Money money money money (money)
There are two financial theory concepts in particular that have stuck with me. The first stems from Ayn Rand
Growing up in the wake of the Cold War
The end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st created a wave of uncertainty within the minds of its youth: uncertainty of the future, and fear of the unknown.
An ode to anthropology
Anthropologists, (who I consider to be some of the most ingenious people to ever walk our planet), engage in the exciting and often terrifying practice, known as fieldwork or ethnography. To be granted this opportunity is a gift unlike any other.
UFV students embrace restorative justice in Abbotsford
UFV students are becoming more involved in the community as role models and mentors in the recently established Abbotsford Restorative Justice and Advocacy Association (ARJAA). Set up in 2000 by a group of citizens and community leaders, the ARJAA was incorporated as a non-profit society in 2001. The ARJAA serves as a Community Accountability Program under the BC Ministry of Public Safety and the Solicitor General. Their mentoring program was established in 2007.
Caring is Creepy: Sudden apathy in today’s youth
We, as the future, are an amalgamation of people who have the entire world at our fingertips and instead of taking that opportunity to do some good, are choosing to shrug our shoulders and say “whatev.” We are smart individuals born out of the technology and information age. We implicitly know how to work electronics and have a natural curiosity to be in the know. So why are we spending so much time and effort making it look like we just don’t give a damn about anything?
Sugar and spice and everything nice
A new report is out, citing sugar as the root of all evil: from it flows heart disease, obesity, diabetes and cancers. Dr. Robert Lustig is publishing the report in Nature, a top research journal, in which he points to all the unhealthy effects of sugar intake, and proposes “societal intervention” to stop youth from consuming too much sugar.
BC Liberals visit with UFV trades students
Advanced Education Minister Naomi Yamamoto recently visited the Riverse Dining Room in Chilliwack Trades and Technology Centre. The event was also attended by the Agriculture Minister Don McRae and MLA John Les. They were there to meet with trades students and discuss various aspects of education, from funding to barriers of entry to such programs.
Human rights and the “War on Terror”
The Faculty and Staff Association (Human Rights & International Solidarity) and the Race & Antiracism Network (RAN) sponsored the lecture “Human Rights and the ‘War on Terror’” January 30 at UFV’s Abbotsford campus. Presenter, Dr. Sunera Thobani, Associate Professor in Women’s and Gender Studies at UBC spoke on the topic of “Imperialism, Feminism and the ‘War on Terror’.” Ron Dart, a faculty member in UFV’s department of Political Science presented on the topic of “Human Rights, Terrorism and the American Empire: The Double Hook.”
Money talks: Sean and Nick discuss American politics for the everyman
Have a hard time following conversations about the American primaries? Have no fear. Sean and Nick discuss and debate American politics for the everyman, so even your cat can follow along! Soon you, too, will be able to name-drop in drunken conversations with PoliSci students. Stay smart, stay informed.
The controversial tale of bitumen
The $5.5 billion Northern Gateway project would see the raw form of oil, called bitumen, piped westward across 1177 km to BC’s coast in Kitimat – opening up the coastline for the first time to massive oil tankers. Most of this is designed for the Asian market, more specifically China. A second pipe, in the opposite direction, would carry a natural gas condensate. Given that the coastal area around Kitimat is notoriously difficult to navigate, and that the 525,000 barrels per day of oil would have to cross over 1000 rivers, waterways, as well as aboriginal lands, this proposal is not one that will be given the green light without lengthy deliberation.
LCLB holds the Rio theatre’s life by the threads
Let’s face it – going to the movies is not the experience it once was. I find the new larger theatres to be cold, expensive and really unenjoyable. That’s why when I first heard that the Rio (the only theatre in East Vancouver) had run into some recent problems, I perked up my ears.
Literature is dead. Long live literature.
It’s relatively easy to look back on previous eras of art to find the cream of the crop, the enduring works that have outlasted their peers to become the canon. And sure, the last decade can hardly compete with the best of 1000 years of English literature, but that’s to be expected. Taken on a decade-by-decade basis, the aughts have produced some truly memorable work. As an English student who spends most of his reading time working with the canon, I realize my familiarity with contemporary literature is somewhat limited, but authors like Erik Larson, David Foster Wallace, Dave Eggers, Cormac McCarthy, Zadie Smith, and Malcolm Gladwell have produced work in the last decade that has stuck with me. I’ve seen an explosion of creative energy directed towards non-fiction, graphic novels, and genre-bending. It’s also worth noting that new media for storytelling has scattered our generation’s best writers across film and television among other forms. And that’s just a small selection of great work that has found popular success; we must remember that critical consensus often takes a long time to develop.
Student Union Society restructures executive positions
While the changes that were voted on at the UFV Student Union Society’s (SUS) Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) won’t be implemented until the new fiscal year that begins April 1, the 15-person quorum voted on a host of different motions on January 30 that will apply to the new board that commences this spring. According to Carlos Vidal, SUS president, the main issue that was addressed during the meeting was responding to how the SUS is changing and growing.
Radioactive ploughshares: War, peace, and Goya
Goya, the current exhibit at The Reach claims, was one of the first artists to exchange the glorification of warfare for a portrayal of its destructive realities. His prints have ambiguous titles such as “I saw it (Yo Lo Vi)” or “This is bad (Esto es malo),” and depict hulking soldiers and weeping, diminutive civilians. The prints themselves are two centuries old, but the message is timeless. The Symposium, by contrast, addressed the complicated modern war, and its influence on our pursuit of an increasingly tangible peace.
Where have all the good books gone?
As a book lover, I become a little disheartened each time I walk into a bookstore. It’s not that I’ve grown tired of reading, or tired of the written word in general. I’m simply tired of anything post-1990s. A large statement, but I will stand by it.
UFV Zombie outbreak traced to U-House
The event, aptly titled “Humans versus Zombies” on Facebook by its creators, was organized by UFV student Jonathan Bayrock, and UFV Student Life Programmer Martin Kelly. “We had somewhere between 44 and 60 people come out to play,” said Bayrock about the event.
Gingrich promises the sky. Literally.
Sometimes I just stand back and take a look at what technology allows us to do, and let’s face it: it’s pretty damn cool.
Iran isn’t playing games
Nearly every day, Iran is in the news. People can sense the tension around the issue, but the situation as a whole is largely ignored by the public as “just some other Middle East issue.” We’re used to tensions with the Middle Eastern states, though admittedly the word “nuclear” makes everyone feel a little uneasy. And it should.
Conservative government still opposes the legalization of marijuana
In an interview with The Cascade, Ed Fast, Member of Parliament (MP) for Abbotsford reaffirmed the Conservatives negative opinion of any discussion of legalization or decriminalization of marijuana.
Wikipedia in academia
The problems with Wikipedia are inherent. The information can be falsified or changed if an article is new, or if many users mob the site to overwhelm the truth. Perhaps best proven true a few years ago on the Colbert Report regarding ‘wikiality’, “together we can create a reality that we all agree on—the reality we just agreed on.” But arguably there remain many positive aspects of the site.
No science behind bracelets, only gullible consumers
Life got you down? Feeling like you have no energy? Need more strength? The UFV bookstore has a product for you. It’s called the Edge Advantage bracelet and it uses the power of negative ions to possibly bring you many health benefits. Sound like a scam? It is.
Campus composting initiative gains traction
Lisa Banks, the new owner of Down-To-Earth Kitchen Compost Pick-up, is working with the university to establish a plan that will bring composting to UFV permanently.
Chilliwack-Hope NDP members vote O’Mahony to compete in by-election
With the dust settling, Gwen O’Mahony has come out on top to be nominated as the BC NDP’s candidate for the Chilliwack-Hope riding.
Research In Motion set to rise from the ashes
Research In Motion (RIM) has become very much like the undead – in the unconscious, decaying, trying to stave off death, sort of way.
