Just like her country, Canada’s Next Top Model winner is beautiful and versatile. But what propelled this sweet and driven factory worker to dream of becoming a model, and how did this dream manifest into a fairytale reality? Reporter Ava Baccari spoke with Rebecca Hardy about how she got to where she is today and what’s in store for her future.

We’ve all seen jugglers before. But 22-year-old Marcus Monroe brings a new style to juggling. Combining his juggling acts with the energy of a rock star, Monroe has become a hot act supporting musicians such as Gavin DeGraw, Hanson, and B2K. Hailing from New York, he has garnered national attention and many awards for his juggling.

Five talented young men are focused on improving their own lives as well as the lives of others, using music as their vehicle. They have formed The Rawluck Movement, a hip hop non-profit based group brought together musically by the passing of the members’ close friend, Donnie Rawluck. The group recently released its debut album, The Rawluck Movement, in early May, and is planning a tour for the summer. Reporter Ayla Rauch spoke with the group members about the messages behind their initiative and their future goals.

Hannah Sung never thought being the Scarborough, Ont. bookworm would eventually put her in the spotlight. She landed a dream gig as MuchMusic’s pop culture reporter for four years and interviewing some of the most influential pop culture icons—from Guns N’ Roses to Johnny Depp. Now she’s on to her next passion, helping make a positive difference in the world. She works for CARE Canada’s youth branch, YouthCARE, bringing to light issues such as poverty and the need for international aid abroad. Reporter Jenny Yuen spoke with Sung about her career path and her latest cause.

By the age of 18, Canadian singer Keshia Chanté has accomplished great success, including having her self-titled debut CD reach gold sales in Canada. As a Juno recipient and with singles from her new album set to break out in the United States later this year, she isn’t slowing down. Aside from singing, she has been acting, dancing, and will soon be having her own diamond jewellery line. Reporter Jacklene Habib recently spoke with Chanté about her ongoing success, as well as her humanitarian efforts and the more personal side of the entertainer.

Since launching in 2005, Zoey 101 has had monumental success in North America and abroad. The show, now in its third season, provides a fairly realistic glimpse into the life of high school students. However, behind Logan's sly smile and Lola's dainty ambiance, how do these television characters’ real life counterparts really act? Reporter Steve Silva met with the actors when they were in Toronto recently to meet fans as part of Family Channel's three-mall Spring Break tour, and got to talk with them about school, the show, and their future goals.

It’s an unusually warm January afternoon as Ryan Malcolm sits in the meeting room of his music distribution company, Fontana North, in downtown Toronto. Slouching deep into the couch and sprawling his arms out, he exposes an armband tattoo on his right bicep. The former Canadian Idol winner is now sporting a new style and image, and he's rockin' with a new band called Low Level Flight. Reporter Karon Liu sat down with Malcolm to discuss his upcoming new album and how he's grown as a musician.

“We must learn to live together, or perish as fools,” are the words of a man that once upon a time took a stand against segregation, discrimination, and injustice. Martin Luther King, Jr., like many others before and after him, considered discrimination a word that defies all basics of humanity and equality and fought against it. Yet after years of continuous efforts to create a community of equity, discrimination appears to be a word too familiar to those who are treated with its horrid ways on a daily basis. Here in York Region, students have faced much verbal abuse and more from classmates for being homosexual. As a result, students at some of the schools have formed a Gay-Straight-Alliance club, where students could feel comfortable and share their frustrations on the issue. But the process of getting the schools to accept these clubs hasn’t been easy.

You know Eva Avila as the winner of the latest season of the popular show Canadian Idol. Now the admired teen is reaching out to her fans with her soulful new album, Somewhere Else. Reporter Diana Chu got the chance to sit down with Eva and discuss her rise to fame, her reflections on the show that made her dreams come true, and what drives this bubbly, spiritual 19-year-old.

When Kheaven Brereton first entered the hip-hop scene and began “battling”, the acronym “k-os” stood for Kheaven’s Original Sound. Three albums, three Juno Awards, and four MuchMusic Video Awards later, the meaning behind k-os has graduated to Knowledge of Self. His latest album, ATLANTIS:  Hymns for Disco, released last October, is his most personal yet. Reporter Harley Sedore spoke with k-os about his latest achievements and his view on artists. 

Believe – a word that 20-year-old Canadian singer/songwriter/performer George lives by, and it also happens to be the title of his new album, which hits stores Nov. 7th. Believe is George’s debut album. It’s a mix of up-tempos and ballads, R&B, pop, and hip-hop beats. With some well-known producers and a management team that includes Howie Dorough of the Backstreet Boys and CJ Huyer of former boy band 3Deep through label HC Entertainment, George’s album is expected to quickly climb the Canadian music charts. Reporter Emily Anonuevo got the scoop on George’s music and his goals.

You walk down the illuminated red carpet as photographers shout your name, encouraging you to pose for the cameras. This dream is common amongst aspiring teenagers. However, the dream is growing in the sense that it’s not only shared by actors, but filmmakers, too. With the recent increase in the popularity of online video service websites, it isn’t surprising to discover that large numbers of today’s youth are spending their time creating short films. But with escalating competition in the industry, how can teens compete with adult filmmakers who are often more experienced and better funded? To help provide the metaphorical red carpet for youth itching for a medium of exposure, the First Take International Student Film Festival is being hosted in Toronto. The largest student film festival in North America, the festival began Sept. 30th and will run until the closing night on Nov. 11th.

“Key in this: You’re competing for the grand prize at the Mr. Universe competition! Show the audience and judges your muscles, because you want to win this! Show them the leg muscles. Now show them the forehead muscle…” This is just one of dozens of silly things renowned hypnotist Mike Mandel will make people do at his hypnosis shows. Widely regarded as the world’s greatest living hypnotist, Mandel says anyone can be hypnotized as long as he’s open to the ‘power of suggestion’. And it’s not what you see on TV!

They're self-described as "two Catholic schoolgirls in mid-knife-fight". Sweet meets sour in a cacophonous outfit of tattooed dudes delivering a strangely organized, rhythmic chaos called Alexisonfire. Having ended off a cross Canada tour in support of their third full-length album Crisis, they’re bringing people’s attention to their music as well as social causes.

It doesn’t matter where you call home; the lives and events of people across oceans impact our lives in profound ways. From Hurricane Katrina to the Tsunami, youth are affected by the news of the world. But are today’s youth more in tune with the world issues or the latest music buzz… and why? Reporter Vanessa Subramaniam spoke with MuchMusic VJ Hannah Simone to get her take on the issue.