Student lobby group Council for Alberta University Students (CAUS) released documents from the ministry of advanced education Thursday morning, revealing plans to open a submission process for post-secondary institutions to apply for tuition increases known as market modifiers.

Market modifiers are faculty-specific increases in tuition based on the perceived value of certain degrees.

The documents include a draft of the government’s guidelines for applications and a letter sent to Hancock from CAUS.

Downtown alleys aren't typically where you want to hang out with friends, but local restauranteur Cam Dobranski is changing that. Owner of Brasserie and Winebar in Kensington, Dobranski has transformed the alley beside his businesses into Container Bar, a repurposed shipping container that's now a quirky outdoor bar.

“It's a fully recycled, cool little beautified alley that normally wouldn't have been used,” Dobranski says. “Now it's become kind of a phenomenon.”

With the fall semester just a calendar flip away, you’re running out of time to have awesome summer adventures. But don’t despair, August is full of events that will help you squeeze every last ounce of fun out of your summer vacation.

Inglewood Night Market (August 8): Ride your bike down to Inglewood for street food, artisan vendors and live music for dancing in the streets.

Afrikadey! (August 9): A celebration of African culture featuring a variety of musical guests.

Straight from the Canadian Prairies, the Sturgeons make music that is equal parts nostalgia and Canadiana. As a folk album, This Is typifies the charm of the genre — music that is honest, frank and unashamed of where it comes from.

The album opens with “Someone to Love,” a song that evokes images of barn dances and campfires. It’s a style that completes the album’s approach. Like most good folk music, the album sounds completely familiar and absolutely new at the same time.

In her latest album, Edmonton-born Rebecca Lappa blends folk and classical vocals to create Ode to Tennyson, her fourth full-length album. The album is inspired by the works of 19th century British poet laureate Lord Alfred Tennyson.

Lappa’s music is energetic and complex, with classical and folk influences dove-tailing into jazzy, Celtic and even Latin territory.

Quentin Tarantino’s cult classic Pulp Fiction is coming to the stage August 13, commemorating the film’s 20th anniversary.

Pulp Fiction is a dialogue and character focused film which made the transition from screen to set smooth.

“You’re looking at 95 per cent accuracy,” says Jay Ross Crawford, who plays the part of Marsellus Wallace. Due to stage limitations, some scenes from the film cannot be recreated, such as Marsellus being hit by a car and Jules and Vincent getting hosed down.

Two of the Gauntlet’s own are on the road to Shambhala. We’ve been annoying our colleagues all week with filthy drops whimpering from blown speakers, and it’s been a few years since either of us have been to the festival that goes from August 8–11.

Four days of music. Four days of inevitable schedule clashes. Moby plays at the same time as Griz. Datsik plays at the same time as A Tribe Called Red. You’ll have to make the tough choices, and we at the Gauntlet have no illusions about that.

August signals the end of summer. The Gauntlet came up with seven cost-effective ways to get outside and soak up the last of the sun.

Rafting down the Bow

The University of Calgary Outdoor Centre rents an eight-person raft for $75 and life jackets for $3, chalking up a day of rafting to $13 per person, tax included — not bad for a day on the Bow. Additionally, U of C students get a 10 per cent discount every time, as well as $25 off your first rental. In other words, get three newbies together and the raft is free.

Campus media, local bars and amateur athletes are preparing for the 17th annual CJSW Slurpee Cup street hockey tournament on August 23. The one-day tournament raises money for various charities.

“We ask local businesses and partners of the station to set up a team,” said CJSW summer promotions leader Will Cowie. “All the money raised goes towards a charity of their choice. The amount varies per year, but overall, we raise anywhere from $2,000–5,000.”

Asteroid Bennu is scheduled for 78 potential impacts with Earth between 2175–2199. Scientists don’t know when, where or even if the asteroid will hit our planet, but a University of Calgary professor is trying to find out.

U of C geoscience professor Alan Hildebrand is part of a NASA-funded mission to study Bennu dubbed Operation OSIRIS-REx (Origins-Spectral Interpretation-Resource Identification-Security Regolith Explorer).