September 2016 – The INSIDER

If you Prick us, do we not Bleed?

September 26, 2016 newspaper 2 Comments

On September 26th and 27th, Héma-Québec is hosting a blood drive at Vanier, but you won’t see me, or anyone like me, in line to donate. It’s not because we don’t want to, it’s because we aren’t allowed to. Why? Because we’re gay men. Like many blood-collection organizations worldwide, Héma-Québec has a 12-month deferral policy for men who have had sex with men (MSM). The organization, along with its nationwide equivalent, the Canadian Blood Services, claims this policy is fairer than the five-year deferral it replaced in August this year….

Arts

Ultracrepidarian

September 18, 2016October 11, 2016 June Rossaert June Rossaert, Poetry0 comment

Ultracrepidarian: noting or pertaining to a person who criticizes, judges, or gives advice outside the area of his or her expertise – My head has grown three times the size it should I live for the gentle thud against my skull I will always read all I can Mental illness of an intellectual: The more I learn the more I feel idiotic Grand pride of the blood-wrenched soul Why should I always need to be the smartest person in any given room? Corrections, additions, clarification drugs for the mind, I’m…

Entertainment

Be Brave; Eat Blind

September 17, 2016March 15, 2017 Katherine Willcocks Food, Montreal, O.Noir, Restaurant0 comment

As a child, did you ever walk around your house with your eyes closed, wondering how it might feel to be blind? Montreal’s O.Noir restaurant is like an adult version of that. O.Noir invites you into its pitch-black dining room to enjoy a meal in which the darkness enables the exquisite flavors to be brought out. Though the cashiers and the kitchen staff can see, waiters and waitresses are legally blind. This creates a trust reversal with the general public. While workers are familiar with their environment at the restaurant,…

Arts

Amnesia

September 16, 2016October 11, 2016 June Rossaert June Rossaert, Poetry0 comment

He traps a swarm in his skull Bee beasts multiplied Huddled, hurdled, slow and dull Their stings over-amplified He crawls off a tightrope Tired arms clinging by a finger Slippery hands, what a sad trope Caterpillars chewing off his anger His cockroach eyes go wild For a woman scorned, but who? Clawing at his throat, he’s a child Does he taste like them, too? He traps a swarm in his skull Lonely larvae gnawing at his brain Devoured by the mighty seagull- King, of truly all the main He crawls…

Campus

Get Up, Get Involved!

September 16, 2016December 6, 2017 Katherine Willcocks SUSTAINABILITY, Volunteer0 comment

Whether out of good-heartedness, pure boredom, or a need to complete S.T.A.R. Hours, volunteering can be a rewarding experience – and a good way to keep busy. Plus, it looks great on university applications and on your C.V. There are so many places to go, and things to do, that it can be difficult to choose where to share your energy. Vanier College’s Volunteer Fair, held on September 7th during Universal Break, was there to help guide students into community involvement. In case you missed it, the Insider visited the…

Arts

Tropical Iceage

September 16, 2016October 11, 2016 June Rossaert June Rossaert, Kiss, Poetry0 comment

I look for you in a crowd of lips they all taste the same, really yours would have, too I bend over your flame you twist me into something new I am your friend- – – I am your friend. a thousand, thousand houses all lined up and I sleep in the cold it’s easy to melt and sear metal cutthroat for a- – – but it hurts to write softly I am ice cold you are a ghost of a volcano rupture, burn, break, crack why are you so…

Entertainment

15 Years of Super Monkey Ball

September 16, 2016May 6, 2017 BeNjamyn Upshaw-Ruffner GameCube, SEGA, Super Monkey Ball, Videogame0 comment

Roll around on the ground if you’ve heard of Super Monkey Ball. You probably aren’t rolling on the floor right now, since it is somewhat likely you haven’t heard of this videogame, and you’ll look rather conspicuous if someone sees you rolling on the floor next to your computer. What you may not expect however, is that a monkey within a hollow sphere rolling through mazes isn’t conspicuous at all; some may even go so far as to say it can be quite cute. So why bring up a game…

Sports

Standing Up for What’s Right, or Total Disrespect?

September 12, 2016 newspaper Colin Kaepernick, Protest, Racial Tensions0 comment

If you haven’t already heard, San Francisco 49ers quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, has been causing an enormous amount of chaos with his recent gestures in the sports world. The Super Bowl finalist sat down during the National anthem of a pre-season game, then kneeled during the next one, and to make all of this even worse, he wore socks with policeman depicted as pigs at a practice; all in protest of the racial tensions going on in the United States of America. Now we all know that there is a gun…

Voices

Vive la Virtual Reality!

September 10, 2016May 6, 2017 newspaper Hardware, HTC Vive, Videogame, VR0 comment

Virtual reality is slowly becoming available in households across the globe. As it stands, there are currently three big contenders in the competition for VR dominance: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and PSVR. However, none of these come cheap, and content is absurdly limited to this date. That said, one must be absolutely certain when deciding whether or not to adopt a VR headset, but fear not – I have taken the plunge for you and have come to a decisive conclusion on whether or not VR is worthy of the…

Features

SPC Card: A Good Deal for the Avid Saver

September 6, 2016September 16, 2016 newspaper Savings, SPC, Student0 comment

If you’ve been outside sometime in the past few years, you may have noticed the ads for the Student Price Card (SPC) being accepted at various restaurants and retailers. What is this card? Is it worth it? Here’s how it works: the SPC is a discount card, giving students discounts at stores like The Gap and Nike, and food joints like Pizza Hut and Jack Astor’s. The card costs $10.50, but discounts start at 10-15%, and can, on some occasions, be as high as 25%. Where can one find this card? The VCSA office (C-214) sells them,…