As Kermit the Frog once said, “It isn’t easy being green!” He’s absolutely right - going green and making environmentally-conscientious choices can be tough for everyone, but is especially difficult for college and university students who have limited budgets.

We’d all like to do our part to help conserve our environment, but trimming your ecological footprint often puts a strain on your wallet. Have you ever noticed the difference in cost between organic and non-organic produce at your local supermarket?...

When I first came to Laurier Brantford, every face I saw belonged to a stranger. I didn’t complete high school in Canada, so I didn’t have any high school friends to speak of. I didn’t attend O-Week because I didn’t think I needed it (although, in hindsight, I think O-Week is probably the best start to university life). And to top it off, I didn’t live in residence. On my first day of class, I was an island in a...

As many returning students would agree, getting involved in extra-curricular activities on campus has countless perks. One of those perks is that you get to go out and meet people. Sure, O-Week gets you bonding with your rez-mates and, once classes start, you bond with your classmates. However, extra-curricular activities expand your social circle one step further. You get to meet people outside of your rez and your class. You get to meet people who are passionate about the same...

For such a small campus, Laurier Brantford offers tons of opportunities to have some 'big' fun. This is a great place to get a unique and competitive education and enjoy small classroom sizes, and maybe that helps explain why there is such a lively and active extra-curricular culture here. The campus really helped me grow as an individual and helped me to make the best out of my first year. In fact, by the end of the year, I didn’t...

Dear South Side of Colborne,

I’m not sure what to do with our relationship.

The last eight months or so of seriously getting to know you have been a crash course in local politics, federal politics, university politics, heritage assessments, environmental assessments, and arguably democratic or undemocratic processes. It’s all become a complicated mess.

I feel like our relationship has stalled, and now I’m not entirely sure how to proceed. You’ve given me a few headaches, to be honest. You’ve...

Judging by the buzz on campus, students are feeling a little less secure than in the past. A series of well-publicized incidents - some legitimate, others not - has put Laurier Brantford on edge.

This has led to a tremendous number of questions debated in the community: is Laurier Brantford safe? Is this year really worse than the past? Are these incidents happening here any more often than at other schools in the area? Why isn't anything being done?

This...

I remember the days when preschools were supposed to be fun, but now it seems more modern versions would much rather build better citizens for the future then promote laughter while learning. Montessori daycares seem to fit into this peculiar category. In essence, it is a program for children which attempts to build a solid moral foundation for them, as well as a certain level of refinement. This notion doesn’t seem so unreasonable - what does bother me first and...

Last week, Prime Minister Stephen Harper was hit on two sides in a bid to legitimize the legalization of marijuana in Canada.

On Monday morning, three MPs presented the House of Commons with a bill to stop the extradition of the self-proclaimed "Prince of Pot," Marc Emery, to the United States for selling marijuana seeds to American citizens. Conservative Scott Reid, NDP Libby Davies and Liberal Ujjal Dosanjh crossed the partisan divide and presented a petition to the Canadian Minister...

Earlier this week, the United States Congress passed a piece of legislation that apparently had something to do with health care. You know, that thing we make fun of Americans over because we have it and they don't.

"This isn't radical reform," President Obama said of the bill, "but it is major reform."

In truth, it is neither.

Yes, the government is now subsidizing coverage for up to 32 million additional Americans. Yes, people with 'pre-existing conditions' can now find...

Op-Ed Dave Levac, MPP

I felt compelled to comment on a situation that happened during the delivery of the "Speech from the Throne" by Ontario's representative of the Queen, the Lieutenant Governor; David Onley.

Having participated in several of these traditional events, I have deep respect for the time honoured traditions, customs and activities that surround our parliament.

What happened on Monday, March 8th around 2:00pm did take me by surprise.

As we were gently ushered to our seats with...

The other day, a man in an oversized camouflage jacket walked past me. He was pushing a baby in a stroller and puffing on a cigarette before he looked me square in the eyes and said, "fucking Chinese."

Any other day, I probably would have cried, or at the very least shot him the finger, but that day I had no energy. So, I just kept walking.

When I was a little kid, I never noticed that I was different....

A chapter in Canadian Olympic history Turning the pages of Canadian Olympic history Olympic flame burns red and white Nationalism at an all-time high Olympic patriotism burns on

Do you remember where you were on February 28? At, say, 5:53 PM? Of course you do. You were at a bar, or watching a big-screen in somebody's basement, or at the very least you were clued in once the entire outdoors erupted in spontaneous cheering and horn-honking. You've replayed it in...

I am very aware of the degree to which the regular person can openly discriminate against atheists without it being deemed politically incorrect. I know this because I can see it happening often, without repercussion. I myself used to be on the other side of that line, but multiple life experiences altered me and now I find myself shaking and frustrated as the butt of the old condescending, arrogant and hedonistic atheist joke - this fact often unknown to anyone...

Some people may have gotten the wrong idea from my article in the last issue of the Sputnik. Truthfully, I don’t hate Laurier Brantford. That article was written simply to describe what myself and some other first-year students thought when we first experienced Laurier Brantford.

When I speak about the locals in Brantford, I don’t mean to imply that I hate all the locals or think that they’re terrible for the evolution of downtown Brantford. I simply mean to say...