shanedantimo’s blog

…and other critiques of the ’09 Oscar nods.

Apparently an African American is now the President of the United States of America but not surprisingly my interests are elsewhere – on Hollywood. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced their 2009 nominations and the winners will be broadcast on the 22^nd of February. My beefs with this year’s picks go all the way from the big boy - best picture - down to favourite score.

2008’s movies, I believe, pale greatly in comparison to 2007. There was a solid junk of truly entertaining and cinematic films produced that year and The Academy did a pretty decent job of recognizing (at least with mostly nominations) the film achievements of P.T. Anderson (although I would argue There Will Be Blood is better than No Country for Old Men), The Coen Brothers as well as the creators of Michael Clayton. However in ’07 they did leave out some fantastically unique films – Zodiac, The Savages, The Darjeeling Limited and Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead being the best among them.

As we enter a new year I look back on 2008 and see it as a period of blockbusters. Indiana Jones and The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull, Ironman, Hulk and Quantum of Solace were all big hits at the box office and theatrically entertaining movies. However, the film that was not only the highest grossing movie of the year but second only to Titanic in total US gross in the history of motion pictures is, of course, The Dark Knight.  Director/Producer/Writer Christopher Nolan broke down countless barriers that go along with the many genres that the Batman sequel is a part of. Firstly, it is probably the only widely excepted sequel, besides The Godfather Part Two, that is better than the first. Secondly, never has an action movie had such a great cast (Aaron Eckhart and Christian Bale need mention here because Heath Ledger’s justified attention has over-shadowed their parts).  Thirdly, it proved that a comic book movie could be more that just a summer blockbuster – it can be an intellectually profound piece of cinema. In fact, The Dark Knight’s greatest achievement is that it is one of the few films to have the distinction of being a huge hit as well as respected cinema.

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Unfortunately the Liberal Hollywood Elite has very short memories. As many of you know The Academy rarely recognizes films with a release date prior to October of the year in question.  The movie that esteemed film critic Richard Roeper called “a near masterpiece” received no major nominations outside of Best-Supporting Actor. Even James Newton Howard & Hans Zimmer’s outstanding score was not garnered with a nod.  The Dark Knight soundtrack, like the movie itself, has a memorable and engrossing feeling that is equally stimulating when listened to separately from the film. 

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Chris Nolan for Directing Achievement, as well as Best Picture has been pushed aside for the likes of Ron Howard and Frost/Nixon. This is an academy that gave not only Best-Picture nominations for all three Lord of Rings movies but voted The Return of the King the best motion picture of 2003. Don’t get me wrong I am fan of the Lord of Rings series but I think most people would agree that there are shots and scenes in The Dark Knight that are on a much higher level than anything in the whole Middle Earth series.

One of probable reasons for the recognition of Lord of Rings was its’ presence at the box-office. The Academy reacted partly to the response the movie got from the public at large. I would argue this same reasoning was responsible for Titanic’s achievement for Best Picture in ’97.  Remember that the same year Titanic won we saw both L.A. Confidential and Good Will Hunting being left in the dust. And in the year of King The Academy chose Peter Jackson over Sophia Coppola’s Lost in Translation.  Maybe the mentioned losers were too “arty” for the Oscars. But The Dark Knight didn’t even get nominated for Best Picture/Director and it is arguably better than most of the big Oscar picks this year.

I have seen four of the five movies currently nominated for Best Picture – excluding The Reader.  All I would say are at least good but none are truly great.  Frost/Nixon is hugely overrated, although an interesting story and great performance by the actor playing Nixon, Ron Howard’s mockumentary style is distracting and unnecessary.  Slumdog Millionaire has great cinematography and a heart-warming story but it does not lead up to expectations. Benjamin Button is visually stimulating but dull in parts. Gus Van Sant’s Milk is probably the only one that comes close to being excellent.  The Academy also left out acclaimed films Revolutionary Road and The Wrestler. Sam Mendes’ new Kate & Leo pic, although not fantastic, is one of my favourite movies of the year. Even though Winslet and DeCaprio were nominated for Golden Globes, both did not get much-deserved Oscar nods. I think Leo DeCaprio is starting to become a “Tom Cruise” type character – no matter how good he is in a movie nobody wants to give him the credit he deserves.

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One move I agree with The Academy on was actor Michael Shannon nomination for a supporting role in Rev Road. However, this is the most crowded category this year: my man PSH for Doubt, Josh Brolin for Milk (what the fuck happened to W? Great movie!), for some reason Downey Jr. for Tropic Thunder and Heath are all nominated for non-leading roles. I don’t understand the reason for RDJr’s nomination – if they wanted to give it to a comedic role it should definitely go to Mr. Gucci by Gucci himself – James Franco. Anyone who has every bought drugs will tell you his role in Pineapple Express was right on the money. And furthermore he was fan-flippin-tastic as Sean Penn’s love interest in Milk.

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In short, I think Slumdog is going get for it for Director/Picture and you’re going to see a lot of smiling faces on stage. Lead actor will go to Mickey Rourke, who was good but I lean more towards Sean Penn when it comes down to it.  Leading lady I can’t say because I’ve only seen Doubt but I’d say the odds are on either Streep/Winslet.  Supporting man is justifiably going to The Joker himself.  Supporting lady is a toss up and I think they are all lovely.  The screenplay awards I have no idea, maybe BB or Slumdog for adapted. And I’m almost certain The Dark Knight will win the other SEVEN awards it’s nominated for…hint…hint – it’s a good fucking movie!

This year The Academy especially left out a lot of good movies and good artists even considering it was a slow season as far as films go. TDK – best movie of the year, Doubt, Rev Road, Milk & The Wrestler honourable mentions but nowhere near the Caped Crusader. 

 Watching Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and viewing the archival review by the Siskel and Ebert made clear that movie critics cannot always be trusted. People read commentary on movies to get an idea of whether a movie is good or bad, recommended or not, see it or skip it, thumbs up or thumbs down. It’s not an exact science but it usually comes down to either a positive or negative review. The problem with film critics is that their range is too broad and they are film scholars - not everyday moviegoers. They want every movie to be about something. No matter how many classic gags are in a movie if it doesn’t have message it’s a thumbs down.  What critics don’t understand is that comedy movies are just there to make us a laugh and people who watch Billy Madison or Half Baked just want to see some funny shit happen, they’re not watching Adam Sandler light shit on fire to learn some sort of life lesson. Sure, sophisticated jokes and dramatic scenes can help make a comedy a better movie but they’re not always necessary. The At the Movies crew loved Knocked Up, Superbad and Tropic Thunder but they couldn’t recommend both Ace Ventura movies, the classic Happy/Madison duo and oddly enough Harold and Kumor 2 (although some how they liked the first one).

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Siskel and Ebert called both Jim Carrey and Adam Sandler annoying when they first saw their early work.  Gene Siskel even compared the Ace Ventura character to Ernst from those Ernst goes wherever movies. People from my generation grew up watching and quoting classics like Dumb and Dumber and Happy Gilmore and after almost 15 years it still hasn’t gotten old. Even great, sophisticated, artistic, thought-provoking films can’t be watched over and over again like Super Troopers can.  The point is that some comedies are a completely different class of entertainment; they are a pill you pop that just makes you laugh – nothing more, nothing less.

And as far as H&K goes why couldn’t they recommend part two if they thought so highly of the first one? They’re both equally funny and both criticize stereotypes. Part two even pokes fun at the overly authoritative; post-Patriot Act Bush government officials characterized by the hilarious Rob Corddry (in his best role since leaving The Daily Show).

The mainstream critics lack of insight for comedy movies makes me think there should a tomato-meter judged exclusively by people between the ages of 15 and 30 who have tried and enjoyed marijuana.

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Tim Hortons is definitely the most popular coffee shop in Canada. It offers inexpensive coffee and a wide array of other bake goods, sandwiches and soups. But it’s known primarily for its coffee. I think it costs around $1 -$1.75 for a cup (depending on the size). According to Wikipedia Timmy’s is Canada’s top food service operator – ahead of McDonalds. People line up every single day to get a hot cup of joe at their local (and there are many) Tim Hortons. This is the biggest waste of time and money conceivable and so many Canadians are willing victims of it. It’s coffee, it’s just fucking coffee! Not a hot meal, not a beer, not even a hand job. I am looking presently right at my coffee maker and coffee container, which was provided like many other young people living at home by my parents. I can make this shit for free! It takes seconds! I didn’t pay for gas; walk through the snow and use cash (some Tims don’t even take credit/debit) to get coffee from my Black and Decker 12 cup coffee maker.  Even if I had personally paid the $30 for the coffee maker and the $10 for the coffee, the coffee maker will last a decade and the coffee last months – I would still be better off.

People go to this coffee shop everyday. That means these many Canadians on average pay $1.50 five times a week (excluding weekend visits and afternoon/evening purchases) 52 weeks a year. That equals $390 a year and this can go on for years and years and that doesn’t include the money it costs them to travel there and the time they are taking out of their day to go and pick up coffee. I’ve seen drive-throughs (god-forbid you turn off your car [it’s not like there is anything wrong with the environment] and walk 15 feet from your parking space to the restaurant) with at least 10 cars in a line up that could be waiting for at least 10 minutes for just effin coffee. It’s takes me 5 seconds to walk from my bedroom to the coffee maker and press a fucking button.

Tim’s coffee is not even great coffee. It tastes like the shit you make at home. The regular joe there is exactly like the stuff you have in your kitchen. And don’t give me this fresh bullshit, every store that provides coffee makes it fresh and any capable adult can make fresh coffee in their house. It’s not feat or any kind of amazement that the coffee is fresh – that is just a given.  And don’t tell me you don’t have time to make coffee. It’s not like time does not exist when your go to Tim Hortons. How can you have time in the morning to travel and pay for coffee but not pour some water, scoop some coffee and press a button? Don’t piss on my shoe and tell me it’s raining, please. It’s not an orgasm, it’s a cup of coffee, you can do it whenever you want.

 Now, I’ve drank this shit, under certain circumstance. People have bought me Tim Hortons or sometimes when I’m traveling and I need to have my morning/afternoon caffeine fix. That’s the thing; I’m addicted to coffee. I’m not a non-coffee drinker criticizing people that need to have coffee everyday; I drink at least 3 cups a day. I’m a coffee-addict criticizing other users that waste their money on the same shit they have in their kitchen.

And then there is this whole social aspect to it -  “let’s go out for coffee!” - I don’t know…I don’t get it.  Alcohol is a good thing to go out for – it is the social lubricate. But if getting intoxicated is not your bag then there’s food – everyone needs to eat. And yes, coffee is a simple and quick thing to have a conversation over. But why go to a place that charges you for shit that everyone in the Western World can make in their house. Why not really splerch and go to Starbucks or Second Cup and get a drink that tastes a lot better and you probably can’t get at home. SB and SC probably cost around double of what you pay for coffee at Tim Hortons, but that doesn’t make too much difference if you’ve saved hundreds of dollars by not traveling and purchasing Timmy’s everyday of your adult life. Plus in the winter Tim Hortons smells like shit with the wet muddy snow being dragged in.

Obviously the economic factors for avoiding Timmy’s are overwhelming, but let’s not forget the environmental factors. I will bet the cost of a college education that Tim Hortons is responsible for at least 1/3 of the litter in Canada. I worked at a park this summer and I picked up endless used coffee cups. And this was out in the boonies I can only imagine the amount of used Tim Hortons cups and packaging scattered around the streets of the big cities in Canada, or for that matter the public’s personal garbage that may consist heavily of Tim’s rubbish that just sits in land fills for generations.

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I grew up in the great city of Hamilton – the birthplace of the restaurant that eats and destroys the common sense of so many Canadians. Everyone could save hundreds, even thousands, of dollars over years of their lives and the environment would be a much better place if we all cut back on this incredibly avoidable activity that is Tim Hortons.

More of this complaining and commentary is to come…

This week The Satellite went around the Fennell campus and asked students at random “If they are going to vote?” Less than half of those asked stated they would not be participating in the October 10th provincial election.  I believe that the respondents who did not plan on voting based their decision on the perception that politicians are liars and/or that governments do not have an affect on the daily lives of ordinary citizens. These arguments have mar ret but there are different and more philosophical or sociology ways to look at democracy. This election differs in one large way from pervious provincial, federal or municipal elections in Ontario. In fact, current Mohawk students have never had the chance to vote in a provincial referendum and there is a good chance they will never vote in one again. Fewer students’ questioned new about the referendum then those whom knew of the election.  We are confronted with chance to make a substantial change in our society and way of life and large number of us are not willing to take the time to have a short discussion on politics or take their eyes of facebook for fifteen minutes to understand the referendum.
 Most people who are not voting give their ignorance towards politics as an excuse for not participating in elections. As I previously complained about in my column two weeks back, all you really need to do is have a discussion with our (supposed) well-educated Profs or with your peers and friends to determine what is important to you. Many people love to whine about their paycheck, traffic on the way to work or people on welfare and they blame politicians for their grievances. What is ironic is that be not voting these people inadvertently put those politicians there. When you vote, you can complain all you want (especially to those that you voted for) but if you did not vote and you have problem with something the government has control over (which is almost anything) you might as well be blaming your self because you were to lazy to walk into the closest elementary school near you house at anytime between 9am and 9pm and put a piece of paper in a cardboard box.
 The referendum is a crucial issue. If the public chooses mixed member proportional, our governments will never be the same. The hated polar administrations of Mike Harris and Bob Rae could never exist again. No one party will ever have the luxury of a majority government consequently never being able to enforce laws or taxes on citizens without the consent of many other members of parliament. To some this might seem like a good idea but on the other hand, governments will be even slower than they are now, bills and funding will take even longer to be worked out because they will have to have the approval of more than one party. This is a big decision Ontarians have to make and it is shame that a small amount of us are making it for the majority.

 Come October 11th, Queens Park will probably look similar to what it did before: a minority Liberal government with a first past the post system of voting. But the electorate has the power to make the legislature into a Conservative, NDP, Green or even possibly Communist or Libertarian government with a mixed member proportional system of representation. It is a simple decision of having the chance to affect the lives on all Ontarians or keeping your mouth shut for the next fours years.

Excuse me if I am treading on the entertainment editor’s territory but I’d like to discuss film and to some degree television. In the last few years huge, expensive, glorious movies have been particularly popular. Recently Hollywood has been obsessed with adaptations of comic book superheroes. For me, I feel a sense of nostalgia when I watch these movies. Steven Spielberg is known for making films that were inspired by his childhood. Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park and Close Encounters all have the same wide-eyed and adolescent feel to them. The last episode of The Sopranos was the complete opposite of the modern blockbuster. Its’ mixed reviews are proof that not everyone understood or were satisfied with the mob series finale. The final scene reminded me of some of the great Stanley Kubrick movies. Kubrick’s films were not heavy on dazzling special effects or re-experiencing childhood lullabies. The director of The Shining and Dr Strangelove was concerned with looking into the darkness, looking into the shadows and doing something that had not been done before. His films left you thinking, maybe not completely satisfied but still pondering.
 When I was seven years old X-men, Spiderman and Transformers were a major part of my Saturday mornings. The remakes or film adaptations of these characters are over the top and marvelous. The people who make these pictures know their audience and know how to appeal to them. Steven Spielberg and George Lucas knew their audience too and they related to that generation. Indiana Jones and Star Wars were influenced by film serials from the 1940s and 50s. These adventures had the same theme as modern blockbusters: good guy vs. bad guy with cool stunts and lots of action.
 My worry is that movie fans may be getting so attached to simple-minded pulp that they are not able to appreciate comprehensive film. Stanley Kubrick’s movies, in my view, had little to do with adolescent bewilderment. His pictures were slow and enchanting. In films like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Paths of Glory scenes seemed as if they were not moving at all or went completely black at the most surprising moments. The last shot of Eyes Wide Shout when Nicole Kidman simply says “fuck” and the film ends left everyone thinking “what the eff?!” The scene kept the audience perplexed. After viewing a regular blockbuster most people think: “That was cool but there was some cheesy parts”.
 Leading up to the last episode of The Sopranos, everyone wanted something really amazing to happen. David Chase (the show’s creator) came close but held back to providing that satisfaction. I would have loved to see Tony use his machinegun but what did (or didn’t) happen left more of an impression. Chase knew better than to just appeal to the audience’s pulp movie charisma. By keeping the audience on the edge of their seat up till the last second and then simply ending tape had a major affect on the viewers’ conscious. Through out the series Chase took advantage of many moments to touch our inner child but in the end he wanted to leave more to the imagination.
 Kubrick and Speilberg are both great filmmakers. All of us can enjoy Speilberg-like movies because they remind us of when we were young. Kubrick, on the other hand, togged at chords that not everyone was familiar with but the audience felt all his scenes whether they “got it” or not.

(orginally written for print)

This newspaper is in place to cover, inform and create transparency for the students of Mohawk College. The Satellite’s objective is to report on a wide range of topics that affect the lives of those enrolled in this learning institution. We work to provide clear and accurate information on happenings and events that relate to students.  Unfortunately, there are only a handful of regular writers and editors at The Satellite and we can’t speak for the masses.

Every one of you pay a “student activity fee” of $236 dollars for two semesters. This fee is mandatory and goes to fund the Mohawk Student Association. The Satellite newspaper is published by the MSA. So if you were previously unaware, and for no better reason, this is YOUR newspaper because you paid for it!
 
 What bothers me is that so few students are taking advantage of their newspaper. Every week The Satellite publishes want-adds encouraging readers to send articles or columns to us or pop into the office and tell us what you want covered. Unfortunately, this is not happening often enough. We have had some offers for sports columns and cartoons, which are great, but we want to hear about what is making your life difficult. Every day you walk down the halls and something pisses you off. Most of the time you go through the rest of your day thinking nothing can be done about it. However, by sending a quick email to satellite.editor@mohawkcollege.ca a difference could possibly be made.

We only have eight to ten people working here at a time and us few should not have the sole responsibility of deciding what is covered in your newspaper. This publication has had more submissions and suggestions from faculty, administrators and student leaders than from regular students. Ironically, this newspaper is in place specifically for regular students. The Satellite is your voice; it is not a free advertisement for bureaucrats and politicians. 

I’m certain there are students that are well aware of problems that affect all of us. By voicing your concern you can have it investigated and publicized. The fundamentals of Journalism are to protect the public from mistreatment of the powerful.  You can make a difference, not just in your life, but also in the lives of your fellow students.

Sources tell me that stacks of Satellites at the IAHS, Stoney Creek and Brantford campuses often go untouched. I can only conclude that the students at these campuses do not consider this paper a part of their school life, although, the three smaller campuses do have the authority to be as much a part of The Satellite as Fennell does. The student activity fee is the same at each campus; consequently, the share in The Satellite is equal to every student.

There are a few ways of getting what you want in this paper. The first is to drop by our headquarters (G108k, next to the radio station) or email and tell us about something you think we should cover. You might suggest something like a problem you’re having with the school or society in general; it is completely up to you. If you like writing I’d encourage you to write the article yourself, but if not, we have staff writers and editors that are available. Secondly, if you want to voice your opinion on something of importance please write either an in depth column or a short letter to the editor. You don’t need to even have a talent for writing, just rant on about what you’d like to see published and we’ll take care of the rest.

As Editor of The Satellite I will make it my duty to try and publish your stories, columns and letters to the editor. Don’t let a few Journalism and Advertising students decide what is important to you. Shape and mold The Satellite yourself.

With Remembrance Day around the corner an older generation of Canadians may feel a sense of pride when we encounter the time to thank and consider what our country did in the First and Second World Wars.  Younger people and descendents of immigrants who landed here after the great wars way have a different perspective of why they’re proud to be Canadian. We’re a nation that prides itself on being multicultural and tolerant. But within this vast yet scarcely populated country there are many complex differences. We, Canadians, also like to think of ourselves as kind, polite and helpful, especially compared to our American neighbours.

            We were once considered “subjects” by the British Empire up till 1947. During this time Canadians were not quite Americans and really not British. This “Limbo of Anglo-ism” in Canada worked as vacuum for different cultures and ideologies. Notice how our country has elements of Socialism such as universal healthcare; something the United States has never picked up because it is contrary to its individualistic “American Dream.” There has never has really been a “Canadian Dream”, at least not one written in stone which has a loud us to explore other areas of thought and import wisdom from the far reaches of the globe.

            From the 1950’s onward there was considerable immigration into Canada, first from Europe and more recently from Asia and Africa. We take great pleasure in how well our society has accepted visible minorities compared to The United States. Within the cultural progression of Canada there is the unique province of Quebec. French Canada, unlike the English-speaking provinces, has had a firm identity throughout it’s’ history. It should also be noted that rural Canada does not have the same ethnically diverse make up as Canada’s larger cities.

            The rural Canada is what the rest of world would probably view Canadians as: white, hockey playing, small-town people, who can cope well with the cold and keep good company. On the hand, anyone living in a Canadian city sees the Canadian identity as something very vague that is not succinct in itself.  To most Canadians this country is somewhatly the bearded guy in the beer commercial but also a bit of the woman in the hijab, and everything in between.

            . Mostly, we, Canadians, take pride in our tolerance and acceptance of different cultures and ideologies, especially compared to Americans, but it may have got our heads. Here in Southern Ontario we think of ourselves as the economic and social heartbeat of the nation. We’ve never had to deal with civil rights issues like the States has so most of us assume that means we’re not as discriminatory. If Caledonia was in Michigan, Americans there would have been more reluctant to throw accusations at protesters because of America’s sensitive civil rights history. Here in Canada it is easier for us to retreat into ignorance and sometimes act upon it because we’ve never had to learn from a horrifically racist history like America has.

            The Canadian identity or the Canadian dream has never been pinpointed. This has helped us to properly assume our responsibilities as a wealthy Western nation. Other industrialised countries have had rich yet segregated pasts because they knew who they were before anyone immigrated there. We, Canadians, have never really known who we are and this has benefited us.

(orginally written for print)

I’ve recently become more aware of this thing called “The Internet.” And from what I understand, it has the potential to bring the world together in wonderful and bizarre ways –the like of which the human race has never seen. But most people use the Internet to see funny shit or watch porno. 

Another significance, the “World Wide Web,” is responsible for making my job almost obsolete.

A few weeks back I encouraged readers to suggest ideas for this publication or write articles or columns themselves. Since that commentary was published, I think I’ve heard from two people, which made me think: “Why aren’t students contributing?” You know why because--you’re on Facebook. Why send or do a story for piece a paper, which is stacked on a rack, when you can throw something on a mass communication device yourself?

 People are so addicted to instant messaging or posting items that it’s impossible to pull them away from a screen and get them to pick up a paper.

Anything goes on the net - you can make spelling errors, it doesn’t even have to be politically correct or fair, and no one expects better. In print (as we like to call it) things have a certain prestige. We can’t say anything considered libel or otherwise untrue about people or institutions. And the acronym “lol” is not used much in printed newspapers.

The changes the Internet is bringing are frightening to many. Not only are newspapers in trouble but radio and television are as close to the edge. Free music is all over the Web, along with the funniest or craziest videos. These days no one needs to turn on and tune in when they can load up.

In this year of our lord, if a 15 – 35 year-old is faced with the decision to be entertained by either a television or the Internet, he’d likely choose the web. No commercials, no interruptions, you decide what to watch and nothing is divided up into half -hour segments.

As for the music business, the Internet has helped musicians, but put corporations into a confined situation. As with videos, anyone who has a talent (or doesn’t, for that matter) can post his or her expertise on sites. Small or garage bands, that ten years ago no one would have heard of, can post their songs on the Net and if they’re good, by word of mouth, they become increasingly popular. On the other hand, trying to get someone to walk into a record store or put down a dollar for a song is next to impossible for something that isn’t the absolute finest.

The Internet has been great for people who aspire to be on SNL or in the movies. A bunch of friends can get together with a camera and put something together that thousands of people will see. With the Internet the talented and funny have easier access to the masses than was ever possible before.

 Unfortunately, because Joe Blow can post whatever he wants, and get read if he’s got something intriguing to say, the newspaper editor is soon to become an endangered species.  If they can ever create a computer you can take in the john everyone in the print business will be in big trouble.  

This past spring and summer I heard many adamant suggestions from my parents and other people in authority informing me of how I should I apply for bursaries and scholarships. They thought that I, a student with good grades that was participating in an extra-curricular activity like the student paper, might have a good chance of receiving charitable finances from a corporate or government intuition. They forget one thing: I’m white. Yes, my skin is white and I am a descendent of those who raped and pillaged this and other lands that were originally inhabited by people with darker skin. In addition to being a white person I’m also a man, not a woman, unfortunately. You see, white men that can walk and have a little bit of money are all but excluded from scholarships or bursaries in this province. 

Through the Mohawk College website one can find an array of foundations that are willing to support students with their hefty tuition costs. They even have specific scholarships and bursaries for each area of study. Some of the foundations are charitable enough to donate thousands of dollars to eligible students. After going through the rigorous process of filling out the general application I noticed I needed a lengthy written recommendation from my course director (of course not everyone is very chummy with their course director). Another thing that caught my attention, after hours of completing forms, divulging my grades and answering tedious questions on my career aspirations, is that each bursary or scholarship form had a disclaimer that read something like “special preference for visible minorities” or “females preferred” or exclusively for aboriginals or disabled students. I could not find one of these generous foundations that were willing to help out someone with a European background, a penis and two arms and legs.

First, let’s discuss what a visible minority is. One would make the assumption that a visible minority is generally someone that is other than white skinned. However, within the next 10 to 20 years the majority of people living in Toronto and Vancouver will have dark skin – not light skin. So if you’re considering applying to U of T or UBC in ten years and you’re a white man, like me, you’ll hopefully be able to get some financial assistance then.

Of course I’m not dumb, I realize white people are generally treated better in Western society than people with darker skin, but isn’t just plain racist to say “this race is getting the money and this race is not?” I certainly think so. It goes with out saying that if any corporation stated they preferred to fund “white males” they would be outcast as bigots. Yet, if their preference is any group but white men that is somehow acceptable.

Racism and ignorance will unfortunately always exist, but the problem is not going to go away by favouring one group over another. And isn’t it adding fuel to the fire by not giving everyone an equal chance at financial support? I know that historically white men have been the suppressers, but times are changing – slowly but surely. In this country, when will the tipping point come? When will it be definitively discriminatory to exclude any person based on race or sex?  How rich and how successful do the present visible minorities and women as a whole, need to be before it is passé to give them an extra advantage?

I will admit my life has been relatively easy compared to others, but I cannot credit my privileges to my race alone. The same goes for those in economic trouble. There are number of other factors that can contribute to a person’s character. It is simply wrong to judge anyone based on public perception. The scholarships that give preference to minorities are assuming, that based on the applicants race, they are less capable of affording college. Corporate and government bursaries should review the student’s grades and financial situation, not the colour of their skin.  I just hope we’re getting closer to the day when we’re on an even enough playing field that we are all eligible to be used as taxes benefits for a corporation.

This past week Lieutenant Governor David Onley dissolved the legislature in Queens Park, Toronto. This officially began the campaign for the October 10^th provincial election.

Some of you may not care about this upcoming election, others maybe not even aware there will be an election and great number of you may very well think that elections don’t make a difference. The latter argument may have some merit but voting is actually quite a simple process and politics is not as complex as some may think.

The greatest minds in history have been from both sides of the political spectrum. Since ancient Greece there has been democratic debate. There may very well be no “right answer” to what economic or social role the government should have in our lives. Exercising our democratic right to vote is the most easy and direct way to effect policy in Queens Park or the House of Commons, which inadvertently has an effect on each and every one of us.

It is a pity that those representing us in government are often tainted as corrupt; but unfortunately we have no choice but to trust the names on the ballot.

We, the College community make up an interesting sector of the voting public. A large portion of our tuition is funded by the provincial government. College to a large extent is subsidized, and most students want to pay even less tuition. Consequently, after graduation, we may be the ones footing the bill for college and university education through our taxes.

Our future careers are what is important. Post secondary school is a transitional period and not much can change in one or two years, therefore we need to be thinking ahead. We should be asking politicians what kind of jobs are going to be available for us after graduation. Also how much will we be taxed and what will that money be put towards?

In the month leading up to the election, debating with profs and pupils or discussing politics in class is probably the most helpful way to determine what is important to you and how you expect the government to act. These types of personal discussions have a even greater impact on whom to vote for than the political parties themselves.

The major parties spend more time on partisan attacks than they do on laying out ideas. Modern politics is less about debate and more about “sway”. Advertisements and press conferences are mostly made up of trying to make the other guy look bad. The parties websites also have little content on their political beliefs. If party leaders bluntly voiced their political stances not only would they win more votes for being honest and not pointing fingers, it would also be very educational. Unfortunately a lot of people do not understand politics and therefore it would be both refreshing and helpful to turn on the leaders debate and actually hear a little bit about the political spectrum.

As students we make up a large portion of the population. Politics may not seem like it effects us directly but as we get older and more independent the governments role will become more apparent. Talking about what is important to you and your family in and around the school is mind opening, and beneficial to the College as a whole.