Six-year-old Zachary Christie has been suspended from a Newark, Delaware elementary school for bringing his camping utensil to the lunchroom, the New York Times reported Oct. 11. The school said Zachary’s utensil, which can serve as a knife, fork and spoon, violated their zero-tolerance policy on weapons. Zachary, who brought the knife to school out of excitement for joining the Cub Scouts, now faces 45 days in a district reform school while his family appeals his punishment.

Halloween is fast approaching, and with little time left to buy a costume I bet you still haven’t figured out what you’re going to be. Don’t worry—I’ve got your back.
Some of you may be content going to a costume store and purchasing another sexy nurse, cat, or police officer outfit, and that’s fine.

The Canadian government will allow police to give drivers random breathalyser tests on the road if a proposed new law goes forward, CBC News reported Oct. 5.
Current legislation allows police to conduct breathalyser tests only if they have reasonable suspicion a driver has been drinking.

New rules at Tufts University in Boston officially ban students from having sex inside dorm rooms while their roommates are present, CNN reported Sept. 29.
The policy, printed in this year’s student handbook, also calls for an end to “sexiling”—the act of casting one roommate out so the other can secure privacy to engage in sexual activity.

Today’s my 21st birthday and I’m feeling a little nostalgic.
Since coming to Queen’s, I’ve spent my last three birthdays here and I’ve learned a few things from each of them.

This week in Coventry, U.K. 14-year-old Natalie Morton died a few hours after receiving a vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV), the virus known to cause cervical cancer, the Globe and Mail reported Sept. 29.

The Aberdeen Street party came and went with a few arrests, some broken bottles and horse droppings galore.
What was a street party in previous years became a lawn-and-sidewalk party this year, with the street reserved for police cars and the occasional officer on horseback.

Former American President George W. Bush’s new career initiative as a speaker-for-hire will bring him to Canadian cities frequently with a hefty security bill in tow, the Globe and Mail reported Sept. 26.
Bush’s speaking gigs north of the border are estimated to cost Canadian taxpayers over $500,000 this year.

This summer, someone called me a coconut, or brown on the outside and white on the inside. It pissed me off.
What does it mean to be a “coconut”?

Last year Principal Tom Williams officially cancelled Homecoming, but that hasn’t stopped the Queen’s community from speculating if the dangerous and unsanctioned Aberdeen Street party will rear its ugly head again this weekend. The City of Kingston has elected not to close Aberdeen Street as they have in the past, and Queen’s Red Hat volunteers will no longer be present. Police forces will be in the area to protect community safety and provide crowd control.

Okay, I have a nerdy confession to make.
As a kid, my favourite movie was Back to the Future and it wasn’t because of Michael J. Fox’s gosh darn cute looks or Christopher Lloyd as zany Doc Brown.

In her Sept. 21 opinion piece “Want to know why professors don’t teach?” Globe and Mail columnist Margaret Wente argues university professors are less concerned with educating undergraduates than increasing their volume of published work, regardless of who reads it.

Let’s face it: student lifestyles are heavily influenced by the negative income we earn. Our net worthlessness makes beer, Kraft Dinner, wing nights, Thursdays at Ale, Fridays at Alfie’s and all-you-can-eat sushi Tuesdays a part of our culture. We are a group of cheap, hungry, boisterous consumers.