Speakers Corner: Powerful Points on Powerpoint

PowerPoint slides that dazzle by fading in and out don’t engage anyone anymore. Those days are long gone. Here’s how it’s done. Chicago-based slide-ology guru Nancy Duarte tells us all great speeches have a discernable pattern of “what is” and “what could be” until they wrap up in “a new bliss.” Does that sound like […]

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New Music Revue: October 31, 2012 issue

  KISS Monster (Universal Music) 4/5  Rating a KISS record is sort of like rating your grandparents. What can you say? Everything’s weird. Here, on their first studio album since no one really cares, the long-running pseudo-parody/rock band lay down the goods with surprising authority. It’s impressive that a band so out of touch with […]

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Plants and Animals embrace their Frenchness

Sometimes a Canadian indie rock band gets to record their latest album in a pretty cool spot. But a recording studio in a 19th century mansion just 15 minutes from downtown Paris? Plants and Animals have to be kidding us. “We did it in a big house and that house itself is an instrument,” says […]

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A message from the Camosun College Student Society: October 31, 2012

This October I represented BC students in Ottawa during the Canadian Federation of Students’ (CFS) national lobby week. From October 22 to 26 students from across Canada met with Members of Parliament (MPs) and senators to talk about our common goals for postsecondary education. I met with seven NDP and Conservative MPs, with whom my […]

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KISS tribute kills

Lots of stuff went down in Sooke in 1989. Can you even imagine? The mind bends and warps a bit when you even start to put place and time together like that. Here’s how what happened in Sooke in 1989 matters today: James Keble and D’Arcy Ladret met. Who are James Keble and D’Arcy Ladret? […]

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Trucking book surprisingly powerful image of Canada

There is beauty in big rigs, grace in grease, glory in hard work. And all these things are on display in Daniel Francis’ gorgeous hardcover book Trucking in British Columbia, which is a stunning read for truckers and anyone who appreciates striking visuals. The book is anchored in amazing photographs but it also has lots […]

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International students struggle with cultural challenges

Sure, being a postsecondary student has its difficulties. But just imagine how difficult it can be to be in foreign land as a postsecondary student. Camosun College currently has over 600 international students from over 45 countries with numbers continuing to rise. And as those students know, it’s not always easy transitioning to life in […]

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Human Library helps us understand each other

At one point or another we all wonder how other people live. Whether it be a cop, a graffiti artist, or a prostitute, we’re all curious as to what others’ lives are like. The Human Library, taking place at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, allows us to glimpse into the lives of others and […]

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Anti-pipeline rally raises awareness through peace

On October 22, thousands of opponents of pipelines, tar sands, and oil tankers gathered together at the Legislature in an act of civil resistance dubbed Save our Coast. The day was filled with inspired speeches, live music, enlightening discussions, and a sense of camaraderie that seemed to cover the crowd. People from all walks of […]

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Open Space: Entertainment industry stifles

So often I see people shying away from things because they think they aren’t good enough to show their skills in public. This is a tragedy, and it’s the fault of the entertainment industry. Whether it’s playing sports, dancing, singing, wearing certain clothing, having their photo taken, or presenting something they have created, people stifle […]

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