Eighty metres and 30 centimetres. That's how far Cassiar, B.C. native Ross Mercer sailed off of a ramp over the frozen lands of Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

In an official world record attempt at the world's largest snowmobile terrain park, the Compound, Mercer gunned the engine on his Ski-doo and nailed the ramp at 126 km/h. Mercer shattered the previous record of 74.6 m.

If you haven't heard of professional snowmobile jumping, count yourself a member of a large club. The sport is small, but growing.

Former United States Ambassador to the United Nations Richard Holbrooke visited the University of Calgary this past week as the speaker for this year's James S. Palmer lecture.

Holbrooke's lecture drew a diverse crowd to hear the seven-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee speak, Thur., March 22 in MacEwan Hall.

University of Calgary students are generally less satisfied with their university experience than students from other institutions across Canada, according to the April 2 issue of Maclean's magazine.

The results of three national student surveys that questioned more than 70,000 Canadian university students were published in the second annual University Student Issue.

University of Calgary students will get a chance to hear the stories of Darfur victims Wed., April 4.

Sergeant Debbie Bodkin, a police officer from Guelph, Ontario was one of 12 investigators who were part of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry into Darfur. Bodkin and her colleagues interviewed thousands affected by the crisis that has consumed Sudan and neighboring nations.

Dear Nova Scotia,

I have been a fan of your province for some time. Both of my parents were raised in Nova Scotia and--as has become a trend lately--moved to Calgary following their graduation from one of your fine universities. I understand that you have become rather annoyed at this trend, so I thought I'd send you some encouragement.

On April 20, the death of Life magazine will resurrect anxieties surrounding print journalism's future. Once a powerful producer of what Walter Lippman called "the pictures inside of our heads," Life spent over 70 years interpreting the unseen world through stunning photographs and analytical articles. What was once a pillar of strength holding up the journalistic institution has fallen to what Time says is, "the decline of the newspaper industry."

Every transit rider who has the unfortunate experience of getting sandwiched between the guy who must have eaten a clove of garlic for breakfast and the 13-year-old who hasn't yet discovered deodorant knows transit rides are often an olfactory adventure.

In a brazen display of force, Canada will dispatch two- dozen soldiers and a lone Mountie to fend off any impending land grab on the Arctic. While Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor thinks this is enough to enforce Canada's arctic sovereignty, a tepid display such as this will only signal to the nations vying for rights in the area that Canada is like a turtle firmly planted on its back.

Editor, the Gauntlet,

No one knows if or when you or a loved one could become disabled and unable to work. If you should become disabled, you will probably end up on a combination of provincial and federal disability benefits. Did you know that provincial disability benefits are non taxable, but the federal disability pension is considered taxable income? This means that if you were lucky enough to have been employed, you will end up with fewer discretionary dollars each month than if you had never worked.

The Host is an energetic and captivating, sea beast-filled frolic through the often-kitschy genre of Korean science fiction. With innovative moments that hint at an emerging sense of greatness from the small country's National Cinema, The Host may just well be one of the best monster films in recent history.