Chronicle 17-18 Issue 08

chronicle.durhamcollege.ca March 6 - 12, 2018 The Chronicle 5
Opinion
Protect historic buildings, they are the city's foundation
Aly
Beach
The following piece is the opinion of
the Durham College journalism student
whose name and picture accompanies this
column.
We’ve all heard stories of prestigious,
historic homes such as the
Parkwood Estate, and the people
who lived in them, in the case of
Parkwood, Robert Sam McLaughlin.
Historical buildings are the
foundation of our heritage and culture.
So why isn’t more being done
to preserve them and the memories
they hold?
Like the house at 195 Simcoe
St. N, which has recently been
proposed for demolition.
It belonged to industrialist Robert
McLaughlin who founded Mc-
Laughlin Carriage Works, which
became General Motors (GM)
under the management of his son,
Robert Sam McLaughlin.
The house, built in the late
1880s, was designed in the Classical
Revival Style. McLaughlin lived
there for almost twenty years, from
1901 to 1919. In the 60s, it became
office space for doctors and dentists.
It is currently empty.
Heritage Oshawa, Oshawa’s
heritage council, has asked city
councillors that the building be
designated as an important historical
building, which would offer it
more protection.
Heritage Oshawa advises city
council on heritage-related issues.
Heritage Oshawa has a list of
historically significant buildings
called an inventory.
If they feel a building on the inventory
is especially significant,
they can try to have it designated,
which gives it extra protections to
help conserve it.
McLaughlin and his family had
a major influence on Oshawa. This
influence can still be felt today,
thanks to GM.
Heritage houses are sometimes
slotted for demolition to make room
for townhouses and apartment
buildings. That is understandable.
But when these homes are demolished,
part of history is erased.
In 2016, another house on Simcoe
St. N. was torn down. It belonged
to a woman named Harriet
Cock. She was one of Oshawa’s
first female land owners.
Her house told a story from a
female perspective. By demolishing
her house, she was forgotten.
Not only was her legacy completely
erased but so was a historical
perspective, one which is often
ignored.These people and houses
are part of what makes Oshawa,
Oshawa. It is important to protect
both the houses and by extension,
the stories they tell. There needs
to be better, more impactful ways
The Marvel Cinematic Universe should put the R in Marvel
Shana
Fillatrau
The following piece is the opinion of
the Durham College journalism student
whose name and picture accompanies this
column.
Since the Marvel Cinematic Universe
(MCU) first started with the
premiere of Iron Man in 2008, the
darker and grittier side of Marvel
comics hasn’t been shown enough.
Even when Fox was in charge of
the X-Men, for the most part, the
mutants weren’t given the dark
storylines they’re known for and
that didn’t do the comics justice.
In the nineties, Marvel sold the
film rights to many of their characters
because they were having
financial issues. This includes the
rights to the X-Men and Deadpool.
December of last year, Marvel
acquired the film rights for the
X-Men back from Fox.
In terms of team movies, the
X-Men vs. the Avengers, the
X-Men won in terms of grit, just
like they do in the comics, though
there could always be improvement.
In the first X-Men movie, it’s
mutant vs. mutant. The X-Men vs.
the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.
While in the first Avengers movie,
it’s the Avengers fighting aliens.
In the last two years, Fox has
dipped into Marvel’s potential.
There’s so much more to Marvel
comics than the high-morale Captain
America and Scott Summers.
It’s more than the average and
simple super-hero storylines where
everything turns out fine and the
hero saves the day with no deaths
and no blood shown.
So, fans were elated to find out
that not only was there going to
be a Deadpool movie, it would be
rated R. The studio was, at some
points, not going to sign-off on an
R-rated film. For a little while, fans
thought they would have to see the
censored and watered-down Deadpool.
Last month, the Deadpool 2
trailer premiered. Deadpool combines
the fun humour and raw violence
that isn’t seen in any other
Marvel films.
Deadpool is the most accurate
Marvel-portrayed character. He’s
self-deprecating, meta, humorous,
while still being sad and violent.
Last time Marvel tried to portray
the Merc With a Mouth, fans
were subjected to the worst comic
character depiction in recent years.
This came in Wolverine: Origins.
The filmmakers wanted a Deadpool
that wasn’t rated-R. They did
this by literally sewing Deadpool’s
mouth shut so he couldn’t swear,
make lewd jokes or generally, be
himself. The censorship of these
violent characters is nearly impossible,
especially with Deadpool.
Even Deadpool made fun of his
past depiction in his own movie.
The only character this did work
for, in some ways, was Wolverine
himself. Then came Logan.
After more than 15 years of seeing
a not-quite-there Wolverine,
fans got a look at the true character
come to life but unfortunately
just for the farewell film of Hugh
Jackman playing the character one
last time.
Before Logan, fans only had a
censored, cleaner version of their
clawed mutant.
He couldn’t impale or decapitate
people. Bloody carcasses weren’t
laying at his feet. Instead, they focused
less on the violence and more
on the romance, which isn’t Logan
Howlett.
Out of all 10 films in the X-Men
movie franchise, Logan received
the best Rotten Tomatoes score,
showing how much fans and viewers
in general, appreciated the raw
to protect our historical buildings.
Heritage Oshawa can only recommend
what they think should be
done with a building. Oshawa City
Council has the final say on what is
designated and what is demolished.
Perhaps Heritage Oshawa should
have more of a say, or citizens
should have more power in making
these decisions. Either way, more
must be done to preserve Oshawa’s
history for future generations. As
the Durham Region undergoes tremendous
growth and development,
this issue is increasingly important.
If you see a building that should
be preserved, speak up. Talk to
Heritage Oshawa, learn about the
building, fight for its survival. Citizens
saved the Henry, Guy and
Robinson Houses which are now
home to the Oshawa Museum.
Let’s save the home of Robert
McLaughlin, one Oshawa’s most
influential figures.
truth of who these characters are.
Logan is also the first superhero
film to be nominated for an Oscar
in the best adapted screenplay
category. It is also the first major
nomination for any superhero film,
excluding
Heath Ledger’s posthumous win
for supporting actor with his role as
the Joker. Other nominations are
for technical categories, like hair
and makeup or visual effects.
With these films leading the way,
there are so many other potential
characters to be adapted. These
include Moon Knight, Carnage,
Fantomex, Mystique and so many
more.
Marvel needs to focus on the
examples of Logan and Deadpool
in particular and continue where
Fox left off. Even though they have
their more mature Netflix shows
like Daredevil and The Punisher,
their movies remain lighthearted.
All in all, there isn’t an “R” in
Marvel for no reason.
Bringing 'Johnny Football' to Hamilton is a bad fit
Cameron
Black-
Araujo
The following piece is the opinion of
the Durham College journalism student
whose name and picture accompanies this
column.
College football star and 2012
Heisman Trophy winner, Johnny
Manziel, broke his silence about
his struggles with alcohol and other
issues earlier this month on Good
Morning America, but the Hamilton
Tiger-Cats should stay as far
away from the 25-year-old athlete
as possible.
Manziel took the sporting world
by storm at the age of 19, when he
became the first freshman to win
the Heisman, awarded to the best
player in college football.
The legend of “Johnny Football”
was born.
That was the peak of his football
career as his final year at Texas
A&M University and his two-year
stint in the NFL were plagued with
off-field issues including domestic
violence charges filed against him
in 2014.
The Tiger Cats confirmed in
January they had made an offer to
the quarterback but it’s now over
a month later and Manziel has yet
to accept.
That may not be a bad thing for
These people and houses are part
of what makes Oshawa, Oshawa.
the Tiger-Cats.
Art Briles was fired as Baylor’s
football coach in May, 2016, after
over 30 of his players were accused
of committing over 50 sexual assaults.
Just over a year later, in August,
the Tiger-Cats hired Briles,
his first job since leaving Baylor,
just to reverse the decision 12 hours
later after backlash from fans, the
media and sponsors.
“It was a poor decision, in
retrospect, that we shouldn’t have
made,” said Tiger-Cats CEO, Scott
Mitchell. “Everything we do demonstrates
great community will,
everything we do in the community
we’re very sincere about it and I
think, clearly, we missed the mark
in terms of the message we were
sending.”
Five months have passed and
it looks like the Tiger-Cats’ CEO
may be missing the mark again.
Manziel has been accused of domestic
violence, has openly abused
alcohol and drugs, sometimes even
through his own social media and
was even seen at a Las Vegas nightclub
sporting a fake moustache,
wig and glasses the night before
skipping his concussion protocol
in Cleveland, according to ESPN
Las Vegas.
This doesn’t sound like the way
to make it up to a community after
a “poor decision.”
On Good Morning America,
Manziel also stated the end goal of
his comeback is an NFL contract,
confirming the CFL would just be
a stop along the way. It’s not worth
it for the team to take such a risk
on a player who publicly said he
has no intentions of staying long in
the league, if he even comes at all.
Manziel said earlier this month
he is no longer drinking alcohol
and is making mental health a
priority in his life.
He also says he’s taking medication
for bipolar and is working
hard to make sure he doesn’t fall
into another depression.
His father said in 2016, he’d be
surprised if his son makes it to his
25th birthday. While the sporting
world was glad to see Manziel surpass
that in December, there would
be nothing better than to see him
complete his comeback.
Just somewhere outside Hamilton.