Mosaics and melting pots: Our February 7, 2000 issue was maximalist. On the cover it read “diversity” in at least 30 different fonts, smudged into each other with bright saturated colours. Loudly, it prepared the reader for a full-page documentation of a student discussion on the subject of diversity. Despite the trouble in finding enough students to talk about the topic, Nexus writer Lisa Hamilton goes on to say, the 10 who did attend enjoyed the discussion. The takeaway: well, it’s rather non-PC to say, but I believe the bottom line is diversity is positive.
Revenge of the nerds: All across the nation, on February 2, 2000, students flooded city streets with chants and outrage over the federal government’s neglect of post-secondary education. As they knew it, a revolution was on the rise. Hundreds of picket signs read “Restore federal education funding” and they came as a response to social program cuts, major tuition increases, and a reduction of $7 billion in education and training funding. In this issue, we covered the 400,000 students protesting for their right to education. Former prime minister Paul Martin had estimated a $95-billion surplus in the next five years—significant enough money to stop traffic. Granted, Martin was the better prime minister of the 2000s.
Easy rider: After a catnap of about 20 years, the moped was predicted to have its grand return in 2000, claimed Nexus writer Jill Van Gyn. This issue, Van Gyn gave readers a comprehensive look at the return of the small vehicle, rediscovering the efficient and economical motivation for traversing on a moped. In fact, mopeds have over 160 kilometres to the gallon and come in various snazzy colours. In this parking crisis, 2025 may too be the year of the moped.