Review: Danish String Quartet captures the heart and soul of Chamberfest with delightful classics and modern adaptations
The Danish String Quartet and Finnish cellist Johannes Rostamo gave a stunning performance at the Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre on Aug 2 with their take on Franz Schubert’s String Quintet in C Major, D. 956, Op. posth. 163. Along with this chamber music classic, they performed a modern arrangement of the quintet, by Thomas Adès. The performance is part of the...
Deep Dive: New-look Redblacks on fire and on track to snap lengthy CFL playoff drought
What a fantastic season the Ottawa Redblacks have had so far. It’s the best start in Redblacks’ franchise history and the best for any of Ottawa’s CFL clubs since the 1978 Rough Riders started 6-1. The Rough Riders finished that season in first place with a 12-4 record but ultimately lost the East Final to the Montreal Alouettes. Through seven...
Review: Pouliot and friends deliver rare performance of Mendelssohn’s Octet in elegant concert of romantic music
Canadian violin virtuoso Blake Pouliot took over the Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre stage on July 31, much to the delight of the audience. For Pouliot, this was a return visit to Chamberfest for the talented violinist from Toronto who has forged a stellar international career as a soloist. He was the grand prize winner at the 2016 Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal...
Review: Nicole Presentey and John Dapaah dazzle Chamberfest audience with piano duet
Delicacy, precision, power. These words come to mind when Nicole Presentey and John Kofi Dapaah make music together. The Ottawa pianists performed “1 Piano, 4 Hands” in the NAC’s Thorsteinson Staircase, part of the Midday Matinées series at Chamberfest. The pair met at Carleton University, where Dapaah studied with Presentey. Soon after, they began playing duets together at Chamberfest and...
The silence is damaging: Society’s denial and ignorance of sexual assaults on men and boys only enabling the abusers
In one of our calls, Dr. Kelli Palfy told me about a personal and professional frustration she has endured for years. Once people find out that she helps sexually abused men, they change the conversation, or avoid the details. Palfy is an Edmonton-based therapist works with male survivors. She retired from the RCMP, as an officer who specialized in sex...
A capital take: A Vancouverite offers a verdict on life in Ottawa
As my time in this city draws to a close, Capital Current's Alex Dines wanted to give her verdict on some of the hot takes on life in Ottawa and how they compare with Vancouver, her home city.
The situational ethics of AI confronts post-secondary institutions
Universities are wrestling with the ethics of the use if Artificial Intelligence in the learning process.
First person: Weighing the pros and cons of internships for young journalists
Capital Current writer Victor Vegas Alvarez assesses the value of internships for young journalists.
How school helped me cope with grief
Capital Current reporter David Greenwood reflects on grief and the role university played in coming to terms with loss.
De-streaming high schools won’t solve deep-rooted divides in education
De-streaming high schools in Ontario is a step in the right direction, but isn't the solution.
In a stressful world, discovering the importance of spending time in nature
Spending time in nature "has been shown to positively affect various aspects of cognitive function, memory and attention, impulse inhibition, and children’s school performance, as well as imagination and creativity."
Growing up meant learning to love my curly hair after years of hating it
Capital Current's Maya Riachi has curly hair but taking care of it is tricky. Until she learned how, she writes, she struggled with it.
It’s a wrap: Spotify’s year-end snapshot of users’ music tastes is a holiday treat
For Capital Current's Andrea Pulgarin Villasmil, Spotify Wrapped season gives rise to some entertaining controversies online.
High cost of law school makes a legal career an exclusive pathway for the rich
Capital Current's Izzie Helenchilde shows the implications for our society of sky-high law school tuition
Three days, no phone: A Gen Z odyssey in passing (and guessing) the time
Capital Current's Gail Pope describes what it was like to lose her smartphone for a few days and how that got her thinking about her relationship to this technology.
Ticketmaster is letting fans down, one overpriced concert at a time
t’s frustrating, heart breaking, even. We went so long without live music. But now, the average personal can barely afford the luxury.
Home for the holidays, amid enduring childhood triggers for my OCD
Capital Current's Emma O'Toole has obsessive-compulsive disorder. She explains how it affects her life especially this Christmas.
Journalism is a discipline of verification, but false reports expose serious failings
Examples of clear reporting failures spawned during the crisis in Iran concern Capital Current's Hermona Kuluberhan.
We need to wake up to China’s interference in Canadian democracy
Canadians, including Ottawans, need to be concerned about the Chinese government's influence campaign; something that may threaten our liberal democracy, writes Capital Current's Dennis Kovtun.
For this pet-loving human, sharing a home with six furry friends is the cat’s meow
Capital Current reporter Lauren Kerans is a passionate lover of cats. She explains why she loves with six feline friends in this commentary.
For this Brazilian-Canadian, World Cup ’22 means double the fun, not divided loyalties
Brazilian-Canadian Veronica Carvalho says she's cheering for two teams during this year's World Cup — Canada and Brazil.
Resurgent ’emo’ subculture reminds a troubled world it’s okay to be ‘not okay’
“Emo” is a largely American, music-based subculture that gained traction in the early 2000s, eventually going global, before fading into the background around 2014-2015. It is making a comeback in the wake of the pandemic and Trump.
Plot twist: BookTok has made me a more avid reader of ink on paper pages
Reading has always been an enjoyable pastime for me, but finding the right book has often proven to be challenging. But surprise: TikTok — an icon of our supposedly post-literate age — has helped me discover new and interesting books while connecting with others. Tiktok is one of the world’s biggest and most influential social media platforms. You can view...
Beyond the bite: My foodie family helped heal my relationship with food
Capital Current's Rianna Lim describes how her family's love of food helped her with her mental health.
How the media’s stereotypical portrayal of East Asian women warped my storytelling
For nine years as a writer, I’ve lived vicariously through the eyes of a white girl. She was always the blonde and blue-eyed protagonist who represented me in every one of my stories. For me, writing a white protagonist was as automatic as breathing. I never questioned why that was.
Call of Duty: What can young Canadians learn from BTS serving South Korea’s military?
Capital Current's Ella Milloy argues that some form of mandatory service for young Canadians would be a useful idea.
Having diabetes means battling the disease — but also misinformation
Diabetes is a common disease affecting 1 in 3 Canadians, but what do people really know about it?
Stay the course: Ottawa voters embrace Sutcliffe’s middle-of-the road vision
What change. Ottawa voters choose a middle of the road path to the city's future by electing Mark Sutcliffe as mayor.
Stop accusing celebrities of queerbaiting — they’re human, too
Queerbaiting is a marketing tactic, but celebrities including Taylor Swift and Harry Styles don't queerbait—they're human, not corporations.
No Mark Sutcliffe, bikes aren’t starting a war on cars
Capital Current's William Etherington argues that those of oppose bike lanes because they impede cars are wrong and blocking progress in safe transit in the city.
Carleton’s butterfly show is my worst nightmare — here’s why
The Carleton butterfly show is back in town, but for students with lepidopterophobia this event is not a happy one.
Harm reduction shouldn’t be considered ‘controversial’ during an opioid overdose crisis
Harm reduction not only benefits the person using, but also the community. So why is it still controversial.
My family’s experience with life-saving heroism shows it’s time for Ontario to embrace opt-out organ donations
Capital Current's Abigael Lynch's experience watching her aunt survive liver cancer because of an organ transplant has convinced her that Ontario's current system of organ donation needs to change.
Pet power: My pandemic puppy kept me afloat during a time of loss
I grieved the support network COVID-19 had ripped apart, the company of those I loved most, and the comfort of familiar faces and routines. My pandemic puppy became my lifebuoy.
Soft news is big news: So-called ‘feminine’ subjects have major cultural and economic impacts — whether you care or not
Soft news is just as important for society as hard reporting and it's time it earned the same respect.
Staying afloat: The trials and tribulations of opening a family business during the pandemic
Capital Current's Leah Matthews describes what it was like when her family opened a business on the eve of the pandemic.
Keeping in check: Chess helps me get through the pandemic
The game of chess has given Capital Current's Jonathan Rudnicki a sense of progress in a time when many people felt stagnant. He writes the game also gave him something to focus on and learn from.
Canada should deter speculation by foreign-owned giants, reap grassroots growth through cannabis review
Three years after its legalization, Canada's cannabis industry is being reviewed. The government should use this opportunity to encourage local growth.
Lessons from the slippery slope of excessive sweat
Capital Current reporter Jillian Piper shares lessons learned from living with hyperhidrosis, a condition characterized by excessive perspiration.
Combat sports teach women much more than how to fight
Combat sports teach women how to defend themselves, build confidence and self-efficacy, relieve stress, and much more.
COVID has reminded me that ringette — so much more than a hockey lookalike — is my passion and my family
Christianna Alexiou has been playing ringette for 14 years and shares what this Canadian sport means to her.
Online classes are a headache for some, but COVID-imposed virtual learning has benefited many students
As the Omicron variant spreads, it is unclear if classes will go back online. Will students return to campus or have to endure another semester of virtual learning?
Embracing the ancient art of tatreez and deepening my Palestinian identity
Capital Current writer Yasmeen Amer explains how an age-old embroidering tradition has become a symbol of my heritage and Palestinian resilience.
Embracing human resilience: COVID-19 taught me about depression — and how to find my flow
Two years of pandemic loneliness has helped Capital Current's Brynn Brieda handle her pre-COVID mental health issues.
3D films are an expensive gimmick for people with two functioning eyes, an exercise in frustration for me
Clunky glasses, pricey tickets, and an impossible to see image, 3D movies are the trend for people with two functioning eyes that just won't go away.
Autism diagnoses — and my brilliant brother’s story — teach us about racial bias in health care
Though he showed many of the early signs of autism, my brother was not diagnosed until he was 13 — far beyond the typical detection age of four years old. This may be because he was a young boy of colour.
Graduating as an international student in Canada: struggle and heartbreak amid unfair obstacles
International students in Canada are struggling to find jobs and pursue their dreams in Canada and immigration policies don't help.
Racial profiling in Canada can encompass your name, too
Netflix dropped a limited series about Colin Kapernick's lifer and the NFL player starred in it. He took us on a journey back to his high school days as a quarterback and a baseball pitcher. But what many people may have not known is that he was adopted and raised by two white parents who knew nothing about Black culture.
Hollywood’s representation of Muslims causing more harm and doing little good
Movies and television shows mock Islam in the name of representation, causing Muslims to resent any type of representation.