Where's the professionalism? By Bassam Lazar
3rd Year Law March 11, 2009 Hannah Larking’s opinion piece directed at Adam Fox speaks volumes about Lance’s professional standing, or lack of. Generally speaking, writers, specifically opinion columnists, thrive on readers’ responses, good or bad.
It is extremely rare that an editor-in-chief would permit any opinion columnist, let alone a news reporter, to respond directly to an opinion piece.
But somehow, through the news rooms that make up The Lance, Ms. Larking, a news reporter, improperly and immaturely responded with a critical page-filler to a highly insightful and informative piece by Mr. Fox, CJAM’s very own station manager. I, for one, have been following the issue for some time, and Mr. Fox’s piece answered many questions that I had, and others that I had not previously considered.
While Ms. Larking’s reporting should be commended for attempting to “support” and “spread the word in [CJAM’s] favour,” this was not done at the behest of CJAM’s management.
To justify her piece on these premises does little to negate the fact that her news was not completely accurate, leaving out some critical details that Mr. Fox covered in his piece. >> | Tips for the hip By Chris Kerr
2nd Year English March 11, 2009 The Avalon Front, RIP, was among the breeding grounds of a new type of culture group, and Milk Bar is still here for the molding of “the hipster.” The hipster clique is the anti-clique. Their style thrives on the unthrivable, what is not cool is restored by the hipster. We have all seen these people. American Apparel is their clothes, Pabst Blue Ribbon, “PBR” as they call it, is their beverage, Vice Magazine is their bible, and obscure independent music is the soundtrack to their lives.
But the art of hipsterdom is a dying art. There is only so much uncool stuff that one can do or consume in order to look cool. For the hipster, options are running thin. I have some suggestions, though.
Music. The Velvet Underground, Animal Collective, Tom Waits, and Grizzly Bear are bands that played out, and the hipsters know this. But where can they go from there?
First of all I suggest Q Lazarus, yes, Buffalo Bill’s “man-gina” music from Silence of the Lambs. A true hipster will not admit this connection. Instead, he or she will talk about the musical choices in the song, especially the brilliantly played synthesiser. >>  | | Campus Kiss | | Cellphones a detriment to youth By Jenna Sedmak
Nexus (Camosun College) March 11, 2009 VICTORIA (CUP) – I try to call a friend, but the battery on my cellphone dies and my memory fails me, so I’m stuck with no idea what number to dial.
As a kid, I not only had the phone numbers of all my friends and family memorized, but also the local pizza place and video store.
A digitized phone book in the palm of my hand has made things easier, but it has let me down occasionally.
I've noticed cellphone users are getting younger and their dependency on their virtual leash is growing stronger.
These kids are messaging their friends while they’re out for dinner. Not just one or two short messages, but an ongoing electronic conversation with someone who isn’t even in the room.
Their parents half-heartedly say: “Please put your phone away,” but there isn’t much luck.
I asked a parent of a young cellphone owner why they don't just take the phone away, and the answer was: “It’s for the safety of my child.”
I understand cellphones offer security not possible in previous generations. If there’s an emergency, help is only a phone call away. I can empathize with parental concern, but phones are available only for calling emergency numbers – no text, no camera, no Internet. >> |
