By Ryan Pike
After the tragedy of the Sandy Hook shooting, the American National Rifle Association held a press release. In it, they placed blame for the shooting on pretty much everything but guns themselves, in an effort to shift the national conversation away from gun control. The NRA’s main target was popular culture, with video games taking… Continue reading Shoot first, ask questions later
Helmed by the promising up-and-coming director Ruber Fleicher and featuring an all-star cast, including Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, Gangster Squad looked to be one of the most promising movies of the year. Yet instead of being the impressive gangster film it could have been, it turned out to be an… Continue reading Film review: Gangster Squad
The Mahones are back to paint the town red with their classic Irish punk attitude, whiskey and damn good music. With their 11th album Angels & Devils, released on Nov. 13, the paddy rock ensemble reaches new heights and big sounds that surpass the genius of their last release, Black Irish, which won the… Continue reading The Mahones stay swinging
By Sean Willett
The story started with a photo album. Onalea Gilbertson was flipping through a book of old family pictures when she saw photos of her grandmother, Blanche — not as the person Gilbertson had known, but as the young woman she used to be. From that moment forward, Gilbertson was set irreversibly upon the path that… Continue reading A picture worth 1,000 words
At the University of Calgary, female undergraduate and graduate enrolment exceeds male enrolment by at least 20 per cent. Why is it then that women in Canada earn significantly less than men? Could this be because of gender segregation of jobs, or because of a devaluation of women’s roles? Even with the same academic credentials… Continue reading Women strive for equality in the work place
By Jeremy Woo
In the midst of the tumultuous, First Nations-based Idle No More movement, a familiar face in Canadian politics showed up in support of Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence’s daring hunger strike. Unfortunately, due to the precarious state of his short-lived minority government, former prime minister Paul Martin is not remembered for his groundbreaking involvement in aboriginal… Continue reading The Kelowna Accord
With the Arab Spring, Occupy and the Quebec student uprising, among others, 2012 could be considered the year of protests. Idle No More continues this trend into the new year, however, with a style that is unique, and one that can be a model for future protests. Protests, like the ones mentioned, are generally a… Continue reading Idle No More: a model for protest
In the wee hours of Jan. 6, as obsessed NHL fans frantically refreshed Twitter, waiting for news in the wee hours of the morning, a moment of self-criticism must have occurred. Such a fan might have thought, “Am I being used?” Now, with the lockout over, fans have moved from armchair lawyers and labour… Continue reading Everyone relax and enjoy hockey
If you’re a fan of the Calgary Flames, you’ve probably heard of Sven Baertschi — the wunderkind prospect hailing from Switzerland who tore up the Western Hockey League during the 2011–12 season. But John Gaudreau, Jon Gillies, Mark Jankowski and Bill Arnold are lesser-known names that should be on every hockey fan’s radar. It… Continue reading Flames mining NCAA for prospects
By Taylor McKee
The best kept cultural secret in Calgary may not be an art gallery, microbrewery or theatre company. It may be a place where you can take a punch from Lennox Lewis. Opened in 2011, the Canada’s Sport Hall of Fame’s sheer magnitude and sophistication are impressive. The regular exhibits are striking, beautifully lit and… Continue reading Canada’s highest sporting honour