Too late may be sooner than you think THIS PAST DECEMBER, after a gruelling battle with a lengthy repertoire of ailments and illnesses, my maternal grandfather finally passed. Though the death of Grandpa Beeman was, and still remains, one of the most affecting losses of my life, I could not help but think to myself in a quiet moment alone at his …
DEAR CHAIR, IT has come to my attention that there is a motion before the Board of Administration to dissolve the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO)’s Student Arbitration Committee (SAC). Please consider that, within the SFUO, should the Board of Administrators dissolve the SAC, it would be analogous to the Parliament of …
DEAR VP UNIVERSITY Liz Kessler, As you are aware, Senate By-Law No. 1, 2008, “A By-Law governing the composition of the Senate” states: “It is hereby decreed as a By-Law of the Senate of the University of Ottawa as follows: 1. The following persons are members of the Senate of the University of Ottawa pursuant …
DEAR UNIVERSITY OF Ottawa faculty and students, I write to you in a most urgent of times, because on Sept. 15, the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) is going to appoint new student senators to fill vacant positions without an election. I have been interested in representing my fellow students in the …
DEAR PRESIDENT ALLAN Rock, The senate is the supreme governing body on all academic matters at the university, charged with determining the educational policy of the institution and the implementation of its academic mission. The University of Ottawa Act, 1965, mandates you, the president, to be the chair of the senate. This is therefore your …
Does anyone know what the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) actually does? As the editors of a campus newspaper, we like to think we’re more informed than the average student. But a conversation among our editorial board about the student organization quickly revealed a lack of consensus on what the CFS is and what our …
Top of the food chain SHARK FIN SOUP is considered to be an impressive (and expensive) delicacy the world over. Served in restaurants in North America for about $100 per bowl, the dish is now threatened with the same endangerment as its main ingredient—in California, anyways. The California state senate has approved a bill that …
Arguing the source of our school’s lack of enthusiasm While sports junkies at the U of O may be unwilling to admit our school is seriously lacking some spirit, any student on campus can see that we don’t hold a candle to our rivals in terms of fandom and turnout. With a genuinely impressive roster …
A different perspective on police violence POLICE BRUTALITY IS an issue that plagues many communities, standing in the way of the judicial process and making a mockery of an authority that all citizens, be it of Ottawa or the world, should be able to trust. Still, as this problem with misuse of police authority comes …
Considering the problem of police brutality in Ottawa EARLIER THIS SUMMER, a friend and I were leaving the ByTowne Cinema when we found a man lying unconscious on the sidewalk. My companion noticed his breathing looked irregular, and when he failed to respond to verbal promptings, we decided to be good Samaritans and call an …
FROM JACK LAYTON’S letter to us Canadians, what called out to me the most was the part where he wished for a more “inclusive and generous Canada.” I contemplated on that and I initially thought of the humanitarian wish for a poverty-free world. This then got me to think of what cost-effective solutions exist out …
THIS IS A letter to lodge a formal complaint against the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) and the way they handled the absolute disaster they call U-Pass distribution this week. I feel that I have lost all respect for the people that work there, and as a student I, in turn, was …
The U of O is the best damn university in the country When I applied to university in my Grade 12 year, the University of Ottawa didn’t make the cut. I anxiously sent off applications to the University of British Columbia, McGill, University of Toronto, Western, Queen’s—schools across the country I had deemed “the best” after my research, which was heavily based on the annual university …
To join or not to join? EARLIER THIS MONTH in Kelowna, B.C., a gang-related shooting left locally famed gangster Jonathan Bacon dead, a known Hells Angels member wounded, and another woman paralyzed. Reflecting on public response to the assassination at the Delta Grand Hotel, Kelowna columnist Barry Gerding wrote: “Surely, anyone wanting to join a …
How should you approach the roomie relationship? A ROOMMATE IS generally understood to be a person with whom you share a home. Hopefully someone who will ask you about your day, cook you the occasional meal, and clean the toilet. But in more unfortunate circumstances, a roommate can be a lot more like a prison …
SEATED WITHIN A short walk to the Quebec border, the University of Ottawa has a unique dilemma when it comes to underage drinking on campus. Alcohol is easily accessible to freshmen not only at parties or private events, but also for sale just across the border. Though university is renowned as a time to experiment …
WHEN I WENT to get my U-Pass this week, I was approached by a campaigner looking for signatures for an OC Transpo petition. The bus company is looking to raise the price by $50 next year, and the campaigner explained that we shouldn’t be paying more for less service (what with recent cuts). I asked …
AS PETTY AS this may sound, after four years on this campus I have developed a substantial grievance with Food Services and their “trusty” drink machines. After using the gym on the weekend, one of the milk machines actually took $10 without giving change back (Somehow I did get a milk in the process). Rather …
Intramural program tackles limitations head-on Despite a growing student population, and a subsequent lack of athletic facilities, the University of Ottawa’s intramural program seems to be improving year after year. New leagues and increased availability have been top priorities for Sports Services. With only one soccer field, two rinks, and four gyms at its disposal, …
It’s change we don’t like On July 10, the city of Ottawa opened the Laurier Avenue bike lane, the first of its kind in Ontario. Unlike other designated bike lanes in the city, the Laurier bike lanes are physically separated from motor vehicles by barriers such as curbs, plastic poles, and parked cars. The $1.3-million …
CISCO OTTAWA BLUESFEST has long been the most popular music event in the nation’s capital. Ever since its debut in 1994, the festival has grown greatly in size and evolved its entertainment. Initially dedicated to solely singing the blues, the festival now focuses on offering a more modern and diverse lineup. While some fans are …
Drunk Canadians in Kabul NEW DOCUMENTATION OF Canadian diplomats’ hospitality expenditures has recently surfaced and made its way into the hands of a few savvy members of The Canadian Press. According to the documentation, Canadian diplomats in Kabul alone have consumed over $20,000 in alcoholic beverages since 2007. The illegality of alcohol consumption in Afghanistan …
I BEGIN EVERY day in tears. “Six inch or foot long?” I ask, my eyes red and watery, my face flushed. Nobody seems to care or even really notice. I suppose tears seem perfectly appropriate on the face of a fast-food employee. Why shouldn’t I be miserable? It’s just so fitting. Much more so than …
