Heartminders Essay Competition for Teenagers 2012

Essay Competition for Teens

Encouraging and Appreciating teachers, act of giving and relationship. Heartminders, under its teenage project; treasured teens club, welcomes entries for its 2012 Essay Competition for teens in Lagos state ONLY.  Please send in a brief essay on any of the following topics not exceeding 400 words:

• What the teacher is, is more important than what he teaches – Karl A. Menninger
•  We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.  ~ Churchill
• “Man may have discovered fire, but women discovered how to play with it.”
  ― Candace Bushnell
•  It's not that successful people are givers; it is that givers are successful people. ~ Thor

Prizes

1st Prize:  a laptop , N50, 000 Cash and a certificate of merit

2^nd  Prize: a mini laptop, N20,000 cash and a certificate of merit

and 3^rd  Prize: N50,000 and certificate of merit

Next best 20 entries will receive “Certificates of Merit” and books and promotional items from our sponsors.

Pictures from this the event will be published by treasuredteensblog, heartminders.blogspot.com, heartminders.blogspot.com and all our media partners

Dates to Remember

November 16, 2012 – Entry opens

December 7, 2012 – Entry closes

Winners will be announced at an open event on Friday, December 14th, 2012 by 12noon.

Venue: D Event Centre,The light Plaza, 32, Association Avenue, Ilupeju by Obanikoro Bus/Stop, Ikorodu, Lagos

Rules and Regulations

•  This competition is open to all teens (those born between June 1, 1991 and May 31, 2000)
• All entries must be written in English
• No more than one entry will be accepted from each teenager
• The essay should be original (do not plagiarise)
• The heartminders project reserves the right to publish the essays once submitted for this competition      
•  
  Evaluation Criteria
  Based on Originality, Clarity, Practicality & Scalability; a tip: do not wait for the deadline; early submission gives you an opportunity to get feedback to improve your essay!
  Submission
  Please include a cover page with the details: First Name, Last Name, Date of Birth, Sex (M/F), Email Address, Contact Address, Phone Number, Current Grade/Class and School name. Name and email id of the school teacher or Principal is required for those writing about teachers.
  All entries must be sent via mail to.......
  heartminders@gmail.com or heartmindersessay@yahoo.com 
  
  
  Contact Us
  For more information:
  
  
  funkeoguntuga@gmail.com
  08098300634
• Good luck

Tips for Getting Along with People

1.  Keep a tight rein on your tongue
How you say something counts for far more than what you say.When confronted with a difficult situation, always say less than you think.  Curbing your tongue in a stressful situation will be more likely to create fewer stressful situations because how you handle yourself in a crisis will give others confidence in you and in their ability to bring problems and issues to your attention. 
2.  Be careful what you promise to others
If you intend to make promises, you had better be prepared to keep them, no matter what the cost.  The easiest way to lose the respect of others is by guaranteeing things that you are either unable or unwilling to deliver.  When you tell someone that you intend to do something, it is your responsibility to see to it that you follow through.  Others will note an irresponsible attitude and be wary of approaching you on any level in the future if you continually break your promises.

3.  Be kind and encouraging to others
Never let an opportunity to show kindness or encouragement to others to pass you by.  Praise good work, regardless of who did it.  At the same time, when giving criticism, do it helpfully and gently, never spitefully.  Show concern for another's feelings and well being.  You will benefit greatly from even the smallest kindness shown.
4.  Take an interest in other people
Learn about others' interests, their homes and families, and even their problems. When others are joyful, rejoice with them; when troubled or in mourning, be sympathetic.  Let everyone with whom you have contact, no matter how humble, realize that you regard them as people of importance

5.  Be cheerful
We all carry a load of some sort, and although the old saying "misery loves company" is still widely held up as truth, keep in mind that making others miserable is truly a disservice.  Don't dwell on your minor aches and pains and small disappointments.  Maintaining a cheerful attitude at all times will not only make others more comfortable in your presence, but you will feel better as well.

6.  Keep an open mind Don't let yourself get into arguments.  Discuss things with people rather than argue.  Being disagreeable is likely to put others off; they will much prefer to deal with those who have a calm and reasoned approach.  When confronted with a situation that you either disapprove of, or dislike, keep this in mind: it is the mark of a superior mind that can disagree without being disagreeable.

Meet Justin Bieber........

Justin Drew Bieber; born March 1, 1994 is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, producer, entrepreneur, investor, and actor.  Bieber was discovered in 2008 by American talent manager Scooter Braun, who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager. Braun arranged for him to meet with entertainer Usher Raymond in Atlanta, Georgia, and Bieber was soon signed to Raymond Braun Media Group (RBMG), and then to an Island Records recording contract offered by record executive L.A. Reid.
His debut extended play, the seven-track My World, was released in November 2009, and was soon certified platinum in the United States. He became the first artist to have seven songs from a debut record to chart on the Billboard Hot 100. Bieber's first full-length studio album, My World 2.0, was released in March 2010. It debuted at or near number-one in several countries and was certified platinum in the United States. It was preceded by the worldwide top-ten single, "Baby".

 He followed up the release of his debut album with his first headlining tour, the My World Tour, the remix albums My Worlds Acoustic and Never Say Never – The Remixes, and the 3D biopic-concert film Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, which nearly tied the record for the biggest opening-weekend gross for a concert-film. Bieber released his second studio album, Under the Mistletoe, in November 2011, when it debuted at number-one on the Billboard 200. Bieber released his third studio album, Believe, in June 2012, it became his fourth chart topper in the United States, debuting at number-one on the Billboard 200. Intent on developing a more mature sound, the album is regarded as a musical departure from his previous teen pop sound.
Bieber has received numerous awards, including Artist of the Year at the 2010 American Music Awards, and was nominated for such accolades as Best New Artist and Best Pop Vocal Album at the 53rd Grammy Awards. With a global fan base, termed as "Beliebers", and over 27 million followers on Twitter, he was named by Forbes Magazine in 2012 as the third most powerful celebrity in the world. He had earned an estimated US$55 million in the previous 12 months. As of May 2012, Bieber has sold 15 million albums. Justin Bieber along with Taylor Swift won top honours at the Teen Choice Awards on July 22, 2012. He has a net worth of US$108 million as of August 2012.

If you don't know all these about Justin Bieber, you are welcome.

Show me your friends; I’ll show you, your future

If your  future were determined solely off the friends you have now, would you trade them in? If every job or college interview depended not off of your performance, but your friends, how would it turn out for you? Now that I have your attention, are you at least thinking about it?

Fortunate for me I’m surrounded by a circle of individuals that challenges me to push myself everyday. Sadly, this is not everyone’s situation. While some have a great support system, many don’t. People that do not want to see others succeed or accomplish their dreams surround many.

Most of us spend too much time holding on to bad or damaged relationships due to the fact that they are in our circle of influence. Superficial relationships cause more harm to you than being honest with yourself and ridding yourself of poor relationships. If I’m doing my job correctly you may be asking yourself the following two questions: What do I do? Do I find a new circle of friends?

My suggestion is that if you find yourself being loyal to people who are not loyal to you, you must move. If every time you share your dream and they kill it, you must move. If you are the smartest person in your circle, you must move. At the least you owe it to yourself to expand your circle.

This is not a piece to motivate you to end all friendships, however, this is a piece that should have you asking yourself what your future will look like based off those you call friend. I of all people know that you can’t change your friends, but you can CHANGE your friends

Can you maintain a Healthy Relationship without having Sex?

Something that I have been interested in learning more about has been if people can maintain healthy relationships without involving sex. I remember my best friend and I talking about it one time in a sleepover, but even though we had similar opinions we were still unsure on whether we had an answer. Lately, the issue has caught my eye again. I know that many people feel that sex is a must in a relationship. From what I’ve heard not many people believe it’s possible. For example, I heard that if you “give it up” right away you're considered smutty, but if you wait a while it’s fine. Now that’s just what I’ve heard, it may not be true.

One thing that I know for sure about maintaining a healthy relationship is that trust and respect are extremely important. Now, I’ve studied my share of relationships and believe it to be uncertain personally, It’s funny to me how relationships last longer when nobody/few know(s) your business.

Maintaining a healthy relationship without sex has always been a questionable statement. Our .generations change, and become more developed than the last. Now we have children as young as 12 indulging themselves in sexual activity simply, because they think it’s the thing to do when in a “relationship.” Truth be told, we all know that the term “sex” is meant for adults and married couples, us teens are taught sexual education to maintain us cautious about our social environment. Many times we are misled into peer pressure, we just give in because of the moment, or we feel we’re in love. Majority of the times, it’s not love we feel, it’s infatuation.

Being that I didn’t have a lot of background information on keeping a relationship without sex, I chose to do some research on the topic. Some people felt that in order to maintain the relationship there were seven easy steps “how to.” Some of these steps included: trust and respect, communication, and fighting fair. “Avoid blame and judgment.” This statement didn’t really surprise me all that much, but it did make me feel like it’s something many people do. Every human judges on another, and others blame the wrong person. In a relationship this becomes a a relationship this becomes a problem, because you are supposed to accept your partner with flaws and all.

You should never feel pressured to do anything you don’t want to do. Always think ahead, and what comes next. Picture yourself in all the scenarios possible, good and bad. Last but not least, makpe sure you’re making the right decision and feel physically, emotionaolly, and mentally prepared.

 

Treasured teens support walk against cancer

 Treasured teens on Saturday September 1st,2012 gave their heartfelt love to people leaving with cancer and also create more awareness about the deadly disease by joining the Exquisite Magazine Against Cancer (EMAC) to walk against cancer with Tewa Onasanya (CEO/Publisher, Exquisie Magazine), Karen Igho (winner BBA Season 6), Bimbo Akintola (Nollyhood sensation), Dr. Matilda Kerry(Miss Nigeria 2000 and founder The George Kerry life Foundation)and also offer a voluntary service to the organizer by taking care of some of the logistics. here are a few pictures from the event....enjoy

I Won’t expose my body!

Why do teens and teens dress so provocative?  Parents are you ready for the answer?  They dress this way because you allow it!  Young ladies can't wear provocative clothing if their parents don't buy provocative clothing.
Parents stop caving in to the madness that is supposed to be fashion for teenagers today.  Your daughter is not holding a gun to your head, (at least I hope not) demanding that you buy her provocative clothes.  Its your money and you choose what to spend it on.  Actually, even when it is your daughter's money, you still get to say what she spends it on because she lives under your roof and you are the parent!  If your daughter goes shopping with her friends and you are not present, you should inspect her purchases.  If there is something that is inappropriate, you should take her back to the store so that she can return it.
I am sick and tired (yes I went there) of looking at young girls showing cleavage and butt cheeks.  I'm not going to discuss the camel toe issue.  Girls are wearing their clothes  so tight that it seems as if they can't breathe.  While volunteering at a school, I was selling school uniform shirts to the new students.  Every girl wanted to buy a shirt that was one or two sizes too small.  I had no problem telling them that I was not going to sell them a shirt that was too small.
Teenagers should look their age.  They are not supposed to look sexy.  How many of you want a grown man lusting after your daughter because she is dressed provocatively and she looks like a grown woman?
I realize that teenagers can be creative when they get dressed.  Girls want to cut jeans into short shorts.  They want to cut a slit in their t-shirts so that their cleavage shows.   Girls want to cut holes in their jeans to show a little skin or a trace of their underwear. It part of a parents' job to filter and discuss the things that their children are exposed to.  Parents need to let their daughters know what is acceptable and what is not.
Teenagers will be teenagers so they may change their clothes after leaving home.  I get it!  Most teenagers that change clothes and put on make-up after leaving home, at some point will forget to return to their original look before coming home.  I believe that if you instill the fear of consequence in your kids, these sneaky episodes will be minimal.
As parents, it is our job to teach our daughters to respect themselves and to demand respect from others.  When teenagers dress in a provocative manner, they are inviting disrespect from males young and old.
Don't worry parents, your sons have not been spared.  In the future, I will address the issue of boys and young men showing their underwear, eeewwww!

Written by: Toyosi Adeogun

Edited by: Oguntuga Liz Jaiyefunke