The Wrecking Ball swung through Ottawa for its pre-election event to break down politics and build awareness about headlining issues through art Nov. 16 at St. Brigid’s Centre.

The Wrecking Ball is an event that asks volunteer artists to create pieces in no more than two weeks so that it reflects the urgency of current situations locally, nationally and internationally.

It was founded in Toronto in 2004 to address what organizers said is “too much theatre in our politics, not enough politics in our theatre.”

On an evening of anecdotes and artists, Canadian writer Yann Martel’s visit to Ottawa was one of prose, intrigue and above all, stillness.

Martel, who won the Booker Prize for his first novel Life of Pi, officially launched his newest work, What is Stephen Harper Reading?, at a picture gallery in Ottawa Nov. 16.

Reading several extracts from his book and discussing literature in general, he left the crowd in deep contemplation and jubilant laughter.

My passenger seat is home to at least seven spoons. And my glove compartment houses multiple sets of bowls and some plastic cups. This is because I eat yogurt and cereal every morning while driving to Carleton (and clearly do not clean my car). I’m also usually pouring coffee from a thermos into a travel mug along the way. Sometimes I bring a plate of fried eggs and portions of orange juice for the journey. This often means I’m driving hands-free and that I’m perhaps one of the most distracted (or dangerous) drivers on the road.

While most Canadians take time to reflect upon the past during the month of November, for many students it’s also time to start thinking about the future.

A wave of recruiters is making its way through schools across the country, as it does every year, to provide young people with information about post-secondary and career options.

Before the start of this year’s water polo season, would-be captain of the men’s varsity team, Gordon Campbell, was told he could not play because of a mix-up with his credits.

Ontario University Athletics (OUA) requires that athletes complete three credits per semester in order to compete on a varsity team.

Although this rule is important to keep teams from having wringers, the OUA panel made the wrong decision in throwing out Cameron’s appeal.

Cameron had no intention to break the OUA rule or cheat the varsity system.