This week's issue of the Gauntlet covers two stories pertaining to the issue of mental health. If there's a lesson to learn from these stories and the multitude of others like them, it is that our mental health is far more fragile and complicated than we let on, that each and every one of us can face psychological difficulties and that empathy is a powerful tool for understanding and healing.

Editor, the Gauntlet,

I read through Remi Watts's article ["Anal-fisting," Sept. 15] a number of times, and wanted to share my reaction. I found the piece undeniably bold, and I am pleased to see the Gauntlet continuing to publish edgy material (and with a great illustration to boot), but I have some particular points of contention with what Mr. Watts wrote.

MacHall will officially be polystyrene foam free by the end of September.

A poll taken in 2009 showed that 93.4 per cent of students were willing to give polystyrene foam the boot and look for a more eco-friendly solution.

According to Students' Union vice-president operations and finance Patrick Straw, the process to abolish the polystyrene foam food containers has taken two years, in which the Students' Union is currently working with the vendors in MacHall to finalize the deal.

James Randi is liar. One of the best, in fact. After all-- it's his profession.

"On stage I lie. I always do, yes. But I'm doing it for purposes of entertainment. I never tell people, and neither do most magicians, that I have real magical powers. We're being honest with people," said Randi during a Q and A session at Club Sapien before his lecture.

Bright and Vivid is a step in a new direction for New Pornographers member Kathryn Calder. This is her second solo album, and compared to her first, 2010's Are You My Mother?, it is clear that Ms. Calder is experimenting-- and quite successfully-- with different sounds and eclectic rhythms. She has moved significantly from the cozy but safe Regina-Spektor feel to a slightly more daring approach within the world of female indie artists. The disc is full of echoic guitar plucking, and lovely vocals add an overall dreamy tone to it.

Zenith Myth is the self-titled progressive rock debut of Los Angeles-based artist Mike Edwards. In addition to writing and producing the album, Edwards claims a multitude of instrumental credits, including bass, guitar, piano, screams and iPhone noises. This album displays the work and talents of several other artists-- Paul D'Amour of Tool; Melissa Auf der Maur, formerly of the Smashing Pumpkins and Hole; and Sam Goldberg of Broken Social Scene all lend their talents. For an album with so much talent, it is sadly mundane.

I admit it-- I was, and still kind of am, a diehard Kooks fan. "Naïve" and "Sofa Song" got some serious playtime on my iPod Mini. How could I help it? Many a young schoolgirl has fallen for the bubbly love songs and ironically upbeat ballads of The Kooks, not to mention frontman Luke Pritchard's honeyed English voice.

Jordan Clermont

Gauntlet Entertainment

What do The Kids in the Hall, the Canucks and The Barenaked Ladies have in common? Besides being Canadian, they have all collaborated with Vancouver power-pop band Odds, who rocked SAIT's The Gateway this Tuesday.

Schmandy Williams

Gauntlet Entertainment

This must be a casting director's worst nightmare -- the film's lead actor drops out of the project after principal filming starts, and they're left scrambling to find a replacement.

That's exactly what happened with 50/50. The critically-acclaimed Scottish actor James McAvoy backed out of the project for what have only been described as personal reasons.

Canada has several cities that are famous for churning out reputable indie music. Regina is not one of them. Library Voices, however, are doing their best to put their city on the map.

"I don't think it's ever really gotten the credit it deserves as far as an arts and music scene," says synth player and lyricist Michael Dawson of his hometown. "They just announced that the Juno Awards are coming there next year, and little things like that that will help put it back on the map."