"A white has no superiority over a black, nor a black has any superiority over white, except by piety and good action." - Prophet Muhammad. NO PLACE FOR BIGOTRY First impressions lay the foundation for any potential relationship. Everyone is different, with a unique perspective on life. But if there's one trait that never fails to dampen my first impression of a person, it's racism and discrimination. From a millennial perspective, I am tired of bigotry and its detrimental drain on society. It feels outdated, like it should exist only in history, yet it continues to flourish more than ever, especially in social media today, which has given bigots a platform to spread hatred with guaranteed anonymity. Facebook and Twitter have become tools for discriminatory expression. The recent terror attacks in Belgium, Turkey, France, Burkina Faso and Pakistan – not to mention the endless horror inflicted on the people of Syria and Iraq on a daily basis – hav...

Auckland vs. Dubai "Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose." Like many privileged kids, I have lived most of my life in a comfortable suburban bubble. Until I was about 19, I never gave much consideration to the rest of the world, and only now do I truly appreciate the things that I once so carelessly took for granted. Somehow my mindset changed during recent years, (I think studying had a lot to do with it) and I decided it was time to implement some change. I recently relocated halfway across the world for a job. I didn't know a single person where I was going, and I had a month to plan an abrupt relocation. Even though it sounds somewhat bizarre, as if finding the right job is really worth moving away from your home for, personally it has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. Some of us have it, and some of us don't - that longing to experience more than what is familiar and comfortable. For...