Youth Speak News

I often find myself explaining to people why I’m a vegetarian. I used to be pretty defensive about it, but now I realize I only want to educate others.

The drive behind my vegetarianism is certainly not limited to my compassionate and “tree-hugging” nature, though this is one of the reasons I chose to adopt my leafy lifestyle. Health benefits, economic efficiency and conscious consumption are all contributing factors, but people need to understand that my faith plays a role in this too.

{mosimage}VICTORIA, B.C. - A Jesus Christ action figure sold at Camosun College’s bookstore is generating mixed reaction among students and members of the Victoria community.

While the bookstore insists its intention is to educate and not to take a religious or political stance, some students say that regardless of intention, the product is inappropriate in a college context.

{mosimage}Months before thousands of youth landed in Sydney, Australia, for World Youth Day in July, two Canadians were already peddling their way to the Pope.

Frank Callaghan, 20, and Brendan Quigley, 19, from Peterborough, Ont., boarded their bicycles May 17 to begin a 50-day pilgrimage of about 4,300 km from Perth to Sydney.

{mosimage}TORONTO - As the federal election approaches, students cannot help but think about how their input will affect the way our government will run.

Julian Noble, an eager first-time voter and student at the University of Toronto, said it is important for him to know what a politician stands for.

{mosimage}Recently in one of my classes, I was forced to use my rusty senses to study and observe the common strawberry. Sounds pretty simple right? However, the catch was that I could not use my “taste” senses until last — pretty hard to do when I was participating on an empty stomach.

I must admit I never truly appreciated a strawberry until that moment. By taking the time to observe my “subject,” as we were required to write about it afterwards, I was able to feel the bumpy texture and the fragility of the strawberry’s “skin.” I was able to imagine the delectable flavour by its smell — something a hundred times better than any strawberry flavoured lip-gloss or perfume.

Perhaps one of the most common questions I hear every time I tell someone I study theology is “So WHAT are you going to do with THAT?”

This is surely an all too familiar question asked of fellow English, history and philosophy majors, to name a few. It’s interesting how many people believe the misconception that those who study theology possess no marketable skills for making a contribution to an organization.

Why can’t Canadians, especially new voters like myself, be as passionate for politics as our counterparts to the south?

For weeks now, my spare time has been consumed with watching CNN and other American news sources and I have been fixated on Barack Obama and his  inspirational quest for the United States presidency.

{mosimage}TORONTO - Grade 12 religion students at Neil McNeil Catholic High School will get a taste of stewardship this year with a curriculum designed to get them outside the classroom.

Instead of sticking to the usual textbook curriculum, teacher Linton Soares has started following the “ShareLife ” curriculum, something he developed with the help of ShareLife and the Office of Stewardship of the Toronto archdiocese , to make learning more hands-on through guest presentations and field trips to different centres with service opportunities. ShareLife is the charitable fund-raising arm of the archdiocese.

{mosimage}Ottawa will host its first annual Archbishop’s Charity Dinner Oct. 28 with proceeds going to support youth ministry.

Jules Dagenais, director of Stewardship and Planned Giving of the Ottawa archdiocese , said the dinner supports something that Archbishop Terrence Prendergast, S.J., considers vital to church community growth.