Gauntlet - About: John Leung

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No place for Blue
Its time for the Reds to take charge of the party again
2004-12-09 - John Leung, Gauntlet Opinions

Being a Red Tory is like being a contradiction: socially liberal but fiscally conservative. As Canadians, we pride ourselves on being a country that is liberal. We have touted it time and time again as something that sets us apart from our neighbours to the south. But does this mean that a Liberal government should perpetually remain in power? Absolutely not. With the Conservative Party currently completely convinced that American-style neo-Republicanism is the sure-fire way to cure what is ailing Canada today, the former statement may remain true for a long time to come. So what's a Red Tory to do in a situation like this? For one, it is time for us to retake the reins of the Conservative leadership of this country. Many of the greatest Tory prime ministers of Canada have been Red Tories. Besides, neo-Republicanism may be good, but it is a foreign ideology from the United States.

Canadians pride themselves as being more socially liberal than Americans. Public health care, peacekeeping and multiculturalism are only a few things in a list of many that we've prided ourselves upon as being Canadian. These days, same-sex marriage and the decrimin- alization of marijuana can also be added to this list. Even though such policies are a direct reflection of Canadian ambivalence towards the United States, it is still a reflection of the liberal attitudes that Canada prides itself upon, and it is a liberal attitude that is not likely to change any time soon. Forcing a socially conservative agenda on a socially liberal nation is like forcing water to go back upstream. While some parts of the country--like in the Western provinces--are more receptive to a socially conservative agenda, to win power in Canada requires convincing all parts of the country, not just one.
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Cross Country
2004-12-09 - John Leung, Gauntlet Sports

cross country - Talent

With a talented field, you can't accuse the team of being talent-less. With names like Shannon Slater and Renee Kaylor on the women's side and Geoff Kerr and Andrew Carruthers on the men's side continually contributing huge success to the Dinos, the results speak for themselves.
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Reality TV: the art of flakey romance
How reality's fake people manage to make fake love
2004-12-02 - John Leung, Gauntlet Opinions

Last Wednesday, ABC concluded the fifth installment of The Bachelor, where Byron, a 40 year old bass fisherman from Nevada chose his "soul mate" in a dramatic "final rose ceremony." So now the question: how long will they last? Judging from previous series of the same genre, the odds are against them. But why have all of these romances, from The Bachelor to Joe Millionaire failed so badly after the cameras had disappeared when they seemed so beautiful in the dying seconds of the season finale? Perhaps it is time that some of these series were culled until networks can stop these embarrassing break-ups.

Many people who apply to appear on tacky reality like Big Brother, usually seek fame, money or just the distinction of being on national TV. There does not seem to be any effort from producers of these series, or the networks who broadcast them to make an effort to make the romances last. Isn't that what these shows are all about? Until networks can realize that romance reality shows are to find romance for a person, casting will continue to remain poor on both sides of the coin (no more rich tire empire heirs or super-successful financial planners), and many more will suffer broken hearts and red faces. While there has been one success, this case was a rarity amongst a sea of failures.
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Theatre Preview: Return of High Performance Rodeo
2004-12-02 - John Leung, Gauntlet Entertainment

theatre - Various International and local experimental theatre troupes are once again set to invade Calgary in a dramatic rodeo filled with action, excitement and flair. Hosted by the One Yellow Rabbit, the 19th annual High Performance Rodeo is set for Jan. 4 to 30. At their press conference last Tuesday, OYR and their well-traveled curator Michael Green gave the media a sneak peek at what is to come in this year's Performance Rodeo. But don't expect Victorian period melodramas or polite applause from audiences in monocles: since 1985, the Rodeo has been showcasing experimental theatre and stretching the limits of the genre.

This year, HPR has brought in the critically acclaimed New York spoken word artist Laurie Anderson and her hit show The End of the Moon to show off her particular brand of experimentalism. According to OYR, the show is "part travelogue, part personal theory, history and dream [and] looks at the relationships between war, aesthetics, spirituality and consumerism." Along with 22 other acts on the bill, originating from 6 countries over, HPR will run three and a half weeks at a number of venues within Calgary.
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Roughnecks ready
2004-11-25 - John Leung, The Australian

Who can forget the run last season? The drama, the action, the excitement. No, I'm not talking about the Flames' miracle run last year, but the team that actually brought home the proverbial bacon, the Roughnecks. In winning the National Lacrosse League Champion's Cup in front of 19,000 fans at the Pengrowth Saddledome, they became the first local national league team to win a championship in Calgary. As another season begins, the 'Necks face a tough road in their title defence.

I had a chance to sit down with forward Tracey Kelusky and goalie Curtis Palidwor to talk about what is coming up this season. For Kelusky, winning the cup was last year and it is time to look forward.
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George Stroumboulopoulos for Tommy Douglas!
MuchMusic host tells the Gauntlet why his choice for Greatest Canadian rules all
2004-11-25 - John Leung, Gauntlet Entertainment

So who is the greatest Canadian? Everyone has their own answer, but the CBC has attempted to give a definitive answer with their miniseries The Greatest Canadian. Last summer, the people of this great nation voted and jockeyed for whom they believe should wear the crown of beaver and maple syrup. The top ten were revealed last month and for the last four weeks, ten advocates for each of the candidates have pleaded their cases to Canadians via a series of hour-long documentary, advocates explain how their candidate represents Canadian ideals and values.

"One person embodied all of that, and took these difficult, altruistic ideals and got them done. To me that's the greatest," says MuchMusic host George Stroumboulopoulos of his candidate, Tommy Douglas.
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Swept under the rug: Canada submits again
2004-11-25 - John Leung, Gauntlet Opinions

'Finally, after a bit of a lull, Ottawa sees some hot action. On Thu., Nov. 18, after a year and a half of speaking out openly against the American administration and stepping on a George W. Bush doll on CBC's comedy program This Hour Has 22 Minutes, the Honourable Carolyn Parrish, MP, was sacked from the Liberal caucus. While pundits have said that Ms. Parrish's sacking has been a long time coming, it should not be mysterious that the firing must have been linked to the announced visit of George W. Bush later in November. While it could be understandable that Ms. Parrish was fired for being out of line, it is the fairly obvious timing of this firing that should provoke outrage. Here is a Canadian citizen speaking her mind, and just as a VIP is about to visit, she is swept under the proverbial rug. However, this is only one act in a long list of alarming actions that the government caucus has taken, and the tacit approval of the Conservatives of this act is disturbing to say the least.

A Canadian citizen, under the Charter of Rights of Freedoms, is entitled to the freedom of speech. In her stunt on This Hour Has 22 Minutes where she stomped on the aforementioned doll of the U.S. president, as well as all of her preceding comments regarding Americans and their president, is her own opinion. While it may not be reflective of the electorate that she represents, she is still a Canadian citizen, and has all the rights that are entailed. But it is the reaction from her former party that is alarming: the stunt was all in the name of comedy, so why wasn't it taken as a joke, just that? Where has the Canadian sense of humour gone in this case? And why is Ms. Parrish being swept under the proverbial rug now on the eve of Dubya's visit, and not long ago? The question therefore should be: is improving Canada-U.S. relations more important than free speech?
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Finally at the bottom
Grads give U of C a poor rating
2004-11-18 - John Leung, Gauntlet News

The verdict is in, and it's not looking good for the University of Calgary.

In a survey of graduates from 46 universities across Canada conducted by Macleans' magazine as part of their 2004 university rankings, the University of Calgary came in last place. Only 43 percent of graduates rated their experiences as very good, compared to Mount Allison University in New Brunswick on the other end of the spectrum, who had 88 percent of graduates give a very good rating.
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Lester B. Pearson, the Greatest Canadian
2004-11-11 - John Leung, Gauntlet Opinions

What makes a Canadian great, and what makes a great the Greatest? As the CBC tries to answer this stingy question via its new series The Greatest Canadian, a question must be asked as one takes a look at the top fifty great Canadians as nominated by Canadians themselves, and even the final ten. In this list, there are musicians like Avril Lavigne, humanitarians like Dr. Norman Bethune and Stephen Lewis, politicians like Sir Wilfrid Laurier and Jean Chretien as sports starts like Mario Lemieux and Maurice Richard. But amongst those ten nominated, which of them is truly deserving of the title? What qualities must this person possess: should they be of the stereotypical Canadian, the soft-spoken, kind peacemaker; or the typically un-Canadian, brash, loud, opinionated and unafraid to break from the norm? On top of this, what achievements must this person accomplish to set themselves above all others?

In this list, there is a smattering of all of the aforementioned. Rebellious individuals of Canada's past like the father of universal health care Tommy Douglas, former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau (of Charter of Rights and Freedoms and Constitution Act fame) and world-renowned environmental activist Dr. David Suzuki intermingle with more traditionalist hero figures such as the father of Confederation Sir John A. Macdonald and one-legged runner Terry Fox. Sporting heroes like hockey legend Wayne Gretzky share the spotlight with great scientists like the discoverer of insulin Dr. Frederick Banting and the inventor of the telephone, Alexander Graham Bell. But which one of these candidates are the easiest or the hardest sell to ordinary Canadians? Certainly in the coming weeks, each of them will have their case made. While Gretzky, Trudeau, Macdonald, Fox and Don Cherry may be the easy sells due to name recognition, Lester B. Pearson is one candidate that should not be discounted.
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The Art of Weight Gain
An Intimate Look at Gainers
2004-11-04 - John Leung

When looking at any popular culture magazine, one is bombarded with the image of the perfect human being: the toned, sculpted bodies and perfect celebrities wearing the latest fashions.

We have been forced to accept this as the model of perfection, and those who do not are shunned or marginalized. However, there are individuals out there who choose to defy this heteronormative discourse, by not subscribing to heteronormal ideals.
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