Whatever happened to a good old fashioned sitcom, or TV drama? Though these genres still do hold a place in our TV guides, if those even exist anymore, they seem to play second fiddle to the overwhelmingly nauseating, yet unabashedly entertaining genre of reality TV.

It seems on any given night, on any given channel, some sort of mind-numbing reality program enters our living rooms, the E! Channel has dedicated its network to nothing but Ryan Seacrest produced reality programming.

A genre ..read more

I hope you don’t get confused keeping track of buildings on campus, because come next year it’s going to get a lot more confusing.

Once the new Trades and Technology Centre opens in Fall 2012 a few buildings across campus will be renamed, and the TTC will even have specific names for some wings, floors and hallways.

Don’t be surprised next year when your class lists refer to the Stan Grad Centre, even if you’ve never heard of it before. If you ..read more

The SAIT workout facility is superb, said with a slow roll of the eyes. Sure, the lockers squeak with cries to be properly lubricated and they look like they were previously used as storage compartments in WWII but that’s no big deal. Just make sure you don’t attempt to use the facility anywhere between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. because the lineup is worse than the C-train’s during rush hour. Try to get your swell on either before 7 a.m. ..read more

It’s hard to talk about drugs, especially the potentially lethal side effects of using them.

But even as the SAIT community mourns the loss of one of it’s own to a suspected overdose, it’s important not to lose sight of how important it is to talk about drugs.

Health Canada reports that seven per cent of youth between 15 and 24 admit to using recreational drugs, like ecstasy.

That means more than two million Canadians are still indulging in substances that are known ..read more

Behold SAIT campus in all its mortared glory; explore squat brown buildings scattered about like a child’s Lego blocks. Now, in the oppressive dark of winter, buildings like Thomas Riley, Senator Patrick Burns, and John Ware sit under a gray dusting of snow with none of the notoriety of their namesakes. Instead, they loom like gloomy, forlorn structures built with all the charm of 1970s Russian architecture.

And while the skeleton of the new Trades and Technology building promises to bring ..read more

It’s all fun and games until someone gets pregnant or an STI .

The act of manwhorism dates back to the beginning of time. Kings having more wives than fingers and proud soldiers inserting their member in anything with two feet and a heart beat has unfortunately been common routine for ages according to history books.

Back in the chauvinistic hay-day, men were under the assumption that they had the right to roll in the hay with whomever they chose, no questions ..read more

People are animals.

Never is this more obvious than during the holiday shopping rush, when people come together, forget their differences and become raving lunatics for no apparent reason.

It’s like werewolves at the full moon.

Toes get stepped on, elbows get thrown, sales associates get snarked at or cussed out and no one seems to care that they parked so close you have to suck your gut in just to get out of your car.

The worst part is no one bothers to ..read more

It looked like a lineup to meet Santa Claus in the Heart building this past week but it was actually SAIT students waiting to purchase art at the annual poster sale.

The sale featured the typical iconic James Dean images, the half-naked sleeping beauties and the classical shots of downtown Paris, all demonstrating that the powerful poster has not lost any of its muscle over the years.

The trite but valid statement, “a picture is worth a 1,000 words,” appears to have ..read more

The prevalence of social media has made it easier than ever for an employer to find out about you and your activities online.

For young activists this problem is doubled if they speak to the mainstream media about their views. It might seem harmless to stand-up for your beliefs now but faced with a background check five years down the road, you might feel differently about speaking openly about a controversial issue.

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms outlines four fundamental ..read more

Being an Oilers fan in Calgary is akin to belonging to a secret club but instead of a secret handshake, it’s a nod or polite smile to a passing stranger brave enough to wear orange and blue on the street.

There is an instant connection, a friend in the face of adversity.

It’s nice to have someone share the brunt of the ‘boos’ or ‘Oilers suck’ chants, but why is this necessary?

There is a certain apprehension when you first enter the Saddledome ..read more

Generation-Y, the Facebook generation, the deeply indebted generation, collectively known as the spoiled-rotten generation, they love to assume the worst when it comes to a minor glitch in their system.

Students who can’t remain focused on a task for ten minutes immediately jump to the conclusion that they suffer from Attention Deficit Disorder. Those who prefer keeping their room tidy instead of roaming around in a boar’s nest of clothing and dishes say it’s due to an un-diagnosed case of Obsessive ..read more

Recently, clubs across Calgary have been introducing policies for who can and can’t enter, but it doesn’t seem to be hurting business. Legally, a business can refuse service for any reason not prohibited by the Alberta Human Rights Commission. They can cater to a specific clientele. It’s all part of controlling the atmosphere, as much as they can in an alcohol induced environment.

“Many exceptions are made to nightclub dress codes, with denied entry usually reserved for the most glaring rule breakers ..read more

Halloween has evolved from a children’s candy wonderland to an adult sex-fest filled with lust, exposed busts and men behaving like mutts.

Depending on your age, you’re either ecstatic or frustrated or completely indifferent to Halloween’s revamped image. The demographic that has truly benefited from this evolving pseudo-holiday are those, ranging from 18-35.

This outrageous day of scandalously clad women getting obscenely drunk until unholy hours of the night, it has placed a responsibility on the male populace that many have succeeded ..read more

People need to stop freaking out about piracy. That means you, government.

You may think your new copyright legislation is going to make pirating so much harder both physically, and ethically. You may think that by expanding your definition of piracy and by increasing the fines for those who do it, you’ll be able to protect an artists’ intellectual properties.

But that’s just not the case.

The new legislation revolves around digital locks, special inclusions in digital media, ..read more

WATERLOO (CUP) — According to various experts on the Internet, I’m eight weeks and craving cherry Jell-O. Allegedly, by letting you all know this, I am spreading an important message about breast cancer. What that message is, I’m not entirely sure. At this point, most female Facebook users have gotten a message from a fellow woman urging her friends to “keep men guessing” and to help spread breast cancer awareness through cutesy games involving status mash-ups of their birthdays, where they put ..read more

MONTREAL (CUP) — On Sept. 8, the United Kingdom’s Health Department announced that, as of November, gay men will be allowed to give blood — if they refrain from any form of sexual contact for an entire year. Although deemed progressive by some, this newly established concession is actually more ignorant than groundbreaking. In light of the UK’s new stance, Canada may reconsider its own policy, as it’s currently one of many countries that forbid gay men from donating blood at all. ..read more

Have you ever looked at where your favourite fruit comes from? Do you take the time to ask your grocer where that not-so-juicy peach was grown and shipped from? If the answer is no, then not only are you missing out on superior flavour and quality, you’re also killing the planet and local farmers in the process. Locally sourcing your fruits and vegetables can have a large impact on the economy. According to a study by the New Economics Foundation, a dollar spent ..read more

In this day and age we have to pay for absolutely everything, including our number one life source: water. Some argue bottled water is better for you than tap, or it simply tastes better. The last point is debatable. But the part about it being healthier for you, frankly, is a lie. Bottlers aren’t required to list their sources on the label, so most of the time you are drinking glorified tap water, according to a study by the Natural Resources Defense ..read more

New distracted driving laws may not be set high enough. On Sept. 1, new laws came into affect pertaining to distracted driving. From what I see, so far, this new legislation seems to be a minor deterrent for drivers. Most choose to do what they please. Drivers could be tagged with a trivial fine of $172 if caught not paying attention to the road. Is it enough to make drivers think twice about sending that quick text message or answering that ‘urgent’ ..read more

This year, SAIT international students could be learning not only in the classroom but in the hockey rink as well. For the first time, SAIT athletics is hosting an event targeting international students to help them understand our beloved game of hockey. On Oct. 4, Trojans 101 – Hockey will give students the chance to tour the SAIT arena and dressing rooms. They’ll also have the opportunity to step onto the ice and take a shot. The goal is to teach the ..read more

There is a community of paintballers in Calgary who have been training vigilantly for a shot at glory at the professional level. Every week these individuals congregate at Rampage City Paintball, as so many paintballers do at fields across Canada, to put their skills and bodies to the ultimate test. Monday is skills’ night, Thursday is vets’ night and Xball Saturdays are comparable to Friday night football for these players. It’s something they look forward to all week. When the lights go ..read more

Being a full time post-secondary student is hard on your bank account. According to Study Canada, living costs for students on campus ranges from $3,000 to $7,500 per year and off-campus living ranges from $250 to $700 monthly. There is a possible solution, but it’s not for everyone. The Mustard Seed is now taking in post-secondary students for a missional housing project. You’d pay $400 per month, which includes food and utilities. You can save a considerable amount in exchange for a ..read more

Alberta likes to be first in everything: first in the economy, first in oil production, and first in hockey team performance… OK that last one is debatable. But now, we’re first in smoking. Health Canada’s studies show smoking across Canada has decreased across the board amongst all age groups, but Alberta is bucking that trend. This new trend scares me and it should scare you. I used to be a smoker. When I quit smoking, it was such a relief to be ..read more

You’re already late for class as you jam your keys into the ignition, holding your breath until the engine of your beat-up ride roars to life. With a lot of luck − and a little speeding − you make good time in rush-hour traffic. Almost at school, you weigh the cost of paying for parking against the risks of opting out. You decide to chance it.

When you return to your car at the end of the day, you have a ..read more

As graduation approaches many SAIT students are close to reaching the end of their educational path. And like a good novel, the moment may be coloured by both anxiety and relief. Weal editors James McKenzie and Rebekah Jarvis are among the class of 2011. Like you, they have mixed emotions about heading out into the real world. And their debate may just resemble the one going on inside your head as you prepare for the big day. Jarvis: I’m scared. While I’m ..read more

We sit on the verge of a major election, one that could change the Canadian political landscape for years to come. But that doesn’t matter to you. Why should it? There is a grievous disconnect between people and government in this day and age. It’s one of the reasons why voter turnout in the last election was the lowest it’s ever been. Only 58 per cent of the population bothered to vote in 2008, the first year the percentage of voters had dipped ..read more

ANTIGONISH, N.S. (CUP) — The Globe and Mail columnist Margaret Wente claims the 21st century “belongs to women” and that “the war for women’s rights is over. And we won.” She wrote this in a column that came a day before International Women’s Day. This purposefully ignorant argument hardly deserves a response. Unfortunately, this opinion does not seem to be an uncommon. The Chronicle Herald published an article on the same day that began with the phrase “(This 22 year old) grew ..read more

When violent incidents on city transit make the news, it may make the average student rider nervous. Be it the man who lost his leg when he fell between two cars or the individual who was stabbed on the train, these headlines can make you feel like riding public transit is similar to starring in a low budget horror movie. That’s right, your fears about taking that midnight train downtown aren’t completely invalid. While an argument can be made that perhaps people overreact ..read more

What not to do on your magical everything-machine. We live in a world of useful technology. Every other day a new update, feature, app or platform is invented to help us communicate faster, better and more clearly. Of all these continuously evolving technological tools, the cellphone sits at the top of the hierarchy. The average cellphone offers innumerable ways to talk to your friends, family or other associates. From one handy little device, you can email, text, instant message, Facebook, tweet or even ..read more

To many, student loans are a necessity, not a choice. But if the recent study showing student loan debt at an all time high is any indication, maybe this assumption should be questioned. There are, in fact, ways to survive without loans. Perhaps one of the biggest hints that you not only can, but are meant to do so, is found in the regulations that both the provincial and federal loan departments put on those applying for student loans. Whether or not you ..read more

Japan’s current troubles would bring other countries to their knees. An earthquake registering 9.0 triggered a devastating tsunami, which then damaged a series of nuclear reactors, most notably the Fukushima plant. Whole swaths of northern Japan are completely destroyed, thousands have been killed while countless others have lost their homes and livelihoods. One thing that has surprised many is the lack of looting in Japan. Not only have the Japanese remained respectful in the face of this disaster, they have also ..read more

No matter which gender you identify with, there’s a certain degree of difficulty taking advice from the opposite sex. But sometimes we need to suck it up and listen, especially when it comes to certain topics. Bathroom etiquette just so happens to be one of those topics, and there just so happens to be a lot that we can learn from each other. Weal editors Cordell Blanchette and Nicole Santerre give each other, and you, some advice on how to ..read more