Less-proud Canadian
Dear Editors,
Re: “Proud Canadian” (Oct. 6, 2009)
Jacob Mantle, by all means, can hide behind the word “economy.” I could only be more comfortable at this point if he would throw the prefix ‘global’ in there just so we can all understand the scope of the panic.
An economic action plan is a great idea. We all like action, especially if it’s stemming from buzz words and catch-phrases. A tax credit for home renovations is a great idea. Now, what about the 150,000 Canadians who are homeless? And the unemployed who don’t have the money now—should they bolster the credit-debt of this country? Good thing the credit card companies are getting away with sky-rocketing rates to keep us in debt.
Speaking of catch-phrases, has anyone asked Michael Ignatieff to comment on his intentions for this country? His publicist probably did, as he recorded a video response to the Tory attack ads. Did he strike back? Did he play the Harvard elitist card? No. He simply reminded the public that he’s “not the issue.” The veiled implication that he’s less of a Canadian because he worked and lived outside of the country is simply offensive to Canadians who were born outside of the country.
Let’s not imagine some grand defeat of the non-confidence motion in Parliament here; there were 27 more nay votes. There are still 117 members of Parliament who don’t have confidence in this government. That’s a lot of concern and a huge cause for the citizens in this country to be concerned.
So please, be proud of a government that apologizes for and then denies a colonial history. I’m going to continue to envy a country that’s dealing with an economic nightmare but whose government isn’t afraid to continue to exhaust every resource to ensure medical treatment for the people they’re responsible to.
James K.H. Beattie
BMus ’09
Party like Trent
Dear Editors,
This past weekend was Trent University’s Homecoming. I was keen to get a taste of my new school’s vibe, so on Saturday I headed to campus and was shocked and impressed by what I saw.
The Head of the Trent—the weekend’s official moniker—is a rowing regatta that attracts more than 50 university and club teams. The weekend has a variety of other events going on, but the one that interested me the most was a giant beer garden in one of the University’s parking lots equipped with lots of beer, a DJ, food stands, a crowd of inebriated alumni, students and visitors.
With a 19-plus age limit and a $10 cover charge on top of the cost of beer tickets, the University is rumoured to make a nice little profit as the Head of the Trent host. And what do the crowds of hundreds leave with as they exit the beer garden? An official Head of the Trent glass beer mug—a token from the weekend’s festivities.
Don’t get me wrong—I think hundreds of people pouring into the Kingston 613 with an unfounded sense of entitlement to behave like drunken monsters is completely unacceptable. But I have to admit, as I walked around my new campus and watched the University-sanctioned drunken mob, the families walking around, and the rowers, I marvelled at how Trent achieved this—a Homecoming weekend that was void of mutiny, hostility and public negative stigma.
A Head of the Trent-like response to the demand for a belligerent Homecoming experience could be a viable option for Queen’s to consider when sorting through future ideas on how to tackle the Homecoming issue. Because the truth of the matter is—for Queen’s—the parties are going to rage regardless, so why not do it on your terms? Turn a bit of a profit and send the masses off with some loot on their way out the door.
How does the saying go? If you can’t beat’em, join ’em?
Rachel Lipton, ArtSci ’09
ConEd ’10, Trent University
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