A few of us at the Gauntlet smoke cigarettes. I know, smoking will likely kill us, and I know, it’s expensive, gross, stupid and yada yada yada.


New smokers quickly realize that society no longer accommodates them. Soon, we’ll have fewer places to indulge in our addiction in public.


The most convenient way of getting around Calgary is undoubtedly by car. As the city has expanded outwards, the need to own a vehicle as an efficient and reliable mode of transportation has increased. But lost in the commute up and down Crowchild or Deerfoot Trail is a way of seeing and getting around Calgary that is often ignored by motorists.

On May 25, the Rothney Astrophysical Observatory hosted its fourth open house of the year. The RAO is owned and operated by the University of Calgary’s department of physics and astronomy. It offers educational programming together with outreach events geared towards those interested in astronomy. The observatory is located south west of Calgary, just outside the town of Priddis. 


“Initially the observatory was strictly for teaching and research,” said RAO director Phil Langill.


Senator Mike Duffy has been in the middle of spending scandals over in-eligible housing expenses and former Laval mayor Gilles Vaillancourt was charged with two counts of gangsterism along with 10 other offences. What is Canadian politics coming to? Next thing we know, politicians will be smoking crack. Oh wait. Toronto mayor Rob Ford is already accused of doing so. 


The Centre for Response-Based Practice out of Duncan B.C. and the Calgary Women’s Emergency Shelter, along with the City University of Seattle masters and counseling program are presenting a three-day conference at the University of Calgary on May 29–31. The conference, called In Dignity, will address domestic violence and will talk about how people respond to and resist violence. This conference is the first one to present ideas about response-based practice in Calgary.


Many filmmakers dream of a chance to make it big, to be in a position where they have the money, equipment and time to make anything their hearts desire. But sometimes, having limited time and resources can be just as useful — limitation often breeds creativity. Discovering what can be accomplished in only a day is the idea behind the 24 Hour Film Race, which challenges filmmakers around the world to write, shoot and edit a film in a 24-hour period.


Lights flash and bounce around the crowded room; bodies move and sway with the pumping bass, synth lines and melodies. It’s a party, just like any night at any club in any part of the world. But in Calgary, one collection of underground electronic dance parties that began in 2009 has transformed into an entire community of loyal followers and musicians, moving together to the same beat. This party is known as Modern Math.


While annual events naturally grow from year to year, few could have predicted how quickly the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo has become one of the city’s largest and most popular events. What started as a small convention in 2006 is now an internationally-renowned event, drawing attendees and special guests from around the world.


Domestic violence is a difficult topic — it is painful, intimate and terrifying, and due to this it is often a topic that is left in the shadows. Victims may not know how to escape these situations, or know that escape is even possible. With their performance Ghosts of Violence, the Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada hopes to educate young audiences about the realities of domestic violence, as well as let victims know that they are not alone.

Though the result may be the same as last season, the circumstances are much different for the University of Calgary women’s basketball team after the Canadian Interuniversity Sport Final Eight wrapped up in Regina on March 17. The Dinos finished fourth after being defeated by the St. Mary’s University Huskies in the bronze-medal game — the same finish as the 2011–12 season when the Dinos lost to the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees in Calgary.