There is an almost palpable vibe of panic in the air amongst fourth-year students these days. As we inch closer and closer towards the intimidating void of post-university life, everyone seems to be asking the same terrifying question: “What on earth am I going to do with my life?”

Karla, a film re-enactment of the unspeakable crimes committed by Karla Homolka and her husband Paul Bernardo, opens in theatres today, starring That ’70s Show actress Laura Prepon. The film’s release of the film was postponed until January, and it was removed from the Montreal World Film Festival after its screening encountered considerable public opposition.

The Jan. 16 issue of Maclean’s contains an article titled “Stop him before he votes” with a puzzling photo of a young man sporting sunglasses and holding a peeled banana. The authors of the article present the notion that 18-year-olds are “too immature to vote,” and take it a step further in suggesting that the voting age should be raised to 21.

Having a doctor tell me five days before Christmas that I had ulcerative colitis wasn’t as bad as having to drink a solution 24 hours before my first colonoscopy that tasted like the dregs of a diesel truck’s oil filter.

Monday night’s final English debate was the stage for a change in the direction of the election campaign. Stephen Harper appeared more poised and calm than he has ever been, leaving Paul Martin and the other leaders taking aim anywhere possible. Harper behaved more like a prime minister than an angry and disgruntled opposition leader.

They say most people only really keep in touch with one, maybe two good friends from high school. Growing up is pretty scary if you ask me. I was reminded of that by an unexpected visit this weekend. A bunch of my high school friends finally came up to Kingston to celebrate one of their birthdays. They said at last they had an excuse to come trekking three hours out of the GTA.

The dissolution of the Liberal government means we’re in store for yet another season of campaigning. This untimely event could potentially put a damper on the holidays. Since its inception a mere 17 months ago, Paul Martin’s minority government has faced obstacle after obstacle. According to the Toronto Star, a national Ipsos-Reid poll conducted on Nov. 29 reported that the Liberals and Conservatives are currently neck-and-neck, each with 31 per cent of the country’s . Meanwhile, the poll reports that the NDP have 18 per cent of the nation’s .

There are certain things about the Great White North that I noticeably miss when I’m at home in California. The people. The familiarity of the Queen’s campus. Doughnuts from Tim Hortons. Colourful money. Seasons. Not having to listen to people make Canada jokes every five minutes.

Last week, the AMS and SGPS each presented draft reports of their preliminary recommendations on the non-academic discipline system to the University Senate. They were mandated to do so by the Principal’s Task Force on Community Relations which had recommended “strengthening the mandate and resources of AMS and SGPS for addressing non-academic discipline with a focus on off-campus student behaviour.” The SGPS raised concerns at the meeting as to the scope of the Code of Conduct. As it stands, the Code of Conduct could potentially be applied to discipline a Queen’s student who breaches the Code anywhere in the world. The boundaries of the Code of Conduct should be clarified and reinforced during the welcoming ceremony, even before students sign on the dotted line to confirm their acceptance to Queen’s, and thus their agreement to abide by the Code of Conduct.

Looking around at the faces on campus, I’ve noticed a general aura of weariness that is strikingly common at this time of the year. Students adopt a certain zombie-esque quality, going through the day mechanically, with too many wishful thoughts about the holidays. As Emerson succinctly put it, “we are always getting ready to live, but never living.”

U.S. President George W. Bush has received considerable criticism following his comments at a Veterans Day ceremony at an army depot in Pennsylvania. Veterans Day is similar to the Canadian Remembrance Day. It is a time for Americans to those who represented their country through the military during wartime and peacetime. Bush’s comments, however, veered away from a remembrance of the individuals who defended their country and were more like a defence of his istration’s decisions about Iraq.

As most sentient beings have probably been able to judge from the ubiquitous poppies, Remembrance Day is upon us once again. This day has always struck me as special; the solemnity of elementary school assemblies and the yearly recitations of Wilfred Owen’s wartime poem “Dulce Et Decorum Est,” which never failed to give me the shivers, convinced me that this was a day to be taken seriously. And I continue to believe that wholeheartedly.

This week, Maclean’s released its annual university rankings. Queen’s placed fifth in the medical doctoral category—the same as last year—which, according to the magazine, includes schools that “have a broad range of Ph.D. programs and research, as well as medical schools.” Most surprising and disappointing was the University’s fall from third to seventh-place in overall ranking in the national reputational category, as decided by CEOs, corporate recruiters, and guidance counselors