Category: PLP milestones

What is a Story of Hope?

In times of turbulence, hope is a light at the end of a tunnel, a source of motivation for individuals to keep fighting and is a crucial component of human survival and well-being. However, to truly know “hope”, you need to learn and develop a deep understanding into it’s components; resilience, survival and adversity. 

Personally, resilience is my favourite. Resilient people have the ability to improvise with what’s at hand, a deep belief that life is meaningful and a staunch acceptance of reality. With these three key aspects, you have the ability to grow this muscle and allow it to become a mindset that is deeply ingrained into your mind and soul. In reading numerous examples of individuals who faced forms of adversity such as losing a limb in a shark attack or having cancer, I noticed that these people were truly good people. At least, they became that way afterwards. Jasan Zimmerman Bethany Hamilton and Blake Haxton use what they experienced as a way to inspire and motivate others, by showing that it’s possible to come out of struggle. However, it was importantly noted in How Resilience Works that resilience is not an ethically good or bad characteristic. In fact, “bad” people could possess this characteristic as well. 

One of the prison cells

During spring break, I visited Alcatraz, the ultimate maximum security prison of it’s time. During my visit, I came to learn about a certain escape that blows my mind. In June 1962, three inmates shimmied through a hole they’d chiseled into the walls of the prison over the course of several months. Additionally to mask their escape, they had placed in their bunks realistic-looking dummy heads they had made out of papier-mâché and human hair from the prison’s barber shop. What they had done must have taken months to plan and execute, but their resilience kept them going and allowed them to improvise with what they had.  

Opposed to a mere challenge, adversity is a difficult, typically life-altering situation that puts immense stress on an individual. Adversity is not exactly something you can avoid in life, but that’s a good thing; it plays a key role in shaping a person’s character by providing opportunities for personal growth and learning, if you’re willing to let it have that effect towards you. As evidenced by the stories of Bethany Hamilton, Jasan Zimmerman and Blake Haxton, the effect of near-death experiences have an especially life and mind-altering effect on individuals. Facing a form of adversity such as losing your legs to save your life allowed Blake to view his life in a different light; as a get to, not as a have to. Thus, he began helping others and giving back to the world that kept him alive by raising awareness about his struggles in TEDTalks to allow others to view their own lives in a different light by becoming more grateful for what they have. 

Bethany Hamilton – npr.org

Survival is the ability to continue living despite difficult conditions and adversity, it involves adapting to one’s environment, making quick and effective decisions, and overcoming obstacles to ensure one’s own well-being. This has been particularly evidenced through Bethany Hamilton’s experience. Bethany’s survival skills were put to the test when she was attacked by a shark while surfing. Despite losing her arm in the attack, she was able to overcome her physical and mental challenges to return to the sport she loved and inspire others with her story of resilience and determination. Soul Surfer demonstrates that humans can thrive even in the face of devastating events, showcasing human nature. The way Bethany dealt with this traumatic event is an example of what psychologists call “post traumatic growth” which is the ability to derive positive benefits from adversity. This means that individuals who have experienced trauma can develop resilience and find new opportunities for growth and meaning in their lives. 

Humans by birth have the natural instinct to survive in situations of adversity and continue to be resilient throughout. These three components however, could not be possible without hope. Stories of hope are like a breath of fresh air, proof to other individuals that no matter how hard it may be to accept, the adversity you face in your lifetime is a key component to reaching a kind, grateful, happy and resilient persona. 

What Power Do Horror Franchises Hold Over Their Killers?

Halloween (1978) singlehandedly launched the era of the slasher film, where the main character became the villain. Halloween soon became a popular series, creating thirteen movies, along with Friday the 13th that made twelve. Sequels in many other genres have never been nearly as successful as these franchises, which has left me wondering how these movies were so popular despite having much of the same plot. 

When it comes to Friday the 13th, it’s always the same thing: killer takes out a bunch of teenagers. Upon watching Eli Roth’s History of Horror episode on the slasher sub-genre, one of his guest speakers said something that sparked my interest. Elijah Wood said that the subsequent sequels to Friday the 13th became “who are these awful kids that we sort of hate and why can’t we wait for Jason totake them out?”. This was answered by Joe Hill, another guest speaker, stating that each movie of this franchise only ever included these one-dimensional characters (gang of teenagers with a jock, stoner, virgin, etc). This permits the audience from ever caring about them or falling in love with them, which makes it easier and more entertaining to watch them be taken out by a serial killer. My theory is that people go in to watch a Friday the 13th film expecting to see gore and many kills, especially of teenagers, but they are drawn in by the unique and creative ways in which they are all done by the oh-so-famous Jason Vorhees. 

fridaythe13th.fandom.com

The reasoning behind the Halloween franchise’s popularity however, is different. Halloween introduces the world to Lorie Strode, who was the first to begin the classic horror trope of the “final girl”. Contrary to Friday the 13th, you care about Lorie and don’t want her to die as she is the one that you relate to the most — the smart and logical one. Lorie Strode is the ultimate horror movie heroine because she represents all that is beautiful about humanity. She is a fighter and survivor, as well as the only one capable of finally ending Michael Myers. Although Michael Myers’ motivation to target Lorie is partially revealed in a couple of the sequels by the fact that she is his younger sister, what made the first film so good was the fact that you have no idea what makes him want to focus on her. 

offscreen.com

Lorie Strode is only in seven out of the thirteen movies in this franchise, so, what makes Michael Myers such an interesting killer that you’d wanna see him in so many movies? An article from digitaltrends.com stated that “no matter what film he’s in, Michael is always a formidable force of nature that is almost impossible to defeat in the Halloween franchise.” He’s the human that just ain’t human, and the living description of The Boogey Man. By being faceless, he appears as less human while also allowing viewers to associate him with the abstract concept of evil itself. The fact that he never says a word even further adds to this effect. 

pennlive.com

I believe that this is what the directors of Friday the 13th wanted to bring into their franchise, as Michael Myers and Jason Vorhees are not all that different. Both Jason and Michael have remained the face of their franchises throughout almost every movie, whereas other franchises have had to rely on additional antagonists to keep their stories fresh. The killers’ abilities to carry forty years of cinema by themselves further distinguishes them from their murderous colleagues. 

 

 

Sources Cited:

Farrell, 07-04-2020 by D., & Kalifa, 06-30-2020 by P. (2013, March 19). Why I love Michael Myers: An essay. somethingawful.com. Retrieved November 30, 2022, from https://www.somethingawful.com/news/michael-meyers-halloween/

Joiner, L. (2022, February 16). Here’s what makes Friday the 13th popular enough for 12 movies. MovieWeb. Retrieved November 30, 2022, from https://movieweb.com/friday-the-13th-movies/

Murrian, S. R. (2022, October 12). John Carpenter’s 1978 ‘Halloween’ is one of the best, Scariest Horror Movies of All Time-Here’s why – parade: Entertainment, recipes, health, life, holidays. Parade. Retrieved November 30, 2022, from https://parade.com/606101/samuelmurrian/7-reasons-why-john-carpenters-halloween-is-one-of-the-most-beloved-horror-films-of-all-time/

Osborne, J. (2022, October 14). Jason Voorhees explained: Who is the Friday the 13th movie killer? The Digital Fix. Retrieved November 30, 2022, from https://www.thedigitalfix.com/friday-the-13th/jason-voorhees-explained

Roth, E. (2018, October 21). Slasher Part 1 . Eli Roth’s History of Horror. Episode 2. Season 1

Zimmerman, D. (2022, October 3). The 10 best things about Halloween’s Michael Myers. CBR. Retrieved November 30, 2022, from https://www.cbr.com/michael-myers-halloween-best-things/

“Rolling in The Deep” by Adele – Analysis

I’ve been listening to Adele since I was very little and she has always been a favourite artist of mine. While listening to her, I’m given the feeling of nostalgia. While I love many of Adele’s songs, this one is one that reminds me of singing my heart out to at six years old. After all this time, it remains one of my favourite songs – I could be upset or stressed and this song would be able to cheer me up.

The tone of “Rolling in the Deep” is wrath, displeasure and heartbreak. Adele is describing her state of mind in result of this heartbreak and betrayal she has endured. She does so in forms of hyperboles, metaphors and symbols. Using the lyric “reaching a fever pitch and it’s bringing me out the dark”(0:10), is a symbol for her anger and rage bringing her out of the dark. In this case, “out of the dark” is referring to her happy, past self, becoming angry and now seeing him “crystal clear” – no longer seeing him as she did before. She then stresses the emotions she’s feeling in the metaphor “there’s a fire starting in my heart”(0:33), because fire resembles anger and pain. And finally, as an example of hyperbole, she uses the line “the scars of your love leave me breathless”(0:52). This explains that this betrayal left her shocked and astonished, but she is obviously not shocked enough to go physically breathless. 

In this song, Adele paints a very clear picture of her feelings with her words, giving the listeners an impression of a broken woman as she feels deep heart-felt emotions caused by someone who used to be very close to her. This betrayal not only led to her heart breaking but experiencing dark thoughts, desiring to get revenge and make the person feel more hurt than she did. When I listened to this song at a younger age, I felt a sense of confidence in her voice’s tone. Yes, she was feeling anger, but after experiencing this, she became stronger, more sure of herself and confident that she wouldn’t let someone walk all over her like that anymore. 

The combination of her powerful voice and engaging lyrics permits the listeners to get a front row seat of the exact emotions she’s feeling. The personification of “love” in “the scars of your love”(0:52) highlights how much she has been hurt. In real life, scars don’t typically come from a minor bruise or scrape – they come from much deeper wounds. So, let alone the deep cut, she was able to pick up the pieces and partially heal, showing the strength that was required to do so. 

“Rocket Man” by Elton John – Analysis

“Rocket Man” has always been a family type of song for me – one that my parents listened to in their youth and passed down to my brother and I. One that we all know by heart and would sing along to anytime it played. It reminds me of a number of times we would sing to it in the car – on our way back from soccer/hockey games, nights out or while on vacation. Or, even just playing it at home where we all sang at the top of our lungs and most likely disturbed our neighbours.   

While the song is referring to astronauts and space, it’s a metaphor to the feeling of loneliness – feeling separated from one’s home and loved ones. In reality, the song is comparing the life of an astronaut to that of a regular working person – it could even be referring to fame and how lonely it can be. Looking at “Rocket Man” in a certain way can actually make it sound quite depressing. The smilie “high as a kite”(0:15) could be quite literally referring to drug abuse in response to the depression caused by this separation. “I miss the earth so much, I miss my wife”(0:29) is an allusion that could be referring “earth” to “home”. To go deeper into the word’s meaning, loneliness is the realization that an individual is separated  from the entire world, that nobody properly understands them. This description reminds me much of what a large majority of teenagers tend to feel and go through. 

While “Rocket Man” is a song referring to the feeling of loneliness, it is also about others having a different view or opinion of yourself than who you think you are. When Elton sings “I’m not the man they think I am at home”(1:04), it leads me to believe that he is seen as a sort of “Rocket Man” to others but in reality, to his wife and kids and himself, he is just a man, dad and husband. As I previously said, if this is referring to fame, it also fits perfectly – he misses his family as he is separated from them for some reason, possibly being on tour and it’s going to be a “long long time”(0:56) until he sees them again. This could even be looked at in the opposite way, where he sees himself as a “Rocket Man” but his wife and kids have a contrary view of him. 

In summary, these two meanings from “Rocket Man” can make the song much easier for listeners to connect and relate to. Not everyone is an astronaut, believe it or not – but everyone has felt lonely in some point of their lives, and it is quite common for others to think of you differently than you view yourself, or the other way around. 

“Vogue” by Madonna – Analysis

One of my most fond childhood memories was going to Sun Peaks with my family and our close family-friends. It was tradition to fluctuate from having dinner at each other’s place after a long day of skiing. During the night, we would play board games, dance and play old music videos. Inevitably, it seems one of the videos we would watch was the iconic “Vogue” by Madonna.  There was just something special about the power of the video and what Madonna represented – a spirited, independent, successful woman despite all the hardships she endured in her early years.

The Vogue song itself, is a powerful piece of modern dance and pop music. Madonna’s song is also all-encompassing – using the cliche “it makes no difference if you’re black or white, if you’re a boy or a girl”(2:30). Equality is a big part of Madonna’s morals, as well as one that I undoubtedly agree with. In fact, before she popularized “Vogueing”, it was a common dance move done in New York clubs by people of colour and the LGBTQ community. It was “vogue”, pardon the pun, at the time to reference it doesn’t matter your ethnicity (e.g. Michael Jackson had a similar verse in his song “Black or White”).  However, cliche or not, her message was on point none the less – back then and now.  Madonna reached a level of success “Queen of Pop” in which she was influential – and she was going to use this to do what she could to change the inequalities in life existent in society. 

This song is one with a quite upbeat and optimistic tone, where Madonna presents the “dance floor” as a place where people can escape all of their worries or troubles – especially in the first stanza. She gets a bit philosophical and acknowledges that at times people have to deal with both internal and external issues. She then suggests that there’s a place where “you can get away” (1:49), called the dance floor. This also reminds me of times my mom has told me about dancing to this song at clubs in Montreal at 20 years old. 

The fourth stanza is arguably the most-unique part of “Vogue”. Here, Madonna makes allusions to pop-culture icons from the 40s and 50s ; “Greta Garbo and Monroe, Dietrich and DiMaggio, Marlon Brando, Jimmy Dean, on the cover of a magazine…”(3:58). They are put forth as examples of people who had “grace”, ie. who would be effective on the dance floor. By using such allusions, it gives the song a sense of classiness or celebrity relation, so the listener may be more willing to participate. I also believe that the rhyme scheme AABB in these three stanzas adds to the “grace” given from this part of the song. This is done against the background of the singer telling people to “move to the music”(2:01) and “go with the flow”(2:09). So more than anything, this song is suggesting dancing as a big form of stress relief and personal edification. 

In summary, the song Vogue by Madonna became widely popular, I believe, for a number reasons beyond the upbeat “danceable” melody. More importantly, as you listened to the lyrics, you felt an overall sense of self expression, equality of individuals and being true to oneself – ideals that I always have believed in. 

“Thriller” by Michael Jackson – Analysis

Grade six was an important year for me as it marks a pretty big turning point in my life. It was my first year ever trying out for my elementary school’s track team. Beating the most athletic people in my grade, to making the podium at Swangard Stadium for all three events I tried out for helped me gain confidence. It wasn’t track itself that holds a special place in my heart, but the fact that I was able to discover something I knew I was really good at. To this day, these moments stay very important and influential to my life. At this point in my life, I was going through a huge phase, where much of the music I listened to consisted of Michael Jackson. Listening to his music reminds me of times I was dancing and singing to him with my best friend from elementary school, as well as this core event from my life. This was the song that started it all. 

In one of MJ’s first hits “Thriller”, it’s obvious that his intention was set out to capture the feel of a scary movie, though in a song. His story telling ability helps allow the listeners to feel the thrilling and creepy tone. Yet, MJ also manages to make the song exciting and enjoyable to listen to. In the song, he serenades his audience about how there is always something lurking in the gloomy shadows, even if you don’t always notice. This song is fundamentally based on the same tropes films belonging to the horror genre tend to use  – an evil or monstrous enemy stalking a defenceless woman, who can only be saved by her romantic interest. In fact, if you listen closely, there can be a romantic undertone to “Thriller”. More specifically, MJ’s character is hoping that the woman will be so terrified by the “terror on the screen” that she’ll have no choice but to seek safety in his arms.  

While this song may seem simple, it is actually much more complex than you might think. Michael includes a number of literary devices in his song, and while he represents the “evil lurking” as zombies in his music video, this could even be considered as a metaphor to an aspect of society or one’s life. To name one, “Horror” is personified quite often; “as horror looks you right in between your eyes”(1:25) and “you try to scream, but terror takes the sound before you make it”(1:21). Horror/terror is not a living thing, therefore cannot “look you in the eye” or “take the sound”. However, using personification in this sense, adds to the dramatic tone that is brought through the song. The hyperbole in this song also adds to this effect while exaggerating the smell of the dead as they rise from their graves in the line said by Vince Price, the best-known American horror actor at this time – “the foulest stench is in the air, the funk of forty thousand years”(5:14). Furthermore, imagery also played an important role in “Thriller”. The lines “something evil’s lurkin’ in the dark”(1:02) and “you see a sight that almost stops your heart”(1:09) could provide the listener with a mental image of an evil sight and add to the story telling sense of the song.

“I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz – Analysis

It was a warm sunny day in late July 2020, and I was laying down in the grass with my best furry friend knowing that this might be one of the last precious moments I might have with him – listening to one of my favourite songs at the time – I’m Yours (Jason Mraz). Pender, who was born a year before me, was a constant companion throughout my life – however at this moment almost 16 years old, was having serious health problems. It’s funny how a song can bring back a special moment. 

This song’s cheerful melody makes one feel content, and it’s lyrics are filled with positive messages which add further to that feeling. However, I believe this song can also make one feel a sense of “grief” for the joyful moments that they would attach to this song. Even without the memory that connects me to this song, it reminds one of a typical warm summers day – feeling the sea breeze, the birds chirping, the waves of the ocean, waterfalls and nature itself. One thing Mraz used often in his song was repetition. He would repeat single words such as “love, love, love, love”(1:10) and “loved, loved, loved, loved, loved”(1:24). In the last line from his song, he used repetition to prove a point – “do you believe, you best believe, I’m yours”(3:54). And finally, the song’s chorus of course, which is inevitable. Repetition in music is correlated with popularity, which is one of the many reasons why this song became popular. Additionally, this term makes the song easier to grasp, to understand and to remember – and as this artist wants the listeners to change their point of views to more positive ones, this song helps with his exact intention. 

When I originally listened to this song, I thought that the artist was singing to a particular person or romantic interest. However, after putting more thought into the meaning of this song, I believe that the “person” the song is addressed to is actually “life” itself. In the first stanza, he describes how life has thrown him a few curve balls, and he’s surely taken notice – “well you done, done me and you bet I felt it”(0:13). On the other hand, towards the end of the stanza he describes that he’s got a new attitude. In the chorus, he states throughout the song that he is giving himself to life – that there’s no time like the present to change your point of view. In the third stanza, he is advising the listeners to do the same as him – to open up our minds and see like him. In the second to last stanza before the song comes to an end, he restates – as he does throughout the song but in various ways – that life is too short not to live in the moment. He tells the listeners that “there’s no need to complicate things”(3:18) – that this isn’t something which requires significant mental energy, it is purely based on coming to this realization. 

The cliché “our time is short”(3:20) that the artist includes in “I’m Yours” was one that spoke to me. After my dog passed away, I learned a valuable lesson – to not take anything for granted. Because often, I did take him for granted. And realistically speaking, life really is short, especially for a family pet. Live in the moment, in the present – to avoid subjecting yourself too much to worries and stress. Otherwise, you may take the things that matter most for granted.

The Hope in John Hersey’s “Hiroshima”

“up through the wreckage of the city…was a blanket of fresh, vivid, lush, optimistic green…The bomb had not only left the underground organs of the plants intact; it had stimulated them.” 

After reading this particular part of Hiroshima, it got me thinking about why John Hersey decided to include a piece like this, and what made it relevant to the message he was trying to bring across to the readers throughout the book. It was his diction and use of the word “optimistic” that struck my attention. The most destructive device ever made by man has instantly annihilated 80,000 people, destroyed an entire city and changed the future of modern warfare forever—yet nature still persists in the cracks caused by this bomb. His inclusion of a piece such as this one, provides the story with hope. Which is what I realized proceeded throughout the book. 

The book started off with a tone of panic, as the survivors are trying to keep themselves alive and help others after the bombing. However, Hersey later made the conscious choice to add a 5th chapter to this book, discussing the aftermath 40 years later. Additionally, Hersey made another conscious choice to focus the story on 6 particular individuals. And from doing so, the readers were able to experience a much more up-close and human look into what the people on the ground, at that exact time, were experiencing, feeling and overcoming.

Hatsuyo Nakamura – commons.wikipedia.org

“Her children were no longer dependent on her, and Toshio was ready to take on a son’s responsibility for his aging mother. She felt at home in her body now; she rested when she needed to…It was time for her to enjoy life.” At first, life was not looking good for Mrs Nakamura. She was a widow, suffered illness due to the bomb and faced difficulties in finding work. But in spite of all that, she was eventually able to find her peace. She finally found a good job that didn’t overwork or underpay her, her children were no longer dependent on her and she was able to take care of herself, as well as her children taking care of her.  

Toshiko Sasaki – commons.wikipedia.org

“I shall not dwell on the past. It is as if I had been given a spare life when I survived the A-bomb. But I prefer not to look back. I shall keep moving forward.” Toshiko Sasaki was a character whose life arguably changed the most from the bomb. After suffering the horrific leg injury, getting abandoned from her fiancé and losing many loved ones, Sasaki copes with misery and pain by turning to religion, and becomes a nun. As a result, she finds the spiritual strength to live a long, rewarding life spent helping others, and preferred not to think about her past. This wasn’t the only time that the book included allusions to the bible and Catholicism, which shows that it was something that some hibakusha turned to for comfort in these horrid times.


Continuing on the theme of hope, Hersey’s choice to add a 5th chapter to this book helped in assisting the readers to develop a sense of peace, rather than being left wondering what could have happened to the survivors. And with this final chapter, he was able to end the book off transitioning the tone to one of resolve, as the survivors adjust into their new lives. It’s mind-blowing to think that this book, despite it’s subject being of such an unspeakable tragedy, still allowed the reader to feel hope.

I feel as though having this aspect of hope was not only important to the book, but to the characters in the story. Those who were amongst the “luckier” ones and didn’t die instantly from the nuclear bomb, had no choice but to adjust to their new lives. And there’s no doubt that it wasn’t an easy process. However, most of the 6 individuals had something that kept them going. Father Kleinsorge had his love for Japan and helping others. Ms Nakamura had her 3 kids. And Dr Sasaki enjoyed helping others as well, and even risked getting penalties by treating patients without a permit.

The Creation of The World’s First Vaccine

Hello everyone.  Allow me to introduce you to our second project of the year.  So far, we have been learning about the story behind The Manhattan Project.  We have also been introduced to a unique artist expression called conceptual art. And finally, our teachers are convinced that by the end of this project, we will believe that the Manhattan project is the most historically significant event ever.

However, today, I am going to be giving my own opinion by talking about a significant event that I believe has a lasting impact on the course of history – The Creation of the First Ever Vaccine.  Before I get into how I believe it’s historically significant, let’s first explore a backstory that lead to this significant event – the disease known as Smallpox. 

vox.com Article by: Julia Belluz

Smallpox was a brutal disease. Your body would ache, you’d have a high fever, sore throat, headaches, difficulty breathing and a horrible rash over your entire body (I won’t go into gory detail about that, but again, brutal). Edward Jenner was a country doctor in England, who was thought to have interest in curing smallpox by his scarring childhood experience of smallpox variolation (which was how they had attempted to treat this disease before his discovery). 

It was quite well known in rural England that there was a group of people that seemed to be immune to smallpox. Milkmaids and farmers instead contracted a much more mild cattle disease called cowpox. In 1796, Jenner had gathered enough circumstantial evidence from milkmaids and farmers, that he decided to conduct an experiment. Interesting fact, this experiment was done on a child, which would’ve been super problematic if done today. But, since the mortality rate was highest for children, it was essential to this experiment. 

wired.com Article by: Cody Cassidy

In the late 1700’s there were very little medical advancements.  Jenner, like everyone else at that time, didn’t fully understand the reason behind the success of vaccines – the creation of immunity and antibodies in the human body. Yet, his experiment was successful, and did lead to later discoveries of how the human body really worked. In his experiment, he scratched some pus from cowpox lesions on the hands of a milkmaid into the skin of an eight year old. The child recovered after a few days of mild illness and Jenner then inoculated the boy with matter from a smallpox blister to see if he would contract the disease. Turns out, he didn’t, nor did anyone he came in contact with. 

After Edward Jenner published his work/findings, this news spread accross Europe. And later, around the world. When he found out, King Charles IV got a physician to deliver the vaccine to all of the Spanish empire. 

Something else that I found interesting was that Jenner didn’t want to make any money from his vaccine, and wasn’t interested in patenting it. His vaccine was “free to the world”.  He just wanted people to know about it and wanted to share it. This is contrary to todays world, where companies like Pfizer are making billions on vaccines.  

npr.org Article by: Bill Chappell

Within 20 years of his discovery, his vaccine was already saving millions of lives. Smallpox vaccination was common around the world. Jenner’s determination and innovation changed the world and saved so many lives, and even continues to save lives today. 

The creation of the vaccine and it’s rise of popularity marks the start of the medical revolution. This also increased life expectancy for mankind, the symptoms of a widespread disease (like smallpox) that were often really severe, were now easily treatable. In the following centuries, more and more vaccines have been created and the quality of medicare has increased, which has largely impacted society as a whole.  

What’s important to wrap your head around, is that Jenner created the concept of vaccinology, which is something extremely important to this day – i.e. COVID-19 . Not to mention, without the start of the medical revolution, we wouldn’t have had things such as antibiotics, penicillin or much more recent, mRNA technology which is said to potentially help boost immunity against diseases such as cancer.


The discovery of the world’s first vaccine affects anyone who has access to or has taken a vaccine in their lives. It allows people to travel the world, without getting some diseases that may still be an issue in certain developing countries. Taking necessary vaccines also allows for less strain on the medical system, with less people in hospitals. To sum up, vaccines can mean the difference between life and death, they are just as important to your overall health as diet and exercise.

So this leaves me pondering with the question, what would life be like today without vaccines? 

I believe that it would very different. Population growth and life expectancy of humans plays a huge role in the vast majority of human evolution. So, it could be argued that a large portion of significant discoveries and events may have never occurred if diseases that are now cured by vaccines roamed the earth killing millions. In fact, Leo Szilard was the “ripe old age” of 35 years old when he developed the idea of the nuclear chain reaction, which lead to the start of the Manhattan Project.  In a world in which no vaccines existed and viruses ruled the world, Szilard may have never had the chance to be such a huge factor in the lasting impacts from the atomic bomb.

Introducing…the Ubiquitous Party of Canada

Hey everyone, welcome back to my blog. For our next step in our project, we have been put in the position of politicians and been sorted into political parties. Jordyn, Alex O, Liam, Meg and I teamed up to create the Ubiquitous Party of Canada. And since we’ve been put into our parties, we have come up with our Statement of Intent and now, our Press Release.

Ubiquitous means to be everywhere, which is used to describe the ideas and values of our party. We believe that our party brings the best assets and ideas from both sides of the political spectrum into one.

Here was our party’s press release, where it includes our main values and platform.

Giving indigenous communities more of a voice and focusing on truth and reconciliation is a core value of the Ubiquitous Party. And to provide them with a voice, we would be offering them seats in parliament. The way we decided this was by having representation by population: 5% of Canadians are indigenous, which would equivalent to giving them about 15 seats in parliament. Completing the 94 calls to action is also a large principle of ours, and something we want to create a set year to have them complete by.

Another piece of our plan is about clean energy. The most rapid renewable energy job growth has come from solar and wind sectors. So if we were to invest in that kind of energy, we could not only make a step towards solving climate change, but also create more jobs. Especially for those in Alberta, where most of their jobs are in the oil industry. Although we are pro-business, we do not support companies who don’t align with our values (eg. Environmentally friendly). So, we want to encourage organizations much like the oil and gas industry to transition from fossil fuels to clean energy.

college.unc.edu Article written by: Logan Ward

Additionally, to help reduce poverty in Canada and to allow lower/middle class to have a basic standard of living, we decided on having Universal Basic Income (UBI). Which means that everyone (rich or poor), gets a monthly cheque of about $1000. At the end of the year, the government uses the tax system to balance out the scales and recoup the extra cash from the higher income earners who didn’t end up needing it. UBI also has the potential to create jobs, recreate a middle wage instead there being extremely high and extremely low ones and boost Canada’s economy. A way to fund this system would be from taxing companies for environmental degradation. Which has been proven to work by an organization that has done tons of research on UBI and how it would work in Canada, I recommend checking it out

Next, public healthcare in Canada is something that is very expensive and something we may not be able to do for that much longer. So our group agreed on implementing a 2-tier healthcare system. Where we could still have a public system, while lessening the burden of healthcare costs for the government and tax system. While also being able to use that extra money on plans we have that involve spending and possibly also reduce the deficit that is currently extremely high. Someone going to a private clinic for a surgery for example, would also shorten the wait time for anyone in the public system waiting to get that exact same surgery.

Finally, a lot of big companies already pay taxes and all sorts of other things, so making them pay more may just drive them away. However, social media companies such as Instagram and Facebook don’t pay anything at all to be able to advertise and operate in our country. So, we want to make them pay annual tariffs to be able to operate in Canada. 


All in all, our party is very bold and willing to approach important issues in Canada in a unique way. Like I said at the beginning of this post, we are bringing together the best of both worlds into one party. This is also a connection to my last blog post, where I talk about how our country is very divided, which is proven by yet another minority government. So, if we were to attract people from both sides, it could potentially have us avoid another minority government. To add, we also want to focus on negotiating and working with other parties in government. We believe it’s important to include everyone’s values and that working together is the only way we will get anything done at all. This is what Canada needs, and what Canadians want.