By Mary Chan
How strange is it that death by embolism is the most unusual item to emerge from a news day? On Sun., April 7, American journalist David Bloom, who was embedded with U.S. infantry, died while covering the war in Iraq. He did not die because his military unit was bombed, or because he unexpectedly encountered… Continue reading Normalizing the concept of war
By Mary Chan
For several weeks now, university students have been searching for summer jobs, hoping to find something that will pay well enough to cover next year’s tuition. Finding the money to finish a degree is a mere precursor to a dilemma many students face upon graduation: how to parlay said degree into a viable, long-term career.… Continue reading The future shouldn’t be nine to five
By Mary Chan
Writing a column about fiction is difficult because the columnist must convey in prose the power of often-lyrical, brutal or transcendent writing. In other words, the authors I am about to discuss are much better writers than I am. I have been thinking a lot about fiction in the past week, mostly because I have… Continue reading Fiction better than reality of war
By Mary Chan
It is likely that the war in Iraq will begin before this paper hits the stands, and as such, we the viewers will be able to watch coverage from the front lines on TV. The journalists, however, will be “embedded” with American troops, meaning that they eat, sleep and travel with soldiers and therefore only… Continue reading You can’t depend on the media–trust me
By Mary Chan
Poor Reality TV. Sure, you’re popular, but it seems like no one has anything good to say about you. When people confess to watching you, they use a hushed tone as if divulging a shameful secret. You have been accused of being stupid, dumb and cheesy, pandering to the lowest common denominator, and setting feminism… Continue reading Inherent need for superiority fuels reality TV
By Mary Chan
Does poetry have any place in the political arena? Late last month, First Lady Laura Bush cancelled a Feb. 12 poetry symposium at the White House when some poets planned to turn it into an anti-war protest. Among the protesters are Washington-based poet and publisher Sam Hamill, who declined his invitation and encouraged the poets… Continue reading Censoring poetic dissent in the US
By Mary Chan
Every Chinese New Year, I realize to what extent my identity is in a state of flux. Last year, I watched Toronto residents celebrate the New Year on TV, explaining to reporters the symbolism of the food eaten, the lion dance, and so on and so on. To my dismay, many of the facts were… Continue reading Being Chinese Canadian often means feeling torn between two cultures–but that’s not necessarily a bad thing
By Mary Chan
Thank you, Gordon Campbell, for driving this country to drink. Well, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration. But ever since the British Columbian premier soundly failed a breathalyzer test after being pulled over in Hawaii almost two weeks ago, Canadians have had booze on the brain. Among other questions, they’ve pondered just how much… Continue reading Laughing about drinking and driving
By Mary Chan
Sometimes it seems like the difference between taking responsibility for one’s own actions and blaming someone else is a lawsuit. On October 16, 2002, all seven members of the Dawson family of Baltimore were killed when their house was set on fire in retaliation for reporting drug dealers to the police. It was the second… Continue reading When citizens do good deeds