Hunting for Experience
By Katie Boudreau
During the weeks of hunting season many men and women will strap on the boots and throw on the orange to
spend days at a time out in the woods searching for their next kill. Hunting is an activity that involves much
patience and skill, not to mention the legal document of a license to shoot the prey. The outside eyes of this
sporting event, such as myself, could never realize how much effort it actually takes to pick up a gun and go
hiking through the woods.
Over the past weekend, I went hunting out the Kingsley Road for partridge. Because I do not have a license, I
was just along for the ride. Preparing for such an event took as much energy and time as any other sporting
event; this I did not expect for a little hike in the woods. I had to make sure I was wearing no white or at least
had none showing; no one wants to be mistaken for a deer’s tail. Lots of orange is needed in order to stand out
to other hunters. Dressing warm was also a necessity for the cold weather of Canadian fall. Work boots and
gloves are also a plus for such activity for the hard and long walk and cold winds. It’s always nice to have the
extra warmth and support during the long hours. Gathering this equipment and following the rules took more
time than actually shooting an animal.
After driving out to the area of where we would hunt, a long walk was waiting for us. If you are used to wearing
sneakers or casual shoes every day of your life, you can’t imagine what kind of work out these big boots are on
your legs. Walking up and down hills through the woods with rocks and leaves everywhere, it’s hard to keep
quiet. Hunting definitely comes easier with the years and knowledge of the sport. There are a lot of little things
good to know when going out into the woods, such as what you can or cannot shoot and what to do when
approached with a tough situation.
Although I only went out for an hour or two, I was exhausted. I can’t imagine waking up before the crack of
dawn and spending all day out in the woods. With all the walking and waiting, I personally would get very tired
and bored. Hunting is definitely only for certain people and I can’t say I am one of them. It was a very good
experience, but I can’t dedicate my Saturdays to this event all through the hunting season.
spend days at a time out in the woods searching for their next kill. Hunting is an activity that involves much
patience and skill, not to mention the legal document of a license to shoot the prey. The outside eyes of this
sporting event, such as myself, could never realize how much effort it actually takes to pick up a gun and go
hiking through the woods.
Over the past weekend, I went hunting out the Kingsley Road for partridge. Because I do not have a license, I
was just along for the ride. Preparing for such an event took as much energy and time as any other sporting
event; this I did not expect for a little hike in the woods. I had to make sure I was wearing no white or at least
had none showing; no one wants to be mistaken for a deer’s tail. Lots of orange is needed in order to stand out
to other hunters. Dressing warm was also a necessity for the cold weather of Canadian fall. Work boots and
gloves are also a plus for such activity for the hard and long walk and cold winds. It’s always nice to have the
extra warmth and support during the long hours. Gathering this equipment and following the rules took more
time than actually shooting an animal.
After driving out to the area of where we would hunt, a long walk was waiting for us. If you are used to wearing
sneakers or casual shoes every day of your life, you can’t imagine what kind of work out these big boots are on
your legs. Walking up and down hills through the woods with rocks and leaves everywhere, it’s hard to keep
quiet. Hunting definitely comes easier with the years and knowledge of the sport. There are a lot of little things
good to know when going out into the woods, such as what you can or cannot shoot and what to do when
approached with a tough situation.
Although I only went out for an hour or two, I was exhausted. I can’t imagine waking up before the crack of
dawn and spending all day out in the woods. With all the walking and waiting, I personally would get very tired
and bored. Hunting is definitely only for certain people and I can’t say I am one of them. It was a very good
experience, but I can’t dedicate my Saturdays to this event all through the hunting season.
Tragedy at Fort Hood
by Montana MacDonald
On November 5th, a lone gunman entered Fort Hood, the largest military base in the United States of America,
and shot 43 people, most of whom were soldiers. Eleven of those people died on the scene: another 2 passed
away in the hospital. The man suspected of doing this is Major Nidal Hasan, an army psychiatrist who also
happens to be a Muslim.
Now, there are ongoing investigations into whether or not this was an isolated incident or a case of terrorism.
Did the suspect act alone, or did he have behind him the support of Islamic extremists? What I’m left wondering
are two things: are we simply assuming ulterior motives because of his religion, or more importantly, does his
religion even play a role in this case?
Since the early 1990’s, North America itself has become more aware and more frightened of Islamic culture. It
seems that many of us automatically assume this:
Muslim = terrorist
This is ignorant at best and devastating at worst. Now, I’m by no means saying that everything believes that;
but some clearly do, since we have leapt from this being a tragic-but-isolated mass
shooting to a possible terrorist attack.
There are reports that the main suspect, Major Hasan, had communication with a radical Islamic cleric, which in
itself seems damning. But the messages sent had to do with spiritual enlightenment; I fail to see how this
constitutes the imam telling him to shoot innocent people. Anyways, contact itself does not mean that he
followed the imam’s words like a sheep. U.S. President Barack Obama had a 20 year relationship with the
Reverend Jeremiah Wright, who said controversial things about 9/11, God and government. Does that mean
Obama agrees with him? Not at all. So why do we automatically assume that Hasan followed all of the imam’s
decrees?
But I’m off on a tangent. The main point is this: we cannot assume that this attack was religiously motivated,
or that it even matters that he was a Muslim in the first place. After all, do we assume that other mass attacks,
such as Columbine or Bath School, were because of religion? Hell, Bath School was over something as trivial as
property tax. And I suspect this shooting was not an attack against America so much as the actions of a solitary,
deranged man. We must remain objective; what truly matters is that we lend our support to the victims and
their families, that we work to bring justice for them. Trying to find others to blame will do none of that.
and shot 43 people, most of whom were soldiers. Eleven of those people died on the scene: another 2 passed
away in the hospital. The man suspected of doing this is Major Nidal Hasan, an army psychiatrist who also
happens to be a Muslim.
Now, there are ongoing investigations into whether or not this was an isolated incident or a case of terrorism.
Did the suspect act alone, or did he have behind him the support of Islamic extremists? What I’m left wondering
are two things: are we simply assuming ulterior motives because of his religion, or more importantly, does his
religion even play a role in this case?
Since the early 1990’s, North America itself has become more aware and more frightened of Islamic culture. It
seems that many of us automatically assume this:
Muslim = terrorist
This is ignorant at best and devastating at worst. Now, I’m by no means saying that everything believes that;
but some clearly do, since we have leapt from this being a tragic-but-isolated mass
shooting to a possible terrorist attack.
There are reports that the main suspect, Major Hasan, had communication with a radical Islamic cleric, which in
itself seems damning. But the messages sent had to do with spiritual enlightenment; I fail to see how this
constitutes the imam telling him to shoot innocent people. Anyways, contact itself does not mean that he
followed the imam’s words like a sheep. U.S. President Barack Obama had a 20 year relationship with the
Reverend Jeremiah Wright, who said controversial things about 9/11, God and government. Does that mean
Obama agrees with him? Not at all. So why do we automatically assume that Hasan followed all of the imam’s
decrees?
But I’m off on a tangent. The main point is this: we cannot assume that this attack was religiously motivated,
or that it even matters that he was a Muslim in the first place. After all, do we assume that other mass attacks,
such as Columbine or Bath School, were because of religion? Hell, Bath School was over something as trivial as
property tax. And I suspect this shooting was not an attack against America so much as the actions of a solitary,
deranged man. We must remain objective; what truly matters is that we lend our support to the victims and
their families, that we work to bring justice for them. Trying to find others to blame will do none of that.
Chemtrails!
What are they and where do they come from?
by Jeff Powell
The conspiracy theory of chemtrails has been circulating for a few years now. The theory is that some of the
contrails left behind by jets and planes (the smoke produced by engines) are actually chemical agents, and the
planes/jets are spreading them for an unknown reason. This theory has been discarded as a hoax.
Although the chemtrail theory may sound ridiculous there is actually some evidence behind it. Back in the seventies
and eighties contrails from planes and jets lasted only a few minutes, but now some contrails last for hours and
spread out to become clouds. That’s right; some of the clouds in the sky are produced by planes. Also some
people report planes doing numerous fly bys and leaving the so called chemtrails. These are thought to be
government planes spreading chemicals.
The chemtrails theory will, like many other conspiracy theories, be disputed for many years. And as air traffic
continues to increase, the theory may gain some more momentum. In short, the theory has been discredited by
many universities and scientists, but the question is still there. Why are contrails lasting so much longer than
they used to?
I’ll leave that for you to think about.
contrails left behind by jets and planes (the smoke produced by engines) are actually chemical agents, and the
planes/jets are spreading them for an unknown reason. This theory has been discarded as a hoax.
Although the chemtrail theory may sound ridiculous there is actually some evidence behind it. Back in the seventies
and eighties contrails from planes and jets lasted only a few minutes, but now some contrails last for hours and
spread out to become clouds. That’s right; some of the clouds in the sky are produced by planes. Also some
people report planes doing numerous fly bys and leaving the so called chemtrails. These are thought to be
government planes spreading chemicals.
The chemtrails theory will, like many other conspiracy theories, be disputed for many years. And as air traffic
continues to increase, the theory may gain some more momentum. In short, the theory has been discredited by
many universities and scientists, but the question is still there. Why are contrails lasting so much longer than
they used to?
I’ll leave that for you to think about.
