Avatar the Movie: Imperialism or Masterpiece?

On January 28, 2010, it was a pleasure to chat with Liam and Tasia who had strong opinions about Avatar the Movie in 3D on this week's show. Certainly, it took more than just cool graphics to make this mega production a blockbuster. But is the story truly engaging or just another racist tale?

Health ''Care'' in the United States

Dr. Barbara Starfield is a Professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She joined us by phone on January 21, 2010, for a live interview discussing the dangers and inequalities of the American health care system.

Dr. Starfield's medical research and commentary went viral on the web following her 2000 article entitled "Is US Health Really the Best in the World?" [Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol.284, No.4, 2000, pages 483-485.] In this article Dr. Starfield explained that medical error is the third leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer.

How to Fight Suppression of Dissent

On Januar 14, 2010 Australian academic Brian Martin phoned in from Australia to share his valuable research results and insights on suppression of dissent.

From whistleblowing to fighting the backlash, his advice shows that whistleblowers all around the world are treated similarly by the agencies and bosses that attempt to suppress their voices.

Professor Martin's recommendations include concrete suggestions for the most effective ways for whistleblowers to defend themselves.

A Salary Just for Being a Canadian Citizen? A Discussion with Senator Hugh Segal

On January 7th 2010 we aired Denis Rancourt's pre-recorded interview with Conservative Senator Hugh Segal. In true Five O'Clock Train fashion we offered our comments and criticisms along the way. The general theme was Senetor Segal's project of 30 years promoting the concept of a citizen's guaranteed annual income for Canada.

SOME LINKS:
Senator Hugh Segal's web page
Livable Income for Everyone
Push from Senate news article

We also made a brief mention of this YouTube video promoting U of O's Dean of Science André E. Lalonde's new appointment booking system...

Happy New Year!

Unfortunately the CHUO studios encountered technical difficulties and our December 31st year end review of campus actions was not recorded.

Make sure to tune in every Thursdays at 5pm on 89.1 fm (Ottawa region, or in live stream) to catch us live.

And, like President Allan Rock said, "make sure to stay on the line" - we'll be right back in full force in 2010!

Full Time Graduate Student Barred from Campus for Political Reasons!

On December 17 Joseph Hickey joined us in studio. His coming to campus to attend the radio station was in itself an action of defiance of the Trespass to Property Act notice that currently bars him from all University of Ottawa property.

Hickey is a full time graduate student with research obligations and a teaching assistant contract with the University. He was served with a trespass notice following his involvement in an action that took place at the 'student walls' (listen to the Dec. 10th show for more background).

The use of trespass laws as a way of 'getting rid' of activist students dates back to the 60's when students were barred from campus for political expression, giving rise to the Berkeley Free Speech Movement.

From Campus to Honduras

On December 10th we began the show by discussing the history of the 'student walls' also known as the 'propaganda walls' located outside Morrisset Library on the University of Ottawa campus. Students have been using the walls to express themselves and display political art. In turn, the university has taken down the student's art and put up marketing messages. It's the story of the battle that is ongoing...

[Producer's Note: Sorry sorry erratum erratum - It's NOT Bolivia, it's Honduras. We meant Honduras from start to finish!]

The second half of the show was dedicated to The Real News journalist Jesse Freeston reporting live from Honduras where he is a first hand witness to the incredible rebellion and repression surrounding the June 2009 coup d'état.

Upper Year Psychology Students on School, Deadlines, Medication and How to Survive University

From negotiating with professors to getting addicted to ADHD medicine, University of Ottawa upper-year psychology students Hawra Sadic and Andrew Faulkner shared their stories during this down to earth and candid interview.

Many thanks to Andew and Hawra for joining us live in studio!

Kevin Annett Speaks of the First Nations Genocide

This week we had the pleasure of speaking with one of our favorite guests on the Five O'Clock Train, Kevin Annett. Kevin joined us by phone from Vancouver to speak of his recent action in Rome. Kevin continues to fight for justice and truth in the name of the victims of the residential school system.

Hidden from History web site

War, Support our Troops, Campus Democracy, Racism and Student Oppression!

This week's show begins with undergraduate students Jeremy Robbins and Dylan Gowans joining us in studio to share their opinions of the Red Fridays Campaign voted down at a recent SFUO Campaigns Committee meeting. Dylan and Jeremy had expressed their views in a Fulcrum issue where they criticized those who pretend that support for our troops can be an apolitical act...

During the second half of the show co-host Mireille Gervais conversed with her colleague Zachary Fouchard about their experience working as Student Appeal Officers with the Student Appeal Centre. The SAC's advice concerning unfair grades was recently featured in Maclean's university rankings issue. Racism, asymmetry of power between students and administrators and how to deal with doing emotionally charged work and many other themes were discussed.

El-Farouk Khahi

This week activist, lawyer and politician El-Farouk Khaki joined us by phone from Toronto.

A self-proclaimed feminist, Khahi focuses his work on queer rights issues within Islam and works as a lawyer in the filed of human rights and immigration law.

From Freedom of Speech to Spam

Freedom of speech on the Internet, protection of privacy for Internet users, mass communication for political reasons and legal threats sent to website owners... those and other topics related to the World Wide Web were discussed on this week's Train.

Wendy Seltzer is a research fellow for the Berkman Centre for Internet and Society at Harvard University. She is the founder of Chilling Effects Clearinghouse and a member of the Board of Directors for the TOR project.

Ehab Lotayef - Poet, Photographer and Activist

Listen to this unique Five O'Clock Train interview with poet and activist Ehab Lotayef - North American aboriginal rights, Palestine, solidarity, Quebec racism, culture cures, human rights, laws and colonialism...

Ehab ended the show by sharing this poem with our listeners:

To Kill a Suicide Bomber

When should you kill the suicide bomber?

Just do it fast before she dies.

Why would you kill the suicide bomber?

You kill the rage, the girl survives.

Where would you kill the suicide bomber?

Anywhere where there are no chains.

But how would you kill the suicide bomber?

Give her justice, she will defuse.

A Discussion on Allan Rock, Marc Kelly and Mario Savio

Five O'Clock Train co-hosts Mireille Gervais and Denis Rancourt opened this week's show with a recording of Allan Rock's short-lived greeting message on the University's main voicemail and telephone dispatch centre (562-5800). A marketing mishap to say the least...

"This is Allan Rock, President of Canada's university; How may I direct your call?"

The show went on to discuss Allan Rock's "shit magnets in his pockets" history as a Canadian politician; then as President of the University of Ottawa, including his role in undergraduate student Marc Kelly's case.

Marc Kelly faces bogus criminal charges following his attempt to video record a public meeting of University Senate at a time when no policy prohibiting filming existed. Since March 2009 the Senate meetings are now filmed by the University and the videos are posted on its website.

The Student Appeal Centre recently called upon Allan Rock to end the political persecution of Marc Kelly.

The show ended with a discussion on campus corporatization, linking back to Mario Savio's famous ''bodies against the gears'' 1964 speech at Berkeley.

About the co-hosts

Mireille Gervais

Mireille joined The Train to co-host with Denis Rancourt in December 2008. Since then Mireille has brought her vibrant activism, feminist, graduate student, and dedicated professional services perspectives as well as her extensive knowledge of both student life and university governance to the show. In real life, Mireille is a graduate student in law at the University of Ottawa and is the director of the student federation’s (SFUO) Student Appeals Centre (SAC). Due to her eclectic music tastes, she has also de facto become the show's music-break editor.


Denis Rancourt

Denis joined co-hosts Chris Jack and Jack DeJong as a co-host on CHUO’s Train in July 2005. Denis took up the activism/politics portfolio whereas Chris and Jack did the alternative arts scenes and community building portfolios, respectively. In August 2006 Denis became the only host of The Train until he was joined by Mireille Gervais in December 2008. Denis is the former tenured physics professor who developed the popular “Activism Course” at the University of Ottawa and is a public intellectual who has concentrated on social justice activism in modern society.