This past week — Feb. 9 specifically — I had my birthday. As far as birthdays go, it was great. I especially enjoyed a birthday phenomenon that is unique to the past 5-10 years; that your birthday is the one day you get way too many Facebook posts (and as such, little red notifications too).

I've never really understood Black History Month. I understand why it's important to commemorate and remember an important part of our history, but my problem is that we look at it as specifically "black" history. Now before you make any judgements about what type of person I am, let me explain my rationale.

Editorial

Dear Brock University undergraduate students; While watching late night television the other evening, a commercial for a community college in the United States came on. The commercial focused on the various programs that the college offered, as well as how important it was for youth to seek out meaningful and practical post-secondary education.

OTTAWA (CUP) — Dear Mr. Harper, I've always been a big fan of your policies, and I can't tell you how excited I was on May 2 when I watched the final numbers roll in and you gained a majority government. But, it was on Dec. 11, 2011, that you won a very special place in my heart.

Margaret "Maggie" Thatcher was a lot of things during her reign as Prime Minister – a wife, mother and leader; she was an role model, not just for all the women in Britain, but a worldly figure to all females. But for some she was a "monster", and even during her occupation as Education Secretary, she received the nickname "Margaret Thatcher, Milk Snatcher" because she went against the distribution of milk for school children at a certain age.

Evgeny  Morozov is worried about us. More specifically, the scholar (currently at Stanford University) and Slate.com writer is worried about our online information. For example, in his Jan. 23 Slate article, Morozov presents the case of someone who is unsure about whether vaccines are a good idea for babies, or whether climate change is real – and turns to the Internet for answers.

Editorial

If the World was a high-school cafeteria, The United States would be the biggest, most popular table, and it has nothing to do with their staggering obesity rates. Despite its numerous and glaringly obvious character traits, the US encompasses so many aspects that other countries aspire to: massive and diverse population, celebrities around every corner, lush landscapes, quirky travel hot-spots and all the glitz and glamour crammed into 9.

Quick question for you: who won the Stanley Cup in 1984? If you want to Google it on your smart phone, go ahead, I'll wait.... That's right, it was the New York Islanders. If you don't think it's impressive that you were able to find that out in a matter of seconds, don't worry, you're not alone.

Editorial

When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up? Being a grown up, at that age, seemed like a long time away, and something that would obviously distract you from playing in the sand box at recess. It didn't seem like fun, but it was inevitable and, as such, you had to start preparing for it.

Have you ever seen a school of piranha devour a cow in  minutes? Literally, stripped to the bone so fast that it makes you curious if the playback has been tampered with? Late this past December, the same thing happened, in a digital sense, to a man named Paul Christoforo.

Dear William R. Johnson, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer H.J. Heinz Company: Ah, the times they are changing. It used to be that Heinz ketchup was Heinz ketchup: tomato paste, white vinegar, sugar, salt, onion powder, garlic powder and spices.

2011 was a year that marked many prestigious achievements that have been garnered from all over the World, from the rise of even more advanced technology to new discoveries found.  Though that year was not all fun and games. We all were heavy with stunned expressions as we watched a tsunami of such enormity strike the very centre of growth and technology:  Japan.

Editorial

This story is one of mass dissemination of information – one that I'm sure that at least some of you are familiar with. The year was 2007, and I was but a spring chick: fully engaged in my second year of post-secondary education, yet still becoming familiarized with the use of online resources that could be used for essay writing.

"These come from trees." Perhaps you've noticed this sticker on a bathroom paper towel dispenser near you.  The idea is to remind drippy-handed folks that these convenient little disposable sheets were once, not so long ago, alive and thriving in a forest.

Iowa: the traditional beginning of the presidential election season. The first in a series of primaries and caucuses, where one by one, each state votes to decide the candidates who will ultimately represent the two major parties in the fall general election.

Editorial

I've never been a fan of any type of New Year's Eve celebration: the expectations are always unattainably high, the cost generally outweighs the satisfaction and Mickey Rourke is never there (despite my numerous elaborate invitations), so I always end up kissing my second choice when the ball drops at midnight.

Taxes. This is what I have been thinking about in the aftermath of the dismantling of the various Occupy Movement camps around the World (including Toronto's St. James Park tent-town on Nov. 23). In particular, I've been thinking about the Occupy Movement's message of inequitable distribution of wealth; this got me thinking about how important and valuable taxes are in creating a just and fair society.

With the end of November comes the end of a relatively new phenomenon; Movember, the charitable initiative for Prostate Cancer. Most of you know the deal: to participate, a person must refrain from shaving their moustache for the entire month. Participants can register with the official Movember organization, or just show their support with a furry upper lip.

Once again, it is candidate-nomination time in the United States. So, once again, I am drawn to listen in quietly as I make small, biased opinions on these politicians that could one day affect me. I find the values that seem to be most highly considered to be very intriguing.

Editorial

Walking into a movie theatre at 6:45 p.m. on a Friday night is not what I consider to be a typical evening out. As a general rule, I like to think it's commonly accepted that any movie showings prior to 8:00 p.m. are reserved for individuals with curfews and parents who need to pick them up, or for families who have young children.

Anyone who commonly frequents CollegeHumor.com or bus stops will be familiar with a new Canadian winter attraction: Torontoland. First, if you haven't yet seen the Torontoland Web site (trending.seetorontonow.com), go check it out now; not only is a large part of this article based on it, but put simply, its fantastic.

Editorial

The fight for equality as a whole is perplexing. Any logical individual would assume that every human should be treated equally, and that actions or words that are counter intuitive to that are outdated ideals not welcome in modern society. Yet, the term "equality" inherently promotes an "us" versus "them" mentality, one that pits two groups against each other, despite the logical outcome being that both are working towards the same goal.

Travelling long distances encompasses my life. The experience of travelling continues to have a wide rage of effects on my life and who I am. It is a constant question to me as to why I am eternally drawn to it. However, the more I think about it, the more I find one common recurrence: the destination brings me to the people I love.