In the Blog
Mid-Week Round Up: January 14
Illustration: Erin McPhee
Dalhousie University Dentistry students returned to class Monday following an announcement that the 13 students who posted sexually threatening messages on a controversial Facebook page would attend classes remotely, separated from their classmates. The University’s senate met this Monday where Dalhousie president Richard Florizone stated there needed to be more investigation in to the matter in order to determine if more men were involved in the group. Senate members have introduced a motion to replace the current dental school professional standards committee reviewing the conduct of the members of the Facebook group, citing the lack of credibility inherent in an internal investigation.
Over the weekend Dalhousie administrators rejected a formal complaint lodged by four faculty members against the members of the group, based on the school’s student code of conduct. The professors have since expressed concern that the disciplinary process will continue to happen inside the school of dentistry itself.
The 72nd Golden Globes took place this Sunday where hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler opened the night with searing, on point jokes about Bill Cosby, George Clooney, racism, and the sexism inherent in the night’s events. They set the stage for the rest of the show which was surprisingly inclusive (well, the first half) with speeches about Leelah Alcorn, #BlackLivesMatter and civil rights, honouring AIDS victims and Lily Tomlin’s feminist wit.
Most importantly, PRINCE WAS THERE.
While the Golden Globes were taking over Twitter, comedian (and amazing human) Aziz Ansari was calling out Rupert Murdoch for being a shitty human. Murdoch tweeted about the Paris attacks and subsequent peace rallies, telling the Muslim community at large they were responsible for acts of violence perpetrated by Islamic extremists. Ansari took Murdoch to task, asking the businessman if he was responsible for all acts of violence perpetrated by Christian extremists, launching the hashtag #Rupertsfault.
In the (sad) weeks since popular podcast Serial has ended, The Intercept has published a series of interviews with two central figures in the case that declined to be interviewed for the original series. The site claims that the interviews prove Adnan Syed, the central figure in Serial’s podcast, was rightfully convicted of the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee. While Serial creator Sarah Koenig ended the story without taking a side, The Intercept authors share their firm opinion of Syed’s guilt and blast Koenig for not doing the same. As expected, Serial fans are not impressed.
A groundbreaking report released Monday by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights states that Canada is obligated under international human rights laws to prevent violence against Indigenous women by making a concrete effort to address poverty and other socio-economic oppressions. The report found that “Canada’s history of colonization, inequality and economic and social marginalization are some of the root causes of violence against Indigenous women.”
Drawn and Quarterly announced on Tuesday that they will be publishing Kate Beaton’s newest graphic novel, Step Aside, Pops: A Hark! A Vagrant Collection! It will be published in September, 2015.
