Marriage and civil unions By Casey (Casey.) and Marie (Rie) To many people, marriage is not only a sacred word, but a sacred joining of two people for eternity. To others, marriage is merely a government institution that grants people access to certain, sometimes special, rights. These rights include joint property, custody of the children, visitation rights, and even accepting joint responsibility for debt. A civil union is a legally recognised partnership between two persons, similar...

The life and death of Margaret Thatcher By Adam (Rachael98) On the 8th of April 2013, Margaret Thatcher died from a stroke in her suite at the Ritz. Baroness Thatcher was the Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from May 1979 until November 1990. During her long period in power, she made many controversial changes, many of which still incite powerful feelings today. She worked her way through the ranks to get the very top of the political ladder throughout her life. Whatever...

The resignation of Pope Benedict XVI By Jack (Coenred) and Adam (Rachael98) The Origins of the Papacy The first Pope was Saint Peter, one of the original twelve disciples of Jesus. Jesus told Saint Peter that he was to be the ‘rock’ on which Jesus would build his church (Matthew 16:18). The title of ‘Pope’ however, didn't come into use until 366 A.D. under Pope Damascus I. From the beginning, the Pope has been considered to be the leader of the Catholic Church. Amongst other denominations...

Got Plants? Reasons for a plant-based diet By Traci (Coffee.) Most people have at least one vegetarian or vegan friend, and it’s easy to wonder why they would pick a lifestyle that seems so difficult to manage without being able to eat meat, and for vegans, cheese and eggs! These are staple foods in most western lifestyles, and for most it would seem crazy to give them up. There are actually many reasons why people transition to vegetarianism, some that the average person isn’t aware of....

The English Baccalaureate, explained By Jack (Coenred) It’s been two years since the fiasco of the British general election, which ended with Cameron and Clegg promising change and reform to wherever they thought it was needed. Following the non-record breaking exam results of 2012, they turned their collective gaze to the education system. They announced that they would find a way to turn it into a more fair and well-rounded system. However, what are the changes they’re making?...

Learning from the Paralympics By Hester (LiveLongAndProsper) Some people will know that the Paralympics took place this year (2012) in Great Britain. A huge number of countries and talented athletes took part. Records were broken, gold medals were won, and every country that took part was made proud. However, the Paralympics is more than just a sporting event to be watched and then forgotten. First, there are the obvious lessons to be learnt. Anybody can take part in a sport. You can be...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 4, Issue 2 (August 2010). World Cup Fever! By Brittany (.Brittany.) The 19th FIFA World Cup took place from June 11th to July 11th. Even though it was hosted in South Africa, you probably heard many screaming fans cheering their teams on as well as the heart break and devastation when their favourite team lost. There were many heated moments, especially as the clock was running out of time, or when there was a penalty kick; whether or not they missed...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 4, Issue 2 (August 2010). U.S. Bill of Rights By Casey (Casey.) In the United States, we have the Constitution, and in the body of the Constitution is the U.S. Bill of Rights, which is comprised of the first ten amendments. Many democratic countries have a Bill of Rights, which are the rights that the people of that nation are entitled to. There are ten amendments that make up the Bill of Rights. The first is the most commonly known amendment, but...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 4, Issue 1 (July 2010). News that Affects You: June 2010 in Review By Brittany (.Brittany.) and Jes (Asylum) While enjoying summer it can become increasingly difficult to commit time to keeping up with the current affairs of the world. In case you missed the headlines, here’s a glimpse of what people were talking about (or should have been!) in June 2010. Mental Health

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 4, Issue 1 (July 2010). Sun, Sand, Oil? by Casey. We've all heard of the current oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil are pouring into the Gulf daily, which is frightening to many. This is the largest offshore oil spill that has been recorded in the U.S. history, and it's taking a huge toll on the environment. Threatening the endangered coral reefs, it is also upsetting many local fishermen. What really happened,...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 12 (June 2010). News that Affects You: May 2010 in Review by Emily (bringontherain), Jessie (Asylum), Stephanie (Konstantine) If you’re digging the warming weather (and we know you are) you may have gotten behind on breaking news from this past May. If you missed the headlines, this is what people were talking about in May 2010! Health

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 12 (June 2010). World Leaders by Casey. Recently, during a class discussion, I was shocked to realize how many of my classmates did not know who the current world leaders were. Right now, there are 181 nations listed on the CIA's website, although not all of them are recognized as nations by the United States. Can you name a third (sixty nations) of them? I can name eighty-seven. Of those I cannot name, , some I have never heard of and...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 11 (May 2010). UK Elections Casey (Cas*) General elections in the UK will be held on 6 May 2010. Whether you're registered or not (and we hope you or your parents are!) it is important to know what is going on in the government. Do you know who is running and what they stand for? First, let's have a quick lesson on the basics of political parties in the UK. There are many parties in the UK, including minor ones like the Green Party or the...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 11 (May 2010). News that Affects You: April 2010 in Review By Jessie (Asylum) Absent in April? Would you rather spend your spring outside than indoors reading the news? In case you missed the headlines, here’s a glimpse of what people were talking about, or should have been, in April 2010! Mental Health

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 10 (April 2010). News That Affects you: March 2010 in Review By Jessie (Asylum) Missed March? Just downright dislike sifting through news reports you could care less about? Want the lowdown? Here’s a glimpse of what people were talking about in March 2010! Human Rights