Tonight, I was finishing up some reading at The Second Cup in Westdale when a young lady caught my eye as she was trying to find seating in the coffee shop.
A few minutes before, I was thinking about seating behaviour and how my sitting at a four person table – the only table open when I arrived – was taking away three other seats on a busy night.
Now, admittedly, what transpired next was initated by the fact that this young woman caught my eye; however, I hope this is not held too much against me.
I told her that I was just finishing off a page and would be leaving. She could have the table in a minute. I’m not sure what she did next; but about 15 seconds later she stated that she had left her cellphone in the cab she took to the coffee shop.
I’ve left my blackberry in taxi-cabs on one than more occasion and offered to help. I gave the lady my cellphone to call the cab company. They gave her the run around and told her to call her phone in order to reach the taxi driver. Her phone ringer was not on – so this solution would not work.
I called the taxi dispatcher and knew – having experience - what to say. Eventually, the dispatcher found the taxi and I arranged for the taxi to return with the phone.
After this, I proceeded to carry-on with leaving The Second Cup. The lady thanked me and was surprised that I had been so helpful. I told her I had misplaced my phone before and I would hope that others would be helpful to me. At that point, I left and made a point of not telling her my name.
I feel good when I help others, especially when they do not know who I am. I honestly believe that “anonymously” helping someone else encourages them to pass on the chain of good deeds and assist someone else.
I’m hopeful that the lady does not believe that I help her merely because she is attractive – this is not the case. However, I have to admit that the sequence of events started because of this fact.
The world is an interesting place and nothing is purely good or purely bad. I’m human and do my best to live well. That said, I have my faults and wonder if they taint my good deeds. In this case, I say no; in others, I do not know.
Last summer, my friend Sarah dragged me to a production of the Canadian Opera Company in Toronto. I’m glad she did, because it turned out – as much to my surprise as anyone – that I really enjoyed the opera. To say I was shocked would be an understatement.
I attended the performance of La Boheme on May 22, 2009. It was amazing and remains the best performance I’ve seen so far.
Shortly afterwards, I penned a short “review” piece for The McMaster Silhouette. I’ve re-published the piece on my personal website for your enjoyment.
I recently wrote another piece about affordable culture in Toronto for the uToronto the newspaper. It is available online: http://www.thenewspaper.ca/the-arts/item/144-affordable-coc
Yes, I’m become a budding culture critic – who would’ve guessed?
I fear admitting this, but I’m not the least bit interested in the Olympic games this year.
Not too sure why this is. Maybe it is the overwhelming focus on winning at all costs that has turned me off from the Olympics.
Reading my Twitter feeds tonight, I was left with a strong impression that everyone else is glued to Olympic coverage.
Instead, I was sitting in a coffee shop talking with friends about everything but the games.
Today’s a good day. I haven’t really said that for a few weeks. I always feel exhausted during the January – February stretch.
This year, I decided I would not engage in any travel during the month of February and this has helped greatly.
Tonight, I’m going for dinner with two business friends prior to taking in the James Street North (Hamilton) Art Crawl. It should be a great evening.
I’m also going to work on my Valentine’s Day post for my personal blog. While I’m officially single this year, I feel very positive about this holiday. I think about many of the great people I’ve dated over the years and how lucky I’ve been to have them in my life.
This last year has been a trail in my dating life, but I’ve discovered just how lucky I am to be friends with all but one of my former girlfriends – despite the fact that two of them really enjoy snatching true love from my hands, stop stealing my Blackberry! You know who you are.
Multi-ball is what I’m entitling posts with many unrelated thoughts and links. Yes, I’m using a pinball term.
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When asked what I miss most about being an on-campus student at the University of Manitoba, I always answer the chapel at my home college. This year, the chapel at St. John’s College held its annual Christmas Eve service. The choir from Trinity Presbyterian Church sung at the mass and one of their members uploaded a few pictures to a blog. The candles outside on the walkway make me long even more for my resident student days.
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The current education minister in the United Kingdom is calling for a pre-election all-party education debate to occur in the lead-up to the country’s general election latter this year. Britain will experience its first leaders debate later this year after the third large political parties agreed to hold the debate.
It’s an interesting idea, but sadly would be hard to transplant to Canada.
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Pinball news! There are photos of a test model of Stern’s next pinball Machine Big Buck Hunter Pro. pinballnews.com has coverage here: http://www.pinballnews.com/games/bigbuckhunter/index.html
Not sure what I think of the machine right now. It looks like it will be an interesting and challenging game. That said, the last couple of Stern pinball machines have been major disappointments.
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Speaking of pinball, I’ll be skipping again this week. Really behind on school and writing. My own fault, I’ve been slacking.
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The Wall Street Journal’s blog Real Time Economics wrote last week about a novel paper produced by the United States Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia stating that higher education retention rates can be improved by offering insurance policies to cover student debt for those who fail. The paper’s theory is hard to prove or disprove and makes for interesting reading. The WSJ report does a great job summarizing the paper and includes a link to the full document.
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For the first time that I can remember in my life, I’m reading fiction of my own free will. I’ve a prolific reader, I love reading, but I always read with a purpose and I see little purpose to reading fantasy. I’ve always been this way.
I remember at age 8, my grade two teacher assigned a book report project. The class went to the library to pick out a small book. I managed to sneak away into the section of the library dedicated to the middle school teenagers (grades 6 –8) and I found a gigantic National Geographic book about The Solar System. It was huge, I could barely carry it. I was told to get a book from the children’s section instead. I refused and eventually I was allowed to sign out this non-fiction tome.
I remember reading it and the enjoyment I received from doing so. The book was 284 pages and entitled National Geographic’s Picture Atlas to Our Universe. I learned a lot reading those pages and felt pretty smart afterwards.
This continued for the rest of my elementary and secondary education. If I could get away with ditching a fiction book for non-fiction I would. I never bothered to do much with fiction, when forced to read it, I only did so because it was a requirement and only did a minimal book report in the end.
Near the end of high school, I did read some Star Wars science fiction. I found books by Timothy Zahn to be engaging and I always buy Star Wars books written by him. Of course, that’s not the kind of fiction that one can use as a cultural reference or to engage in small talk conversation.
This last year as been transformative for me; mind you, each year is transformative. This year has been more transformative than the last few for many reasons. Culturally, this year marked my first trip as an adult overseas. I travelled to Doha, Qatar twice. What an experience. (This will be a later blog post) I also went to my first Canadian Opera Company performance.
This had a profound impact. Basically, I was completely resistant to the idea of going to the Opera. I only went because I felt trapped into going and I wanted to be able to say “been there, tried it, hated it, leave me alone.”
I was shocked to discover that I really enjoyed the opera; so much that I make a point of going to the opera whenever the opportunity presents itself. The fact that I’ve enjoyed the opera has resulted in me experimenting with other forms of culture. I’ve been to a few art galleries and art crawls. Can’t say I’m a fan of the galleries, but I definitely enjoy the crawls.
Now, I’m reading a book of fiction. The book, Lullabies for Little Criminals, was a finalist for a Governor General’s Literary Award and the 2007 winner of CBC’s Canada Reads. I’ve only read the first chapter so far. After three chapters, I hope to write something on my personal blog.
I haven’t enjoyed the first chapter and I look at my academic textbooks wondering if I’m wasting my time on this fiction venture. I know I’ll finish this fiction book, if I don’t @nursekama will be disappointed in me. I’m reading the book at the same time as her and we’re supposed to discuss it on a regular basis.
Thanks @nursekama! You making me still to my goal of becoming a culturally informed person.
The Toronto Star ran a piece on this topic on Sunday. It did not appear in any of the Google searches I ran prior to posting my own piece entitled “Why the Canadian media is increasing irrelevant”. The graphic attached to the article shows the potential area of the debris field which does not cover a major urban area. The plane flew near Midland, but at no point was Midland below the flight path. I choose Midland as the example based upon the flight arc I linked to.
Tags: Canadian Government, Canadian Media, Emergency Preparation
The big news story of the last few days was the terror attack against Northwest Airlines flight 253 on Christmas Day. It is yet another story that reveals why the Canadian media is becoming irrelevant. There hasn’t been much of a Canadian angle to the story published by our news outlets beyond the regurgitation of statements by the Canadian government.
All of our major news outlets are republishing and broadcasting reports primarily from American wire services. There is very little original reporting on the Canadian aspects to this story. Yes, Canadian media outlets have interviewed the Canadian passenger on the flight, but they haven’t gone much further than this.
Transatlantic flights follow a great circle route that takes them though Canadian airspace en route to their destinations. The Amsterdam to Detroit flight path is no different. (NWA 253 Flight Route)
When the terrorist attempted to blow up Flight 253, he did so over Canadian airspace. This is an extremely important angle to the story. The Lockerbie bombing resulted in 270 deaths after a terrorist exploded a device in mid-air resulting in the break-up of the Pan-Am Boeing 747.
Eleven of those deaths were on the ground when the remains of the aircraft fell to the ground.
Here’s the question I’d like to see answered in the Canadian media; where was NWA 253 over Canadian airspace when the terrorist attempted to combust his explosive device and does the Canadian government have the capability to respond to a Lockerbie-like incident?
A plane falling apart over Midland would require a massive emergency response. With CFB Borden and pretty much the entire Land Forces Central Area command on Christmas Leave, where would the response come from and how long would it take to mount?
It is quite possible that not only were the passengers of Flight 253 lucky, but Canadians on the ground were lucky as well.
We’ll see if the Canadian media covers this angle in the Monday newspapers. I doubt it, the media’s angle on this story will be the line-ups at Pearson airport due to the new security regulations.
The media is dying because it is no longer thinking deeply about the news, it’s merely reporting what it’s told by government news releases and sources.
UPDATE (28 Dec 09 2200GMT): The Toronto Star ran a piece on this topic on Sunday. It did not appear in any of the Google searches I ran prior to posting. The graphic attached to the article shows the potential area of the debris field which does not cover a major urban area. The plane flew near Midland, but at no point was Midland below the flight path. I choose Midland as the example based upon the flight arc I linked to.
Tags: Canadian Government, Canadian Media, Emergency Preparation
I’m a fan of The Ting Tings, so I generally like anything new they put out. They released a variation of their song Shut Up and Let Me Go. Not a big fan of it, but I’m going to share it anyway.
Tags: The Ting Tings
A big light blue towel in early April.
I’ve always been one to prefer huge towels. I have a dark blue towel which I purchased from IKEA in early 2003 that is my favourite. It’s travelled with me across the country and became a bit of a trademark of mine while I lived in barracks and later in residence. In short, I valued the towel.
I had the towel, along with many other items of mine, at a girlfriend’s apartment when she ended our relationship by email during the second half of February.
She refused to return any of my items. By the end of March, I was really frustrated by the situation. I often complained to my close friends about the fact that the ex-girfriend was refusing to return my stuff. When asked which item I wanted returned most, I would respond by stating my big blue towel.
A good friend was out with her now-fiancee. He suggested a few towels, to which she told him they were too small. After an extensive search, she found a huge towel. A few days after purchasing it, she gave it to me. It was the best gift of the year because of how thoughtful it was and it reminded me that my friend truly cared.
Whenever I use this towel, I fell that I’m wrapped by the caring feelings of my friends.
- Francophones less likely to see value in university education: http://tgam.ca/F5k #cdnpse #
- Woman's groups making themselves heard about gender imbalance in higher ed. http://bit.ly/5BSFP7 and http://bit.ly/8bYHwz #cdnpse #
- Confusing CBC article Halifax city councillor who doesn't want anti-student bylaw similar to Oshawa: http://bit.ly/4MtEm8 #cdnpse #
- If I read another "people talk on Facebook about [subject]," I'm going to scream. So what, my dog has an opinion too. #
- @danigirl1987 yes, as part of a bet in high school. Lasted only about an hour before I decided my spine was important to me. in reply to danigirl1987 #
- Wow, Michigan State BB coach makes $8.7 million in 2006: http://chronicle.com/article/B…..ate/62636/ #
- @alexsevigny What are the fringe benefits in your lab? Free food? Cool furniture? Proximity to campus pub? Unlimited supply of coffee? #
- @danigirl1987 heels? Seriously, women amaze me. I can't walk in heels and can barely avoid slipping in winter boots. in reply to danigirl1987 #
- The European Union is looking to fund partnerships between EU and #cdnpse institutions. Call for proposals here: http://bit.ly/4CaXLL #
Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff is looking to take a break from his troubles on Parliament Hill in the new year by returning to the ivory tower, sorta.
No, he’s not leaving politics for the sanctuary of an academic posting, he’s going to visit 11 university campuses during the second week of January to speak with students. The Liberal news release is available here.
Last year, both Jack Layton and Elizabeth May conducted speaking tours visiting campuses across the country. May’s visits were extremely successful in generating media coverage for her and, to a lesser extent, her party.
With Iggy needing to rebrand himself and rebuild his party, visiting campuses seems like a smart move. Combined with the “Canada at 150: Rising to the Challenge” conference his party is organizing to occur in Montreal during March, it appears the Liberals may be embracing Ignatieff’s intellectual nature and promoting themselves as the party of thinkers.
One of the downfalls of Stephane Dion was the failure of the Liberals to embrace Dion’s intellectual nature and to make that a positive about him. Instead, they tried to hide this and Dion appeared to be fake to the public. I remember meeting Dion during his first visit to Hamilton as Liberal leader. I remember distinctly how awkward he was and how he tried to make statements that reflected what spin doctors were advising him to say instead of what he thought.
The Liberal Party of Canada has an opportunity to rebrand Ignatieff in the new year. The question is if they create an image for Ignatieff or if they embrace the academic that Ignatieff is.
I’m hoping to interview Ignatieff during his stop at McMaster University in Hamilton. I’ve emailed my contacts in the party to attempt to arrange this. With this in mind, what post-secondary education related questions do you want Ignatieff to answer? (Keep in mind, I’m going to be lucky to get one-on-one. In all likelihood, I’ll be asking these questions in the middle of a media scrum.)
Tags: Campus Speaking Tours, Liberal Party of Canada, Michael Ignatieff
- I'm at McDonald's again. It's a great study spot, probably shouldn't be tweeting and spreading the word. #
- Only McGuinty can prevent college strike. My latest @globecampus: http://tgam.ca/F10 #cdnpse #
- @cdnpse It's more that I'm married to my school work and writing.
in reply to cdnpse # - @TerryFallis I thought you were playing Jeopardy. Guess I'll have to wait two hours. in reply to TerryFallis #
- @TerryFallis What is a book? #
- Me like cookie monster: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYsi7Ro9ljQ #
- Damn, I'm out of chocolate. I can go to the store, but it was much more fun to raid the gf's gift last year. Being single sucks at times. #
- @cuppres I'd use something along the lines of "North American's oldest student media cooperative" This is why I'm not a copy editor in reply to cuppres #
- @cuppres We drink a lot in reply to cuppres #
- Okay, next week I'm writing about cute rabbits with waffles on their heads. #
- @SheenaGoodyear "Not by targeting the obese, but by targeting the real problem: poor lifestyles and eating habits." in reply to SheenaGoodyear #
- @SheenaGoodyear I agree, that's why I said Lincoln U was misguided (wrong) in how they implemented the course. in reply to SheenaGoodyear #
- @SheenaGoodyear: I've never said there should be a physical requirement or rules about body to graduate. I agree there should not. #
- @SheenaGoodyear Unis can make certain non-subject courses mandatory; no debate. I see a course focused on healthy living being similar. in reply to SheenaGoodyear #
- @SheenaGoodyear not directly, I'm saying there is no debate about unis dictating mandatory courses. in reply to SheenaGoodyear #
- @SheenaGoodyear I don't assume that; hence why I say the choice should be mandatory for all students. in reply to SheenaGoodyear #
- @danigirl1987 they already force classes. Mandatory writing classes is a perfect example. @SheenaGoodyear @globecampus in reply to danigirl1987 #
- Just submitted an @globecampus column… three days in a row; I didn't get the Christmas break memo. #
- @SheenaGoodyear @globecampus I say the university is right to teach people of how to live a healthy lifestyle; teaching is not imposing. in reply to SheenaGoodyear #
- @SheenaGoodyear I like Toronto as well; just playing up the rivalry and stereotypes. in reply to SheenaGoodyear #
- @SheenaGoodyear You should move to Hamilton, much better than Toronto. You can still travel to TO for the two good things without the crime in reply to SheenaGoodyear #
- @cdnpse Actually, the Latin phrase was the beginning of my thought process. Not trying to be cosmopolitan, this time. in reply to cdnpse #
- Mens sana in corpore sano? My latest @globecampus column: http://tgam.ca/FXA #lincolnu #cdnpse #highered #
- Nothing wrong with the RFP, I read it the same way I read the L'Osservatore Romano. It's an editorially autonomous house organ. #cfsfcee #
- @TheVarsity your piece on How to Destroy the Book is nearly a trending topic, but let's keep it a twitter secret from non-tweeting editors #
- @alexsevigny it could be worse, you could be in an airport named after the Iron Lady. in reply to alexsevigny #
- RT @TalentEgg My thoughts on the 1,000 books everyone should read http://bit.ly/6kbcn6 #
- @DanPagan It's the nice thing about a lot of my "Ontario focused" pieces, you can change the province and it still applies. in reply to DanPagan #
- Great line in response to my column. It's not that pols are anti-student, they are pro-vote. #
- My latest @globecampus column: Students need to vote or move out of the neighbourhood! http://tgam.ca/FTY #cdnpse #OUIT #Durham #Oshawa #
- @alox I'm just trying to start a flame war with @RadicalBeer. I do this when I'm bored. in reply to alox #
- @CanEdProject my take on the tuition tax 2 wks ago http://www.globecampus.ca/blog…..cash-cows/ #highered in reply to CanEdProject #
- @RadicalBeer You're a disgrace to the legacy of the RFP; providing social thoughts and analysis. I want the pylon back! in reply to RadicalBeer #
- [New joeycoleman.ca post] Yes, I left Facebook. http://www.joeycoleman.ca/2009…..-facebook/ #
- @FierceFab you are not going to believe this. I saw a Translink bus in Hamilton tonight! Seriously, and it was pulling into a Tim Hortons! in reply to FierceFab #
- @maconcampus @JoeChidley another summary of @globecampus original reporting? Come on Maclean's, Canada needs more than one higher ed site! in reply to maconcampus #
- @kitestring you should visit him. BTW, he's in the City Centre. Maybe it's being in City Hall that makes him sad. All the naughty politicans in reply to kitestring #
- I'm I allowed to admit to listening to Don Henley right now? #
- @hyfen I miss the days when MovableType was the platform leader. It was clean. in reply to hyfen #
- [New joeycoleman.ca blog post] Missing the old Joey Coleman – http://www.joeycoleman.ca/2009…..y-coleman/ #
- @cfs_quebec Really, that's the best you can do? At least @FakeJoeyColeman made sense most of the time. LAME in reply to cfs_quebec #
- @dmolenhuis Where is the $280,000,000 going to come from? #cdnpse #cfsfcee in reply to dmolenhuis #
- FTR @dmolenhuis under two hours response time is the fastest I've ever received from CFS/CFS-S. Hope it continues #cdnpse #cfsfcee #
- @dmolenhuis Where is the $208,000,000 going to come from? in reply to dmolenhuis #
- This is what I need to get back into doing: http://bit.ly/4DHneV Sigh, to motivate myself and find the time to do it again. #
- @queensprincipal I mention the scarf and you change your picture to remove it? That was your brand; now how I'm I to distinguish you? in reply to queensprincipal #
- @alexsevigny on a plus side, I got to watch Kinsella on CBC say political theater is bad for the political process. Rather amusing. in reply to alexsevigny #
- @alexsevigny I admit it, I'm jealous. in reply to alexsevigny #
- @dmolenhuis where do you propose the funding to come from? People have rejected tax increases. Suggest solutions please. #cdnpse in reply to dmolenhuis #
- @kitestring I will be there. in reply to kitestring #
- Really National Post? I'm no fan of the Kangaroo Human Rights courts, but for once they were on the right side. http://bit.ly/5j3rZI #
- @qui_oui @alexsevingy tidy writing is overrated in reply to qui_oui #
- @hyfen It's not that bad; you don't really notice the difference below – 30 in reply to hyfen #
- New recruitment ad? Be an RCMP officer, you can commit crimes and keep your job: http://www.nationalpost.com/st…..id=2332276 #
- Really Alberta Liberals, this is a scandal for you guys? http://www.calgarysun.com/news…..42391.html #
- @ffejery to be clear, I asked the question because I haven't seen the building. It's been too long since my last Kingston trip. in reply to ffejery #
- @ffejery that's why I asked the question. So far, 1 in favour of Centre, 1 in the middle(?), none opposed. in reply to ffejery #
- Today's @globecampus article on Queen's fiscal sit: http://tgam.ca/FNG The Queen's Centre is nice, but is it necessary @queensu tweeters? #
- @queensprincipal do you ever take off the scarf? #
- @durocast thanks in reply to durocast #
- @durocast stream of www.y105radio.com tonight in reply to durocast #
- Suggests you follow @helenegoderis editor of @the_newspaper. #
- I love Sunday night radio. Prince (Little Red Corvette) and then Sarah McLachlan (I will remember you) #
- @alox by HR, you mean Human Resources. She could have a UN Human Rights complaint; but she doesn't seem the secretive type. in reply to alox #
- @FlyingDan I'm going to replace that section with a graphic banner over Christmas. in reply to FlyingDan #
- @StephGunther it be great if @alexsevigny did that; it makes me week easy covering a national story happening locally. in reply to StephGunther #
- @alexsevigny congrats; hopefully your students will find Sunday to be a favourable day for your marking. in reply to alexsevigny #
- @helenegoderis if it were not for you, I'm suggest we ban American students to be safe. BTW, love the pic except one detail in reply to helenegoderis #
- First blog post on the new (under construction) joeycoleman.ca: Higher education news round-up http://bit.ly/8bsqFk #
- @adamriggio yes, spelling fail again on my part. in reply to adamriggio #
- @nursekama says she's going to be updating this page: http://www.nursekama.blogspot.com/ First time in 7+ mths, looking forward to it. #
- Really? Can't we have fun in life? Gal resigns after sending email asking people to vote on sexist male in office http://tinyurl.com/ydmnxkj #
- @danigirl1987 sequins, that's what they are called. I'll stick to "shiny object" in reply to danigirl1987 #
- @danigirl1987 tells you how much I know about shoes. I have three pairs; walking, running, and dress. All are black and comfortable. in reply to danigirl1987 #
- @emmagodmere @danigirl87 give me a $5 pair of white heels, a glue gun, and some glitter and I'll save you $75. Women and shoes – no cents in reply to emmagodmere #
- @danigirl1987 @wolfewylie sounds like it was a good party last night in reply to danigirl1987 #
- Disabled my Facebook account today; didn't feel I was getting much out of it. Going to return in Jan with a plan for using the site. #
Tags: Twitter
On Friday, I decided to leave Facebook for the month of December.
Why? There are many reasons and none of these are protests against Facebook’s so called “improvements” to privacy.
The primary reason is that I don’t know why I’m using Facebook anymore. I knew why I used it back in 2006; it was a small exclusive student community. I could manage it and it was fun. Now, it’s this clutter of games, groups, spam, and other useless garbage.
I need to figure out what purpose Facebook serves me before I return.
I can share my ideas using JoeyColeman.ca and Twitter. I can share my photos here on JoeyColeman.ca and Flickr. My pinball league uses Yahoo! Groups and Google Wave is quickly becoming the discussion forum of choice.
What’s left that makes Facebook special other than my back-and-forth poke wars with my friends Sarah and Annette? Nothing.
People can reach me by email and inform me of events using this same old fashion technology.
The added bonus of not being on Facebook is that I won’t look stupid for not creeping people. If it’s important, you’ll have to tell me and not assume I creep everything about you every hour of the day.
Now, I’ve had a few people say they’ll miss seeing my YouTube favourites show up in their feed. The integration features will be missed, but I can replicate them here.
There’s an added bonus, I know how many people are creeping me here.
Tags: Facebook
I’m working on a story related to Oshawa continued anti-student posturing tonight. As part of my story, I’m reading all the coverage I did for Maclean’s and getting nostalgic.
Erin Millar and I did an amazing job of covering higher education back in 2007 and 2008. She did an amazing job building that site and we were the top source for higher education coverage in Canada.
I like to think we raised the bar forcing the creation of GlobeCampus and the new University Affairs.
Anyway, my experiences as a journalist are another series of blog posts and not what I started this post to discuss.
Back to the point – as I was saying, I’m looking at my old articles and I miss the old Joey Coleman. You remember, the smart ass, fun loving guy. The guy who did nothing in life beyond blogging, working at the parking garage on weekends and evenings to subsidize that blogging, school, and sometimes slept.
While, there is no going back to those days. I work 8am – 12 noon M-F at the parking garage. I’m taking tougher courses, and have rediscovered my friends. (They’re nice people who like to see me every few weeks or so)
That said, I do want to return to blogging more often and doing some form of a regular higher education update on joeycoleman.ca along the lines of the ON CAMPUS DAILY UPDATES I wrote back in the Maclean’s days. Reading the update I wrote for 06 November 2007, I smile at how much fun I had.
I enjoy how I wrote the second half of the update:
Beam me up SSMU
The Student Society of McGill University will be holding a special general meeting next Tuesday in which they will vote on joining a Quebec students strike. The student strike is not the only matter before them. A student group calling itself “Students Organized Against Protestors”, SOAP for short, has put forth motions to honour McGill graduate William Shatner of Captain Kirk fame.
The motions call for renaming buildings at McGill with Star Trek-themed names, would force the Students’ Society Council to recite “Rocket Man” in the style of William Shatner, and will require the students’ society to provide prayer space for students “Shatner-worship needs.”
Personally, I liked Shatner’s destruction of “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.”
I can only ask one thing, can somebody amend the motion to exclude Max Silverman, I hear his singing is really bad. Also, what about those who pray to The Prophets?
Free condoms in your paper? You need protection!
In yet another case of political correctness gone mad, the University of California has cancelled the distribution of 4,500 condoms in the campus paper after some people took offense.
People claimed to take offense, not at the distribution of condoms, but at the advertisement for the distribution which showed two stick figures in the missionary position.
The University health centre had agreed at the beginning of the semester to provide the condoms which the paper would insert into the Nov. 14 issue. Following complaints, the campus health centre will instead print coupons in the student paper which students can submit for a free condom.
Could somebody please invent a form of protection for people who take offense too easily? Or at least something to inject common sense into the ivory tower? Anyone?
Speaking of sex, student newspapers and censorship
Loyola University has pulled a student magazine from distribution on the campus after the magazine ran a sex issue on the Jesuit campus.
The magazine included a drawing of a naked woman in high heels being penetrated by a male from behind. Clearly this is a taboo on most campuses; let alone a private Catholic university.
The students are claiming their freedom of speech is being infringed upon; a valid claim. However, all freedoms must be exercised with reason, just because you have the presses doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want with them. Clearly, this is a Catholic university and nobody is forced to be there. One goes there with the clear understanding that there are certain conventions that are followed. In short, the University is well within its rights to remove this publication; if these students wish to publish a magazine without the restrictions of Catholic doctrine, they are more than able to register at the local public university.
A couple of months ago, I experimented with Delicious in an attempt to share what I’m reading with others. I kept up with it for a few weeks, got busy, and never returned to updating the bookmarks.
Now that I’m finally rebuilding joeycoleman.ca, I need something to write about. I still wish to share what I’m reading with others. I’m going to do this on my blog in a new category entitled recent reads; this is the first post.
An amazing article published by the United Kingdom’s The Daily Mail expresses concerns about what appears to be the lack of social mobility in today’s British society. Due to the massification of higher education, the value of an undergraduate degree has greatly diminished resulting in less opportunity resulting from the degree. Despite the massification, the number of students from the lowest social economic groups has not grown significantly; it is the middle and upper classes which are benefitting. The column asks a great question: is increasing the number of students attending university actually boosting social mobility? The author, Ryan Shorthouse, notes that the graduate premium often cited (uni grads make more than high school grads) is based on the earning of students in the 70s before the age of purchased internships, non-paid internships, and the necessity of grad school, and student debt; all factors that hinder climbing the social ladder. As someone from the lowest social-economic classes, I read this with interest. I know that I haven’t been able to find an internship that pays enough for me to support myself during it.
More students don’t always mean more social mobility
Last Wednesday (09 Dec 09) a study underwritten by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation about why students drop out of college (it’s an American study) and the reasons these former students cite for dropping out was released. The study was conducted by Public Agenda entitled With Their Whole Lives Ahead of Them interviewed 600 young American adults. The findings are best summarized by Tamar Lewin on The New York Times blog The Choice.
Study Sheds Light on Students Leaving College Early
The Associated Press reports that the United States primary federal student assistance program, the Pell Grant (wikipedia), faces a $18-billion deficit over the next three years. The deficit is the result of increased eligibility, an increase to the maximum amount of the grant, and the number of people enrolling in higher education during the recession. Both the White House and Congress are reassuring students there will be no cuts to the program.
More head to school, while Pell Grant program faces $18 billion shortfall
The Washington Post ran a column Tuesday noting the challenges facing homeless students attending American colleges. It’s a good inspiring read.
For homeless college students, each day brings tests of will
Earlier in the week, The Chronicle of Higher Education technology section ran a piece discussing the transformation of university computer labs into lounge spaces. Motivated by a desire to save money, some universities are cutting back the number and size of computer labs on their campuses. With most students now having portable computers, this is a win-win scenario. The university saves money and students receive study space.
Rebooted Computer Labs Offer Savings for Campuses and Ambiance for Students
My home university, the University of Manitoba, elected its next Chancellor last week. Harvey Sector takes office in the new year. I’m sadden to see Bill Norrie end his terms as Chancellor. Norrie was accessible to students and often promoted student causes. Here’s hoping Chancellor Sector does the same.
University of Manitoba
The University of Guelph is demolishing six houses located at the southwest corner of their campus, reports the Guelph Mercury. The houses, which at one point were the residences of university deans and administrators, are currently used for the campus food bank, bike coop, and some student housing. It’s just another symptom of the mass production assembly system of higher education which we’ve built here in Canada. The community formed by having academics live on campus has long left. With the demolition of these buildings, the last large visual reminders of that era are gone as well.
Days numbered for little houses on the campus
An interesting read from U.S. News & World Report’s education section notes the difference in pricing for dorm accommodation within the American higher education system. No surprise; the luxury dorms at NYU are more expensive than traditional dorms at smaller rural universities. It’s worth noting the current momentum in Canadian higher education is towards more “premium” residences which, not surprisingly, generate higher revenues for the host institution.
Are Pricey Dorms 10 Times Better?
With so many post-secondary institutions, there are always quirky stories about initiatives to assist students. One of the more interesting, reported by The University Leader, is Fort Hays State University in Kansas giving students $5 dollars for graduate an on-campus class with a mark of C or above. (Hattip: Chronicle of Higher Education student affairs blog)
Several unaware of grades-for-cash student program
(I haven’t started my Sunday reading, so these likes are not the freshest. I’m hoping to do part two with today’s news before going to bed tonight)
Tags: Higher Education Reads
- @alexsevigny Spacing is a hot item these days, and leading the "community building" revolution for magazines. in reply to alexsevigny #
- @qui_oui yeah, Christmas parties are fun in reply to qui_oui #
- @alexsevigny According to @qui_oui status, she's at a CFS-O mtg. I'm working on my writing. Way to go us on a Saturday night. in reply to alexsevigny #
- @wolfewylie @danigirl1987 very nice tree! in reply to wolfewylie #
- @smilnar Sarah, you'll have to do better for an excuse than leaning on Word's spell check; blame an editor for eating my homework in reply to smilnar #
- Working on my personal website with very slow Rogers internet tonight. I can barely stream a radio station. #
- @Ubyssey is live streaming the AMS Council (Univ. Brit. Columbia) meeting. (TheUbyssey live › http://ustre.am/8G8R) #
- @taylorloren Now, that's the most fun I've had tonight. in reply to taylorloren #
- Interesting #amscouncil comment regarding Olympics; there will be protests. Does this incident rein in Frederick or not? #
- @DanPagan what, his multi-million retirement pay out isn't enough? in reply to DanPagan #
- @cup72 plus, being at the CBC, she's a contender to be the next Governor General! in reply to cup72 #
- @jasonachiu I know Erin's going in reply to jasonachiu #
- @TheAgenda With the political turmoil and economic situation, an exploration of Romania be informative #youragenda in reply to TheAgenda #
- @jasonachiu Millar…. oops in reply to jasonachiu #
- @emmagodmere did you get a picture? in reply to emmagodmere #
- @emmagodmere are you sure it was a mirror? in reply to emmagodmere #
- @FierceFab enjoy the flight in reply to FierceFab #
- McMasterU president Peter George is in the same room as me at uToronto right now. Poor guy, can't get a break #
- @swasser @hyfen if only she would knew everything about what's happening in the building, then she'll be able to help lost visitors like me in reply to swasser #
- @swasser Agreed. It's too bad I was running late, it was great to see you anyway. -JC in reply to swasser #
- @colinlefevre We're paying attention to the environment, #Tiger hit a tree. I also hear Romania finally has a Prime Minister. in reply to colinlefevre #
- @scourti Jan 31 2010 for the fare increase in reply to scourti #
Tags: Twitter
A few people have emailed me to ask why there hasn’t been much communication from me during the conference.
There are a couple of reasons. the primary reason is that I’m busy trying to learn as much as I can from as many people that I can.
The secondary reasons are that the conference is located in the opposite end of the city from my hotel and I’ve been unable to get any of the interviews I’ve requested.
Due to the location of the media hotel, I have to spend an hour each day in transport and my transportation windows are limited. I cannot return to my room during the day. In short, I’m unable to settle in for a long period of time and write.
What we have here is a clash between the new journalism and a public relations firm that is using the old-fashion media control tactics. They are trying to get the media to repeat their message and are minimizing uncontrolled interactions.
My apologies to all my readers for this.
I hope to make it up to you by writing great analysis pieces during my flights home. I’m in the air for about 17 hours to get back to Toronto and this should give me a chance to finish some pieces.
This afternoon, I’m interviewing Dr. Ahmed Dewidar, Senior Education Advisor & Monitor, Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Egypt. This interview should be interesting and offer insight into how Canada is making a difference in education.