Columns

Fly on the Wall—Plato’s Mom is Calling

For many of us, long before we were students at AU, our very first professor was our Mother! For others, mother figures have appeared in different forms, but each of us began life with at least one crucial caregiver.  Mother’s Day is a chance to show gratitude to the women who raised us and the… Read more »

Music Review—Ripped Jeans

Artist: Riyah Album: Ripped Jeans Riyah (also known as her real name, Maria Kjær) will be releasing her debut EP Ripped Jeans on June 9th, 2023.  The album will be available for streaming anywhere you get your music.  If you can’t wait that long, Riyah has already released two singles from the EP: “Dead Rose”… Read more »

Dear Barb—Mom, Me and the New Guy

Dear Barb: I am in my early twenties, and I live with my single mother.  We have always gotten along great.  Since my parents divorced my mom has dated a few guys, but none seriously until recently.  She has met a guy who is ten years younger than her, but that’s not the issue.  Mom… Read more »

How to Fit All Our Dreams in One Day

Sir Thomas Carlyle said, “A loving heart is the beginning of all knowledge.” Similarly, a loving heart is the beginning of all dreams.  And we’ve got one day, each day, to come closer to realizing all our goals and dreams.  So, how do we fit our hopes and aspirations into each passing day? First, let… Read more »

Music Review—Element

Artist: Louise Burns Album: Element Vancouver producer-songwriter, Louise Burns, has released her fifth studio album, Element.  The album is available for streaming anywhere you get your music. Of the album, Burns says, “For me, there is nothing more radical than being joyful despite what you’re going through.” She adds that her new album is about… Read more »

Dear Barb—All in the Family

Dear Barb: My parents just separated because my dad was having an affair with my aunt (mom’s sister)!  I am devastated!  I thought my aunt and my dad got along well, but I never figured this would happen.  My mom is heartbroken and barely able to function.  Meanwhile my dad wants me to be happy… Read more »

Fly on the Wall—Of Frogs and Princes

Politicians are a bit like polliwogs: they hatch in all sorts of marshes, bogs and, er, swamp settings.  Each would-be orator emerges as a frog and ribbits to anyone who’ll listen, creating a popularity contest where the loudest and brashest croaker wins.  As students, we become political through our studies; by definition, our essays demand… Read more »