Reading Time: 5 minutesThe Muppets 4/5 THE MUPPETS IS one movie that could have easily been butchered by a group of old, crusty, out-of-touch executives who think Jim Henson’s creations aren’t cool enough to appeal to modern audiences. Luckily, in this recent incarnation, the classic marionette and puppet hybrids have not been replaced with computer generated doppelgangers and Kermit …
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Reading Time: 3 minutesGetting your caffeine fix on campus Compiled by Sofia Hashi WHETHER IT’S LATE-NIGHT lattes or an early morning cup of joe, getting your daily caffeine rush is a serious business. Any strategic coffee drinker knows where they can find the best cup within a matter of minutes and will scoff at the casual coffee sipper, who usually finds themselves trapped in the longest …
Reading Time: 2 minutesLocal designer goes green IN OUR FAST-PACED and consumer-oriented culture, we rarely take the time to think about the effects our lifestyles have on the environment. With our constant misuse of recyclable products and insatiable lust for the next big thing, it’s no wonder sustainable shops like Duffield Design have begun cropping up. Local designer Megan Duffield, owner …
Reading Time: 3 minutes Author and financial planner Lise Adreana sits down with the Fulcrum CHECKING THE SORRY state of a perpetually negative bank statement is not something new to the university experience. In fact, it’s generally accepted that as students we’re broke—constantly. While the notion of waiting for payday only to blow through that cash as fast as possible is something we’ve all embraced, financial planner …
Reading Time: 2 minutesNGC exhibits collection by the Canadian contemporary artist DAVID DIVINEY, CURATOR of exhibitions at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, has organized a collection of contemporary art by David Askevold in memory of the artist who died in 2008. Thirty-nine works, including sculptures, film and video, photo-text works, and digital images, are on display at the National Gallery of Canada until Jan. …
Reading Time: 2 minutesCity urges youth to get tested THIS MONTH, THE City of Ottawa released a report on sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the city, citing gonorrhea and chlamydia as the most common infections among 20- to 24-year-olds. Christiane Bouchard, a project officer with the Healthy Sexuality and Risk Reduction unit of Ottawa Public Health, said one of the problems with the two STIs is the lack of symptoms in 70 per cent of the cases. “You can have them and not know it, which means you can spread them more …
Reading Time: 3 minutesOntario university considers teaching students one course at a time TORONTO (CUP)—ALGOMA UNIVERSITY IN Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. is considering the switch to a “block plan” that would allow students to study courses one at a time instead of the usual four or five courses per semester. “You spend 15 hours per week on a …
Reading Time: < 1 minuteWhat the F?! A MOUNTAIN IN South Carolina made from roughly 250,000 tires covers more than 50 acres on satellite images and can be seen from space. Authorities have no idea how the tires ended up there, but this isn’t the first time the man-made mountain has sprung up, said David Summers, Calhoun County council …
Reading Time: 2 minutesResearch shows omnibus crime bill is in need of amendments ON SEPT. 20, the House of Commons heard the first reading of Bill C-10, an omnibus crime bill known as the Safe Streets and Communities Act presented by the Conservative government. The act, which has received criticism in the House of Commons and from experts in the field, the provinces, and the public, consists of nine bills seeking harsher sentencing for criminal offenders in an effort to lower the crime rate in Canada. Experts in crime reduction don’t think the bill will have the expected impact on the crime rate, which, according to a report by Statistics Canada, is at an all-time low. Irvin Waller, criminology professor at the University of Ottawa, explained a focus on prevention, not punishment, is needed to reduce crime rates. …
Reading Time: 3 minutesExperts question the impact of the initiative IN THE SPRING of 2011, community members came together to form Fair Trade Ottawa, a group dedicated to achieving fair-trade status for the city. The status, designated by Fairtrade Canada, has been awarded to 15 cities across Canada and about 20 more, including Ottawa, are pursuing it. “We started in early spring with a …
Reading Time: 2 minutes Protesters stay in park past set deadline ON NOV. 21, Occupy Ottawa protesters received an eviction notice from the National Capital Commission (NCC) requesting the group vacate Confederation Park by 11:59 p.m. that night. Although the encampment has shrunk after receiving the notice, not all tenants have complied with the NCC’s request, some barricading the fountain in …
Reading Time: 2 minutesSFUO collaborates with administration FROM NOV. 14 to 18, the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) conducted a week-long survey on student life on campus. SFUO representatives, volunteers, and board members collected student opinions to find out where there’s room for improvement. Amalia Savva, SFUO president, said the federation created the 10-question survey in an effort …
Reading Time: 2 minutesThree sides disagree on costs and effectiveness of pass DISAGREEMENTS WERE SPARKED between the City of Ottawa, students, and citizens when Charlie Taylor, mayoral candidate in the past municipal election and recent Carleton University graduate, declared the numbers determining the new cost of the U-Pass don’t add up. Taylor presented the data he collected to the city’s transit commission on Nov. 16, intensifying the discussion between the universities’ student unions and the city. “Basically, [the city’s transit report] is a propaganda document being put forward to try to frame [the report] in a positive light,” said Taylor, who thinks the program costs more than students are paying. “Every page of the report is flawed. It is either seriously poor scholarship or deliberate misrepresentation.” According to …
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThis is so cute! In an attempt to raise awareness about student debt , the Canadian Federation of Students has created a Mario-esque video game where students jump over obstacles like “apathy” and “student debt,” interjecting facts about tuition fees and loans in between levels. Not sure if it accomplishes awareness about debt, but it …
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIf you’re not up to anything tomorrow night, swing by the Alumni Auditorium for a showing of Crazy Stupid Love, brought to you by Community Life Services. It’s $2 for admission, $1 for popcorn. Check out the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eK68Y3oMEk8 And if you want to do something that’s fun and free, why not stop by …
Reading Time: 2 minutesGSAÉD’s finance commissioner resigns AFTER NEARLY TWO years with the University of Ottawa’s Graduate Students’ Association (GSAÉD), Patrick Imbeau announced he will resign his post of the finance commissioner on Nov. 15. Since beginning his employment with GSAÉD in December 2009, Imbeau has worked as the association’s university affairs commissioner, external commissioner, and most recently, …
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe Kim Kardashian debacle UNLESS YOU’VE BEEN living under a rock for the past two weeks, you’ve heard about Kim Kardashian’s marriage, the 72-day affair that cost $10 million—and grossed the Kardashian family $17 million. This, coupled with Zooey Deschanel and Ben Gibbard divorcing after two short years, makes this a month that begs the …
Reading Time: 2 minutesU of O professor publishes zombie essay collection IN 2009, UNIVERSITY of Ottawa mathematics and statistics professor Robert Smith? and his students wrote a paper When Zombies Attack!: Mathematical Modelling of an Outbreak of Zombie Infection. After two years of significant media buzz about his unusual publication, Smith?returns to publication as the editor of a …
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThe Fulcrum is concluding our workshop series tomorrow, Nov. 18, with two workshops for those who are interested in working pon the artistic side of the paper. Our production manager, Michelle Ferguson, will tell how she makes the elements of the newspaper fit perfectly on a page at 2 p.m. and art director Mico Mazza …
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIf you’re not doing anything tomorrow night, why not take in a sports game? The University of Ottawa women’s basketball is playing University of Windsor Lancers in Montpetit Hall in their home opener at 6 p.m, the men’s hockey team will be playing the Ryerson Rams in the Sports Complex at 7 p.m., and the …
Reading Time: 7 minutes The five-finger discount THERE’S NO SET profile for an amateur shoplifter, the name given to those who steal items for their own personal use. Mid- dle-aged career men, famous actors (Winona Ryder, anyone?), and university students have all been caught red-handed. A 2007 study by the Retail Council of Canada claimed $3.6 billion worth …
Reading Time: 3 minutesphoto by Sean Done An in-depth look at the newly designated space OTTAWA’S GAY VILLAGE on Bank Street is now officially recognized. Six white signs with the words “the village” and a rainbow insignia were installed at the intersections of Bank and Nepean, Somerset, and Frank streets last week. The Bank Street Business Improvement Area …
Reading Time: 2 minutesNext Stop HOW EASY IS it to keep governments accountable? Throughout history, journalists, activists, and sometimes even politicians kept governments from power tripping by broadcasting their own mes- sages to the public. Our generation needs a voice, too. Now that Stephen Harper achieved his long sought-after majority, he’s pushed his agenda through at impressive speeds, …
Reading Time: 3 minutesOne student sweats it out at U of O Zumba class THE GEE-GEES’ WEBSITE makes a pretty hefty promise regarding their Zumba classes: “This cardio fitness class, inspired by Latin and international dance, will guarantee smiling and sweating the whole way through!” I went into the experience with high expectations, and wasn’t let down in …
Reading Time: 2 minutes Foolproof fitness ANYONE WHO HAS explored the depths of my pantry knows I am a cereal fiend. Cereal is good for you and it tastes good—the perfect combo. Am I going to eat a bowl of Life every morning for the rest of my, well, life? No! I like to switch it up here …
