How I Define Family By Jacob Poirier

I think that a family is people who take care of you and are not only the people you live with. If you live with your parents but they don't take care of you or they just don't care about you well that isn't family family is the people who take care of you. In the documentary it says that family is no longer a mother, a father and their biological children living together it is a lot more then that. Their is no such thing as a normal family every family is different. Family is the most important thing you have. I you do a major error your family will be the only people their for you

Family is really important because it is where you live and with the people who you grow up it may be your friends or may be your neighbours. These days there are a lot of ways to define family but I think this is the best definition.

News Flash: What's Going On? By William Gault

     The death of Nelson Mandela, the start of global warming, the discovery of new dinosaurs. All great events but would we know about it if we didn't have the news. Should people really care about what's going on in the world or worry about their own lives? I think that people should know what's going on in the world because it keeps us up to date, to know what people are going through and to learn from others mistakes.

      What if yesterday was the death of Ghandi or the day that the Berlin Wall fell. Watching the news helps keep us up to date because we don't write down important historical events on our calendar as they don't really affect us. But just watching the news for a few dozen minutes will not kill you but will catch your attention in such a way. Anything shown on the news will catch your attention. Some people will research about these events while others will keep it in the back of their head. But by the end of the day, both of these people will be a little bit smarter. By knowing any event that is shown on TV, it leads to sub-divisions of vast knowledge that we know of already. 

      When Japan was hit by an earthquake and then later a tsunami, how did we know about this event? The news. How were we able to know what these people were going through? The news. Who told us how to help them? The news. The best source of information yet still ignored. Having the news helps us know about current events and gives us an insight on how people are feeling. Watching the news gives us the chills when people tell their stories because some are frightening, scary and and usually sad. Yet there is always a solution. People who are not affected can help by sending money, food and cloths. For example, when Lac-Megantic was hit by a big explosion, the news told people to help the survivors by sending money, food and shelter which helped them a lot.

 

      Have you ever made a mistake that only your teacher noticed? Well at least it wasn't noticed by the whole world. When well known people make mistakes, well people notice. It is good to know about  people making mistakes because we learn from others mistakes. If a country destroys its recycling business, other countries will know not to make the same mistake. It doesn't help just few people but millions of people. People know not to attack the U.S.A, because of what happened to Japan and Osama Bin Laden. The news is the best place to learn about others mistakes.

      In conclusion, should people really care about what's going on in the world or worry about their own lives? I think that people should know what's going on in the world because it keeps us up to date, to know what people are going through and to learn from others mistakes. So, instead of watching your lousy drama flick, change the channel to the news,you might learn something new.

Follow My Advice: VAD

Throughout our lives we've been with people who gave us all sorts of advice; telling us this would change our lives for the best. Some were wiseful advice and others a bit more random. Sadly, most of them get lost and mixed in a sea of memories. For me, only one of them stayed in my head. First of all, I thought it was funny but, slowly realized it was more than words; it was a saying that would change my life. The meaning of this advice stuck to my head: do what is best in the end. As vulgar as it may sound, it stayed anchored in my head since the day I've heared it from my previous basketball coach Anthony, "Don't s**t on your own doorstep".

You must be thinking I'm joking and that this is only a blog to make my class laugh. In reality, there is a wise meaning behind those words. Why create obstacles when you can avoid them? In the long run, will the choices you make be beneficicial or harmful? Most people think about this moment, without thinking about the repercussions. Y.O.L.O they claim, but often end up dropping out since their ideology doesn't change. Sometimes the choices are so small but can make such a big difference. Listening in class can change your whole future. As stupid can it sound, listening in class can also affect your future career choices. Dosen't it make sense? What you learn affects your grades, and grades are what cegeps and universities look at for the programs. If you have bad grades you won't be accepted in the program you'd like to be in and end up having to make a plan b.
 

Everyone should make decisions for themselves that would help them in the future. "Ne te met pas de baton dans les roues", meaning you shouldn't harm your way to sucess. As hard as it can be, long-term is much more important. Now tell me, what is the best advice you've gotten?

http://brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/advice.html

 

Arithmophobia Shouldn't Exist! By Jacob Dupuis

Who likes math? Who likes calculating all sorts of equations that keep getting bigger and bigger? Not very many people do, and many people are legitimately afraid of these numbers and symbols. People really shouldn't freak out at math though because math is the only undeniable science, it becomes easier after you understand WHY you do such things and it is one of the most important things to know how to do in life.

Math is right. If somebody tells you that 2+2 is 4, is it possible to disagree? Can you prove them wrong? No, because unless the person made a mistake of some sort, the answers can not be changed. Math is the kind of thing that you can get right or wrong, with no middle ground. You do not have to worry about a teacher judging that your answer is wrong because there is only one answer and for it to be deemed wrong the teacher must find some sort of proof, which they won't find.

Does this make sense? Well, it will eventually.

Secondly, math becomes much easier if you take the time to understand WHY you are doing things the way you are, instead of just  going ahead and trying. If you understand what each rule means and why it exists, math becomes more "logical", and it might even become useful in everyday life. The fact that math is undeniable means that if you make a mistake, it is easy to find out what the answer should be and make corrections, further enhancing your understanding of the subject.

Lastly, math is extremely important in life. Sure, algebra and many other subjects are not used every day and they might seem like useless things to learn, but many jobs require mathematics to be done right. Sure, not every job will, like sanitation engineer (janitor), but jobs are using it more and more. Coding and programming of things like video games are a great example, since they use a kind of "language" comprised almost entirely of numbers. Even office workers need math sometimes and to not understand the basics will only make your life worse in the long run

In conclusion, stop being afraid of math. There is nothing to be afraid of if you take your time and do your best and it is more useful now than it used to be, so if you are in elementary school or college, just keep trying because you will get it right eventually.

By: Jacob Dupuis

Cursive Writing By Derek Lague

People of our generation have difficulty reading in cursive writing, am I right? But the people of our generation have difficulty using and reading it since we use it less and less during time which is frustrating since one day cursive writing will disappear. This is why teachers should continue teaching cursive writing. First of all we won’t be able to read historical documents, for example a journal. Also, we use it in our daily lives, and lastly, it gives the community creativity.

           

Imagine you find a top secret journal your great grandmother gives you once she dies, you open it anxiously, and find out the journal is in cursive writing which you are not able to read, couldn’t this be frustrating? If we stop teaching cursive writing, this is exactly what is going to happen except it could have a bigger impact than on your grandmother’s book. Take the example of history, you may find a historical document which lasted 100 years ago, but no one in the society is able to read the document, this will surely not advance our history!

            

Secondly, you may not notice it but we use cursive writing in our daily lives! Books, letters, documents, poetry are the example of things we read that may be written in cursive writing. And this is why we should continue learning cursive writing because by continuing this, we will develop our reading skills and not stop and analyse the word every 10 seconds! This will help in our school succession since we all know reading is an important skill to succeed school, and by reading and understanding cursive writing it may help you have a better grade than the one who have difficulty reading cursive writing!

            

Lastly, cursive writing adds creativity and originality to our society. Take the example of signatures or a piece of art such as graffiti, if we stop learning cursive writing, we won’t have those cool piece of art and signatures anymore. Our community will always have that sloppy, squiggly handwriting. Also if we take of those cool signatures, we will have to find a new way to prove that for example, this is your check since if we have that squiggly handwriting, it is easy to copy down your name and people could steal the check from you!

In conclusion, teachers should continue teaching cursive writing since if we stop teaching it, we won’t be able to read historical documents, we also use it in our daily lives without knowing it, and lastly it gives the society creativity. So do you agree with me that teachers should continue cursive writing?

How I define Family By: Brian O'Farrell

 

Description of a family according to Google

A group consisting of parents and children living together in a household.
 

     To me a family can be anyone you care for, you love and most of all someone that respects you and shall help you in harder moments of your life. This is a family to me. It can be anyone that you love and it does not have to be someone with the same blood as you for you to be part of their family.
    
     First of all, according to a New York Times arcticle a family is no longer a mother, a father and their biological children living together under one roof. The definition of a family has changed to the point that gay and lesbian couples raising children can be considered a family. It is not because they are different that they are not considered a family. They can take care of their children as much as other people. Many people consider a family as people that have the same blood as you but this not always the case. A good example of this is in the book The Outsiders because Johnny lived with his mom and dad under the same roof but Johnny considered the Greasers as his family and not his mom and dad because they did not care for him and the Greasers did.

     Secondly, a family has come to the point that a sports team or people you pass most of your time with and get along with can be your family. Sports have become a big influence on people and nowadays it is very important for someone to feel that they belong somewhere and that they can talk about their problems and this is something a sports team can do because usually people play sports with people that have the same interest in the sport you are playing which makes it easier to talk to.

     Lastly people are moving around the world a lot more which means they sometimes leave behind their family. In this case these people have to form a new family to feel that they belong somewhere. This can be done by sports, work and more. These activities bring people together anbd usually this brings them towards peole that ressemble to them a lot.

     In conclusion a family is not A group consisting of parents and children living together in a household(Google) to me. A family has changed to the point that it can be anyone you love and it does not have to be someone with the same blood as you! A family can also be a sports team or others such as a gangs you feel that love you and lastly a family can be people from your work that have the same interests as you.
   

Teacher I Would Need To Thank: Jerome Drouin

Honestly, I think this is pretty serious to speak about. Teachers, we, as students, think that they are only here for their cheques. In the end, I think that they are here for more than money, there here for us and/or our future!

A large quantity of teachers do lot's for the learning of a student. I could take for example, Mr Stephane Trudel. This math teacher is incredible. Each time that he saw I had difficulty in his math class, he would come and see me to offer help. Also, he was one of the teachers that everyone appreciated the most in all of the staff. I thank him lot's for all the work he put for me and my learning. He is from far the best teacher!


 In conclusion, teachers try their bests to help us improve. I think that students must make so small efforts to act properly in classes, to make the job easier for the teachers! 

 

What Family Means To Me :by Katherine DeMond

Family isn't just people related by blood. It's also someone who loves you, cares about you, supports you, and sticks by your side no matter what. To me, that's exactly what family is. I believe this because people need to be a part of something in order to have a feeling of belonging. In some cases, people don't have loving genetic parents or grandparents to care about them. People need love and affection, and often they will get it from their social group. People are becoming more and more portable, meaning they move away from their biological family and have no one to love them.

   

Statistically, a family is no longer a mother, a father and their biological child living together under one roof. Now, there are more gay and lesbian couples raising children, as well as straight people adopting children. Those people aren't related by blood, yet they call themselves family, because they are. Those parents are the only parents that child will have while growing up. Those parents will love and nurture that child forever. It doesn't matter that they aren't related by blood, they still love each other just as much.

   

Secondly, not everyone has loving parents who care about them. Sometimes, parents aren't nice to their children, and don't love them. This sometimes causes the child to run away. They seek family through gangs, sport teams, and friends. They also join these groups because they want to fit in, and more and more people these days need to belong to something. People need love and affection and someone who will always give it to them are their friends.

 

Lastly, more and more people are moving away from their families. Since they are no longer around their biological family, they need to form new connections to feel the same way they did with their biological family. They need love and affection. They usually will join a group of some sort to get the feeling back. To feel part of a unit. Typically a person forms a few strong connections with co-workers or neighbours in their new location. In time, these bonds become as strong as if we are actually related. Work and the desire to travel, takes people away from their biological family.
    

In conclusion, people don't have to be related by blood to be a family. Not everyone has the same kind of parents since there are more ways to have a child. Everyone wants to have love and feel as though they belong. People are very portable currently and move all around the world and away from their biological family. Most people need love and affection. People refer to each other as brothers, sisters, uncles, and are not related by DNA, it has become accepted in our society that family means more than coming from the same gene pool.

   

  

 

Cursive Writing 4 The Win- Shawn Blackburn

Aliens start to invade earth with no intentions to come in peace only to invade. Now tell me what you think they will decrypt first block writing or cursive? Cursive writing writes faster than block. It is used to sign important documents and will make it harder for another life form to understand our form of communication. These three reasons will prove to you why primary schools should continue teaching cursive.

When teenagers are in college or high school and have to take notes, they have to write fast and there's nothing faster than cursive writing. Block writing may be a simple and easy way of writing but it takes a long time to write. On the other hand, cursive goes faster and gives you time to get more notes taken.

When people of high business make a severe contract that promotes something important, do they write their signature in block or cursive? Cursive. That's right! They write it in cursive. What if we stop teaching cursive and later we see a signed document, will it mean something? For example, the right of independence was signed in cursive but will it mean anything in the future when everything is in block?

Now for the most important and obvious reason we should continue to teach cursive, aliens. If another  life form comes to earth and wants to see how we work and steal our resources, they will have a harder time to figure out our language if our writing is in cursive. If they understand our language before we understand theirs, they will have a big advantage over us. Cursive will slow them down because it's a bit harder to get and will give us more time to figure out their language before they figure out ours. 

Our life depends on cursive writing so we can win the alien war. We as fellow humans will write faster, keep important documents that hold our society valid and save the human race from aliens if we write in cursive. Cursive for the win!

 

Technology Crisis! By: Jade Dupuis

Of course technology is extremely important for research's and discoveries, but what about the social aspect of it? Modern culture is ruining our generation and generations to come because it causes trouble, it takes away social life, and hides true identities.

Firstly, modern culture causes trouble in numerous ways, but the most important one would be bullying. People do not even have the courage to intimidate other people face to face, instead they hide behind their electronic device. Hiding, this leads to an other problem. Teens are so used to interact with text messages that when it is time to talk to someone or are faced with a problem , they do not even know what to do. Now, of course there are a lot more but those would probably be the most important ones.

Secondly, it ruins the social life of teenagers. Ever heard your parents say: " when I was your age, we would...." of course you have, and they are totally right! Our parents used to go outside all the time and play a sport or a game with their friends. Now , teens are simply isolated from all this and are constantly on their electronic devices as if life depended on it.

Thirdly, it hides true identities. Yes, it has become that bad! Some people become so addicted that it's as if they are not even in the real world, they are somehow creating a virtual life by hiding behind some screen. This suddenly becomes their life, and once they are drained into it, it's very hard to stop.

In conclusion, modern technology is ruining our generation and many more to come since it creates
trouble, it takes away social life, and it hides identities. It's not ruining us entirely but we need to do something before it's too late!

How has travelling affected you? By: Kate Guérard

Travelling enriches you in several ways, not only does it nurture a great sense of curiosity and promotes awareness, but travelling also offers you a different perspective on the world. When exploring something or someone new, our body and mind is open to different things. Our curiosity is then awakened. As we learn new things, our mind is open to a fresh new way of looking at this distinct and different place, object or even person. When travelling, even though it is for the fun of it, our body is constantly learning new things, without even realizing it!

To begin with, travelling can feed a great sense of curiosity and it can also develop one. As a child, I was given the opportunity to explore travelling on a sailboat in the Bahamas for one full year. Starting from Quebec City, visiting over 75 towns and cities, my mind was opened to a whole new and different way of living; I was as well exposed to meeting different people. As curiosity overtook my body and mind, all I could think about was to explore and learn more. And that I did. Plenty of it. The best part of the trip was meeting new people and learning about their own personal story. Exchanging stories and our different lifestyles were so much fun that we didn't even realize we were learning new things.

Secondly, travelling promotes awareness. You are introduced to several different lifestyles and people, which includes diverse laws and governments, foods, languages and cultures. Through it all, we ask questions and swap stories and become aware of the differences and similarities among us all. We make connections and figure out the why, where and what about so many things. It is as though our minds have eyes and see things with a different outlook than our vision does.  It is your choice whether you go travelling with an open mind or not, but inevitably, at one moment or another in your voyage, you will be amazed.

Another way in which travelling enriches you is how it offers a different perspective and perception of the world. Travelling provides new ideas; It makes you realize what have or what you need, as well as all the unnecessary and superfluous things you have in life. Voyaging can consequently make you open-minded. No matter what is waiting for you at home, travelling takes you away from your comfort zone and luxury items (superficial life) and make you experience something totally different. 
Travelling made me learn more about the world, my family and myself. In addition, it helped me gained confidence. The best part was that learned so much without even realizing it; I was simply being a child, having fun, and being carefree, and that was the beauty of it. 

In conclusion, travelling isn't only a physical escape but also is a mental escape and exercise. The beauty of it is that even though you think that you are enjoying your trip to the maximum, you keep on gaining knowledge and insight about your trip, weeks months and even years after your return. There is no way we can travel without opening doors in our brains.

How Traveling Affected me - Ludvic Girad

       I have traveled a lot in my life.  I went to some extremley poor countries and some very rich ones as well.  You can see how different the life of the people in Quebec can be compared to the lives of people living in Cuba.  I realized tha often the poorest people are often the nicest and most generous people.  I went to Cuba two times, Florida, Walt Disney and many other places in the world.  I enjoyed going to cuba more than Walt Disney, and you're probabley questioning yourself why Cuba came in first and Walt Disney in second.  Cuba was the place that made me think the most, it was actually the real life situations going on everywhere in the world.  I realized how lucky I was to have a roof at the top of my head, clean water and an education.  Walt Disney was great, but it did not really teach me anything.

       When I travel I want to know new things, be more knowlegable about what's going on in this world and not take anything for granted.  Traveling changed my life.  It makes me want to help a lot of people who are in need right now in other countries.  Traveling made me more knowlegable and more caring about many issues that people face everyday.

Does Homework Help You Learn by Nicholas Gordon

          Homework may seem like a boring waste of time, and some are questioning its effectiveness.  Everyone knows homework is long and boring, and it may seem like a nuisance, but sometimes it helps a student make sure he/she understands a concept, or show a sign that they need help, and to attend remediation, and since homework is sometimes needless, it should be optional, so the student has time to work on homework for classes he/she has difficulty while not worrying about another subject he/she is comfortable with.  Homework should be optional because it frees up time for teenagers to participate in recreational and professional activities, allows time for students to work on other subjects, and it gets extremely repetitive and boring.

         

           Homework is useful at times but it gets tedious and repetitive if you know what you're doing.  This is why homework should be completely optional and should not be mandatory.  Some counterarguments could be "what if it is preparation for a test, exam, or essay?", and to that I say that the student should not be required to do said preparation, and it is up to the student if he/she wants to prepare, like studying.  To sum it up, every evaluation surrounding doing work at home should be terminated.  All but one thing, projects.  Group projects that require time and a team or a solo effort, should be excluded from being categorized as homework.  Having homework can help you learn, but only if you are studying a subject you are not doing well in, this is one of the few cases that homework can help you learn.  Others being going through the homework, figuring out the instructions, and looking online, etc, etc
           
Furthermore, if it is optional, students would have time to work on other subjects.  If a student is exceptional in science and math, but is having trouble in history, then that student does not have to worry about being evaluated on science and math homework, and can focus on studying in history and improving in the subject.  This would lead to an overall improvement in the student's grade, letting him/her focus on subjects they are not familiar in while still achieving high grades in those they are comfortable with.  Homework has very limited academic results even if you study and work in subjects you have trouble with, unless you have a tutor or your parent/older sibling can help.

This student suffers from "bored-and-unreasonably-stressed syndrome"

   
       Lastly,  I believe homework should be optional because it's good for a teenager to have free time to socialize, go to the gym, and relax. Why?  Because as one myself I feel like if a teenager owns up and works on does homework for subject he/she has trouble with/cares more for, it should suffice as a responsibility, and with a part-time job, I believe that that amount of responsibility should suffice for a teenager considering that in CEGEP and University, you (for the most part) join classes that interest you.

       In conclusion, homework should not be mandatory in high school because it is boring and repetitive, mundane and can inhibit social growth and growing as a person, and has very limited academic results in general unless you have the aid of a tutor.  It's time consuming too, and why should you waste your time "learning" by repetitively writing what you know over and over again?

     

           

Travelling Has Changed Me By: Sophianne Samson

How has travelling affected you?
Copenhagen, Denmark. Berlin, Germany. St-Petersburg, Russia. Tallinn, Estonia. Helsinki, Finland. Amsterdam, Holland. Places that many wish to go. Places with a mind-boggling history. Places that teach us about our values. Places that I had the opportunity to visit. Travelling is something that identifies me. It is a part of my identity. Since I was born, it is an activity that has grown in me. It allowed me to enrich my perspective on cultures, food and traditions that seemed unnoticed to me until today.

Vodka. Russian dolls. These things may be perceived as ordinary but when you are introduced to the purpose of these cultures, your perception changes. We may think Vodka is nothing, but by keeping the culture alive, it has become a problem. It is Russia’s number one cause of death. I soon realized that everything has a value. Some are of greater value than others but they still have an importance in people’s lives. Vodka for example, is part of Russia’s history. Drinking it in their daily lives, allows the Russians to remember their ancestors and to whom they belong. Being faced with many unknown cultures got me to realize how important it is to value what you care for. My perspective on life changed. I always believed that all Europeans were happy but I was faced with nations that have suffered from wars; wars that have left scars on the nation and its future generations.

Fast food; two simple words that are known all over humanity. Danish hot dogs? Does not sound familiar at all, am I right? Well, in my book, I can smell and feel the taste empower me at the moment. Once my taste buds have explored this type of heaven, it will always stay engraved in me. Russia’s chak-chak; sweets that I envy regularly. Tasting new foods opened me to wider horizons of what the culinary world has to offer us. I am now willing to overcome my limits and take risks. It might seem simple for all of you to taste new food, but is a big part of travelling and exploring new continents. It makes you get to know their people. Having culinary taste is something that always pays off in life. I am honored to have gotten this opportunity.

Have you ever taken a naked sauna with your friends? I have not but am proud to be aware that this is a common tradition in Finland. Knowing that people have the pleasure in doing so is frightening. But I had the chance to understand what they value and why they take this act to heart. It certainly made me realize that our world is big and that there is tons left to discover. Seeing people sing in the Russian underground subway is a moment that I will cherish until I die. I was blown away by the purity in everyone’s voices and the joy they delivered. Listening to their singing made me aware that expressing your thoughts may be challenging but you need to find enough strength and courage to stand your ground and let loose at times.

Travelling is like studying. The more you study the more you learn, the more you travel the more you become knowledgeable. When you pay close attention to slight details from cultures to food to tradition, you evolve as a human being. Being able to travel is a diamond that I possess. Not many people have this opportunity but I do. The more I polish it, the more I realize the diversity of our planet; diverse with beautiful people, locations, languages and traditions. By polishing this diamond; this honor of mine, I became a human being that values things in life in a different way. I now take the time to picture my goals, my dreams, and my own being and realize that life is all about being free; free of mind. I have a soul that now appreciates all the simple things in life. I became an open-minded person with ambitions that are well-served with this passion of mine: travelling to discover what the world has to offer!

 

Travelling, doesn't that sound great! by: Markus Pienitz

Were you already at the top of a volcano at 3,055 meters? Most of you probably will say "no" because you have not travelled as much as I did. It is hard to believe how much I learned  while I was travelling. I learned a lot about new countries. For example, their currencies and the activities that are held there. I saw so much beauty in nature that I did not even know existed!              

Firstly, while traveling, the things you see and the people you meet are things that you will never forget. You will remember these people and realize how different or similar you are to them. This fact is supported by"The things you see and the people you meet are things that people usually never forget"(Zach(216.))

Secondly, traveling can change your attitude towards foreigners. For example, you get used to talking with them and you know what to expect from their reactions. You respect them more of who they are. For example, ''...it almost changed my attitude toward foreigners.''(-Al.)

Lastly, you can communicate more easily and share your opinion more. Even if you are a shy person that does not like to express his opinions and communicate will get better at it. This is proved by,''I was pretty shy before I went to England, but after that trip, I found that it was not so difficult to communicate, and shared my own opinion with others''(-Al.)

In conclusion, travelling is a great thing to convince your parents to do because you will never forget everything you experience and see, you will change you attitude in regards to foreigners, and you will be able to communicate and share your opinion more easily. So, do you want to see nature's real beauty?

Cheerleading Title 9 Case? By Lydia

They may still wear short pleaded skirts, scream cute cheers and wave their pom poms, but on the other hand, the athletic one, cheerleading has completely changed over the years and today it requires the endurance of football, the divinity of dance, and the balance of gymnastics. Competitive cheerleading should be considered a sport since it requires training, physical exertion, and competition. Just like any other sport such as football, dance, gymnastics, and  basketball, cheerleading is a difficult physical activity, however in which mostly girls do intense cardiovascular acrobatics.

To begin with, competitive cheerleading should be designated as a sport since just like any sport, it requires competition. For it to be entirely illustrated as a sport, it must have competition. The first thing that comes to your mind is: cheerleaders compete? Well, they do! They compete in a head-to-head show off based on set of rules. The winners are then declared. Cheerleading is truly a sport since the competition is there!

Secondly, competitive cheerleading should be defined as a sport since as any kind of sport or activity it requires practice. « Practice makes perfect ». So training is a must in order to improve. Again, to progress and preserve those active aspects, just like any other determined athlete, a competitive cheerleader must train as hard. You may immediately think that they just train their vocals! Indeed, they don't. They must maintain an active and healthy life style by going to the gym, lifting weights and working out several times a week. So, it should be entitled a sport since cheerleaders work just as hard as any other athlete.

Finally, competitive cheerleading is just like any other sport however it added a touch of creativity: physical exertion. There is no question about that. Squads include elements of dance, gymnastics and full body strength acrobatics to create performance routines. Their routines involves many different types of  pyramids that demands the need of many different types of stunts. These performance factors requires strength, balance, and good timing which are all very clear athletic qualities. So, you cannot say that cheerleading isn't a sport since it even added it own uniqueness.

In conclusion, cheerleading should definitely be entitled as a sport since like in any other sport they need practice in order to get better, they have to compete against another squads and it has a very special physical exertion. So, why can't cheerleading be a sport if the athletes do as much as any other sport athletes?

''When I was your age...'' By: Emma Coughlan

''When I was your age I used to be outside all the time.'' This sentence has been heard by teenagers’ at least over than 200 times per week. Parents are constantly comparing our childhood to theirs, wishing we could be more like they used to be. In my opinion, this is the most annoying thing. We are not in the 1970's anymore, things have changed.

Ps3, X-Box, iPods, portable computers, and tablets: technological innovations launched to entertain us. Parents tend to put the fault on these objects. I won't disagree with our parents because in the end they are right. It would be better if we would be outside kicking in a ball instead of inside only making our thumbs work out. Indeed it is not surprising anymore to see a 13 year old with an iPhone in hand. It is true that we teenagers tend to put a lot of energy and time in those devices. However, when my dad starts off another boring speech about how he used to be outside 24/7 with his friends at my age, I keep wondering would he have done that if he had all that technology?  

Society has changed over time... Everyone now pretty much refers to technology for their work or their entertainment. EVERYONE does. Why should we, teenagers, be blamed for using technology? We all have our interests. When our parents were kids, they enjoyed playing outside. Now we kids of the 21st century still enjoy playing outside. It is rare that when you drive past a neighbourhood ice rink, you will find it empty. Same goes to soccer fields or swimming pools. However, we do enjoy passing time on our devices as well. It seems as if we do it more than our parents used to, but as I said, society changed and now we ALL revolve a lot around technology. Why should we be blamed for being born in this wave of technology? 

So now, parents before comparing your ancient way of life to your kids' way of life now, try to keep in mind that society is not the same as it was when you were a kid. It's not a sin for your child to enjoy technology and devote part of his time to it. Think before starting your speech with ''When I was your age I was outside all the time.'' because honestly, it's annoying!