Oscars alienate audiences by awarding unoriginal films

Posted on 03. Mar, 2010 by juanantonio in Opinion

As a child I naively watched the Oscars hoping fantasy blockbusters films like Jurassic Park would win best picture of the year.  Now that I’ve grown cynical, I realize plot and character development are superior to green screen actors.  This brings a pertinent question.  How is Avatar within arms reach of a best picture award?
Avatar is a film that you’ve seen before, even if you haven’t watched it yet.  One FilmFreakCentral.com critic described the film as a “politically childish amalgam of Pocahontas and Ferngully: The Last Rainforest.” While i09.com described the film as “a classic scenario you’ve seen in… ... [continue reading]

Road conditions bad for cars, frustrating for drivers

Posted on 03. Mar, 2010 by Claude in Opinion

Bad drivers, a whirlwind of cyclists, foolish pedestrians, and streetcar tracks: driving in Toronto can be dangerous. As if those obstacles aren’t enough, Toronto drivers also have to contend with degraded roads throughout the entire city.
It is enough to make one scream. And I do, every time I drive.
While I have always found it a nuisance to have to swerve every two minutes to avoid a pothole, I never truly realized the extent of damage they can do to my car.
Driving eastbound on Eglinton Avenue last January, I found out the hard way.
I saw a large… ... [continue reading]

Talking does the body good

Posted on 24. Feb, 2010 by Archivist in Opinion

Students should take advantage of therapy on campus ... [continue reading]

Exercising the right to fire abusive customers

Posted on 24. Feb, 2010 by Archivist in Opinion

KATELYN MCCALLION
SENIOR REPORTER

The popular breakfast chain Tim Horton’s has recently done what every fast-food chain, retail or any customer service based business has dreamed of; they have banned a complaining customer.  A man named Jimmy Craig, a paramedic and a volunteer firefighter from New Brunswick, has been banned from two stores for his constant complaining about the chain’s decaffeinated coffee.
Craig had complained on several occasions that the coffee tasted burnt, according to the Toronto Star. The owner of the two stores banned Craig for life after he allegedly became aggressive with the staff.  Craig is currently… ... [continue reading]

Games unify country regardless of outcome

Posted on 24. Feb, 2010 by Archivist in Opinion

HOLLY WEST
SPORTS EDITOR

With glowing hearts we see thee rise, The True North strong and free! – Oh Canada, I love thee so.
Walking down the streets of Vancouver during the beginning days of the Olympic Games made me feel more than a kinship with my fellow countrymen, clad in varying shades of red and white; I felt the Canadian swagger.  We want to win.
This is the Olympics. In our country. In our North American sized rinks. We have all the makings of “Owning the Podium” – and yet we don’t. There has been a lot of… ... [continue reading]

Crackdown on obnoxious behaviour in residence overdue

Posted on 10. Feb, 2010 by David White in Opinion

RONDA COLLINS
SENIOR REPORTER

As I walk down the hall on my morning trudge to the bathroom, I try to dodge the garbage littering the floor. When I finally make it to the bathrooms I bypass the stalls that are all unusable thanks to last night’s partyers throwing up all over the place. I try to shower, but I’ll never feel clean because I live in residence and this residence is a dark contrast to the clean cut residence the brochures show.
Floors are full of teens out on their own, some for the first time, in tiny quarters… ... [continue reading]

Singles shouldn’t let Valentine’s Day make them feel like leftovers

Posted on 10. Feb, 2010 by David White in Opinion

KRISTEN SMITH
LIFE EDITOR

I have finally figured out why I hate Valentine’s Day. Despite being an overpriced, commercialized cash-grab, it could very well be the route of insecurity.
It can be traced back to elementary school Valentine’s Day card exchanges. The excitement about getting cards in earlier grades when children are required to give them to everyone quickly morphed into anxiety as the nice tradition became a popularity contest.
The origins of this celebration are unclear as there are several Christian martyrs named Valentine. The most popular legend is that of a third century priest, who was secretly… ... [continue reading]

Vaccinations save lives, but scammers risk them

Posted on 10. Feb, 2010 by David White in Opinion

JOHN EVANS
OP-ED EDITOR

The U.K General Medical Council (GMC) has excoriated one of the fathers of the modern anti-vaccination movement, and I couldn’t be happier.
Dr. Andrew Wakefield is the principal author of a 1998 paper suggesting a link between the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism in children. His peers considered the paper questionable almost as soon as it was published.
The British regulatory agency ruled on Jan. 28 that Wakefield had been irresponsible, unethical, and dishonest in the research and writing of the paper, which has become the sacred text of the anti-vaccination movement.
It was discovered… ... [continue reading]

Hip-hop cops unfairly target rappers

Posted on 09. Dec, 2009 by Miguel Agawin in Opinion

ANGELO ELIA
SENIOR REPORTER

One can claim most hip-hop artists have a problem with authority, often expressing distaste towards them in their music. But there’s a reason for this – rappers have been targeted, harassed and discriminated upon. It’s really the police who have a problem with hip-hop artists.

According to a YouTube video, retired New York Police Department officer, Derick Parker, said in a 2006 documentary Black and Blue: Legends of the Hip-Hop Cop that he began a task force called the hip-hop squad to investigate rappers for criminal activity. According to the documentary, hip-hop police kept… ... [continue reading]

Boy’s-only a temporary solution

Posted on 03. Dec, 2009 by Erin DeCoste in Opinion

JORDAN MAXWELL

NEWS REPORTER

Chris Spence, the education director of the TDSB, released a report – A Vision of Hope – late last month which highlighted the organization’s plan for a better, stronger and more understanding education system within the TSDB.  In this report, the TDSB laid out their plans for a more effective way of reaching and teaching students who are disadvantaged by any means in classrooms to date.  Among the technological and green initiatives outlined in the report, Spence also has a plan for boys.

The Male Leadership Academy, a proposed all-boys school, was introduced… ... [continue reading]