Author: Dillon Giancola
-
Everything old is new again: The L.A. Rams
[starbox] The Rams are back! Not back as in they didn’t exist for a while, or that they are good again, unfortunately. But back in the sense that the NFL just…
-
Misusing the soapbox
[starbox] Have you ever found yourself reading the paper and saying, “Why is it called the Sputnik anyway?” and “I wish it was pronounced ‘Spootnik’ because that sounds cooler and more Russian,”? Well I…
-
Misusing the soapbox
[starbox] Happy New Year! We at The Sputnik hope you had an amazing holiday break, and had an awesome time ringing in 2016. New Years is a really special time because…
-
Talking joy with the Sputnik editorial board
[starbox] 1. What makes you experience joy? Jaclyn: For me joy is intrinsically human, something that stems from love and appreciation of another person’s existence- just being able to sit across from…
-
Misusing the soapbox
[starbox] This past Saturday was what I call the most depressing day in Facebook history. Years from now we will all remember where we were, and what status we posted, the day…
-
Russia: Just like Canada, except not
Going to a different country, and experiencing a different culture is always a really neat experience. And, feeling some sort of culture shock is always inevitable but always surprising nonetheless. That…
-
Let yourself off the hook- a soapbox
Welcome back after a much deserved fall reading week! I hope it was as beneficial and enjoyable for you as it was for me. School, and life, hits top speed in no…
-
Bands impress, and are impressed, at KOI Fest 2015
The 2015 edition of KOI Fest has come and gone, bringing music mayhem to the streets of downtown Kitchener once again. The little-festival-that-could continues to prove that there is an audience for…
-
Catching up with Jake Luhrs and Matt Greiner from August Burns Red
The Sputnik was able to speak to Jake Luhrs, vocalist, and Matt Greiner, drummer, of August Burns Red this past Saturday before their set at KOI Fest 2015. Below is our conversation…
-
KOI music festival set to go off this weekend
KOI Music Festival is back to provide Kitchener’s punk-rockers and head-bangers a fun weekend of rocking out. Taking place this upcoming weekend – September 25 to 27 – it promises to…
-
Finally!: The Toronto Blue Jays and the plight of the millennial Canadian sports fan.
What is the point of watching sports? When do we receive payoff, when the years of suffering, monotony and losing finally give way to a semblance of something representing success? Where we can…
-
Checking in with The Ascot Royals
I recently got to talk with Brantford’s own The Ascot Royals, ahead of their performance at WTFest. Singer Jimmy Chauveau and guitar player Tal Veisman were on hand to talk about their…
-
The Oriental: Old-school and proud of it
The early 1990s were a rough time for businesses in downtown Brantford. The donut effect had reared its ugly head, drawing out long time businesses to new plazas built on the outskirts…
-
Misusing the Soap Box – Issue 1
So here we are, it’s June and that means the start of another year! Well not really, but for us at The Sputnik it feels that way. For the first time in…
-
Dear Rouge: The art of unexpected success
All the practice, order and professionalism that seems to go into one of their sets appears to evaporate the instant they walk off the stage. Dear Rouge, a rising band from Vancouver,…
-
New poetry display in front of Carnegie
A new art piece honoring the late Pauline Johnson is being installed in front of the Carnegie building. A section from one Johnson’s poems, inscribed on granite, will be installed into the…
-
The entrance to the Carnegie building just became safer.
Students will have a safer walk to classes when they next attend lectures at the Carnegie building. As part of a street-planning initiative designed to revitalize the downtown, the section of George…
-
What’s the fuss with WTFest?
The sun tried it’s hardest to press through the clouds Saturday afternoon, perhaps a metaphor of WTFest planners trying their hardest to overcome the odds and host a successful festival. There was…
-
TV and the evolving portrayal of personal journeys
“I’ll never give up.” “I won’t stop until I reach the top”. “Once I get that job my life will be set.” These statements resemble our culture’s current obsession with the personal…
-
Art mirrors Russia
Russia, the famous red machine. The Soviet Empire, The Cold War, The Berlin Wall. Shady politics, strict nationalism, censored media. Russia has always fascinated us in North America, if not the entire…
-
Brantford’s tribute to Canadian women on the homefront
Brantford’s arts scene is quietly maturing before our eyes. The Brantford Arts Block is a huge part of this, attracting many talented bands from out of town. However, the home-grown Brantford talent…
-
The best of the best – The Oscar Best Pictures
With less than a week to go until the 87th Academy Awards, on February 22, the time is right to look critically at the eight films nominated for Best Picture of 2014.…
-
WTFest – Brantford’s huge, exciting new music festival
Brantford just added a new festival to its growing list of fantastic events. This June 13 and 14, Brantford’s Lion’s Park will be a hot destination in southern Ontario, as “WTFest”, or…
-
Brooke Fraser’s Brutal Romantic an honest, emotional and experimental wonder
When I think of Brooke Fraser I briefly think of the former Christian worship artist in Australia. She went on to a solo, singer-songwriter career after that, but I never really heard…
-
The vision behind Brantford’s newest art gallery
“If I have this dream, others have to as well, right?” These are the thoughts of Lily Crawford as she sets to open her brand new art gallery, the Crawford Collective, in…
-
Looking back at 2015: a map for the future
After a month’s worth of ‘Best of 14’ blogs on people’s Facebook profiles, 2015 is finally here. As we go back to school for a new semester, the biggest question is :…
-
Interstellar, and the genius of Christopher Nolan
Entering wormholes and black holes. Exploring new planets. Trying to return to loved ones. Searching for the meaning of love. Science. And space. Lots and lots of space. These are just some…
-
Gerry Dee: A conversation with Mr. D
Comedian and every-man Gerry Dee is coming to our city to perform his stand up at the Sanderson Centre on Friday, November 21st. I had the chance to speak with him this…
-
John Wick: Cool Keanu is back!
It is now November, and that means here come the serious movies. Basically, either very slow, heavy dramas, or huge budget, polished marvels, like Christopher Nolan’s upcoming Interstellar. These are the movies…
