Reading Time: 2 minutesTHESE DAYS, THE terms “environmentally friendly,” “green,” and “eco-friendly initiatives” get thrown around a lot. Whether you learned about it through Al Gore’s documentary An Inconvenient Truth or Andrew Stanton’s Wall-E, almost everyone is aware that climate change is harming our planet. Still, the situation isn’t getting much better—but why? I think our own laziness …
Year: 2011
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe problem HEY, SCIENCE! WHY haven’t you built me an iPod the size of a single cell yet? I’m waiting. Currently electronics are built out of bulk materials and have inherent size limitations: A wire can only be carved so small if it’s made from an everyday chunk of copper. But imagine if electronic components …
Reading Time: 2 minutesU of O close to fair-trade designation AT THE BEGINNING of 2011, the University of Ottawa chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) launched a fair-trade campus initiative at the U of O to certify the campus as fair trade. Since then, the action has gained the support of the Student Federation of the University of …
Reading Time: < 1 minuteA FEMALE EMPLOYEE at the General Services Administration (GSA) building in Washington, D.C. sustained serious injuries from sitting on an exploding toilet on Sept. 26. According to a memo circulated throughout the building, a mechanical failure led to high water pressure in the domestic water system. This subsequently led to explosions in the restrooms. Workers …
Reading Time: 2 minutesMonthly free store at the U of O ON SEPT. 28, students walking by the Unicentre may have been surprised to see seats in the couch lounge replaced by tables full of free stuff. Organized by the Campus Sustainability Office, the free store aimed to reduce waste on campus and in the community. “It is …
Reading Time: 2 minutesMONTREAL (CUP)—HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE gathered in front of Premier Jean Charest’s office in downtown Montreal on Sept. 24 to protest loudly, but peacefully, against allegations of corruption in the construction industry. Similar protests occurred in Quebec City and Sherbrooke. Over the last 18 months, a pall was hung over Charest’s government as allegations of corruption …
Reading Time: < 1 minuteOTTAWA—OC TRANSPO HAS plans to resume service to the bus route that circles the Ottawa General Hospital Campus. The 106 bus, which made stops at the U of O campus before route cuts, will be brought back starting Dec. 28—the next time bus drivers book a work schedule. In the meantime, OC Transpo will be …
Reading Time: 3 minutesMap of Canada to be redrawn ELLESMERE ISLAND, THE most northern point of Canada, is undergoing a big change. In the past six years, ice shelves that were a part of the island’s territory have been damaged because of climate change. Luke Copland, associate professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Ottawa, …
Reading Time: 2 minutesDEAR UNIVERSITY OF Ottawa Administrative Committee, I hereby request payment for my work as an elected member of the University of Ottawa Senate, representing all graduate students in the sciences, for the 2010–11 and 2011–12 academic years. As a student representative, I am an equal member of senate as those senate members who belong to …
Reading Time: 2 minutesWHILE READING THE funnies, you turn the page of the paper and suddenly it hits you: There is a discount on flights to the Caribbean. Even better is the senior’s package; you think, “If only I was 65…” I could imagine a lot of things that I would like to be doing in my sixties, …
Reading Time: < 1 minuteFROM THE TIME I get off the bus at the University of Ottawa to the time I get into the building, I am going to inhale at least a carton of cigarettes into my lungs from the many smokers on campus. There is no known safe level of second-hand smoke, yet I am forced to …
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Reading Time: 9 minutes… but we’re all over the map IT’S ELECTION TIME in Ontario, and with that the Fulcrum is prompted to provide some epic candidate coverage, a discussion of the issues closest to the hearts of students, and, of course, an editorial encouraging you to break the trend of voter apathy among Canadians aged 18–24 and vote—or so you’d expect. But when …
Reading Time: 2 minutesSecond cup? This is my 13th. IN LIGHT OF America’s upcoming National Coffee Day, the results of a survey of U.S. coffee-drinking habits have been released. Commissioned by 7-Eleven convenience stores, the survey of just over 1,000 participants found two-thirds of Americans are regular coffee-drinkers, and of those who consume the caffeinated beverage, 65 per cent drink up to 13 …
Reading Time: 2 minutesToo soon to exploit Jack THE MEMORY OF Jack Layton is still fresh in the minds of Canadians, especially as Parliament sat for the first time since his passing last week. Even more prominent are the words from his letter, Jack’s final message to Canadians, which have inspired so many. So, it is deeply unsettling, if not downright sickening, …
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe problem with pasta and religion LAST WEEK. MY home was invaded. Nothing was broken, nothing was taken, but it was invaded. I live in residence at 90 University, and last week a group called Campus for Christ held a spaghetti dinner in the meeting room on the ground level. Sounds innocent, right? Sure, the pasta was warm and it …
Reading Time: 3 minutesThe childishness of Ontario politics WE’VE ALL DONE it at least once: Compared the behaviour of politicians to that of children. No one has to pass a maturity test to be elected to office, and though the results of this childish behaviour can be frustrating or detrimental, they can also be very funny. Location: Classroom Time: 8:31 a.m. Mrs. …
Reading Time: 2 minutesU of O athlete goes to 2011 Pan Am Games AS ONE OF the largest multisport events of the year, the 2011 Pan American Games held in Guadalajara, Mexico will be a sight to see, and U of O student and Gee-Gees athlete Michael Robertson will have the opportunity to take it all in. Fourth-year human kinetics student by day, track and relay …
Reading Time: 2 minutesALTHOUGH YOU MAY still be able to wear your Birks around campus, winter is (sadly) just around the corner. This means some of the outdoor activities you enjoy, such as cycling, become more difficult. That is, unless you’re one of the badasses in Sandy Hill who braves the icy streets in a blizzard when everyone …
Reading Time: 2 minutesU of O rowing team competes on Canal PEDESTRIANS WALKING ALONG the Rideau Canal the weekends of Sept. 15 and 25 received a nice surprise as they passed blocks of cheering students running after boats rowing up and down the waterway. The U of O competitive rowing team first participated in the annual P.D. Ross Regatta against Carleton University and the Ottawa …
Reading Time: 2 minutesWomen’s soccer team wins back-to-back matches THE GEE-GEES WOMEN’S soccer team routed the competition in a pair of important games on Sept. 24 and 25 when they played against two northern Ontario University Athletic (OUA) opponents. With their recent victories over the Laurentian Lady Vees (4-3-2) and the Nipissing Lakers (0-6-3), the Gees move into second place in the OUA …
Reading Time: 2 minutesMen’s soccer wins exhibition against Algonquin Thunder ON SEPT. 25, the University of Ottawa’s men’s soccer team battled the Algonquin Thunder, last year’s provincial champions, on Matt Anthony Field. While the competitive club had a slow start to the season with a loss to Carleton early in the year, they have crept up to higher standards, beating Queen’s, Ryerson, and now …
Reading Time: 2 minutesWomen’s rugby loses 39-5 in crushing defeat to Stingers THE UNIVERSITY OF Ottawa women’s rugby team (1-2) marched on to Matt Anthony Field to the sound of cheering fans for their first home game of the regular season Sept. 25. But the erupting applause was interrupted by the Concordia Stingers’ (2-1) speed and resilience, which the Gees defensive skills could not match. The …
Reading Time: 3 minutesGees homecoming game results in victory against Varsity Blues AFTER LAST WEEK’S disappointing tangle with the Western Mustangs, a game that resulted in the U of O football team finishing with a losing score of 41-13, the Garnet and Grey were back with a vengeance. Despite the clouds and the dismal 1,834 people in the stands, the Gees rebounded with a 41-0 …
Reading Time: 2 minutesDear Di, I have a huge crush on my roommate. He’s sexy, funny, smart, and we have the same taste in music and television. One problem though: He’s straight. I’m just so crazy about him and I think we would be such a good couple if he would just give me a chance. Do you …
