Capilano Courier Volume 46 Issue 22

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THE FUTURE OF LIBRARIES IS NOW QUEER FILM FEST

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LIBERAL LEADERSHIP CAMPAIGNS

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FLASH MOBS

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CULTURAL BIODIVERSITY

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CAPILANO Courier TABLE OF contents news

The Staff 4

of this proper university newspaper JJ Brewis Editor-in-Chief

Politicans: No degree needed

columns

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Finding inspiration in your faults

arts

Giles Roy Managing Editor

Samantha Thompson Copy Editor

Lindsay Howe News Editor

Leah Scheitel Opinions Editor

Natalie Corbo Features Editor

Celina Kurz Arts Editor

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Cruisin’ for a brewsin’

features

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Transit takeover

calendar

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Every single band in the world plays Vancouver this week

Opinions

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Scott Moraes Caboose Editor

Stefan Tosheff Production Manager

Katie So Art Director

Andy Rice Staff Writer

Connor Thorpe Staff Writer

The life of a loner

CABOOSE

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Frozen veggies and soap in your baggage

the capilano courier

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Ricky Bao Business Manager

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.

Shannon Elliott Web Editor

Colin Spensley Distribution Manager

Leanne Kriz Ads & Events Manager

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JJ Brewis × Editor-in-Chief

× LETTER FROM THE EDITOR ×

THE CASE FOR EQUALITY, MAN × ON the Cover ×

Ksenia Kozhevnikova Ksenia is an illustration and design student at Capilano. She arrived to Canada from Russia in 2008 and since then spent a lot of time, effort and coffee doing what she loves best – painting and drawing. Ksenia loves cold weather, Earl Grey tea, computer games and my Wacom tablet.

Featured Contributors Ryan Rose is a photography major at Emily Carr University of Art and Design. Ryan enjoys taking photos and going to punk shows – sometimes at the same time! A cultural connoisseur of all things art, photography and music related, he says his proudest achievement “would be that people actually like my photos that I take.” Aww! A big fan of hanging out in East Vancouver, listening to bands like Nü Sensae and Systematik as well as watching Bob’s Burgers, Ryan is also proud of pulling off a special trick: “I can touch my shoulders together!” he says. And that’s not the only wacky bit he has up his sleeve. “The first time I got a bloody nose was trying to slide across my kitchen floor on a pillow. Pillows don't slide on linoleum, but instead stick.” Oops. To view more of Ryan’s photos check out Ryanrose.ca and Ryanrosephoto. tumblr.com.

CORRECTIONS The article “My Persuasion Can Build a Nation,” published on Mar. 25, originally stated that Linda Reid was with the NDP and lost to Glen Clark, however she ran for B.C. Liberal leadership and lost to Gordon Campbell. It was not Carole James leading the NDP in 2001, but Ujjal Dosanjh. We regret the errors.

FEATURING: GILES ROY

The Voicebox gives you the chance to have your opinion heard, no matter how irrelevant or uninformed. Just send a text message to (778) 235-7835 to anonymously “voice” your “thoughts” on any “subject.” Then, as long as it’s not too offensive, we’ll publish it! It’s a win-win-win, unless you’re a loser.

“Canucks are a joke this season, trade Kassian back for Hodgson” Once a trade goes through, it can never be undone. That is one of the main rules of hockey. Here’s another unverified hockey fact: Players used to pound beers between periods, so everyone was drunk during every NHL game until about 1992.

“I came to the capilano courier office for a meeting and nobody was there, hello?”

"JJ how do I get hold of Ellen DeGenenrus to give her a message"

I propose to you that you came at the wrong time or on the wrong day. Our last ever story meeting is this Tuesday at noon. Then we have our annual Editor-in-Chief election, which is on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m.. Both will be in our office, Maple 122.

This is something that JJ’s mom texted him after we printed something about Ellen DeGeneres. For future reference, Ellen DeGeneres is not a Courier employee.

“Everyone at this University smells like poo, take a shower plz”

“I’ve gotten coffee from Tim Hortons almost every day for a month and I haven’t once won roll up the rim. how does everyone win at this?”

What does this even mean? I’m pretty sure it totally matters where you’re going.

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This is actual good advice! Everyone take a shower! Take lots of showers. At least one a day, if possible. That’s how people stop smelling like poo.

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“It doesn’t matter where you’re from or where you’re going, all that matters is where you’re at :)”

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THE VOICE BOX

realms that don’t need to be compared or contrasted in weight. The issues that plague men as a gender are alarming and important – and the unfair thought that “men’s issues are a joke” only makes all of these issues more alarming.

Men’s issues don’t stop here. A plethora of topics plague men, including male-specific health issues, increased rates of violence, suicide and death, fathers being given equal rights, increased learning problems, circumcision politics and shorter life expectancy. These are all serious issues worth looking into – gender aside, on a human rights front, these issues are of important value to anyone experiencing them.

Some people misunderstand the idea of feminism as the ideology of “men hating” or, even worse, they just don’t plain like the idea of women sticking up for themselves. Sure, there are women out there who hate men – based on personal experience, historical injustice or whatever. But to those of you who aren’t aware, what feminists strive for is equality – that means not to be better than men, but to be on the same playing field in all senses. Seems pretty reasonable, right? And anyone who would want to negate that idea would pretty much be a moronic asshole, yeah?

If it’s so moronic to squash the idea of women sticking up for themselves, if we are making strides to be equal, we should hear men out on what is important to them. If it’s about empowering a group of people without any negative effects to anyone else, I see no harm in the matter. For example, the men’s movement who is pro-feminist obviously understands that the fight for equality is about everyone looking out for themselves and each other, where the anti-feminist men’s movement are a bunch of fucking Neanderthals.

And that’s just it, sadly. The problem stopping men’s issues from being seen as being important is, ironically, men themselves. It’s one thing for men to take a careful and eloquent stance in which they strive for representation of equality and finding importance in their struggles and plights, but as soon as one woman-hating asshole dude comes along, they make it look bad for everyone.

Women have come a long way. So have men. But let’s start thinking of ourselves as a people: a collective of all living human beings who importantly co-exist and rely on each other to think on both the micro and macro levels. When we do pull out the magnifying glasses to examine what’s important to us, let’s be equal in hearing each other out.

the capilano courier

Taran Kootenhayoo, who hails from Cold Lake, Edmonton, and Calgary, Alberta, is an Acting for Stage and Screen student at Capilano, and he’s still in awe of that fact. “I had no idea what a monologue even was, let alone auditioning with one of those bastards,” he says.

When not studying his lines, Taran enjoys skateboarding and teaches kids how to do so at Grandview Elementary. A fan of “bands you’ve probably heard of ” and “coffee with too much sugar,” he also spends time “writing shitty poetry, rallying against pipelines, and taking photographs.” Taran is Dene, “A rare breed of natural born Canadian – a.k.a. Native … usually I’m guessed as Italian, Turkish, East Indian, Mexican,” he laughs. Taran hates matched socks, and his big dream is “making people’s day by mediums of expressive art,” and to build a skateboard amusement park. “There would be skateboard lanes everywhere, and each bench would be skateable. We would serve beer, Arizona’s, pizza, and all that great shit.” If you want to help him build this dream park or just check out a whole lot of hashtags, you can find Taran on Instagram @t_kootz and Twitter @MyThumbz.

A few people have brought it to my attention lately that they feel the Capilano Courier has strong, overbearing feminist undertones. I would personally take it a bit further and go to the extent to say that we have a staff and roster of regular contributors who are all on a crusade for social justice as a whole. We’re a tuned in, sensitive bunch, with a keen eye and ear for what’s going on in our world and what we think and feel about what’s happening to those around us.

Yes, we care about women. A lot, apparently: over the last year, we have chosen to tackle many issues that affect women, ranging from the argument for feminism, the right to abortion, touching on the “importance spectrum” anywhere from violent relationships to leggings. We care about women a hell of a lot around here. But something we care for, more importantly than women, is people as a whole. All people. We care about straight people, gay people, old people, young people, Canadian people, international people – surely you get it.

One group we fail to cover very often is men. Men are important. To say they are just as important as women would be a relatively fair thing to say, I’d imagine.

We all know the course of human history and how men have always been dominant in business and government and all of that. It’s old news, it stinks and it’d be nice if we could achieve true precise equality for once and for all. But despite the fact that men often realistically come out on top, that shouldn’t mean that men should be undermined into believing their issues aren’t worth discussing.

To the people who just assume that because someone is a male means they have it easy, you’re far off. A common phrase people throw around is “everything is relative” – in this context it would mean that men have no room to complain because they’re the ones who have suppressed women for years.

Another couple of phrases that come up a lot nowadays are, “First World problems” or “white people problems.” Let’s be honest, we need to begin validating the importance of worldwide issues of all people, no matter the perceived magnitude. Stop worrying about whose issues are deemed more “important” – everyone has a voice and therefore needs to be heard out about what concerns them.

When men talk about feeling that their issues are under-represented or that people are misinformed men’s issues even exist, a general reaction – from people of any gender – is often to undermine that mere idea because, traditionally, men through the ages have not struggled or had to fight for anything the way that women have.

This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be talking about men’s issues and we should only focus on the thousands of problems that affect women.

Obviously I’m not equating the problems men face to those of women – and why should I? Women have thankfully overcome a lot of the battles they’ve faced through the years but are miles away from closures on many other fronts. But men’s issues should be their own entity, women’s issues aside. Women’s issues exist and so do men’s. They’re two separate

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It’s a fool’s errand. Living, I mean.

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NEWS

NEWS EDITOR ×

LINDSAY HOWE × N E W S @ C A P I L A N O C O U R I E R . C O M

NO NEED TO PUT A RING ON IT NEW LAW COULD PROVE WORRISOME FOR LIVE-IN COUPLES Katherine Gillard × Writer Earlier this month, B.C.’s Family Relations Act made a big change that affected many live-in couples in the province. According to the new Family Law Act, live-in couples who have been together for two years will now be considered to be common-law married and will have to divide assets and debts (acquired during the relationship) in half. The government hopes that this will help modernize the former act, which was in much need of an update with the rate of common-law marriages rising 13.9 per cent between 2006 and 2011.

The new laws are aimed to help clarify the meaning of “family” and clarify parental responsibilities as well as to assist in making the application for spousal support easier. The law may seem unfair to younger couples moving in together who do not want to divide assets and just want to save a little money, but for many couples this change was necessary. Monika Follett, a law professor at Capilano University, says, “There are common law relationships that last for 17 years with no spousal support or property rights, that looked like any other marriage. For them it’s very fair – there are no extra hoops to say that it is like a marriage.”

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Although other provinces such as New Brunswick and Quebec are not changing their laws for common-law marriage and will be continuing the same type of law British Columbia had previously, the government feels that they need to catch up with society. There has been an increase in common-law couples in the past few years and a growing demand to re-define “family” Follett points out. “It’s a different approach, to try to catch up with society.

Law is always 10 years behind society, it took until 2005 for same-sex marriage to be legal.”

For young couples these new laws can make a two-year relationship very serious, however

the law does protect many important factors.

The new laws safeguards pre-marriage assets, inheritance and lottery wins in the case of a break-up. Couples can opt-out of this new law by choosing to legally remain seen as roommates and not as a common-law couple. The new law makes division of property more transparent, especially when it comes to property owned before becoming live-in partners. For young couples planning on moving in together Follett says, “They should sit down, each individually with a lawyer and go over the pros and cons and create a written agreement so that later on there’s no confusion. It’s important to know your rights.”

Courtney Fentiman, who is now 22, was with her boyfriend for four years and lived with him for three years, making them a formerly commonlaw married couple. Fentiman says, “It’s a lot of pressure to put on a relatively young couple. There is definitely a huge stigma surrounding the word ‘marriage.’ When someone becomes your spouse rather than someone you're just dating, the weight of that change can cause undue stress on the relationship. You know something has definitely shifted when one day [after the given two years] you can randomly start referring to your live-in boyfriend as your ‘husband’ – it changes things.”

For people who are looking to move ahead but aren’t ready for the full commitment of marriage and division of assets, the idea of moving in

with your partner may be something to put on the backburner, along with all of the other considerations. Fentiman says, “On a certain level, it takes the carefree element from the equation. Not only do you share a relationship, but you are also bound monetarily, which takes a huge amount of trust. It may even be the reason for these relationships to end, considering how much is at stake without even being literally married. However, it could also work the opposite way and solidify your relationship, knowing that you both have more than just emotions invested and are choosing to combine your lives.”

Fentiman continues, “The tricky thing about common-law marriage is the fact that one enters into this union often not by conscious choice, but by simply cohabiting for a given period of time.

It also gives you more to think about when considering to end the relationship ... You may be more hesitant to do so if it means you will take a financial blow.”

With these new changes, couples may want to know their rights and understand what they’re heading into when they move in with their partner. If the relationship is one that is expected to last then the division of assets could be a good thing, but with a law like this couples may consider talking to a lawyer before reaching those two years that lead to common-law marital bliss.

NO CREDENTIAL? NO PROBLEM ENTHUSIASTS PROVE DEGREES AREN’T EVERYTHING INPOLITICS Max Olesen

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As Canada becomes an increasingly diverse country, there is a part of our society that has a tendency to remain the same: our politicians’ previous work experience. Although progress has been made (there is one astronaut in the House of Commons), if you consider what jobs the majority of Canadian politicians did before they got elected the list isn’t very diverse. The majority fall into the ranks of lawyers, business professionals, or professors. Among the former jobs of politicians that don’t usually come to mind is legendary punk rock musician, champion wrestler, or Paralympic gold medallist. However, for Joe Keithley, Chris Wilson and Michelle Stilwell these are exactly the jobs that fill up their pre-political résumés.

Wilson and Stilwell are candidates in May’s provincial election, running for the NDP and the B.C. Liberals, respectively. Joe Keithley, also known as Joey “Shithead” of Vancouver punk rock legends D.O.A., went all out for the NDP nomination in Coquitlam-Burke Mountain, before losing to Wilson. While Keithley will have to sit this election out, Wilson and Stilwell are out now shaking hands and kissing babies. With all those lawyers filling up the legislature, might these political hopefuls bring along a different perspective with their different résumés?

Michelle Stilwell is running in the riding of Parksville-Qualicum on Vancouver Island, but before she ran for office she raced for athletic glory.

Stilwell earned four gold medals and one silver medal over her Paralympic career, both in wheelchair basketball and track and field. Her athletic career has been long and successful, and though she won a Paralympic gold medal just last year,

Stilwell has decided to pack in the track and field and enter politics. For Stilwell, this drastic career change is about paying back the opportunities her country gave her.

“Politics is public service,” Stilwell says. “As an elite athlete I have been given the opportunity to represent our country on the international stage for many years. I see this as my opportunity to use my abilities and experience to be an effective champion for the people of my community and B.C.” While Stilwell is coming right off an athletic career into a political campaign, Chris Wilson has taken a longer route to the same starting block.

Wilson first earned renown as a champion wrestler, but is conscious that his athletic career is far behind him. “It’s a totally different life right now,” Wilson says. “I am fairly removed from my athletic career.” Wilson won gold at the 1994 Commonwealth Games and was national champion freestyle wrestler six times, but that career ended almost 20 years ago. According to Wilson he wasn’t looking to trade in on any athletic notoriety that remained. However, he found out that any high spot in the resume is an asset that can’t be passed up. “It is interesting that when you’re developing promotional material for a nomination campaign you don’t know what to highlight and what not to,” Wilson says, “I didn’t want to put anything about my wrestling in there, because it feels like a whole lifetime away but everyone was telling me ‘No, no, you got to put a bit of that in there. That gives you some credibility.’” Wilson did concede that his wrestling experience might prove to be a benefit if he gets the chance to stand in the Legislative Assembly. “I think that helped me develop a thick skin, in terms of standing in battle and fighting things out until the end.”

Whether his past glory on the mat helped his campaign or not, Wilson scored the NDP

nomination in a tight race over the more widely known Joe Keithley. D.O.A. has released almost 20 albums and Vancouver even has a “D.O.A. Day” declared in their honour, but back in the 1970s Keithley almost became one of the many lawyers that line the halls of the Legislature. A young Keithley arrived at Simon Fraser University with the intention of becoming a civil rights lawyer before music sidetracked him. Despite being a bit of a return to the world he left for punk rock, Keithley didn’t feel he was reverting to the way he was before D.O.A. “I am who I am,” Keithley says, “I think the difference is that when I was 20 or so you could have considered me a ‘young firebrand.’ Now, I still believe in the same ideals but I am middle-aged guy and I wouldn’t consider myself a ‘firebrand’ anymore.” Rather than just being a middle-aged firebrand looking to trade in punk rock showman for a mellower perch, Keithley views his attempts to enter electoral politics as natural extension of his longtime motto: “Talk minus action equals zero.” “I think it is taking a completely different form,” Keithley says, “Obviously I never became a lawyer, but all through that time I’ve been trying to help people, and help good and just causes.”

Stilwell, Keithley, and Wilson all share a belief that the fierce dedication they brought to their music or athletics can overcome any deficits they might have in their political education. Keithley points to the D.I.Y. ethic of early punk rock as one of his guiding ideals for getting “people thinking that they can take control of what is happening to them in their lives and I think that’s the biggest legacy of punk rock.”

Stilwell says her “athletic career has taught me work ethic, dedication, and determination.” Stilwell stresses her focus is on hard work and due diligence and not on an overarching political phi-

losophy. “There is no particular philosophy,” she says, “Just the belief that working hard to understand the issues will leave me in the best position to champion positive outcomes for my constituents.”

Wilson says again and again that his biggest motivation was simply to help people, and has been since he was young. “I get a lot of satisfaction out of trying to help people and I look at our society as I’ve gotten older and somewhat more mature, and I realized that there is so much in our society that needs to change.”

Keithley, who, out of the three, is the most associated with a specific political philosophy, has eased away from the more strident left-wing activism of his firebrand days. “I believe that people in Coquitlam, in B.C., in Canada, and generally in the world don’t want politics that are really right wing or really left wing,” he says, “They want something that is in the centre and addresses their problems.”

The fledging political careers of Wilson, Stilwell, and Keithley might seem like a small piece of our democratic puzzle, but as the controversy surrounding Justin Trudeau’s fitness to be the leader of the Liberal Party shows, a résumé thin on non-political experience can pose problems even in this age of professional politicians. With their belief in the value of hard-work or in the essential moderation of Canadian politics, Stilwell, Keithley and Wilson might not be drawing a lot of attention as candidates, but they will all try to use their outsider status to reignite political excitement in potential constituents who may feel disaffected from professional politicians. Whether B.C. voters will respond to the presence on the ballot of voices from outside established political circles remains to be seen.

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PERMANENT DAMAGE EFFECTS OF BULLYING FELT WELL INTO ADULTHOOD, STUDY SAYS Connor Thorpe × Staff Writer As the playing field expands for bullies with the rapid advancement of social media and other communications technology, campaigns for awareness of bullying and the increased intolerance of verbal, physical and emotional violence have gained traction.

“There’s a lot more consciousness of this now, in the last few years,” says Daniel Frankel, a Capilano University counsellor. While Anti-Bullying Day and events like it are raising awareness, Frankel notes that deep-seated attitudes towards bullying are still the norm. “There are programs in schools and parents are more educated than they were before, so it’s less likely, but still depressingly common for people to get the message directly or indirectly that they’re making too much of a fuss, or this is just what happens when you’re young, or what did you do to bring this upon yourself.”

While the work of awareness groups has thrust bullying into the spotlight as a frequent talking point amongst students, parents and administrators, a recent study suggests that the phenomena – and the true reach and scope of its negative impact – isn’t as fully understood as previously thought.

When it comes to bullying, students are traditionally divided into three categories – bully, victim and a hybrid category that encompasses bullies who are bullied themselves. Though the emotional trauma associated with bullying is often viewed as falling upon the victim solely, the act of bullying

can take a negative toll in itself. “Adult Psychiatric Outcomes of Bullying and Being Bullied in Childhood and Adolescence,” a study published in the medical journal JAMA Psychiatry, reveals that the trauma associated with bullying – in bullies, victims and bully/victims – is not relegated to the tumultuous childhood years. In respondents that were divided into the three categories, in addition to a fourth category which included those who had not experienced bullying, the “effects of being bullied [were] direct, pleiotropic, and long-lasting, with the worst effects for those who are both victims and bullies.” The study fills a relative void of knowledge when it comes to the effects of bullying as those exposed to it entered adulthood.

“We are actually able to say being a victim of bullying is having an effect a decade later, above and beyond other psychiatric problems in childhood and other adversities,” study lead author William E. Copeland told the New York Times.

“The pattern we are seeing is similar to patterns we see when a child is abused or maltreated or treated very harshly within the family setting.”

Frankel says that part of the reason that bullying continues to impact victims is the shame that often accompanies it. “I frequently have spoken to people who were bullied and who were really hurt by it, but actually feel ashamed that they were hurt by it. Some of that continues the bullying in the way that the bullies win, in a sense, if I was bullied but I think I’m really weak for having been hurt by it,” he explains. “Very often, bullying involves shaming and humiliating the victim, and shame is a very powerful and very, very deep emotion. It’s

one of the emotions that’s particularly resistant to logical analysis – so I can be doing much better than I was doing ten years ago … students can really have taken control of their lives, they perhaps are doing well academically, they may have some good friendships and relationships in their lives and still the shame and humiliation of having been a victim of bullying can go so deep that the logical or intellectual knowledge that they’re really okay is sometimes very hard to grasp.”

The most commonly reported psychiatric conditions experienced by respondents to the study who had experienced bullying varied from category to category. Bullies who were not bullied experienced higher incidences of antisocial personality disorder – commonly referred to as sociopathy – while victims who did not bully were subject to increased rates of agoraphobia, generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder. Respondents who fell into both the bully and victim category saw an increase in the severity and scope of the psychiatric issues that stemmed from childhood bullying, with the most common reported being agoraphobia, young adult depression, panic disorder and suicidality.

“The stuff that’s coming out now about increased vulnerability, higher risk of depression and other mood disorders, compared to the population in general – higher risk of anxiety and panic disorder, some of that has to do with a sense of helplessness that sometimes comes with the bullying experience [and] a sense of no control,” says Frankel. He explains that the experience of bullying doesn’t only affect self-esteem, but that it can completely skew the way a victim sees other

DANCING IN THE LIGHT

WHAT’S NEW WITH THE CSU? Lindsay Howe, News Editor

FLASHMOB COMPETITION RAISES EATING DISORDER AWARENESS Victoria Fawkes × Writer

FINANCIAL BUSINESS Due to the recent student approved fee increase for CSU society fees, the CSU announced that they will have $87,450 in their Campaigning, Advocacy and Events fund for the 2013/2014 year.

Last year the CSU only had $20,000 in this fund, meaning that they will be putting on additional events in the coming year, as well as advocating for new causes.

Capilano students also recently agreed to a hike in the building fee. The CSU believes this fee increase was necessary to ensure the CSU always has a space on campus. The CSU also plans to spend $70,000 on renovations to their Maple Lounge and are currently in the process of hiring an architectural design firm. In addition to renovations, the CSU has also budgeted $15,000 for more furniture for their library lounge.

OTHER BUSINESS

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Due to the first Health and Dental referendum’s question only asking if students from the North Vancouver campus want the coverage, the CSU now plans to offer uniform service of the health and dental plan. This would mean that those attending other Capilano University campuses, as well as those currently doing a practicum, online students, or those studying abroad would be automatically included in the Health and Dental plan, like those attending the North Vancouver campus. Currently, students at other campuses are able to opt-in, but are charged 1.5 times the amount North Vancouver students are. The CSU plans to hold another Health and Dental referendum in the fall to rectify this problem.

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help to encourage the confidence and self-esteem of the participants, as well as fostering the concept of healthy body image that PEDAW strives to instill in those with eating disorders. “We thought of having everyone gathered and giving them a lesson plan on self-esteem, confidence, and eating disorders, but where’s the fun in that?” she says. By providing participants with an involving activity as well as a lesson on eating disorder prevention, Candido believes the flashmob contest has greater possibilities and more of a chance for engagement.

Hudson and Candido are confident that the contest will be an engaging way for people to express their creativity, feel empowered, and bring attention to eating disorders and their effects. In Candido’s opinion, the flashmob contest will bring awareness, education and entertainment to both its participants and those exposed to the dances.

“It will be an opportunity for the organizer to explain to the group what we’re all about and why eating disorder awareness is important. Creating movement in a public space is a win-win situation, and the curious crowds of people will be exposed to both dancing and eating disorder awareness.”

The Capilano Students’ Union (CSU) held their Semi-Annual General Meeting on Mar. 26. Highlights from the meeting are as follows:

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“The message our society sends is that ‘fat’ is not okay and ‘thin’ is cool. Happiness, it would seem, equals being thin, perfect, and in control.”

This message, and similar ones that society can perpetuate, is something that young people must deal with every day, claims Mimi Hudson, the director of Community and Provincial Programs at Family Services of the North Shore. “The media helps to create and perpetuate this notion that can lead to many youth, in particular, developing an unhealthy body image and creating ways to maintain it,” she says. To combat this, the charity Jessie’s Legacy Eating Disorders Prevention Program, in collaboration with Healthy Minds, Healthy Campuses and a number of other organizations, will soon take advantage of the viral nature of the flashmob in order to spread their message of self confidence and body acceptance.

Provincial Eating Disorders Awareness (PEDAW), a province-wide alliance between British Columbia’s foremost eating disorder organizations, will soon host a flashmob contest with the intent to encourage the prevention and mediation of eating disorders and unhealthy dietary habits, as well as to bring attention to media literacy, healthy body image and self-esteem in regards to dietary disorders. “The contest is intended to bring attention to eating disorders, to show how to love our bodies and love ourselves by exercising for fun, not just to burn calories, and to do it all with a group of friends. Eating disorders are a very serious mental health issue, and those suffering usually do so in isolation,” says Hudson.

By hosting the flashmob contest, Hudson

hopes to help get rid of the stigma associated with eating disorders and offer more support to those dealing with them. “It is important for young men and women to have confidence, self-esteem and a healthy body image so they won’t engage in the sort of behaviours that lead to disordered eating and ultimately an eating disorder diagnosis. If you are resilient, feel good about yourself, and are happy with the body you were given, you are less likely to be preoccupied by your weight and shape, diet and exercise excessively, fast or restrict food, overeat, purge or use steroids,” she says.

In addition to participating on the PEDAW committee, the eating disorder programs and services that are helping to plan the contest also help to spread the word and engage their networks in eating disorders awareness whenever they can. These organizations help to host PEDAW events during the year following the launch in February (during Eating Disorders Awareness Week) to its end in December. Amy Candido, the peer support worker for eating disorders at the Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre, an organization in collaboration with PEDAW, is eager to see people get active and participate in the flashmob competition. “It’s a province-wide competition where a group of people will assemble and perform our amazing choreographed step-by-step instructional ‘Born this Way’ dance. Of course, we always encourage people to express their unique creativity, so if a group wants to take a gamble and create their own choreography, more power to them!” says Candido. “Last year, we did the flashmob ourselves, and we feel that this year, by having this contest and extending the invitation out to the entire Province, it gives our campaign a new sense of energy, momentum, and purpose,” she adds.

By encouraging people to take part in the flashmob contest, Candido believes that it will

people. This is especially prescient for those who are entering new and unfamiliar experiences with new and unfamiliar people – like university.

“You might be years [removed from] bullying, somebody is 22, [and] they’re going into a new program at school, and they’re meeting a whole bunch of new people,” adds Frankel. “If it’s a cohort program, like a lot of the programs we have at Cap, where you go through a couple of years with the same group of people, it’s hard not to be really vulnerable to, you know, ‘Am I accepted or not, are there cliques or sub-groups forming in this program, am I going to be part of them, how do people see me?’ All of that stuff can act as a trigger for past experiences.”

In Frankel’s experience, one of the ways to combat the vulnerability and shame felt by victims of bullying is to be open and transparent about the incidents and the pain that they’ve caused.

“If everybody who had been harmed was condemned to a lifetime of victimhood, this society would be even more screwed up than it is.

Luckily, there are ways that people can fight things that happened to them in the past and reclaim the present, and reclaim the future,” he says. “Try not to make it a shameful secret … I sometimes do encourage people to be out about the experience of bullying and, if they’re comfortable, talking about it with people they’re comfortable talking to about it.”

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Columns

COLUMNS EDITOR ×

JJ BREWIS × E D I T O R @ C A P I L A N O C O U R I E R . C O M

STYLE REVISITED

Katie Blecker × Columnist

RECIPES FOR SUCCESS Many small business owners in Vancouver are unanimous in their opinions regarding the biggest challenge for independent retailers: rent.

Like any business big or small, vintage stores need to embody the right appeal to the right market in order to succeed financially, as well as the ability to stand out and separate themselves in a saturated market. The methods of maintaining a successful business are different for many of these shops and factor in details such as inventory, customer service, location and pricing.

STANDING OUT Owners Anna McLean and Anna MacLellan of Duchesse Vintage and Such find that keeping their eclectic shop in Vancouver’s Columbia district filled with a wide variety of items separates them from other vintage shops around town. “We wanted to make [our space] like a home, not limit ourselves to just clothing, but also fill it with oddities and cool, old, weird things,” says MacLellan.

The space is arranged into sections resembling the rooms of a house, displaying a wide variety of odds and ends, from a carefully curated selection of vintage dresses, accessories, housewares and curiosities.

At Mintage on Commercial Drive, the large square footage of the space is utilized to its full capacity, housing clothing and accessories from a huge range of eras. Owner Skylar Stock says that

the key to his company’s ongoing success lies in “great and genuine customer service, as well as a positive attitude.” According to him, having a store filled with great merchandise is only half the battle.

It is of utmost importance to Stock and his business partner Carly Lenarduzzi that every person that steps through their front door is made to feel welcome and comfortable.

Community Thrift and Vintage takes a different approach to business. Its racks are filled with both vintage and second hand items, all at very reasonable prices. Owner Jenni Lee Nelson says that the main focuses when stocking her store are “good quality materials and good brands.”

Community uses its location in the Downtown Eastside to structure its entire business plan, as it is a social enterprise and training program, with 100 per cent of the profits going to the Portland Hotel Society. The premise of this store, which helps it stand out from the pack, is to give back to the community in all ways possible, while employing women from that same community to help them gain skills that will benefit them in work and life.

Lee Nelson finds that keeping pricing low is a key factor attributing to the shop’s success.

Across the board, these vintage shops seem to have an array of customer bases, none too specific to any one store. From a fashion perspective, people who follow trend-based fashions shop at these businesses, as do vintage collectors, people searching for specific costumes, stylists

and the like. These shops also cater to those who are looking for great deals on items not easily found in other stores, and those on a tight budget.

MARKET MENTALITY For those on the hunt for vintage and second-hand goods, a newer avenue has opened up and is steadily growing in popularity.

Local markets are popping up all over the city, offering a selection of clothing, accessories and more from various people around town. Events such as the Gypsy Market and Eastside Flea Market continue to increase in popularity due to the appeal of buying local.

According to MacLellan, these markets are ideal for people who have the desire to sell vintage to the public, but do not necessarily want to undergo the huge responsibility of paying rent for a permanent retail space.

Markets such as these are an excellent way for vendors to sell to a wider audience and promote their businesses. For consumers, these markets are a great place to find a large variety of different items at affordable prices, while having the assurance that they are shopping locally and supporting upand-coming small companies from the same communities they reside in.

As vintage markets become increasingly popular, more individuals and small businesses begin to take part in the action. To some, this may seem

as a recipe for over-saturation in a market that is already quite abundant. However, the Vancouver vintage scene is quite welcoming to newcomers, as it seems that the general mentality is “the more, the merrier.”

SHARING THE LOVE As community is an overarching theme in much of our vintage scene, newer up-and-coming small businesses especially rely on the welcoming nature of their peers. The ladies at Duchesse see the oversaturation of the vintage market not as an obstacle, but as a great way for entrepreneurs to team up.

“We are more into collaboration than competition,” says McLean, adding, “More love is better for everybody.” This attitude makes a lot of sense from both a business and human perspective. It certainly is logical to encourage growth and development in the vintage community, as it helps share people’s passions for bygone eras with the world.

Katie Blecker is a devotee to vintage style, with a particular interest in collecting items from the 1930s, ‘40s and ‘50s. She also enjoys sewing, Old Hollywood, dance and cheesy puns. Follow her on Tumblr at Threadandcloth.tumblr.com.

An Inordinate Fondness for Beetles Evelyn Cranston

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CULTURAL ANIMALS

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Report cards are in, and on the subject of biodiversity, British Columbia didn’t do well.

The CBC recently reported that the provincial Auditor General found that the province is “failing biodiversity.” At the core of the problem is a lack of understanding of effective management techniques and policies. Considering this, it makes sense for the provincial government to take a few tips from the original and most successful conservation officers: the First Peoples of the area.

Culture and biodiversity have co-evolved.

Cultural survival depends on biodiversity as biodiversity depends on human responsibility.

These ideas come together to form the notion of “biocultural diversity.” Biocultural diversity provides a new paradigm for moving towards a more ecologically balanced world. The cultures with the strongest senses of identity often have the strongest connection to biodiversity, and therefore the best management practices for living more in tune with other species and natural resources.

Nancy J. Turner of the School of Environmental Studies at the University of Victoria is an internationally distinguished scholar and scientist, who focuses on interactions of indigenous knowledge with ecology and biodiversity. She recently presented a special lecture on biocultural diversity at the University of British Columbia, presented by the UBC botanical garden. Her most interesting point was that First Nation groups of British Columbia were not originally hunter-gatherers that left no trace of impact on nature. She states, “Nothing could be further

× Columnist from the truth.” Rather, they employed more harmonious and sustainable forms of conservation management techniques that emphasised understanding of local ecology. It was sophisticated management for sustaining life, not exploiting it.

Turner explained that upon arrival, Europeans didn’t understand that they were looking at an anthropogenic landscape maintained by First Nations groups. She stated, “[The landscape] had been changed by the First Peoples there in a very systematic way, with the use of fire and other means ... There was widespread overlook of indigenous people’s roles in shaping landscapes, and [the] thousands of years of use and occupancy

by First Nations.”

The culture of the First Nations of Canada’s Pacific Northwest is and was tied to local biodiversity. Their close relationship framed conservation in a symbiotic, sustainable context.

In contrast was the European style of utilitarian conservation, or as Gifford Pinchot, first chief of the United States Forest Service put it, “the art of producing from the forest whatever it can yield for the service of man.”

For example, she mentioned the first salmon ceremony practiced by the Kwakwaka'wakw people. It is held annually, when the first salmon run begins. It is a ritual to thank the animals for giving themselves up to provide food. Turner stated that the ceremony is typically followed by four days of no fishing, and could be interpreted as a conservation strategy to prevent overexploitation

of the salmon. If salmon fishing was allowed from the first fish spotted, not enough would make it upstream to reproduce for next year.

First Nations of the Yosemite Valley periodically burnt the valley floor, to stimulate black oak trees to release acorns. A well managed brush fire, one that is limited to burning ground litter and dead leaves and doesn’t scorch the soil, also fertilizes the soil and stimulates tree growth. As well, many species depend on regularly occurring fires.

Lodgepole Pine can rely on fire to release seeds, an adaptation called fire-mediated serotiny. Fire suppression was one of the first methods implemented in forest management in North America under federal government. However, fires are naturally supposed to burn periodically, and suppression over a long period of time increases the likelihood that a small fire will spiral out of control.

According to Turner, indigenous knowledge about how to care for the land, and engage in a relationship with biodiversity resources, is being lost. She stated, “There were over 100 plant species harvested traditionally by coastal B.C First Nations, and now, most are no longer used or known.” There are also fewer native language speakers today.

UNESCO states, “Cultural diversity is as necessary for humankind as biodiversity is for nature,” but the two really go hand in hand.

Cultural strength is necessary for biodiversity, and biodiversity is necessary for strength of culture.

Turner suggests that mainstream conservation

management groups should learn from other cultures, and that we have to “think about the cultural and spiritual dimensions of diversity, not the utilitarian dimensions and ecosystems services [because] it’s more than that.” In essence, we don’t manage the land – we manage our behaviour in relation to the land.

Evelyn Cranston studies environmental geography at UBC. After considering all possible majors and feeling interested in all of them, she decided going with the study of the world would be a safe bet. She likes long walks on the beach, searching for dead starfish, barnacles and old kelp clumps.

×× MUSTAALI RAJ

13-03-29 7:02 PM

THE APERTURE OF BEING

Melissa Dex Guzman × Columnist

FAULTS: ADMISSION, NOT SUBMISSION I deal with depression. That’s okay now, right?

Admitting that you have a mental ailment that gets in the way of daily functions is a tough thing to do, but I’ll push aside the temptation of trying to make light of this and get down to business.

I’ve been told I can’t pursue photography because it requires consistency and a depressed person can’t possibly function under high-pressure conditions.

I say, “Yes, I can.”

For the greater portion of my life, I’ve struggled with depression. It has nothing to do with my relationships with family or friends, nor my career. It’s internal and that’s sometimes the hardest thing for most people to understand. We currently live in an age of bragging. Social media is a platform for everyone, personally and professionally to broadcast about their successes. For those of us who don’t feel like we’re up to snuff on “life as we know it,” it can feel a bit daunting and intimidating for the whole world to be seemingly successful and happy.

I was diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy last year and was forced to cut back on photography due to my right eye being unresponsive. It was the hardest time in my life. I questioned everything. What was once a mild depression became severe – I did not want to see friends, I couldn’t eat my favourite foods, I couldn’t speak. Despite all of this, I shot a video game convention and made my way out to shoot Coldplay at Rogers Arena for this very publication. Why would I not see friends, but make the time and effort for event photography? The answer is simple: It’s what I live for. I truly believe that I will take photos until I’m dead. Nothing will stop me.

Photography is my lifestyle, crutch and longest relationship. It’s not one thing or another to me – I take photos when I am happy, sad, in good health, in poor health. When I was asked by my aunt to photograph my grandfather’s funeral, I was told by my family that I didn’t have to ... But I wanted to.

I wanted to because I knew it was the only way I could pay my own personal homage and salute to my grandfather’s celebration of life.

Some have a way with words and can express their sentiments, but I express myself differently.

So it goes – in the year 2010, I was standing outside in Calgary winter at a cemetery lawn in -20 degree weather with my camera. It was so cold that the drips from my nose froze onto my lens.

My family held flowers and placed them onto the casket before it lowered. I took photos of the emotion I could see without being invasive. It may sound a little morbid, but something told me that photography was what my grandfather would have wanted me to do.

To this day, my grandfather’s final purchased camera sits in my collection. When it was given to me, it had a half-used roll of film in it. The battery was still working.

I fired off the rest of the shots and had the roll developed. The photos I took were mostly ruined due to the expired nature of the film, but seeing my grandmother and my grandfather partying it up with their lawn bowling club in some of their last years together made me smile, and I’ll never forget the parting moment I felt after getting those photos back. It was a last goodbye through one of the channels I understand most.

I used to think that photography created social awkwardness – I would be told by friends to put down the camera and talk. I would talk, sure, but put it down? For the longest time, I didn’t have a significant other to bring to parties; I had a camera. I don’t rely on my camera as a security blanket as much I used to, but in the

past, being close to a camera was the only way to curb my anxiety.

I feel like I’m really exposing a part of me that I shouldn’t. I’m supposed to be advertising my success and my expertise in photography, aren’t I? But the truth is that I’ve had enough of reading success articles and seeing no sign of struggle to get to where that person is. The meat of these stories is missing. What about the lessons learned to get there? How does one grow? It may be unconventional, but working with and around my depression helped me define my strengths and passion.

Over the years, building my relationship with my camera was just as important as acknowledging my depression to move forward. I wanted to grow and photography helped me personally and professionally. Being told that I couldn’t do

ADVENTURES IN HOLLYWEIRD

something due to mental related conditions was a challenge I wanted to overcome.

It may sound cliché, but with will, there is always a way. Photography is my strongest suit in my expression and I hope that others find theirs.

Melissa Dex Guzman by day is a systems administrator, and moonlights as a rock and roll wedding photographer. It’s like the Bruce Wayne turning into Batman complex, but less dangerous (and probably not as cool). Her published credits include SPIN, CBC Radio 3, and TEDx. Melissa also served as the Director of Photography for Ricepaper Magazine.

You can harass her on Twitter via @m3lissa. ××Melissa Dex Guzman

Luke Atlas × Columnist

LET’S GET PHYSICAL likely already be gone. It’s probably a good sign to feel uncomfortable about a new opportunity; it means you’re pushing yourself. So use your force of motion and dive in head first, ready to figure it out as you go. At the very least you might end up with a funny story to tell people, like I’ve been doing lately: ”Yeah, I just finished writing rap music about Newtonian physics for kids.”

Luke Atlas is the former singer and songwriter for Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head (later renamed Brite Futures). He currently resides in Los Angeles, California, where he is an aspiring Svengali for the pop stars of tomorrow. He loves discovering secret hiking trails in the hills with his imaginary Bichon Frisé, Puffy Cousteau.

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to reality. As packs of kids began to file out, I stood near the door trying to eavesdrop on any bits of conversation about the show. It only took a second before I was ambushed by a group of six girls all clutching their phones (and even an iPad—kids these days). They yelped like thirsty puppy dogs, “Can we have a picture with you??” There’s no way they could have known who I was; I think they were just so excited by what they witnessed that they must have assumed this alien visitor had something to do with it. As I posed with the girls, someone who worked for the show came over and told them that I created the music they just saw performed. The girls shrieked and gasped, now asking for hugs. One even thrust a Gelly Roll pen into my hand and pleaded for my autograph on her lime green sticky note pad. That made my day right there, and after seeing the entire show come together in front of hundreds of kids, it made the whole project worth it.

To think that I enthralled these middle school girls so much with raps about theories from a dude who’s been dead for 286 years is crazy. If these songs could play some small part in inspiring a kid to become a scientist or engineer, that’d be so gratifying – and something I’d never thought I’d get the chance to do as a musician. Though I had my doubts about accepting the project, or whether I could even pull it off, I’m now really glad I went for it. If you wait until you feel completely ready for a new adventure beckoning, it’ll most

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trying to say yes to every opportunity that comes my way (within reason), even if I would never have thought in a million years I’d be doing it, and this performance today was a result of that mentality.

Let me give you a little context. Around New Year’s I got a call to see if I’d be interested in making educational, Top 40-style hip-hop songs – music and lyrics –for a traveling science show that brings its stage, lights, games, props, and performers to middle schools across the country.

The surly little editor that lives in my head immediately said, “No way – you don’t do hip-hop and you certainly don’t do science music for kids.” But the more I thought about it, the more I thought, “why not try it?” I used to turn in songs with curricular lyrics in lieu of written essays back in high school, so I figured this could be fun. I accepted, having never really made a contemporary hip-hop beat, not knowing how to rap, and remembering very little about Newtonian physics. I’d be lying if I said the writing process for these five songs didn’t trigger several what-the-hell-am-I-doing moments of self-doubt, but I reminded myself to have fun with it; it was only science rap after all, and a bizarre opportunity like this doesn’t come along very often.

Flash back to the middle school. After the final beat of the show ricocheted across the gym, and our ardent ambassadors of science rap waved and retreated backstage, the room flooded with the buzz of hundreds of middle schoolers returning

the capilano courier

The last place I thought I’d end up anytime soon was a middle school assembly in a gymnasium near notorious gangsta-rap paradise Compton, California. I drove for almost 40 minutes on a bright, sunny Friday afternoon to sit in the dark on a hard linoleum floor with hundreds of smart phone-clad sixth graders not so eagerly awaiting the day’s presentation about Newtonian physics.

Normally this scenario would leave me itching to bolt for the door, but today I couldn’t stop giggling to myself like the gaggle of girls braiding each other’s hair right in front of me. What none of these kids knew was that this skinny white guy with the visitor sticker sitting in the back of their gym was responsible for a large portion of the presentation they were about to see.

The lights came up on the stage in front of us as three buoyant performers bounded into view in brightly colored, logo-less clothes, headset mics and 100-watt smiles, pumping their arms in a “raise the roof ” fashion. Then my song sprang from the speakers while the troop snapped into coordinated dance moves, popping and gyrating while rapping words I had written a few weeks earlier in my bedroom. Video screens flashed the lyrics, accompanying an animation about gravity, force, mass, and such. I swear the guys onstage could see my shit-eating grin as I chuckled from the back of the room; I just hoped they didn’t think I was laughing at them. The scene was all too peculiar. Since moving to L.A. I’ve been

7 ××DAVE MCANSH

13-03-29 7:02 PM

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE THE 20/20 EXPERIENCE Brian Pascual, Writer

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album reviews

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THE EXQUISITES THE EXQUISITES James McLaughlin, Writer Seattle-based songwriter Jason Clackley’s signature yowl has finally found a worthy musical accompaniment amongst the three Exquisites. The band walks under the indie rock umbrella but there’s enough post-hardcore undertone on this album to humble one’s conceited predictions. These are nine well-crafted arrangements clocking in at just over 30 minutes. The first half of the album is an adrenalized hunt, with Clackley’s howling vocal melodies stalking thermal minors and sevenths like

scampering prey. However, come mid-album the chase has been lost. The realization that you’re left standing in complete solitude deep in some dark Northwestern forest strikes a match of reflection and contemplation. The recess lasts long enough to conjure that feeling of anxiety from being idle for too long.

Come track seven, “Leave It Alone”, the desire to move for the sake of moving overwhelms and The Exquisites raise the heart rate again, pacing in search of the highway that leads home. That highway home is found on the final track – with “Habit To Be”, you breathe a sigh of relief as you pick pine needles out of your toque and beard.

Oh, that’s right, Justin Timberlake is a pop star! It was so easy to lose sight of that over the last few years, what with his major play for movie stardom (i.e. he and Kunis totally outdoing Kutcher and Portman) and an unforeseen rise to Saturday Night Live iconic guest host status.

But yes, it’s been seven years since JT’s last record, FutureSex/LoveSounds, and if you were wondering if his acting vacation away from music would have a negative effect, lead single “Suit & Tie” quickly assures that it hasn’t.

DEVENDRA BANHART MALA Ian Lewandowski, Writer Venezuelan-American ex-art student Devendra Banhart's eighth album is his most unforgivingly mellow yet, and furthermore a far stretch from his “freak folk” upbringing. It’s reminiscent of a more medicated Beach Boys, in some ways a more islandy, flamenco retelling of his own 2004 release Rejoicing in the Hands. Some of Banhart’s

Everything you’d expect is here: JT’s trademark white boy soul funk, sexy Usher-esque R&B groove, a candy sweet chorus. Album highlights “Strawberry Bubblegum” and “That Girl” keep the record on this course, which eventually raises the question: Why isn’t JT evolving?

The 20/20 Experience is a pretty safe pop record for 2013, which isn’t a damnation but rather an out-loud wondering of whether JT actually has a Thriller in him, which was speculated when *NSYNC originally disbanded. There are slight advances (the presence of an orchestra on half the album is a nice touch, “Mirrors” teasingly shows JT’s surprising ease with a more rock melody), but for the most part Timberlake has kept things moving laterally for his first post-hiatus outing. At this point in such a multi-focused career, maybe that is his ceiling.

catalogue has birthed more established albums like Cripple Crow, which were tacked with an unmistakably "freak folk" categorization – on Mala he seems to pay this name game no mind. I've noticed an ‘anomaly’ song on each new Devendra album I pick up, and to my delight Mala has four or five. “Your Fine Petting Duck” has been resolved in my brain as the “Shabop Shalom” (from Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon) of this release, being equal parts school dance doo-wop and island jam.

Whether he’s an old favourite or you’re just walking in, Mala can be a trip down memory lane – but also functions as a fresh spring and summer staple.

13-03-29 7:02 PM

SKELETON CLOSET

BACK TO THE FUTURE

VERONICA FALLS LEAVE NEO-GOTH BEHIND

CITIZENS! IMPRESS AT VANCOUVER DEBUT

Brian Pascual, Writer

JJ Brewis, Editor-in-Chief

Veronica Falls would like you to stop thinking of them as goths, thank you very much.

Not that you would have been wrong to begin with, as their first steps as a band (with first-ever single “Found Love in a Graveyard”, eerie black and white haunted house debut album cover, overall surf noir sound) had many people (this writer included) pegging them as dark and gloomy punks with a pop sensibility.

But a lot has changed in three short but industrious years, most notably the London quartet polishing themselves into one of the indie world’s brightest and shiniest jewels. Their set at the Media Club helped prove this, banking on their latest record, the recently released Waiting for Something to Happen, revealing a tighter affinity towards hiding their wistful, melancholic side behind jangly guitars, gorgeous melodies, and heartstopping ear candy harmonizing.

From the onset it was readily clear all the recent touring in such a compacted length of time has paid off. This is a tight, shimmering two-guitar attack with a seriously bop-heavy rhythm section and knockout move that is the heavenly combination of guitarists/vocalists, Roxanne Clifford and James Hoare’s, constant vocal trade-offs.

Waiting gems “Broken Toy” and “Waiting for Something to Happen” (it doesn’t get any better than the chorus couplet of “Everybody’s crazy/ What’s your excuse, baby?”) started a full-on dance party that continued on through “Found Love” and “Bad Feeling”, from the debut. Transferring from studio to live stage, Veronica Falls songs are always loaded with driving, floor-tom-fueled beats that make it impossible not to move your body while singing along to at the top of your lungs.

A seemingly short one-hour set called for a disappointing need for economy, but new single “Teenage” is so good it makes up for everything, as does closing the night with their cover of Roky Erickson’s “Starry Eyes”.

Happy, smiley faces left the Media Club, and in the street you could hear different groups of people singing together into the night air. Goth pop naysayers be warned: this band’s got more tricks up its sinister sleeve.

The British know how to do shit properly. Even in the teeny-tiny Media Club, it was evident that Citizens!, on their first-ever visit to Vancouver, have that extra something special. For those in attendance of this Vancouver debut, it’s going to be one to brag about later. I have a co-worker who still retains street cred by being one of a handful who witnessed an Adele performance at the Red Room years ago – it’s easy to think that Citizens! will be that show for me.

The London quintet have impressively bridged the gap between past and present sounds, keeping their influences in check while creating something that truly sounds like nothing else in the current music landscape. With a sharp ear, one can pick out edges of 1970s David Bowie and Queen, filtered through a Hot Chip-like funnel – but creating something not derivative of any of the above. It’s refreshing and impressive, but most of all surprising how well they have worked all their elements together.

Performing tracks off their brand new debut LP Here We Are, Citizens! wowed the nearly-packed venue with irresistible stage appeal and a plethora of songs. They stick to catchy indie-rock niche that could only come out of Britain, but throw interesting curveballs just to make sure you know they aren’t a one-trick pony. It’s no surprise that Franz Ferdinand’s Alex Kapranos produced their debut – the irresistible hooks from Here We Are definitely give Franz Ferdinand’s early singles a run for their money. Some of the songs here are instantly infectious: single “True Romance” downplays vocalist Tom Burke’s lyrics with a keyboard and percussion standoff; on “(I’m In Love With Your) Girlfriend” the band steers off into slightly punk territory while retaining a connection to their pop roots.

Their encore, a cover of Everything But the Girl’s “Missing”, had Burke wishing guitarist Thom Rhoades a happy birthday, calling the song a throwback to their childhood. Even here, Citizens! were able to marinade a familiar song from everyone’s past in their own re-worked magic, covering a skeleton of the original in an impressive imagination of the future.

LIVE REVIEWS

×× RICHARD GREENBLATT (LEFT) AND TED DYKSTRA (RIGHT), IN ARTS CLUB'S 2 PIANOS 4 HANDS

LIFE IS LIKE A PIANO 2 PIANOS 4 HANDS SAYS FAREWELL IN VANCOUVER Samantha Thompson, Copy Editor

CITIZENS! TAKES THE STAGE IN A BIG WAY

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As the performance begins, two suited men walk out onto the stage. What follows is an act reminiscent of Bugs Bunny’s antics when he attempted to conduct the London Philharmonic Orchestra. The men sit down at their two baby grand pianos and begin to play a beautiful melody; for a moment it feels as though you’re at the Vancouver Symphony instead of in the charm of the Stanley theatre. Instead, you’re at the Arts Club’s latest production: 2 Pianos 4 Hands, an autobiographical tale that weaves hilarious anecdotes about childhood piano lessons with uplifting tunes. It is completely unlike anything the Arts Club has done before.

2 Pianos 4 Hands is one of Canada’s most successful theatrical productions, and has been touring the world with its creators, Ted Dykstra and Richard Greenblatt, since 1996. Throughout the two-hour performance, the duo demonstrated that they are both fantastic actors, and strong musicians. Witty banter and a strong musical score, combined with comedic impersonations of piano teachers and the institutions so many of us grew to hate throughout our piano-filled childhoods, makes for a theatrical experience like no other. At times it is hard to believe that two

pianos and four hands could contain so much talent.

Dykstra and Greenblatt portray their personal tales, growing up as Classical piano prodigies, trials and tribulations with conservatories and families, as well as personal struggles in deciding which genre to persue. Despite getting slightly de-railed at times, 2 Pianos 4 Hands alone is testimony to the fact that the duo are justified in their musical pursuit – they can tackle anything on the piano from Bach to Billy Joel, and everything in between. On top of the musicality of the performance, they both are capable of embodying a good dozen or so characters each, trading off as fill-ins for each other’s parents, piano teachers and adjudicators, successfully filling the roles without changing out of their tuxedos – each role is successfully portrayed with a slight change of movement or vocal alteration.

Vancouver is the last stop on their farewell tour, after which they will open up the play for other companies to take on. Amidst a standing ovation, Dykstra and Greenblatt share an emotional hug and you can’t help but feel that you’ve had the privilege to share something special.

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×× RYAN ROSE

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arts

ARTS EDITOR ×

CELINA KURZ × A R T S @ C A P I L A N O C O U R I E R . C O M

PORTRAITS IN THE WILD KRIS KNIGHT RE-EXAMINES PORTRAYAL OF NARRATIVES JJ Brewis × Editor-in-Chief The eyes and lips found within his paintings suggest a romantic exterior, but much like his subjects, painter Kris Knight is multi-layered, self-described as “ambiguous.” His work, mainly a series of human portraits, is lush, vibrant and colourful, juxtaposed with dark backgrounds of haunting night scenes or chilled winter scapes that reflect upon his moody subject. But underneath this visual shift lies themes of folklore, androgyny and “rural escapism,” filtered through Knight’s keen eye of the future of the portrait.

Knight grew up in “a bunch of unromantic small towns in rural Canada,” encouraged by his mother to pursue his artistry from an early age. Knight describes himself as a once “quiet and shy kid” who “felt very alone at a young age because I knew I was different.” But his farm-based upbringing created a healthy imagination. “Drawing was my escape, but it also entertained me. Often I would much rather lie on the floor and draw than play with my friends outside.” Knight’s pursuit of the fine arts took him to Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto, majoring in drawing and painting.

After finishing school, Knight was signed to a gallery out of the gate – but it went bankrupt weeks before his first solo exhibition. Knight had to take the reigns of his career into his own hands if he was to succeed. “Since I already had a finished show I was fortunate to find a gallery rental available right away, and mounted the exhibition independently and completely self-financed.” Knight would spend the next two years producing his own exhibitions, before finding representation.

Knight has managed to develop an international following “through .jpegs alone,” in his words.

“Many of my collectors have never met me in person, or my art dealers, but still purchase my work based solely on digital reproduction, never actually seeing the real painting until it’s shipped to them.”

Knight’s paintings use sharp colours but retain a symbolic darkness in the facial expressions of his subjects. “When I first started painting professionally, I was interested in androgyny in terms of gender, now I am more interested in creating neutrality and ambiguity in regards to moods.” Knight sees his works as runs of cohesive series that are only complete in the context of a narrative running through a collection – similar to a complete album of music. “I’m obsessed with music and play my favourite albums all day and night in my studio, from beginning to end, rather than just indulging in singles. I see my painting along these lines too. I need to have those 10 pieces tell the story rather than relying on that one hit.”

Knight creates his work by doing a quick photoshoot of a subject, but often the finished product is mostly a new character based loosely around the framework of his original subject. “I use my photo references as blueprints but drop them halfway through. I don’t adhere to the historical notion of the portrait, where they have to be pleasing to the sitter or the patron to be deemed successful.

For me, the sitter is the character that I use to help illustrate my narratives. There’s a lot more freedom when you remove the pressure of reproducing what already exists.”

Sexuality also comes into play in Knight’s work, a theme that has been with him since childhood. “I was fully aware of my sexuality at a young age and had clandestine relationships with other boys when I was quite young,” he says. In Knight’s paintings young people (mainly men) are portrayed in pastels, with perfect skin and hair branding them as flawless creatures, but they’re often situated in cold winter scenes or dark, potentially dangerous locations – drawing from his actual first romantic experiences. “I continued dating all the way through high school because I felt that if my straight friends could date I should be able too – except my dates were in cornfields, behind barns, or in the woods at night.”

This early foray into dating exposes Knight’s biggest underlying theme in his work. “I am always playing with the notion of the hunter and the hunted in my paintings. As a teen I was the hunter looking for secret love in settings that

seemed unsound, but when my secrets got out I felt very much like the hunted.”

Knight’s work is an outlet for exploring a multi-faceted autobiographical filter. “Each exhibition is stemmed from a direct memory or personal experience. Even though I paint real people, I see my subjects as characters in my narratives ... Since each painting is directly linked to my own personal stories, the characters often have a bit of me in each one.”

In coalition with his imaginative childhood, Knight harbours much in terms of thematic allusions in his pieces that he’s gathered along the way. “I am really inspired by storytelling and folklore, personal histories, secrets and gossip ... People add their own stories to my work; these interpretations are something I take pleasure in.”

×× IVORY BY KRIS KNIGHT

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NEW GALLERY HOSTS INTERACTIVE CARD ART TRADING EVENT Taran Kootenhayoo × Writer Do you like the image on the cover of your favourite Courier? Do you like it so much that it makes you want to cut it out so you can post it on your wall? Or maybe, you’d like to keep it in your little box that you bury and rebury in the backyard. Perhaps you are fond of that one ridiculous trading card game that you can’t pronounce the name of, only because you liked the way the wizard on the front looked. Well, if any of these apply to you, rest assured that you are not alone. What if we told you that there is a place where many people like ourselves are invited to openly lash out our art hoarding characteristics?

On Apr. 6, get your fanny packs geared up, and start readying that inner-child inside of you to grow octopus-like tentacles. At the fifth annual CARDED! event, you’ll be able to participate in collecting and trading art printed on 2.5"x3.5"

cards. Trade and buy at your own guilty pleasure.

CARDED! arose from the minds of the creators of Hot One Inch Action, an event with a similar modus operandi, except instead of cards, you trade buttons. For $5, you get a package of five random cards – but that’s just the starting point.

Chris Bentzen, the co-founder of the event, explains, “While other trading card events focus on artists trading amongst themselves, we reproduce the artist submissions so everyone can trade.” This is not an event where people walk around with their noses higher than their forehead deciding whether or not they enjoy the event.

CARDED! aims to be a highly social event: “If you're looking for a specific card, you'll most likely have to trade with other people to get it. That also means everyone is talking and interacting, not passively looking at art on the walls and only talking to their friends,” he explains.

The submissions come from all over, with a focus on Vancouver artists. Bentzen explains, “We usually receive 100-150 submissions for the show

and choose 50 from that ... We’ve had elementary school kids, professional artists, retired teachers, non-artists just dabbling, and anyone with an interest in the show submitting.”

Throughout the night, it can get easier and harder to get the designs that you want – so you need to keep on your toes. “Like the stock market, different designs are more popular at different times during the show. So, at 8 p.m., your design might be the most popular and people are struggling to trade for it, but 30 minutes later, when new cards are out there and new people have arrived, suddenly no one cares about that popular card and it's something else that everyone is fighting for.”

CARDED! will be the first event held at Bentzen’s brand-new permanent art gallery, Hot Art Wet City (HAWC). HAWC functioned as an online video blog that featured local artists beginning in fall 2011, and in the fall of 2012 opened a pop-up gallery. Bentzen explains that they want to showcase “fun and accessible art, interactive

events like Hot One Inch Action, plus workshops, seminars and more. Shows include pop culture and fan-art themes, often with narrative, graphic design-based, or lowbrow works. HAWC supports emerging and established artists from Vancouver and around the world.”

So, if you’re looking to live a little of that sweet Vancouver lifestyle everyone is always babbling about, this is your chance. Take this opportunity to get out of the house, and let spring’s beautiful springy air envelope you with its abundance of energy. Because we all know that whenever we see videos online of an event that has already happened, we secretly wish we had gone, too.

For more information about the event visit Hotartcard.com and Hotartwetcity.com.

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arts

ARTS EDITOR ×

CELINA KURZ × A R T S @ C A P I L A N O C O U R I E R . C O M

ACTING OUT SILVER SCREEN PRESENTS A RAINBOW OF OPPORTUNITY FOR QUEER FILM FEST Andy Rice × Staff Writer “We want to queer up campus. That’s kind of our slogan right now,” says Krista Martin, organizer of Capilano University’s first annual Queer Film Festival. The upcoming event, along with an open house that took place back in late March, is a step toward a heightened on-campus presence for the Capilano Students’ Union’s Queer Students Collective with newly-elected liaison Jon Kinsley at the helm.

“I just really wanted to pump out some events with the start of my term in this position so I suggested doing [a film festival] and Krista ... just decided to run with it,” he says. Three films will be shown between Apr. 2 and 4 at two locations on campus.

No stranger to films or filmmaking, Martin is a second-year student in the motion picture arts program. “We chose through probably 50 films,” she says, all selected from the university’s extensive movie library. “The big thing for us was just making sure that you could sit down at any point and know what’s going on.” A more formal night-time screening will take place in the Bosa building on the festival’s final day, but the first two days of films will be shown in the CSU Library Lounge, a high traffic area for drop-ins and passersby.

The festival will open on Apr. 2 with But I’m A Cheerleader at 11:30 a.m. Milk, a 2008 American biopic starring Sean Penn and Josh Brolin, will

be shown the following day at the same time and location, and capping off the festival will be a screening of Tomboy in the Bosa Centre Theatre on Apr. 4.

“We have a variety of queer films,” says Martin of this year’s selections, adding that all three movies have been chosen carefully to reflect different areas of queer culture. “And also, just popular choices.”

“They’re great films that really draw people in,” adds Kinsley. Admission is free and refreshments will be available at all screenings. “On the Tuesday and Wednesday screenings we’re going to have a whole bunch of popcorn and candy for everybody to be able to enjoy during the film, and then on the Thursday night we’ve ordered some pizzas and some chips and pop and stuff like that. We really like to keep it healthy, you know,” jokes Martin.

For the evening showing of Tomboy, doors will open at 5 p.m. and the movie will begin at 5:30 p.m, preceded by several queer-themed short films made by Capilano University students. With the recent announcement of a new course called Film 323: Queer Cinema, set to launch in spring 2014, future festivals may grow to include a larger number of student works: “Ki Wight is the faculty member who is going to be teaching it in conjunction with Shawna MacPherson,” says Martin.

“We’re going to be talking about that and promoting it at these events as well.” The 300-level elective will be open to students campus-wide.

“That’s very exciting,” says Kinsley. “I think it’s a little overdue and that the campus could use more

courses around queer issues, queer theory, [and] queer literature. I’ve actually been talking with a couple faculty and staff [members] about the possibilities, and I’m working on a survey to find out student interest.”

In the meantime, both Martin and Kinsley hope that the festival will bring some awareness to the Queer Students Collective and its role on campus.

“That’s our main thing for this is letting people know that we exist and we’re here,” says Martin.

“I really feel there needs to be more awareness on the issues surrounding the queer collective and what they want to see happen, and around homophobia, and basic knowledge around trans issues and gender,” adds Kinsley. “We’re such a young campus, I feel, and ... more knowledge needs to be given to both professors and students to really bring us up to speed. We’re in a time where so much is happening around queer issues, and I think all of these films highlight different things that are important.”

For more information on Capilano’s first annual Queer Film Festival, running Apr. 2 to 4, readers may contact pride@csu.bc.ca.

BUT I’M A CHEERLEADER Tuesday, Apr. 2 – 11:30 a.m.

CSU Library Lounge This 1999 satire tells the story of a seemingly content and heterosexual high school cheerleader who is subject to an intervention and conversion therapy camp after her family and friends begin to think she might be a lesbian.

MILK Wednesday, Apr. 3 – 11:30 a.m.

CSU Library Lounge A 2008 American biopic starring Sean Penn and Josh Brolin; centred around Harvey Milk, a politician and gay rights activist who was the first open homosexual to serve in public office in California, as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

TOMBOY Thursday, Apr. 4 – 5:00 p.m. doors; 5:30 p.m,.

Bosa Centre Theatre Released in 2011, this French drama follows a 10-year-old girl named Laure who moves to a new neighbourhood with her parents. Mistaken for a boy by her new classmates, Laure decides to live up to this new identity and become Mickäel.

Soon, however, summer love threatens to put her looming secret in jeopardy.

BREW-IT-YOURSELF DRINK FINE BEERS, SAVE MONEY, AND FEEL GREAT ABOUT YOURSELF Connor Thorpe × Staff Writer

2013 VANBREWERS AWARDS The Vancouver Homebrewers Association, a non-profit organization that supports the city’s home brewing community and educates prospective and beginning home brewers, has begun accepting entries for the 2013 VanBrewers Awards and will continue to do so until Apr. 20.

The Awards, which encompass 23 categories – each with several sub-categories – based on Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) standards, will be judged at Vancouver craft brewery and haven for beer enthusiasts Parallel 49.

While the prize for Best of Show hasn’t yet been announced for this year’s Awards, entrants could be vying for something similar to the 2012 Grand Prize – the opportunity to have their beer brewed

by Russell Brewing and $3000.

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ability to exercise creativity and customize brews to match the consumer’s specific tastes is missing from the standard beer drinking experience.

“You can tweak [the flavour]. I keep a notebook of all my recipes and [keep] tasting notes, so that next time I make it I know what to change,” he explains. “It’s easy to tweak because you go to the homebrew shop and you get a little less of this malt and a little more of this hop, whatever you want to change. It’s super easy to do.”

Thordarson says that home brewing also provides brewers with the opportunity to sample beer that is literally at its freshest.

“If I’m making an India Pale Ale, an IPA sits on a shelf longer than it does in my house. I’ve got it in a keg after three weeks and I’m ready to drink it and share it with my friends,” he explains. “If you go into the shop and get a growler of [beer] that’s pretty much as fresh as you can get it. [It’s] just being able to brew 20 litres of the freshest beer … and you do save a lot of money. You can make craft brew-quality beer for a lot cheaper.”

the capilano courier

For information on how to enter the 2013 VanBrewer Awards, visit Vanbrewerawards.ca or drop by Parallel 49’s Tasting Room between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.

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Unfortunately for Canadian beer enthusiasts, our nation doesn’t share the rock-bottom alcohol prices embraced by our neighbours to the south.

While Canadians can still pick up a six-pack of commercial, domestic beer for fairly cheap, artisanal craft beers from Canada and abroad can be pricey and difficult to find. Luckily, there’s a solution – brewing it yourself.

While brewing beer at home can seem like a daunting project, premade extracts and brewing equipment starter kits can be acquired easily and cheaply. Stefan Thordarson, who brews his own beer, began with extracts in an attempt to capitalize on the financial benefits of making homebrew.

“I started two years ago in December. It was just me and a buddy and we got together and decided that we wanted to make cheaper beer – that’s what got us into it,” he says. “We didn’t really know what we were doing. We were just making cheap beer because we wanted to drink more beer. It’s so cheap to make it at home.”

The initial start-up costs of home brewing are relatively minimal. Homebrew stores sell starter kits for around $70, with additional equipment – including a stock pot – bringing the total to around $150 to begin brewing. From there, brewing with extracts costs about $15 to $35 per batch, often yielding upwards of 50 bottles of finished product.

“It’s pretty straightforward, especially when you start with an extract batch – where you’re just pouring this syrup into a small pot and boiling it … then you just have to cool it down and ferment it with yeast,” Thordarson says. “It doesn’t make great, amazing beer, but you’re proud of it.

You’re like ‘I made this beer!’ It’s a really good experience. It’s a good place to start, you get the basic steps down and once you have the basic steps down you start doing all grain and trying different experimentations with different yeasts, different fermentation methods and more advanced stuff – but that’s once you have the hang of the basics.”

Once Thordarson had delved into home brewing through the accessible and simple extract method, it became a passion and he began to explore more complex methods – including the aforementioned all-grain.

“After a few batches of extract, we moved onto all-grain – which is actually what breweries do.

You take all the grains and extract the sugars from them,” he explains. “And then [we created] our own recipes: trying to figure out what each hop or each grain would contribute to the flavour.”

After his home-brewed beers became more sophisticated, Thordarson began submitting his brews to competitions – including the upcoming VanBrewers Awards. “I’ve only submitted to a couple competitions,” he says, noting the skill of competitors and difficulty of winning. “I haven’t won anything yet.”

According to Thordarson, the benefits of home brewing stretch well beyond the financial advantage it provides for thrifty beer connoisseurs. The

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FEATURES

FEATURES EDITOR ×

NATALIE CORBO

× 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

AS BOOK SALES PLUMMET, LIBRARIES STAY AFLOAT

AND THEY HAVE SO MUCH MORE TO OFFER THAN JUST PAPERBACKS

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× Birthday Girl

We live in the future. We literally probably are breathing in Wi-Fi like air, we have video conversations on devices that also tell time, and much of our media – including books – are slowly being replaced by their electronic counterparts.

While the Internet and open-source technology have certainly made knowledge widely available to everyone, even while they’re on the toilet, libraries have always been a free space to gather information. Although physical books may seem to be going the way of the CD, libraries continue to offer services that make them far more relevant than a Chapters bookstore.

In light of all the technological advancements made in the last 20 years, Heather Scoular, Director of Library Services for the North Vancouver District Public Library system, believes that libraries are “more essential than ever,” offering access to, and education about, new technology to anyone who wants it. “Don’t just

think the library is a dusty place for books, my goodness,” she says.

“When it comes down to it, people are people.

People want to connect, they want information … how the information comes and goes [changes], but they still have that need,” she explains.

With the tools to empower people to find their own answers, Scoular feels that libraries give people a place that they can have ownership of: “The concept of a public library – and I know I’m biased … but even when I was a child I felt the same way.

It was my space; I could go to that library. There’s nothing more exciting than seeing those little kids run in on storytime day and they’re waving their little cards – where else in their little lives at three years old can they feel like something is theirs?

And that’s why people say it’s my library,” she says.

CONNECTING YOU TO INFORMATION AND PEEPS Libraries are historically, and ideally, centres for information and the open distribution of that information. “Our librarians have always been trained as experts in access to information. Some

people think we’ve read all the books – that’s not true,” jokes Scoular. “But we know where to get them all. So it’s all about access.” The same goes for the Internet – while they have obviously not read the entire Internet, they can share with the members of the public the tools they need to find what they want. “We want the public to live a good life and be able to work with everything to get any information that they want.”

Scoular explains that a huge part of the services that the North Vancouver libraries provide is education on how to use new devices, such as e-readers. “In one year, [we] increased the amount of people we trained on digital technology by 205 per cent,” says Scoular. They also provide an “e-support” desk: “We get tons of calls every day with people with their devices at home that are going, ‘What can I do? What’s going on here?’”

The hyper-electrification of communication can result in people being isolated from their communities and families. “People can’t even really connect with each other if they don’t know these things nowadays,” she continues. “Where is an adult – if you’re not in school – where are you going to get that information? Who’s going

to tell you? Are you going to tell the salesperson at the store who’s going to spend two minutes with you? You’re going to come to the library and this librarian is going to take real interest in you.”

This is especially relevant to citizens who live apart from their family. “Think about the grandmother and their whole family’s in another province and the only way they can talk to them or share pictures with them is through social media, and they don’t even know how to turn on the computer. They’re isolated,” explains Scoular.

“They come to a few of our classes and they say, ‘My goodness, I’m emailing my grandson now!’”

ELECTRONIC SERVICES The library has also been putting huge efforts towards expanding their focus on online and electronic services – and these services have found a user base. According to the 2011 Vancouver Public Library Annual Operating report, approximately 17 per cent of library patrons used exclusively digital services in 2011, which includes use of the Wi-Fi and computers in the physical branches, as well as remote access to a wide variety

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of databases.

“With your library card you have access to incredible databases,” says Scoular. These databases include things immediately pertaining to student needs, such as online scholarly journals and newspapers that would normally have paywalls, as well as musical databases such as Naxos, and language-learning tools like Gale PowerSpeak.

More recently, a service called Freegal is offered at both downtown and North Vancouver libraries which allows library-card holders access to three free song downloads per week. Scoular also reports a high use of Ancestry.com, a website that allows users to look up their family tree. “[These are all] something that the public would have to go out and purchase for themselves, and we have it for free at the library.”

They also have seen their e-book lending rise enormously: “Our e-book circulation has gone up 163 per cent and we see that exponentially grow,” explains Scoular. “People are looking at alternative ways of reading and getting information.”

An avid reader of fiction, Stephanie Titchmarsh picked up an e-reader when a family member recommended it to her around the time that libraries were facing worries of bedbugs in their collections.

“When I found out that [the library] had e-books I was like, oh my gosh, this is awesome, I don’t have to go to the library, I don’t have to make a trip out of it, I can just download them at home,” says Titchmarsh. “I don’t have to worry about closing times, opening times, and I don’t ever have to worry about returning them. That’s the biggest thing – I chronically am never returning my books on time.”

“The selection isn’t as good as the regular library but if you’re looking for popular titles ... it’s pretty good,” she adds. While there are limits to how long the titles will last on your device, and how many people can “borrow” a file at once, classic novels that no longer have a copyright on them are always available.

man can’t waltz in and be like, ‘I need to use 10 word processors right now!’” says House.

BRINGING TOGETHER COMMUNITIES One of the key things that libraries are doing is taking their role as a public, community space very seriously, and experimenting with crossover in other areas of education and culture in the city.

The VPL has seen such projects as their Vancouver Inspiration Pass, “a free cultural and recreational pass program that allows individuals, families and teens to explore their city like never before,” take off with tremendous success, as well as their Teen Advisory Group, a youth-led group that lets teens develop their own programs, as well as buy things for the collection and add content to the teen library website.

The NVDPL is currently working with a $10,000 grant that they received from the city on a project called the Community Pod. The idea for the Pod, which will be a physical space where people can go to share information, was created in light of the recent study done in Metro Vancouver that revealed that the most worrisome things to Metro Vancouver residents was social isolation.

“People are feeling – you know in this world of technology we just finished talking about, it’s exciting and wonderful, but it really isolates and keeps people alone in front of a computer. People need to talk to other people and share information,” explains Scoular.

The Community Pod will be a physical space in the Capilano branch of the library where community members can “post queries, both to learn and share knowledge,” according to the press release.

“It’s that safe place in the community where you can get together and say, you know what, I have something I can give to you,” says Scoular. “Really it’s about human beings sharing each other. Think of them as sort of living bits of information, think

of all the things and experiences you have in your head, and everything I have in my head. ...We want to have people connect on all kinds of levels of humanity to say, ‘You know I’d be glad to teach you how to knit, I’d be glad to teach you how to cook a turkey.’”

The NVDPL is also looking to start a teen advisory group similar to VPL’s this summer, and has created a program where they teamed up with a local high school to get teenagers to teach members of the public things about social media. By doing this, they managed to not only spread information, but also connect members of the community with each other in a non-traditional setting. “We had them paired up with one on one with members of the public and they’d spend an hour with them talking about blogging, Facebook, Twitter – all of these things. The teens loved it because we were able to highlight their expertise, but we were able to teach them valuable teaching and leadership skills.”

ALL-AGES SPACE In terms of demographics of people using libraries, Scoular sees teens as one of the solid groups, at least in her libraries, who are embracing books as a medium. “I think books are very retro to them, I don’t know.”

She sees teenagers utilizing not just the services, but also simply the space as a place to hang out. “We do see a lot of teenagers who love to come to the library and they come in their groups and they hang and it’s a place to be, a community hub. I’m really seeing that teenagers are embracing that space, as there are less and less public spaces to go nowadays.”

Scoular points out that children and families make up a huge part of their users as well. “I’ve been working in libraries since the early ‘80s and that has not changed one bit ... Early literacy in children, our children programs and offerings,

there’s no change.” From 2010 to 2011, the VPL actually found an increase in borrowing of children’s material by 12 per cent.

“It’s an important part of child development, parents bonding with their children. In fact, I think people are realizing it’s more important ...

Our baby times for children [are] totally packed up the moment we advertise them,” says Scoular.

House, who nannies a two-year-old, is a frequent user of these services as well, at the central Vancouver branch. “We go to toddler story time which is great,” she says. “We go to the Mount Pleasant branch sometimes, and they have a surprising amount of toys.”

The value of a library goes beyond the trends of changing technology – although it’s clear that staying relevant and keeping an ear to the ground in regards to the needs and wants of the public is a huge part of their success, especially in Vancouver.

While more and more areas in the city are commercialized and privatized, libraries are a shared space of a kind that is becoming rarer and rarer.

“You don’t walk into a retail store and say, ‘It’s my store’ – I mean yeah, maybe it is,” jokes Scoular.

“But the library is really yours, you can explore anything and that’s what I loved as a kid – I could walk in and I could just pick any book off the shelf, I could ask anyone any question, and I had the right to find out what I wanted to know. That’s pretty great in today’s society that we can still do this, and I hope we can do it for many more years.”

PUBLIC SPACES

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the capilano courier

In Vancouver especially, as an expensive city with an ever-widening disparity of wealth, the public space and free services that libraries provide are extremely important. “There’s a lot of people who use the library as their home base,” says Laura House. House is currently housesitting, but she normally lives in a van with her husband. “I don’t have a power outlet, I don’t have Internet access,” she explains. “I even used the power outlet at the Strathcona library to use an electric kettle to heat up water once ... You could sit in the library from morning ‘til night and nobody ever tells you to get out,” she says.

While to some, access relates to being able to use the tools that they have and being educated how to use them, libraries also offer access in the form of simply having tools that people can borrow and use. “There’s a lot more people in Vancouver that are moderately housed or homeless, or just their rent and grocery situation is like, ‘Sorry, I don’t have Internet access, or I can’t actually have my own personal bookshelf full of books because I move every six months because all the houses get torn down,’” points out House.

“We need more libraries ... we need to focus more on public places as opposed to personalized places, because a lot of people in Vancouver don’t actually really live in a single family home anymore,” she says.

Sometimes the services are difficult to get to simply because they are being used so much: “If you want to use – say on a Saturday – a public computer at the public library, you have to get there at like 9 a.m. to get a slot later in the day,” says House.

This commitment to equal access to information is key to libraries’ success and value. “When you sign up for that computer it doesn’t matter what you smell like, what you look like, where you’re coming from … A really important business

×× KSENIA KOZHEVNIKOVA

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FEATURES

FEATURES EDITOR ×

NATALIE CORBO

× 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

ARE BUSES THE NEW CORVETTES? FEWER YOUNG PEOPLE ARE GETTING BEHIND THE WHEEL ×× STEFAN TOSHEFF

Brenda Ho

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× Writer

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Driving was once a rite of passage for most 16-yearolds in British Columbia. In recent years though, with easy access to public transit in the Lower Mainland, and complicated licensing rules, there has been a decline of youth interested in getting their licenses at an early age. According to ICBC, between 1994 and 2011 the percentage of youth holding a driver’s license went from 79 per cent to 69 per cent. Just since last year, the numbers have dropped significantly for those who choose to get behind the wheel.

Today, public transit has made it easier to access all of Metro Vancouver. North Delta resident Ivy Wong says it is better for her wallet to take the bus.

“I get up early every day to go to school,” says the UBC student. “I don’t mind it once I remember how much gas money I save to spend on other things.” She is in good company, as most UBC students now take transit to school. Pre U-Pass, about 77 per cent of students drove, and now that number has fallen to 43 per cent.

Wong was at the age of 16 when she got her learner’s, and 12 months later she obtained her novice license. “It is difficult waiting to take my class 5 test. I feel as though I am already a good enough driver.” The Graduated Licensing Program (GLP) rules state that a new driver must wait for 24 months until they are eligible to obtain their full license. This means that it can take up to three years to get a full license in B.C. “It is difficult having just my ‘N’ because I am not able to legally drive more than one passenger if they’re not family,” says Wong. Many people her age simply aren’t bothering with the lengthy program at all anymore.

In Metro Vancouver, public transit has made it easier to get to where you need to go with over 800 bus routes, 90 shuttle busses for those who live in the more quiet areas, and over 10 night buses. For students, the government has made it easier with their U-Pass program, which allows access to all three zones, including the SeaBus. “It’s a waste not to use it,” says Wong. “On top of the gas money used to get to school I have to pay for parking,

and to me it just seems stupid. I pay for bus fare, why not use it?”

Wong says it takes less than an hour to get to UBC from Scott Road SkyTrain Station, if she makes it before rush hour. With students needing to rely on public transit to get to school, there have been upgrades throughout the years in the city of Vancouver to help students get to their destination faster. “I only drive to the SkyTrain on the days I have school. I park there and then transit the rest of the way. It saves me a lot of time and money and I can get my reading in,” says Wong. She adds that it is much easier to have your license to do the everyday chores like grocery shopping, to work or to a friend’s house, but if she were using it for farther destinations, she’d rather bus.

SAFETY FIRST Regardless of the reasons, relying on public transit may be a wise choice for young people from a safety perspective. Car crashes remain the number one cause of “preventable death” for youth, says Adam Grossman of ICBC, although the number has declined in recent years. An inexperienced driver driving without due care or overestimation of ability plays a role in the high rate of youth crashes. Young drivers are easily distracted with passengers and electronic gadgets in the car. Grossman claims that driving at night increases the risk of crashing. “Speed, alcohol and driver inattention are the top contributing factors for fatal crashes involving young drivers.”

“Everyone knows or has heard of someone who has been in an accident. This may be why people are waiting to get their licenses later in life,” says Corporal Richard De Jong of the North Vancouver RCMP. De Jong adds that getting your license is a privilege, not a right. “There is reason as to why the learner’s and novice restrictions are there. It allows other drivers on the road to know to give the new drivers some extra space.”

Public transit also offers one benefit that may make drivers envious – the legal ability to freely use your cell phone. Although young people seem more tied to handheld devices than ever, De Jong states that, “Everyone breaks this law, not just the

new drivers. It is tempting for everyone, even after they are caught they still have that temptation to check it when they are behind the wheel.”

Overall, though, it is young drivers that have a Greater likelihood to crash. “We put a big focus on new drivers for a reason – we know that, unfortunately, new drivers are more prone to crash due to their lack of experience.” The GLP is a multistage approach to driver licensing, designed to give new drivers time to gain the skills and experience they need in a more controlled, lower-risk environment. “In the first three years of introducing this program, new driver crash rate reduced in B.C. by 16 per cent,” says Grossman. Over the years, ICBC and GLP have looked for more ways to improve the program.

“We made several major enhancements to the program in 2003 and the number of crashes involving new drivers once again decreased dramatically.” There has been 17,5000 fewer crashes involving new drivers and at least 4,000 fewer injuries, thanks to this program. Grossman claims that GLP has helped clear the road ahead for new drivers to make smart and safe driving decisions.

One area that has shown little improvement is drinking and driving. In B.C., the impaired driving rate has gone up almost 50 per cent, within the last decade. According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), the statistics show “motor vehicle crashes and impairment-related crashes among young drivers are alarming.” It claims that youth at around 19 years of age have a higher rate of death and injury among all age groups, caused by alcohol in their blood while getting behind the wheel, compared to those who have had more experience on the road.

“When you are a new driver, you’re not allowed anything in your blood. Not even half a beer. If we catch you – your license is revoked then and there,” says De Jong, who adds that it’s easier to get away if you have your full license and the laws are less heavy – but it remains a serious subject matter that still needs to be stopped. “Once you have your class 5, you can have one drink and be alright to drive. Any more than that can put the driver, as well as others, in danger.”

The restrictions are put there for new drivers to avoid the bad driving skills that can be devel-

oped, being on the road. The liability and risks for a new driver are the same as for someone who has been driving for over 30 years. Drivers always need to have awareness on the road, no matter what stage they are at with their driver’s license.

A MATTER OF PREFERENCE Ultimately, with all the risks and costs associated with driving, many young people are deciding that it simply isn’t worth it.

Taran Kootenhayoo is originally from Alberta but currently living in West Vancouver, and claims it is a hassle to go through the three-year process.

“I had my learner’s in Alberta, but coming here I can’t go for my full license unless I retake the learner’s exam.” He has prolonged this process because of the cost and time commitment it requires. “I’m a student with a full course load. I don’t have time to study for my learner’s again. It is also expensive if I take it when I’m not ready, and fail.” Kootenhayoo uses transit to get around and occasionally gets rides from friends, if they are going to the same destination. “I am so used to not driving because I bus everywhere, getting a license is the last of my concerns.”

Kootenhayoo says that one day he would like to be able to drive, but the stress of paying for a car is also a factor. “It’s just so expensive. I don’t like the idea of spending money on a vehicle if I had my license. I would need to pay for insurance and gas, so not being able to drive saves me the concern.” While some students do plan to own a car in the future, as of now they would rather avoid the thought of spending money on a vehicle when public transit is so accessible.

“Public transit is just easier,” says Kootenhayoo.

“It saves me the hazard of being behind the wheel, and a lot of money. As a student, I’d rather not add another thing I need to pay for to my list.” Though riding the bus takes longer than driving a car to your destination, people do not seem to mind going that extra mile. Pros and cons from both sides can be debated, but youth these days are just not as eager to get behind the wheel as they used to be.

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cap calendar

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

TUES APRIL 2 Jamie Lidell Originally from England, now living in

What is Blocking Sustainability?

This is your last chance to catch an

Celina’s B-Day Today is arts editor Celina’s birthday! To

Queer Film Festival Capilano’s queer collective is hosting its very

Nashville, Jamie’s music is super catchy and his music videos are cute. Want to see what I’m talking about? Watch “Little Bit of Feel Good”. He’s touring in support his latest album, Jamie Lidell.

9 p.m., Fortune. $16.

EarthWorks lecture this year! Dr. Bill Rees will be addressing this really important question because guess what! If the Earth is gone, we are too. I can’t help but be reminded of the hunt for the Great Valley in The Land Before Time.

7:30 p.m., NSCU Centre. Free.

celebrate with her, grab a skateboard, some arts and crafts supplies, and a copy of Clueless!

It’ll be like Tony Hawk going on Art Attack and he and Neal becoming best friends and watching timeless classics all day and night, with popcorn. But better!

All day, everywhere. Cost of Neal’s sweatshirt.

own Queer Film Festival! I’m personally excited for Tomboy which was at VQFF last summer - but what am I doing! Don’t listen to me, just read the full deets in this week’s Arts section!

Until April 5. CSU Library Lounge. FREE popcorn and candy!

Editor-in-Chief election/AGM Do you want free pizza? Do you want to elect the next sailor of this crazy ship called the Courier? Do you want to run this crazy ship?

Do you want to vote on motions? Do you want to be cool? Yeah, it’s all here.

11:30 a.m., Courier Office (Maple 122). FREE with FREE pizza!

Little Big Town: The Tornado Tour Sometimes I like to think Vancouver is a little big town. Not like this quartet though - they’re all country, wearing leather jackets and serious faces in their band shot. They’re a platinum country band, and have broken records with their latest album, Tornado.

7:30 p.m., Orpheum. $65.

Sam Sullivan’s Public Salon The term “public salon” always makes me laugh for no reason at all, but I do like the idea of hearing a bunch of smart people talk about smart ideas in short little bursts. This month’s salon features a dog psychologist, cardiologist, urban farmer, Shakuhachi master, and more! Diversity!

7:30 p.m., Vancouver Playhouse. $16/$20.

Exam Writing Strategies Workshop I’m going to give you a little piece of unwarranted advice: take advantage of these free workshops while you can. If you go to another school after Cap and you don’t know how to do this, they make you feel like a cotton-headed-ninny-muggins.

2 p.m. LB119. Free.

Locarno Locarno is the Latin project of Paperboys frontman, Tom Landa. If you haven’t heard of the Paperboys, you should look them up. They were a pretty big deal during the Olympics and I went to see them, got their autographs (eek!) and bought a Hockey Canada sweatshirt (ha). Because of this, Locarno is going to be awesome too.

8 p.m., Kay Meek Centre. $20.

ION party ION magazine is turning 10! Woah! They’re celebrating in classic ION-style, with a sweet party and awesome music. Robert DeLong will be joining in on the festivities as a very special guest.

9 p.m., 1885 Clark Dr. $10.

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark This New Wave English band reconnected in 2006 after a 10-year hiatus, and have been doing quite well since. The only sad part is I don’t believe they do any manoeuvres in the dark (I know, I know, but I was seriously stoked about that).

8 p.m., Commodore. $44.

The Boy Friend In case you didn’t get a chance to see this last week, here’s your second chance! You can listen to lyrics like, “We’re blue without, can’t do without, our dreams just won’t come true without, that certain thing called the boy friend.”

2 p.m./8 p.m. until Apr. 6, NSCU Centre. $22/$15/$10.

Billy Elliot - The Musical The world’s favourite dancer is back in this classic British drama. I’ve never actually seen it, but by the time you read this I will have seen it, so that’s pretty exciting. If you go too, we can talk about it after!

Until Apr. 7, Queen Elizabeth Theatre. $92-$473.

Top Secret Thing For the past eight years something really cool has happened somewhere in Vancouver, and it involves certain objects that you use to sleep with. I can’t really talk about it, because it’s like that thing in that movie with the pink bar of soap of the cover of the DVD case.

Sorry that was completely unhelpful but if you’re already going you’ll know 3 p.m., Everywhere. Free.

Plein-Air Painting Part of Vancouver’s Cherry Blossom Festival, Plein-Air has classes in a host of mediums, like watercolour and oil painting, and you’ll be taught different techniques while being inspired by cherry blossoms.

11 a.m., VanDusen Gardens. $50.

Litany Queer Reading Series This awesome emerging collective is set for their second reading! The event will feature the works of both emerging and established queer writers in Vancouver.

7 p.m. Gallery Gachet. $1.

Benjamin Grosvenor He’s a keyboard visionary, and he will be playing Beethoven, Scriabin and Chopin.

There’s just something about afternoon piano concerts that seems to illicit a little extra bit of class.

3 p.m., Vancouver Playhouse. $39/$18.

WED APRIL 3 Zumba Free Trial I always thought Zumba seemed like a pretty cool way to get your exercise in - what’s better than some sweet-looking dancing? Billy Blanks will always have a special place in my heart, but Zumba might be my next “Thing.”

5:30 p.m., Kensington Community Centre.

Free trial!

THURS APRIL 4 Savoy Family Cajun Band Now this is some toe-tappin’ stuff! Join Joel, Wilson, Mark and Ann in a feel-good time!

Dad Mark seriously knows how to play the accordion – I had no idea it could be played like that. Brother Wilson kind of reminds me of Paul Rudd.

8 p.m., St. James Hall. $28/$25.

FRI APRIL 5 How to Dress Well & Sky Ferreira The Courier has a bit of a crush on How to Dress Well, to be honest. And his co-headliner Sky Ferreira has become a very big deal, with catchy melodies, relatable lyrics, and overall amazing songs. This concert is going to be sick. That’s a thing, right?

8 p.m., Biltmore. $14.

SAT APRIL 6 Stars Canadians, finally! Pop indie, finally! The first video I ever watched by them pictured the duo lying on the ice while it was snowing, which is really funny because – well, Canada.

7 p.m., Commodore. $62.

SUN APRIL 7

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My Turquoise Years A coming-of-age story set in the Canadian ‘60s, this comedic tale sounds a little like something reminiscent of Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, but with more maple syrup, and more jokes (see: better).

Until May 4, Granville Island Stage. Ticket prices vary.

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Alt-J Okay so I realized that if you type in their name you get the symbol that they’re also called: ∆. I didn’t even know I could make that little triangle! I am what you call “selectively computer literate.”

8 p.m., Commodore. $36.

the capilano courier

Nick Cave Fun fact: He once wrote a screenplay for a sequel for The Gladiator because his friend Russell Crowe asked him to. Needless to say the film didn’t make the cut. At least he’s really good at rock music!

8 p.m., The Vogue. Sold out!

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OPINIONS

OPINIONS EDITOR ×

LEAH SCHEITEL

× OPINIONS@CAPILANOCOURIER.COM

SIGN LANGUAGE

BILINGUAL ADVERTISING WILL PROMOTE EQUALITY AND ACCEPTANCE Andy Rice × Staff Writer When it comes to having mandatory bilingual signage, in Richmond, all signs point to no. On Mar. 18, the city’s mayor and council rejected a petition for a new bylaw presented by two longtime residents and complete with nearly 1000 signatures. The document urged the city to require the inclusion of English or French language on advertisements at bus stops, on business signage, and in leaflets. The main reason behind the plea: to ensure a community inclusive to all people. While the petition and its message are certainly controversial, it’s hard to deny that the idea makes perfect sense from a constitutional standpoint.

In Quebec, the majority of the province’s population is French-speaking but all signs appear in both French and English. Even in an area where one of Canada’s two official languages is the main language, the visibility of both is called for by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Surely with that logic, at least one of them should appear alongside languages that aren’t officially recognized by the country’s constitution.

In Richmond, a city where nearly 60 per cent of residents list neither of Canada’s two official languages as their primary dialect, and where only around 37 per cent speak English exclusively, it’s no surprise that signage appears differently there than it does elsewhere in the Lower Mainland.

However, the city is part of Greater Vancouver, which is part of British Columbia, which is part of Canada, which has two official languages. If neither of them are reflected on those signs, then it is excluding a major demographic of nearby and national residents, as well as a large number of English-speaking tourists and immigrants.

Vancouver is a melting pot of different cultures, and for most of them, English is the lowest common denominator when it comes to language.

Having English included on signage in ethnicspecific areas would be a happy medium that could accommodate people from other ethnicities who are living or visiting there. Sure, it’s not Farsi or Spanish or Dutch, but it’s a language that people from Iran or Majorca or Holland will likely be able to understand in varying amounts for their own comfort and even safety. If not, it’s still far more probable that these people will know or learn English before they are ever able to speak a word of Cantonese.

For Richmond’s mayor, Malcolm Brodie, the problem with the proposed bylaw has more to do with the city’s role in enforcing it, rather than racial exclusion on either side. At the meeting, he made it abundantly clear that he was not interested in having the city’s resources tied up in language enforcement, adding that he “[didn’t] think arbitrary rules and regulations are the way to address this kind of an issue.” Only one councillor, Chak Au, moved to carry the issue of bilingual signage any further. The rest of council chose to continue

to allow businesses to decide voluntarily what to put on their signs.

In the Richmond area, signage policies do exist independently within some businesses and retail collectives in an attempt to make them friendlier to English-speaking customers. Aberdeen Shopping Centre is a visible example, requiring all of its stores to use at least 70 per cent English and French in their signage, with the other 30 per cent open for any other language. This serves as somewhat of a welcome mat for English-speaking customers, and when it comes down to the bottom line, that’s certainly not a bad thing. Other organizations like Work Safe BC have made accommodations the opposite way in adding Chinese to their normally English ‘Slow Down’ signs. The first of its kind, the signage was unveiled last year and faced controversy from several groups and residents in the city.

With around 6900 living languages in the world today, it’s clear that no sign can possibly please everyone. It seems only fair, however, that Canada’s two official languages should be balanced with those of its individual neighborhoods. In all likelihood, people will be more open to cultures they don’t understand if they can at least make sense of the signage in areas where this culture is abundant. Compromises will have to be made on both sides, but only in the name of racial harmony. The world has already lost too many languages through years of assimilation and cultural genocide. Nobody with the recent petition is asking that

Evaluating the Underdogs

Chinese or other languages be removed from the signs of Richmond in favour of English or French; only that the two appear alongside one another to reflect the people who do as well.

Richmond is not alone. The same challenge exists in Surrey, in Quebec, and abroad. Language should be looked at from both a micro and macro standpoint and the most effective solution will ultimately be to balance the racial demographic of a particular area with a country’s constitutional languages as a whole. It is fair and appropriate to accommodate both, just as it is unfair and impractical to exclude either. Richmond may have a large Asian population, but as part of a city and a country where the spoken and written language is predominantly English, its signage should also reflect that. The call for bilingual signage is a call for mutual cultural accommodation, not discrimination. And that’s no more than a sign

×× TIARE JUNG

of the times.

LOOKING AT THE LIBERAL CANDIDATES THAT COULD COMBAT TRUDEAU Kevin Kapenda

the capilano courier

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× Writer

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The Liberal leadership race is starting to heat up. Since launching their respective campaigns, Liberal leadership candidates Martha Hall Findlay and Joyce Murray have each presented ideas for reforming our country’s democratic process, environmental policy, and illicit drug law.

Even though they are long shots for the leadership, campaigning in Justin Trudeau’s shadow, they are the only candidates with enough widespread support to defeat him. “Joyce now appears to be in second place to Mr. Trudeau,” reported the Globe and Mail. “Still, it’s good that she is helping keep this a contested race, along with Martha Hall Findlay and others.” The other hopefuls are David Bertschi, Martin Cauchon, Deborah Coyne and Karen McCrimmon, who are, at the moment, making very little noise.

JOYCE MURRAY Due to the sudden withdrawal of former astronaut and leadership contender Marc Garneau, former B.C. Environment Minister Joyce Murray has now taken over as the contest’s science-minded candidate. As opposed to the business-oriented Findlay, many Liberals view Murray’s policies to be progressive. “Her pitch is what Liberals would view as slightly to the left,” said Thomas Walkom of the Toronto Star. For one, she is completely opposed to the Northern Gateway pipelines, a project Findlay is open to.

Murray’s most notable position has to do with our national drug policy. If able to, she would

legalize cannabis for recreational use. “The time has come to legalize, regulate, control and tax the production and distribution of cannabis in Canada,” stated Murray on her website. Many British Columbians, such as David Suzuki and Senator Larry Campbell, are standing behind Murray’s left Liberal agenda, but other Canadians elsewhere in the country feel that she is out of touch with national values. “Voters who may not like the Conservatives – but who do not detest them either – may be less inspired to vote for Murray’s Green New Liberal Democrats,” said journalist Adam Goldenberg in the Ottawa Citizen.

Instead of pushing for electoral reform like Findlay, as leader she would sign an agreement with the NDP and the Greens so if the Conservatives do not secure a majority standing in the house after the 2015 election, she would form a coalition government and potentially become Prime Minister. Though this last-resort tactic may appeal to the country’s political elites, a coalition agreement will only confuse voters more and split the non-Tory vote once again. Murray may be popular with environmentalists, but she is the only Liberal contender who has openly voiced her absolute opposition to the pipeline, thus creating more division in a party that has been trying to foster a new identity since its defeat in 2006. Murray has a bold character and she’s an asset to the Liberal shadow cabinet, but her left-wing enlightenment certainly does come as a surprise to some, since she served in Gordon Campbell’s pro-energy government from 2001 to 2005. As Goldenberg points out, many Canadians would find it difficult to vote for her centre-left agenda.

MARTHA HALL FINDLAY For Martha Hall Findlay, this is not the first time in the rat race. In 2006, she challenged former leader, Stephane Dion, but finished dead last amongst the eight candidates involved. This time around, pundits are predicting that she won’t suffer a repeat of her previous electoral thumping. “Findlay is trying again for the top Liberal job, and this time is considered to be in the top tier of the eight-person race,” claimed the CBC’s Leslie MacKinnon. One important issue that could carry her past Murray are her plans to reform our electoral process.

Many see our electoral system as illegitimate because candidates and parties, such as the current Conservative government, can form a majority government without securing the majority of the popular vote. Findlay’s solution for this is to install a preferential ballot system, a process where people choose more than one candidate to vote for.

“A preferential ballot is where a voter doesn’t just vote for one person, but lists his or her choices in order of preference,” explained Findlay. This system could help future Liberal candidates, including Findlay.

Unlike Murray, Findlay is less focused on introducing new ideas, but on defeating the Conservatives. This is why she is not opposed to developing the tar sands and constructing the Northern Gateway pipeline. “We should find a way to get our oil to the West Coast, and from there to the thirsty Asian markets, including China. Whether it is through a pipeline, whether it is through Kitimat or Prince Rupert.” However, Findlay agrees that some tax or levy must be put in place to ensure that companies respect the environment. “Polluters must pay for the

pollution they cause. I was a big supporter of the 2008 carbon tax,” stated Findlay. She wants to resurrect the carbon tax, by saving tax payers money elsewhere. “We will offset revenue received with a reduction in income tax,” she said. “Tax what we burn, not what we earn.”

Findlay’s centrist platform that combines economic principles and left-wing environmental compromise is exactly the type of platform the Grits need to defeat the Tories in 2015. Though a return to opposition for the Conservatives is highly unlikely, a return to a minority government is very probable. Her leadership could also be a pathway to a future Liberal government under Trudeau as well.

After launching his belated leadership bid in January, former Justice Minister and Quebec MP, Martin Cauchon is slowly beginning to challenge Findlay for third place. Unlike former candidate and fellow Quebec Liberal Marc Garneau, Cauchon still believes anything can happen between now and Apr. 14, the day when Liberal party members and non-paying Liberal supporters will elect their new leader. “The race is only starting,” says Cauchon. “People are still looking at the debates and haven’t really made up their minds.” At this point, it may be too little too late for David Bertschi, Deborah Coyne and Karen McCrimmon who continue to trail, in that order, the three other candidates in terms of endorsements and opinion polling. Though she will most likely not be crowned as leader next month, Findlay is more than deserving of the job because she is the only candidate that can use her business savvy to draw reformers, away from the Conservatives come 2015.

13-03-29 7:02 PM

FOREVER A LONER

THE PERKS OF BEING AN INTROVERT JJ Brewis × Editor-in-Chief “Why is being a loner characterized as a social disorder? It makes me annoyed to be labeled as antisocial [or] socially anxious. I am in fact very comfortable in social situations … Some people need time alone to process thoughts [and] events and some people don't.

I wish people wouldn't make introversion into a personality flaw.”

- Marina Diamandis, Marina & The Diamonds The unbearable summer sun made me squint as I watched my sister drive off in her red Toyota; the first day of her summer job would leave me alone for the entire school break. “Why don’t you go play with some of your other friends?” my mom asked me. The truth was, I didn’t have any, and I was completely comfortable with that. As the car faded into the distance, my mom told me, affectionately, that I was a loner. It was the first time I heard this word, but I immediately knew what it meant. At the time, it came off as a bit of an insult. In retrospect, I realize not only how correct she was, but also the fact that it was more of a badge than badgering. I know now just how okay I am with the fact that I’m an introvert.

Being a loner or introvert is quite different than people think it is. I spend most Saturday nights at home alone, because I enjoy the relaxation that comes with my own company. Weeks are long, and usually the last thing I want to do with my time off is engage in often bombarding social group situations. I’ve been there and experienced those moments, and I’m more in a position now where I want to enjoy my down time for myself – writing, reading, sleeping, whatever the hell I feel like without answering to anyone. But the outside world seems to have a problem with this.

Charles Bukowski wrote, “I don’t hate people. I just feel better when they’re not around.”

The same can be said for the average introvert – it’s not about disliking other people, it’s about enjoying the solitude of your own company.

Being comfortable in your own skin is a significant

accomplishment that many individuals don’t seem to have – often leading to the untrue speculation that those who are spending time alone are doing so because of negative connotations, be it sadness, lack of social skills or personal problems.

So why are some people introverts and some are extroverts? Long ago, psychologist Carl Jung coined the terms, but they’ve come a long way from the blanket statement he created them as. In reality, the level of which an individual is intro- or extroverted is more of a spectrum, ranging from the free balling socialite to what some may classify as a shut in. The truth is that most of us are closer to the middle – one out of every two people classifies as an introvert.

A counsellor at Capilano, Keith Lam, believes humans – no matter where they fall on the spectrum, will go where they are most naturally drawn. “To speak in a general term, I will say we behave the way we are because we feel good about it and feel ‘not that good’ if we behave differently.” The socialized state of the Western world is viewed as an extroverted paradise. Opportunities to get outside and constantly be networking or socializing are aplenty. But there are those of us who need some space from the outside world to live a healthy, balanced mental state.

This is a relatively new thing. Psychology professor at Capilano University Leonard George notes, “Introversion used to be more cool. But norms constantly change, and we’re in an ‘age of extraversion’ at the moment.” Living along the spectrum, introverts who, as George says are “a little less adapted to extraverted social pressures” will naturally be drawn to activities or careers like writing or designing, which require lower levels of social stimulation. In the moments when introverts must exit from their comfort zone, “An introvert can also learn strategies to cope better with high social stimulation. For instance, focusing on one person at a time at a party, rather than becoming overwhelmed by the intensity of the party as a whole.”

A common mindset is that spending time alone is just plain unhealthy, leading to the ideal that in our society everyone should be engaged with

people around him or her at all times. This just simply isn’t sustainable to an introvert. As George says, “Most introverts want to have some highquality and intimate relationships in their lives, just like everyone else, and most introverts enjoy social gatherings among friends. It’s just that, compared to extroverts, they are likely to reach their ‘saturation point’ of social stimulation more quickly and at lower levels.”

After spending extended time profiling U.S. President Barack Obama last year, New York Times writer Peter Baker illustrated, “Obama comes across as an introvert, someone who finds extended contact with groups of people outside his immediate circle to be draining … [Obama] can rouse a stadium of 80,000 people, but that audience is an impersonal monolith; smaller group settings can be harder for him.” Michelle Obama commented herself that “being President doesn’t change who you are – no, it reveals who you are.”

While at a live concert with a casual acquaintance, I could tell he was waiting for me to finish my food before he left. When I told him that he didn’t need to wait for me, he asked, “But won’t you feel weird sitting here alone?” On the complete flip side, I wanted him to leave so that I could sit and think to myself without obligation of talking to him. A lot of people are completely uncomfortable at the idea of sitting alone in a coffee shop, a movie theatre or a restaurant – but these are all situations I find solace in. Lam notes that this type of experience is common for someone who associates with being an introvert. “When we are pressured to be something we are not – even though our preference does not harm us or others, it costs us our self-esteem [and] confidence.”

George notes that, although our modern industrialized world does place value in social interaction, “More introverted activities can produce things that are widely admired – for instance, the works of the introvert J.K. Rowling.” Rowling is cited as one of the world’s most famous introverts, along with Albert Einstein, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Gandhi. Another common misconception about introverts versus extroverts is the willingness they are in being social – another part of the spectrum.

George says “While our (modern industrialized) world does value being social, of course there’s a place for healthy introverts. For one thing, introverts aren't antisocial.”

Many of us are, on one level or another, introverted, which George explains plays into a nature and nurture debate. “It’s both, of course.

It’s thought that about 50 per cent of the differences between people on the personality traits I mentioned above (including extroversion) are due to genetic differences, and about 50 per cent due to different environments, upbringing, etc.

So we might be nudged toward introversion by inheriting a particular set of genes, and also by early experiences that reward us for introverted behaviour, or by early imitation of introverts. But introversion is never entirely the result of genes or of experience.”

It’s common to encounter the mindset that, because you’re consciously choosing your own company cooped up alone a lot of the time, you’re terribly depressed. As George explains, “An introvert in an extroverted society might be slightly more likely to have trouble finding satisfying meaning in that society. But even in our extrovert-leaning culture, there are lots of ways to be a happy introvert.”

The idea of socializing just for the sake of it is alienating to me. It shouldn’t be offensive to an individual or group if someone politely declines an invitation without explanation. Sometimes a guy just wants to hang out in his room and write.

Whether or not that person creates something like Harry Potter shouldn’t matter. We all have 24 hours in a day; how we utilize our time isn’t something others should judge us on. Introverts and extroverts have room to get along, and enough common ground that the world is able to function because of their differences. We should try being less or more social to see how the other side feels.

In the meantime, I’ll be in my room.

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17 ×× AARON CAMPBELL

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OPINIONS

OPINIONS EDITOR ×

LEAH SCHEITEL

× OPINIONS@CAPILANOCOURIER.COM

HOW SECURE IS CAP'S SECURITY?

BROKEN ALARM BOX RAISES CONCERNS ABOUT STUDENT SAFETY Connor Thorpe × Staff Writer It’s no secret that university campuses aren’t always safe. Still, it’s the duty of an educational institution to provide assurances to students that they will be kept as safe as possible and will be provided the opportunity to learn without fear of physical, sexual or emotional assault. At Capilano, these assurances come largely in the form of the alarm boxes scattered across campus that can be used to alert security to intervene when students feel threatened or unsafe. Unfortunately, for Capilano students who find themselves in distress near the darkest and most secluded areas of the school, the alarm box doesn’t work.

Many of the alarm boxes have recently been displaying out of order signs, causing reason for concern. Some may brush aside the issue, claiming that it is the responsibility of students to be aware of their surroundings, and that the notion of safety shouldn’t be provided by the faceless promise of an emergency button. Yes, it’s just a button – but it also symbolizes a commitment by the university to the safety and wellbeing of its students. As it stands right now, that commitment isn’t being met.

A Statistics Canada report on sexual assaults in Canada compiled by Shannon Brennan and Andrea Taylor-Butts noted that Canadian students find themselves at a greater risk of sexual assault than the general populace.

“Being young, attending school and frequent

participation in evening activities are all factors that have been identified as increasing the risk of violent victimization,” the study reads. “Youth and students may have higher rates of sexual assault because of lifestyle factors. These individuals tend to engage more frequently in recreational activities, and are in close proximity to many different individuals at any given time.”

The reality is that, countrywide, one in four women will become a victim of sexual assault in their lifetime. In British Columbia, that statistic is disproportionately inflated, with nearly half of B.C. women being sexually assaulted. As decent, functioning members of society, it’s our responsibility to demand that every precaution – within reason – to protect the safety of our peers is being pursued. This is especially true within the grounds of a university. Students, many of whom pay their exorbitant tuition fees out of their own pockets, deserve a consistent and sincere effort by the institutions they attend to maintain a safe environment for study and socializing. Tuition contributes to most aspects of what keeps a university operational – including security. Just as a monthly U-Pass comes with the fees every semester, so should prescient and up-to-date security measures.

A study performed by UBC concluded that men are just as likely as women to experience violence of some kind. Lead researcher Elizabeth Saewyc told the UBC website that violence for students of any gender is palpably detrimental.

“Whether it’s from intimate partners or relative strangers, violence has a significant effect on young

Student pricing

people’s health,” she said. “At university, the stress from experiencing violence can affect students’ grades, their mental health, even their long-term physical health. When nearly one in five young people report recent violence, that’s a serious concern for campus health services.”

Following a rash of mass and isolated shootings at educational institutions – as well as those that were falsely reported – in the United States, tensions are running high regarding security at universities and colleges, as they find themselves as a frequent target where large-scale violence is concerned. No, it doesn’t happen in Canada that often – but what happens when it does?

The uses for Capilano’s emergency buttons aren’t relegated to threats that come from fellow human beings. As a school that is situated within a forest near the foot of Mt. Seymour, encountering a bear, coyote or other potentially dangerous wild animal on campus is certainly possible – especially during the warmer spring and summer months. As the alarm boxes are strategically placed in the secluded, heavily-treed areas of campus, they could be vital to student safety in the event of an encounter with a dangerous animal. While this isn’t a particularly frequent concern amongst students, the fact that a bear attack is even a remote possibility should be reason enough to get the box fixed.

Everybody should understand that universities aren’t always safe, and to have some due diligence to help ensure their own safety while on campus – but those who desire to traverse their academic careers assault-free deserve the assurance of an

environment that’s conducive to positivity and productivity, rather than fear and suspicion of one’s peers. Fixing the box isn’t the solution to stopping on-campus violence, but it’s a step in the right direction – and it’s not a hard one to take.

×× VIVIAN LIU

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the caboose

CABOOSE EDITOR ×

SCOTT MORAES

× CABOOSE.CAPCOURIER@GMAIL.COM

In The Mood Connor Rempel × Writer The heavy rainfall was shattering onto the corner of two streets with names I couldn’t pronounce.

The city was busy and people were out and about.

A lot of unfamiliar faces caught my eye but none that weren’t reaching the street gutters by the time I passed them. Now what I could not see I heard and what I heard was the never-ending, blistering rain echoing off the repellant hood of my coat. My feet were way past damp as the water had seeped through the insoles of my shoes hours ago. My actions were running on auto-pilot and I was searching for my next high.

I was waiting impatiently at the intersection where battered umbrellas were sheltering the smiles of peoples’ faces. I could relate to these people in a way. They had umbrellas to comfort their faces as I needed that high to keep me sane. I couldn’t hear what they were laughing about but it didn’t matter. I stood still as my mind paced back and forth. I stared at the red blinking pedestrian light, a red hand that would appear and disappear.

The pedestrian light turned green and the manoeuvring began. People brushed shoulders with each other, some moving out of the way for others, some keeping their path trying to make a statement. I simply crafted my way through the crowded people with a heightened awareness. My impulses were taking over and my mind, weakening, followed.

Like all the times before, I felt my steps carving the same trodden path, leading to the bevelled glass doors of the department store. My shoes rudely squeaked across the polished marble floor while my coat dripped incessantly. I smiled quietly

to myself, knowing full well the irony that no one was paying attention to the watery trail leading me towards my wickedness.

The watches lay in velvet beds, in glass cases that gleamed like trophies. I don’t blame her; I would ignore me, too. The employee seemed much more interested in Mr. Hugo Boss over there, already considering two watches. He probably played tennis and drove a convertible. Their heads were together, staring as he twisted his wrist this way and that, comparing the face, band, weight and latch.

“Thank you for waiting. How can I help you?”

I have to give it to Simons Department Stores.

They always hired attractive help, professional certainly, and how is it that black is always their best colour? But the rough hands and worn $16.99 black flats gave it away.

“No worries. I’d like to see the Zodiac Oceanaire, the IWC Spitfire and the Omega Seamaster.” She did not disappoint. I knew I was going to relish with a small degree of satisfaction, the fleeting shock that would wash across her face as she would find out I was familiar with branded watches. She wouldn’t expect a wet rat to know a thing or two about watches. But the fact is, working at the Ritz, their world doesn’t function without us, without the porters, the valets, the concierge, the housekeepers and the servers. We are invisible, but we are the glue. We live behind the glass wall, looking in. We may not have a fancy education but we sure get a crash course on an appreciation for the finer things in life. The beautiful things. “Thou shalt not covet.” Well, no shit, Sherlock. But I knew the ‘having it’ had consumed my days and nights and the planning of it took up all the spaces in my days. I knew it the moment a suited man would step out of a limo to shake my general manager’s hand. The most beautiful piece of jewellery I had ever seen. I knew I wouldn’t

ever be able to wear it in public, but I didn’t care.

I would be able to look at “it” any time I wanted.

My eyes would rove over every beautiful line and detail of her.

“This one, please,” she turned around, distracted once again by Mr. Hugo Boss whose girlfriend had now returned with a brand new purse at her elbow. I guess she needed a second opinion on the bag because the employee worked her way on over there like she was getting some sort of commission.

What a waste. I needed no such help, and certainly not from Miss Pretty Eye Candy over there. But I guess I owe Miss Candy a thank you.

The screaming in my head was as deafening as the blinding white lights of the store, the watch was right in front of my eyes with no one around.

A lady slipped coming off the elevator and bodies lurched forward to help her; a shoe dropped off

the clearance rack as a man roughly walked by fretting with his overcoat. Bochelli was singing softly from the speakers and the cash registers, ringing, ringing and ringing. There was just screaming and blinding white light.

The wet gust of fresh air was a blessing on my head, even as the cold blustery wind burst through my lungs. The bustling city embraced me like a lover in her familiar arms. I was at her centre and I was still no one, anonymous and safe. The cold and goose bumps from the freezing clothes made me feel fresh and new. My right thumb circling her hard, cold face, cutting into my thin, cold skin. I was in the mood to steal and I did just that. The high was a second home I could be comforted by, and now, a watch was just a souvenir to remember it by.

×× SUSAN LI

KATIESO.TUMBLR.COM

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46 issue N o . 22

19 ×× KATIE SO

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the caboose

CABOOSE EDITOR ×

SCOTT MORAES

× CABOOSE.CAPCOURIER@GMAIL.COM

SHOTGUN REVIEWS : GUILTY PLEASURES

ORGANIC SOAP Victoria Fawkes

FROZEN VEGGIES Lauren Gargiulo

ONE DIRECTION Carlo Javier

BAGGAGE JJ Brewis and Leah Scheitel

One of my biggest and most recent regrets was buying a four-pack of brand name soap at the grocery store. You see, I’m the kind of person that never buys the same kind of soap twice, the more unique the better. Buying boring bulk soap was a really out of character thing for me to do, because organic soap, the weirder the better, is my guilty pleasure. Charcoal detoxifying cleansers, locally derived hemp, moisturizing avocado essence, and naturally stimulating seaweed – you name it, I’ve tried them all. But still, I won’t be satisfied until the bar of soap I’m using is stranger, more natural, and more pretentiously named than the last one I used. The bar of soap I currently have is called “Canadian glacial clay.” I bought it two weeks ago, and I can’t wait to find my new favourite.

Every little kid had their parents tell them at least a million times that vegetables are good for you, so eat up and stop complaining. For the most part, excluding asparagus and brussels sprouts, I did eat my vegetables without complaining. Except I took it one step further: as a kid, and still to this day, I will cheerfully eat a bowl of frozen vegetables. You know the kind: the giant freezer bags from “The Jolly Green Giant” or “Western Family,” the bags that come in a bunch of different blends, oriental, garden fresh, etc. Frozen, I’ve never been a huge fan of oriental, simply because frozen water chestnuts are seldom pleasant. Frozen peas, carrots, beans, and corn however, is the greatest snack ever.

Whenever I have a bad day, I come home, take out a bowl, and pour a giant serving of frozen corn, peas, green beans, and carrots. My fingers go a little bit numb because I refuse to use a fork, but nothing says delicious like frozen carrot squares, pieces of green beans, peas and the best of the best, ice-cold corn.

“You don’t know you’re beautiful!” I surely didn’t, not until 1D’s first major hit single lit up my world like nobody else. I don’t, I don’t, don’t know what it is, but I’ve been completely taken by the One Direction phenomena. I know every lyric, and I’ve even emulated a hairstyle. Yet I still can’t pinpoint why I’m such a fan of 1D. Could it be Zayn’s ever-so-slick hair, or Harry’s bow ties and suspenders? Or maybe it’s the media’s portrayal of Mr. Styles as the bad guy after the Styles-Swift post-breakup fiasco. Maybe it’s the Little Things that get me, maybe it’s the fleeting Moments in time that the boys do that capture the hearts of many, including mine. Could it be their great collective fashion sense? Who knows, maybe it’s just a boy band fever I’m willing to have. Maybe I just really want to be the sixth member, Harry, Liam, Zayn, Niall, Louis…and Carlo. I have that One Thing.

It’s basically The Bachelor, but even more vapid and inept, done speed round style and hosted by who other than Jerry Springer and his shitty jokes. Contestants unload their emotional baggage (“I eat dirt,” “I married a gerbil,” “I live with dead people,”) and see just what kind of sucker will go on a date with them. It’s depressing as hell, but maybe that’s what makes it bearable – no matter how much back hair we have or how many times we’ve prank-called ex-lovers, it’s beautiful to know there are people out there way grosser than us. Like poor Paul, who lives in a trailer, is an ex-stripper and believes he was abducted by aliens. What’s in our big bags? I can only have sex with my socks on. And I like Muppets cosplay – it’s up to you to figure out whose is whose. Baggage is the fucking worst. And we absolutely love it.

SHREDBOOK

BY CELINA KURZ

W/ KATIE "SAD EYES" SO

RITZ CRACKER REALLY POMPOUS WHITE GUY MONOPOLY NOT FUN TO PLAY ALONE. ALSO, NOT FUN TO PLAY WITH OTHERS

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volume

46 issue N o . 22

KANGAROO JACK THE ONLY THING AUSTRALIA HAS GOING FOR IT THINGS THAT FEEL BAD GETTING THE CUFF OF YOUR SLEEVE WET THINGS THAT FEEL BAD GETTING A HIGH-FIVE DENIED THINGS THAT FEEL BAD GETTING KICKED IN THE FACE SEXSMITH A MASTER CRAFTSMAN OF "DOIN' IT" MEGABLOCKS JUST LIKE LEGO, BUT HORRIBLE TWIN PEAKS OTHERWISE KNOWN AS MAH BOOOBZ, HEYO!

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