Author: The Sputnik
-
In Memoriam: The Double Down
In just 27 days, it was over. As of November 14, KFC’s “Double Down” was no longer available in the Great White North. The sandwich unleashed on the Canadian market on October…
-
Youth Trends
Disturbing Andrew Shirvell, an assistant Attorney General in Michigan, was fired earlier this month after targeting the openly gay student body president at the University of Michigan. The Washington Post reports that…
-
Mixed Signals
Laurier Brantford students share their strategies on how to survive the flu season. “Whatever my grandma tells me to do.” – Venetia Bodanis, Journalism student “Vitamin C for the win!” – Navjot…
-
The Islamic f-word
I was admiring my burqa-clad Barbie at the F-Word Symposium last week when a journalism student cornered me with his notepad. “What is Islamic feminism?” he asked me at point blank. I…
-
Open forums for proposed athletic centre “disappointing”
“Disappointment” was the only word that Nick Savage, Student Council Lead for the User Committee, could use to describe his feeling on the turnout of the open forums for students focusing on…
-
Baths, Beers and Broken Luggage
My family puts sour cream on everything. Tacos, roast beef, soup – you name it and I can guarantee we have smothered it with white bliss at our dinner table at some…
-
“This is just regular hockey”
Sean Corner plays sledge hockey for a simple reason. It allows him the chance to “just to get out, hit some people, have fun doing it.” Although he does ski and play…
-
No Meat November
“Hi, can I have a veggie wrap and a medium double-double please?” These are the words I speak at William’s on Thursday nights in between class. Trail mix, soup, wraps, lentils, and…
-
Small hearts make big splash at Swim International
Southwestern Ontario’s top swimmers dove into the pools at Brantford’s Wayne Gretzky Centre last weekend, showcasing their speed at the 35th annual Swim International meet. The Swim International is a prestigious, invitation-only…
-
Chris Friel: Brantford’s New Mayor
After winning Brantford’s municipal election on October 25th for the city’s top spot, Chris Friel has already started planning for when he officially becomes mayor on December 1st. What have you been…
-
Laurier to host women’s hockey championships
As part of the centennial celebrations being held this year, Laurier will be hosting the 2010-2011 Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) national championships for women’s hockey. Peter Baxter, Director of Athletics & Recreation…
-
Canadian Defence Minister honours vets in Brantford
“This is a city that cares. This is a city that understands sacrifice. This is a city with a great military history.” Those words, spoken by Canadian Minister of National Defence Peter…
-
F-word symposium
Feminism was celebrated on campus during the F-Word Symposium where groups of students, professors and non-profit organisations gathered to dispel myths and engage in a broader discussion on the issue. Some groups…
-
I’m Dreaming of a Secular Christmas
This holiday season, let’s remember the true meaning of Christmas – consumerism. Why? Because Christmas is a crucial cornerstone to the retail industry. Holiday shopping usually accounts for as much as 40…
-
Cambridge YouTube vlogger takes on the world
In 2007, a local teenager from Cambridge, Ontario signed up for a YouTube account. Little did she know, in three short years, it would change the course of her life and she…
-
Gypsy folk rocker performs at Station Coffee House
Lionel Lodge describes his music as “gypsy folk rock” and his look is one to match. With long, scraggly hair and a worn face, it’s easy to sink into the believable storytelling…
-
What the f**k is a DDP?
The decentralized dance party (DDP) is a unique movement that’s been gaining popularity since 2009 when it came to life through co-creators Tom Kuzma and Gary Lachance. Lachance explains the origins of…
-
Five most difficult athletes
Last week, NFL wide receiver Randy Moss was dropped by the Minnesota Vikings despite being traded to the team from the Patriots less than four weeks prior. Moss criticized both his Vikings’…
-
The true meaning of Movember
In 2003, a group of friends were having a round of drinks in Melbourne, Australia when an innovative, new idea for mustaches came to mind: using them to raise awareness. So while…
-
One Change: “simple actions matter:
The environmentally focused, non-profit organization One Change came to Laurier Brantford on November 2. From 11 AM to 2 PM, Angela Libby, outreach and volunteer coordinator for the fuel efficiency program, Michelle…
-
“Here’s the problem with turning it in…”
Turnitin.com, the plagiarism detection website contracted for use by numerous high schools and universities, including Wilfrid Laurier, has been facing severe criticism. Issues ranging from the practical to the ethical have caused…
-
Youth Trends
Disturbing Yale University’s Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity pledges, as part of their hazing, were forced to walk around campus shouting not-so-subtle rape innuendo. Vancouver’s Online Source reported on October 25 that the…
-
Laurier loses heartbreaker in Ottawa
In what has to be considered an instant classic, the Laurier Golden Hawks’ football season came to a dramatic end Saturday, when they fell to the number four nationally ranked Ottawa Gee-Gees,…
-
Step Up Student Safety!
A crackhead stabbed my roommate in the eye with a screwdriver. Usually this statement sounds utterly unbelievable, but probably not to students at Laurier Brantford. At around 3:30 AM on Thursday October…
-
It’s time to grow up
Dear Laurier Brantford, Since you’re a busy little campus, I will get straight to my point: please let Laurier Brantford grow independent of the Waterloo campus. While I understand the importance of…
-
What do Omar Khadr and Russell Williams have in common?
As two prominent Canadians contemplate the realities of their newly received prison terms, my fear-induced headline-consuming paranoia jumps ahead to the day when these convicted murderers will rejoin society. Russell Williams, the…
-
Got room for a journalist?
For a long time, print journalism has been viewed by many as one of society’s dying institutions. As a result, explaining to people that I am working towards a Journalism degree garners…
-
So You Think You Know
Social networking sites. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube. We all use them on a daily basis to catch up with friends, connect with strangers and see what’s going on in our world. Here’s a…
-
Canadian peacekeeping becoming endangered
Ever since Lester B. Pearson suggested the concept of a peacekeeping force to the United Nations in 1956, Canadian citizens have proudly declared theirs a peacekeeping nation. Many Canadians have regarded peacekeeping…
-
Why we remember on the eleventh of November
In elementary school students are told to wear poppies, stand, and take their hats off for a moment of silence. They’re ushered into a crowded auditorium or gym and sit listening as…
