#growing uo in the 2000s

[malta-girl]

Utterly amazing, I am proud to be apart of this generation.

Everyone needs to see this

[qafgifs]

A real UO I have is that I love the Ethan storyline. I think it was so necessary and made Brian and Justin grow and learn quite a lot. It made them so much stronger in the end too.

honestly, brian is a fucking idiot. i don’t like ethan including his soul patch (i know it was the early 2000s but come on who thought it was a good idea, looking at you Fab) but their relationship was a lil unstable before ethan showed up. this storyline basically just kinda made brian realize, i fucked up and that he really love/care about justin, solidifying their relationship more. i just don’t like ethan in general though, like everything he did  (ok like brian isn’t great either) but come on - rita

[bethestaryouareradio]

Playtime and Hip Hop Musician, ZAYA

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” George Bernard Shaw

Being earnest and being playful are not antonyms. To be successful, we need both traits. Host Kenneth Jeon interviews a former Express Yourself! Reporter, Isaiah Rankin, who is now the hip-hop musician known as Zaya. Zaya blends new school modern rap with his own San Francisco Bay Area local taste, delivering a sound that aims to immerse the audience through his lyrics. Drawing comparisons to West coast artist Lil Mosey from his hyper upbeat melody, Zaya even some echoes of Juice Wrld. Zaya is dedicated to his craft and strives to make the best music possible. Although he is in the infancy of his career, he advises others to follow their passion, work hard, and be dedicated so that life can be a play day. Kenneth reads Cynthia Brian’s chapter, The Gift of Play, from the book, Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers Celebrating Gifts of Positive Voices in a Changing Digital World, then discusses the evolution of entertainment with livestreaming which originally gained popularity with gaming but grew into numerous lifestyle channels and programs including art, politics, cooking, and more. No matter how old you are, incorporate play as an integral part of your daily life, both at home and at work, and you’ll find yourself happier, healthier, and a beacon of positivity.

Take a break. It’s recess time.

BIO: Born in 2000, Isaiah Rankin always had a desire for making melodies that he and his friends could sing and dance to. It started as making beats and freestyling in high school and even writing raps for his girlfriend. The recording name for Isaiah is “Zaya” given to him at a young age by his family members. Isaiah is influenced by artists like Drake, Juice Wrld, and local Bay Area rappers such as SOB. Music wasn't always in his plans. After playing multiple years of high school football, Isaiah went on to play at Washington St. University. He chose to pursue music and found it to be his true calling. In the early stage of his career creating official music, he hopes to touch people with his own personal story. Instagram: 9ninezaya

SoundCloud Profile: Zaya SoundCloud Profile link: https://soundcloud.com/user-409028589

  Listen at Voice America Network, Empowerment Channel: https://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/119379/play-and-music

  BTSYA IS A TOP ON PROFIT! http://greatnonprofits.org/reviews/be-the-star-you-are-inc/

  JUST PUBLISHED: Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers Celebrating Gifts of Positive Voices in a Changing Digital World and Growing with the Goddess Gardener. Available at www.StarStyleStore.net

  Details on all books at HomeTown Reads: https://hometownreads.com/books/be-the-star-you-are-millennials-to-boomers

YouTube book announcement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ru354Mhvu0&feature=youtu.be

Read our BTSYA newsletter: http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/672296/898391f0d9/288055965/ac7221bc2f/

  Make a DONATION through PAYPAL GIVING FUND and PAYPAL with 100% going to BTSYA with NO FEES: https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/charity/1504

  Be The Star You Are! offers help, hope, and healing to victims of disasters. Read how BTSYA is Making a Difference: https://www.ibpa-online.org/news/460747/IBPA-Member-Spotlight-Cynthia-Brian.htm

  BTSYA Operation Disaster Relief. Please donate. http://ow.ly/X0Ia30mF4zZ https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/charity/1504

    Check our Book Reviews at our literacy partner, The Reading Tub: https://thereadingtub.org/books/be-the-star-you-are/

  LionsHeart Podcast: Lions Heart Podcast interviews Cynthia Brian about Be the Star You Are! charity and volunteerism. Tune in. Episode #39 Inspirational, motivational, informational. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/toby-talk-all-things-teens-and-volunteering/id1434233808?mt=2&uo=4

  Proceeds from sales of books by Cynthia Brian will benefit Operation Disaster Relief to help the victims of the California wildfires.http://ow.ly/X0Ia30mF4zZ Books come with extra goodies & autographs. Buy TODAY: StarStyleStore.net or http://www.CynthiaBrian.com/online-store

  #StartWithaSmile at https://smile.amazon.com/ch/94-3333882 and Amazon donates to Be The Star You Are, Inc..

Shop. Earn. Give! Use Giving Assistant to earn cash back at 3000+ popular online stores, then donate a percentage to BTSYA: https://givingassistant.org/np#be-the-star-you-are-inc

Discount Software, Digital content. Ebooks, Games: www.humblebundle.com/store?partner=1504&charity=1504

  Express Yourself! Teen Radio is produced by Cynthia Brian of Starstyle Productions, llc as an outreach program of Be the Star You Are! charity. To make a tax-deductible donation to keep this positive youth programming broadcasting weekly to international audiences, visit http://www.bethestaryouare.org. Dare to care!

For all the latest news on what teens are talking about on Express Yourself! Teen Radio embed this code into your blogs and websites

Listen to all broadcasts at ITUNES: https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/express-yourself!/id481894121?mt=2

  Be the Star You Are!® charity. Every Season is for Giving. https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/charity/1504

Links you can use for Be the Star You Are!® Positive Results: http://www.bethestaryouare.org/positive-results

About Us: http://www.bethestaryouare.org/about_us

Programs: http://www.bethestaryouare.org/programs

How to Help: http://www.bethestaryouare.org/how-to-help

Blog: http://www.bethestaryouare.org/blog

Events: http://www.bethestaryouare.org/events

Photo Gallery: http://www.btsya.com/gallery.html

  GREAT NON PROFITS REVIEWS: http://greatnonprofits.org/reviews/be-the-star-you-are-inc/

  Contact us: http://www.bethestaryouare.org/contact

  Starstyle, Be the Star You Are, and Miracle Moments are registered trademarks of Cynthia Brian

KEYWORDS: #play #usic,#zaya,#hiphop,#JuiceWrld, #cynthia brian,#be the star you are millennials to boomers, #be the star you are, #expressyourself, #voice America network, #empowerment, #starstyle, #empowerment architect

[goddessgardener]

play and hip Hop Music

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” George Bernard Shaw

Being earnest and being playful are not antonyms. To be successful, we need both traits. Host Kenneth Jeon interviews a former Express Yourself! Reporter, Isaiah Rankin, who is now the hip-hop musician known as Zaya. Zaya blends new school modern rap with his own San Francisco Bay Area local taste, delivering a sound that aims to immerse the audience through his lyrics. Drawing comparisons to West coast artist Lil Mosey from his hyper upbeat melody, Zaya even some echoes of Juice Wrld. Zaya is dedicated to his craft and strives to make the best music possible. Although he is in the infancy of his career, he advises others to follow their passion, work hard, and be dedicated so that life can be a play day. Kenneth reads Cynthia Brian’s chapter, The Gift of Play, from the book, Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers Celebrating Gifts of Positive Voices in a Changing Digital World, then discusses the evolution of entertainment with livestreaming which originally gained popularity with gaming but grew into numerous lifestyle channels and programs including art, politics, cooking, and more. No matter how old you are, incorporate play as an integral part of your daily life, both at home and at work, and you’ll find yourself happier, healthier, and a beacon of positivity.

Take a break. It’s recess time.

BIO: Born in 2000, Isaiah Rankin always had a desire for making melodies that he and his friends could sing and dance to. It started as making beats and freestyling in high school and even writing raps for his girlfriend. The recording name for Isaiah is “Zaya” given to him at a young age by his family members. Isaiah is influenced by artists like Drake, Juice Wrld, and local Bay Area rappers such as SOB. Music wasn't always in his plans. After playing multiple years of high school football, Isaiah went on to play at Washington St. University. He chose to pursue music and found it to be his true calling. In the early stage of his career creating official music, he hopes to touch people with his own personal story. Instagram: 9ninezaya

SoundCloud Profile: Zaya SoundCloud Profile link: https://soundcloud.com/user-409028589

  Listen at Voice America Network, Empowerment Channel: https://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/119379/play-and-music

  BTSYA IS A TOP ON PROFIT! http://greatnonprofits.org/reviews/be-the-star-you-are-inc/

  JUST PUBLISHED: Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers Celebrating Gifts of Positive Voices in a Changing Digital World and Growing with the Goddess Gardener. Available at www.StarStyleStore.net

  Details on all books at HomeTown Reads: https://hometownreads.com/books/be-the-star-you-are-millennials-to-boomers

YouTube book announcement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ru354Mhvu0&feature=youtu.be

Read our BTSYA newsletter: http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/672296/898391f0d9/288055965/ac7221bc2f/

  Make a DONATION through PAYPAL GIVING FUND and PAYPAL with 100% going to BTSYA with NO FEES: https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/charity/1504

  Be The Star You Are! offers help, hope, and healing to victims of disasters. Read how BTSYA is Making a Difference: https://www.ibpa-online.org/news/460747/IBPA-Member-Spotlight-Cynthia-Brian.htm

  BTSYA Operation Disaster Relief. Please donate. http://ow.ly/X0Ia30mF4zZ https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/charity/1504

    Check our Book Reviews at our literacy partner, The Reading Tub: https://thereadingtub.org/books/be-the-star-you-are/

  LionsHeart Podcast: Lions Heart Podcast interviews Cynthia Brian about Be the Star You Are! charity and volunteerism. Tune in. Episode #39 Inspirational, motivational, informational. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/toby-talk-all-things-teens-and-volunteering/id1434233808?mt=2&uo=4

  Proceeds from sales of books by Cynthia Brian will benefit Operation Disaster Relief to help the victims of the California wildfires.http://ow.ly/X0Ia30mF4zZ Books come with extra goodies & autographs. Buy TODAY: StarStyleStore.net or http://www.CynthiaBrian.com/online-store

  #StartWithaSmile at https://smile.amazon.com/ch/94-3333882 and Amazon donates to Be The Star You Are, Inc..

Shop. Earn. Give! Use Giving Assistant to earn cash back at 3000+ popular online stores, then donate a percentage to BTSYA: https://givingassistant.org/np#be-the-star-you-are-inc

Discount Software, Digital content. Ebooks, Games: www.humblebundle.com/store?partner=1504&charity=1504

  Express Yourself! Teen Radio is produced by Cynthia Brian of Starstyle Productions, llc as an outreach program of Be the Star You Are! charity. To make a tax-deductible donation to keep this positive youth programming broadcasting weekly to international audiences, visit http://www.bethestaryouare.org. Dare to care!

For all the latest news on what teens are talking about on Express Yourself! Teen Radio embed this code into your blogs and websites

Listen to all broadcasts at ITUNES: https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/express-yourself!/id481894121?mt=2

  Be the Star You Are!® charity. Every Season is for Giving. https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/charity/1504

Links you can use for Be the Star You Are!® Positive Results: http://www.bethestaryouare.org/positive-results

About Us: http://www.bethestaryouare.org/about_us

Programs: http://www.bethestaryouare.org/programs

How to Help: http://www.bethestaryouare.org/how-to-help

Blog: http://www.bethestaryouare.org/blog

Events: http://www.bethestaryouare.org/events

Photo Gallery: http://www.btsya.com/gallery.html

  GREAT NON PROFITS REVIEWS: http://greatnonprofits.org/reviews/be-the-star-you-are-inc/

  Contact us: http://www.bethestaryouare.org/contact

  Starstyle, Be the Star You Are, and Miracle Moments are registered trademarks of Cynthia Brian

KEYWORDS: #play #usic,#zaya,#hiphop,#JuiceWrld, #cynthia brian,#be the star you are millennials to boomers, #be the star you are, #expressyourself, #voice America network, #empowerment, #starstyle, #empowerment architect

[surreyunion-blog]

Union President: My Visit to China

Saskia Cochrane, Union President 

When running in Surrey Decides, one of my pledges was to increase the visual presence of the Sabbatical officers on campus in order to help make it easier for you as students to engage with the Union. Over the summer I began to think about engagement more widely and about how different groups of students interact with the SU in different ways – some think we are just Rubix, some of you make great use of our academic advice services, some of you are members of sports teams and societies, the list goes on. There are of course some people that don’t interact with us at all, or very little. The Students’ Union in 2016 commissioned a research study to find out which students engage the least with us, looking at many different factors: across the different faculties, age, gender and ethnicity etc. This report provided clear evidence that if you study a course with long contact hours, timetabling restraints or compulsory placement modules, you may find it harder to engage with SU activities. The data also highlighted that if you are an international student from China, you are least likely to engage with the SU out of all students at Surrey.

This summer I was thinking about how we can improve the various areas of disengagement when I received an invitation from the Guildford Borough Council (GBC) to join them, and Professor Max Lu the Vice Chancellor, on a short trip to China. The premise of this trip was for the GBC to sign a partnership agreement with the city of Dongying – a rapidly developing city that happened to be where Max Lu spent 7 years of his childhood. I considered this invitation for a week or so, as it would mean taking a few days away from the office and it would need to be part funded by the Union. Weighing up the pros and cons, I decided it was too good an opportunity to miss out on. Not only would it be a chance for myself to experience the Chinese culture and meet Chinese dignitaries, but it was also a chance to represent the students alongside the VC and the Guildford Borough Council, and in doing so: improve working relationships for the Students’ Union.

The Trip:

Once we arrived in Dongying on Sunday 15th October, our first appointment was the official symposium and signing of the partnership agreement. The setting for this ceremonious meeting was a very grand hall with two long tables facing one another, surrounded by many photographers and videographers. On one table sat Zhao HaoZhi, Mayor of Dongying City, and Liu MeiHua, Deputy Mayor, along with Guo XinMin, Diretor of the General Office of Dongying Municipal People’s Government, and seven other officials. On the adjacent table sat Cllr. Paul Spooner (Leader of GBC), Cllr. Matt Furniss (Deputy Leader), James Whiteman (Managing Director of GBC), Prof. Max Lu (Vice Chancellor of UoS), a representative from the British Embassy in China, and myself. There were several speeches given (all translated from Chinese to English by an interpreter) explaining the history of Dongying and the positives of building a relationship with Guildford, and speeches of a similar nature from the Guildford representatives. Max Lu spoke about growing up in Dongying and about his work at University of Surrey. Given the opportunity to speak I explained my role as lead student representative at Surrey, informed those in the room that we are fortunate to have a large number of Chinese students at Surrey, and that I looked forward to learning about the culture and student experience in China.

Over the course of the next two days we travelled across Dongying and visited several local businesses, including a further education college with 17700 full-time students – all of which were housed on the 127 hectare campus, in halls, or commuted from family homes nearby. The people I met there were very shocked to hear of our housing crisis in Guildford and said how in China, colleges and universities are expected only to take on student numbers that they are adequately equipped to house. We also visited the Urban Plan Exhibition Hall where we learnt about the history of Dongying and its plans for expansion in the future – they even had an entire miniature model of the city which must have been 20m2 - which made me think: if only Guildford had such a comprehensive local plan!

Dongying is a relatively new city and is unlike anywhere I have visited before, everywhere you look there are huge skyscrapers and expansive highways being built, yet there are very few people walking in the streets. We visited several museums and nature parks in Dongying, as the government there are investing a lot of money into the tourism industry. It was very interesting to experience this city alongside the Guildford Borough Council representatives, as this place truly couldn’t be any more different from the town of Guildford.

After two days in Dongying we travelled to Beijing with Max to meet a few more companies and businesses there. We had the exciting opportunity to visit Baidu which is often described as the Chinese equivalent of Google (as they do not have Google in China). We met with the Vice-President of the company, HaiFeng Wang, and his colleagues later showed us their latest work: the driverless car! We actually got to test “drive” it which was a very surreal experience.

Returning on Wednesday 18th October, my trip to China was short, but eye-opening and extremely interesting. I had to very quickly get up to speed on Chinese etiquette and I had the chance to try all sorts of fantastic foods that were very different from how we see Chinese cuisine represented in the UK. Through speaking with students, it was made clear to me that ‘student life’ in China is unlike ‘student life’ in England, and there is generally a shift in what students expect from their time at University and the priorities you have when you’re here. It would’ve been nice to spend more time with the students in Dongying, but considering the busy itinerary crammed into a few short days, I feel I’ve experienced a snapshot of the Chinese culture. Since my return from China the Students’ Union has arranged focus groups with groups from our Chinese student population in order to find out more specifically what we can do to improve the experience for you. It was a culture shock for me only being there for a few days, and so I can only begin to imagine how it must be similar for the 2000 of you travelling over here from China to study at Surrey. This year, it will be one of my priorities to continue this work in order to help improve your student experience.