U of O students sound off on campus bilingualism THIS PAST WEEK, while some students were enjoying a much-needed vacation and others were catching up on assignments and readings without the burden of attending class, the Fulcrum saw one of its articles hit national television. On Oct. 24, an interview with yours truly was aired …
Opinions
U.K.’s new blood donation policy isn’t progressive enough MONTREAL (CUP)—ON SEPT. 8, the United Kingdom’s Health Department announced that, as of November, gay men will be allowed to give blood—if they have refrained from any form of sexual contact for an entire year. Although deemed progressive by some, this newly established concession is actually more …
‘Racist’ Berkeley bake sale protests legislature A BAKE SALE at the University of California, Berkeley sponsored by the Berkeley College Republicans has drawn international attention recently after the club announced that it would price its goods based on the race of the customer. Baked goods were sold at $2 for Caucasians, $1.50 for Asians, $1 …
DEXTER IS BACK. The serial killing-serial killer has returned Oct. 2, and honestly, I couldn’t be happier. Now that True Blood is over and The United States of Tara has been cancelled, I can’t get enough the series that actually add something awesome to my life: The idea of a prolonged want being achieved spread …
Sites push subway voyeurism to an all-time low GENTLEMEN, I WOULD like you to picture something for me. Imagine you are sitting on the subway, having a coffee and playing Angry Birds when, unbeknownst to you, a mysterious figure snaps your picture and sends it to a website where your looks are judged and …
Clothes can’t constitute consent A RECENT TREND in criminal justice may be of interest to our female readers—or anyone amused by the ridiculous decisions made by some of our fellow human beings. Apparently, in some countries, if a woman is wearing skinny jeans at the time of a sexual assault, then her rapist is absolved …
Last week, The Canadian Council on Learning (CCL) released its final report on the state of education in Canada. The independent, national learning organization is set to close in spring 2012 after the Harper government withdrew federal funding last year—and did they ever go out with a bang. “What is the Future of Learning …
It’s really more of a brownish dwarf than a star A CANADIAN ASTRONOMICAL survey has led to the discovery of several extraterrestrial bodies called failed stars. These less-than-successful masses of matter have been hanging out in space for eons, unable to grow enough in size to shine like our sun or other visible stars. The …
In defence of U of O atheists Re: “Atheist instigators” (Opinions, Oct. 13) IN MY INTERVIEW with Kelden Formosa, author of “Atheist Instigators” in last week’s edition of the Fulcrum, I explained why I believed portraying the prophet Muhammad was legitimate. Freedom of speech doesn’t just involve one’s right to speak their mind; it also …
Apologetically addicted Re: “U of O is not a smoke-free environment” (Letters, Oct. 6) AFTER GLANCING THROUGH the letters to the editor, I came across the “proposition” to have a campus-wide ban on smoking. Really? I’m not by any means advocating the act—the side effects of smoking are well known and even advertised on the …
Muhammad makes appearance on campus ACCORDING TO THAT old maxim, it is impolite to discuss sex, religion, or politics with strangers. On the typical Canadian university campus, however, we take the opposite approach, bombarding students with condoms and political pamphlets without even pausing to get their names. While we’re quite forward with sex and politics, …
Femme fatale says goodbye to green mile TWENTY-SIX YEARS AGO, Memphis wife and mother Gaile Owens was charged with hiring a man to murder her husband. After spending over a quarter-century awaiting her death, Owens has been released from prison, securing her release after a long history of good conduct. According to the Associated Press, the murderess is looking forward to …
IN LIGHT OF one staff member’s recent issue with language barriers on campus, the Fulcrum asked U of O students whether or not they feel that the school’s bilingual mandate is successful or an utter failure. “I am a mostly francophone guy, and I find it easy to talk with everyone at the university in …
Grabbing a bilingual bite difficult at the U of O THERE SEEM TO be two schools of anglophones at the University of Ottawa: That which takes issue with our school’s bilingual agenda and that which doesn’t. Personally, I’ve always considered myself to belong to the latter group. I’m content to listen through French messages first, …
ALMOST FOUR WEEKS ago, Americans took to the streets of New York City in protest. The Occupy Wall Street movement has seen tens of thousands of people—of all ages, races, and political stripes—participate in an ongoing demonstration in response to the political and economic conditions of the country. Th e most common complaints among the protestors have been social and economic inequality, corporate greed, and the influence …
UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS COME in all shapes and sizes. Some athletes play varsity sports, spending most of their year travelling Ontario in hopes of making nationals; some play competitively, competing against teams from across the province without being part of an official league; and others play intramural sports, playing simply for the love of the game. …
I can feel your presence INTRODUCING PILLOW TALK, the walkie-talkie for long-distance lovers. Designed for couples that can’t sleep in the same bed, Pillow Talk is a set of two pillows, each with a matching sensor ring. When one partner goes to bed, they put on their sensor ring, which sends a signal to the …
Taking a bite out of Apple’s tech reputation LET’S BE HONEST: The iPad has convincingly dominated the tablet computer market since its launch one year ago. Apple currently accounts for 69 per cent of all tablet sales in the U.S., which is evidence enough that the iPad has elevated Apple, and Steve Jobs, to a …
A call for unplugging IT’S THE FIRST day of class. Your professor has handed out the course outline, and written on the first page in bold, underlined letters are the words “No laptops permitted.” You wonder how exactly you’re going to give this professor your undivided attention for an hour and a half twice a …
Has Google created a monster? THIS PAST WEEK, Google, Internet giant and official verb, celebrated its 13th anniversary. Amidst happy celebrations throughout the Googleverse, many Google Chrome and Gmail users found themselves wondering one thing: “Didn’t this thing start as just a search engine?” The answer: Yes, yes it did. Perhaps no one but the …
DEAR 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 …
WHILE 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, …
FROM 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 …
… 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 …
Second 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 …
