Month: February 2012

Too much ‘gay’

By Erin Shumlich

The word ‘gay’ is primarily used as a noun or adjective to describe a homosexual person. The word was used as early as 1637, originally meaning carefree, happy and bright. By the end of the 20th century, the meaning of the word shifted in lieu of a cultural attitude in North America to become derisive.… Continue reading Too much ‘gay’

Taking a stand against uncomfortable seating

By Kurt Genest

The latest research in the field of education suggests that it takes 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to become an “expert” at something. Mozart and music? Ten thousand hours. Gretzky and hockey? Ten thousand hours. Gordon Ramsay and profanity? Ten thousand hours. While mastery of such abilities is a rare feat, there is one field… Continue reading Taking a stand against uncomfortable seating

Editorial: Discrimination takes flight

By Gauntlet Editorial Board

For the second time under the Harper administration, transgender people are facing serious discrimination. The “Passenger Protect” program — a confusing Canadian adaptation of the American “no-fly” list — prevents people from boarding an aircraft whose appearance does not match the gender indicated by the identification they present. That is, if your driver’s license or… Continue reading Editorial: Discrimination takes flight

Student leaders meet with politicians

By Josh Rose

On Jan. 27, the Students’ Union hosted the first Calgary Leaders’ Dinner. Vice-president external Matt McMillan initiated the event, bringing politicians and students together. “Too often politicians make decisions based on papers in front of them without any human socialization. [The dinner] is both preventative and soft advocacy because a politician will think twice before… Continue reading Student leaders meet with politicians

Wikipedia embraced in the classroom

By Manal Sheikh

Wikipedia is unreliable for citing sources in university. Cite Wikipedia in an essay and you won’t be earning any bonus points with your professor. But some universities have decided to incorporate Wikipedia into course material. The Wikimedia Education Program has reached out to university students to check for “legitimacy, clarity and quality.” Professors participating in… Continue reading Wikipedia embraced in the classroom

Drunk-driving awareness club now on campus

By Pauline Anunciacion

On Jan. 19 2012, the Students’ Union sanctioned a new club, Save An Innocent Life. Its purpose is to raise awareness about the consequences of drinking and driving. Second-year business student and founder of SAIL Faryal Shah described the tragedy that prompted the initiative. University of Calgary second-year business student Arsh Brar was killed Jan.… Continue reading Drunk-driving awareness club now on campus

How the U of C stacks up

By Tyler Harris

The University of Calgary is attempting to be named one of the top five research universities in Canada by 2016 as part of their strategic plan called Eyes High, but what measures to use for evaluation have yet to be decided. The document was developed over eight months and over 4,000 students, faculty and community… Continue reading How the U of C stacks up

A Free Tibet

By Todd Andre

In 2004, Lobsang Dorjee began the long and treacherous journey from Tibet across the Himalayas, through Nepal and into India. Dorjee’s story is common to other Tibetans who have escaped oppressive Chinese policies– his father was killed and he lived homeless and illiterate in Tibet after his family was kicked out of a monastery during… Continue reading A Free Tibet