As the beginning of a new decade approaches, it is pertinent to look back to learn from past mistakes before moving forward. This year, one of the main figures that has caught the public eye was Greta Thunberg. Famously known for unapologetically fighting to stop climate change with strong speeches and symbolic trips, she has started a conversation in many households. Yet, with time, the impact of her message got diluted because people were looking for reasons to discredit her. By focusing on her missteps, society annihilated what could have been a wake-up call and an opportunity to make up for lost times. Greta first appeared in people’s TV screens as the young girl who boycotted school to go on the street with a poster that said, “School Strike for Climate”. She was later seen with a microphone talking about her worries, her vision of the planet’s current state and her ideals. Her unfazed face and her monotone voice as she shared her wisdom were surprising for a 16-year-old. Sh...

As technology is occupying an important role in present-day society, it is impossible to ignore the growth of interest in computer programming among teenagers. Many are contemplating the idea of exploring this field but only few know what they are getting into as computer programming is extremely intricate. Computer programming is the central portion of software development, translating abstract concepts into solutions for human needs. It is the process of writing series of algorithms in a programming language that a computer receives as instructions to follow and to execute. The task of a software engineer, also known as a programmer or a coder, is to design codes that allow a computer to understand what to perform next. The history of computer programming is complex. The idea of an electric tabulating system, a system that could read data, was first introduced by an American inventor, Herman Hollerith, in 1889. Then, in 1937, John Vincent Atanasoff created the first electronic di...

Am I actually a good person? Are you? What does it mean to be good? Objectively. What measures goodness? Is it religion? Politics? Morals? Activism? Philosophy? Habits? Way of living? Speaking? One’s Aura? On what grounds do we determine good? Where does it come from—from where we draw our judgments that make us believe we are right in what we think of ourselves and others? What allows us to decide that a person is not good by default for holding a certain belief or perception of things despite the fact that that person too, is simply a product of their upbringing, circumstances, and experiences? They are simply a product of what was written for them. What makes us less ignorant than them? That we utilize our tools for seeking knowledge? That we keep our eyes open? That our beliefs stem from morality, justice, compassion? Do they not possess those qualities at all, in any aspect of their lives? Why do we other-ize those who are different from us? Are our eyes open? Are we not blind t...

Why Activism Is Important On September 27, it was no less than 300,000 people who were walking for the Earth in Montreal, asking the government for change to ensure a better future. And yet, millions of plastic bottles end up in the oceans each year, food waste is still a major problem and people don’t want to lift a finger to reduce their meat consumption. This raises an important question: is activism making a difference? “Walking with Greta Thunberg won’t change the world” some say. They are right in a way, but it is worth asking what they do to change it. This is where I think activism is important. Activism in itself won’t have any direct impact on the cause we’re fighting for, but it has the power to spread the word about what we care about and make some people understand, in this case, that we are reaching the point of no return. What I find interesting is the great difference between environmental and vegan activism. While a lot of people participating in clima...

When someone mentions the word “activism”, the first image that comes to mind to most people is one of Greta Thunberg marching in 40 different cities or of Malala Yusafzai recalling the attack she survived, all great role models who sacrifice so much for a cause bigger than their existence. However, while it’s important to celebrate their accomplishments and the movements these activists have started, I’m here to remind you all that activism is much simpler and closer to us than what most of us thought. Activism is defined as “the use of direct and noticeable action to achieve a result, usually a political or social one” according to The Cambridge Dictionary. The definition is quite simple, but seems daunting to many young adults because we have great expectations regarding the effects activism must produce . What many don’t realize is that small actions done daily are actually included in the definition of activism. Activism is bringing a reusable cup to buy coffee in the morning....

The bloody day of June 16, 1976 will remain for a long time an open wound in the hearts of South Africans. The Apartheid regime deployed a brutal repression of a protest led by ten to twenty thousand Black students from the township of Soweto, near Johannesburg, denouncing a law imposing Afrikaans as the language of instruction. Police tear-gassed, beat and even shot the students, killing 176. Nevertheless, the bravery of the Soweto students marked a turning point in the history of the Apartheid regime, which then became increasingly contested by Black movements in South Africa and by the international community. The township of Soweto, whose name stands for SOuth-WEstern TOwnships, is at the same time a symbol of the struggle for racial equality and of segregation. Founded in the 1930s as a result of segregationist policies, Black residents of Johannesburg were forcibly moved to townships reserved for Black people, such as Soweto. Such townships were separated from White townships...