Community

Activism has been getting a bad rap lately, what with the recent police disruptions and arrests at last July's World Trade Organization demonstrations, but there are many activist groups operating out of Montreal making their way in the world and doing good things.

Eight courses! Eight weeks! That is how long, or short, it takes to get an intensive public relations certificate (IPRC) offered by the centre for continuing education (CCE) at Concordia, but do not be fooled by the low number of courses, or the short span of time that it takes.

There is a renewed sense of optimism at Concordia. New buildings, fields and buses complement the record enrollment and promote the thinking that the university is heading nowhere but up. Amidst the sparkling complex and green grass is the emergence of the Arts and Science Federation of Associations (ASFA) a three-year-old organization representing over 12,000 students.

Few would dispute Montreal is a starburst of artistic expression, offering a cornucopia of film, street festivals, theatre, fine art, performance, dance and song. But what about the small press publishing scene? Where are the creators of art books, small books, magazines, comics, experimental fiction, illustrated poetry and other novelties? Where are the works of self-publishers and home grown publishing houses with special focus and local character? With the greatest of effort, some do manage to obtain limited visibility in certain independent bookshops, such as The Double Hook, The Word and notably, Casa del Popolo's Distriboto, an ingeniously re-purposed public vending machine.

Inside one of the five-story apartment buildings on Bourret Ave in C

Everyday television, radio and the press remind us we're falling behind when it comes to youth violence; after decades of launching campaigns on violence, drugs, poverty, family disarray and illiteracy, current research and front line experiences of social workers tells us we are in a "stall" stage.

How would you feel about writing on paper that was produced using natural processes? Concordia's Centre for Structural and Functional Genomics (CSFG) says that maybe in the future many of our pulp and paper products will be created in large part by fungi.

Picture this? In a Monty Python Flying Circus skit, a group of Vikings are sitting in a restaurant singing "U.C.E., U.C.E., U.C.E., lovely U.C.E., wonderful U.C.E., until told to shut up by the very agitated waitress. Actually, the restaurant skit serves all its food with lots of spam, and the waitress repeats the word several times in describing how much spam is in the items.

You've probably had your grandparents give you the talk. How they "walked ten miles to school" or the "we didn't have cars back then" and the "in my day we just did it" talk. You roll your eyes and count the tiles on the ceiling. But did you know they might not have been kidding? "We always did what we had to do," says 96-year-old Elana Palmiero, grandmother of 16.

Money can't buy happiness - it's official. It is pretty hard to tell what does bring happiness; poverty and wealth have both failed! This little bit of wisdom comes from U.S. journalist, humorist, homespun philosopher and creator of the cartoon character "Abe Martin," Kin Hubbard.

The Slackers aren't exactly newcomers when it comes to releasing albums. The soulful ska septet, hailing from New York City, have just released their seventh full-length CD, entitled Close My Eyes on Hellcat Records. The album builds on the musical insight of the band's previous albums, while exuding an air of experience and confidence that comes from playing together and recording albums for almost ten years.

Grade B+ There are certain things, I believe, it's better for parents not to know about their children's lives. It would only cause them to overreact and all hell would surely break loose. But Nikki Reed disagrees. She co-wrote her own teenage horror story with the help of director Catherine Hardwicke, and turned it into a cautionary tale for all with Thirteen.