Opinion
The Chronicle
October 4, 2011
5
Paid work for all internships Show me the money! That is a phrase that Durham students should be saying to their future field placement employers. Field placements are a part of many programs at Durham College and are meant to introduce students to what it is like working in their field while also grading them on their performance at this job. In order to graduate a student must complete a few weeks to months of related work to get some real-world experience. Some of these placements come with pay, but others do not. That is unfair. Many students struggle to pay for their education. Rent, food, school supplies and other essentials can really empty the wallet. When on their internships, students are still trying to pay for everything they need while working as an intern for next to nothing. Certain field placements may be farther away from the college, so a student must pay for travel as well as the bare essentials. Some people may argue that students could obtain part-time jobs to pay for all their needs while working for free as an intern, but this is wrong. A lot of field placements want their interns almost every day, all day, leaving students no time to pick up shifts at local retail stores. Interns can say goodbye to
free time and extra cash, and hello to living from savings or very small paycheques.Working in their field placements, students are learning everything about their line of expertise. Although it may seem like a lot to companies and organizations, giving interns experience in their chosen field is not enough for someone workNicole ing towards a diploma or degree. These Patton students on internships should be treated like regular employees instead of cheap or no-cost labour. Usually interns are given jobs that a regular employee does, meaning that that is one more person the company and organization does not need to pay. Sometimes internships turn out not to have anything to do with a student’s chosen line of work or studies. They might just become the ‘coffee runner’ of the office instead of actually working a real job. Students are being taken advantage of because the field placement is something they need to graduate. It is unfair to interns to not be
seen as legitimate to employers. Years ago companies and organizations used to train their employees. Now almost every worker needs a certificate or a degree to actually be hired. In restaurants waiters, waitresses and bartenders used to be trained easily. Now they need to pay around $40 to get a Smart Serve certificate. The same thing is happening with interns, even though they are already working towards a diploma or degree. Employers can easily go into colleges and universities to pick out interns who have already been trained and therefore can just do the work without the pay. It’s a win-lose situation where the student always seems to end up being the loser.People must begin to stand up against this exploitation of college and university students. They have already paid so much to be able to get a post-secondary education. There needs to be a line drawn and rules set for internships. Interns should be paid at least minimum wage for the work they complete and they should be treated like true employees. Only then can students truly understand the importance of their post-secondary education.
Contagion defines thriller genre Contagion is an attempt at a realistic portrayal of an epidemic that breaks out across the entire world, and with Steven Soderbergh directing a vast ensemble cast of multiple academy awards winners and nominees, the bar is set pretty high from the starting line. Fortunately, Contagion delivers for the most part on creating a unique take on the virus-thriller genre that has been iterated so many times before in movies like Virus, Carriers, and 12 Monkeys.The large ensemble cast is impressive and gets even richer with talent thanks to the slew of secondary actors throughout the film. Kate Winslett and Jude Law give exceptional performances while Matt Damon, Lawrence Fishburne and company all hold their own. Surprisingly as well, all of these actors in one movie together don’t divert the audience from the plot, thanks to the work of Soderbergh, who prevents certain roles from super-ceding others. This film has an intense tone and unapologetic
ruthless plot. Contagion isn’t afraid to throw its weight around when it comes to abrupt and extremely raw deaths. This “rawness” is a major part of what made this movie so original and refreshing. Most of the movie is devoid of a musical score, making the dialogue and human interactions the main focus of the film. This lends itself Cameron very well to the realistic, gritty McDonald approach Soderbergh has conveyed. The human moments and character arcs seem much more palpable and real than in most other thriller films because there isn’t much over-production getting in the way of the characters and the story. There are no blockbuster explosions and very lit-
tle of the cliché suspense music that is all too common in the thriller genre. There are however a few dreaded montage moments, dubbed over with an overly aggressive score that takes away from the plot. Fortunately there aren’t many of them, and though they don’t match the raw and sterile feeling of the film, they don’t damage the overall tone. The story has slower moments as well, which could potentially deter viewers who were expecting a fast-paced film. So be warned. This is certainly not a high action thrill ride. Instead it is a logical look at the outbreak of a virus with a scope that covers three continents, and still finds room for moving human moments. For what Contagion is and what it sets out to be, it is a strong film with meticulous scientific detail for the logistics that, in a real world scenario, would factor into a modern day epidemic. Anyone looking for a new raw take on the virusthriller shouldn’t be disappointed with this overall excellent film.