Article by Jason Setnyk | Published in 2005
Photo by Mark Dunne (Wikipedia Creative Commons Licence)
#TBT - Ten years ago I had my first celebrity interview of sorts when I asked CBC host George Stroumboulopoulos a few questions for a newspaper article. I was a student at the University of Ottawa and I was writing for the University's weekly newspaper The Fulcrum. -Jason Setnyk.Ottawa Ontario -- George Stroumboulopoulos host of CBC News: The Hour, and former Much Music VJ, spoke to a sold out crowd at the University of Ottawa on Friday February 11th 2005. Over Four hundred students packed Marion Hall and gave Stroumboulopoulos a thrilling ovation.
Stroumboulopoulos appeals to young people because like the slogan of his new show suggests, he is ruthlessly honest, razor sharp, and he gave no bull talking to students for over two hours.
Stroumboulopoulos clarified that he came to speak with the students not to lecture them. “I want to say right off the bad, this is not a motivational speech, I can barely run my own life, so I’m not trying to run yours”, explained Stroumboulopoulos.
It only took Stroumboulopoulos a few minutes to spot the t-shirt that I was wearing for him to plug a local band he likes. “I don’t do this because I’m in Ottawa, but that dudes shirt right there, The Riptides, the best punk rock band in the whole country”, says Stroumboulopoulos. Ottawa punk band The Riptides' music video “Change Gonna Come” was aired on Stroumboulopoulos’s The Punk Show on Much Music in August 2004.
Stroumboulopoulos reminisces to the audience about many of the political figures he has met such as Jean Chrétien, Bono of U2, and Jello Biafra of the Dead Kennedy’s.
I asked him from the audience, “what is the connection between music and politics”?
“I think in my own experience it is when I heard things in the world like Apartheid. I didn’t hear about it from a politician. When I learned about the racial tension in England, it was because of The Clash’s song “White Riot”. Musicians have always been the ones that say things to teach you. Musicians can be irresponsible about what they say as long as they get the point across”, Stroumboulopoulos articulates.
It is no wonder why Stroumboulopoulos advocated for Tommy Douglas as Best Canadian on CBC. “It has nothing to do with his party; it has everything to do with what he did. Health Care was implemented by someone else, only because he took all the shots in Saskatchewan. It’s the spirit behind it”, says Stroumboulopoulos.
Stroumboulopoulos shows this spirit in his work with War Child Canada. “I was just in Darfur, where there was the genocide, it was just destroyed. Emotionally, I can’t understand the world, it is just a terrible world”, laments Stroumboulopoulos.
Stroumboulopoulos is optimistic though that young people can make a difference if they choose by getting involved with various activist organizations. Not only does Stroumboulopoulos talk honestly and intelligently to young people, but he also believes in young people. He encourages students to get involved and make a difference.
Students at the University of Ottawa were receptive to his message, and their loud ovation showed they greatly appreciated his visit.
For more information on his program The Hour visit: http://www.cbc.ca/thehour/
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