Opinions

Greece needs a bailout, now it’s Portugal, and don’t forget Ireland. Could Spain go under? God forbid Italy should fail, with an economy worth 16 per cent of the entire euro zone gross domestic product (GDP). This struggle seems to be dragging on and on, and growing. To the foreign observer here in Canada, it is all starting to get rather tedious.

Similar to Canada’s Own the Podium program, this new initiative by Sports Services allocates extra funding to a few U of O teams in an effort to become nationally recognized and to attract more students to our campus. But is this the right way to go in terms of seeking athletic success?

As I looked at one VHS in particular, I began thinking back to the documentaries we watched in class at my old high school, and then a thought struck me: We don’t teach politics enough.

When I snapped back to reality, I was met with the sound of hundreds of keyboard keys being furiously tapped. It made me feel so tiny, lost in a vast sea of clicking.

[P]atriotism and nationalism are constructs and are therefore, by definition, manufactured. They are ideas that we think about, ideas to which we emotionally attach ourselves and connect our life experiences. They are ideas that help us understand who we are.

Mathias MacPhee

So, for something that is only meant to brighten your day, why are people so divided on their feelings for memes? The Fulcrum asked two writers to sit down and hash things out.

This recurring theme in our body art and social media—both important forms of self-expression for the early 20-something—begs the question: what does our generation have against regrets?

There’s no denying that plagiarism has hit the headlines yet again, and while we’re not saying it’s right—if you think it’s okay, you’re one twisted lazy bum—we can’t refute the fact that it happens. So why do people do it?

Dr. Google has become convenient, perhaps a little too convenient. In fact, according to recent studies, 80 per cent of people who visit health and medical websites self-diagnose on a regular basis. It’s as simple as quickly searching your symptoms and finding out what disease you’ve just contracted. In a matter of minutes, you have the answer to your most troubling questions.

Wait times for most major surgeries average over a year in many provinces, although the interprovincial variation is significant (with some of the shortest wait times on the west coast, and the longest in Quebec).

They’re cutting edge, but most importantly, they’re cool. You do not listen to their music. Therefore, you are not cool.

It is no secret that we English Quebecers feel a certain disconnect with our own province. This disconnect explains why we turn the television off when Jean Charest or Pauline Marois come on and why we choose any activity over heading to a ballot box.

“There is a cancer eating away at the news business—the cancer of boredom, superficiality, and irrelevance—and radical surgery is needed.”

McGill University PhD candidate Katie Pagnucco worries that Marois doesn’t respect or even want anglophone students in the province. Pagnucco is right to worry. Marois has been vocal about her intentions to introduce francophone policies that won’t be good for English speakers.

Canada has always been known for its peacekeeping political stance. This country has been referred to as an “honest broker” in its past relations with the Middle East. What does this sudden development between Canada and Iran mean regarding the future of this diplomatic tradition?

Regardless of political finger-pointing or posturing, the events that transpired in Montreal are a tragedy. No matter how careful we are to tone down our rhetoric or find common ground in the wake of a crisis, there will always be individuals whose motivations we cannot fully understand.

The ultimate abuse is using profanity where it is absolutely not necessary, simply because someone can’t be bothered with finding a more articulate expression. Don’t get me wrong, nothing feels better than dropping an F-bomb in frustrating situations, but there is a time and a place.

It seems that young adults today are suffering from the Peter Pan Complex. This pop-psychology term alludes to our avoidance of growing up. But our generation’s obsession with youth has transformed into something far beyond Neverland or any childhood tale.

In fact, one person I spoke to who had deleted his profile described how a Facebook group was set up in his honour asking whether he was dead or not because, obviously, life can’t go on without Facebook. Or can it?

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