Youth vote: the ultimate oxymoron

4 Apr

Originally published: Camrose Canadian | pg 8 | April 7, 2011

Here we are again, folks. It’s election time – again.Which means time for TV attack ads and lawns signs; time for seniors to be hounded for their vote and for youth under 30 to be completely ignored.

At the age of 20, this is already my second federal election that I am eligible to vote in. I’ll be the first to admit that Canadians are my age aren’t probably the most interested in an election, probably because they know the election isn’t interested in them at all.
The first time I voted, I had just turned 18 that summer and felt so out of the loop when it came to politics. Even in high school, the topic of federal politics rarely came up in the classroom, let alone in the student lounge.
With my job, I need to be engaged and follow along as the campaign tour crosses Canada. But what about the youth who don’t get paid to read about the politicians latest escapades?
I can’t help but feel apathetic – although I will vote, you can be sure – when politicians have no interest in young people. They think that youth won’t vote, so they don’t bother going after them. But it quickly turns into a vicious cycle as youth are less inclined to vote when they know politicians don’t care about their two cents.
Not that I want my local candidates to be knocking down my door or plying me with poli-speak, but a little bit of incentive for youth voting would be nice. What about tax cuts for young people trying to buy a house and settle down or something along those lines?
It’s every Canadian’s civic duty to be engaged in politics, whether they are 18 or 81. But it sure makes it a lot easier to be engaged when politicians are eager to shake your hand and treat you like you count.
I guess I’ll have to wait a decade until I feel like I matter enough for politicians. We’re only a few weeks into this short-term election (V-Day is May 2, if you haven’t marked it down yet) but I have a feeling I won’t be approached by anyone asking for my vote for another 7 years – at least.  Maybe once I’m a grown-up – with  a kid, a dog, a mortgage and money – I can finally be engaged by politics!
Too bad the feeling of apathy, like I don’t count, will likely continue as I age. You don’t just wake up one day interested in politics. It takes work – from both the voter and the politician.

Live the life you’re livin’

15 Feb

Originally published: Camrose Canadian | pg 8 | Feb. 17, 2011

The saying goes ‘live each day like it’s your last’. But all too often we get caught up in the mundane tasks of everyday life and forget to live the life we want.
It’s easy to make excuses. We have bills to pay, work to do, kids to look after. We’ll travel when we’re retired, when we have money and the kids are gone and all the time in the world.
But the fact of the matter is that sometimes retirement doesn’t come. We don’t like to think about our own mortality – it’s depressing and it doesn’t do any good moping around thinking about how you’re not going to wake up some morning. But it happens.
This thought has always been in the back of my mind, but when you’re 20 you don’t really want to think about death. Now, they say, is the time to live it up – before I have a house and a mortgage and a dog and 2.5 kids. There are things in my life that I regret not doing. I’ve never travelled outside of Canada, save that one summer I went to Seattle. I knew in Grade 10 what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go, so I didn’t waste any time getting into journalism. I don’t regret that part. I love my job and I love the look of surprise on people’s faces when they learn that I’m 20.
I’ve moved around a lot with my job anyway, so it’s only a matter of time before I’m off on another whirlwind adventure, camera in tow.
My point is that if there is something you really want to do, don’t put it off until you have the time. One of my life goals is to get my pilot’s license before I’m 30. It certainly seems feasible – I have a whole decade a head of me, after all – and as soon as I get some cash and the snow disappears I’m going to sign up for ground school.
I’ve always love flying and planes, but recent events have made me want to get off my butt and do the things I want.
My uncle John died Jan. 27 in a car accident. It’s a hard thing to come to terms with, but I’m comforted by the fact that UJ lived his life to the fullest. He once drove a Model A Ford from California to Alaska and was an accomplished motorcyclist, skier, speed skater and yes, a pilot. I was lucky enough to live with UJ and my Auntie Val for a month this summer while interning at the Lacombe Globe.
I’ll miss UJ a lot, but it’s the memories and lessons that he taught me. In his mind, nothing was impossible, whether it be raising six boys or learning how to speed skate in his retirement, or renovating two bathrooms, leaving one for four people.
We all miss you UJ. Rest in peace.

Photo Friday – Ministers, (hair) massacres and music

12 Feb

Hi. So, I had two glasses of pop at lunch and then I just ate a thing of Rockets (WTH was I thinking) so I’m a little off-the-wall happy/silly right now. I was having a bummer of a day this morning but then I spied @BuhlerFerris’s positive tweets in my Twitter feed so I decided to do some, which made me really happy and then kind of stupid silly all at the same time.

That, however, has nothing to do with this blog post. Right now I’m just going to show you some photos, because I’m trying to get better at my photography. Maybe this will be come a weekly thing, who knows. Right now I’m pretty darn proud of myself for posting exactly one week after my last post. Yay.

Anyway, here are some photos.

Monday, Tuesday: No photos.

Wednesday: I only went to one event, the cabinet minister tour at the Norseman Inn.

 

Health and Wellness Minister Gene Zwodesky speaks at a town-hall meeting in Camrose as a part of the Conservative Party cabinet tour. (Laurie Callsen/Camrose Canadian)

Some cabinet ministers dropped into Camrose to hear people’s thoughts, which were basically “give me cataract surgery or give me death” and “land rights!”, which grossley pertained to Gene Zwodesky, Minister of Health and Wellness and Evan Berger,  Minister of Sustainable Resource Development and a member of the Standing Committee on Resources and Environment.

No one even asked Len Webber, Minister of Aboriginal Relations, a single question. Sad.

Thursday: No photos.

Friday: There were a lot of events I went to today. First off was the hair massacre at Augustana.

Hair bag

A hairdresser tosses a lock of Monique Gagnon's hair into a bag so it can be donated to be made into a wig during the hair massacre at Augustana. (Laurie Callsen/ Camrose Canadian)

I love this photo – she’s smiling, holding the bag and the braid is just flying in. They did these head shaves so quick that it was hard to get the perfect shots.

Hair Hug

Pauline Brennen (left) and Monique Gagnon hug after shaving their heads during the hair massacre at Augustana. (Laurie Callsen/ Camrose Canadian)

I really love going to hair shaving events and taking photos, mostly because I can remember the emotion from when I shaved my head. :D

Then, after the hair massacre I went over to Cafe Connections/The Open Door to meet up with an Augustana student who is giving free piano lessons to the youth who work there. (Cafe Connections is a place where at-risk youth can turn their lives around and get work experience. They were also one of the first groups up on Twitter (@CafeConnections and @OpenDoorED, which is maintained by executive director Randal Nickel) so that also gives them bonus marks in my books. So anyway, I interviewed Jon and then he and student Taylor played some tunes for me.

OpenDoorMusic

Student Taylor Hanson and her teacher Jon Nesbitt share a laugh during piano lessons. Hanson is one of the 11 students at the Open Door Nesbitt has taught piano this semester through his CSL course at Augustana. (Laurie Callsen/ Camrose Canadian)

So, there are some of the photos I took this week! I didn’t post every photo because they weren’t too exciting – I really only want to post ones that I get fired up about, because I like sharing my photos. Sometimes when they are in the paper they don’t look as nice as they do on the web! Plus I like sharing, and like I said I want to focus more on my photography and posting photos weekly is probably a good place to start. :D

Laurie

5 things making me happy right now

4 Feb

Happy Friday! It’s been a bit of a rough week for me personally, so I’ve decided to share some things that have brightened my day.

1. The weather

+3 is glorious in January

+3 is glorious in January

If you’ve been kicking around central Alberta these last few days, you’ve noticed the beautiful spring-like weather we’ve been getting.(Yes, it was -30 on Monday but I’m ignoring that).

Yesterday I walked around downtown Camrose instead of driving and enjoyed the balmy +2 breeze. And I bought a yellow dress at Twig. (Don’t even get me started on Twig. I love that store. That’s a whole ‘nother blog post.)

2. Big Band/Swing music

Honestly, I think this one speaks for itself. How can you not love In The Mood? Living in the apartment I live in now, I’ve been feeling rather nostalgic for the ’40s and so I’ve been playing big band internet radio (Mostly Big Band Cantina), wearing a lot of skirts and whatnot.

3. The National Post

Yes, we get the paper version of the paper.

Garret and I got a Monday-Saturday subscription to the Post. It’s nice having a real paper to hold, even though they are scattered all around our bedroom right now. It looks like we should be potty-training a puppy. We like to lay in bed and do the crossword. Because we’re actually 85 years old.

4. Blogs

RetroChick.co.uk

ApartmentTherapy.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am quickly becoming addicted to my Google Reader, especially all the vintage and design blogs. My two favourites are Retro Chick and Apartment Therapy.

Besides having great outfit posts, Gemma (aka Retro Chick) writes about vanity sizing (how sizes vary from store to store), things that have fallen by the wayside that shouldn’t (like looking nice and rain hoods), as well as product reviews. Sometimes it’s hard to read because the pricing is in pounds and the sizing is different – plus a lot of her partners are in the UK! But it’s still a great read to learn more about dressing vintage.

Apartment Therapy has amazing house tours (the home equivalent of outfit posts), DIY tips and reader questions. It’s great inspiration for those of us who live in small spaces that still have style! A lot of the tips are for renters which means that a lot of the designs aren’t permanent and can be removed if you don’t like what they turn out to be. AT also has some great sister blogs: unpluggd (tech), Oh-dee-doh (kids decor), the kitchn (food) and re-nest (eco-friendly decor). My description of the site doesn’t do it justice at all, so you really ought to just check it out (I am not responsible for blog addiction, however!)

5. Google Chrome

*drool*

Again, this might be one of those things you have to try out yourself. Google Chrome is fast and intuitive. One of my favourite features is sync, which allows you to sign into the browser itself and save your apps and bookmarks. This means that if you open Chrome at work or on another computer, you can sign in and get all your bookmarks back. This is great if you have a lot of great bookmarks or use apps that save stuff within the app (like QuickNote).

As I sort of mentioned earlier, Chrome also has an app store. Right now it’s mostly just shortcuts to other websites (like a big bookmark for Facebook on your home screen as opposed to a smaller one in your tool bar, essentially) but there are a few that are actual apps. My favourite is probably TweetDeck. It runs just like the desktop version, but doesn’t take up computer space. I generally have my tab pinned so it’s always there in the corner. I’m interested to see what other apps come out of the woodwork. Some US papers like the NYT have an app, so I’d love to see a Canadian get on the bandwagon.

And so now you know what’s keeping me happy. Yes, this is mostly a frivolous list, but sometimes it’s the smallest things that help. Of course having a strong support system of family and friends helps – and so do the rum and cokes.

 

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Canadian Idle

21 Jan

Originally published: Camrose Canadian | pg 8 | Jan. 27, 2011

Would you burn stacks of $10 bills just to keep you warm? What about leaving your vehicle running for hours? In the end, it’s pretty much the same thing.

All too often I see vehicles idling when it’s not needed. According to Environment Canada, the best way to warm up your car is to drive it. In fact, you shouldn’t leave your car running for longer than three minutes, even on a cold winter day. The purpose of warming up your vehicle is warm the engine, not the inside of your vehicle. Plugging in your car once it hits -15 will also help your car perform better and cut down on fuel consumption. Excessive idling may even damage your vehicle.

There is reason behind starting your car while you brush off the snow. What pains me (and my lungs) is when I see a vehicle, especially one that is gas-guzzling at the best of days, running while someone nips into the grocery store. I’ve even heard horror stories of people leaving their vehicles running all day or night to keep the ice off. These last few days it’s been hovering around -6, which to me is practically sandal weather. There’s no ice forming on your windshield. Even if there was, what is more expensive: the 10 seconds it takes to scrape your car off or the 10 hours of idling?

Image from Environment Canada

But if you’ve got the money, should you really worry about wasting fuel? Personally, it’s never about the money. It’s about what we are doing to our environment.

There are several contributors to global warming and climate change. One is the sun. Another is pollution.

Strong scientific evidence (not ‘facts’, as nothing in science can be a proven fact – not even gravity) shows that humans are pumping more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than our plants and oceans can handle. That means the CO2 is getting built up. Even if we can start eliminating the build-up we make today, the emissions stay in the atmosphere for years. That means we have a lot of clean up ahead of us.

As temperatures rise, glaciers will melt and wreak havoc on our coastal populations. While that doesn’t seem like a big worry to land-locked Albertans, the National Geographic says that climate change can also cause increase in drought, heat waves, wildfire and other natural disasters across the globe.

Skeptics say that global warming isn’t happening because they see very little evidence to support it. There was also very little known about the solar system when it was first suggested that the Earth was round and that it revolves around the Sun. Later on, this was proved to be true. Just because we don’t know something now doesn’t mean it will remain unknown forever. And that’s the most beautiful thing about the world.

Don’t agree with me? Sound off in the comments, in a letter to the editor (editor@camrosecanadian.com) or to me personally (lcallsen@camrosecanadian.com). If you are sending a letter, please see our letters policy to make sure your letter is accepted.

Journalistic New Years Resolutions

11 Jan

Originally published: Camrose Canadian | pg 8 | Jan. 13 2011.

I’ve decided to take a little bit of a different approach to my resolutions for 2011. Besides the normal – exercise more, eat junk food less (I’m popping down to the aquatic centre… Right after I finish this pizza) – I also have a few work-related goals in mind.
Since I practically have no life anyway, I might as well make these good. Feel free to police me on these if I fall by the wayside in a few months.

 
Make the web a priority

You know me, I love the internetz.

When I was in journalism school, we were taught that the web was the future, which was fine-and-dandy with me, being of the iGeneration or whatever the latest buzzword is for us 20-somethings.
But when I got to Camrose, I was dismayed that while I was gung-ho about journalism’s future on the Internet, not very many of the Canadian readers were too. I want to improve CamroseCanadian.com, and bring more eyes to the website.
CamroseCanadian.com, as well as our Twitter page and Facebook page, can allow for daily news updates in conjunction to the weekly spread you get every Thursday. More photos, more timely news and even video will be coming your way.

Write more, shoot more, read more, listen more

Sorry trees.

But in order to get more content for the web, I’m going to have to shoot more photos and video, write more stories and cutlines, and edit more stories, photos and video (and record voiceovers).
I want to hear from you, our readers, so we can know what’s going on in the community.
If you see news, please call into our newsroom or give us a shout on Twitter (@CamroseCdnNews).
If you have a story idea, please let us know using these same avenues.
If we’re not doing something we should (or if you like what we’re doing), please don’t hesitate to tell us.
And don’t forget to send letters to the editor and get your voice heard.
We are here for you, Camrose. The better our product, the more informed you are about your community.

Become a master of all things multi-media

Pictured: Mac, Macbook, HD Snap video camera, HTC Legend with Android phone, IC Recorder, Old fashioned dayplanner. Not pictured: my DSLR, because I needed something to take a photo with.

I will probably start looking like a robot with all my multi-media gear – HD DSLR with flash, second HD handheld camcorder, radio-quality audio recorder, and a pen and paper or laptop (somehow) – but that’s the price you’ve gotta pay to be a multi-media master.
It’s easy to make excuses, like not having the right software or time, but in the world of “now, now, now,” it has to be done.
Aside from videos, I also want to create soundslides – a mash-up between a photo essay and a podcast, essentially.
There are a lot of great stories out there, and I want to tell them in a myriad of ways. Gone are the days where journalists told a story with one method. Now it has to be print and photography – at least.
I want the Camrose Canadian to be the number one source for multi-media news in the region.
All of these goals are going to be tough to meet, but it will be easier with some feedback. You can email me at lcallsen@camrosecanadian.com, tweet me @Laurie_Callsen or stop by the office or if you see me out and about.

My Response: Accuracy vs Immediacy by @MeganSarrazin

10 Jan

Update: I changed the title of this post after I realized I misspelled “response”.

My former classmate Megan Sarrazin posted an interesting blog post on accuracy vs immediacy in the wake of the Giffords shooting. I read and responded, but since Megan seems to have comments hidden until they are approved, I will post my reaction here. Please read her original blog post before reading this posting. Feel free to join in on the conversation, either here, on her blog or on Twitter.

I don’t have a counter-argument per se, but I do have a couple of points to note:

NPR, one of the first to write that Giffords had died, got conformation from TWO government sources. Editor Dick Meyer wrote a post about it this morning, which you can read here .

Accuracy always trumps immediacy. But at what point do you determine your fact-checking is done and that it’s time to get a story online? If I received conformation from two credible sources, I would proceed with posting my story, then continue updating it as more information comes about.

There’s a great post from LostRemote.com that explains how the news of her death spread on Twitter (They report that it seems like Rueters, NPR and CNN who first broke that she died. Since breaking news happens so fast, of course, it’s difficult to determine exactly who it was first).

I won’t re-hash the post, as it’s best read in entirety. It also brings up an excellent journalist ethics debate on whether or not news orgs should delete incorrect tweets.
In this post, Andy Carvin, who runs the NPR Twitter feed, gives his explanation on why he posted the message. You can read it here, but in essence he gives a strong rational: NPR received reports from the sheriff’s office and the congressional office, saying that Giffords dies. NPR aired these reports on the radio and on the website, plus Carvin also received an email. He updated the Twitter page to reflect this change. No, Carvin didn’t phone the sheriff’s office, or the congressional office, or stake out the hospital. He merely updated Twitter to reflect the information that NPR was reporting. Again, I highly recommend you read the whole LostRemote post, plus Carvin’s remarks.

On a side note: do you really think it’s wise to use the phrase “If I remember correctly” when commenting on a fact-checking situation? Yes, fact checking takes time but, as you stressed, it’s important. Memories are fallible; Fact-checking can be quick. Simply searching “Giffords mistakenly reported dead” will turn up 750,000 hits on Google. You can read a collection of the mistaken reports onRegretTheError.com.

Journalista blog stats – 2010 in review

3 Jan

The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how my blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:

Healthy blog!

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads This blog is doing awesome!.

Crunchy numbers

Featured image

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 3,200 times in 2010. That’s about 8 full 747s.

In 2010, there were 55 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 83 posts. There were 23 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 86mb. That’s about 2 pictures per month.

The busiest day of the year was August 25th with 94 views. The most popular post that day was Things I want to blog about but I don’t have time for.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were facebook.com, twitter.com, en.wordpress.com, en.search.wordpress.com, and obama-scandal-exposed.co.cc.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for stacie mistysyn, amanda stepto, laurie callsen, john lennon global citizen, and why is john lennon admirable.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

  1. Things I want to blog about but I don’t have time for August 2010
  2. Degrassi alumni DJ in E-town March 2009
  3. John Lennon – The Most Admirable Person of His Time March 2008
  4. About February 2008
    2 comments
  5. Resumé January 2010

Camrose: A love story

20 Dec

I’m in denial about it being 2011 already. As a kid, time dragged so slow but now that I’m an “adult” (I had a plateful of Tater Tots last night for supper, so “adult” is a relative term) it seems like it sneaks up on me just to kick me in the keester.

I had no idea what 2010 had in store for me at this time last year. Although I’ve been known as a planner and hyper-organizer, I’m content with having a good idea of where I want to be in the next year and let the rest of the chips fall where they may.

Last Christmas, all I knew was that I wanted to have a journalism job after graduation. I didn’t really care where and I didn’t care what I was going to get paid, as long as I loved it and was happy. As you know, I navigated a few Sun Media internships before winding up at the Canadian – and staying.

The first time I came in contact with Camrose was in 2008, during my first year of school. I was writing a research paper on how college students who grew up in urban centres may interact differently than students who grew up in rural settings. My instructor passed on the name of a University of Alberta political science professor who specialized in rural contexts – Dr. Roger Epp of Augustana. Dr. Epp was my first official interview, and I remember being very nervous as I asked him my questions. I had no idea that in a few years he would become a constant interview in my job at the Canadian. When I met him again this September, I was surprised that he remembered our phone conversation – and they he remembered my hometown of Flaxcombe, Saskatchewan. (Sidenote: Dr. Epp is from Hanley SK, which is a sworn enemy town to my school because they always dominate at regional drama festivals. But Dr. Epp is forgiven.) Dr. Epp and the entire Augustana community continues to make me feel at home, and it is one of the reasons I love it here.

Dr. Roger Epp (Laurie Callsen/Camrose Canadian)

The second time I came in direct contact with Camrose before moving here was this spring. I had just bought my car (Ginger) and was driving back from Saskatchewan to Edmonton for the first time. As a farm girl, I was inexperienced with high-traffic areas and was nervous about driving through Camrose, but was calmed by the option of Camrose Drive to avoid driving through the city center. Then I missed the turn. I was incredibly nervous about driving in city traffic but managed to make my first successful lane change. During this incredibly stressful process, I still noticed how gorgeous Camrose was, and thought that maybe once I learned how to drive without hyperventilating I may come back to visit. Please don’t ask about how I was supposed to function on Edmonton freeways. I’m not sure how I made it back to school unscathed.

Mirror Lake, Camrose AB (Laurie Callsen / Freelance)

Mirror Lake, Camrose AB (Laurie Callsen / Freelance)

Since my first day of my internship I have been in love with Camrose. Those of you who follow me on Twitter (@Laurie_Callsen) know that I regularly gush about shopping downtown, reading at Merchants or traipsing through the parks. I’ve even convinced my boyfriend to move from Edmonton to Camrose… but that’s a story for another day.

I wish you all a happy and safe holiday and a very merry New Year that brings you unexpected joy.

 

 

 

 

 

Suit up

30 Nov

When did it become acceptable for sweats, pajamas and ratty sweatshirts to become every day wear?

While I am thankful that both men and women are free to wear what they please, I can’t help but wonder why anyone would chose to present themselves as someone who lives in their pajamas.

I like to dress up. It puts me in a good mood and I feel better when I look better.

Ok, this wasn't for work. It was for an art party called Refinery, so I tried to look refined.

Ok, this wasn't for work. It was for an art party called Refinery, so I tried to look refined.

I am not vain. I look my best out of respect for the people I work with and the people I might encounter. I have a job where I could be at a high school one minute, meeting with the Mayor the next and then spending the rest of the day leaving voice mails in the office or at the scene of an accident. One thing I love about my job is that I never know what I could be doing that day. Do I dress for council meeting I have to go to or for abysmal weather that might cause an accident? The answer is both: throw heels in a bag to wear at the office and boots for the weather. As a young reporter I also dress up so others take me seriously. If I dressed like other people my age I’m not sure I would get the same respect that I do.

I dress nice, not only because I have respect for myself (and because my mother would disown me if I didn’t) but because I have respect for you. You’re the one that has to look at me, after all.

It’s not a difficult thing, to dress snazzy. I think (maybe fantasize is a better word) about what I am going to wear before I go to bed and as I get ready in the morning. I have minimal T-shirts, which force me to put on something nice. Yes, some days I don’t want to make the effort and I just want to go to Wal-mart in my PJs.

But then I think of what it was like for my grandmothers to dress when they were my age. They would’ve never left the house in their sleepwear, and as young ladies in the ’40s, they had it much tougher than I ever will. I remember my Grandma Marchant telling me about working at the American army office in Edmonton and having to draw a line on her leg because she couldn’t afford stockings. Despite all this, she still persevered and dressed to the nines.

My Grandma, around the time she got married to my Grandpa (66 years ago, this November)

My Grandma, around the time she got married to my Grandpa (66 years ago, this November)

I have a confession: I’ve carried this viewpoint for my whole life. Until last year, I had never owned a pair of sweat pants. I still only have 2 pairs of pants that fit: jeans (for the weekends and my lazy days at the office) and dress pants. The rest of the time, I wear skirts or dresses.

I’m not perfect. I’ve worn sweats out (once I was driving my boyfriend and we decided to go visit his family. I had a conniption) and have even gone shopping without make-up (the horror!). It’s a rare occurance.

 

← Older Entries

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.