Print Edition: September 17, 2014
Free albums functional?
I’ll hazard a guess that everyone who uses iTunes is well aware of U2’s newest album, Songs of Innocence. U2 teamed up with Apple to bring their new record to all 5 million iTunes users for free. Now, U2 is an iconic band and truly one of the greatest rock bands of all time, but I am shaking my head at the decision to not only make their album free, but furthermore to automatically upload it to every iTunes account on earth.
Our society already has the mentality that music should be cheap because it is so quickly digested and forgotten. I know U2 are not struggling for money themselves, but they need to think about the future.
As a musician, I know the vast amount of time, effort, and money that go into a record, and these factors make recording incredibly frustrating. How can any artist expect to grow when they aren’t seeing any of the product for their milestones and successes? Hopefully this doesn’t create an expectation for free albums in the future, or new and upcoming artists will find breaking into the industry even harder than ever.
If reading only stuck
I’m not dumb. My brain just processes differently.
I do the preliminary class readings, pencil in hand, show up to class (coffee in hand), and take notes — lots of notes, with lots of colour.
But information for me to retain takes time. My brain output can be compared to that of a tenderized roast. The final product is outstanding, but those results require adequate marination.
So to my profs and fellow classmates, I apologize if I do not contribute in depth information to class discussions or in class group work. I can assure you I am prepared as per the class requirements. However, the reality is that a one-time read-through of the material will not produce in me a sufficient amount of information to contribute a well-formulated and educated verbal contribution.
I am silent because I don’t know it yet, and the expectation for me to contribute anything beyond that which is on the surface of the subject matter is unrealistic. I am not a prof. I’m a learning student.
Redefining family
Family members boast about having blood relation, a bond dating back generations. Their bond with you is simply happenstance. But when you plan a wedding or an important event, they must be invited to it without question, even if you don’t want them there.
However, the people dearest to me are those who have no claim in name or blood. They are people who have worked to build a relationship with me in trust and love. Not out of obligation, but because they want to. They are the ones who pick up the phone because they haven’t heard from you in a while. Or invite you over, just because.
Family should be built by a connection that runs deeper than a name, a blood tie, and an hierarchy. It is not something that is owed.
Give back our gravel lot!
Blocking off at least one third of the gravel parking lot for construction personnel when parking is already so congested is terrible. I recognize the construction workers have to park too, but they had them parking behind AfterMath last semester; why change it?
UFV boasts record registration numbers, and then does nothing to improve the parking situation. The gravel lot is for permits only, and I would be interested to know if construction workers had to pay to park like students do.
