By: Andrew Uyeno Currently, a Calgary man is rowing across the Atlantic Ocean from Halifax to France. He is attempting this incredible journey to raise $200,000 for cancer research. The strenuous adventure is nothing new for Laval St.Germain, who scaled…
Expression & Culture
Hipster “discoveries” are overshadowing historic culture – and locals are pissed
BY: Victoria Heath Jeffrey Almonte is only 19 years old, but he’s already amassed fame on YouTube and Facebook. A native of East Harlem, Almonte has posted plenty of viral witty and humorous videos on his social media pages, but…
An intimate look Inside the suitcases left behind by patients of the Willard Asylum
BY: JESSICA BEUKER All photos by Jon Crispin In 1869, the Willard Asylum opened its doors, designed specifically for people suffering from chronic mental illness. Located on the eastern shore of Seneca Lake in Central New York, it was, at…
Our successes don’t make us happy – the journey to achieving them does
By: Adrian Smith In his philosophical novel Notes From Underground, Fyodor Dostoyevsky says mankind “like a chess player, is interested in the process of attainting his goals, rather than the goal itself.” It’s an interesting idea, and perhaps a bit…
Forget the senior citizen center – grandmas are spending retirement at the casino
BY: Victoria Heath The year I turned 21, my dad took me to the Hollywood Casino & Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri. I had actually been to a casino before during a family vacation to Las Vegas a few years…
Pakistan’s music scene is beyond anything you’ve ever heard.
BY: Victoria Heath In its true essence, music should transcend language, culture, religion and time. It is a window into a place, a community and an individual. More often than not, however, we tend to isolate ourselves musically by listening…
You can marvel in the beauty of these glaciers before they melt away forever.
By: Lauren Ali ALL IMAGES BY CAMILLE SEAMAN We’ve all heard the same stories about climate change: “Everything is melting;” “Polar bears have no homes and are drowning;” “Sea levels are rising but it’s not a good thing.” Honestly, we…
A town in Lithuania holds an annual beauty pageant to find the prettiest goat
By: Andrew Uyeno Forget dog and cat pageants—the new animal beauty contests are for goats. Okay, it’s not a worldwide trend just yet, but the village of Ramygala in Lithuania has been celebrating the beauty of goats for seven years.…
Make good $$$ as a professional odour tester, chocolate taster and other strange careers
BY JACK M. Tired of the nine-to-five grind at the office? No future at the factory assembly line? Bored with that commission-only job in retail? Or maybe you’re still looking around for your first real job after finishing school. If…
Watch this poet deliver a powerful commentary about life in the heartless corporate cage
BY: JESSICA BEUKER “You were wearing pants with lint stuck to both knees, like little children you are afraid to have one day. It was professional enough. You borrowed your sister’s shirt, because the iron burned a tortilla-shaped hole in…
These famous figures accurately predicted future technology
By: Jocelyn Schwalm They say hindsight is 20/20, but what about foresight? Knowing what is to be invented before its time requires a clear view into possibilities and an instinct for success. In 1888, the concept of the future debit…
Football hooliganism: a contrasting tale of Brits, Russians and Irishmen
BY: VICTORIA HEATH Smashed beer bottles, torn flags, blood spatters, broken chairs, empty tear gas canisters, and scraps of metal littered the streets of the usually tranquil seaside city of Marseille, France after a huge brawl between rival groups and police in…
The simple childhood practice that will sharpen your memory and heighten your creativity
By: JACK M. Information overload. Permanently connected. Pressure to conform. Addiction to social media, e-mailing, texting, tweeting, re-tweeting, liking and sharing. These are just a few of the oft-quoted reasons tossed around in today’s hyper-connected world that point to the…
Artist fights climate sensationalism by depicting the world’s beauty instead of destruction
BY: CAROLINE ROLF Tackling climate change or documenting our environmental destruction can be a challenging endeavor for any passionate person, but for Brooklyn creative Zaria Forman, she made it her life mission to convey the urgency of climate change through…
You will simply fall in love with these beautifully uninhibited structures.
By: Lauren Ali ALL IMAGES BY JAMES KERWIN Abandoned places are known as the spot where high school kids drink their first beer or smoke their first joint. It’s where they mention that, supposedly, some person mysteriously died on the…
7 documentaries that will light a fire in your heart and change how you see the world
BY: JESSICA BEUKER 1. Samsara Filmed over five years in 25 different countries, this incredible documentary was shot on 70mm film and is completely non-verbal. Samsara, which means “the ever turning wheel of life” in Sanskrit, takes viewers to sacred…
Western feminists capitalizing on the experiences of others has led to the rise of McFeminism
BY: Victoria Heath Too often, cable television turns into cringe-worthy segments featuring shouting-matches between guests and hosts, or an array of offensive, childish comments exchanged between “expert” panelists. These shows, headed by well-known political pundits and talking heads like…
Music festival culture and the rebirth of the hippie generation
BY: JESSICA BEUKER Photos: Eric Zdancewicz Among a field of colourful, bohemian-style umbrellas, hundreds of people are gathered idly around the Bollywood Stage – where DJ Lee Foss sits on a throne surrounded by giant pillars, pink elephants and the…
The last “witch” in Europe was beheaded, only to have her name cleared 226 years later
BY: CAROLINE ROLF Anna Göldi, a maidservant in the small alpine region of Glarus, was beheaded in 1782 for being a witch after she confessed after torture to visiting with the devil and poisoning the daughter of her employer. 234…
This is not your typical, inspirational commencement speech
By: Adrian Smith Having recently graduated, I often wonder about the real value of my education. Sure, I’ve some valuable learned lessons, both inside the lecture hall and out, which I’ll likely carry forward with me—but what is the real…