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| Editorial Letter From the Editor Features Legal & Literary Society Osgoode News Opinions |
Obiter Dicta Fails to Get Ski Trip Photos. Here is A Cat. R. v. Jack LeCasse Dissenting opinion by Andrew Monkhouse, Co-Editor in ChiefThis is in reference to the 'article' by Jack LeCasse previous. In my opinion such a piece ought not to be printed in the Obiter or at the very least should have the actual name of law student who wrote it attached to it. The article is not germain and there is no good reason as to why it should be rendered anonymous. The main issue with the article is that it is a short story, one strikingly similar to that which you would be forced to read of a fellow student in grade 8 English class. The Obiter Dicta is not a collection of short stories (poorly written or not). The front cover states that we are 'The Definitive Source for Osgoode News'. So what is 'osgoode news'? It is either law-school or law related (most often written by law students) or alternatively things which would be interesting for law students, preferably with a law student or Osgoode spin (like sports, music and movie reviews). The idea is that our readership is very specific. The 1000 law students, a few of our sponsors and 1-2 pre-osgoode kids who are interested (ok, I admit it, I loved the obiter before I came here). Running articles that are irrelevant takes away from the paper, costs money for the space, and diminishes what the 'image' of the paper as 'The Definitive Source for Osgoode News'. The paper generally has a number of sections. Editorials, letters to the editor, features, arts & Culture, L&L, Sports, Osgoode News and Opinions. They are meaningfully divided this way on our website. None of these categories are 'short stories'. We do not print the junk mail that people email to the Obiter account. The only thing that separates this from that is that it was written by a law student. A law student who will not even put his own name to it. That is how much faith he has in it. The exceptions to the rule of 'your name goes on it' in the past have generally been where something would be harmful to the student and it being written was for the good of our community. For instance an expose on law firm hiring practices, an attack on the administration's policies or sex articles. That being said I have put my name on all three of the above. This 'article' certainly is none of the above. I don't have an issue with people writing short stories but you have short story digests, the internet, blogs, and a million other ways to get them out to people who might like them. It shouldn't be in the Obiter. And for those reasons I dissent from Jenn and Cassie, my Co-Editors-in-Chief, on this issue. I would order the article not to be included in the paper and the author be advised to distribute through more appropriate channels. In the alternative I would order that the author be asked to put his real name on the article. | Tuesday, January 31
Writing Contest Well, it is the end of January, classes are underway and everyone is feeling those winter blahs. Just take a look at the articles written by Cass Da Re and Tracey Hardie. Cass notes that this time of the year is grey and grim and Tracey accurately points out most of us are likely feeling sluggish. Maybe we are still tired from the December exam period. Maybe it is all these cloudy, snowy/rainy days. Whatever it is, January feels exhausting and uninspiring.But January will soon be over. In fact, when this editorial goes to print, it will be the second last day of January. And with February on the horizon, we here at Obiter Dicta want to remind you that there are some positive things coming your way! So cheer up! Mock Trial: In our humble opinion here at the Obiter, Mock Trial is one of the best things done by our student body (besides putting together a stellar newspaper, week after week). Mock Trial is taking place this year on February 8th and 9th and tickets are on sale now. Don’t delay in getting a ticket because the Thursday show will sell out super, super fast (even faster to go will be those JCR tickets). First Years and Second Years: Applications are Done! January was a stressful time for you. You’ve had applications for ILP, for clinical intensives and if you’re a first year student, possibly applications for summer jobs. That’s a lot of stuff to handle. And a lot of pressure! We’re sure you may be wondering: did I pick the right opportunities? Am I going to do Parkdale for the summer or an ILP placement? Business intensive or CLASP? AHHHHHH. Well, you still have decisions to make, but at least the application process is over. Third Years are Going to Cancun: This may feel like it is super far away, but the next few months are going to fly right by for those of us in third year. We at the Obiter Dicta who are graduating cannot wait to bask in the sun for a glorious week. We’re having a WRITING CONTEST: In support of the Wendy Babcock Fund we’d like to announce a contest in her honour, inspired by her ability to raise awareness regarding social justice issues which are often overlooked by the legal profession. In this way, it is our hope that we can continue Wendy’s work. Contest Rules To enter submit a short article (under 600 words) about a social issue Articles will be judged based on style and content Articles are due by 4pm on Monday February 6, 2012 The winner will be announced in the paper on Monday February 13, 2012 Top articles will be published in the Obiter Dicta The Prize A dinner for two at O.NOIR (www.onoir.com) - a dinning experience like no other. A $250 dollar donation to the Wendy Babcock Fund in the winner’s name. So, dear readers, as you can see there are countless things to look forward to during the dreary winter semester. But if you are still feeling incredibly blah, grab a mug of hot chocolate, a good book, and curl up on your couch. Sometimes that’s the best remedy to chase away these winter blues. |