks also contain stimulants like taurine, ginseng and ginkgo biloba, which may hide the side effects of drinking alcohol.

So while we often strive for the sense of power found in caffeine to cope with the pressures of grades and upholding social obligations,

the evidence seems clear – we should rethink our reach for the energy drink. What’s a teen in need of energy to do? Instead of reaching for energy from a can, look to change your lifestyle. The healthiest alternative to energy drinks and caffeine is to establish a healthier lifestyle, one that will promote authentic and lasting energy.

CAN THE CANNED CAFFEINE If you do choose to consume energy drinks, drink in moderation. Don’t take these drinks on an empty stomach and don’t use them to replace food. They are not adequate fluid replacements and, because of the caffeine content, they can actually mask the signs of dehydration. Registered dietitian Sarah Halton says that if you want to develop and maintain a higher level of energy over the long term so that the reserves are there when you need them, your best bet is to follow some common-sense tips:

• STAY HYDRATED: Drinking water regularly keeps your body hydrated and energetic

• SLEEP: Get 9 to 10 hours of sleep daily to restore your body’s resources

• STAY ACTIVE: Exercise, play sports, or just move around

• EAT BETTER: An overall healthy diet provides your body with lasting fuel

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She SaidS

Grip assigned two teens to argue on opposite sides of a pointed problem, just for the fun of a good argument. Along the way, these debaters reflect on the effectiveness of junk food bans, what’s considered a healthy snack and whose responsibility it is to make healthy choices

ILLUSTRATION: HEFF O’REILLY

“In school, health classes teach people to improve their eating habits. So shouldn’t they live what they preach?” asks Ann Lee. “If schools keep selling chocolate bars and cookies and pop, making these unhealthy foods readily available to youth, it makes the lessons learned in the classroom on healthy eating habits less effective.”

Let’s face it: when given the choice between junk food and more wholesome alternatives, many people (including adults) will choose fattening, sugar and sodium loaded snacks. Some of it might be because of convenience, as these packaged foods are often seen as easier to consume in a hurry, while some of it comes down to taste. But regardless of why people choose junk food, they do, and that’s why schools should ban the sale of unhealthy snack foods.

Many parents, including my own, lovingly encourage their offspring to snack and dine on healthy grains, fruits and veggies, dairy products (not including chocolate, unfortunately), and meat and alternatives. But when we are then constantly in the presence of junk food, including junk food in vending machines when walking to class, it makes it all the more tempting to try what we might not get at home. Many students may go and spend their cash on snack food at the first chance they get. From there, it’s downhill for healthy eating habits and uphill for diseases that could have been prevented by eating right.

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Another reason why schools should ban the sale of unhealthy foods is our generation is predicted to be the first to not outlive our parents because of health concerns, such as childhood obesity. A ban on junk food allows schools to set a good example and to help prevent future health crises.

The saying “out of sight, out of mind” also holds true, as when students are hungry and are in search of food and they have only healthy foods to choose from, they probably will still buy something to eat. This may lead to healthier choices when it comes to snacks.

Although a focus in schools and in the classroom on physical education and nutrition is still important, I believe that getting rid of junk food is a strong first step. In school, health classes teach people to improve their eating habits. So shouldn’t they live what they preach? If schools keep selling chocolate bars and cookies and pop, making these unhealthy foods readable available to youth, it makes the lessons learned in the classroom on healthy eating habits less effective.

A “thou-shalt-not” approach on junk food is particularly effective for teens because during our teenage years, we are often tired in the mornings and more alert in the afternoons. This laziness in the mornings can make it harder to wake up early to make a lunch and easier to just buy a lunch at school, where unhealthy choices are readily available. But by banning junk food, healthy choices can be made and can become habit. Then, when we’re at a store that has healthy food and junk food, we will reach for the healthier options.

She Said Should junior high and high schools ban the sale of junk food?

By Ann Lee and Zosia Prus-Czarnecka “Though it may seem that banning junk food in schools is a quick and easy way of eliminating a problem, it is important that the issue be addressed rather than simply avoided,” writes Zosia Prus-Czarnecka. “Implementing a ban would not do anything to change students’ mindsets towards junk food; it would only tell them that they can’t have it at school.”

Public schools in Calgary recently imposed a junk food ban on all food under the category “choose least often” in the Canadian Food Guide. Although the administration considers this an effective way of promoting healthy lifestyles in students and battling obesity, I am against the ban.

Though it may seem that banning junk food in schools is a quick and easy way of eliminating a problem, it is important that the issue be addressed rather than simply avoided. Implementing a ban would not do anything to change students’ mindsets towards junk food; it would only tell them that they can’t have it at school. With this in mind, nothing is stopping kids from bringing junk food from home or wasting their money on buying chocolate bars and chips outside of school.

It is always more effective to tell someone “do this” rather than “don’t do that.” When youth feel that their choices are restricted, they will do everything to rebel and show that they can get around the barriers.

Not having chocolate at school will only make them crave it more

outside of school. If teachers want to promote a healthy lifestyle in youth and help limit obesity, they should focus on promoting exercise and balanced diets.

Rather than imposing bans they could, for example, add fifteen minutes of physical activity to every school day. Once kids are introduced to a sport or physical activity that they love, they will work hard to be good at it.

Everyone needs to eat healthy and balanced meals. People will focus more on what they eat because they will see the benefits to doing so.

School exists, in part, to help teach students how to make smart and knowledgeable decisions. By simply banning junk food, we already make this choice for students and restrict their freedom. The emphasis needs to be on stepping away from junk food and instead on healthy eating and exercise. However, in order for this to be successful and well understood by students in the long term and outside of school, they need to make the decision consciously on their own.

Although we spend 12 years in the public education system, it is important to realize that ultimately the school’s role is to prepare us for what will come afterwards. Some argue that youth are not mature enough to make such choices for themselves, however, it is important that we focus on developing the mindset that goes along with making these decisions. Simply placing us in an environment where all the decisions have already been made for us is not going to teach us how to choose wisely outside of that environment.

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Rock

By Alex Savage

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Does the music we consume define us?

A Grip writer explains why he listens to heavy metal music and what this genre means to him GRIPMagazine

eavy metal is a controversial genre of music. Since its creation in the late 1960s people have feared it and misunderstood it, and the people who listen to it have been judged, not on who they are but by what they listen to.

The genre caused such uproar that in 1985, an American committee called the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) was formed. Its intent was to increase parental control over children’s access to music that was thought to be violent, have drug use or be sexual. The group set out 15 songs, known as the “Filthy Fifteen”, which they thought were the worst of the worst. The songs were of varying genres, but seven of the 15 songs were metal/hard rock.

Bands like AC/DC and Twisted Sister were scrutinized for writing music the PMRC didn’t necessarily like. But when they called upon Dee Snider (from the band Twisted Sister), he told the group about the actual influences behind his band’s songs and spoke about how the PMRC was intent on finding what they were looking for, regardless of what the songs were actually about.

I listen to heavy metal music for two reasons. The first reason is that when I started listening I was between bands and genres. I didn’t really know what I liked. At the time many of my friends listened to heavy metal music, from Led Zeppelin to Bring Me The Horizon. I gave it a try and I liked what I heard.

My other reason for listening to heavy metal is that I find the genre audibly pleasing. When I first heard it, it was the best thing I had listened to in a long time.

But the feedback I receive for listening to heavy metal is usually negative.

On

People ranging from my teachers to my parents generally display disgust for it, constantly saying it is nothing more than screaming. I’ve had teachers who have told me to turn my music down, but have disregarded kids listening to a more mainstream genre. Even some of my friends look at me differently, categorizing me more in the stereotypical head banger class.

I also feel I’ve been judged on the music I listen to by people I don’t even know. Heavy metal music has greatly influenced the circles I run in and the clothes I wear and because of this, I’ve had grown men avoid me on the street, just for what was playing in my ear and what I was wearing.

I feel that heavy metal music is looked down on because it chooses to celebrate what we in our daily lives try to cover up and push under the rug.

It celebrates the fact that not everything in life is sunshine and flowers and not everything is as pretty as we try to make it look.

Metal, in fact, is a big genre. There are about 28 sub-genres underneath it (ranging from black metal to the more mainstream and popular Christian or white metal to viking metal to metalcore), each with their own sound, look and play style. But the general consensus is that the actual sound of metal has changed, as you can no longer (easily) find the bands you would have in the 60s and 70s. The days of Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath are long gone for today’s youth.

The change happened in the 1980s (although other genres like grunge and nu metal didn’t break from the herd until the mid 1990s). Bands took on both a frillier, more feminine look (glam metal, with bands like Mötley Crüe and

Twisted Sister) and also a darker, more hellish look to them (this occurred with the emergence of the thrash metal genre, led by Anthrax, Slayer, Metallica and Megadeth). These bands not only changed the way metal looked and sounded, but also the way the youth of the day looked and acted, as they abandoned the glittery appeal of the 70s for a blacker look. This, in turn, brought an outcry from more people.

All over the world, metal isn’t regarded as too pretty or nice, especially when someone who may or may not listen to the genre does something unthinkable. The genre has been linked to violence, suicide, depression and more. But when I listen to the lyrics of many metal songs, nowhere in them do I find references or commands to commit such acts.

The way I dress has also been influenced by this genre. I tend to go towards darker clothes and I sport a spiked belt and a woven leather wrist cuff. But that’s just me. Several of my friends who also listen to the genre wear lots of colours and also sport bandannas and other things not heavily associated with heavy metal. For me, the music and the scene heavily influence the way I dress, but metal is all about doing your own thing and not following the herd, so clothing style is ultimately up to you.

To those who are unsure about this genre, why not have a listen and decide for yourself?

Does the music you consume define you?

Let us know at www.facebook.com/GripMag

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Sons (and sounds) of the North The friends behind Boreal Sons are turning their passion into a career, and gaining many listeners along the way

T

he serene sounds of Boreal Sons involve a combination of soothing and sometimes haunting vocals, intricate piano arrangements and a mix of soft drumming, melody-emphasized bass playing and nature-inclined lyrics. This is, after all, a band with a name and sound influenced by the North. “Boreal means of or pertaining to the North, as in aurora borealis and the boreal forest,” says Evan Acheson, the band’s pianist and vocalist.

The roots of this Calgary-based band, however, began in the warm comfort of a living room.

It started with bassist and back-up vocalist Reagan Cole McLean, now 24, who convinced his friends Zach Schultz, 22, and Evan, 23, to start a band after high school, despite the fact the friends didn’t play any instruments.

“We loved listening to music together and Reagan said, ‘Well, why can’t we be in a band?’ ” Evan says. “We thought it was a wild idea but he kept pushing it to the point where we tried it.”

GRIPMagazine

By Sandy Xu

At the time, Evan had only been playing piano for a few years, while Zach and Reagan had no experience playing their current instruments (they played other instruments in high school band). “We made a terrible racket in Reagan’s parent’s living room … that’s how it started,” Evan says. Since then, the group has worked to refine both their skills and sound.

Evan’s desire to play the piano started when he was eight or nine years old and would take his dad’s cassette tapes of Mozart, Bach and Beethoven.

“I would lie awake at night listening to these classical compositions,” he says. He was determined to learn to play such music, but his family didn’t have a piano and couldn’t afford lessons. That changed when Evan was 16 and a family Evan’s family knew moved to Thailand to become missionaries, leaving their piano with Evan’s family. A piano teacher in Evan’s neighbourhood offered him lessons for half-price and, says Evan, “I just took to it and loved learning piano.”

Once Boreal Sons moved beyond the “terrible racket” stage, the group, which initially included Evan’s brother on guitar, continued to use Reagan’s parents’ living room as home base. The group released their first EP Whom Thunder Hath Made Greater in 2010.

Today, the band’s sounds are influenced by diverse genres from classical compositions to jazz to more folksy music and mellow, lyrical ballads.

“It’s hard to put ourselves in one genre,” Evan says, “We were calling it piano-led-folk-rock for a long time, but we have a new EP coming out that you’d have a difficult time calling folk, it’s much more experimental.”

Playing, practising and writing music is balanced with schoolwork and co-ordinating the band members’ various schedules in different locations (Zach has been studying recording and sound engineering in Vancouver, while Reagan and Evan remain in Calgary). Despite that busyness, Evan says he finds inspiration for writing songs in a few different places, including his schoolwork. “I’m in my fifth and final semester of English and have really fallen in love with poetry in the last few years,” Evan says. At the same time, he’s excited to be done school “so I can really pour myself into writing and so we can concentrate as a band on making this a career.”

Already, the band has experienced some incredible opportunities, including one that came when they weren’t expecting it. “We volunteered at a camp called RockRidge Canyon Resort in B.C. where they hosted the boot camp for the PEAK Performance Project,” Evan says. The musical development program, sponsored by a radio station in Vancouver, selects top young musicians in B.C. As Evan tells it, by a stroke of luck, musician and friend Aidan Knight was convinced to play an impromptu show in the basement of one of the dormitories. It was an intimate and unlikely

setting, says Evan, and before it was over, Aidan asked Boreal Sons to come play one of their songs. “We made do with a keyboard, a bass, Zach grabbed some Tupperware bowls from the cupboard and took a drumstick out and we just played one of our songs,” Evan says. What the band didn’t know, however, is that a number of the judges from the competition had heard about Aidan’s show and made their way down, right in time to hear Boreal Son’s performance. The band was asked if they would like to open for the showcase the following night, which put them in front of top B.C. musicians as well as industry executives. That led to expanding their connections in B.C.’s music community, as well as in Alberta.

Boreal Sons is preparing for the release of their new EP Bedtime Briar, an album that explores themes such as consciousness, curiosity and identity. “It has a continuous narrative thread that goes through the whole thing,” Evan says (learn more at www.borealsons.com).

Between playing shows and creating music, Evan has a favourite part of the process. “It’s being able to have a spark of an idea, creatively experimenting with it until you get something that you like and sharing it with your closet friends who add their own creative flair to it in different ways, then collaboratively working on that project to a point where you’re actually able to share it with people,” he says. The band has done just that, on a West Coast tour with Jordan Klassen last May, and plans for more shows in Western Canada this summer.

For Evan, his advice to teens that are equally passionate about their music is simple. “It’s all about taking one step at a time,” Evan says. “It starts with the conviction that you really want to do something. And if you want to do it, pursue it, and you won’t believe what can actually happen.”

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38

This is

How an Edmonton teen’s passion for water issues helped turn her high school into a bottled water free campus

By Matt Hirji

C

PHOTOGRAPH BY BUFFY GOODMAN

laire Edwards drinks out of a reusable water bottle.

It’s a one litre translucent container made of recyclable plastic, the type that many teenagers drink out of. For Claire, a 17-year-old Grade 12 student at Edmonton’s McNally High School, the bottle is a way to impact the world.

One year ago Claire attended a youth conference on issues of water sustainability, hosted by the John Humphrey Center, a non-profit human rights education organization in Edmonton. The four-day conference featured various speakers from around the world discussing water, an important and precious resource. It was an enlightening experience. Before the conference, Claire had never considered that the water that is so readily available and affordable to her could be so riddled in controversy.

“Bottled water is horrible for the environment,” Claire says. “It takes an average of three litres of water to create one litre of bottled water. In 2007, more than 17 million barrels of oil were used just to create the plastics to make bottles. And on top of that, 2.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide were emitted in the production of the plastic, not including the energy required to transport the bottles of water. It’s ridiculous how horrible it is.”

The conference had a resounding impact on Claire. It highlighted a troublesome issue – the bottled water industry’s negative impact on the environment – that Claire hadn’t even thought about before. And Claire isn’t a teenager content to wait for other people to change things.

“I needed to tell people about this. I had never thought about it before. I just thought that water was healthy, and that I was getting something that was really clean if I got it out of a bottle. But that’s really not true,” Claire says.

GRIPMagazine

Claire Edwards

PLASTIC GETS THE SACK: Esther Tran (left) and Claire Edwards (right) wanted their high school to ban plastic water bottles.

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39

40 Thisis Claire Edwards “Most of this water comes from municipal sources, so companies get water out of taps and then sell it back to the consumer for 3,000 times what they got it out for, while hurting the environment.”

It didn’t make sense to Claire that Canada has some of the best quality water right out of the tap, but an industry that hurts the environment for a product that’s already there was still in business.

So Claire did something about it. With the help of her friend and student union president Esther Tran (who had also attended the conference), Claire approached her high school’s principal and proposed that her school become a bottled water free campus.

“One of the best things about the conference was that we could actually meet and talk to the guests and see that they’re real people just like we are that we’re all capable of making a difference in the world,” Esther says. Esther and Claire were inspired to make a difference at their school.

It was an ambitious idea. The girls needed the administration to buy each of their classmates (over 1,100 students attend McNally) a reusable water bottle that they could use instead of purchasing bottled water. And on top of that, Claire and Esther wanted to install a water fountain that could count the amount of water bottles that would be saved as a result of the reusable water bottles.

“When we presented the idea, they asked us why we wanted to pursue the cause and the short and long term benefits and effects, not just for environmental reasons, but also for health and education reasons,” Esther says.

When the girls presented their idea, backed up with the research they had done on the issue, their school’s administration was receptive. The cost of the water fountain and reusable water bottles was more than $6,400. But according to Claire, that’s just a drop in the bucket compared to the potential long-term benefits of the initiative.

Once Claire and Esther had convinced their school’s administration to implement a bottled water free campus, they still had to educate their peers. They knew that it wouldn’t be enough to simply provide students with their own reusable water bottles. Students needed to learn why using reusable bottles is a better choice than

“Awareness is always key. When people know about the issues, it’s a lot easier to convince them to take corrective action,” says Claire Edwards, a Grade 12 student in Edmonton.

GRIPMagazine

buying a bottle of water. With this in mind, Claire and Esther went from classroom to classroom giving presentations about the negative impacts of the bottled water industry.

“Awareness is always key. When people know about the issues, it’s a lot easier to convince them to take corrective action. So we didn’t just shove the bottles at them. I tried to explain the problems with drinking bottled water and most of them were completely shocked. They were very receptive to the campaign,” Claire says.

Claire and Esther’s hard work paid off. The campaign has dramatically reduced the amount of non-reusable water bottles consumed in the school, while initiating conversations among students about the adverse effects of the

bottled water industry. After just two months, the automatic fountain that counts each bottle saved reached 4,000 bottles.

“Everybody at the school is very enthusiastic about it,” Claire says. “Hopefully they won’t buy bottled water ever again.”

With a bottled water free program successfuly implemented at her school, Claire began to investigate other problematic topics related to water sustainability. She quickly uncovered something troubling: the federal government estimates 20,000 First Nations people in Canada have no access to running water or sewage.

“They rely on bottled water shipments from the Canadian government, which are often

GET INVOLVED

unreliable. If the shipments don’t come in on time it causes major problems; students can’t go to school, businesses can’t be run,” Claire says.

Once again, Claire wasn’t content to just know these facts – she had to do something about it.

She jumped into action once again and, with the support of the Amnesty International Club at her high school, Claire started a letter writing campaign to the Prime Minister. In total the group sent more than 300 letters imploring Stephen Harper to create water infrastructure for Canadian communities that don’t have access to such infrastructure.

“I think primarily in Canada we take water for granted. We are blessed with an abundance of fresh water, so I would really like to see people in

this country value it more and know how essential it is,” Claire says.

And all the while, Claire continues to drink out of her reusable water bottle, optimistic that each sip, along with plenty of ambition, can make a difference. Even when she graduates from high school this year and goes on to attend the University of Alberta, with plans to pursue a career in international law, the water fountain will remain installed in the halls of McNally High School.

“People might think that I am too busy for someone my age, but I’m not a stressed out person at all. I love what I’m doing,” Claire says.

“That’s my advice to all teenagers: just do what you love to do. If it makes you happy, then you can make a difference.”

Claire Edwards first became involved with the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights, a non-profit human rights education organization located in Edmonton, in Grade 10. She took part in the Centre’s Youth Action Project, a leadership program for youth that included visiting numerous non-profit organizations to explore the human rights issues present in Edmonton. The program included first-hand experience with one of those organizations, and Claire says her placement at the food bank got her “hooked on volunteerism.”

Find something you love, says Claire, and get involved. To learn more about the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights, visit www.jhcentre.org.

Esther Tran has some advice for students interested in implementing a bottled water free campus at their school. “Make sure you do your research before you get too far ahead of yourself. There will always be skeptics, and even if people are supportive it’s also their job to ask questions and challenge you to make sure you have a solid case to invest in,” she says. Esther also recommends being organized and prepared, and always asking for the highest amount of what you want, be it funding, support, or time. “The people who make all the big decisions will talk you down to what they can give you. It’s better for them to know your full expectations and goals than for you to sell yourself and your idea short,” she says. griponlife.ca

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42 The

Dangers

of

E Ten Alberta deaths have been linked to tainted ecstasy. Darcy Ropchan fi nds out what teens need to know about the deadly drug

GRIPMagazine

cstasy is nothing new. The drug, also called MDMA and X, has been known and available to teens for a number of years. While ecstasy was traditionally the drug of choice by teenagers at raves and parties, its use has spread to people of all ages at a variety of locations. It is usually taken by mouth in a tablet form by users seeking reported euphoric and/or stimulant effects.

It’s never a healthy decision to take street drugs, but, a recent number of deaths in Alberta have put the spotlight on the dangers of ecstasy. Ten deaths in Southern Alberta of people ranging in age from 15- to 43-years-old have been linked to ecstasy that contains a highly toxic substance, called para-methoxymethamphetamine (PMMA). In B.C., officials have recently linked five deaths to PMMA. Dr. Mark Yarema, medical director of the Poison and Drug Information Service (PADIS), says that an overload of several neurotransmitters, as well as hyperthermia, are very real – and potentially fatal – risks when taking ecstasy. Ecstasy, whether it contains PMMA or not, acts as stimulant and causes an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. Whether used on its own, or in

a combination with other drugs or medications, ecstasy is not safe, and there is no safe amount of the drug.

“When you take ecstasy you basically increase the amount of what we call neurotransmitters in your body. The ones that people are most familiar with are noradrenaline and serotonin,” he says. “What people are after are the pleasurable serotonin effects. But what happens in extreme situations is that too much serotonin increases your heart rate, blood pressure and your muscle contractions. So you end up having problems with rigid arms and rigid legs and sometimes you can seize as well.”

The environment that ecstasy is often prevalent in also contributes to its dangerous side effects. Combining it with other substances like alcohol can severely dehydrate a person and cause fatigue and a possible loss of consciousness. If you’re at a rave or a party that’s crowded and hot, the effects are increased.

“You end up not having the internal cooling mechanisms in place to keep yourself cool. It’s very similar to exercising outside with all your clothes on when the temperature is 100 degrees,” Dr. Yarema says Although the most recent well-publicized deaths are associated with ecstasy that contains PMMA, the fact is that there is no such thing as a “pure” or “safe” street drug. Street drugs are cut with multiple chemicals, and you will never know what you’re buying.

Dr. Yarema adds that, for those individuals who do not die from the health consequences of ecstasy or PMMA, a lengthy stay in post-incident rehabilitation could be necessary to deal with the lifelong damages this drug causes. Permanent damages are a very real risk, and as a result, feeding tubes or kidney dialysis can be required If you’re with someone who has used ecstasy and becomes unconscious, stops breathing, experiences chest pain or has a seizure, call 911 immediately. Dr. Yarema says to seek medical attention as soon as possible, regardless of how much trouble you think you might be in.

The consequences of not getting your friend to an emergency room far outweigh those of getting caught by parents or police.

“I recognize that there is concern among youth that they’re going to get in trouble if they arrive at the hospital or that we’re going to call the police or that we’re going to call their parents,” Dr. Yarema says.

“It’s important to recognize that we focus our attention on treating the patient first.”

When it comes to education, prevention and stopping the use of such drugs, there are no simple solutions. The possibility of a drug amnesty policy was recently suggested in Calgary, a policy that would allow anyone in possession of ecstasy to bring it to a police station and have it

destroyed, with no questions asked. But because the legality of drugs falls under federal jurisdiction, Calgary police did not support such a plan.

Innovative ways of getting the word out about the dangers of such drugs have included a question and answer session on Twitter, under the hashtag #letstalkPMMA. Dr. Yarema answered questions on Twitter, as a way to help educate people on the risks of taking these drugs.

Participants of all ages were encouraged to ask questions about the use of ecstasy and other street drugs. “We did have a number of parents and educators and people who are leading various community groups participate in the discussion,” he says.

Ecstasy and similar street drugs are illegal under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, but the key to truly stopping the spread and use of these drugs is in education – to teens as well as adults. Dr. Yarema is pleased with the continued media coverage, which he feels has helped make this topic one of mainstream concern, and, better yet, dinner table discussion.

He notes that education on the drug can be as simple as talking with others, including your parents. It doesn’t have to be an accusatory conversation, Dr. Yarema says, but just asking about someone’s opinions on drug use can lead to an insightful discussion.

It’s hoped increased public awareness will help deter potential users of the drug. After all, “There’s no safe street drug, there’s no safe dose of a street drug, and no one is immune to the risks of street drugs,” Dr. Yarema says.

“There’s no safe street drug, there’s no safe dose of a street drug, and no one is immune to the risks of street drugs,” Dr. Yarema says.

WHERE TO GO FOR HELP • Learn more about PMMA and ecstasy, including FAQs, at www.albertahealthservices.ca/6320.asp • The Poison & Drug Information Service (PADIS) is a free, confi dential, 24-hour helpline for all Albertans. Staff are trained in the assessment and management of exposures to drugs and toxins.

Reach PADIS at 1-800-332-1414.

• If you are concerned about your own drug use or the drug use of a family member or friend, or if you would simply like more information on drug use, contact the Addiction & Mental Health 24-hour Helpline at 1-866-332-2322.

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44

The Meaning of Making

Every Moment Count

Two teens’ perspective on life changed after their family members were suddenly hurt in accidents

By Hannah Purdue and Brennon Jarvis

I

picked up the phone to hear my mom tell me that my brother, Tyler, was in the Edmonton hospital. Tyler was in critical condition after a dirt bike accident. I was overwhelmed and my heart sank, my jaw dropped and tears fell down my cheek.

My friend Dani looked at me, confused. “Hannah what’s wrong, who was on the phone, why are you crying?” Dani began asking questions that I gave no reply to. My mind sat blank and my ears felt plugged, only able to hear the laughter of the young children and families that ran past us as we stood beside the ferris wheel at the fair.

In shock, I phoned my mom back and rambled on with questions about Tyler. My mom had no answer to my questions, as she herself didn’t know.

“I will phone you back when I know more about what’s going on,” she said.

By this point I was stuck worrying, not knowing if my brother was going to be okay, what kind of condition he was in and when I would see him again. I felt filled with regret that I wasn’t there for my brother; I felt helpless. Before I could stop myself, I began walking away from Dani with rage and anger. Harsh thoughts began to overwhelm my mind.

What did I do to deserve this? How can all you people here walk around happy and joyful when there are such harsh burdens put upon people in the world? How does everyone pretend like nothing’s wrong and continue on with life, with no regret? I turned to Dani and said, “I have regretted not telling my brother I love him, not hanging out with him every time I got the chance, not thanking him for always being there for me.”

Tyler had just finished high school when a truck hit him on his dirt bike GRIPMagazine

near my family’s farm. He was then rushed to the University hospital in Edmonton where our family was told Tyler broke three vertebrae in his lower back, along with breaking his right foot and suffering severe nerve damage.

Imagine the discomfort of having to learn to walk again, losing all your privacy and yet keeping a positive attitude and still putting everyone else before yourself. Tyler was in a back brace for three months, had two surgeries and continues to have severe back pain, but he managed not to lose his spirit throughout all the struggles he faced. Tyler showed me that family is the most important aspect of my life.

My family learned to enjoy every moment as our last, and embrace the times we have with one another. To think I may never have had another chance to speak to my brother again was terrifying. I previously took my family for granted without even realizing the consequences. Anything can happen, so express and enjoy the company of your loved ones before it’s too late. – Hannah Purdue

“To think I may never have had another chance to speak to my brother again was terrifying.”

It was July 9, 2010 when I learned never to take anything in life for granted. I had to learn the hard way. That July was one of the worst but most memorable and life changing summers I have ever had. My dad was in a severe motorbike accident, colliding with a deer and breaking five ribs and part of his collar bone. He suffered a severe concussion and he damaged one of his eyes.

This accident happened at about 5 a.m. while he was on his way to work. My mom and sister found out at 6 in the morning and were at the hospital in Calgary by 7. When all of this was happening, I was unfortunately all the way in Golden, B.C., on my way back from Vancouver Island, where I had gone on vacation with my friend.

It was about 3 p.m. when my friend dropped me off and I will never forget the look my mom had on her face when I saw her standing on the driveway. All that my mom told me was that my dad was in an accident with his motorbike and he would be OK – but I didn’t understand at that time how badly he was hurt. That was very hard for me to deal with on

the way to the hospital, when I just needed to see my dad and wanted to be with him right away.

The first time I saw my dad he was in rough shape. After four days in the hospital he was able to come home. The doctors said time would heal his broken bones but the eye doctor wasn’t confident that his left eye would ever be the same.

This experience showed me to never, ever take my dad for granted. I make sure to say “I love you” to him and all of my other family members each day and to care for them. I don’t take the material things that I have in my home for granted either, because what if one day I don’t have that plasma screen TV or my Xbox?

Don’t wait for a life changing event to say and do the important things in life – like giving your parents a hug, saying “I love you” to someone you care about, lending a hand to a stranger, or being kind to a senior citizen. Go home tell your family you love them. Be thankful for everything you have, and most importantly, don’t take anything for granted. – Brennon Jarvis griponlife.ca

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46

ILLUSTRATION: RAYMOND REID

By Evan Tran

GRIPMagazine GRIP Magazine

My diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder put a label on the superstitious thoughts blasting in my head, but it was just the start of my journey with OCD

I

n May 2010, I received the shock of a lifetime. I’ll never forget the words that I heard then: “Evan, you have obsessive-compulsive disorder.” The word “disorder” punctured my eardrum like a sonic boom.

Before that time, I had no clue what was happening to me. I believed that a constant anxiety machine was just who I was developing into. I felt that this was a repercussion from being bullied during elementary school.

I never imagined I would have a disorder at all, but there was something definitely wrong with my thinking. My attempts to ignore and push these intrusive thoughts away only caused my stress level to rise.

In my Grade 10 year, after what seemed like daily trips to the guidance counsellor’s office, my high school counsellor deemed my constant worries beyond the scope of regular hormonal issues. Imagine yourself constantly in fear of your own school, not because of anything physical, but what you mentally believe is happening.

I was consumed by worries, such as taking an exact number of steps so nothing horrific would happen. I tried not to breathe too much school air because I believed it was making me short, and I avoided certain people because I thought their presence could instantly make me stupider. Eventually, I needed to find out what was wrong. I jumped from appointment to appointment, from my general physician to a psychiatrist and finally to a psychologist, before the reality of my obsessive-compulsive disorder diagnosis, or OCD, as it’s known, finally sank in.

So what exactly is OCD? It’s an anxiety disorder that is characterized by unreasonable thoughts or fears (called obsessions), which lead you to do repetitive behaviours (called compulsions). In short, people with OCD feel a need to do rituals to satisfy unnerving thoughts. Many of us have obsessive thoughts, like checking the door to see if it’s locked, or checking the stove to see if it’s on. But when obsessive thoughts interfere with your daily routine – people with OCD may repeat a behaviour 10 or even 50 times and still not feel satisfied – it is then classified as a disorder.

To illustrate what the thoughts are like, imagine that OCD has turned off the “stop” circuit inside your brain and your thoughts become a race car going non-stop at maximum speed. These speeding thoughts can cause repetitive behaviours, such as washing your hands until your skin dries out, checking and rearranging things so they are just right, or counting the same numbers over and over again.

Although it took a while to receive, my diagnosis of OCD gave me a feeling of resolve. Finally, I had a way to label the superstitious thoughts that were blasting on full volume in my head. There was a bit of relief in knowing that my current state of mind could be treated. At the same time, however, there was a long journey ahead of me in my battle against OCD. For me, the strangest part about having OCD is that I knew these thoughts didn’t make a whole lot of sense. For example, OCD convinced me that a certain classmate was stealing my talents. I knew it did not make sense, but just the thought of the classmate’s name put me on edge.

To my surprise, knowing OCD thoughts do not make sense was one of the greatest tools I had against OCD. The insight that OCD does not make sense actually gave me a lot of power to run it out of my life.

One of the greatest changes was being put on daily medication. Even the idea of swallowing a pill left a sour taste in my mouth. I could just never swallow pills without my tongue fighting me every step of the way.

But after a couple months on medication, I was finally introduced to my psychiatrist, which ultimately led to the current sessions that I participate in with my psychologist. In total, getting from point A to point B took about a year and a half, but the results were well worth the time.

Looking back, I have to admit that while I was trying to get rid of my OCD, I was also reluctant to fully pursue 100 per cent eradication, mainly because there was a familiarity about having OCD around, which to this day still leaves me with some symptoms. But I’m not worried, because I know I’ve come a long way.

What can you do about OCD? First, seek medical help. Get a proper diagnosis by finding the right medical professional and opinion. It can take seeing several different ones before finding the ideal fit and answers.

Through my journey of exposure and response prevention therapy, I’ve learned that one of the best things is to understand that OCD is not a part of you or me. Think of it as your brain having a hiccup, and you need to find a way to get rid of it. Exposure and response prevention therapy is a process that gradually led me to map out my OCD, analyzing my anxieties on a scale, and allowed me to consciously and proactively resist my rituals. Instead of avoiding my OCD, I confronted my obsessions and prevented myself from giving into the compulsions, starting with the easiest and working my way up.

I was taught that the secret for this plan to work was to go slowly, and remind myself that I was in control, that I can walk seven steps today instead of 10, and then five the next day, until I get down to zero.

One of the ways of differentiating yourself from OCD is giving it a nickname, or even just calling it “OCD.” Instead of saying “I have to count everything in just the right order”, say “Old Math Nerd is telling me to count numbers again.” Sit down, and make a map of your OCD, detailing triggers, obsessions, and rituals. You can also rank them from one to 10, with one being “No problem!” and 10 being “I can’t.” In this way, you realize that there are things you can do where OCD doesn’t show up at all!

It’s also helpful to have close family or friends to provide encouragement during the process of getting rid of this illness, just like if it was the flu. Take a step back and look at OCD as something separate from you.

Observe it, accept that it’s there, and remind yourself who has the power.

Remember, you can get rid of OCD, just take it one step at a time.

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48

Portfolio In each issue of Grip, we feature creative works from our readers – poetry, personal essays, short stories, illustrations, comic strips and photography.

Travis Barker ALICIA VAN DER SLUIJS

Just for Today

BY CALYNN DALE

The Butterfly in my Yard MAHFUZA SHEIKH GRIPMagazine GRIP Magazine

Just for Today, I will see myself as beautiful; Ambitious, Unique, Daring.

I am free and free spirited.

If anyone disagrees with me, I will disagree with them.

Just for today, I will be at peace in Mind, Body and Soul.

I will close my ears to the hatred, The lies and deceit.

I will open my eyes to see not what others see, but what they choose not to see, not to praise.

I will shut my mouth, will speak no criticism nor hatred toward any living thing.

Just for today, I will be me.

Winning submissions are awarded $50. They are also featured in the magazine and on the website at www.griponlife.ca. Send in your submissions to creative@griponlife.ca Hang in There NIGHT FALL

BY CHRISTINE GREEN

BY VANESSA STEWART

Please Trust in what you don’t see Please Believe me I’ll do whatever I have to do, I will help you get through.

Yes, the world is dark now, But you’re going to get through some how.

If your dreams feel far away, I’ll get you through another day.

Please believe when I say You will survive some way.

If you feel weak We’ll drag you out of this valley, You will reach the peak!

You are stronger than you know.

You’re a candle that won’t cease to glow.

You are no stranger to pain, But you will be whole again.

No matter what you do, I won’t abandon you.

Miracles can come true There is a life plan for you.

There are many others who want to see you well too, So take each day as an opportunity anew.

Macro Heart MASUMA SHEIKH

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Portfolio

Web Meadow JACOB WONG

Northern Downtown

BY STEPHEN GUST

The sky bleeds ink which seamlessly becomes the street beneath my sneakers The foreign avenues of my hometown sprawl into a gnarled mess of adult-ish things Houses snarl at me, territorially. They’ve never seen me before. It’s only natural.

Spray Paint Space Art

BY HOLLY MIDKIFF

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A street lamp, five paces left, ten forward, their coconspirator conceals my moon and stars as the schoolyard bully snatches your cap and waves it out of reach – above your head – because he’s taller than you and he knows it.

No matter, I’ve no more time to give my schoolyard bullies for I haven’t long before I reach the soul of a tangled city drenched in the tarry horizon.

Pop Art Self Portrait GRACE NOH

The Green Mountain Peak

BY MAHMUDA SHEIKH

“By the end of night under the fading moon light the crickets creak as the owls speak: The beauty is unique of the green mountain peak.

The sun will rise in the east blue skies.

The wild birds will sing for here is the new morning.

While into the ocean drains the crocked creak rise and shine says all on the green mountain peak.”

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Tree

BY SARAH SPENCE

Tearing Them Down

BY VANESSA STEWART

Pop Art Self Portrait Mural

BY LOUIS ST. LAURENT CATHOLIC SCHOOL

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Last Word Humour

Unusual Sports of the World

By Mikayla Bortscher

It’s unlikely you’ll be seeing these “sports” in the Olympics any time soon, but some of them sure do sound fun. And yes, we promise they all exist and we’re not just making this up.

EXTREME IRONING

SWAMP SOCCER

STAIRCASE RACING

The object of this game is to endure impossibly harsh conditions in an attempt to iron garments, hoping to wow the audience and judges. Ever try to balance on a crumbling cliff while ironing the wrinkles on your Sunday shirt? Didn’t think so.

Ahhh soccer, the favourite game of summer days.

Swamp soccer, however, borrows the same rules of the traditional game, except you trudge through thick mud and bog. Mud pies mixed with all the action of soccer, anyone?

“Take the staircase instead of the elevator” is common advice for those wishing to increase their fitness levels. So why not turn it into a sport? Contestants race up and down a staircase and the fastest person wins. Sounds simple, until you have to climb the Empire State building with its 1,430 steps!

CHESS BOXING Brains or brawns? In chess boxing, you can have both. The game alternates between four-minute chess games and three-minute boxing matches, with a one-minute break in between.

SEPAK TAKRAW Volleyball is awesome and gymnastics is pretty cool, and now there is Sepak Takraw, where you can do both. As in volleyball, each player may only hit the ball once and the object is to have the ball go over the net, with points scored when the other team misses the ball. There’s just one catch: you cannot use your hands, arms, or shoulders to hit the ball.

GRIPMagazine

JOGGLING Joggling is an extremely entertaining sport to watch.

Each contestant must run laps around a track while keeping a continuous juggling circuit with their hands. If a player drops an object, the joggler goes right back to the beginning of the race to restart.

UNDERWATER HOCKEY When you think of hockey, ice and skates generally come to mind. Not so in underwater hockey, which is just like it sounds.

Unlike light ice hockey pucks, underwater hockey pucks are much heavier to keep them from floating to the surface.

CANOE POLO

MOUNTAIN UNICYCLING

In this sport there are two teams with five players, each in a kayak, a ball, and lots of splashing. You can push players’ kayaks over, and bounce the ball on the water like you would a skipping stone.

Unicycling, an already unusual mode of transport, has recently been converted into an adrenaline-filled sport. In this emerging sport, unicyclists ride over tough terrain on their bikes.

CHEESE ROLLING Why not combine the dairy goodness of cheese with downhill sprinting? In cheese rolling a hunk of circular cheese is placed precariously on top of a hill and players race to see who can catch the speeding cheese. What really makes this sport is the prize itself: the winner gets to keep the cheese.

Harnessing the awesome power of atomic molecular bonding, science has joined two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen to create a refreshing, thirst-quenching compound called Hydrogen Hydroxide, OR...

Enjoy it on its own or add your favourite drink mix for even more enjoyment Serve it hot, cold or even frozen!

Comes in its own easy-pour sports bottle

*WARNING: Over consumption may cause bloating and/or frequent urination. Keep away from open flame, electrical appliances, cell phones, precious antique documents, dried flower arrangements, water colour paintings, suede leather, newly permed hair and cats.

Do not use H2Oh! in your car’s gas tank. Inhaling could cause excessive coughing or drowning. May contain traces of Dihiydrogen Monoxide, nuts and nut biproducts. Please enjoy responsibly.