This week in the sheaf: 6 March

I don't really know what James Pepler (or anybody else) really does as USSU president, but I do know he puts on a good show. Apparently he recently spent an entire night in a snow fort to protest housing problems for students. Sweet. Also, he's a funny guy, and I regularly reminisce about the days when he wrote for the sheaf. The article said that students spend anywhere from $300-1000 a month for rent. This isn't exactly true. I spend less then that, but I'm lucky (also my place is a shivhole, but that's another story). In the last year, housing costs have risen %40! There's enough people who have to chose between living and going to school that it's a problem. Also some politicians turned out, maybe all of them NDP.

There's a little opinions article by Bronwyn Stoddard, whom I must admit I enjoy reading. I'm not sure I like the title "Guest Lecturer Visits Wonderland" as the whole time I was reading the article I was waiting for it to refer to some lecturer who had either recently been her, or soon would be. Still, it's no secret that I love Alice in Wonderland, so thank you for that Bronwyn. Also, I have a secret interest in language and linguistics, which is what this article was about (I even took a linguistics course with the author a year or two ago).
It brought up the question of singular/plural distinction vs. the use of non gendered language. This is a big pet peeve of mine. I hate hearing their instead of his or her. Brownwyn seems to be on my side, which makes me happy, as it generally seems to be a losing battle.

Anne-Marie Hickey's article on the internet was somewhat empty, except for the mulitple webcomic references. I urge you to take her suggestions and read Questionable Content and XKCD (at least I think she was recommending it by using a graphic from one of the comments to take up as much space as her article). And Anne-Marie, most webcomics have feeds, and I think using a feed reader would help you keep up.

The letters section of the sheaf is almost always good, and I'm going to reproduce one here:

Dear Vince Friesen, Crystal Clark,
and other borderline-illiterate
pretend-intellectuals,
The word ‘history’ is not derived
from the masculine pronoun; it
comes from the Latin historia.
Compare that to the Latin masculine
pronouns of ‘infit’ and ‘inquit’, then
instead of admitting your ignorance,
cry about the reactionary misogynist
who called you a retard in the Sheaf.
My God (pun intended) Friesen,
you used the term “etymological
precision” 50 words after mutilating
‘history’ into “his’tory”.
That took me two minutes on the
Internet,
Douche Bag!
Pat Thomson

Well put.

The comics section on the other hand. . . I used to love the sheaf comics, but now the only comics in there I've already read on the internet by the time the sheaf comes out.

The Arts section sucks.