V 47 i03 by Capilano Courier

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× September 23rd 2013

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CAPILANO north vancouver

N o . 03

COURIER

THE MISFORTUNE OF EDUCATORS FREE LEGAL ADVICE

PORN STARS WEAR RUBBERS

SPEAK PIRATE TO ME

RIFFLANDIA

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CAPILANO Courier TABLE OF CONTENTS

News

Columns

features

calendar

A+C

opinions

caboose

Tempermental gut

Teachers bargain

Warm apple pie

#hashtags

Wear a rubber

Ghost Rhino

Faye Alexander Opinions Editor

Therese Guieb Features Editor

Andy Rice Arts Editor

CSU wealth plan

The Staff

Scott Moraes Managing Editor

Kristi Alexandra Copy Editor

Katherine Gillard News Editor

the capilano courier

Ă&#x2014;

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Leah Scheitel Editor-in-Chief

of this masterbating, cat-cuddling university newspaper

Jeremy Hanlon Caboose Editor

Andrew Palmquist Production Manager

Cheryl Swan Art Director

The Capilano Courier is an autonomous, democratically run student newspaper. Literary and visual submissions are welcomed. All submissions are subject to editing for brevity, taste, and legality. The Capilano Courier will not publish material deemed by the collective to exhibit sexism, racism or homophobia. The views expressed by the contributing writers are not necessarily those of the Capilano Courier Publishing Society.

Ricky Bao Business Manager

Carlo Javier Staff Writer

Lindsay Howe Marketing/Ads/Web Editor

WE'RE SORRY The illustration accompanying JJ Brewis's "Dirty Pop" was unfortunately miscredited. By mistake, we gave credit to Jessica Viaje, when it was the talents of Jocelyn Wong. Apologies to Jocelyn, and we think this illustration is pretty neat!

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Cat Nip + spinsterhood Leah Scheitel

“A happy arrangement: many people prefer cats to other people, and many cats prefer people to other cats.” - Mason Cooley

I have taken one massive step into becoming that single girl that is obsessed with cats. Last week, I agreed to take care of a friend's two cats - Hank and Min - for six weeks, while she is working on Vancouver Island, and this fast-forwarded my spinsterhood to the point where it's me, rom-coms, and cats chewing at my feet on a Saturday night. How wonderful. I'm fulfilling this stereotype to perfection. My Instagram feed is packed with nicely filtered photos of Hank and I cuddling, or Min looking majestic on my bed. I strategically find a way to bring them up in conversations whenever possible. You may want to talk about Russian President Vladimir Putin's Op-Ed in the New York Times, but did you know that C. Clairborne Ray also wrote a piece for the Times titled "The Wild Past of Domestic Cats"? And now we are back to talking about my cats. I revel in my new relationship with these cats. I speak to them in baby talk, call them by annoying nicknames, and make excuses to go home just to see if they're all right. Basically, all the things that annoy you about when a friend starts a new relationship with a guy, I'm currently guilty of doing, but the objects of my affection are Hank and Min. This didn't bother me, and I thought it was all innocent fun, until Hank bit my nipple at 7:30 a.m. to get me out of bed. If the most action your nipple has seen in a month is from a cat biting it, it may be time to re-evaluate your social life. So I did, and started to research the benefits of pets, and as it turns out, there are many. As of 2008, 56 per cent of Canadian households have at least one cat or dog. And according to Reader's Digest (aka, The Mom's Guide to Everything), owning pets helps boost quality of life, from lowering blood pressure and stress, to fighting depression, and teaching children compassion for other living things. Further, Ohio State University said that post-secondary students who care for pets are better at combating stress and the frustration that comes along with school. As the study states: "Better dogs than drugs."

× Hank

× Editor-in-Chief

And this is further evidenced by the online popularity of cute animals. Buzzfeed.com's entire reputation is built upon articles dedicated to adorable cats and dogs because they know it makes people smile. Two headlines that are trending in the top five on Buzzfeed's list this week are "41 reasons why Pugs Are the Most Majestic Creatures on Earth", and "28 Cats that are Having a Way Worse Day than You". And type in “Funny” into the search bar on YouTube, and watch seven hits for “Funny Dogs” or “Funny Cat Falls” appear. Cats and dogs simply make people happy. And while I devour a Buzzfeed article like it's ice cream with no calories in it, the aura surrounding the idea of a single girl in her upper-twenties who loves cats is worrisome. As much as I’m enjoying the company of Hank and Min, I’m worried about playing into the stereotype as more than a joke. It’s all fun and cat nip, until I wake up in 15 years, and realize that while trying to pursue a career as a writer and journalist, the only things I was able to scribble down were haikus dedicated to cats. I think I’m so concerned by it because the stigma of a being a single woman in your late 20s and early 30s isn’t a welcoming one. There are restaurants in New York and Toronto that offer ladies dining alone free champagne, just for having the balls to eat solo. As little as three years ago, women doing the exact same job that men do were paid 64 per cent of the wage as their male counterparts. This stereotype is cemented enough already, and I don’t want people to assume things about me because I’m a career-driven, independent girl that lives alone with her borrowed cats. In the end, it’s good and healthy to have relationships with pets, and they can be as valuable and entrenched as human friendships. And really, if the worst thing I have to worry about is growing old surrounded by cats and dogs instead of another human, I’d say I’ve got it pretty good. I just won’t let them bite my nipples anymore - it kind of hurts, and brings up insecurities about spinsterhood.

Min ×

THE VOICE BOX

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“Thanks for letting me know that day drinking is sometimes more important than CSU meetings. I agree with you on that.”

“I have written a blog weekly for three years now but haven't published anything professionally. Does this qualify me to write for the Courier?” Sure. If you can force yourself to write weekly, that's a blessing and you should definitely write for us, get paid, and get published. Imagine your next date's face when you tell her “I'm a published writer” instead of “I have a blog.” Think of that – you're suddenly George Clooney instead of Michael Cera. Tuesdays at noon, Maple 122. Bring Michael Cera, if you know him. Leah has a crush on him.

The Voicebox is back, ready to humbly respond to your questions, concerns, and comments about anything Courier. To inquire, just send a text to 778 - 689 - 4642 to anonymously "express" and "voice" your "opinion" and "thoughts" on any "subject" or "issue". And, as long as it's not offensive, we will publish it here, right in the Voicebox. It's a win - win, or whine - whine - whatever way you look at it.

“What's up with how quiet campus is on Friday?” True story. It's almost like the university accommodates students' desire to waste their Fridays away partying instead of studying (like the weekend ain't good enough!). We, on the other hand, work our asses off at the Courier office (Maple 122) every Friday from 11a.m. to 7 p.m.-ish. Come say hi if you feel like it. We have an empty Red Bull cooler, lots of papers to read, and some cool music blasting. If you're lucky and we like your face we might give you leftover sushi or butter chicken, too.

We're so good at satire we don't even notice it. It oozes out of us, it lives within us. We apologize to all students though for missing that meeting and failing to report on it, since that type of coverage is really what keeps students hooked on our paper. That and Carlo's photo in the masthead. We've said it before but we'll say it again: Carlo is a stylish babe, and he's single. Come meet him.

the capilano courier

WITH : SCOTT MORAES

“I miss Giles Roy.” No, you don't. I mean, Giles Roy was talented and all, but he was also kind of like a ghost. A managing editor who managed to manage from the shadows. I think I saw him once or twice last year, and I was on staff! He's the dorky guy with glasses and tight pants, right? I think I may have threatened to strangle him in Toronto last January. He never crossed me again. That's right.

NEWS

NEWS EDITOR × KATHERINE GILLARD

NEWS@CAPILANOCOURIER.COM

unions get spicey CSU IS IN TALKS TO LEAVE CFS Carlo Javier × Staff Writer Due to dissatisfaction with the way the Canadian Federation of Students operates, 15 student unions across Canada are mobilizing their respective withdrawals from the CFS. “There is a growing movement on campus that feels that the CFS is of declining benefit to Capilano students,” begins student Jenna Theny. “Their services, such as a Health and Dental plan and a handbook, are not being used on campus, and furthermore there are more cost-effective alternatives currently in use that students seem to be very happy with.” Some of the schools on the outs include the University of Toronto, Dawson College, and Kwantlen Polytechnic University. “The students that are part of the union are not necessarily unhappy, some of them are unhappy because there are a lot of legal cases against them and stuff like that,” says Brandon Hoffmarks CSU Chair. In order for the schools’ exits to be formally recognized by the CFS, a quota of signatures from the student population must be met. Students not affiliated with the CSU have taken the initiative by holding a small petition booth just outside of the library. “I think the first thing that needs to be clarified across the board is that the people running the petition are affiliated with the student union but they are not doing this on behalf of the student union. The CSU isn’t directly affiliated with this petition,”

× Rachelle Gamboa explains Social Justice coordinator Teresa Grant. Though it did not provide the impetus for the petition, the CSU upholds its purpose by supporting the students, members of the CSU have helped by routinely manning the petition booth. “The CSU doesn’t have a position on it, all they do is support students’ ability to hold this petition,” says Hoffmarks. The percentage of student signatures needed for the withdrawal varies between the national and the provincial federations. “Nationally you need 25 per cent, plus a big buffer room because the CFS can actually run a counter petition,” says Grant. The second petition at hand sets forth a smaller signature threshold. “To leave the provincial component of the CFS you need 10 per cent of the student body of Capilano to be signed on to say they want to open up discussion,” Grant says. The state of Capilano’s exit from the CFS-BC

is on track. “Things are moving along very well! I’m very excited to say we have already submitted our petitions for the Provincial component. That process is well underway as we collected more than enough for the Provincial minimum of 10 per cent of Cap students,” says Theny. Departing the CFS is not necessarily an outright goal at Capilano, but having the option itself, on whether to stay or to go is being treated with similar importance. “It’s been 28 years since they’ve had a vote on it... we need to open up this thing and see,” begins Hoffmarks, “Maybe people want to stay in, and if the majority of them want to stay in, that’s cool they’re going stay in; if majority want to leave, then they’re going to leave and that’s going to work out.” Since the 1990s Capilano students have spent over 1 million dollars in membership fees. “We’ve never really taken the opportunity to pause and

have the conversation amongst ourselves to decide if this is something that we still find useful, helpful, or even relevant,” says Theny. However, this peaceful attitude consistent in Capilano isn’t present everywhere. During this past summer, a debate at the CFS Budget Committee reached committee headlines due to its hostile environment. Name-calling, violations of rules of conduct and walkouts became a part of the meeting, speaking volumes about some conflicts between the CFS and other schools. At the end of the day, putting the students of Capilano in the best position possible is in the eyes of the CSU. “When it comes down to it, all that’s going to happen is that students aren’t going to be paying this fee,” says Hoffmarks, “we are in talks of joining some other stuff, like taking a look at other national organizations, whatever is more beneficial for Cap.” The betterment of Capilano is the ultimate goal, and that lies in the hands of the students. “At this stage of the game my main concern is bringing the debate to the table to let students at Cap hear both sides and ultimately exercise their right to make a decision,” says Theny. “I think a strong case can be made on the side that argues that there are many redundancies in the services and benefits brought to us by the CFS.”

harper pushes for pipeline in kelowna SR. MINISTERS TO MAKE TRIPS TO BC IN SUPPORT OF OIL STRATEGY Patrick Vaillancourt

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× News Editor - The Other Press, Douglas College

Prime Minister Stephen Harper was in Kelowna the weekend of Sept. 14 for a national caucus meeting, as well as to meet with residents opposed to the proposed pipeline projects in British Columbia. Although details of Harper’s agenda while in the province have not been disclosed, there is a broad consensus that the trip to Canada’s West Coast is to make a big push in support of building the Keystone and Northern Gateway pipelines, as well as expanding the existing Kinder Morgan Pipeline. The Keystone Pipeline, which has been the focus of intense media attention and scrutiny over the last year, will take bitumen products from Alberta’s oil sands to refineries in Texas. While none of the components of the proposed Keystone Pipeline are to be built in British Columbia, Aboriginal leaders

across the country have been vocal in their opposition to it, citing negative environmental impacts. The Northern Gateway Pipeline project proposes a 1,170-km twin pipeline from the oil sands to the port of Kitimat, in northern British Columbia. Opposition to the Northern Gateway Pipeline is focused on the company Enbridge, which has a relatively poor record on pipeline safety and security. The proposed flow of oil makes pristine areas of the province potentially vulnerable to oil spills. The oil would be carried onto tankers destined for Asia. The proposed expansion of the Kinder Morgan Pipeline, however, strikes at the heart of every British Columbian, especially those living in the province’s Lower Mainland. The current pipeline, which was designed to transport crude oil but now

carries refined product from the oil sands, ends at the Westridge marine terminal in Burnaby. The expansion, which proposes to twin the pipeline, is meant to accommodate more than double the amount of oil, from 300,000 barrels to almost 900,000 barrels per day, to oil tankers in the Burrard Inlet. The oil is then exported to oil-hungry markets in Asia. The Kinder Morgan pipeline was ruptured accidentally by sewer contractors working for the City of Burnaby, causing an oil spill that forced evacuations and damaged homes and marine wildlife, as well as resulting in traffic disruptions for months after the spill was contained. Environmentalists and First Nations leaders opposed to the pipeline say that the government is meeting with them purely as a formality, while

the Harper government contends it is consulting with all interested parties. The debate, especially with regards to the Northern Gateway pipeline, has also led to somewhat frosty relations between B.C. Premier Christy Clark and Alberta Premier Alison Redford; relations which have warmed significantly since their respective surprise election victories. The Prime Minister’s office has directed senior cabinet officials to travel to British Columbia, starting on Sept. 23, to engage in a public opinion campaign which they hope will win them greater support for the building of the Keystone and Northern Gateway pipelines and the expansion of the existing Kinder Morgan Pipeline.

legal limitations SOCIETY AIMS TO INCREASE AVAILABLITY TO THOSE LESS FORTUNATE Lindsay Howe × Web Editor / Marketing + Advertising Vancouver residents were able to seek free legal advice earlier this month as part of Pro Bono Going Public 2013, an event where lawyers fill public spaces in the city and offer their services free of charge to those experiencing financial hardship. “Access Pro Bono formed as a result of the 2010 merger of the Western Canada Society to Access Justice and Pro Bono Law of British Columbia,” says Jimmy Yan, Project and Information Officer for the Access Pro Bono Society of B.C. “The merger brought together B.C.’s two leading pro bono organizations with the objective of delivering a full spectrum of pro bono services for middle or low income clients.” To be eligible for the majority of the services provided by the society, applicants must meet the specified financial criterion. If a household has one to four members, the net monthly income of the household would need to be $3,265 or lower for eligibility, increasing accordingly for households with more members. As for post-secondary students who are in need of legal guidance, Yan explains that the society has resources tailored for them. “Currently, Access Pro Bono hosts free Summary Legal Advice Clinics at Douglas, Capilano, and Vancouver Community College. In the past eight months, 125 students have been booked to the three clinics.” The availability of resources for British Columbians who cannot afford to be privately represented has decreased over the years. The Legal

× Kira Campbell

Services Society’s program the “Law Line”, which was a number that could be called to receive legal information and guidance over the phone, was shut down in March 2010. Jason Leslie, a Legal Studies Instructor at Capilano University who formally worked on the Law Line program believes the program had its flaws but served a purpose to the public. “People really didn’t get the assistance they needed, we would be sending people off to family court or a debt collection case or something like that without a lawyer or anyone to sit with

them and fill out court documents,” says Leslie. Still, he maintains “it was better than nothing.” The Legal Services Society does have some clinics throughout the province where people are able to seek advice, in some cases, the guidelines can be very specific in regards to eligibility. “Legal Services Society helps if the financial threshold is met and depending on subject area in family law. There are many restrictions, but domestic violence and protection orders and showing barriers to self – representing seem to be covered,” says Monika

Follet, Paralegal Program Instructor at Capilano University. The frustration of not being able to secure legal representation due to financial constraints is not only of issue to the defendant. “Without a lawyer, you have legal rights you can’t enforce. The courts are complaining about the lack of legal aid funding. People try to represent themselves and they don’t understand court procedures. The judges are trying to find out if this person has a case or has rights longer than they should. With a lawyer the case might settle in an hour. The hearing runs much smoother,” says Leslie. While societies like Access Pro Bono are assisting many British Columbians in navigating the province’s legal systems, Leslie believes that because lawyers are unable to foresee how much of their time taking on a pro bono case will cost them, some lawyers aren’t in a position to be able to help. “Unless you are your own boss, for a junior associate, there is a lot of pressure to bring in a certain number of billable hours for the firm, meaning a lot of pressure not to do pro bono,” says Leslie. Leslie believes the take home message involves the proper funding and expansion of legal aid services in British Columbia. “Pro Bono would not possibly replace a properly funded legal aid system,” he stresses. For further information about the Access Pro Bono Society of BC please contact 604.878.7400

Staying healthy thanks to the csu CSU'S HEALTH + DENTAL PLAN COMPULSORY FOR FULL TIME STUDENTS Katherine Gillard × News Editor

× Cheryl Swan

47 issue N o . 03

prescriptions and other costs but must be present at the appointment or pharmacy. Claims must be received no later than 90 days after policy after the end of coverage. The website has more specific details on each available type of coverage and can be reviewed prior to receiving any treatment so that students can ensure that they are covered. Overall, the plan provides care to students who need coverage and can be incredibly helpful and more straightforward than other health plans. However, if students are unsure of their coverage, they should look into what they have and what benefits they need before deciding to opt out of the plan provided by the CSU.

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with that. But it really depends on what you need it for.” Barnes comments. “Just really explore it, because I’m sure a lot of students who may be feeling frustrated at the fact that they have to pay for something that they don’t think they’ll necessarily use, they might not be 100 per cent sure of all of the benefits they do get from that. If it’s a girl and she uses oral contraceptives she might not be aware of the fact that they’ll cover birth control.” Students with the plan looking to get reimbursed for costs of any medication, vision or other services they’ve received can send a claim to ihaveaplan.ca by filling out a form available on the website. Otherwise, students can use a PayDirect card which, when used with a student ID can cover

plan that number would significantly increase and the amount of money that the rest of the students would pay would probably be tripled," Barnes continues. According to the referendum held in 2011 to establish students' wish for a university-sponsored health plan, 97 per cent of voters voted in favor of the new health and dental plan that is in place as of now. The plan may even be beneficial to those who do have coverage elsewhere. “Compare what it is that you really want to use it for. For myself, I really value the dental plan because I have horrible teeth. So, I would compare which dental plan is better. If my parents’ dental plan was better I’d obviously go with that but if the school’s was better then I’d go

the capilano courier

The Capilano Student Union runs the health and dental plan that is available to any full-time student. The plan is hosted by Ihaveaplan.ca and includes basic health care needs such as routine visits to the doctor, dental, physiotherapy and chiropractic work, massage therapy, eye examinations, immunizations, prescription medication and other benefits. The plan even includes some travel insurance for up to 120 days, which can be important for students hoping to travel. The coverage lasts from the beginning of the school year (September) until August the following year. Most full-time students are automatically enrolled in the program. This can be confusing for students who don’t want the coverage but still end up paying $219 a year for the plan. However, students are able to opt out by sending in proof of other coverage, such as through parents, employer or spouse’s coverage. Brittany Barnes, Education Issues Coordinator from the CSU explains, “That’s just the way that our service provider works. For example, if students had to go online and they had to click 'Yes I want the health and dental plan' that would result in a lot less students taking the initiative to do so and therefore the health and dental plan would cost students more money because it would be less distributed.” “Right now, [out of our 8000 students] there might be 200 who would opt out, but if [all students] actually had to go online to click a box saying that they actually wanted the health and dental

Columns

COLUMNS EDITOR

× LEAH SCHEITEL

EDITOR@CAPILANOCOURIER.COM

the gastronome's dilemma

Scott Moraes

FARMERS TAKE A STAND FOR FOOD SOVEREIGNTY “The models of traditional cooking, which once had to contend or harmonize with the physical limitations of territories and with the relationships that formed between different societies, are now on the verge of disappearing because of the emergence of a model where what prevails, after intense industrialization and the globalization of trade, is consumerism and detachment from the agricultural world.” – Carlo Petrini Despite the recent efforts by marketing agencies to reconnect the imagery of traditional clean farming to the food we buy, most of us still spend little thought on the actual sources of the food we eat, or the livelihood of those who grow it. Perhaps that indifference, too, was on the marketers’ agenda. Last month, a nationwide peasant strike in Colombia made quiet headlines across the globe, after an incredible display of organized action in which dozens of highways were blocked by over 200,000 people in protest against free trade policies. The protests were mainly aimed at a 2012 free-trade agreement with the United States, which has boosted agricultural imports in Colombia causing extreme hardship for local peasants. Another free trade agreement with the European Union also came into force in August this year and may exacerbate the issues. Worldwide, the livelihood of small farmers is being affected as land is concentrated in the hands of few, resources are appropriated by multinational energy corporations, seeds become “intellectual

property”, and free-trade regimes flood markets with cheaper goods, bankrupting farmers by the millions. Disturbances in the food production system can easily spiral out of control, sky-rocketing prices and potentially leading to hardship or even starvation for vulnerable families, and that’s a big reason farmers rarely come together to strike, and what makes it astounding when they do in such a large scale. While “sovereignty” is a term usually employed by political scientists to refer to nations with the power of self-determination, the term “food sovereignty” has been appropriated to express a consensual global desire for self-determination in foodways. The term was coined by La Via Campesina (an international coalition of nearly 150 organizations) in 1996 during the FAO World Food Summit, and in 2007 was enshrined in Declaration of Nyéléni and ultimately adopted by over 80 countries as “the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems.” Some countries, such as Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela, Mali and Senegal, have gone as far as enshrining the concept in their constitutions, and the term itself is gaining popularity among activists and intellectuals. Elsewhere, wherever the doctrines of capitalism trample the logic of sustainability and human

Columnist ×

Scott Moraes once picked out what kind of food we ate at proof, and it took over three hours to come. He loves and tends to his food with passion normally reserved for loved ones and cute things. In this column, he explains and eplores why why he cares about his food, and why you should.

rights, any suggestion of land reform, ecological practices, or subsidies to small farm folk rather than big corporations seems to reek of Maoist communism and sparks immediate negative backlash from a broad scope of policy makers. The bottom line is that the trend of forced urbanization, trade liberalization, centralized, industrialized, and unsustainable food production is bound for disaster. The kind that can’t easily – if at all – be fixed. The best farmers in the world don’t write books or teach classes at universities. Their knowledge has been acquired, preserved and transmitted personally through generations. Traditional knowledge is undermined or irretrievably lost each time a legal regime allows foreign corporations to “compete” with small growers. Increasingly, youth hardly aspire for careers in agriculture anymore, especially when the statistics indicate a virtual certainty of perpetual debt and chronic negative wages. We never seem to consider how much a farmer deserves to make for performing one of the most vital jobs in any society, or how much we are willing to pay for any food item to ensure that that right is always fulfilled. The consumers’ indifference, when tallied in total, greatly contributes to

the demise of the rural class. Those of us buried in “modern civilization” can’t seem to get over the stereotypical Farmer Joes with dirty overalls, speech impediments, accents, and simple minds. Small farmers, despite their undeniable importance, continue to be marginalized and struggle to compete with corporate farms without compromising the integrity of their practice. Luckily, a culture of activism is gaining momentum as peasants and small-scale farmers across the world unite to resist encroachment by free-trade policies, and slowly reclaim their share of the market around the concepts of clean, fresh, local food. They have displayed a cohesive and progressive intellectual agenda and have proven to be deserving of attention. Through acts of awareness such as those by La Via Campesina and its two decades of campaigning, and through efforts of resistance such as those by the Colombian peasants, we may slowly regain an understanding of something that was always really known: that the nuances required for sustainable food production and consumption are only suited to people, not the laws of banks and corporations.

crazy happy healthy FIVE STEPS TO A HEALTHY, HAPPY GUT Kendra Perry × Columnist

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Kendra Perry skis, hikes, and rock climbs a lot. When not venturing around the mountains around Nelson, BC, she is writing on her blog, Crazyhappyhealthy. com, where she turns her education into articles for others, and will be the inspiration for this column

Over 2000 years ago, Hippocrates said, “All disease begins in the gut.” It’s a wonder it’s taken us so long to realize how true this is. Restoring intestinal health is one of the most important factors to feeling great and preventing future disease. Your digestive tract is a one-way tube. From pie hole to butt hole, it’s the route through which everything enters and exits your body. It’s necessary for the breakdown of food, the absorption of nutrients, the elimination of toxins, and the destroying of pathogens and viruses. When you have bad digestion, it causes discomfort. Chronic illness can occur including; obesity, diabetes, acne, autoimmune disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, heart disease, and cancer. Personally, the biggest gains in my health have come with the healing of my gut. My energy has improved, my mood has stabilized, my hormones have balanced and my skin has cleared.

Here are my favourite five ways to a happy gut: 1. Probiotics and Fermented Foods Despite what cleaning product commercials preach, bacteria are not all bad. A miniscule percentage of the bacteria we encounter are harmful. Jenny McGruther, writer at Nourishedkitchen. com, says that humans have more individual bacter in their body than individual cells. If this is true, then technically you are more parts bacteria than actual human. Bacteria, especially the flora in your gut, are critical to a healthy digestive and immune system. Unfortunately, we are constantly assaulting our little helpers with antibiotics, pharmaceutical drugs, processed foods, alcohol, tobacco and stress. Probiotics, the strains of bacteria found in your gut, can fix this. Taking these daily can restore your gut health and increase your immunity. When buying probiotics make sure they have at

least five different strains of bacteria. As well, make sure there are many bacteria in each capsule – 1 billion is recommended. These aren’t always the most cost effective method and can cost around $30 dollars for 30 capsules. For cheaper alternatives, try fermented foods. These have been around for thousands of years, and were used to preserve food before the era of refrigerators. Fermented foods contain all the strains of bacteria your belly needs - sauerkraut, yogurt, and sourdough bread. You can buy many of these in stores, but if they have been pasteurized then they no longer contain any beneficial bacteria. The best and cheapest way is to make them yourself. For example, sauerkraut consists of only cabbage and salt. 2. Food Combining Your mouth contains alkaline juices, while your stomach is acidic and then your small intestine is

× Ksenia Kozhevnikova alkaline again and your large intestine is acidic. Carbohydrates need alkaline juices to be digested. Digestion begins in the mouth and finishes in the small intestine. Protein needs acidic juices, so are digested in the stomach. Proteins take a long time to be digested

humans SEX + SACRILEGE : THE UNTOLD STORY OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN CANADA The three most trafficked commodities today are drugs, weapons, and humans. Globally, human trafficking grosses an estimated $12 billion USD annually, making it no wonder as to why organized crime rings continue to trade innocent people into slavery and bondage for profits. Many Canadians would be shocked to discover that human trafficking is going on right here in our own country. The RCMP estimates that between 800 and 1,200 foreign individuals are trafficked into Canada annually. Most of these victims are young women forced to work in prostitution. These women are brought largely from China, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Moldova. The way in which a trafficker is able to lure these young women to follow them abroad is through a combination of lies, abuse, and power. Many young women are promised a nanny or a modeling job, but are thrown into a completely different reality upon their arrival. One Eastern European woman came forward with her story to Sun News in Calgary. She was a young and successful TV personality in her home country. Promised a chance to model, she found herself dancing in a strip-club, and later working in a massage parlor “servicing” local men. In 2003, police cracked down on two Calgary massage parlors in what was coined as “Operation Relaxation”. Dozens of women were discovered, all of whom were trafficked from Eastern Europe to be sex workers. This brave woman who came forward with her story, like other women in her vulnerable position, was threatened with the safety of her family back home in Europe. She was told she must repay her travel and food debt, which can mean servicing between 500 and 700 men before repayment is complete. Apparently, it’s possible to buy a woman on the “flesh market” for up to $25,000, and can easily be done in the city of Montreal. This price is a worthwhile investment for traffickers when you consider that a prostitute working in a massage parlor can bring in between $2000 and $5000 per day. These women are brought to a foreign country, passports confiscated, not having anybody to reach out to, not speaking a word of English, and are constantly under the watch of their captors. They are broken down, afraid, abused, and fed countless lies. They are told that if they do try to go to the authorities, their fake documents would make them criminals and have them wind up in jail.

Columnist ×

× Scarlett Aubrey

While foreign women being trafficked across borders into Canada is a definite issue, there is a serious issue of trafficking within Canada itself. In particular, it’s the domestic trafficking of aboriginal women to work in the sex trade that is overlooked. Aboriginal women in Canada are particularly vulnerable due to poverty, substance abuse, racism, and violence – all boiling down to Canada’s history of colonization. In Vancouver, 60 per cent of sexually exploited youth are aboriginal, and over half of the women on the Downtown Eastside are aboriginal as well. Seventy-five per cent of aboriginal girls under the age of 18 have been sexually abused which greatly lends itself to the problem. In the last two decades, 500 aboriginal girls have gone missing. Some of them have been found on the side of the highway, but the many lost ones have likely been trafficked. There is a trafficking circle that goes on between Saskatoon, Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver. It is thought that these women are kept

moving in this circle so that they are unable to create ties with outsiders and possibly find a way out. This disgusting abuse and sexual exploitation of women needs to stop. How shameful that Canada is not paying greater attention to this and doing more to create public awareness on the issue. What is even more shameful is that there is, in fact, a market for the sale of sex in Canada. Prostitution has even been romanticized through Hollywood films, when in reality it has nothing to do with love and reciprocal pleasure but everything to do with power and abuse. Women who prostitute their bodies do so very rarely by choice. Ninetysix per cent are said to want out of the line of work but have no exit strategy or support to carry them through. When it is argued that the legalization of prostitution would be better for the economy and public health as is done in the Netherlands and Germany, I would argue that over half of the prostitutes in Germany are foreign women and that the Red

Light District is moving towards closure since no Dutch women are working there – only foreign women. It makes one wonder how many of these women are trafficked as well. The 21st century is a time for freedom and the breaking off of chains of bondage and oppression. Let us free ourselves, and in doing so give others permission to do the same. This is not a time where humans are to be treated as commodities, but a time where the value of one human life cannot be counted in dollars and cents. Rather than abandon women caught in sex work and human trafficking by calling them criminals, the Canadian government should follow the Swedish model of decriminalization of prostitution, as well as create exit strategies for victims who need an escape. These are exploited women who need an outstretched hand of mercy and who should not be afraid to stand up and to speak out.

ginger and a pinch of cayenne. The combination of these three will stimulate the stomach to make extra digestive juice. And when your food is digested properly, then nutrients and minerals can easily be extracted.

and wait to a couple hours to eat breakfast. When you eat, eat a breakfast rich in protein and fat so you stay full for the majority of the day.

yourself and your life and your belly will be happy as a result.

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4. Skipping Meals This one sounds a little wacky. Oprah has told you that you should be eating many small meals throughout the day to keep up your energy levels. I disagree. If you are constantly eating then your digestive system is constantly working, never resting. Our bodies are adapted to periods of starvation, since our ancestors did not have the endless access to food that we do today. When your body is not digesting, your digestive juice is sent out into the bloodstream to scavenge for toxins. It’s sort of like a housecleaning. Don’t starve yourself but eat lightly in the morning. Start your morning with your lemon water,

5. Happiness This one is a little cheesy but completely free of charge! Happiness is truly the key to a healthy gut. Stress and negative emotions cause the activation of our sympathetic nervous system - our fight or flight response. This is because our bodies don’t recognize the difference between stress due to getting chased by a lion and stress due to being stuck in rush hour traffic. When your body initiates the flight or fight response, energy is shifted away from digestion to the skeletal muscles so you can fight for your life. Your digestion essentially is halted causing stagnancy and the opportunity for harmful bacteria to flourish on food that is now just hanging out in your digestive tract. Stop stressing, smile and laugh. Feel good about

3. Warm Lemon Water This is a very affordable way to quick start your digestion at the beginning of your day. Lemon is extremely high in Vitamin C, which is a mild laxative. Drinking lemon water in the morning before you eat breakfast is a great way to achieve that perfect morning poop. Even better is combining your lemon water with

Christine Janke

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and moved into the intestines. If you combine carbs and proteins you neutralize your juices and back up carbohydrates in your stomach. Carbs contain sugars which bad bacteria love. The result is bacterial putrefaction, causing bloating and stinky sulphur farts. To help this, eat carbs like grains, with other carbs, like starchy vegetables or healthy fats. Protein can also be eaten with fats, but try not to eat non-starchy vegetables, like broccoli and onions with them. And fruits are best eaten on an empty stomach.

Christine Janke is the kind of soul that cares for all of the ones around her. Her education in Human Rights from Malmo University in Sweden has allowed her to look at the world in a different light. Her Humans column will delve into human rights, and how Canada is in comparison to the world.

rifflandia Bands that make her dance THONGS + THUNDERSHOWERS By day, Victoria’s Rifflandia Music Festival is an all ages event, but by night, it’s an 11-venue music crawl. The beverage garden occupied a third of the day grounds and therefore dutifully represented a third of my festival visit. By Sunday, if the pungent smell of the outhouses were not enough evidence, the wide-eyed enthusiasm was sign enough that this was summers final binge for most. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros hit the stage Sunday night and were left two options: claw at the final drops of zeal from a drenched and drained audience, or ease the frantic, fourday deep crowd with playful renditions of their soulful catalogue. The band chose the latter. Midway through the set, lead man Alex Ebert casually leaned down, extended a wireless microphone, and invited the front row to ad lib a few verses. His band supported their lead man’s comforting presence with pitch perfect back up vocals and airtight pocket, completing the gospel deliverance. What a relief after listening to Bliss N Eso sing hooks such as “My grandma told me do not take shit from anybody in this motherfucking bitch…” then repeatedly address the crowd as “Motherfucking Victoria.” You may get the audiences attention by swearing at them repeatedly, but if you’ve got nothing to say it feels like that socially inept kid in elementary school who punched classmates because he hadn’t learned to use his words yet. The all ages event could have done without at 3 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon.

The festival teamed up with War Child, a nonprofit organization that helps raise awareness and support war affected children globally. It is becoming more commonplace for performers and promoters to use their influence in order to positively change the world. With recent music trends such as singing about being a god impatiently awaiting ones baked goods, it is refreshing to see a social presence amidst the rock and roll reverence. There was plenty of staff to supervise the fever of a welloiled audience and organizers carefully labeled waste bins: “Landfill”, “Cup”, and “Compost”. Proper site management has become particularly relevant in light of the recent UK festival in Reading where festival goers left more than 20 tons of debris in its wake. The Organizers clearly understood the importance of planning crowd control for the lowest common denominator. The two stages alternated like clockwork: moving from country style barn-burner on the Rifftop stage to a paramount main-stage worthy of Glastonbury except for one crucial element: sound. Attention sound people around the world: if we needed to have bass frequencies tickle our asshairs, we would go home and recreate the Howard Stern experiment by sitting on our subs while listening to dub step. With great power comes a great mixer and a bunch of knobs and faders to control the EQ. Please, consider the artists who have come from all around the world to sing the songs they were hired for. I challenge one person in the audi-

ence to name the DJ spinning Big Boi’s backing tracks without whipping out a smart phone and proudly reading a name off their screen. Song is king, and despite the throne on stage, Big Boi’s verses were but a mumble beneath the backing track rumble. Fortunately, for the audience, Big Boi brought the Outkast hits and the fans were grateful. Drenched by Sunday’s thundershowers, the audience did not waver as we relived our favorite hip-hop jams like “Ms. Jackson”, “Rosa Parks”, and “Skew it on the Bar-B”. Four days and over 200 acts to catch for the reasonable price of a $165 (all inclusive pass) the sixth annual Rifflandia was a playground for music lovers. If you couldn’t find something or someone that made this festival worthwhile, then I offer you condolences for the remaining 51 weeks of the year. Festival promoters went to great lengths in order to cover social, environmental and cultural bases during the weekend. Unfortunately, noise complaints made headlines, even though curfew hours were thoroughly respected to which I can only recommend earplugs and bass traps as a future remedy. To close the festival, Alex Ebert respectfully informed the audience that Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros had only three minutes left to meet the hard curfew. He would continue by inviting a lucky front row fan up to sing the chorus on a truncated live arrangement to their finally creating the perfect cadence for Rifflandia 2013.

Daniel Harf × Columnist Daniel Harf loves music so much that at times he can barely stand it. Being an avid drinker, he is constantly exposed to the music scene and nightlife in Vancouver, B.C. and beyond. This column will give as a glimpse into that world.

art shorts Paisley Conrad

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× Writer

Six years ago, in the island paradise of Victoria, a small festival began with a simple dream of interesting musicians and artists coming together for a full weekend, bonded by nothing more than an abstract vision and a plethora of wristbands. Fast forward to today, where Rifflandia has grown to encompass the entirety of downtown Victoria for four glorious days. Courtney Love proved that there is a such thing as too much, USS packed in more pop culture references than an Andy Warhol exhibit and ZTrip took the audience on a flashback tour of our sixth grade iPod playlists. Current Swell debuted new music, which, though more intense than their previous material, managed to sound even more west coast than ever before. Performances from St. Lucia, Hey Marseilles, Wintersleep and Wavves proved that indie music is not, in fact, dead, but absolutely thriving. While the daytime park stages are larger, and generally more hyped up, the heart of Rifflandia lies in the night stages. With 11 venues across the downtown core (less than half of which were all ages), over 130 bands played the late shows. The set-up of the venues ranged from gritty bar, to dancey club, to outdoor field, to a church. This unique set-up allowed for a wide range of artists to play in a wide range of places, giving attendees

the opportunity to see as much music as humanly possibly. Even the smallest venue of the festival didn’t stop Oh No! Yoko from playing one of the tightest sets of the weekend. Somehow perfecting the art of peaking intensity to the point of hysteria while still playing good music, the band’s audience danced as hard as the band played. Charming and high energy, the renowned electronic duo Humans brought the noise at Alix Goolden Hall, inviting the audience to rush the stage during their final song. Victoria native Aidan Knight returned to the Metro Theatre this year, balancing the ethereal and the experimental, backed by violins and flugelhorns. His set was so honest and sincere that more than one audience member shed a tear In addition to music, the festival also fosters a strong visual artistic sensibility. Featuring art installments from local talents such as Luke Ramsey, “Artlandia” is thriving in its second year. In addition to an exhibit at Rifflandia HQ, pieces were set up all over the festival grounds, as well as a tent full of paintings inspired by the musical headliners. In a stroke of genius, the coordinators put up two large walls of white wood in the market area, with pots of paints and paintbrushes lined up underneath. Festival-goers got to leave their mark and contribute to the beauty and atmosphere of the festival. In short, the true indie nature of Rifflandia is hopeful, creative and always ready to dance, and is definitely worth the ferry ride over.

× Paisley Conrad

FEATURES

FEATURES EDITOR ×

THERESE GUIEB

S P E C I A L F E AT U R E S . C A P C O U R I E R @ G M A I L . C O M

translink transformations THE EMERGENCE OF THE COMPASS + POODLES Carlo Javier × Staff Writer One must be living under a rock or outside of B.C., to be completely unaware of the influx of changes that Translink has gone through. Some of the companies developments include Translink public arts, the new Evergreen Line, limiting the HandyDart services, and the delayed Compass Card.

POODLE FOR A GUARD DOG

THE COMPASS IS COMING

× Vivian Liu

WHAT ABOUT THE U-PASS? The looming question in the minds of every postsecondary student is how the U-Pass will blend with the Compass Card. Derek Zabel clarifies that the U-Pass will remain in use and will be fused into the Compass system. “Eligible Students will acquire a regular adult card with a $6 deposit and then be able to load their U-Pass,” he says. This precedes a process that includes the creation, authentication and activation of an account. “Students will then need to set up a Compass UPass B.C. account, confirm eligibility and activate their U-Pass B.C. online prior to the start of the next eligible calendar month.” Authentication can be done with the student’s login information, making the Compass U-Pass more personal than it has been.

#OCCUPYTRANSLINK

Translink’s continuing cuts of the HandyDart services may seem overlooked, but the issue has

Once the Compass Card lands in the hands of everyday transit riders, it will not only mark a new era for Translink, but also for B.C. It’s a bigger milestone than it may seem, but finally leaving the paper-based tickets could one day be considered one of among the most important decision in transportation in B.C.

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HAND IN HAND FOR HANDYDART

THE NEXT STOP

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14.6 per cent doesn’t seem like a lot, but when it’s the difference from $382,954 to $397,730 – then it starts to turn heads. That number is the raise Translink CEO Ian Jarvis received in 2012. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation’s news release this summer gained significant attention after it revealed that several six-figure earning executives of Translink gained very generous raises despite the corporation’s financial struggles. In speaking with The Province, BC Director of the CTF Jordan Bateman said, “it is just so difficult for me to stomach hearing how cash poor Translink is when I look at the way they are paying their senior executives.” Members of the transit police were also recipients of impressive salaries, as 58 of the 167 topped the six-figure mark.

drawn enough attention for people to rally and voice their opinions in order to try to save the service. Twenty-eight runs of HandyDart were cut since July, roughly nine per cent of the total runs. One service was eliminated on the North Shore. It’s the second cut made in the last five years. Amalgamated Translink Union local 1724 president Bob Chitrenky describes the issue as not entirely about the cuts, but also about the transferring of funding to taxi drivers. “The issue now is that they’re taking hours from HandyDart, which they’ve frozen for the last three years, and they’re giving them to taxis because they say they’re cheaper. Chitrenky also emphasizes that the North Shore is in need of about five per cent more HandyDart services, making the cuts – though viewed as economical, still counterproductive. The favouring of taxis may lead to savings, but the taxi drivers are not trained to handle those in need of HandyDart services. “The same service cannot be had by changing HandyDart into taxis,” says Sean Stewart CSU’s Student with Disabilities Liaison.

Arguably the biggest and most obvious modification Translink will bring forth is the Compass Card. The Compass has had brunt attention pointed towards it, as Translink announced its much anticipated roll out. Then suddenly, announced its delay from the mass public. Many thought that the announced Fall 2013 release date was for everyone, but as it turns out, it’s for the winning applicants for the beta testing of the card. “After testing and analysis are complete and we’ve made any necessary changes to the system, we will slowly begin phasing in the Compass Card for our customers over several months,” Zabel starts. Translink then plans to hold programs to properly educate riders about the complexities of the card. “We want to ensure we get this right for our customers and will take the appropriate amount of time to do so.” Beta testing for the card began on Sept. 9, when 5,000 applicants were contacted and were awarded a chance to test the Compass before it’s released to the general population. Beta tester Tiana Barden states, “I don't think it's that fantastic to be honest, I think all the changes they're making are somewhat questionable.” Along with the excitement and the skepticism comes some controversy. More heat was generated after public backlash on matters regarding double fares and a less talked about surveillance issue hovered the news wires. “I like how easy it is to just tap your card, but they’re making it considerably harder for everyone who doesn’t want a Compass Card. You can’t transfer fare from buses to SkyTrains, which I think is kind of crazy,” Barden shares. The double fare controversy has had enough steam to generate a petition for Translink to change their plans. But the estimated 6,000 people that will be affected by it is not a big enough number for Translink to invest in remodelling their fare validators. Another obstacle that Translink is facing is the fear that the coming linking of the Compass Card with the B.C. ID card will pose serious surveillance issues. Executive director of B.C. freedom of information and privacy association Vincent Gogolek, takes it even a step further. The Compass Card will have an “auto-load” feature – when credit card information is signed up, a transit rider will have no worries about forgetting the end of the month, as the card will be capable to load itself. “They’ll know when you get off the bus, they’ll be able to watch you and that’s just way too much surveillance,” he says. But when considering the ever rapidly developing technology of today’s society, all this potential seems all the more inevitable.

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Translink’s latest pet is the project to aesthetically enhance some stations by installing designs and sculptures crafted by local artists. The aging Expo Line, which is now over 30 years old, will be undergoing renovations. “One element of the upgrade is to provide public art to improve the safety and customer amenities of the stations," says Tanslink spokesman Derek Zabel. A SkyTrain station that is well underway of its renovations is Main Street-Science World. Main Street recently unveiled a seven-foot-tall poodle statue that was crafted by Gisele Amantea. The untitled work that can be viewed as a symbol providing charm and appeal to the station has been met with mixed reception, mainly due to the reported $100,000 price tag. Despite the criticism of the cost, it’s unbeknownst to many that the fees were not solely left on Translink’s laps. “It was commissioned as part of the 88 Blocks project, a collaborative project between the City of Vancouver and Translink designed to improve the pedestrian realm along the Main Street corridor,” says Zabel. “The project included urban design and infrastructure improvements as well as temporary and permanent public art.” This redevelopment process that stations are set to go through are not solely meant to beautify SkyTrain terminals. “Public art that is coordinated with transit infrastructure improvements can enhance daily commutes and create engaging, vibrant and safe spaces,” explains Zabel. One example of public art developed for that purpose is also in Vancouver. Not too long ago, the developers of the Olympic Village commissioned two colossal bird statues that reportedly cost around $600,000. Translink isn’t exactly revolutionary in terms of public art as an integral part of transit systems. The valuing of artistic designs has been consistent not only in Canada, but also across North America. Most of these developments include what Zabel calls a “percentage for art model,” where a share of the price for construction is reserved specifically for the costs of potential arts. These reserved portions often extend from 0.5 per cent to 1.5 per cent of the total construction fees, but Translink seems to have struck a deal with theirs. “The public art pieces at Metrotown, Main Street, and Commercial-Broadway stations will all be below 0.6 per cent of the total upgrade budget, that’s well within industry standards and even on the lower end of the spectrum,” he says. Currently, only Main Street’s poodle art has

been publicly unveiled. Translink plans to reveal information on the developments of the other Expo Line stations in the future.

FEATURES

FEATURES EDITOR ×

THERESE GUIEB

S P E C I A L F E AT U R E S . C A P C O U R I E R @ G M A I L . C O M

is working in education worth the money? THREATS OF STRIKE

GOVERNMENT CUTBACKS

CLASSROOM SIZES

LACK OF JOBS × Emily McGratten

ALL RAISE CONERN FOR TEACHERS Katherine Gillard

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47 issue N o . 03

× News Editor

Teaching in British Columbia has a turbulent history that involves issues with the government as well as job availability. Recently, bargains between teachers and the government have been going back and forth, causing concern for parents of kindergarten through grade 12 students. This is also a cause for concern for undergraduate students that plan on going into education because of the struggle to find a job with recent cutbacks, as well as the seniority system in place in B.C. making it hard for new teachers to find a job in general.

FINDING A JOB In British Columbia, the education system bases employment on seniority, which make finding a job right out of university very difficult for those who want to work in North, West, and Metro Vancouver. For many who graduated from UBC or SFU, getting into the districts in these cities is ideal, but it can be hard because not as many teachers are needed in these areas. Geoff Russell,

a teacher at Seycove Secondary in North Vancouver explains, “North Vancouver is a district where there are fewer students now than there have been before which means there is fewer need for teachers which makes it harder to get a job here but if you go to another district where it’s growing it’s easier to get a job.” Teachers in British Columbia are required to have a bachelor’s degree as well as having finished a Ministry of Education Certificate of Qualification, better known as PDP (Professional Development Program) or teacher’s education. This takes a minimum of five years to finish and costs thousands of dollars. Although getting a job right out of university can be hard for any recent graduate, it is even harder for teachers, especially those hoping to work in Vancouver’s districts. The struggle to find a job can relate to student need but it can also be related to government cut backs. Teaching jobs have dropped by 3,000 since the Liberals were elected in 2001. In the past year, there were 2,595 new students but teaching jobs

have dropped by 283. In the seniority system, it’s the newer teachers that get laid off at the end of a school year. “You could be the greatest teacher in the world but if your seniority isn’t at a certain point, unfortunately, if they have to, if it comes to that, which nobody likes, that’s what happens,” Russell comments. Esther Clark graduated from the University of Victoria in 2008, with a bachelor’s degree in classics and finished her PDP in May of 2009. She was able to get a job working as a “teacher on call” in September of 2009 in District 44 (North Vancouver). Clark says that getting a job in Victoria was tough and having grown up in North Vancouver, she always wanted to come back anyways. Currently, she works at Seycove Secondary and is teaching six out of eight classes. Although she isn’t full time, she’s close. Regarding how long it can take to get a job she says, “be patient, it’s so worth it. Being a teacher is amazing. I know it can be tough to get a job right now; I have friends that are sort of struggling to find work but it’s so worth

it, I can’t imagine having a different job.” Teachers are struggling to find jobs in the Lower Mainland, and moving is a big consideration when they finish their degrees. Cara Frank graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2012 with a master’s in education, then spent a year looking for a job in the lower mainland before being forced to move back to Christina Lake to substitute in School District 51. According to Frank, a lot of her graduating class can’t find fulltime work. “There’s a few people subbing, there’s one up North, and one in Calgary – and one in Mexico. So there’s seven – seven got jobs. My class was maybe 60. I know there’s some that I don’t know. Those are the only ones I can think of that for sure have jobs. A lot of them are subbing elsewhere, too.” Julia Lehnert moved from North Vancouver to Nelson, and missed the August TOC intake so she applied for every available job, but had no luck. The next August she was hired as a substitute and spent the year as a teacher on call. The next year

she applied for two jobs at two schools and ended up working part-time. In January she increased her time by one day, but was still not working full time and was working at schools that were 45 minutes to 75 minutes away from home. She found a job the following year at a school only 20 minutes away, and at this point she had applied for about 200 jobs. Lehnert got laid off due to cutbacks at the end of that year and then got her job back by the end of June. She ended up working a term job (only a one-year position) full time but at two different schools, running between them midday. She comments on the difference in finding a job in Nelson, “I don't know if it was easier than on the coast, but it was easier to get a job in the rural areas further away, as no one wanted to drive that far every day, especially driving in the winter snow (October to March). But they would only give you a job once you had experience.”

THE ON-GOING BATTLE IN BC The Teacher’s Federation in British Columbia has faced numerous battles with the government and recently has threatened strike once more. Susan Griffin, B.C. Supreme Court Justice ruled in 2011 that the government passed legislation that stripped teachers of their right to bargain for class size, class composition, and teacher-student ratios, therefore violating teacher’s constitutional rights. The government repealed this legislation last year but it is still unconstitutional, because it still restricts negotiating for class size and composition. Despite being called the Education Improvement Act, it did not improve on what the teachers had asked for. Frank comments, “the government is offering nothing. Bill 22 – what happened was they stripped our contract, and we went to court because they are not allowed to do that. And we won, but they still didn’t give us anything. So we are still screwed.” According to the British Columbia Teacher’s Federation, students are being forced to learn in over-crowded classrooms and are unable to receive help from specialist teachers when they need inclass support. Initially, the new legislation introduced in 2011 included $200 million in funding. But the teachers’ union rejected it saying that the money would benefit support staff unions, which was not the issue the union was looking to resolve. According to the government documents associated with the deal the teachers’ union, “declined to ever engage with government meaningfully" over how the

money would be used. In March 2012, students walked out of classes in Vancouver to protest the same issues about class size, the availability of support staff, and class composition. Over 1,000 students were involved in the march that happened in downtown Vancouver. The students were also protesting the government’s Education Improvement Act, which would have made strikes illegal and punishable by fines as well at financial cutbacks made by the government. The education system has been trying to reach an agreement with the government since then. The province is saying that, to fix the problem, it will cost taxpayers $6 billion to start and the price will be ongoing because of the union’s demands. BC Teachers’ Federation and the government will be meeting again through September but if an agreement isn’t reached soon, it is likely that BC teachers and support staff will be striking this year. Jim Iker, president of the BC Teachers’ Federation said in an interview with the Globe and Mail, “If CUPE makes the decision that they have to put up picket lines at some point down the road, we will honour them.” The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) represents 27,000 public staff, including teachers K-12, clerical staff, and support workers, which, if on strike could potentially set back classroom learning. However, Iker stressed that there will be further discussion before striking is chosen as a resolution and that it would be up to the districts as to whether or not schools were shut down. CUPE is hoping to reach an agreement with the board as well, since they also represent custodians, bus drivers and those in the trades who have not received a raise since 2009 – making an average $24,000 a year.

GOING INTO EDUCATION? For students planning on going into education, it will take time and money. Getting a bachelor’s degree and teacher’s education usually takes 5 or more years. Russell comments, “I had a lot of student debt. I’m still paying off my student debt. I don’t know what the total is but certainly probably close to $40,000.” After finishing school, finding a full time job in Vancouver is hard and involves years of substitute teaching. Some teachers even consider moving to find a job faster. However, teaching does have its rewards. According to Benefits Canada Magazine, the Teachers’ Pension Plan in B.C. has the

ON the Cover Emily McGratten

WHAT NOW? Teachers haven’t had a contract since June, causing concern for them and the government. Premier Christy Clark has proposed a 10-year deal which would ensure that there would be no labour dis-

× volume

47 issue N o . 03

Emily McGratten is good at the details, like cutting bangs, drinking Jameson's, and enjoying Harry Potter movies. As a recent grad from OCAD University in Toronto, she is also talented at illustrations and doodles. More of her work can be seen at Emilymcgratten.com, and is highly recommended to cure a bad mood.

putes during that time frame. The teachers’ union has also turned this plan down because it could strip them further of their rights for bargaining. The B.C. Teachers’ Federation released a statement for concerned parents that said significant progress has been made at local school boards in dealing with local issues. According to the statement, B.C. has the worst teacher-educator ratio in the country, and it would take hiring at least 6,600 teachers to reach the national average. The statement emphasizes the issue, “To make things worse, BC spends $1,000 less per student than the national average. Imagine what we could do with $1,000 extra per child in our schools!” They added that, “teachers want a fair deal and better support for their students through the collective bargaining process. A fair outcome can only be reached through a fair process and the proper funding being available.” The BCTF appear to be getting the fair deal they wanted and are managing to avoid strike. On Sept. 18, a statement was released that said that CUPE and other support staff unions in the education sector reached a tentative agreement. CUPE secured a modest wage increase with no concessions. The BCTF will continue to work together to reach other collective agreements regarding education. Despite the threat of strike, the BCTF, CUPE, and the government were able to reach an agreement. This is beneficial to all education staff and students in the public school system. However, full-time jobs for teaching available in Vancouver are still minimal and education can still be a hard field for any new teacher. Teaching is a great field for anyone who loves education as well as looking for a job with pension benefits, and despite having a hard time finding a job, teachers love their jobs. Lehnert says, “I love teaching, I love working with kids. I love the genuine excitement for learning that children have – especially primary kids. I love teaching them in fun ways, it's not just sitting in your desk reading and writing, but getting to play and do hands on learning. I also love getting hugs and kids giving me drawings and telling me what a great teacher I am and that they love me. It's very rewarding.”

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10th largest benefit pension plan in Canada and holds assets of over $18 billion, making teaching a desirable job. Even for teachers considering moving to find a job, the prospects aren’t promising in other provinces either. Edmonton’s school board is short $14 million in this year’s budget and Alberta’s Teaching Association is expecting to have 1,000 fewer teaching positions available next year. School boards don’t want teachers to travel for work. However, ATA president Carol Henderson told CBC in an interview this year that, "we will need those teachers, and, if it's not this year — and that's not very much comfort for them, I totally understand that — but we will need them." Alberta and B.C. aren’t the only provinces where new teachers can have a hard time finding a job. According to a study done by the Ontario College of Teachers, two thirds of education graduates from 2009 in Ontario were unemployed in the following year. Jobs in Canada are harder to come by because of less students enrolling in elementary and high school and fewer teachers retiring. This lessens the need for teachers across the country. Meaning that going into education will take years of being a teacher on call no matter which province a new teacher travels to. Frank comments on the issue of finding a job, “there are too many retired teachers and at the same time the universities are popping out too many teachers. I think they need to limit it…the market is just flooded with too many teachers that are still working and not retiring, and too many teachers that are coming out of the universities”. Frank does believe that the strike could happen, and she thinks it could help with seniority, “Also, what they were talking about – the teachers now are fighting to get something after 10 years – it takes a long time to work up the pay ladder and teachers are trying to get it so you start working up a lot faster in your career." She continues, “most professionals, depending on your profession, [have] things you can do to get up that ladder faster. That would affect us because if we can get a faster pay increase. That would be a positive because we could make money a lot faster and pay off student loans.”

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SHORE LINE CLEANUP

VANCOUVER POETRY SLAM

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Art of Loving – 1819 W. Fifth Ave. 7:30 pm $40

Various Locations All day $ Free

Café Deux Soleils 8 pm $5

Everywhere All day $ Cost of a wink

Look, this is exactly what it sounds like: A class on how to rub your lady’s bits like a true Don Juan, or Juanita. Though you may not want to admit to it, this is exactly the kind of extracurricular learning you need to be doing as a sophomore in college – sorry, I mean university – student.

Remember that Simpsons episode where everenvironmentally conscious Lisa drags a reluctant Marge Simpson to do Shoreline clean-up under the misguided notion that they’d be cuddling oil-soaked baby seal cubs and goslings? Well, this is kind of like that. Pitch in and register to do a shoreline clean up in your locality. Visit shorlinecleanup.ca on how to register.

Every first, third and fifth Monday of the month, Café Deux Soliels hosts an open poetry slam competition with new and seasoned performers. The winner of the Slam, decided by volume of audience claps and cheers, usually walks away with a cash prize.

LADIES BILLIARDS NIGHT

WAR HORSE

SAVAGES

LIVE BAND KARAOKE

Guys and Dolls All night $ Free

Queen Elizabeth Theatre 8 pm $50

The Biltmore Cabaret 8 pm $16

The Backstage Lounge 8 pm $6

Tuesday is ladies night at Guys and Dolls billiards bar on Main Street. Ladies play free pool all night in this dimly-lit haunt. There is a bar, but no drinks near the tables. If you happen to take a member of the less-fair sex, you both play for half-price. And if you are a single lady, go here for a massive boost to the confidence.

Broadway Across Canada presents musical War Horse as it trots through Vancouver to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. The live-action adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s children’s novel is a heartbreaking and heroic story about a baby horse sold to the cavalry during WW1, and the boy who goes searching for it.

This London-based post-punk revival rock band graces Vancouver with its presence on this lucky Tuesday. Though the four-piece band has been around since 2011, they’re touring in support of their debut studio album Silence Yourself, released on Matador Records earlier this year.

Karaoke at the old-timer’s legion? Pshh. Take your karaoke experience to the next level by posting your requests and confirming your attendance on the Backstage Lounge’s Facebook page, and then belt out your tunes alongside a live band.

WILL SMITH TURNS 44

STUDENT NIGHT KARAOKE

PENELOPE

WORD VANCOUVER

Somewhere in LA All day $ Free

Funky Winkerbeans 9 pm $ Free

The Cultch 8 pm $17+

PaperHound Bookshop TBA $ Free

The man who brought you (a possibly coked-out) Will in Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, to suave stud in Men in Black (arguably the best first-date movie ever, think about it), to I Am Legend turns 44 today. He’ll be blowing out candles alongside his Pinkett-Smith family. Rumour has it that even DJ Jazzy Jeff might make an appearance.

Everybody likes free things, right? Get offyour-ass wasted in Vancouver’s prestigious east Hastings neighbourhood, belt out some karaoke while you try not to puke, and perhaps just head over next door (Save On Meats) for a $6 burger to soak up the booze.

This tale of Ulysses’ wife based around events of Greek mythological epic, the Odyssey, debuts at the Cultch. This is a good way to school yourself in arguments with those useless Classical Studies majors, if not just to indulge in the arts.

Word Vancouver, an annual reading and literature festival, kicks off today with a reading by Evelyn Lau and hosted by Kevin Spenst. The five day festival boasts readings, workshops, book fairs and other free events.

VIFF OPENING NIGHT

JOHN WATERS DOUBLE BILL

THE MILLERS

CSU ALL CANDIDATES FORUM

Various venues Various times $13 per single ticket

The Rio Theatre 7: 30 pm $8

CBS 8 pm Cost of cable

CSU Library Lounge 11:30 am $ Free

Vancouver International Film Festival opens today, screening films from all nations in various repertory theatres across the city, since the closing of the Granville Cinemas where the festival is usually held. The opening gala will take place at the Centre for Arts, screening Nebraska.

The man responsible for making Johnny Depp famous and scarring you with his film about “the most disgusting person in the world” gets a double header this evening. Showing Cry Baby and Pink Flamingos, the Rio starts this double bill at 7:30.

Will Arnett’s new sitcom, the Millers, premieres tonight. The former Arrested Development star plays a recent divorcee who accidentally inspires his own father to divorce his wife and take up shelter with his daughter. Let’s hope this is as good as AD! And let’s hope it’s not derived from his real life split with Amy Poehler.

Candidates will debate in hopes of getting a spot in the CSU board of directors.

ZEDD

YOU SHOULD HAVE STAYED HOME

CULTURE DAYS

CONFESSIONS

The Commodore Ballroom 9 pm $25

Firehall Arts Centre 8 pm $25 for students

Coast Mental Health Resource Centre 9 am - 4 pm $ Free

Beaumont Studios 7 pm - midnight $ Free

Russian-German electronic DJ and pop culture sensation Zedd performs at the Commodore Ballroom. Be sure to don tight, bright clothing, glow sticks and any other ridiculous raver ware. Don’t forget chewable vitamins!

In 2010, Toronto actor Tommy Taylor went to observe the G20 protests and unwittingly became part of the largest mass arrest in Canadian history. This is his story.

Culture Days, an arts and culture festival promoting literacy, crafting, and participation, kicks off today. Includes an art sale from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. featuring pieces from several artists of the Vancouver Mental Health Society.

Over the summer Vancouver artist, Jamie Smith collected anonymous confessions through her website. Gathering over 75 confessions, she will showcase her series of paintings called, "Confessions." There will be a full size confessional booth so you can add your own confession to the project! $5 beer and wine.

SEASON 39 OF SNL PREMIER

MAN UP

PIE BAKING COMPETITION

VANCOUVER BOOK FAIR

Your house 11:30 -1 am $ Cost of hosting Leah

The Cobalt 9 pm $7 before 10 pm

Steveston Museum 12 pm - 2 pm $ By donation

UBC Robson Square 12 pm - 5 pm $8

In the words of Leah: “This day is better than my birthday, Christmas, Easter, and Seth Meyers birthday combined. I’m peeing myself just thinking about it.” So invite her over to watch Tina Fey and Arcade Fire kick off the 39th season of this iconic show. Just mind her tears through Weekend Update. She always cries through that.

Come participate or just enjoy this hilarious spin on drag – women dressing up as men and lipsynching to typically masculine songs. Bring out your inner Mannie Lennox or Justine Timberlake and shake what your mama did not, in fact, give you.

As part of Culture Days, Steveston hosts its second annual pie baking competition. After the judging, taste a piece of pie (by donation) and judge it for yourself; probably the most delicious of Saturday afternoon activities.

Leaf through various literary gems, including antique, rarities and signed copies of books in this fair — a part of Word Vancouver. Get inspired to stay in all night and curl up with a good read.

ZENTAI

PUSSY RIOT

FATAL ASSISTANCE

GISELLE

The Cinematheque 11:45 am $13

International Village # 10 11:10 am $13

SFU GCA 11 am $13

Vancity Theatre 10 am $13

Vancouver International Film Festival presents Zentai. Zentai are full-body-suit fetishists—amateur baseball players, promotional models, beer drinkers and supermarket cashiers, have discovered that they can lose inhibitions, erase their character flaws, even blur their sexual preferences when they don full body suits.

A documentary by Mike Lerner and Maxim Pozdorovkin about feminist art-rock collective Pussy Riot, who unleashed “Mother of God Drive Putin Away”—a satirical “punk prayer protest.” The act of defiance against the Putin regime’s ties to the Orthodox Church resulted in three band members facing jail sentences.

As part of VIFF, documentarian Raoul Peck gets to the heart of the problem in this cogent and powerful look at why post-earthquake Haiti is worse off than ever.

Another VIFF flick, director Toa Fraser’s cinematic interpretation of the New Zealand Royal Ballet’s superb, universally lauded production of the great romantic ballet Giselle.

It’s our features editor’s birthday, and if you can’t tell from her photo in the masthead, she’s a fun time. Meaning you have to make today extra fun in honour of her. Tell a joke, sing a song, hell, laugh just for the sake of laughing. It will make Therese smile, and that is what today is all about.

the capilano courier

volume

47 issue N o . 03

Saturday 28

CALENDAR@ C A P I L A N O C O U R I E R . C O M

Sunday 29

arts + Culture

A + C EDITOR ×

ANDY RICE

ARTS@CAPILANOCOURIER.COM

lost pounds YOUR HASHTAG DOES NOT BRING ALL THE BOYS TO THE YARD Andy Rice × Arts + Culture Editor Believe it or not, there once was a time when “#” was still just a lowly pound symbol, used to trigger additional voicemail options or stand in place of the word “number.” But then in 2007, everything changed. Rebranded and repurposed, the symbol became a clickable search link for all things Twitter, soon gaining steam on other sites like Instagram, Tumblr, and Facebook. And while it all seemed to come out of nowhere, it really didn’t. Over a decade before any of these sites existed, IRC (Internet Relay Chat) users had begun using metadata tags as a filing and labeling system for groups and topics on discussion forums. On August 23, 2007, an open source advocate Chris Messina proposed a similar use on Twitter under his handle, @FactoryJoe, and three days later, the term “hashtag” was officially coined by blogger Stowe Boyd. Fittingly enough, it’s because of hashtags that we can trace their origin so easily. Twitter users were quick to come on board and as the network grew, more and more people began to use hashtags in their posts. This facilitated trending, which occurs when many people are collectively talking about the same subject. Of course, this only works if they’re actually using hashtags properly, as social media speaker Matt Astifan explains. “If a lot of my friends are all using the same hashtag - Breaking Bad or whatever - it’s very easy for me to do a search of all of my friends who are talking about Breaking Bad, but some people don’t know how to use it properly so they’re just

× Shannon Elliot combining words together.” A hashtag like #breakingbad, for instance, is perfectly acceptable when tweeting about the show. Something like #omgiamSOinlovewithjessepinkman is sadly not; not even if you are a) a 13 year old, b) totally gacked out on some of his fancy blue-tinted methamphetamine. It simply won’t trend or lead people to a collective discussion, the two main benefits of using hashtags in the first place. “Hashtags are meant to attract conversations around a certain topic,” says Astifan. “Multiple people are all talking about the same subject...at a conference for example...They’re all on Twitter all using the same hashtag for all of the stuff the speaker’s talking about in real time. “Then there [are examples] where people try to get a hashtag trending,” he continues. “You see Jimmy Kimmel or Jimmy Fallon and they’ll tell their users to use a hashtag, whatever it is, and

have a competition of who can come up with the funniest jokes using those hashtags.” A local example took place back in Fall 2012 after CBC radio host Grant Lawrence put a call out to his listeners, challenging them to come up with beer names inspired by Canadian bands and musicians. Not only did the #CDNbandbeer hashtag trend in Canada for a few days, but it also led to the creation of four beers (D.O.Ale, Said the Ale, Pink Mountainhops, and You Say Barley! We Say Rye!) inspired by a few of the best responses. And then there are the fails. A marketing campaign for McDonalds using the hashtag #McDStories backfired last year after customers started posting a few stories of their own. From fingernails to food poisoning, the trash talk trickled in. Even worse was Blackberry’s parent company, Research In Motion, who announced a hiring spree via Twitter using the hashtag #RIMJobs. A similar gaffe by the marketing team for famed America’s

Got Talent contestant Susan Boyle, by promoting the launch date for her newest CD alongside the hashtag #susanalbumparty. Phrasing, people! However, the biggest fail of all might be the majority of social media users’ tendencies to butcher hashtags beyond all practicality. It’s especially apparent on Facebook where “people have no idea how to use them,” says Astifan, although he believes that’s partly developers' fault. “Facebook opened up their open graph search so they’re getting onto search but most people on Facebook still have private accounts. Search there isn’t as effective as on Twitter where the majority of users have open accounts. People can put a hashtag on a post but I won’t be able to find it.” “The whole idea of a hashtag on Facebook doesn’t really make sense at this point,” he continues, “but maybe Facebook’s trying to evolve into something more Twitter-like because of the value that’s in the search. I think that the way that hashtags should be used on Facebook is to amplify the meaning of what you’re trying to say.” Astifan suggests keeping hashtags short and selfexplanatory, especially on Twitter where there’s already a character limit. Capitalizing the first letter can make them easier to read and avoiding more than two in a single post will keep them from getting lost in a sea of text. Making hashtags easy to spell and doing a little proofreading before posting can’t hurt either. “You’ve got to be careful with it,” he says, “and you’ve got to make it fun so that way people are on your side. People on the internet, they’re willing to be a lot meaner when they’re hiding behind a computer.”

youth ignited

THE CULTCH'S FREEDOM TO CREATE × Shirley Wu

Carlo Javier × Staff Writer

47 issue N o . 03

awarded to participants, Ignite Youth becomes a haven for young artists. “The cool thing about it is everybody is working on their own material and you know it’s a way to learn through self-driven approach,” says Leveroos. “Honestly, the people who join Youth Panel are some of the coolest people I’ve ever met,” Matthew gleefully elaborates. “They’re absolutely amazing, creative, dedicated, hard-working people.” The Cultch’s Ignite Youth is open to anyone, and the simple act of showing up is more than enough. “We meet Monday nights from six to eight p.m., the first one is on Oct. 7,” says Leveroos. “It’s for anyone who wants to participate, and it’s completely free.” For more information on Ignite Youth Festival or on joining this year’s youth panel, readers may visit Igniteyouthfest.ca or Thecultch.com.

volume

Padawans and Jedi Masters The second component of The Cultch’s youth program is the Ignite Mentorship Program. It’s a string of one-on-ones between young artists and proven, professional artists in the community, aimed to help the youth succeed in their craft of choice. “We have a track of mentorships, which is meant for young artists to get an in-depth stab at their discipline as they work towards their career,” says Leveroos. Mentorships are available in songwriting, acting, dance, directing, playwriting, publicity, and stage design. This year also marks the inauguration of mentorships in lighting design, stage management, as well as stage photography. In order to partake, young artists must go through an application process. The program will

begin accepting submissions in October, carrying through to mid-December. Chosen applicants will then get to work with mentors who are professionals in their respective industries. “It’s based on people who have a specific skill or something they want to improve at, like directing, acting, or dance, and they’re paired up with artists from the community and are given time to work with them,” says Matthew. At the end of the mentorship program, the participants are granted an opportunity to showcase the fruits of their hard work and cooperation. “I was lucky enough to get to stage manage it last year,” begins Matthew. “It was really cool just to see what everyone’s been working on, in terms of their different areas in mentorship.” All of the artists serving as mentors are accomplished professionals, and some of them have even gained nationwide fame. Mentors in the past have included Tyler Bancroft of Said the Whale, and Dan Mangan for songwriting, as well as Kathryn Calder of The New Pornographers. “We have Stephen Drover as a directing mentor, spoken word has got Chris Gilpin, who’s in charge of Vancouver Poetry House, [poet] Jillian Christmas, some really hard-hitters in the arts community here,” says Leveroos. A hub for creativity, coupled with the freedom

Want Your Own Festival? Ignite Youth Panel is one of the components of The Cultch’s Youth Program. By giving young artists complete control of production for a weeklong festival, the Youth Panel creates an outlet that celebrates artistic creativity. Throughout the season, 20 to 25 young volunteers for the Youth Panel will meet once a week. This process reaches its climax in the first week of May when the Ignite Arts Festival commences. Not only will artists get to perform their respective crafts, but they will also be handling how the performances will come about. “They end up building their own websites, building their own marketing materials, they curate the show, they find performers and they end up running the tech; every aspect of the festival,” explains Ignite Youth Program Manager Robert Leveroos. “I got to stage manage, I used the lighting and the sound and all sorts of really great hands-on stuff,” says Sophia Matthew, a two-year veteran of

the Youth Panel. “We make budget decisions, we make decisions about which acts to accept because we hold auditions as a panel. We basically plan the entire festival, and there’s not a lot of youth programs like that, that give you so much control.” Both the panel and the festival encompass a wide range of art forms. Every night is different from the other, showcasing music, dance, spoken word, and interdisciplinary art. Leveroos also notes that the festival content changes on a yearly basis. “It is really, really our festival,” adds Matthew.

the capilano courier

Limited creativity still produces results, but what about unlimited creativity? Every year, The Cultch provides a program that does just that, giving youth aged 14 to 24 the complete liberty to run an arts festival, and sessions that aim to help young artists reach their potential in their work.

arts + Culture

A + C EDITOR ×

ANDY RICE

ARTS@CAPILANOCOURIER.COM

reaching for the peak COMPETITION GIVES MUSICIANS AN INDUSTRY CRASH COURSE Andy Rice × Arts + Culture Editor Radio personality Tamara Stanners is already known for doing everything with a smile, but talking about the Peak Performance Project has her admittedly beaming beyond control. “It’s so cool,” she says on the eve of the first showcase, held on Sept. 12. “I may or may not be in love with the project. I’m very excited.” The PPP is an artist mentorship and development program funded by the Jim Pattison Broadcasting Corporation in conjunction with 102.7 The Peak, where Stanners is program director. Each year, 20 artists are chosen from around the province to compete for a grand prize of $102,700 and secondary prizes of $75,000, $50,000, $10,000 and $5,000. The project’s fifth year kicked off with an orientation day at the end of July before participants headed to Princeton, BC in August for week-long boot camp. Over 100 B.C. musicians arrived at Rockridge Canyon on Aug. 22, including Capilano University’s Mike Meroniuk who plays guitar with folk-rocker Greg Drummond. He and bass player Marshall Hunt are in their third year of jazz studies while the band’s drummer, Alanna Pearce, graduated from the program last year. They aren’t the only ones past or present to take part either. Members of Rococode, Portage and Main, Redgy Blackout, and Hilary Grist are not just PPP alumni, but Capilano University alumni as well. “Cap was huge,” says Meroniuk. “The three of us, the reason we’re all together in the group is basically because we knew each other from Cap.” Even the horn section that joined them during their recent showcase performance was comprised of current and former students. And while Meroniuk definitely considers that night to be a personal musical highlight, he says it was boot camp that provided the greatest thrill overall. “That’s the best experience, I think, out of the whole thing,” he explains. “The biggest thing we gained... besides getting all of this information and amazing criti-

cism from all of these great musicians and people who are prominent in the music industry was the networking experience.” This year’s faculty boasted a who’s who of the Canadian entertainment scene, from voice coaches to talent managers to record producers. “It was for sure the strongest we’ve ever had,” says Stanners. “[Participants] really got not only the ability to learn from these people but also to be connected to them so that they can call them up any time and use their expertise.” Media experts like David Tysowski and Adrian Mack coached the participants by day, while performers like Ryan Guldemond led songwriting workshops by night. Nimbus School of Recording Arts sent a contingency of producers, who set up shop in a variety of unorthodox locations to capture the creativity and collaborations taking place. When the week came to a close, the top 20 headed home with not only some new friends and some new tracks, but also a wealth of knowledge on music licensing, entertainment laws, grants, royalties, publicity, and tour booking. “You really have to have all of those things connected properly and that’s such a huge component of what we do,” says Stanners. “You go to boot camp and then you take that information and knowledge and then you put it to work in a business plan that, whether you win or lose, is going to be a business plan you can use to take you and your career to the next level.” Past winners have showen a surprising breadth of genres and experience levels. Several of B.C.’s more seasoned bands like Said the Whale and Current Swell have entered and emerged with prizes while others have seemingly come out of nowhere to take top honours. 2012 winners Dear Rouge are a perfect example. “We had zero idea of who they were,” says Stanners. “They literally worked their asses off to become a winning band. It was a shock for all of us. We just didn’t even think it was possible.” Relatively new to the scene by past years’ standards, this year’s top 20 have set their sights on a similar goal. And although the showcase portion of the Peak Performance Project is now complete

for some, including Meroniuk and his bandmates, each band still has a final report to compile and a charity event to organize. “We’re all just trying to do our own little part,” he says, adding that juggling band commitments with school can be quite the challenge. “It’s an absolute nightmare,” he laughs. Two showcases remain on Oct. 10 and Oct. 17 at Fortune Sound Club before a week of juried and online voting narrows 20 contestants down to five. On Nov. 21, a finale concert will take place at the Commodore Ballroom, revealing a first place winner and giving away a cumulative $242,700 in prize money to five different artists. And while it’s hard to deny that winning the competition carries its fair share of prestige and financial benefits, Stanners also believes the PPP has a special way of

47 issue N o . 03 volume

× the capilano courier

Andy Rice × Arts Editor

WIDE AWAKE + DREAMING JJ Brewis × Writer Similar to other artists who share their Captured Tracks label (Wild Nothing, Beach Fossils), Blouse are building a very specific niche here: slightly dreary, oft-muted dream pop that lets you think it’s going to get slightly catchy and then takes it back with a wild guitar hook right out of left field. It’s actually very hard to explain because, in some senses, it’s weird as fuck. But it absolutely works here. Like Tame Impala and other neo-psychedelic outfits on the verge, Blouse seem to be progressing through a modern approach but keeping a touchstone to the garage rock-via-grunge found in early Sonic Youth records or the spaced-out eeriness of Broadcast. Maybe that’s why the sparse Media Club audience refrained from getting too close, leaving an uncharacteristic several feet of space between the stage and the front of the crowd. It

For more information, readers may visit Peakperformanceproject.com.

× Mateo Wolferstan

art shorts reviews

The cover of Imperium, Blouse’s second LP, shows a porcelain bust smashed in half. It might seem random, but it makes a lot of sense once you listen to the tone of the material. Singer Charlie Hilton’s voice slowly builds and then plateaus, banking on dark imagery with a slight penchant for an abstract dreaminess. Upon first listen, it’s not quite clear what they’re getting at, but upon further listens, it is clear. The material made sense most in a live setting, which Vancouverites had the chance to enjoy at the group’s stop at The Media Club last week. The tones and specifics of Imperium actually came quite alive in person, with the trio rounding off into a quartet in its touring incarnation, most notably featuring Hilton casually strumming her guitar while her vocals drift in and out as if she’s making her way through a distorted daydream.

making everyone involved feel like a winner, herself included. “I love it and I think it has made the Vancouver music scene stronger and in turn has made Vancouver stronger,” she says. “There’s a true community that forms out of it and that continues to grow and evolve from it where you do actually build true and lasting friendships and partnerships and relationships that literally will last forever.”

was almost as if the onlookers felt like the group was something too precious or fragile to view from close proximity, like a priceless work of art. And it’s not like they encouraged anyone to move in closer. But the show itself said so much about Vancouver in comparison to a city like Los Angeles (where Blouse’s date on this tour was moved from a sold out venue to a larger one to accommodate) because this show was barely half full, yet those who did show up stood silent and just watched with admiration. And for a band whose music is so soft and ethereal, maybe it’s about the quality of the audience, not the quantity.

reel lucky VIFF LIVES ON DESPITE THE DEATH OF GRANVILLE'S THEATRE ROW Jesse Downie × Writer

Vancouver International Film Festival has beat the odds to make a triumphant return for its 32nd year. One of North America’s largest gatherings of cinephiles, filmmakers and international guests will run from Sept. 26 until Oct. 11 at seven venues across the city. And ready your student IDs because there are plenty of features to see from morning until night with a little discount to sweeten the deal. Over 340 films are being made available to Vancouverites and international guests alike. With 70 countries being represented, in addition to a plethora of new Canadian talent being showcased, this year’s festival is not one to miss. While the vision remains the same, the physical layout of VIFF has been forced to adapt to the changing face of Vancouver. In the wake of their mainstay theatre shutting down, the Empire Theatres Granville 7, festival organizers were faced with the dilemma of what screens this year’s hotly anticipated films were going to be shown on. And with other longtime venues also seeing closures and ownership changes over the past year, things looked grim. Luckily, the people involved were more than up to the challenge and arrived with plenty of solutions. This year’s showings will be spread between The Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts, The Cinematheque, Cineplex Odeon International Village, The Rio Theatre, SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts, Vancity Theatre, and the Vancouver Playhouse. “We’ve actually had to convert some auditoriums…some of the finest, into movie the-

we make to fit in. The film follows a family harboring a dark secret; their father is half man and half wolf. Now after having two children who are both suffering from the same affliction, the family is forced to choose where they truly belong – in the city or the wild. Tickets range from $9 to $13 and showtimes are 4:20 p.m. on Sept. 28 at International Village, 1 p.m. on Oct. 5 at The Centre, and 6 p.m. on Oct. 11 at The Rio Theatre.

atres,” says festival director Alan Franey. Despite all of the different venues, this year’s festival “still has quite a high degree of concentration,” he says. “We’ll have 3600 seats, six screens [all] within seven blocks.” Ticket availability and scheduling aren’t expected to be affected by the venue changes and Franey assures that this year’s VIFF will have “as many seats as we have [had] in the past.” The festival schedule will be “as dense as always” with screenings airing from 10 a.m. until 11 p.m. most days. For over three decades, VIFF organizers have gone to great lengths to ensure the festival will cater to any taste. Displaying features from all corners of the globe, they’ve stayed true to their vision once again this year with a festival that puts fans and creators of the craft first.

art shorts reviews

× Dominic Chan ONE LAST COOK With Breaking Bad Creator Vince Gilligan On Sept. 27, just two days before the series finale, Breaking Bad Creator Vince Gilligan will be hosting a Q&A and screening his personal favorite episode for this year’s VIFF attendees. Fans of the critically acclaimed series will know just how heated this last year has been for the show and with the promise of a so far unannounced special guest, anticipation for this screening could not be higher. Tickets are currently set at $50 for a 7 p.m. start time at The Centre. WOLF CHILDREN Directed by Hosoda Mamoru With an art style of exquisite beauty akin to a Studio Ghibli film, Wolf Children by Hosoda Mamoru is a story of love, family ties and the sacrifices

ALL THE WRONG REASONS Directed by Gia Milani, Starring Corey Monteith From newcomer Canadian director Gia Milani comes a deftly written ensemble piece centered on the complexly interwoven lives of four department store workers. This film also stands as being one of the late Corey Monteith’s final roles and displays his range and talent as an actor in a mature role. Tickets range from $9 to $13 and showtimes are 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 27 and 1:10 p.m. on Sept. 28 at International Village. With fall finally rearing its head and the summer heat letting go of its vice grip on the city, now is the perfect opportunity to start planning your route through this year’s VIFF festivities. With most features having multiple showtimes, a network of transit to get to and from the theatres, and a detailed program itinerary available online at the festival’s website, Viff.org, there hasn’t been a better time to be a moviegoer all year.

Andy Rice the capilano courier

× Arts Editor

ALBUM REVIEW : COREY ABELL "RAINWATER YOUTH" Leah Scheitel × Editor - in -Chief East Van local, has been working on this album for seven months. Throughout the 10-track album, the mellow vibe stays consistent and pleasant, like something you can play at a family dinner, where no one, including Grandma, complains about it. This also makes it a perfect study companion for people in need of something to get them through the all-nighters of coffee and mid-term cramming. Download the album at coreyabell.bandcamp.com, and tell him what you think via Facebook at Facebook.com/coreyabellmusic

× volume

47 issue N o . 03

As the title suggests, Rainwater Youth has the charm of a young musician, doing it all for the first time. Dropping exclusively online, Corey Abell kept it simple for his debut album. With mellow bass lines and semi-romantic lyrics, the album exudes a coming-of-age kind of feel – like a fourth year college student realizing that this chapter in life is coming to an end. “For the Lyons” is the epitome of this feel, where Abell sings about waiting for a special someone “for some time.” This song has the ability to melt the hearts of any 13-year-old girl who hears it, along with their mothers. Abell, who is an

× Dave Pires

OPINIONS

OPINIONS EDITOR ×

FAYE ALEXANDER

OPINIONS@CAPILANOCOURIER.COM

porn actors + hiv

PROTECT YOUR BONER Paisley Conrad × Writer We've all seen it; in our basements under the cover of darkness, or in pop-up advertisements from a video streaming website, porn is everywhere. It has been reported that 25 million Americans actively watch porn every day, whether it be high-budget films with some semblance of a plot, or low-budget iPhone shots that barely hint at the act. But despite the presence and success of American porn, the industry is currently facing a temporary prohibition of filming. An HIV outbreak is presently halting the production of all professional shooting. Debates have been flying back and forth regarding the relative safety of the sex, and whether or not the use of condoms should be more strictly regulated. If condoms were legally required, it would be extremely detrimental to the industry. In early August of this year, following three years with no announced cases of infection, female performer Cameron Bay reported her contraction of HIV. This, following the same announcement from another performer romantically linked to Bay. The industry was briefly shut down in a moratorium until Aug. 28, when production was allowed to resume. Eight days later, two more reports were brought to light, and on Sept. 6, the moratorium was re-declared. HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, and is the infection that leads to AIDS. Transferred through any number of bodily fluids, including breast milk, semen, and blood, the actual infection only takes place when one of these fluids containing the virus enters the blood stream

of an uninfected person. HIV violently attacks the immune system, to the point where the person is so weakened that they are extremely susceptible to life-threatening illness, infections, and cancer. The majority of Americans living with HIV are unaware of their condition, as symptoms frequently go unnoticed or don't manifest immediately. Up until recently, condoms were virtually nonexistent in the pornographic film industry. Around a decade ago, different companies began to individually change their policies, depending on the sexual act being performed, but there was no official legislation enforcing these protection laws. As a result, condoms still remained an anomaly in the industry. In November 2012, Measure B was passed in the county of Los Angeles, requiring all actors to wear condoms on film. Sharon Mitchell, head of a Los Angeles based medical clinic specializing in sexually transmitted infections, states that “condoms don’t sell.” To strictly enforce this rule would be detrimental to an industry that brings over $14 million in revenue to the United States and thus far has largely been ignored by the directors, actors and government. Not only that, but the porn business provides thousands of jobs, and an increase in condom use comes a decrease of interest, and possible loss of jobs and income. Many actors feel completely safe with the current protocol in place. Mandatory HIV tests sponsored by the Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation, also known as AIM, occur every 30 days, with accuracy of up to 14 days after infec-

× Mariko Whitley

tion. Brooke Haven, seasoned actor, is comfortable with this method of prevention, stating that “[she] really believe[s] that the system [they] use for testing is the right thing, and when somebody does get a case, [they] catch it.” AIM is both highly efficient and effective. Less than a dozen cases of HIV have been announced within the industry in the last 10 years, which is a shockingly low number in comparison to how violently the virus spreads and how many of the actors are participating in unprotected sex every day. It is a well-accepted fact that, while condoms offer a lot of protection against sexually transmitted infections, they are not entirely fail-safe. Dangerous viral infections can be contracted through any sort of intercourse, regardless of the protection. While condoms are a strong defence, they are almost superfluous in a setting where there is an excess of STI testing. When a person enters into a career of underwater

welding, there is a certain understanding of the risks that are associated with the job at hand. Best interests and safety regulations can fail; mistakes can slip through the cracks and cause accidents, injury, or even death. Police officers clock in every day with a certain knowledge that they might run into trouble that day, and that they may not come home. Workers should be sensitive to the nature of their jobs; why is pornography any different? Filming sexual intercourse is far from glamorous, and that fact has been made clear by current and former performers, through interviews and memoirs. If one decides to pursue a career in the adult film industry, there is a certain awareness of the gamble they are taking. The actors know what they're getting into, and if the risk of HIV was too much for them, they'd leave the industry and take up underwater welding.

they want your heart (your liver + Spleen) WALES ADOPTS PRESUMED CONSENT ON ORGAN DONATION Faye Alexander

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× Opinions Editor

Following a reported drop in the number of organ donations, a change in the law to bring in an optout organ donation system has been overwhelmingly voted through by Welsh Assembly members. Beginning in December 2015, consent will be presumed unless citizens have taken the time to have opted out of sharing their former vital organs. The current system, much like that in Canada, relies on people taking the time to fill out and carry an organ donor card. In a matter of two years, there will be an estimated 25 to 35 per cent increase in organs readily available to those desperately awaiting transplants in Wales and the greater UK. The new movement to presume consent will save countless lives and offer new hope to those who have been slotted on the waiting list for years. The shortage of donated human organs leaves countless people waiting in limbo. Many people unnecessarily die on the waiting list, as their names slowly crawl towards the top. “The Human Transplantation (Wales) Act 2013 is arguably the most significant piece of legislation passed by the National Assembly for Wales since it acquired full law making powers in 2011,” explained first minister Carwyn Jones. Currently, one person dies every week in Wales waiting for an organ transplant, and three die per day in the UK as a whole. Wales saw

that the current system in place was failing, and has stepped up to lead the UK in changing an outdated attitude within their healthcare system. Welsh health minister Mark Drakeford said it was “an historic day for Wales,” when the bill was backed by 43 of the 60 assembly members taking part in the vote. “Wales is a progressive nation and this is a progressive policy for that progressive nation.” Other European countries can boast the statistics of using this opt-out system. Welsh citizens will still have the choice to keep their organs intact after they’ve passed on if they wish to do so, but the truth is many people simply don’t take the time to opt-in and fill out the donor card. In Germany, which uses the opt-in system, the organ donation consent rate is 12 per cent amongst its population, while Austria, which uses the opt-out system, has a consent rate of 99.98 percent. The demand for organs wildly surpasses the number of donors worldwide. Over the past 20 years, the number of transplants has doubled, while the number of patients has grown exponentially to six times larger than before. Wales will now launch a two-year publicity campaign explaining the new system before the changes are put into full effect at the end of 2015. “We

× Stefan Tosheff are now looking forward to the hard work we need to do until the act becomes law. We need to make sure we reach groups that may not have access to the general message,” explained Drakeford. Under the bill, people over the age of 18 who have been a resident of Wales for a year will be required to put in place a clear wish not to donate after death. Throughout the campaign, the Welsh public will be given plenty of information, and time to open up the conversation amongst families and friends. Considering the amount of lives that will be saved or greatly improved by the increase in organs available for donation, it’s hard to see the why anyone would oppose the bill. The vote has given new hope for all those awaiting a transplant but

unsurprisingly is undergoing criticism from some religious groups. Opposition has flooded in from Christian churches, as well as within Muslim and Jewish Communities. However, all the fuss is entirely unnecessary. The public still maintains their right to make their own decisions about their inner workings regardless of religious beliefs or values. If these groups can find the time to complain and oppose the bill, they can likely find the time to fill out the paperwork to opt out and keep their organs all to themselves. We have the power within ourselves to give a gift of life once ours has come to an end. The new opt-out program eliminates the task of filling out the donor card. Many people do not fill out a donor card, and not because they wouldn’t consider themselves prospective donors, but because it is not in the forefront of their minds. Wales is setting out to improve lives all across the UK and joining the likes of other countries across Europe with opt-out systems. Now let’s sit back and wait for Canada to catch up.

i am not my hair

APPEARANCE CAUSES WAVES FROM WORKPLACE TO SCHOOLYARD Kelly Mackay × Writer When it comes to schooling, the focus should be predominantly on the education as opposed to the physical appearance of the students. Understandably, some schools argue that with a uniform it is easier for students to feel as though they’re a part of something, as opposed to public school systems, where looser guidelines are practiced. While the dress code within schools is naturally something that children are confronted with, it seems ridiculous that, in the case of Tiana Park, a seven-year-old girl could be dismissed from her school based on the fact that her hair happened to be in dreadlocks. Deborah Brown Community School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, claimed that “hairstyles such as dreadlocks, afros, Mohawks and other faddish styles are unacceptable." A spokesperson for the school claimed that their intention is to "encourage respect and seriousness." In all genuine “seriousness”, what part of telling a seven-year-old child that their hair is “faddish” and “unacceptable” is, in any way, encouraging respectful behaviour? Considering African Americans have naturally different hair types, and therefore inevitably different hair styles, the school should follow their own ethic and respect the cultures of the children enrolled in their institution. On the Deborah Brown Community School Facebook page, there have been a lot of negative comments following the Tiana Park incident. They received a response from Facebook user Cheri Elaine AxiomAmnesia Practitioner, saying: “If you are so worried about achievement, why are you complaining about your students’ hairstyles?” Comments like this have bombarded their Facebook page. An online petition on Credomobilize.com has reached 17,000 signatures calling on Deborah Brown Community School “to have their charter contract terminated if they don’t publicly apologize to Tiana and her

× Arin Ringwald

family and change their dress code,” as stated on Tulsaworld.com. It seems as though priority is being placed on materialistic values over the basic principles of education. In another case regarding appearance at Langston University, the same area as Deborah Brown Community School, there is a campus ban on specific hairstyles such as mohawks, dreadlocks, and other options deemed “inappropriate”. In a post-secondary environment, where the main purpose is to expand your intellectual ability and broaden your perspectives, it seems strongly contradictory to inflict restraint on appearance: one of the strongest aspects of a person’s identity. In the case of Tiana Park, the exploration of her identity has only just begun. In relation to these two cases, the Government of Quebec has put forward the suggestion of ban-

ning religious headwear such as turbans, hijabs and kippahs, for all public workers. Teachers, police, government officials, and many more employees, will be unable to wear such headwear during their hours of work. It’s interesting that up until now, the wearing of religious headwear hasn’t been a problem. So the question is: where has it come from? Civil rights expert and leading lawyer, Julius Grey, stated that “the type of secularism that is being promoted goes beyond what is acceptable.... Legal decisions aren’t made in a vacuum and maybe our atmosphere, our social climate, is changing to the point where this will be the future.” Society has become so engrossed in appearance and projecting a certain image that our moral foundations have lost the values they once had. How is banning religious headwear, and dictating children and students’ physical identity going to

help promote creative thought and independent actions? Religious headwear symbolizes beliefs and values. Taking those away from someone doesn't make everyone equal, but instead it takes away their freedom to depict their own identity, be it personal or religious. Government officials are trying to ban religious symbols through which people express their belief systems. An article published by the Globe and Mail stated that “the government went as far on Tuesday as publishing sartorial dos-and-don’ts, with pictograms of Sikh turbans and Muslim face veils in the verboten category, and discreet cross pendants or Star of David rings on the acceptable list.” Merely having an “acceptable” list assumes the idea that there are unacceptable religious symbols – an exceptionally derogatory suggestion. Bernard Drainville, the minister in charge of the charter, said that “if the state is neutral, those working for the state should be equally neutral in their image.” Wearing a religious symbol is not a statement, it is a symbol of belief. It is not a way of standing out, but instead a personal expression. Jewish people don’t wear kippahs to rebel against conformity, nor does a Christian wear a cross around their neck to suggest anything other than faith. You are not hired for your appearance, you are hired for your ability to create and perform. You are not enrolled in a school because they like your hair, nor are you accepted into college because you are wearing nice shoes. We need to embrace the fact that whether you wear a neon toque that is too small for your head, a turban for your religion, or an annoying panda hat, you are still going to continue being the same person you were before you made that material decision. After all, our physical choices are exactly that: a choice, not a definition.

too young OFFENSIVE FROSH CHANT INCITES NATIONAL OUTCRY Alessandra Felice × Writer

Faye Alexander × Opinions Editor

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and history show that peer pressure can call forth behaviour that would be extremely unlikely out of context. When alcohol gets mingled into the cocktail, you have yourself a high chance of some regrettable conduct. “We are left with a teachable moment for parents and children about respect, the rights of women, and the importance of standing up for what is right. Universities must also play a role by creating a safe, welcoming learning environment based on mutual respect,” explains Capilano University pyschology instructor, Dr. Sally Walters. People are constantly bombarded with offensive and controversial material, but universities, as institutions of higher education that come with a hefty price tag, need to ensure that students are being accepted into a positive learning atmosphere. Tolerance of this type of behavior should be chastised as it does not reflect the beliefs and values of the schools themselves. Allowing cheers like the "Y-O-U-N-G" chant just reinforce the idea that society does not take consent or sexual assault seriously. Wherever these cheers are being sung, there needs to be an equally loud voice speaking out to silence it.

a statement apologizing “for the offensive and unacceptable conduct of the leaders tasked with welcoming students.” The statement was shortly followed by both student co-chairs of the CUS orientation promptly resigning from the organization. As societies representing the needs of students, UBC vehemently condemns any conduct that promotes or endorses sexualized violence. Assistant Sauder dean Pam Lim released a brief statement saying that such a cheer would be “completely inconsistent” with the values of the school and the instruction Frosh organizers give. The effort to exterminate the cheer from Frosh altogether is an admittedly difficult task. Organizers and administration alike can only exercise so much control when many Frosh activities take place off campus. The Frosh leaders who took the majority of the heat were admonished, but the punishment of those individuals will not keep the cheer from the lips off the next slew of students, enrolling in the fall 2014 semester. The most disturbing facet of this uproar is that students – both men and women – were active participants. Many years ago, someone decided that getting everyone to chant something sexist, offensive, and disgusting was a good thing to do – so why do students go along with it? Both research

the capilano courier

“Y-O-U-N-G at UBC we like ’em young. Y is for your sister, O is for ooh so tight, U is for underage, N is for no consent, G is for go to jail.” Freshman year at university is an exciting and aptly terrifying time that most university students must face with the assistance of Frosh Week. During Frosh, students get the opportunity to meet new people, attend events, and most importantly, take that first step towards a degree. With a flurry of activities and an excess of alcohol, naturally much of what transpires throughout Frosh Week goes public. Most recently a frosh chant, cheered by UBC Commerce students invoking non-consensual sex with underage girls, has sparked nationwide outrage. The chant is a disturbing display of irresponsible conduct, on the part of the organizers, faculty, and students themselves. The chant went viral via a UBC student’s Twitter account in early September. The chant isn’t a new thing: it has been passed down for decades by Commerce students hailing from universities country wide, including Saint Mary’s University in Halifax. Participants have managed to keep the

cheer quietly under the radar for years prior to the recent publicity, but concerns had been raised over the cheer since as early as 2007. The Commerce Undergraduate Society (CUS) had been chastised in the past for the use of the chant, but instead of putting an abrupt end to the cheer all together, efforts were made to ensure it was kept under wraps. Jacqueline Chen, Frosh co-chair, told The Ubyssey, “There’s only so much you can do with somebody who wants to publicly state something.” Chen stated “But we do get them to remove it [from social media] if we do find it. That’s a big thing for us." Chelsea Maguddayao, a first-year student of the UBC Commerce program, recalls the orientation leaders asking the students attending Frosh to keep it quiet. “We sang it on the bus. They specifically told us right before we cheered that you can only cheer it on the bus. You couldn’t go elsewhere and cheer it outside.” The cheer didn’t especially bother Maguddayo. “It was for fun, right? It was only on the bus so I didn’t think of it as a big deal, to be honest,” she said. “It was just kind of like, ‘Let’s have a good time, let’s go all out, it’s Frosh weekend!’” The Commerce Undergraduate Society (CUS) and Alma Mater Society (AMS) of UBC released

staff editorial

EDITOR@CAPILANOCOURIER.COM

band on the run LIFE ON THE ROAD OFFERS LIFELONG LESSONS Andy Rice × Arts + Culture Editor

× Cheryl Swan

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" A lot of people can't stand touring but to me it's like breathing. I do it because I'm driven to do it." - BOB DYLAN

Seven weeks, 19,000 kilometres, 4,500 litres of fuel, and over 200 hours in a van - that was my summer. No, I didn’t drive to Mexico on an epic gas-huffing bender. Such assumptions would only be partly correct, as I was actually on a cross-Canada tour with my band, No Island. The five of us did the improbable and the impractical. We booked 40 shows without an agent, took two months off work, and accomplished something most people only dream of doing in their lifetime. By all accounts, we broke even, too. And while it was nothing at all similar to a Contiki tour, when it came to comfort and organization, I couldn’t think of a better way to see Canada. I’ve always enjoyed traveling immensely, and music has been a fruitful path by which to do so. Literally all of the trips I’ve taken have been with musical groups – to Europe, to the United States, but somehow never in Canada. It feels weird to say it like that, but I finally saw Canada this summer. And even after spending 52 days on her roads I still feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface. It began on July 4, when we climbed into our 2001 GMC Savanna, each of us carrying different expectations of what was to come. We knew we’d miss our families and the stability of our regular

lives. We also knew the van would probably start to stink by week six (and stink it did!). But I don’t think any of us knew how much we’d be feeling like a family of our own by the time we returned. At least for me, it’s as though I left as an only child and came back with four brothers. There was a different feeling from our previous tour last summer. Although that one lasted just two weeks, it divided the band and pushed us all to our breaking point. In the end, only three of us survived. (I mean, our original bass player and drummer are definitely still alive, but we mutually parted ways shortly after we returned over differences in ambition and residual tension from the tour.) A lot of that was my fault, and I promised myself that it wouldn’t happen again this time around. A tour van is 200 square feet at the max, and most happen to come with four or five roommates who you can’t just remove like bench seats. You spend every waking hour with those people, their backpacks, their empty Tim Hortons cups, and their iPhone charging cables. You have to be patient. You can’t hold grudges. You can’t talk shit. And if you’re going to argue, it’s wise to pick your battles carefully and learn to laugh at yourself and

at the things that make you the maddest. It’s taken me 23 years to learn this, but it’s something I’ll use for the rest of my life both on and off the road. In many aspects, a band is like a lot like a sports team, a business, or even a university newspaper. The organization is structured in a way that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, but only if everyone works together and pulls their weight. This goes without saying for a band on stage, but it’s more important than ever during all those hours spent in the van, in hotels, in grocery stores, and at gas stations. Sure, each person has specialties and strengths of their own, but they must be willing to understand and assist in other areas if needed. And unfortunately, those areas frequently involve cleaning coolers, pumping fuel, and carrying other people’s gear. I can definitely attest that among touring musicians, teamwork is the single most vital ingredient for sanity. It certainly was for me. The second most vital ingredient is probably food or alcohol, although it’s important to understand that opportunities to burn them off will be few and far between on the road. I gained 15 pounds on this tour and I didn’t even see it com-

ing. Admittedly, we did eat a lot of instant noodles, but we also did a fair amount of cooking. I have a particularly fond memory of our bass player taking over the ventilated bathroom of our Sault Ste. Marie motel room, perching a camp stove on the toilet seat, and cooking a large pot of sausages and garlic fried rice for the entire band. Though not likely to meet FoodSafe standards, meals like those were highlights of the trip, bringing us all together to talk about our lives, discuss our goals, and laugh about our problems. Waistlines and foodborne illnesses aside, we did all take pretty good care of ourselves this summer. But we took even better care of each other. Making it through seven weeks in such close quarters is no small feat, and there’s a loyalty and a mutual appreciation now that follows us everywhere. It’s behind every band-related text or email, in the room at every rehearsal, and on our mind during every show we play. Touring may have broken us once, but this time it made us whole again. I keep going back to that old saying, “you can always choose your friends but you can’t choose your family,” and I think of how lucky I am. This summer, the friends I chose also became my family.

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CABOOSE EDITOR ×

JEREMY HANLON

CABOOSE.CAPCOURIER@GMAIL.COM

Spirit animal IN THE WORLD OF THE MIND, SUPPORT MAY COME FROM STANGE PLACES Kim Niddery × Writer

× Sydney Parent

not stand a chance of running. Without thinking or feeling she had any choice, Elly stayed seated, curled into a ball, head tucked into her knees and held by one arm. She held her other arm out straight in front of her with her palm facing the approaching sound, as if to silently yell “Stop!” Without a hesitation the rumbling stopped. Not a moment too soon. It was right in front of her. As if dead in its tracks; all noise fell silent. The only thing she could hear was the trembling of her shoes on the dirt while she remained tucked into a ball. She slowly lifted her head. The dust was settling so slowly it was barely moving. Then out of nowhere came a gigantic mammalian exhale in her direction. The dust moved downwards and towards her, making it harder to see for a moment, startling her, and then slowly clearing faster. Elly squinted her eyes as she slowly started to decipher a large dark mass in front of her. It inhaled quickly and exhaled again, this time exhaling much slower and calmer than the first time. Elly slowly started to make out a distinct shape before her. Her eyes were locked. The world slowed again and she went back five years prior where she remembered having recurring dreams, and even drug induced meditations, where she met her spir-

it animal. She remembered in her dreams how it was such an awkward hulking mass that she did not expect, but embraced right away, fell in love with, and felt safer than ever. Now, before her in this very moment was not a dreamed creature but a large Rhinoceros. In the most unassuming reaction, Elly stood up slowly, wiping the blood again from her chin and calmly walked a few steps towards the Rhino. Her heart rate was down. She placed her hand gently on its tusk. Not even five of her hands could fit around its main horn. This was the biggest living creature Elly had ever seen. She slowly raised her eyes from its horn to its eyes. She looked at it. One eye at a time and had the most happy and relaxed feeling come over her. She took a deep breath. So did the Rhino. She walked to the side of its face. It followed her with its eye. She never took her hands off of the Rhino, and slowly pressed the side of her face up against the Rhino’s dry, leathery skin. The Rhino closed its eyes. Elly closed her eyes. The Rhino was getting warmer. Elly was getting more relaxed. With her eyes still shut the Rhino started to feel softer, the light from the day started to get brighter through her closed eyelids, and she sank into the

side of the rhino almost as if she had fallen asleep. Elly took a quick inhale and opened her eyes as if to stop herself from falling asleep. Instead, she opened her eyes to find herself at home in Seattle, in her bed. Elly was at a crossroads in her life. A critical point, where she felt confused, torn, lost, and alone. The Rhinoceros reminds her of the inner strength to forge ahead towards personal goals and to not take no for an answer. It’s a reminder that you have a close relationship with the ancient wisdom of your soul and you have a lot to share about life and its realities. As with most of us on this journey through our lives, we look for guidance and direction – often from the wrong places. Deep within, the answers are there. We are already knowing, and already in possession of everything we need. We just need to trust our intuition more. If we are ever confused about something, we are probably just not meant to make a decision yet. Things will become clear when the time is right. Whether from her subconscious, the universe, God, or wherever you find guidance, Elly was reminded to trust that guidance will come at the right time. Be patient and trust. the capilano courier

The hulking mass hurled toward Elly at an alarming pace, as the world slowed down. The rumbling of the dry ground beneath her played a part in her terror but also seemed to hold a rhythm that calmed her as she sat there, frozen. Women, children, dogs, Jeeps, and motorbikes fled by, all going in the same direction. The silty dust rose up around her, becoming so thick as to block the indigo African sky and created an even more eerie abyss to which she could not move in any direction or see anything but her cut up knees trembling. She suddenly remembered tripping, falling, and hitting her chin pretty hard. She wiped her chin and saw from the blood on her hand that she was bleeding badly. She was brought back by the sounds of automatic gunfire off in the distance, at the village where she was staying. Rebels had attacked without warning and the villagers were all fleeing. The rumbling was getting louder as the dust was getting thicker, and the world was speeding back up to normal pace again. The thunderous noise was unlike anything she had heard before; she knew it was not human, and it was not what they had originally been running from. The mass came so close that she knew that, whatever it was, she did

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47 issue N o . 03

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CABOOSE EDITOR ×

JEREMY HANLON

CABOOSE.CAPCOURIER@GMAIL.COM

SHOTGUN REVIEWS : PIRATES!

PIRATE FAMILY

PIRATE IPOD

POP UP PIRATE

ACTUAL PIRATES

Paisley Conrad // Writer

Carlo Javier // Staff Writer

Kelly Mackay // Writer

Faye Alexander // Opinions Editor

It is universally acknowledged that everyone has a weird family. Some parents insist on having five different kinds of jam in the fridge at once, and others have Halloween decorations on display all year round. My family's oddities are a bit more obvious than that. My childhood consisted of moving around constantly, scavenging junk yards, gallivanting around the countryside, and eating food directly off the table. In short, I was born into a family of modern-day, land-lubbin' pirates. My parents house is affectionately named “Villa Tuga”, named for Pippi Longstocking's famous estate and a pirate haven visited in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Not only that, but my mother sews her own pirate hats out of suede she has thrifted (her preferred colour is pink), and using plumage from our roosters as decoration. For my last birthday, we all got dressed up in our pirate best (wooden swords included) and went out for Chinese. No one batted an eyelash at that spectacle. After all, who would want to cross a family of pirates?

Fuck eye-patches, I wear glasses, I can hardly even see with these spectacles. No to the noisy parrots, and the tricorn hats are only cool during Halloween; I can’t even swing a baseball bat, and much less a sabre. I certainly will not sacrifice my leg for a peg leg, but I must admit that the inner pirate in me – and in all of us for that matter – is alive and well. We’re not the Jack Sparrows; we’re not the Captain Hooks. We don’t walk the planks, nor do we sail to the world’s end. But we do live life on the edge by raising our Jolly Rogers against the music industry. We name our ships Torrent, and our Tortugas are known as ThePirateBay. Our Fountains of Youth are called “leaks”, and we don’t Swashbuckler – we download. Hey, I’m not a sinner; it’s between spending my money on textbooks, or on One Direction albums. Neither of them should really be happening.

You’ve probably played the game, but have you heard the stories? Long has the legend of the PopUp Pirate plagued the British festival scene. For context purposes, the Pop-Up Pirate is a story, if not a myth, of a man who lurks in the depths of excretion awaiting your arrival in the already traumatising conditions of festival “washrooms”. Toilets are bad enough at any festival, let alone being greeted by an unexpected friend peering out of the entrance to the abyss. We can’t be certain of the intentions behind such an act, but we must be cautious nevertheless. Between rumour and suggestion, the physical appearance of the PopUp Pirate has been rumoured to be mostly of a brown colour (unnaturally). Their eyes are said to be hauntingly devious, and full of intention of obscenity. Rumoured to be the person standing in the corner alone at festivals munching anything, scanning their prey. Next time you open the door to a portaloo/ toilet/ whatever glamorized name you decide to call the shit box, remember the fair warning that you received. Beware of the Pop-Up Pirate.

On a recent family vacation to Somalia, I found out pirates are real. It was supposed to be a regular fishing trip with the family clan; just us, a few rods from WalMart, some rancid bait, and the scenic Somali coast. We were hoping to catch a killifish (no really, that’s what they’re called) which are native to the waters there, so we rented a boat and journeyed out to sea. It was a mistake – I see that now. We hadn’t known at that time that killifish were a fresh water species, and there was nothing out on those dark ocean waters but peril and legitimate pirates. It was shocking to me how many of these Somali pirates did, in fact, have a striking resemblance to Johnny Depp’s portrayal of Keith Richards Jack Sparrow. I’m pretty sure one of them was slightly Australian. On the bright side, I’ve recently gotten a handle on the flashbacks and I haven’t woken up screaming in days. I mean, I miss my sister a lot but it’s not healthy to dwell on loss. Maybe she is enjoying life as a Somali Pirate wench. That’s the most I can hope for, I guess.

LIBYA ABOUT AS CLOSE TO A LABIA AS I’LL EVER GET MULES WHAT JACKASSES

BILLY "TALENT" IRONIC. LIKE AN ALANIS MORRISETTE SONG MY SEX LIFE NOT UNLIKE A UNICORN ASIAN CHARACTER TATTOOS IT DEFINITELY SAYS “PERSEVERANCE”

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JEREMY FA SOL LA TI DO

THE SWEDISH VALLHUND BASICALLY A WOLF CORGI WALTER WHITE BREAKING NEWS! HE HAS CANCER! MILEY CYRUS AND BEATLES MASH-UP WE CAN TWERK IT OUT MY MOM SHE ALWAYS SAID I HAD A FACE FOR RADIO

× Katie So

W/ JEREMY HANLON