What students are talking about today (November 5th edition)

1. The band No Doubt has pulled its music video for a new song called “Looking Hot” after Native Americans called it racist due to the Wild West theme that includes front-woman Gwen Stefani dressed up in native-inspired attire. In response to the outcry, the band apologized on their website: “Although we consulted with Native American friends and Native American studies experts at the University of California, we realize now that we have offended people. This is of great concern to us and we are removing the video immediately. The music that inspired us when we started the band, and the community of friends, family, and fans that surrounds us was built upon respect, unity and inclusiveness. We sincerely apologize to the Native American community.”

2. Premier Brad Wall’s Saskatchewan Party voted at their convention on Saturday to support lowering the drinking age from 19 to 18. It’s not a certainty yet, however. “We take resolutions at the convention very seriously, Wall told CBC, adding, “Before we consider any sort of change, we’re going to have to consult.”

3. Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois received $58,000 in donations from more than 1,700 people to fight his contempt of court conviction. The former head of CLASSE, who led the anti-tuition movement with its nightly marches and shutdown of Quebec universities earlier this year, was recently found guilty of encouraging people to ignore a court injunction that allowed a Laval student to return to classes.

4. McGill University isn’t just first in its category in 2013 Maclean’s University Rankings. The Montreal school is also #1 in men’s lacrosse. The Redmen defeated Western’s Mustangs 7 to 6 in double-overtime Sunday to win their first Baggataway Cup. Details are in the Montreal Gazette.

5. The Dawgfather PhD (professional hot-dogger) may run for president of the Dalhousie Student Union after an unsuccessful run at Halifax council, reports the Dalhousie Gazette. His Twitter account mentions plans for a “Rainbow coalition” of “Chinese, Arab, White and African” students to organize the “powerful political sleeping giant.” In order to run, he’d need to enroll in a course.

6. Glen Murray, former Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities of Ontario, will run for the Liberal leadership vacated by Premier Dalton McGuinty. He told a crowd at Ryerson University on Sunday that his five key objectives include making student loans subject to income levels. Interestingly, Murray, who is gay, is challenged so far only by Kathleen Wynne, who is a lesbian.

7. Researchers from the University of Manitoba say that soaking condoms in a solution of microscopic silver nanoparticles appeared to kill all HIV and herpes in lab experiments, potentially making sex safer. The group’s paper is published in the International Journal of Nanotechnology.

8. Fraternity brothers at the University of Ottawa gathered a couple weeks ago for a charity event called Hugs for Pugs. (This story is a couple weeks old, but it’s cute enough to include anyway.) Donors could choose to hug a pug or a frat boy from the Sigma Chi local. All proceeds went to Pugalug Pug Rescue, a Toronto-based rescue centre that shelters and finds home for pugs.

9. The American Society of Civil Engineers says that three years ago it presented detailed warnings that a devastating storm surge in New York was all but inevitable, reports the New York Times. They had suggested officials consider building costly barriers to prevent damage from events like Superstorm Sandy, which killed at least 110 Americans when it came ashore last week.

10. Also in the U.S., it’s the last day before Tuesday’s presidential election. Swing state polls favour Obama slightly over Romney, but the national race is 49 per cent to 49 per cent, according to CNN.