Author Archives: Andrea Daignault

What’s Your Style?

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If there’s one thing that will never stop evolving, it’s fashion. Every country, every era, heck, every person has their own sense of style. What’s in goes out, and what was out comes back in. It’s always changing and you never know what’s gonna be next. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up, but that’s why you’re reading this! I’m here to let you know what’s currently in style so you can step up your fall closet to the next level. 

The first thing you need to know is that there’s a lot of different styles- so the first step is to find yours. Take this quick quiz to find your personal aesthetic! Make sure to keep this information in mind when you’re applying the rest of what you read here!

The next step is to understand your body type. It’s not so much the clothing you wear as how it fits you. Different looks look better on different body types.

For example, if you have a long torso, high waisted pants will look really good on you compared to low waisted pants, because they will give you a look of longer legs. If you have a short torso, low waisted pants would look better to make your torso look longer and your legs a little shorter. Understanding proportions like this is exceptionally important when it comes to fashion and looking your best. An outfit may look great on one person and the exact same thing may not look as good on someone else. For more information, watch this great video! 

It’s important to keep up with worldwide fashion icons, too. It’s New York fashion week, so it’s the perfect time to see what’s new! Keep in mind these are designer outfits and they are very out there- so if that’s not quite in your style and budget, don’t worry! It’s just to give you an idea of what’s going on in the fashion world. 

Finally, here’s the top 8 fashion trends of 2023 that you should know about. 

Putting all this information together, your style should be brand new and banging! Remember to put your own twist on your outfits- whether that’s through accessories, hairstyles, or the outfit itself, make it yours and own it! I love just looking through the new trends for inspiration, and who knows, maybe you can upcycle your old closet instead of going out and buying a whole new wardrobe! Because trust me, I know how expensive things can be nowadays. Annnd don’t worry, upcycling is totally in fashion! Enjoy making your closet comfortable and just being you!

Quotes and Motivation to Lighten Your Day

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We all need motivation in our lives at one point or another. For me, a good way to keep motivation to do my best and continue moving forward is by repeating some of my favorite quotes to myself in dire times of need. Today, I’m going to share some of my favorite, most helpful and motivational quotes with you. I hope you can take something valuable away from today’s short article.

A skillful sailor never sailed a smooth sea

 

This quote has given me a lot of courage over the years. During moments where I feel like giving up, or I feel like I’ve failed, I remember that nobody had it easy to get to where they are. Everyone puts in endless diligence to achieve excellence, otherwise you’ll get nowhere at all.

 

Life isn’t about finding yourself, it’s about creating yourself

 

I struggle to remember this simple fact on a day to day basis, but it’s so true. What does your heart desire? That is who you are. I’ve felt a lot of pressure of having to decide on a career path recently. However, it’s important to remember that you are where you are for a reason. Following your heart and what you believe in deep down, even if it’s scary or hard, is ultimately allowing yourself to flourish. After all, there wouldn’t be rainbows without the rain!

 

You can’t cross the ocean simply by standing and staring at the water

 

This quote has a similar message. You can’t get to where you dream of being in life by putting in no effort or not going through any obstacles. Rewards come from hard work and perseverance, not just waiting around and being scared of putting yourself out there and hoping something will come from it.

 

Your mistakes don’t define you

 

This quote is very straightforward yet extraordinarily powerful. Everyone makes mistakes. As unfortunate as it is, that’s reality. What defines you is how you handle failure. Are you resilient, or do you succumb to the pressure? 

 

Only in the darkness can you see the stars

 

All I have to say is that even when you’re at your all time low, there are still glimpses of light in your world… you just have to see them. You can really only see the light once you’ve experienced the darkness.

Life doesn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful

 

It’s true. Life can be what most people would call pretty crappy… yet still be wonderful! It’s all about perspective. What kind of lifestyle do you want, what lifestyle do you need? Step back and look at what you do have, and maybe you’ll realize just how wonderful your life truly is. 

 

You are far too smart to be the only one standing in your way

 

The first time I read this quote, it almost felt like a blow to my gut. This short sentence puts life in an entirely new perspective- nobody is to blame but yourself for holding back, being intimidated by new or difficult situations, and not putting yourself out there to your full potential. Life is full of excuses, and this quote made me realize that you’re truly just damning yourself by making excuses for yourself all the time. Life was never meant to be easy, and you have to allow yourself to go out there and excel. 

All in all, the main message I want to share overall is to remember that you are enough. Dreams seem so far out of reach and unachievable, because they’re dreams… right? No. Put yourself out there. Heck yeah it’s hard, but amazing accomplishments and dreams aren’t meant to be easy. That’s why it’s so important to be confident and remember you are loved and have so much support from the people you fill your life with. If you want to make a difference or make change, do it. You have the power to be just as amazing as your heroes, and maybe one day, you will be someone’s hero!

The Best Dog Breeds

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There’s no best friend one can have like their dog. A dog is loyal, unconditionally loving, and always there for you. Different breeds of dogs have different personalities, but truly, each and every dog is unique. Today I wanted to tell you about my two favorite dog breeds, and how having a pet can make your quality of life so much richer. 

My favorite dog breed is actually the dog I have, and I had never heard of it before in my life before adopting her. This breed is called a Stabyhoun (also known as Stabijhoun or Stabij). The name of the breed originated from the words “Stand by me”. Bred purely in Friesland in the Netherlands, there are only around 3,500 ever recorded. Only in the 1960’s did Staby’s leave Friseland and expand to the rest of the world. In North America, there are only about 600 recorded. Therefore, they are the 5th rarest breed in the world, as they are neutered before leaving the Netherlands in order to upkeep their purity. 

POOKKIIEE

Additionally, Stabyhoun’s are one of the most loving and gentle breeds you’ll ever find. They live around 13-15 years and don’t have any common major health issues. They are playful and fun, but they also love to have a long snooze after a big walk. Stabyhoun’s are really friendly and good with other people. Whenever I’m upset, my lovely dog Daisy never fails to come and comfort me. She always gives everyone big hugs and lots of high fives. See a picture of her enjoying the grass above. 

The second best breed in my opinion is the Samoyed. Originally from Siberia, these large coated dogs have a thick insulated coat. 

They are sooooo fluffy!! I mean, have you seen them? They remind me of massive puffy snowballs. They’re so fluffy because they actually have a double coat of fur. Samoyeds are also super friendly and good with people, as they’re very social companions from a young age.

They are very loving and never disappoint as a wonderful family dog. They’re such happy dogs that a widely known nickname for them is “Sammie Smile” or “smiley dog”. They live about 12-13 years. Unfortunately, Samoyed’s are one of the most expensive dogs to buy, ranging anywhere from $600-$3,000. But trust me when I say this little furball is totally worth it!

So if you’re on the hunt for a new best friend and life-long companion, consider checking out these two breeds! They are so fun and friendly that there would never be a lonely day with them around. As they’re both easy to take care of, friendly, don’t have huge common health issues, and are cuddly, I don’t think you’ll find a better companion than a Stabyhoun or a Samoyed. Just maybe don’t get both, they’re pretty jealous! 😜

TransLink isn’t as bad as you think

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Another day, another tortuous commute… right?

We’ve all had to take transit at one point or another. I know I’ve had my fair share of transit for my first year here at BCIT. I was sort of all over the place- first commuting from New Westminster, then Port Coquitlam, and finally from Downtown Vancouver. Every morning and every night, to and from the BCIT Burnaby campus. Luckily this year I was fortunate enough to find a rental in Burnaby, however my commute is still around 45 minutes.

For real though, we live in a big and busy city. Burnaby is just as busy as Vancouver, if not worse in some neighbourhoods. In my opinion, a commute under an hour is actually pretty decent. Think about it like this: you live in a random spot, and you have to go to a random spot, from anywhere in the entire Lower Mainland. To have enough buses coming frequently enough to get you there on time or slightly early to when you have to be there is pretty awesome. 

As someone that has spent a lot of time on the SkyTrains, I’ve gotta admit that my favorite line is the Millenium line. Most of the Canada Line is underground, so there’s not much to entertain you, however it’s the fastest line and takes you from Richmond to Downtown Vancouver in under an hour. The Expo line is really long, spanning from both King George in Surrey and Production Way University in Coquitlam all the way to Downtown. This line is really busy as it covers the biggest hotspots, such as New West, Metrotown, Burrard, Waterfront, and more. As for my favorite, the Millenium line, it’s not as busy as the other lines. It spans between VCC-Clark to Burnaby to Port Moody and Coquitlam. This line covers a lot of green space and takes you through a lot of beautiful scenery and amazing places you have easy access to explore. I remember one early morning watching the bright orange sun rise with a light fog covering Burnaby Lake. Additionally, all the SkyTrains now have free wifi, and if you’re ever bored give the new podcast called What’s the T – the TransLink podcast a listen! 

I know it’s not a perfect (or necessarily desirable) system. I mean, the bus gets so full of people that you feel like a sardine packed into a tin can. I also swear that I picked up at least 3 colds last winter from sick people sitting beside me on the bus. The only thing I would love to see changed is allowing super sketchy people who are literally tweaking out on drugs onto the bus. The transit police are very present so if an issue pops up, you know you have backup, but sometimes things go wrong too fast. 

As for the actual system, it’s exceptionally well organized. In fact, TransLink was awarded the 2019 Outstanding Public Transportation System Achievement award. TransLink employs almost eight thousand people. That’s a lot of jobs and people committed to helping you out to complete your day. Think of it like this- they make your day possible. And most importantly, don’t forget to thank the bus driver. After all, without them, you wouldn’t get where you need to go safely and on time! 😄

Memories

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Memories… what an interesting concept, hey? Memories are experiences we’ve had in our past which we remember and we tend to love (or hate) reflecting on. Thinking about the human mind and how complex it is in comparison to any other animal on earth made me wonder if other species actually have memories too. 

The answer is… yes! Pretty much all animals, ranging from your cute little puppy dog to dolphins, have memories. Remember Dory from Finding Nemo? Yeah, she had short term memory, but she still did remember things. Dolphins, orangutans, and monkeys have long-term memory, like humans. And your dog, remember that time when you left for a two week vacation and your furry friend was still overjoyed to see you when you returned home? Aww, such loyal little guys. Despite this, dogs actually only have a very short memory. Studies show they only remember things for only about 2 minutes after they happen. Dogs are reminded of things from senses outside of their actual memory, such as their owner’s unique scent. 

Humans have an overwhelming amount of memories accumulated over time, and that number continues to grow every second we continue living and experiencing life. So how can we possibly reflect and remember every moment that’s stored in our hippocampus? The answer is simple, really. We’re also reminded of things by our other senses, similar to dogs. Memories are triggered by things we see, hear, feel, and smell.

For instance, the other day I was walking around Burnaby Lake and the wind rustled the tall grass, making a calming sound that made a memory instantly pop into my mind. I remembered a walk I did years ago, where I tried getting an audio recording of tall, swishing grass because I found it so comforting. Things like this happen all the time, and I’m willing to bet you don’t even realize most of the time when memories are triggered. The more conscious you are of it, the more you’ll notice this happening. 

This is why, when you light a pumpkin spice candle, you start feeling all cozy and warm. It just ties the season together and makes the fall feeling complete. Or how a tree in the forest smells like Christmas because you have a fresh tree every winter in your living room, and how clean clothes hung outside that smell of fresh air remind you of summer.

Memories are more than just moments, they are also feelings and emotions. Memories are something very special, so remember not to take any moment or feeling that the experience of being alive grants you with! It’s such a special thing to be alive and experiencing our world.

How to Cope with Overwhelming Emotions

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This topic came to mind to write about as September is a trying time with tons of emotions and changes for students and working individuals alike. I mean, it’s depressing enough that summer’s over and winter is on the horizon. So, I wanted to address the fact that a lot of people are going through a lot of stuff right now, and I wanted to offer some advice and strategies I’ve learned over the years to help cope with everything going on.

Step 1: Recognize what you’re feeling.

This step is the beginning to it all- if you don’t acknowledge your feelings, they could just become worse and more suffocating. If you don’t think there’s an issue, you won’t be able to start fixing it and healing.

Step 2: Reach out to friends and family.

This can feel like a very lonely time, and having familiar voices and support is a massive hope and reminder that you’re still you, and you’ll be okay. It gives you the ability to relate to others and express what you’re feeling in a vulnerable way and a safe environment.

Step 3: Look at the positives.

I know this is a little cliche to say, however it truly makes a world of difference. Something that has really helped me over the years is writing a short entry every once in a while in a gratitude journal. Then, you can also read back and reflect on past entries. For myself, it’s helped me realize that I’ve gotten through a lot of really difficult things in the past, and there’s no reason I can’t do it again. 

Step 4: You’re not alone.

You’re not alone, it’s as simple as that. Chances are, there’s others feeling exactly what you’re feeling right now. 

Step 5: Give yourself time.

Be easy on yourself. It’s easy to fall into the trap of being hard on yourself for not doing as well as you feel you should be, or getting frustrated with yourself for not feeling like your normal self. Just know it takes time, as hard and torturous as it sounds. 

Now, I know it’s not easy and magical to simply follow these steps and feel like yourself again, however, there’s people to help you. You’re never stuck. 

No matter what you’re going through, just continue to do your very best and know that everyone is supporting you and proud of you.

Listen to Beersos Podcast

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Meet Nico. He’s a second year student in the Radio Arts and Entertainment program, and he has a pretty interesting side hustle. 

Introducing… Beersos! This is Nico’s podcast, and not gonna lie, it’s pretty dope. That’s why I’m recommending for you to go and give it a quick listen! 

The reason I’m writing about this is because I feel it’s super important to support our student’s passions and hobbies, as these could turn into big breaks into the industry and careers for them. And wouldn’t it be cool to be one of the “OG” fans of something that makes it big? Yeah, exactly. You’re welcome.

Nico and his co-host Derek talk about everything from serious-ish topics to fun stories about experiences they’ve had to playing games like “was I drunk or was I twelve”, as a recent example. They also try to find the light in harder topics, mostly surrounding growing up, becoming an adult, and the future of our generation.

You’ll never get bored- this podcast has something new to offer in every episode. Nico advised not to listen to it starting from episode one. He feels they’ve improved a lot since they began and that if you’re new to Beersos, then you should listen to the most recent episode first.

There’s truly a good laugh for everyone when you’re listening to Beersos. They also have a super entertaining Instagram account (@BeersosPodcast) where they post videos of them doing random stupid and funny things, like skateboarding competitions, for example.

With 49 awesome episodes to listen to in total, you can count on over an hour of quality content per episode. That’s a lot of work… good job Nico! 

I have a little challenge for you. Can you find the episode featuring another student, James? If you can, dang, trust me, it’s a banger for sure. There’s a lot of tea spilled and some insane and almost unbelievable stories told in this episode. 

All of us from the Radio Arts and Entertainment program are proud of Nico and Derek for how much work they’ve put into creating something they love. It’s slowly gaining traction and getting out there, and we’re very happy to see that!

So, if you need a laugh, a good podcast, and want to support one of our students, then give Beersos a listen! You can find it on Spotify, and believe me, you won’t miss it. Here’s the most recent episode to start!

Starbucks is Totally for West-Coasters

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Have you ever wondered why there’s so many Starbucks restaurants in the Lower Mainland? More specifically, in BC? We have the most Starbucks per population- there’s a store here for every 15,258 people with a total of 329 Starbucks shops. So why? Well, lemme give you a quick little history lesson.

Everyone’s had to have heard of the first Starbucks. It’s located at Pike Place in Seattle, Washington on the west coast. This Starbucks was founded in 1971, and by just 1984, they had opened 6 coffee shops in Seattle. By the end of 1984, Starbucks’ sales were at $6.5 million, almost $1 million more from the previous year. So guess what happened by 1987? You guessed it! Their first location outside of Seattle was built at Vancouver’s very own Waterfront station. And the rest is history. 

The whole “That first sip feeling” is literally facts. From the start, Starbucks is a coffee shop for west coasters, so there you go! That’s why there’s at least 2 within a walkable distance no matter where you live in Vancouver. 

Starbucks is known for their quality, and honestly, good on them for making that their trademark. From a marketing perspective, there’s nothing more brilliant than being known for having consistently amazing products. 

Have you ever gone to a restaurant and had the most amazing time there? Best memories, prices, food, service, and overall vibe? And then you go home and realize there’s another location of the same restaurant that’s even closer to your house? So the next time you go, you go to the closer location, and it’s just a huge disappointment? Yeah, been there more times than I’d like to admit. However, I am genuinely impressed to say that I’ve never had this issue with Starbucks. No matter which one I go to, no matter the province or country, it’s always top quality and delicious. 

I think this is because Starbucks actually puts a high effort and priority into ensuring all staff are properly trained. They also make sure their mission statement, to inspire and nurture the human spirit, is widely known and supported between staff and customers alike. 

So, this is your sign to get out of the house, put on a cozy sweater with fuzzy socks and a big fluffy scarf, and enjoy one of the worlds best pumpkin spice lattes in our very own neighborhoods. Let’s be true, cozy west coasters together.

Welcome Back!

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Dear friends,

Well… here we are, in September once again. 

September is the reckoning of a new season- cooler weather, beautiful bright colors, and of course, back to school! 

Of course, coming back to BCIT is a big deal for us. We’re going through lots of emotions and are truly in a life-changing period of our lives. Between trying to figure out which exhilarating path we want to pursue for our careers, we’re also excited to be back running the Evolution Storytelling Company with our friends and colleagues.

Going to school commonly calls for students to relocate, and a lot of us are still adjusting from moving away from home and family. There’s nothing worse than homesickness. University students always say the hardest part is leaving behind their pets; loving puppies, kitties, bunnies, snakes, you name it. However, as hard as it is, we know how fortunate and lucky we are to be here, reaching the wonderful city of Burnaby with our innovative and impactful content. 

I hope you enjoy following each of us on our journey for the next few months. We’ll be challenging ourselves to be the best we can be, taking every opportunity that comes our way, and do our best to bring you quality content. We’re enthralled by the opportunities available to us here, as we’re able to learn so many new skills and perceptions to improve ourselves for the rest of our lives. 

You know that awkward time when you first return to school after a summer full of adventures and new experiences? Uh, yeah. Totally not fun. As Camila says, it feels like “your brain isn’t braining”. Just remember we’re doing our best. 

The second years of the Radio Arts and Entertainment program will be producing professional content daily, from now until the end of this upcoming May! We’ll be adding new podcasts to our Soundcloud (@EvolutionPodcastNetwork), fun and informative videos to our Youtube channel (@EvolutionVideoPodcastingNetwork), and tons of interesting and thought provoking stories from our online writers on our website, evolution1079.com. You can find us on any social media platform (excluding Instagram and Facebook due to the recent news ban) and tune into our live, on air station at 107.9 on the dial!

The fun is never ending here at BCIT, so chill with our relaxing alternative station at Evolution 107.9 and our ever-changing, always-evolving company! All in all, go easy on us for the first little while, and most importantly, take a seat and simply enjoy what we bring to the table! 

 

Sincerely,

Radio Arts and Entertainment students