Opinion
-
When Did We Stop Doing Nothing?
/
Whether you find yourself walking around campus, riding a bus, or even waiting in line at McDonalds, it’s become increasingly apparent that these quiet moments that once sparked communication and connection, have become just another opportunity for stimulation. For most of us, it’s become a habit to pull out our phone and scroll whenever the opportunity arises, the constant drive to keep our minds engaged to avoid uncomfortable thoughts or feelings of unproductiveness, and through these social constructs, boredom has become something we avoid at all…
-
The Illusion that Everyone has it Figured Out
/
Walking across campus, scrolling through social media, or sitting in a lecture hall, it is easy to notice how much it seems like everyone else has it all together. People already know what they want to do. They’re finishing internships, securing jobs, graduating on time and seem to have a clear path ahead. Meanwhile, you are just trying to survive midterms, keep up with assignments, and figure out what comes next. It is natural to feel like you are falling behind. Life appears to be moving forward while you are stuck in the…
-
I Read an AI Book: My Thoughts
/
AI novels are a relatively new phenomenon within the literature community and are rising in popularity. They appear in advertisements everywhere, with their AI-generated book covers and classic trope titles, for example, The Chosen Luna: Alpha’s Unwanted Daughter. Now, while they are popular, there are two big questions: are they good, and despite being AI, are they still valuable?…
-
How Unsinkable is Changing the Conversation Around Mental Health
/
For many students, university can feel like a constant balancing act. Academics, social life, future uncertainty, and everything in between. While conversations around mental health have become more common, many still struggle in silence, unsure of where to turn, or how to begin opening up. Unsinkable is a platform that helps Canadians tell their mental health stories, creating spaces where these stories have become a lifeline for others. For Hailey Hechtman, Executive Director of Unsinkable, storytelling is where that process can begin.…
-
In The Space Between Expectations and Choice
/
Choosing a path in university is rarely as simple as following personal interest. Students must often navigate a balance between their own aspirations and the expectations of family, friends, and society. These expectations can be explicit or subtle, but they shape the choices students make every day. Following your heart can feel risky. Your dreams may not align with what your parents hope for, what friends consider realistic, or what society views as practical. Ignoring personal ambition does not feel right either. Many students experience…
-
Reflecting on My Time at The Cord
/
As I wrap up my second year with WLUSP, and The Cord in particular, and look ahead to year three, I’ve come to realize just how deeply this experience has shaped my university journey. From the people I’ve worked with to the stories I’ve told and the voices I’ve had the privilege to amplify; The Cord has become a defining part of my time at Laurier. It…
-
A Final Note: What This Paper Gave Me
/
I don’t think there’s a clean way to write a final editorial. For something that has taken up so much space in my life, my time, my energy, and often my thoughts long after I have closed my laptop, it feels strange to try to summarize it in a single piece. Being editor-in-chief was never just a role I…
-
More Than Just Bread and Circuses? The Case for Sports Relevancy
/
Whenever major sporting events roll around, such as the Olympics or FIFA, the same snarky remarks emerge. While fans and sports media alike are spending their leisure hours peacefully invested in athletes and outcomes, critics will sit at home and scoff at the silliness of “sports ball”. This group constantly reminds people that sports are a distraction from serious issues and effectively work to deflect a population’s attention and critical thinking away from things with power. We have all heard this argument in one form or another. However, not everyone sees sports this…
-
“Eat the Rich Before the Rich Eat Us”
/
“Eat the Rich” a well renowned metaphor originating from the French Revolution, is a blunt, populist shorthand phrase to express anger at extreme wealth, inequality, and the impunity of the elites. It is about accountability. It encapsulates the idea that a tiny group hoards obscene power while the consequences of their action are paid for by everyone else. Over time, the phrase has evolved into a meme, a punchline – a way to gesture at class rage without spelling out policy. However, in the age of outrage and post-Epstein distrust, metaphors do notstay metaphors for long. In recent months, as the Epstein files have begun to flood online forums and fringe outlets, the “eat the rich” statement has grown into grotesque literalism.…
-
Economic Anxiety and the Appeal of Communism on Campus
/
Many students in Waterloo have noticed the bright red stickers and posters plastered around the Laurier campus, displaying graphics ranging from Luigi Mangione to anti-Capitalist rhetoric both in and outside academic buildings. While the nature of these stickers and posters may vary, they all function as recruitment tools for the Kitchener-Waterloo branch of the Revolutionary Communist Party (RCP). The RCP is a recently established political group rapidly growing in numbers, targeting student and worker populations and demanding immediate anti-capitalist action. With that established, the question remains; why are students in Waterloo supposedly turning toward communism? We know that…
Featured stories
The Tie That Binds WLU Since 1926
Serving the Waterloo campus, The Cord seeks to provide students with relevant, up to date stories. We’re always interested in having more volunteer writers, photographers and graphic designers.