Somalia's Hunger for Change (By: Mayuri Mahendran)

The famine in Somalia may have caught your attention in the news in passing, but in comparison to other world crisis, such as the earthquake in Haiti or even the earthquake in Japan, it seems to have quickly faded. But the deaths of tens of thousands of Somalis have passed, and ahead looms the possibility of 750 000 more Somalis dying of starvation. Being dubbed as the worst humanitarian crisis in the past two decades, how is it going unnoticed?

The famine in Somalia has been caused by more than just the drought. The country has warred against militant groups for the past years, heightening the difficulty of getting food to those who need it. The militant group Al Shabab was blocked Western aid from entering the famine zones. Their grasp on the Somali people has not only restricted aid, but also depleted the aid that has been given. In addition, the danger of sending aid workers and our images of agencies rushing in to fix a crisis is hard to find. However, organizations have not faltered in their efforts to help the people of Somalia. UNICEF, for example, has been allowed in, although it is only their Somali staff that is allowed to give aid to Somalia. Western agencies that have not been allowed in have used the power of technology to find loopholes in their barriers, such as using cell phones to send “electronic money” which can be used in the local markets in the famine zones. Help in the camps is still needed though, especially as the camps also lack clean water, and when the rain comes in this November and December, the death toll could increase through the spread of waterborne diseases such as cholera.

However, the famine’s story on newspapers and television screens has died down, as a result of an ever-changing world. But just because the spotlight is not on the situation, it does not mean the crisis has not left center stage. To put things into perspective, the money donated to the charity Save The Children for the crisis in Japan was $22.8 million. The amount of money that has been donated to the same charity for the drought in East Africa is $5 million. Consider that Somalia is the 6^th poorest country in the world, while Japan is the 3^rd richest. There is no denying that in times of need, every country requires aid, but this shows that our response to a crisis depends upon interpretation. Our society can easily become numb to numbers, death counts and horrifying images all blur together into the mass confusion of everyday life. If this crisis is to be fixed, the solution is more than the band aid of a twenty dollar bill; it is the change of people and politics.

References:

http://www.aneki.com/poorest.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/02/giving/some-aid-trickles-into-somalia-surrounded-by-death-and-disease.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1

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Pink Game (Photographed by: Roshni Jain)

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this is it. (By: Anonymous)

I feel alone, not a soul can understand me.

Sometimes I want to cry,

But I have to keep pretending.

Pretending to be strong, and happy; pretending that there’s nothing’s wrong.


But this is it.


Once the winters over, everything will go back to normal.

The trees will be green again, the tulips will grow again.


I hope.


This is it; we’re almost at the end.

I can see the light, shining from under the cracks

But how?

How do I get there, without losing everything I love in the process?

I can’t.


This is it, I’m at the end.

If they could do it, so could I,

It doesn’t matter what happens.


I’ll get through this, with or without you.

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How to… DIY facials (By: Cheryl Joseph)

You’ve been working hard all week. School, homework, clubs, work, chores… your busy schedule has bound to take its toll. The best remedy for this? An afternoon of pampering. Bring the spa to the comfort of your own home – you’ll be surprised at how much this will relax you.

Many of these ingredients, you already have at home. Oatmeal, for instance, is a great ingredient to use in facial masks. Crush oatmeal flakes with a spoon and mix with milk until a spreadable paste is made. Apply to face, let dry, and rinse off. This will exfoliate your skin, and the milk will nourish it. This works for all skin types: in oily skin, it will exfoliate and unblock oil-clogged pores; in dry skin, it will moisturize skin and soothe itching.

Another exfoliating ingredient likely in your pantry is baking soda. Mix with water to turn into a paste, and apply. Leave on for 5 minutes, then wash off with warm water in circular motions. This cleanses the dirt, facial oils, and other substances that block your pores. This gunk would have otherwise caused acne, which is definitely not fun. So exfoliation is a must! Other exfoliating ingredients include sugar (both brown and white), coffee grounds, and sea salt. Just remember to mix these with moisturizing agents (banana, avocado, honey, peach, yogurt, etc.) to moisturize and protect the skin at the same time – grainy materials like salt and sugar can damage the sensitive skin on your face if used alone.

After all that exfoliating and moisturizing, using a toner will pull everything together and give you a nice, dewy, even complexion. Green tea, apple cider vinegar, and lemon juice are all excellent toners: these not only remove facial oils and other substances from your pores, but many also have amino acids, which help you get rid of that pesky layer of dead skin cells. This helps your face look brighter, cleaner, and smoother.

Although DIY spa treatments are fun, remember not to do them too often; after many treats (like exfoliation), your skin needs time to renew itself. Otherwise, you’d be getting rid of too many skins cells too quickly. And always remember to dab each mask on a small area of your skin to check that there aren’t any negative affects (due to allergies). Aside from that, feel free to experiment with different treatment combinations until you find the ideal one for you!

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Are we so different? (By: Cheryl Joseph)

I may not think like you.

I may not act like you.

I may live halfway across the world,

In a land you may not have even heard of,

Let alone think about.

I may not think about clothes,

Or exams,

Or movies that just came out.

No.

I think about food,

And how to get some.

I think about my parents,

Who died of AIDS before I even knew them.

I think about my grandmother,

Who’s so old she can’t even care for herself anymore,

Let alone her grandchildren.

I think about my younger siblings,

And whether they will survive another year.

I may not think like you.

I may not act like you.

But am I really so different?

Do I deserve any less?

Are we really so different? Take the Vow of Silence on November 30th. Make a difference in the life of another kid or teen just like you.

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Hawaii Five-0 Review (By: Erika Ty)

10:00 on CBS

Only in it’s second season, Hawaii Five-0 is already packed with action and a lot of drama. With 11.2 million viewers every Monday night, the rankings are always high and receive a lot of great reviews from the critics. Hawaii Five-0 originally aired in 1968 and ran for 12 seasons. In May of 2010, CBS announced they would remake the series with Australian hunk Alex O’Laughlin as the Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, Scott Caan as Detective Danny “Danno” Williams, Daniel Dae Kim as Chin Ho Kelly and a native of Vancouver, Grace Park as Kono Kalakaua. Five-0 is a special task force team assembled by the Governor of Hawaii thatfollow no law and no rules, they make their own.

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