CampusIntel

Now that classes are finished for the summer and the temperature is starting to climb, it’s time to dig through your drawer of summer clothes and hit the mall to pick up some hot new items.  Whether you’re having lunch on a patio or going to the beach, here are 5 summer staples that you should have in your closet:

1. Distressed denim shorts. As a student on a budget, it’s hard to justify forking out $40 on a pair of denim shorts. To get the same effect for free, take a pair of old jeans and cut them into shorts. Go here for an easy tutorial. If the washing machine doesn’t distress your shorts to the degree you want them to look, take some sandpaper to them to fray the ends a bit more.

2. Two words- white cotton. Everyone has a white shirt tucked away in their closet, and summertime is the perfect time to debut it. Nothing says “fresh” more than a white cotton tee paired with distressed denim shorts and a few simple accessories.

3.  Bright nail polish. ‘Tis the season for bright polished nails! Opt for colours like fushia, watermelon and my personal favourite mint green! Check out your local drug store for your favourite hues.

4. A versatile summer dress. If you’re going to buy a dress, make sure you can wear it for multiple occasions.  This dress by American Apparel fits the bill for versatility. Dress it up by pairing it with chandelier earrings and heels or dress it down with bangles and flats.

5. Dewy skin. Okay, okay, this isn’t really something you keep in your closet, but its super important in order to achieve a stylish summer look . Start off by lightly brushing your cheeks with blush/bronzer and top it off by smoothing a light moisturizer with SPF over your face. By putting this little trick into your daily beauty routine, you’re protecting and hydrating your skin and making it look like you’re living a stress-free life.

And there you have it! Do you have any of your own style secrets for a great summer look? Please share!

Photosource: junoawards.ca

The 2010 Juno awards were held in St. John’s, Newfoundland last night. Here’s the top info.

The ceremony addressed the past year’s young superstars’ induction into the international spotlight. Like Stratford, Ontario native Justin Bieber, who at age 16 has monopolised tweeny-pop in less than a year’s time. Despite his international success including being the youngest male solo artist to have two albums in the Billboard Top 200, Bieber fell short on all three of his Juno nominations.

It seems where Bieber disappointed the judges, fellow overnight success Drake proved more substantial. The new Canadian rapper captured the Best New Artist award, and also won the Juno for Rap Recording of the Year for his song “So Far Gone.” It didn’t look like there were any hard feelings between the running mates, though, when Drake laid down a few rhymes for Bieber’s performance of “Baby.”

Michael Bublé was the biggest winner with four Junos. His hit album Crazy Love earned him both Album and Pop Album of the Year. He also took home Single of the Year for the song “Haven’t Met You Yet,” and the Juno Fan Choice Award.

Respect was paid to 70s Canadian rock super-group April Wine in honour of their recent induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Frontman Myles Goodwin accepted the honourary Juno by listing all 13 April Wine members past and present.

Metric won two Junos with Group of the Year and Alternative Album of the Year for their work Fantasies. Artist of the Year went to K’naan, who also received Songwriter of the Year for his international hit “Wavin’ Flag.” Click here for a complete list of 2010 Juno winners.

There were also a variety of performances that struck high, and low, chords of the broadcast. Lowest was Drake’s f-bomb laden rendition of “Over.” It assumedly severed traditional and new-age Canadian audiences. Whatever, props Drake, you got two Junos without even having a record out. Billy Talent rocked out to new single “Saint Veronika,” that lead to singer Ben Kowalewicz struggling to achieve respectful screamo-rock tenure. He looked like he was trying to purge a Satan fetus rather than rattle a microphone. But, the band was tight.

Then the goodies. Blue Rodeo was out in full Canadian-Country garb laying down a usual flawless performance. However, I’m reserving best Juno performance award for K’naan, along with Drake, Justin Bieber, and Nikki Yanofsky, who dazzled the audience with the Young Artists for Haiti hit “Wavin’ Flag.” A wildly catchy song written by a talented young artist, K’Naan effectively moved the audience in a way no other performer did.

As a high school graduate of 2000, it’s coming around to that time of life — time for the 10 year high school reunion.  I’ve got to be careful about what I choose to write here, because I think I might inadvertently get myself de-invited. 

I while ago, I got the official (via Facebook) invitation for my 10 year high school reunion, set to go down this summer.  Good on the former students for organizing, apparently the school was ZERO help.  So with the class of 2000 set to ride again, I pose the following query for your dissection: The whole Facebook thing seems to have eliminated the need for high school reunions, hasn’t it? 

I mean, wasn’t the whole thing with the reunion to see and catch up with people you lost touch with over the last X amount of years, and catch up?  So, now with pretty well every human being on the planet having a Facebook profile, and certainly most of every grad class that ever, well, grad-ed (even those who took a little extra time)… well, haven’t we all been doing that very same catching up, and keeping IN touch with each other already, via Facebook, or email, or whatever?

For those who just wanted to see who got fat, who’s bald, who’s rich, who’s still on drugs, and/or who you think you have it better than, well, there’s an app for that all the magic of those mysteries can be solved with a few clicks on incriminating Facebook posts.  So that’s out.  Even if you just want to creep on pictures, and see every move everyone’s made over the last decade, well, that’s at your disposal too—as long as you’ve got that all important “Friend Request” approval.  You don’t even need to leave your house for that.      

And for those looking to show up and prove some point about what you made of yourself and how you’re back to extract revenge on all the people that picked on you by rubbing your accomplishments in everyone’s face, well, if you didn’t already know… YOU’RE THE REASON NO ONE WANTS TO GO TO THESE THINGS. 

Here’s a few direct quotes from people in the reunion group that I cut and paste from our reunion page; all examples of things I don’t want to deal with, nor conversations I want to become involved in, if I were to attend:

“I think this past year was my best looking year”

“I’ll be at the grad reunion and be the shocker of it all”

“I neither got fat nor skinny. I got out of my Goth period and grew my hair long.”

“I wasn’t the smartest student…and some people may have thought I wouldn’t do much in my life… well I am happy to say I’m doing pretty good.”

So basically all the things that make you point out how late it is, or pretend you’re getting a call on your phone that didn’t ring, or remind yourself of what you left on the stove, or plugged in, or what’s burning down, or whatever else you can conjure up to exit that convo A-S-A-P.

Now, of course there are good, positive reasons to go.  There definitely is no replacement for seeing people in person when compared to online social networking.  There are a few good people that I would enjoy seeing, and hanging out with again.  Rekindle some old friendships, and re-connect with those who have managed to hermit themselves from technology.  Was there anyone that became famous in our class?  Hmm, might be interesting to find that out. 

Of course, there’s going to be people who’re only going to go if ______ goes, and then there’s a stalemate, and then no one goes.  And some people live really far away, and just can’t go.  I’ve been fortunate to stay good friends with the people of that group I care to keep in touch with most; and at times, I think that’s probably all I really need.

Look, high school wasn’t that bad for me, compared to some of the tortured stories I’ve heard from others.  I had some good times, and some good friends, tried to be a good dude, and also tried not to fail classes and get stuck there.  I think I learned a few things in class here and there, but math DID turn out to be useless just like we all contended; outside of calculating tips at restaurants of course.  I definitely had my insecurities, embarrassments, and jerks and idiots that I wish I never had to have dealt with; but I got out relatively unscathed.  Some stories I’ve heard are certainly of the kind of psychologically damaging material that has people paying shrinks to keep them from climbing to the top of a bell tower and opening fire.  I don’t recall crossing anyone in that manner, so I think my odds of getting shot are fairly low.  I can think of a few people whose odds are probably not in their favour though… remind again why we all want to get together with each other again?

So if we all know that eveyone’s got their issues buried somewhere down deep, can we just all agree that this thing’s not an opportunity to get revenge, or to continue being an idiot to people, or to take that last shot at love with the girl/guy you liked but were too shy to talk to, or whatever agenda you’ve been stewing in the crockpot for waaaay too long, and can we all just hang out like civilized adults that weren’t only brought together by the social bindings of a mandatory public education system?  Can we all just pretend that despite the social awkward life period of us all once being acceptance-seeking (just me?) adolescents that were forced to congregate in the same building for 5 consecutive years, that we actually want to be in the same place with each other this time for some reason?

 Or maybe should we all just go buckwild; have one side of the room for people who want to start fights, gloat, and get embarrassed by asking out the person you always wanted to date that still doesn’t want to date you roll the dice on a crack at romance, and the other side for all the people who are over themselves and their issues, and just wanna hang out and have a good time?      

Again, I hope I haven’t just lost my invitation.  I know I sound cynical, but surely I’m not the only one with these thoughts running through their heads. 

My invitation status is currently set as “Maybe Attending”.  Do you think I should go?  Why or why not?  Did you/are you going to yours?  Why or why not?  What’s your best high school reunion story?

read more of Dave at Serenity Now… The SDC Blogs http://davecunning.wordpress.com

Last summer Toronto based poverty advocacy group The Stop Community Food Centre initiated an informative campaign called Do The Math. The project informed Ontarians of the dismal state of social assistance in the province, with the main argument that Ontarians receiving welfare and other social assistance are unable to provide themselves, and often their families, a healthy diet. Many of these people are forced to rely on food banks and soup kitchens for daily meals, where basic essential nutrition is hard to find, The Stop officials insist.

The response to the Do The Math campaign was good. Over 4,000 Ontarians sent postcards to Premier Dalton McGuinty, asking for positive action regarding the nutrition dilemma. But The Stop is still agitated that little has been done to help with low-income Ontarians to achieve a more-equal status in comparison to their neighbours off social assistance.

Usher in The Stop’s latest poverty awareness campaign, the Do The Math Challenge. Beginning on April 6, ten of Toronto’s prominent activists, government officials and celebrities picked up a food hamper from The Stop. The mission is to live off the hamper’s bounty, which usually lasts a person 3 to 4 days, and the city’s food banks for as long as possible, but at least a week. Participants include journalist/author/activist Naomi Klein, singer for Polaris Prize winning punk band Fucked Up Damian Abraham, musicians Rosina Kazi and Nic Murray of Toronto band LAL, and Toronto Ward 21 councillor Joe Muhavic and family, among others.

The purpose of the Do The Math Challenge is to create social awareness about the plights of poverty in Toronto, which are not exclusive to nutrition concerns. The Stop advocates for better treatment of impoverished, marginalised citizens in all sectors of contemporary city-life. It uses the dismal issue of under-nourishment among social assistance users as a vantage point on Toronto, and Ontario’s, many poverty triggered problems.

Follow all the participants with updates of how the challenge is affecting them here. Take action in the fight for equality in Canada.

There’s lots of shows coming up in and around Toronto. If you’re in the area, check out some cool live music.

TOMORROW March 28 Terrorist, Sexual Assualt, Kekefene (3 Street Punk bands from St. Catherines) and Skunx (Punk/Oi from TO) @ Rearview Mirror in Toronto – Starts early around 5 pm, and it is a “Pay what you can” event.

April 1 & 11 Black Rebel Motorcycle Club @ The Pheonix Concert Theatre, Toronto, Doors @ 7:30

April 4: Jello Biafra and The Guatanamo School of Medicine @ The Opera House, Toronto, Doors @ 7:30. Hardcore pioneer/ex-Kennedys singer Jello Biafra’s first Toronto music show in 25 years.

April 6: Killfest 2010 @ The Pheonix Concert Theatre, Toronto featuring Overkill, Vader, God Dethroned, Warbringer, Evile. A Death Metal extravaganza!

April 19: The Specials and guests @ Sound Academy, Toronto. British ska legends still skanking after 30 years.

April 23: Fuck The Facts (Amazing Gatineau Grindcore) with guests Ending Tyranny and The Clusterbombs @ The Alex, Brantford, $10

April 26: Bleeding Through @ The Opera House, Toronto, Doors @ 6:00

April 28: Cannibal Corpse @ The Opera House, Toronto, Doors @ 7:00. This is the NYC Grindgods’ Evisceration Plague Tour with guests 1349, Skeletonwitch, and Lecherous Nocturne. Wear body armour.

April 30: The Johnstones, Street Pharmacy, The Good Rats Radio, Stuck on Planet Earth @ The Opera House, Toronto. Doors @ 7:00. Cobourg bred ska boys Johnstones hit Toronto for release of their new cd, a night of Canadian ska bands.

May 1: Class Assassins (Toronto Streetpunk) and Christpunchers (Brantford Street/Crust) @ The Alex, Brantford.

May 3: Caribou and guests @ The Pheonix Concert Theatre, Toronto. Doors @ 8:00 pm.

May 14: Screeching Weasel with The Roman Line and The Visitors. @ The Pheonix Concert Theatre, Toronto. Traditional/80s Punk and Speedpunk.

May 20: Reverend Horton Heat (Awesome rockabilly, a must see!) @ The Pheonix Concert Theatre, Toronto. Doors @ 8:00

May 21: The Vibrators @ The Alex in Brantford. This is unheard of in Brantford – ‘77 UK Punk legends, enough said. FYI, I saw them last summer, really tight and attention grabbing live set.

May 25: Killing Joke @ The Pheonix Concert Theatre, Toronto. Doors @ 7:00 pm.

June 1: Obituary and Entombed @ The Opera House, Toronto. Doors @ 7:00 pm. Death Metal.

June 2: Brian Jonestown Massacre @ The Pheonix Concert Theatre, Toronto. Doors @ 8:00 pm.

Okay dudes and dudettes, that is what I know so far. Leave a comment with shows to add, your band’s show coming up, or corrections.

For most recent show listings in the GTA checkout:

Toronto Punk Show Listings on Myspace

Have fun, see you in the pit!

We ran that (euphemism for unpleasant) woman outta’ town.

Well, not me specifically. I didn’t do a thing. In fact, I didn’t even hear her coming to Ottawa until I read about how she had been forced to flee the country (obvious hyperbole) after fierce (non-violent) demonstrations by the students of Ottawa-U. I’m just including myself in the statement in a similar fashion to the way nut-hugging team-riders will include themselves when they refer to certain sports teams.

Anyways, I decided to voice the opinion of a single college student that had nothing to do with the students that actually 86′d Coulter. Since the event, she’s (apparently) preparing a human-rights complaint due to her mistreatment at the hands of the angry Canucks. Personally, I’m shocked that an ultra-conservative American would decide to file a lawsuit after people protested and made very clear through their actions that they wanted nothing to do with her gay-bashing, evolution-denying, racist, Christian-crusading (Republican) views.

Shocked. Hopefully she is awarded a paltry multi-million dollar settlement for her horrific ordeal.

I’m sure people will stir the controversy cauldron and bitch and moan about how the ~two thousand Canadian students that protested her appearance are clearly a direct representation of the ~33,000,000 other ones living in this diversified country. Good for them. It would be interesting to see what kind of conclusions those same people could draw from a similar sampling of angry Americans, if you were so inclined.

It wasn’t Canada’s most dignified moment (slight understatement) by a long shot.

It was, however, a very entertaining one.

Honestly, reading about this in today’s paper made me genuinely proud of Canada. Yes, free-speech, democracy and human rights are all very good and important things. On the other hand, having the backbone to take a stand against a woman who has made it her life’s mission to spread division, strife and hatred across the globe is something I (personally) applaud.

post-script;

According to the article, students were upset at the satiric Ann Coulter for saying that Muslims shouldn’t be allowed on airplanes and should take ‘flying carpets’. (After the student, Fatima-Al-Dhaher, called her out on the comment and said that she didn’t have a flying carpet, Coulter responded with “take a camel”).

Why would students possibly get upset at that?

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2010/03/24/2010-03-24_ann_coulter_causes_firestorm_by_telling_muslim_to_take_a_camel_as_alternative_to.html

Don’t play innocent, we’ve all been there.  You met up with that cute guy or gal who you’ve been eyeing in class for a quick bite and everything’s going great.  The conversation is flowing and there’s smiles all around until that awkward lull when he or she pulls out their cellphone to read or answer a text message.  At this point you’re red in the face, fumbling to finish your sentence hoping that they’re still listening to you. Then you ask yourself things like, “Who are they texting?”, “Am I boring him/her?” and of course “Is he/she into me?”

Text messaging is a huge cultural phenomenon among teenagers and young adults, in which peers can keep in constant communication, anywhere at any time with the touch of a few buttons. It’s cheap. It’s convenient. It’s perfect.

With these points in mind, texting seems to be a great and inexpensive way to keep in touch with your pals. What you might not have considered though is the strain it can put on your personal relationships with others.

Texting allows couples and dates to keep in touch by connecting, flirting and of course “sexting”, many young adults seeing it as a necessary form of additional communcation aside from e-mails and phone calls.  It also provides singles the opportunity to feel out a potential match and can provide a quick getaway during a bad or awkward date (“My sister’s car broke down/is in the hospital/is in prison/etc.” Anything to get you out of there!).

As amazing as text messaging is, there are potential issues when texting and dating are combined. In an era where electronic forms of communication like e-mail, text and instant messaging are considered the norm, everyone is expected to be in constant contact with one another. It is because of this, a person’s texting habits can be translated into their persona and feelings, whether they’re glued to their QWERTY board or whether T9 is uncharted territory to them.

On the negative side of things, texting can be toxic for relationships and when pursuing potential romantic partners. Many second dates have been ruled out with the constant use of text messaging with friends or ex-partners during dates. For many, texting on a date is annoying and unnattractive. If you’re texting at a restaurant, your date will get the vibe you’re not interested in them and would rather communicate electronically with someone else than talking to you. A problem I have often encounted is the ambiguity of messages. What one perceives as sarcasm, another might take literally.

Now, you don’t have to chuck your cellphone into the garbage to assure a healthy romantic relationship. Simple little things can help, like, I don’t know, dialing their phone number? Just because texting is a norm doesn’t mean that you have to absolve all other more personal forms of communication. And besides, it makes people feel special, and you want to feel special, don’t you?

Here is a small list of some cool shows coming up in March or April. Check one out for something to do!

SNFU – March 19 @ Sneaky Dee’s, Toronto. SNFU started playing in the late eighties in California. Early skate-punk with fast licks and catchy lyrics.

Forgotten Rebels – March 13 @ Casbah, Hamilton AND March 20 @ Alexander’s, Brantford. The Forgotten Rebels were around during the first wave of punk in the late seventies. Heavy garage sound, basically just distorted Chuch Berry tunes if you ask me – which is a good thing. And, they have a new album coming out this spring.

The Specials – April 19 @ Sound Academy, Toronto. This show will be amazing. The Specials also started in the late seventies, playing ska in the UK. Rocksteady-reggae that heatseekingly catches the ear. If you don’t know ‘em, try ‘A Message To You, Rudy’ on Youtube.

Gogol Bordello – April 20 @ Sound Academy, Toronto. Gypsy-punks. ‘Nough Said.

Also, Germ Attack from Ottawa just released a 7-inch, and they are releasing a new LP, Cruxshadow, in March. Speed-Street Punk that has been evolving in Ottawa for almost ten years now. The thing about Germ Attak is they have really well-done recordings, and they are seasoned musicians, so they know what they are doing. I recomend, and will have to pick these up sometime soon.

Word. Thanks for reading, reply with a comment about a show I’ve missed. See you in the pit.

This past week or so Ottawa (and probably most other parts of Ontario) was given a rude awakening that winter is not over yet! In fact, I think it dropped to the coldest it’s been all winter this year (around -32 with the wind chill…Brrrrr). So, here are your options if you live in Ottawa. Either you stay inside and escape from the cold with a warm blanket and hot chocolate…or…you embrace the cold like the true Canadian you are and waddle out into that wonderful winter wonderland! Now, I know the first option looks appealing but believe me I went for the second option (although I don’t know how much I embraced the cold…) and I did go out during this frosty time and I’m glad I did as this cold might have been bitter but it was also sweet since in Ottawa it meant the opening of the Rideau Canal!

            Therefore, my advice to you, if you live in Ottawa go outside and skate on the canal! This is a wonderful way to pass time AND a great mode of transportation (as it connects Carleton University to the Downtown area/University of Ottawa…aww see, we really are just one big family!).
            For the canal to open we need about 2 weeks of -15 degrees weather. Since we had been getting some good cold weather around the beginning of January the canal had opened within a couple of weeks …however, we also received a lovely little warm bout (around 6 degrees above 0…time to break out those shorts!). Although this warmth was very welcome to those of us who had to do a lot of running around, it also meant that our wonderful tourist trap ice rink turned to slush…Now, I’m not going to lie…this wouldn’t be so bad except that I had visitors coming to skate on the canal and I am not one to disappoint! For this reason, I “welcomed” the rapid drop in temperature with open (and may I add, well layered) arms!

            Luckily we only had to endure the cold weather one night for it to be enough to cause the canal to reopen…unfortunately, it stayed about this cold for the actual skating experience as well. But being the troopers we were we dressed about 3 layers thick and hustled off excitedly to enjoy our Ottawa-only experience!

            On the canal they serve an assortment of goodies, such as the famous beaver tails, hot chocolate, and something called bacon on a bun (I believe it is bacon on a bun…but better double check that one). There are also toiletries and warm huts along the side of the skate-way where you can warm up or gear up/down (something you might want to be aware of before you try putting your skates on while standing on one foot and tightly grasping the railing of the stairway down to the ice).

            Although it was cold, we were well prepared (and to be honest, the extra padding was probably a good precaution as none of us had skated for a while) and the skate was a success! It was a beautiful clear day and everyone was enjoying the fresh air and not to mention, great exercise!

            So, if you’re in Ottawa this winter, don’t be deterred by the cold, go and check out the canal, I promise, even if you’re not an avid skater, it’s totally worth the experience!

If you currently write for CampusIntel.com, chances are you have some serious writing chops. We have been busy weeding through a lot of potential bloggers.  I can truthfully say, “we appreciate the response”.  The thing is, we need more writers and more people visiting the website. This is a “boutique” website that can act as a real source of information for students across Canada. Our goals and aspirations for this site have been set high, and we have been receiving some really nice compliments on the blog postings and the new design…which we really appreciate, but we need more great writers!

If any of you folks have friends that can write, why not use CampusIntel as the platform to display your skills?  We market this website on every major (and some minor) campus in Canada, so getting your blog read by your peers can be much simpler than if you were to start your own.  As internet marketing professionals, and campus marketing professional our goal really was to provide a platform for students to display their writing skills, keep students informed from a student perspective, and to finally give students a professional and proper platform to be heard.  Click the “blog with us” nav link above and become a rising star in the blogsphere!

We are here to support, incubate, and promote. We are Canada’s first official student blogging network, and we thank all of you for allowing this to happen! Onward and upward!

Best Regards,

Jonathan