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The Reflector •

Breaking up with carbon tax | The Reflector

The carbon tax. We know it, we pay it and most Canadians oppose it. Like most toxic relationships, the Canadian federal carbon tax seems to take, take, take and never give. However, with the 2025 federal election looming over Canadians like a violent storm cloud—don’t lie to me, I know you’re at least a little nervous—we may say goodbye to the controversial consumer carbon tax.
The question remains: are Canadians better off without a carbon tax?
You may have heard about the carbon tax on the new...
Calgary Journal •

Rock on: How students use climbing as a stress reliever

Rock climbing, a sport that involves using either natural rock or artificial resin to navigate an ascending route, is seen as a sport pursued by adrenaline junkies. 

However, for some young adults and students at Mount Royal University, the appeal of climbing lies in the de-stressor and mental game instead. With the student-accessible climbing wall at MRU and various climbing gyms scattered across the city, it’s easy to find a venue and begin the climb. 
Students looking to pursue rookie climbi...
The Reflector •

Heartbreak and the game: How sports injuries shatter professional dreams | The Reflector

Whether it’s running under bright court lights, or pursuing a goal on the green grass of a pitch, countless young athletes chase dreams of going pro. But for many, a single moment—a torn ligament, a fractured bone, or a head injury—can turn ambition into shaky uncertainty. Sports injuries are not just physical setbacks, but also mental barriers that can bench a career before it even begins.
For aspiring post-secondary athletes, the long journey of going pro is often chalked full of sacrifices: c...
The Reflector •

Trump’s presidency and its effect on Canadians | The Reflector

Thirty-four felony counts, six bankruptcies, two impeachments and one conviction. Donald Trump has won the 2024 U.S. election and will be the 47th president of the United States.
However, before the election results were announced, more than one-third of Canadians huddled around their televisions and live-streams to eagerly, or anxiously, watch the 50 states on the U.S. map flash red or blue.
Leger, a North American market research company, conducted a U.S. election poll with 1,562 Canadians age...
The Reflector •

Lest we forget: Calgary’s 2024 Remembrance Day efforts | The Reflector

With the arrival of November, Calgary has begun to observe Remembrance Day by putting up the Field of Crosses and scheduling various ceremonies from Nov. 1 to Nov. 11. Every Nov. 11, Canadians honour those in the armed forces who have laid down their lives for our country.
Remembrance Day begins at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11, which signifies the anniversary of the Armistice agreement signing and honours the first step toward ending World War one.
Before the official day of honouring Canadian military ef...
The Reflector •

Why do Alberta autumns feel so warm? | The Reflector

Alberta residents know all too well that the weather in September and October can vary from 20 degrees to minus five degrees in a matter of hours. As the season transitions from summer to autumn, sometimes the warm weather reports make the days as if time should be spent out on the lake rather than in the campus library. 
Answering the seemingly endless questions about weather and climate seem to involve many factors such as climate change, geography, topography and weather trends. 
Susan Reid,...
The Reflector •

Pedestrian struck by vehicle at MRU campus crosswalk

Bella Coco, News Editor | 
Earlier this month, an MRU student got hit by a vehicle while crossing through Richardson Way S.W. crosswalk to the North Entrance of campus. 
It is known throughout the MRU campus that the crosswalk between Richardson Way and the North Entrance is notoriously long with no light or alert system to incoming traffic. The crosswalk spans across six lanes of traffic— four driving lanes and two turn lanes—-with a maximum speed limit of 60 kilometers per hour. 
An individual...
Calgary Journal •

Adapting to change and embracing community

Jennifer Hohenstein’s preschool classroom is the epitome of inspiration with its bright windows, eccentric decorations and inviting atmosphere. It seems only fitting that an influential classroom houses such an influential cornerstone to the Crossroads community in northeast Calgary such as Hohenstein — better known as Miss Jenn to her students. 

The Crossroads Community Preschool has been around for generations and Hohenstein has been a pillar of education and involvement at the school for 16...
The Reflector •

Adding to the green scene

Bella Coco, News Editor | 
Did you know the 2024 Super Bowl was the first sustainable Super Bowl in history? Fully powered by renewable energy, Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas was home to the first renewable Super Bowl. 
Now, the sustainability conversation has flown all the way from Las Vegas to Calgary, where pressure has been building about potential sustainability at Calgary’s new Event Centre. 
Lead by example
With the City of Calgary preparing to begin their site preparation and the design...
The Reflector •

Class is in session: History with a Drag Queen comes to MRU

Bella Coco, News Editor
Grab your history books and prepare for the lesson of a lifetime, because History with a Drag Queen is coming to Mount Royal University (MRU) on Thursday, Feb. 8. 
Karla Marx, a drag queen who uses her burlesque and comedic talents to teach history, is bringing her show to MRU’s pub, West Gate Social. 
Marx was developed and is embodied by Victoria Bucholtz, a professor in the history department at MRU. With her riveting historical knowledge, Marx plans to educate the au...
The Reflector •

The trials and tribulations of Ticketmaster

By  Bella Coco, Staff Writer
With concert fever taking the world by storm post-pandemic, music lovers are having a harder and more strenuous time attempting to get tickets to see their favorite artists and bands.
One of the most notable Ticketmaster failures this year was when Taylor Swift announced her Eras Tour. Due to high demand, multiple pre-sales were put into place to ensure fans got tickets to see their favorite pop star.
Pre-sales with banks such as Avion and RBC gave fans exclusive acc...
The Reflector •

Coffee lovers call to boycott Starbucks over Israel-Hamas war

By Bella Coco, Staff Writer
With the recent events concerning Israel and Palestine, individuals across the globe have found themselves taking sides in the war.
Starbucks Workers United, a worker-led unionized effort, shared a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, in support of Palestine that read “Solidarity with Palestine!”. The post has since been deleted.
Starbucks criticized the post made by the union and filed a complaint. Sara Kelley, Starbucks’ executive vice president and chief partner o...
The Reflector •

No More Pipelines Act: Here’s what it means

By Bella Coco, Contributor
On Friday, Oct.13, the Supreme Court ruled that the federal government’s impact assessment law (also known as the Impact Assessment Act) for major project approvals is unconstitutional. The ruling brought Alberta a huge victory for projects such as the coal mines and the oil sands after years of fighting and unrest from the Alberta government and its residents. 
What is the Impact Assessment Act?
The act, also well known as Bill C-69 or the “No More Pipelines Act”—infa...
The Reflector •

What you missed: Mount Royal University’s 2023 Sustainability Forum

By Bella Coco, Contributor
When people think of sustainability, ideas of climate activism, environmental change, or alternative energy sources come to mind.
However, Mount Royal University’s (MRU) 2023 Sustainability Forum looked at tourism, finance, student life, education, marketing, podcasting, media, aviation, Indigenous practices, and relationships with nature, just to name a few. Known as the largest event on campus, the Sustainability Forum served as a platform of knowledge and education...