Winnipeg Adult Education Centre

More people in these days are suffering from Bulimia nervosa; Bulimia nervosa is a mental health disease.  In my article I will discuss how it affects peoples well being, the long term effects of bulimia nervosa, the signs to look out for if you suspect a loved one might be suffering from this disease.  Also the options one may take to getting treatment.

Bulimia nervosa is one of the most common eating disorders, the characteristics of bulimia nervosa is binge eating, where a person eats a vast amount of foods that they would usually not eat on a daily basis due to the fear of gaining weight, followed by induced vomiting to expel the food from their stomach.  The cause of bulimia nervosa is unknown, but in my opinion I believe that it has to do with the way the media portrays the idea of what “beauty” is.  A lot of people look at themselves in the mirror for an extended period of time and think why can’t they look like the people who are commonly portrayed in the media.  Usually a person with bulimia nervosa often sees a distorted image of themselves in the mirror due to the fact that they see all of their flaws, it is a bad state of mind to be constantly stuck with feeling hopeless, they often think that once they reach that certain weight they will feel happy, but in most cases that isn’t true.  I would suggest seeking help from a professional psychiatrist, or a person who has suffered from this disease and received help, there are many other ways to change the way you feel about yourself, you shouldn’t have to feel like your body weight and appearance should be a constant battle.

The long term effects of bulimia nervosa will be very severe if one doesn’t seek professional help.  The early effect one may notice is that their teeth are starting to decay, and feel kind of jagged due to the stomach acids eroding the teeth.  Eventually over time suffering with this disease, you will have liver and heart problems, a more damaged state of mind, the feeling of being depressed constantly, feeling weak all the time, swollen glands, inflammation of the lungs, and many more symptoms that will eventually lead to death from the disease.

If you believe that a loved one is suffering from this disease the most common ways to notice that they are in fact suffering from an eating disorder would be:

• Noticeable weight lost in a short period of time
• The persons’ hair seems to be more stringy
• Constant visits to the bathroom after every meal
• When a person avoids eating in front of others
• Depression and frequent mood swings

If you do suspect that a loved on is suffering from bulimia nervosa, do not wait till they come to you about their problem.  Take initiative to talk to them and ask them about it, it is a lot better for them if you help them deal with it as they are most likely feeling like they’re in a constant battle by themselves.

If you are suffering from Bulimia nervosa, you don’t have to live with the fear that if you don’t puke you will drastically gain a unattractive amount of weight.  Think about what you are actually doing to your body, mental and physical wise.  There are treatments out there that will help you eventually clear your mind of all the negative effects that bulimia has left on you mentally wise.  I suggest seeking help right away, get information from your family doctor, or do research online of different treatment plans, and gradually work your way into seeking help.  Don’t think that just because you’re seeking help you are weak; it just shows that you care enough about yourself that you want to be happy and healthy.

By Michael McDougall

I wish to rant about how hard it is to trust some people.  The one person who I considered to be my best friend, other than my dad, betrayed me in almost every way.  I trusted her.  I have tried to save her, multiple times.  She could not do the same for me.

She lied to me about all sorts of things.  Things that, if she had told me, would not have mattered.  I wanted to believe that the things she did to me did not bother me.  I know now they do.

I loved her and wanted to believe that I could save her.  She, however, did not want to be saved.  I hate her for all the things she did to me and to others.  I was told by so many people that she is the one who did not deserve a friend like me, but I wanted to be her friend.  I now know to not give my trust away but to have others gain it.

Trusting another person will be hard, but if I believe I am a good person; good people are what I will find.

by Megan Alexander

My rant is about The Winnipeg Sun and their columnist Tom Broadbeck.  I have only ever read The Winnipeg Sun, but three months ago, I swore it off and promised to only read The Free Press.

On my occasions, Tom Broadbeck wrote negatively about The Southern Chiefs Organization (SCO) and other First Nations organizations.  He complained when these organizations stepped forward when a First Nation problem arose.  Tom would write that he was so sick of the SCO constantly crying racism when something happened to their people.  Little does he know that they, and other First Nations people, cry racism because they have been a victim of it themselves, or someone else near them, has.

Then, in the comment section of The Winnipeg Sun, people write into comments on other columns and they write awful things about First Nations’ people.  They complain that “Indians” should get over this “it’s our right thing”.  Stop blaming others for “their problems”.

I got so frustrated.  One time, when Tom Broadbeck put his two cents in about when the SCO stepped in complaining about the lack of police investigation in the case of a young woman gone missing, he referred to the young woman as nothing more than a “prostitute”.  True, she may have been a prostitute, but she had a name, she was a somebody, and for him to label her as simply a “prostitute” was wrong.  I was appalled and so angry with what he was saying that I wrote in to him telling how I felt about his column and why I felt the way he did.  He quickly reacted to my email and judging by his column many others have written in about the same column telling him he was wrong for writing what he did.  He squashed my voice, made me look dumb and twisted my words around.  He is constantly siding with police, squashing First Nations’ voices and ranting that First Nations peoples are wrong.

I just got the feeling by reading all his columns, comments in his “raise a little hell” blogs, that it’s all racist people who read his column and they praise what he says.  I’m so sick of his ignorant stuff, sick of the ignorant readers that comment on his blog.  I don’t regret swearing off that newspaper one bit.

It seems this man has a bias.  He’s only projecting one side of the issue, the police and his own.  He doesn’t put the First Nations’ views into account, and if he does, it’s only to say basically that our views are wrong.  The comments that people put in, don’t understand anything about what we go through.  I know it’s their right to freedom of speech, but maybe the publishers should think twice before publishing certain things.

This man, Tom Broadbeck, praises the police attempts of investigations even when you know the whole thing sounds flawed somehow. 

This is also what bothers me.  I have experienced firsthand police brutality at age 15.  Many of my family members and friends have had their taste of “police justice”.  Being called down, being beaten into making a confession, being harassed, having stupid questions asked of you are what I and many First Nations’ people have had to endue.  When it comes to living in the low income areas it’s even worse.  He doesn’t know firsthand what it’s like being in those areas and to experience things like that.  It’s easy for him to look from the inside in and judge things and make remarks and write columns, but he doesn’t know what we are dealing with.  Maybe he should stop writing about things he doesn’t know about.

When a person is murdered by police it’s a big thing and when a First Nations person is, the head Chiefs HAVE to make a big deal, because we know that the system has flaws.  That’s why the big honchos step up to the media and demands answers.  They know that the police force has problems, that there is labeling being done and all they want to do is make sure the investigation is being done fairly and thoroughly.

I just want to make this clear; I don’t think the whole police force is flawed, or that every police officer is racist and rude.  I also don’t think that every First Nations person has experienced police brutality or racist officers, but the majority of First Nations people have had some bad experience.

I am just going to end it like this: I will not read The Winnipeg Sun till that ignorant fool Tom Broadbeck is fired or quits.  His columns and blogs are rude and hurtful.  There is no doubt In my mind that he is racist and has a bias.  I’m DONE with looking at that newspaper.

by Niki Fontaine

Independent study :

· informs you, not conforms you.

· Encourages freedom, development and creativity:

· Life is not meant to be lived at a desk.

· Independent study can be done in anytime frame you please whether that is an hour a day or a decision made by yourself to finish early by committing to a regiment of your own standards.

· We should decide where our life takes us.

· Being an independent student allows you to carry your classroom with you and to not miss out on grand opportunities such as travelling or equally important things like time with family and friends just because those plans do not abide by the school system’s schedule.

· Development of necessary ‘habits’ and friendships come naturally.

· With independent study you have the availability for a full-time job, giving you the skills to provide for yourself and adapt to the habits of time management and communication with others.

· Sculpt your own brain.

In independent study you learn through creativity.

Nothing ever has to be in cookie cutter form, not your ideas or yourself. And you never have to deal with the politics of peer pressure like the desire to ‘skip’ or cheat.

Not to say there are not some valuable things to be learned in a class…if you choose to become a brain surgeon. But, I myself was homeschooled until the third grade and then learned all I know through the experience of life. And when I made the choice to take classes towards an advancement in my knowledge for myself I was placed in grade twelve so how did I learn eight grades myself? Because I taught myself what is important to me.

I still made great friends, had rumors spread, my heart broken and so many other things that came along with attending school. So, when movies state that independent students are “homeschooled jungle freaks” they are only proving that the education system has failed society by closing their minds to alternative ways.

by Eco Dzaman

Library 4 Learning

If you want to make an ANIMOTO video like this one – see Rhonda in your library!