Cap and trade and green energy Our situation Imagine the planet was a dry, inhospitable desert with no life. Now imagine there was a teeny, tiny area filled with lakes, forests, animals, green grass, and flowers. This was the only place where humans could live and thrive; everything outside of […]
Opinion
Balancing freedom and responsibility at school
Those of you starting your first year of university are probably relishing the new freedoms of being away from home. To quote William Wallace from Braveheart, you are probably thinking: “Freeedddooommm!” How could you not be excited? For the first time in your life, you are totally autonomous. You are now […]
Naomi Klein says kill your inner Trump
This Saturday, celebrated author and activist Naomi Klein appeared at War Memorial Hall for a reading and talk as part of the Eden Mills Writers’ Festival. In June, in a direct response to Donald Trump’s election, Klein published her fifth book, No is Not Enough: Resisting the New Shock Politics […]
Do you pick meals based on what’s Instagram-worthy?
Oversized foods increase conflict between food aesthetic and food security Numerous videos featuring outrageous dishes have been circulating on social media. These include: Ice cream sundaes with over 20 scoops being sold in Bangkok Steaks the size of your head in California Cocktails containing entire bottles of tequila in Mexico […]
Straws Suck campaign reduces waste, one drink at a time
Plastic Free Guelph invites local businesses to ban plastic straws The Straws Suck campaign has been introduced to the city of Guelph by a local organization called Plastic Free Guelph. By agreeing to participate in the Straws Suck campaign, businesses are promising to: Stop purchasing plastic straws Stop serving plastic […]
Media go wild after CSA apologizes for playing “Walk on the Wild Side”
Why is a deleted Facebook post even making headlines? The University of Guelph’s Central Student Association (CSA) posted an apology on Facebook for playing Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side” during bus pass distribution. The CSA apologized because they thought Reed’s song was “hurtful to our friends in the trans community,” according […]
The Globe and Mail’s “The World in Ten Blocks” may be the future of journalism
An interactive platform for your daily news The Globe and Mail’s new project, “The World in Ten Blocks,” introduces an interactive platform unlike anything I have previously encountered. Instead of simply posting a single block of text, “The World in Ten Blocks” takes the reader on a digital stroll […]
University of Guelph’s research is not for sale, as The Walrus accuses
A response to Bruce Livesay’s article “Big Agro on Campus” Published by The Walrus, the article “Big Agro on Campus” by Bruce Livesay is based on opinions and half-baked facts. Livesay incorrectly portrays the University of Guelph as an institution that is influenced and perhaps even controlled by the pesticide […]
Do you post every detail of your life online?
Five simple ways to be responsible on social media You share a lot on social media, but who are you sharing it with? It’s important to be careful on social media because you never know where your post is going to end up or who is going to read it. […]
Cathartic Release: A baffling approach to the environmental crisis
How on Earth is reactive better than proactive? So much of what is occurring south of the border lately resembles a farce that one could be forgiven for thinking the sentiments in a recent Toronto Star column were a playful antic. In Alex Ballingall’s article, Kenneth Green (yes, that’s actually […]
About
The Ontarion publishes independent, student-produced news, opinion, and commentary for University of Guelph students so that they can make informed decisions in their lives. To do this, The Ontarion provides learning opportunities and training in journalism, media production, leadership, board governance, and other aspects of nonprofit news.
The Ontarion is the University of Guelph’s independent student newspaper. It began in 1951 as part of the Ontario Agricultural College and then began to represent the entire University of Guelph once it amalgamated in 1964. The Ontarion incorporated in May 1970 as The Ontarion, Inc., a not-for-profit corporation registered with the province of Ontario.