After Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 was reported missing at 2:40 MST (Malaysia Standard Time), I feel I asked myself the same question thousands of others around the world did as well. How, in 2014, can we simply lose a 63.7 […]
Attack of the eReaders: Why print books are superior
I couldn’t tell you the difference between a Kobo or a Kindle, and to be quite honest I hope I never need to. All that matters to me is the difference between “paperback” and “hard copy”. As to me, all […]
Family ties: George Bush and Bill Clinton
In a January 2014, C-SPAN conducted an exclusive interview for a new series to be released regarding the lives of the former First Ladies of the United States, Ms. Barbra Bush (age 88), the wife of former President of the […]
Justin’s big move: 32 Liberal senators kicked out of caucus
As read in an open letter written by Justin Trudeau that The Sputnik has received through being on the mailing list of Liberal Party staff member Scott Bardsley, “The Liberal Party has taken immediate action to address these challenges [an […]
Dennis and the dictator: Rodman’s friendship with Kim Jong-Un
Kim Jong-un is a name some may have never heard, but those who have can attest to the fact that he fits the widely accepted definition of “dictator”: “a ruler with total power over a country, typically one who has […]
@TheBrazman Gets Away: My Special Distaste for Senator Patrick Brazeau
To start, last week, suspended Senator Patrick Brazeau criticized a reporter for asking if he drank the previous night, leading him to ask if that was her view on native people. In my opinion, that comment was in no way […]
Best left cold? Considering JonBenét Ramsey, Tupac Shakur and Ariel Castro
Reading the headline, you may not know much about those three names. Maybe you have heard of Tupac from his short lived (but highly rewarded) career as a rapper, and maybe the names of Castro and Ramsey from current […]
Anxiety in the classroom
The thought didn’t really pop into my mind until I randomly read it one day on Twitter. Class presentations are brutal for a lot of us, having to do countless hours of work (sometimes, with a partner that does nothing […]
Man, I’m so depressed
I’ll be honest. When I’m stressed about an upcoming exam that I’ve hardly read any of the relevant material for, or when I’m looking outside and see storm clouds in the distance, or when I’m generally just bummed out one […]
Carol Todd: A mother’s journey through tragedy
On September 7, 2012, 15-year-old Amanda Todd of Port Coquitlam, British Colombia, posted a video on YouTube. In nine minutes, cue cards are used in silence, set to the music of Jimmy Eat World and Sia, explaining the story of […]
My friend, Hitler
I wasn’t sure if shock was the appropriate word, or amazement, or even anger for what I read one day while online. As a bit of context, my late grandfather, as well as my step-father’s father, both fought in World […]
Boston bombing calendars: Monetizing a tragedy
I was just leaving a meeting with Toronto City Councillor Mike Layton (Ward 19) on April 15th, when, as I always do, I decided to check Twitter. It wasn’t quite sure what had happened, all that was known though was […]
From a non-user: Legalize weed
I’m not going to take up time by bouncing around the topic. I honestly think it’s about time marijuana was legalized in Canada. To be quite honest, I don’t see why it isn’t yet. I’ve never personally smoked (or otherwise […]
The travelling Canadian
It seems I’ve had a whole collection of life experiences that I’m able to turn into newspaper-worthy stories, including one that happened to me August 11, 2013 – one of the last amazing days of my summer. As odd as […]
Is O-Week still cool?
Orientation week last year sort of let me down, but in its defense, it may be partially my fault. I mean, it was cool seeing Shawn Hooke and Down With Webster. That day in O-Week was my first concert ever, […]
NDP leader visits Brantford egg carton factory
Federal New Democratic Party leader Thomas Mulcair visited Brantford Tuesday, August 27, 2013 to tour the innovate Hartmann North America egg carton factory, along with Federal NDP candidate of record for Brant County Marc Laferriere, and local United Steelworkers director […]
What is TV teaching your kids?
I swear, shows I watched growing up in the 90’s had so much more depth and life lessons than the ones my nine- and ten-year-old brothers are watching these days. I’ll admit, I only started watching Boy Meets World this […]
Beauty is a beast
I think a lot of people were pleased, as was I, with Disney’s decision of making one of their latest princesses a little different than the “traditionally beautiful” previous ones. Now, I know that sounds weird, seeing as they’re cartoon. […]
Female politicians aren’t “cute”
I’ve had the chance to do some pretty extensive journalism, which has been both enrapturing and informative. Some of the stories I have been able to hear, and some of the people I’ve met impress me still to this day. […]
Welcome back, Joseph Ratzinger
A picture spread around the world. Some had seen it before, but the press hardly ran it. It depicts a young German boy with a grim look on his face, and a bird-bearing swastika on his lapel. Later, the name […]
UFC fighter Mark Hominick goes from small town to big stage
When I called Mark Hominick to double check that our interview was still a go, he had to fight to make his voice heard over his young daughter who was rather upset. Parenthood isn’t the fight Hominick has been dealing […]
Long speech short: Inaugurating President Obama
January 21 was a day that brought in strong winds to Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. It also brought in a crowd of over a million people. All eagerly waiting to watch the inauguration of their newly reelected President Barack […]
Standing against rape
Collectively, the movies A Clockwork Orange, Gran Torino, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo earned roughly $529 million at the box office. Besides a wide fan base, these films, which have release dates ranging from 1971 to 2011, also […]
Realism and resolutions
When the clock chimed midnight on December 31, the 2012 ended. It was the year of the apparent Mayan apocalypse. The year Felix Baumgartner jumped from the edge of space. The year of the Summer Olympics in London, and once […]
Canadian Youth Revolts
In Canadian history, youth run protests have had an effect. But have they ever reached their intended goals? In the spring of 1947, after the end of WWII, a small community on Vancouver Island was about to fight again. Children […]
Guest lecturers: they could change your life
“I think sharing your own personal experiences and stories is essential to modern education,” says Marc Laferriere, part owner of The Brant Advocate, Brant NDP MP Candidate of record, and recurring college and university guest speaker. I have to […]
Myth vs. fact: a misunderstanding of Autism
I flick on the television, sit down, and enjoy two of the most popular sitcoms in today’s media- NBC’s Community and CBS’s Big Bang Theory. […]