Woman accused of witchcraft demands right to a fair burning

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October 28, 2013

YE OLD BURNABY — A local woman accused of witchcrafting around campus has reportedly announced that she deserves a thorough, detailed and fair burning before being denounced as a witch.

The woman, a third year alchemy student at Ye Old Simon Fraser University, was accused of first-degree dark magic after she was discovered with a broomstick in her quarters but is now claiming she is entitled to a civil and lawful public third-degree burning.

“I know I’m not a witch and I’m willing to go to the stake to prove it,” the alleged witch told Ye Old Peak last week. “When I’m unable to use magic and burn up and die everyone will see that I was innocent the whole time!”

While others have even gone as far as to say that the woman deserves a fair trial, similar to what those witches got in Salem except fair, since objectivity in newspapers doesn’t exist yet I’m just going to say that she is definitely a witch and should be killed.

I mean she did have a broom, I can’t see any reason why a woman who’s not a witch would ever have one of those!

Originally printed in the Peak’s Humourous Section in 1692.

Ghosts in Gastown

By

Peak Web

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October 28, 2013

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As Halloween is the best time of the year to scare yourself silly, I thought it best to spook you all with some chilling tales from right here in Vancouver. After doing a little research, I discovered that the city is riddled with a ghostly past; many of our well-known landmarks are said to be haunted. I ventured downtown to snap a few photos and discover more about what haunts Vancouver’s famous streets.

Venturing into Gastown, I was surprised to learn that the historical buildings in the area are reportedly the hub of ghostly activity in Vancouver. The Dominion Building, one of the city’s first steel-framed high-rise buildings, was constructed in 1910. As the urban legend says, the celebration soon came to a fatal end when the building’s architect, John S. Helyer, was apparently killed after tripping down the staircase. Many who now work there say that mysterious footsteps can be heard on the stairs between the seventh and eighth floors. Helyer’s apparition has allegedly been seen as well.

Gaoler’s Mews, a well-preserved tourist attraction on Water street, left a particularly strong impression on me. Surrounded by cobblestoned courtyards and wrought-iron gates, it’s apparent that this site is rich with history; being the site of Vancouver’s first public jail, much of its story is not pretty.

Before being rebuilt after burning down in 1886, many of the criminals housed here were publicly hung to death in the courtyard west of the building. Since then, a strange woman in black is said to haunt the premises. Some speculate that she is the spirit of a widow who had lost her husband to the noose. She apparently chills the staff members when she calls out their names, and has been seen gliding through the gate to Blood Alley.

The hauntingly titled Blood Alley — the side-street parallel to Water Street — also has a dark past. I was rather spooked while walking down the deserted cobblestones, the eerie silence only broken by a murder of crows. The alley is said to have been named for the the buckets of blood spilled on the street by butchers who ran businesses here at the turn of the 20th century. During this time, payday muggings and murders were common among street-folk, and psychics have recently fled the alley claiming that it is thick with the presence of horrible spirits.

Next time you go out for pasta, keep a look out for the ghosts that inhabit the Old Spaghetti Factory. We’re all familiar with Trolley #53 pleasantly sitting inside the restaurant, and some of us (including myself) have eaten inside of it. Rumour has it that after closing time, a spirit of a uniformed conductor likes to sit and observe from one of the tables inside the trolley.

Additionally, the ghost of a red-haired man dressed in red long-johns has been known to haunt the customers, and once gave two women a fright when he appeared one evening leaving a cubicle in the ladies restroom. The “little red man” turned to the ladies and laughed at them before exiting through the back door of the restaurant. Even more chilling is that no other customer saw the man leave the room, and when the ladies tried to capture him in a photo, he appeared only as a blur.

During the night, phantom footsteps walk the tiled floors of Waterfront Station, which is allegedly one of the most haunted places in Vancouver. Built by the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1915, the station was originally used for transcontinental passenger trains from across the country. Over the last few decades, night security guards have witnessed a series of apparitions and ghost-like activities throughout the building.

One guard stumbled upon the apparition of a woman in a dress dancing to mysterious 20s music alone in the corridor. When the guard rushed over to investigate, the music had stopped and the woman had vanished. Furthermore, guards have reported sighting three elderly ladies sitting on a station bench in the main hall, seemingly awaiting a train that will never arrive.

Finally, the ghost of a headless brakeman has often been seen to wander along the train tracks just north of the building. In 1928, the man slipped and fell on the wet tracks, rendering himself unconscious. Unfortunately, the man was then run over by a passing train and decapitated as a result. Now, the headless man has apparently terrified a few passengers while they await the Skytrain’s arrival.

Vancouver is certainly brimming with a paranormal history, so the next time you find yourself wandering through a deserted Gastown alleyway, you may want to consider walking a little faster. Afterall, you never who, or what, might be watching you.

Playing for Pride

By

Peak Web

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October 28, 2013

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SACKVILLE (CUP) – Competition on the ice, field or hardcourt is supposed to serve as a medium in which humans can be careless, free and at peace. For some gay athletes, it can feel more like a prison.

Nothing is more important in competition than getting the win and basking in glory. But for decades, gay athletes have been held back by what You Can Play co-founder Brian Kitts calls “casual homophobia.” You Can Play is a project with the goal to rid sports of homophobia. After campaigns to rid the locker room of racist and sexist behavior, homophobia has been thrust in the spotlight as the next target.

The effort to end homophobia in the locker room has been a hot-button issue from the big leagues to local arenas for a significant portion of the last half-century. And Kitts hopes the organization he helped start will be able to make a difference.

Kitts co-founded You Can Play with Patrick Burke and Glenn Witman in March 2012 as a tribute to Burke’s brother Brendan, who came out in November 2009 and worked to eradicate homophobia in professional sports before he died in a car crash in February 2010. At the time, Brendan was the student-manager at Miami University for the men’s hockey team.

Despite the gains made in recent years with athletes, executives, journalists and teams coming together to stand against homophobia, one Mount Allison athlete still thinks total acceptance of gay athletes is unbalanced.

“I think that in general it’s more accepted among women to have gay teammates than men,” said the athlete, who wished to remain anonymous.

This was reflected in the comments from fourth-year Mt. Allison Mounties hockey forward Chelsea King, who’s adamant that homophobia shouldn’t be tolerated in any sport, “We’re all the same. Nobody should be judged or made fun of because of their sexual preference,” she said.

However, the campaign to end homophobia in the locker room also faces roadblocks. Locker room decisions and the events that transpire there are usually restricted to athletes and team personnel. This puts most of the decision to take a stand on the shoulders of the athletes and teams.

“Humans by nature value fairness,” said Kitts. “It’s a matter of giving them the opportunity to get on board with this.”

Since their founding almost a year ago, You Can Play has joined forces with several prominent schools, teams and athletes, all pledging to take a stand to end homophobia. The St. Thomas University Tommies, the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds, the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees and the Ontario Intercollegiate Fastpitch Association have all taken a stand at the Canadian university level.

Nobody should be judged or made fun of because of their sexual preference.”

-Chelsea King, hockey player

But the battle is still a long way from being over. Kitts noted the importance of not only forming an alliance of gay athletes, but partnering with straight athletes as well. “We’re going to grow out of [casual homophobia],” he said.

Kitts hopes homophobia can be targeted similarly to racism and sexism, though he admitted change will not come overnight. He referred to several decades ago when it would have been considered acceptable to some degree to use derogatory language towards athletes of different races or gender. This isn’t the case now, demonstrating how the world of sport has made strides towards a more open atmosphere.

Kitts is firmly focused on doing the same work with homophobia. For now, he and his team work day in and day out to ensure that athletic ability is the only determining factor for success in sports, from the bright lights of the world’s biggest athletic events to minor hockey games at the local arena.

SFU hockey hammers UVic

By

Peak Web

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October 28, 2013

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The Simon Fraser University men’s hockey team’s high-octane offense continued to roll along against the University of Victoria Vikes over Oct. 18-19 weekend. The visiting Clan outscored their hapless opponent 15–0 over the two games and made a statement to the rest of the BC Intercollegiate Hockey League (BCIHL) in doing so: this iteration of Clan hockey will be hard to slow down.

UVic was well aware of SFU’s scoring prowess; in Game 1 of the doubleheader the Vikes strategy was to utilize the defensive trap — having only one player forechecking and the remaining four players staying in the neutral zone — to neutralize the Clan’s offense.

(Editor’s note: “To neutralize” is a phrase that can be used euphemistically to refer to killing or destruction. Speaking of which, expect to see a lot of dead people roaming the streets these days). To combat this, SFU combined a suffocating forecheck with their speed to drive the puck out wide, dump it in and chase it down.

Simon Fraser’s two first period goals were results of this strategy. The first came when Graham Smerek retrieved the puck deep in UVic territory after a solid forecheck and good hustle and eventually fed a wide-open Jesse Mysiorek out front for the tap-in.

The Clan’s second goal came when newcomer Yan Kalashnikov used his speed to beat Vikes’ defenseman Alex Bond out wide, forcing Bond to trip Kalashnikov. Nick Sandor rewarded Kalashnikov’s hard work with a beautiful top shelf goal on the ensuing power play.

Game 1 was effectively over before the third period even started.

In the second period, UVic came out with good energy and generated some offensive pressure. At the 8:30 minute mark however, the Clan broke their counterpart’s spirit, as Mike Ball’s point shot missed the net, but bounced right to Nick Sandor for the easy goal in an essentially empty net. The lucky bounce took the wind out of UVic’s sails, as SFU added four more goals in the frame to take a 7–0 lead after 20 minutes.

Game one was effectively over before the third period even started, but for good measure, SFU potted three more goals to capture a 10–0 victory.

SFU “only” won Game two by a score of 5–0, but their dominance was never in question. UVic changed their strategy from the night before, bringing more than one forechecker in to apply pressure on SFU’s defense. This meant the Clan’s defensemen had to make good first passes out of their zone, and they did just that.

The topline of Jono Ceci, Nick Sandor and Trevor Milner got the Clan on the board in the first off a perfectly executed three-on-two rush. The goal was an example of SFU using their speed to deter UVic’s new forecheck.

After adding two more goals in the first, SFU found itself in penalty trouble in the second frame. Facing a Vikes’ 5-on-3 powerplay, SFU’s penalty killers staved off the attack by blocking shots that would make Canucks’ coach John Tortorella proud, and stellar goaltending (Editor’s note: While Jason Voorhees is famous for wearing an old hockey mask, he does not, in fact, tend goal for the Clan).

SFU put this game to bed in the second as Trevor Milner placed a perfect wrist shot over the shoulder of Vikes’ goalie Robert Simmons. SFU added a fifth goal in the third to round out the scoring.

SFU heads home for the marquee match of the early season: a Saturday night showdown with fellow undefeated squad, Selkirk College. The game features the top two teams in the league, and a win would make SFU the early favourites to bring home the championship.

Board Shorts

By

EIC

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October 28, 2013

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SFU raises tuition for domestic and international students

This year, the University will not be receiving any increase in grants from the Provincial Government — in fact, it is expecting funding cuts over the next two years. This poses a problem for basic university functions, such as scheduled salary raises for faculty and deferred maintenance costs.

To combat this issue, SFU will be raising tuition for both domestic and international students alike. Although domestic students only need to fear a two per cent increase in tuition every year, the same protection does not apply to international students.

Therefore, international students can expect a tuition raise of eight per cent over the next three years, combined with the general two per cent raise. Therefore, by 2016 international students will be paying 30 per cent more for tuition than they do currently, while domestic students’ tuition will have increased by six per cent.

Professors want a union

According to the SFSS board of directors, SFU professors are discussing the possible formation of a union. Talks began at the SFUFA General Meeting in March 2013, where members passed a motion to explore the potential for unionization.

In British Columbia, faculty are unionized at all public higher education institutions except SFU, UVic and UNBC. However, UVic and UNBC have indicated that they are actively considering unionization. SFU professors’ decision on unionization will be made at the Fall General meeting, which is set for Nov 6.

Food Certificate Update

Since its launch on Oct 1, the new Food Bank program has been used 20 times. Although board members are happy with their decision to switch from a traditional model to a food certificate program, Food Bank working group member and SFSS external relations officer Chardaye Bueckert said they “need more hands and brains on deck” to ramp up promotion. Bueckert also expressed the Working Group’s desire to create a ‘shelf of reciprocity’ where students would be free to drop off donations or take away food items in a public and open environment. Similar models have been employed at many Canadian universities, finding them a successful alternative to the food bank while providing immediate access to food items.

Chic kings and queens of horror

By

Peak Web

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October 28, 2013

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Dressing up for Halloween is fun and all, but what about the other 364 days of the year? Why not channel some of classic horror’s iconic dudes and dames when you get dressed in the morning? You can look just as good slaying those papers as these folks did combating demons (or, you know, hunting down their loved ones with an axe).

Mia Farrow in Rosemary’s Baby

In 1968’s Rosemary’s Baby, Rosemary Woodhouse (Mia Farrow) becomes mysteriously pregnant and strange occurrences start happening around her. She becomes increasingly paranoid about her baby, an obsession which slowly begins to control her life.

Even while possibly carrying the spawn of satan in her womb, Rosemary looks good. Farrow’s signature pixie cut debuts in this film, and she does it well. To get her look, try out a short cut, or if you’re not feeling quite brave enough to go that short, test drive the chin-length bob with some sweepy fringe. Paired with wide collared dresses in plaid prints, black turtlenecks, dangly silver-chain necklaces, and little baby-doll dresses, you’ll be the spitting image of 60s chic (sans devil baby).

Sissy Spacek in Carrie

Okay, so covered-in-blood isn’t exactly the new black, but Spacek’s character, the one and only Carrie, has her moments of school-girl chic. The film follows bookish Carrie and her controlling mother. After discovering she has telekinetic powers, the shy Carrie is pushed to her limit on the night of her prom, activating a frightful power that is unleashed on her town.

During most of the film, Spacek is dressed in collared shirts, grey and navy blue tones, and scalloped trims, but she gets pretty dolled up for the night of her prom. Check out thrift stores for a pale pink silky slip dress and, instead of a whole tiara, try out a jeweled hair clip. Just consider skipping out on the lank locks — and the blood.

Winona Ryder in Beetlejuice

The secret to stealing Ryder’s look? Wear black. It’s pretty simple. Ryder’s character, Lydia Deetz, is a friend to the dead, and, after nearly getting roped into marrying the “bio-exorcist” named Betelgeuse, she finds a new family in a sweet dead couple.

Ryder is the queen of the 90s, and her spiky black hair and solid black wardrobe in Beetlejuice have inspired many gothic renditions among girls young and not-so-young. If you’re not feeling down with the darkness, try out her short black bangs with a peter-pan collared shirt and a school-boy blazer, or go for a wide-brimmed black hat. If you’re feeling extra fancy, hunt down some blood-red tulle and go to your next family function Betelgeuse-wedding style.

Bruce Campbell in The Evil Dead, Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness

Okay, so you can’t fake that absurdly square chin, but you can fake that I-was-just-digging-up-dead-bodies-in-the-garden look that he so winningly rocks. If you haven’t seen any of the Evil Dead trilogy, I suggest renting a copy and setting up your Halloween night for a good old-fashioned marathon. The films (and I’m purposefully leaving out the 2013 remake here) are scary, but they’re tempered by ridiculous slap-stick humour and B-movie effects.

Campbell’s character, Ashley ‘Ash’ J. Williams, is a “manly-man” of the breed found primarily in western movies of the past. His greeny-blue collared shirt is rolled up to the elbows just so and tucked into dust-brown slacks. The look is completed with a rough leather belt and boots that look like they should be covered in manure. Granted, his shirt — what’s remaining of it, anyways — is usually covered in dirt and various bodily substances, and by the time we hit the end of Evil Dead II, his right hand has become a chainsaw, but the I-could-battle-deadites-for-days look is always fresh.

Anthony Perkins in Psycho

Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates may just be the most dapper of the bunch. Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) is trusted with $40,000 and decides to make a run for it and start a new life, when she happens upon the Bates Motel. Norman, the quiet young man who runs the hotel, seems to be dominated by his mother (in more ways than one).

Beyond Norman’s creepy demeanour and stabby-stab personality lies an impeccably dressed dude. His collared shirts are crisp and layered beneath crew-neck sweaters and blazers. Looks for brown tweeds and beige hues and don’t be afraid to layer. He also tends to favour comfort over fit, so look for soft cotton materials, and don’t worry if your blazer hangs a little loose — all the easier to fit two personalities.

Jack Nicholson in The Shining

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, and what better way to dress for play than lodge attire! Jack Nicholson becomes Jack Torrance, a third of a family who is caring for an isolated hotel for the winter. Things go awry when Jack goes stir crazy and becomes violent, turning on his own family.

Nicholson’s spot-on crazy eyes would surely not be the same without his family-man appearance and ski-ready closet. His plaid shirt and deep merlot-coloured sports jacket may translate as typical father attire, but when he flies off the handle, the contrast between appearance and action could not be more stark. Look for forest greens, maroons, and navy blues. Anything that looks like it might need elbow patches one day also works. And don’t forget: it’s all in the eyes.

My trick, my treat, my choice

By

EIC

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October 28, 2013

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Although in my current position as the Humour section editor for this newspaper, I try to keep my personal politics and radical social views out of my writing, once a semester I’m called upon to break my silence and contribute a shocking and provocative piece to the Opinions section.

Last semester I no doubt caused a firestorm of controversy with my Editor’s Voice in which I bravely declared my belief that Barack Obama has the credentials to go down in history as one of the presidents of the United States. I can only assume that the personal feelings I’m about to reveal will once again put me in the crosshairs of the entire student body.

This time however, the scope of my bitingly critical, sardonic viewpoint has been limited to fit into a Halloween-themed paper but as you can already tell from the headline above, I’m not afraid to take strong stances on even the least talked about issues.

Anyway, it is my firm belief that everyone should have the right to make their own decision on whether they are subject to a trick or must give away a treat at Halloween. And, unlike the rest of the world I’m not afraid to talk about it, I’m 100 per cent pro-choice and proud of it.

For me, there’s no middle ground to this question, it’s up to the individual plain and simple.

For me, there’s no middle ground to this question, it’s up to the individual, plain and simple. It’s their candy, their house, their body, and therefore their choice. Just because you might think that giving out candy is the only socially-acceptable response to the “trick-or-treat” dilemma, don’t push it on me.

Some people just can’t afford to give their candy to kids, others just would rather see the kids perform mischief on their house for some reason . . . it shouldn’t matter why, it’s nobody’s business but the person answering their door.

No one should be able to tell you that you can’t choose trick if you want to, and no one is trying to. Certainly the government shouldn’t be telling people that they can’t request a trick from children instead of giving them a treat, and as far as I’m aware they never have.

I guess what I’m trying to say is, people should be allowed to choose between tricks or treats, and they are. However, even though this issue is currently not a problem for anyone, I think the right to choose between candy or prank on October 31 should be a fundamental liberty, mostly because I have no idea what a fundamental liberty is.

So, this Halloween remember that it’s your choice whether or not you are tricked by trick-or-treaters or you treat them. This isn’t a complicated issue, like abortion, you choose what’s best for you, it’s that simple.

You know what else is a choice? Which section of this paper you read. So stop wasting your time being angered by flimsy, incoherent arguments like this and get to the Humour section already! If you go straight there you’ll finish this paper in no time!

The Witching Hour

By

EIC

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October 28, 2013

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Halloween: That supernatural time of year when ghosts, goblins, and every conceivable celebrity look-alike gather at your doors, demanding you give them candy. But have you ever thought about where these creepy customs actually originated? The Peak has the story behind some of Halloween’s longest-standing — and spookiest — traditions.

All Hallow’s Eve

Over 2000 years ago, the Celts began the festival of Samhain on October 31 to celebrate the New Year (which, according to their calendars, came on November 1). They believed that on this night, the line between the worlds of the living and the dead were the thinnest.

Ghosts, demons, and all manner of the dead were thought to walk among and mingle with the living on this special occasion. The Celts celebrated with bonfires and sacrifices to satisfy the otherworldly beings, and to protect the living from close encounters with these unwelcome guests.

Halloween has gone through many transformations in its lifetime. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated All Saints’ Day on November 1, in an effort to celebrate the good in the world after the evil of the previous day. The name Halloween is actually a contraction of All Hallow’s Evening, since it’s celebrated on the eve of Gregory’s saintly holiday.

Since then, the religious aspects of October 31 have gradually fallen aside, and made way for the modern, relatively family-friendly events we know now. You’re still likely to see ghosts and ghouls roaming around during the day, but most of them will probably be kids in plastic costumes.

Black Cats

Each year on October 31, if a black cat crosses your path, you’re likely to view it as an unwelcome omen of bad luck. So, why are you scared of that cute kitty you’d lovingly embrace any other day of the year?

Back when poor old ladies were being accused of witchcraft on a much-too-often basis, their cats were called their demonic sidekicks, or their “familiars.” Some even accused cats of being the devil incarnate, come to Earth in feline form to socialize with the sorceresses. Suffice it to say that black cats have been affiliated with evil since day one, and most often in relation to Halloween.

Supposedly, if a witch becomes human, her black cat will no longer be by her side. However, in the olden days, when an accused witch was killed, her cat often was as well. In any case, it’s probably best to avoid adorable black kittens on Halloween night — just to be safe.

Jack-O-Lanterns

Carving scary, funny, or just plain weird faces into pumpkins is one of October’s best-loved traditions. Pumpkin carving has its roots in an old Celtic folk legend of a man named Stingy Jack, who was banished from heaven and hell after tricking the devil. Wandering lost and alone in purgatory, he fashioned himself a lantern from a lump of coal inside a turnip to light his way.

The Celts then began to place their own lit-up turnips outside of their homes to guide lost spirits like Jack — however, they’d carve scary faces on them to dissuade the spirits from coming too close. When the potato famine forced many to immigrate to North America, the tradition travelled with them. However, turnips were less common in their new home, so pumpkins were introduced as a replacement, and a new tradition was born.

Trick-or-Treating

Children will be the first to tell you the most important part of Halloween is, without a doubt, collecting candy door to door (it’s a hard point to argue). This tradition first began in a much different form in Europe, during the ninth century. Children and poor people would travel from town to town on Halloween night, asking for “soul cakes,” which are small biscuits made with nutmeg and ginger. In return for the cakes, they would offer prayers for the generous givers’ dead relatives.

The more soul cakes given, the more prayers the dead relatives would receive from the beggars. As time progressed, the tradition of going door to door lost its religious aspects, and children began collecting candy instead of baked goods. Today, most trick-or-treating takes place between 5:30 and 9:30 p.m. Make sure to stock up on those chocolate bars!

Dressing Up

Collecting sugary treats was not always the reason for dressing up on Halloween. Today, it is one of the biggest consumer-based holidays, with parents spending an average of $1 billion on kids’ costumes for this scary night. However, costumes come from much humbler origins.

The practice of dressing up for this special occasion developed from the Celtic tradition of disguising oneself as an evil spirit, so that when the demons check their calendars and decide it’s time to roam the Earth, they simply mistake you for one of their own and pass by. Given that this was done in an effort to survive the night, it may not have been quite as much fun as it is now.

~

Halloween is a popular holiday around the world, and carries with it many varied traditions and histories. Whether you’re watching your favourite horror flick, going door-to-door with a younger sibling, hitting up a costume party or carving the perfect pumpkin, everyone can find some enjoyment on this frightful night. Happy Halloween!

No sense to the Nobel Peace Prize

By

Peak Web

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October 25, 2013

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Ten days ago, the 2013 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize was announced. This year featured a record number of nominations for the award, and the committee was no doubt hard-pressed to choose a winner among so many deserving people and organizations. When the decision was announced, many were shocked to hear that the winner of the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize was the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

While it is hard to say that this award wasn’t deserved, it is equally difficult to see the justice in giving an award to an organization that is literally performing the task it was created to accomplish: to verify both the prohibition and elimination of chemical weapons by the signatories of the Chemical Weapons Convention. It is an important goal, but the work seems less than equal to the reward — an award whose recognition would be better afforded to many of the other nominees.

Take, for example, Malala Yousafzai, a voice for women’s right to education in her home district of Swat in Pakistan. For taking a stance, she was targeted by assassination and shot by Taliban gunmen. When she first started speaking out, she was 11 years old; at the time of the assassination attempt she was 15.

Contrast her story with that of the OPCW. While both espouse ideals that appeal to our Western frame of mind, Malala’s story carries with it the weight of someone who stuck to her beliefs and principles despite threats and action taken against her. So far, it has cost the OPCW nothing to oversee the dismantling of Syria’s chemical weapons, it has just brought the organization publicity as the world focuses on the nation’s ongoing civil war.

So far, it has cost the OPCW nothing to oversee the dismantling of Syriaís chemical weapons.

So far, it has cost the OPCW nothing to oversee the dismantling of Syria’s chemical weapons.

No one has threatened to dismantle the organization, nor have the members of the organization become targets for assassination. But Ms. Yousafzai nearly paid for her principles with her life at an age when most of us are thinking about getting a driver’s license.

It seems to me that the Peace Prize has become a political award. Were it not for the conflict in Syria bringing the issue of chemical weapons to the forefront, it is doubtful this organization would have been recognized, as they have yet to pressure either the United States or the Russian Federation to destroy their stockpiles.

When Barack Obama received the prize, he had been in office for less than a year, and won for the peace processes and demilitarization initiatives he intended to accomplish (and still hasn’t). Since winning the Peace Prize, President Obama has ordered numerous drone strikes, and even violated the territorial sovereignty of the nation of Pakistan in order to capture Osama Bin Laden, something that could technically be construed as an act of war. Yasser Arafat also collected a Nobel Peace Prize for his role in the Oslo Peace Accords, despite having used violent terrorist tactics against the State of Israel for decades.

Parties such as these are not worthy of recognition by such an august body as the Nobel Committee. It’s time they stopped awarding these prizes based on politics, and reward those who take great risks for the greater good of humanity.

David Gilmour and Women Authors

By

Peak Web

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October 22, 2013

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Estefania Duran invites Daryn Write and Max Hill to a round table discussion on David Gilmour. Gilmour has recently been criticized for his comments on the material he teaches at the University of Toronto; he has a strong preference for teaching novels written only by male authors.

What do you think? Send us an email at [email protected] if you have any thoughts, or would like to be a part of the show in the future.

Hosted by Estefania Duran. Shot by Brandon Hillier.