The Investigation
It’s Wednesday night and you know what that means, it’s time to hit the old pub to see exactly how the MSA handles its liquor. Since I don’t drink, I recruited two friends, Jordan and Dave, to tag along in the name of binge journalism. Before reaching The Arnie, we stopped at a friend’s place who Jordan considers a “hardcore partier”. After no answer at the door, we let ourselves in to what looks like a cross between a dark alley and a Payless Shoe Store. Every conceivable style of women’s shoe…

Alcohol comes in many tastes, textures and amounts. Some people view alcohol as an art form that should be sipped, tasted and critiqued with little cubes of cheese. Others consume it as a way to escape the stresses we face on a daily basis. No matter how it’s poured, for centuries human civilization has enjoyed the effects an alcoholic beverage affords us – with me being an exception. I’ve never bought into or acquired a taste for drinking. To be honest, I’ve never had my own drink let alone experience the quickly forgotten wonders…

Knock, knock. Who’s there? With the provincial election only days away, chances are it’s a candidate looking for votes.
The political game is undoubtedly changing with the advancements in social media, but how much of an impact can it have? Does being able to reach hundreds of people with one message change campaign strategy?
“To be honest, I thought it would play a much bigger role,” said Mark Cripps, Liberal candidate for Hamilton-East Stoney Creek. “We saw a real ground-swell of social media in terms of the federal election, but for some reason I…

Ontario post-secondary students might have empty bank accounts, but if the Ontario election debate is any indication then all this might be changing soon.
In last night’s debate, the leaders of the Liberal, PC, and NDP parties were posed two questions about the future of post-secondary students, which all three answered positively.
McGuinty pointed out all of the advances Ontario has been making in the job market right now, giving hope to post-secondary students that their degrees will not be wasted on part-time jobs in the hospitality sector.  He also stated that enrollment in…

After 18 days, a tentative settlement has been reached to end Ontario’s college support staff strike.
Following two days of bargaining by negotiators, the deal was struck late Sunday night.
Rob Bemister, chair of the OPSEU bargaining team, said the union secured key contract proposals for its members and hopes all members will approve the tentative deal.
Over 8,000 college support workers will be returning to work Sept. 20.
Details are expected to be released after the settlement has been approved, which a date has not been set for.

It goes without saying – the support staff on strike has posed a unique set of challenges for Mohawk College.   With the theoretical ball being left behind by the strikers, part-time and administrative staff have teamed up with students to keep the game in play.
Some big names in the college have been found helping out wherever possible.
“I even saw [Mohawk College] President Rob MacIsaac [helping out] in the OSAP office one of the days,” said Andy Hall, MSA’s Vice President.
Meanwhile over in The Square, Jay Robb, Director of Media Relations for…

Students are keeping their fingers as strikers go back to the bargaining table. The Ontario Public Services Employees Union (OPSEU) has adjusted their demands, causing the mediator for the strike to pass the message to school management. This could possibly allow talks to continue as early as Sept. 17.
The main sticking point in this strike is the three per cent wage increase, and job security that the union is asking for.
“By modifying our demands on wages and retiree benefits, we demonstrated our commitment to the bargaining process and the students to return…

After nearly two weeks of delays, the newly renovated Arnie may soon be open for business.
The Arnie was scheduled to open on three different dates, including this past Wednesday. Each of these cancellations were due to problems with the flooring.
President of the Mohawk Students Association, Daniel Clark, says there was an oily film on the floor, making it extremely slippery and unsafe for students.
“Honestly, it was like a skating rink in there,” Clark said. “A wet sheet of ice.”
As a solution to this problem, the flooring company has decided to…

Future Mohawk students may have even more debt before graduating as plans for a brand new athletics facility gets underway.
“[The MSA] has been talking with the college and athletics committee and the college has decided that this is the next step in our renovations in order to stay current and competitive with other colleges,” says MSA President Dan Clark.
The estimated cost of the new facility is $17 million and will be partly subsidized by an undetermined fee once the facility is completed in 2014.
Three years ago the MSA held a referendum…

Usually this time of year the Mohawk Sports Park is full of varsity athletes playing rugby, soccer and fastball.
This season, however, the park sits empty.  A college support-staff strike means some of these athletes may be looking at a lost season. Many games have already been postponed and no one knows what the future holds.
“We have such a short season already that I’m concerned how many games we’re going to have to be playing to make up for those extra games that have already been postponed,” said fastball pitcher Jessica Denstedt.
Michelle…