CampusIntel

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