The confluence issue 43

Confluence The

Official CNCSU Publication

MARCH 31, 2014

REVIEW POSTNORTH

GIRLS VOTE BILL C-23

04 Gathering PLace

Welcome to The Machine Ryan Urban White Editor-in-Chief

02 THECONFLUENCE

I’m sure that the majority of you fine people are beginning to feel the stresses associated with the end-of-the-schoolyear countdown. Due dates for papers and projects are coming fast, and the amount of notes on your desk has transformed from a bump into a mountain. If you feel like crawling into a cave until this is all over, you are not alone.

Although it is important to study and get the best grade you can, your mental health should come first. There is no point in breaking down now, so keep your chin up and take a break when you need to. Try to get adequate sleep and ensure that you can have a night to yourself where you can sit back and relax. Your brain will thank you for the mercy during these stressful times. In the words of Joe Dirt, “Keep on keepin on.”

Speaking of mental health, the fate of Canada’s healthcare is currently up in the air, more specifically, the fate of public healthcare. What makes public healthcare a public thing is, The Health Accord, which is an agreement between the federal government, provinces, and territories which provides stable funding and national standards for public healthcare services. Not only are Conservatives planning on cutting around $36 billion from healthcare over the next ten years, they are also refusing to sign a new contract to ensure the Health Accord continues. If the Conservatives continue to do what they do, the privatization of our healthcare system is not far behind.

I hope you enjoy this week’s issue. If you wish to submit for future issues, e-mail your documents towards the. confluence.mag@gmail.com

April 3

Farmers Market and Sustainability Showcase The farmers market will feature crafts from various Prince George vendors. Also, come enjoy the Sustainability Showcase which features local businesses and interest groups that will be more than happy to explain the importance and significance of environmental sustainability. The CNCSU will also be handing out water bottles and other goodies as well. These events will be held at the Gathering Place within the College of New Caledonia between 10:00am and 2:00pm.

April 10

5th Annual John Harris Fiction Awards Need a break from exams and writing? Come on down to room 1-306 at the College of New Caledonia around 7:00PM and listen to some of the best prose from some of the best writers in Prince George and the Northern BC area. The event is free and will feature readings and performances from notable CNC alumni and instructors. Shane Darroch will be hosting, Whisky Fingers will be performing, Dennis Schreiner and Kirsten Gjerde will read from their works, and Jordan B. Kinder will be the keynote speaker.

John Harris, the man of the hour, will also be reading. The event is free and all are welcome.

Ryan Urban White

Harman Dandiwal

Editor-in-Chief, The Confluence

Production Editor, The Confluence

EVENTS AT A GLANCE CNCSU Elections Day 1

CNCSU Elections Day 2

Vote Count Farmers’ Market

EDCO

Gathering Place

The Confluence is produced biweekly at the CNCSU office on CNC’s Prince George campus by Ryan White and Harman Dandiwal.

Submissions, inquiries and requests can be made to news@cncsu.ca, in person at the CNCSU room 1-303, or mailed to “The Confluence c/o CNCSU 3330-22nd Ave. Prince George, BC V2N1P8.

All submissions are welcome, the authors of edited works used in the confluence receive a $20 cheque upon publication. Advertisement rates are available upon request.

Int’l Women’s Day Breakfast

3rd Annual SKI TRIP

St. Patrick’s Day Party NWCC By-Election for International World Water Day Panel Rep.

Bowling In Quesnel 7-9PM

Gathering Place

HCAP Bake Sale

Gathering Place

World Water Day

April 12

9th Annual Barry McKinnon Chapbook Awards

The Barry McKinnon Chapbook Awards is by far one of the most exciting poetry events of the year, featuring readings from the established poets from around Northern BC. This is the poetry of competition and is often subject to no-holds barred clauses that ensure anything goes during the writing, reading, and performance. Did I mention this event will be taking place at the Twisted Cork? The event is free, but the beer, wine, and spirits are going to cost you. The event starts at 7:00PM.

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Squash The Squeeze Campaign Launch

Article by : Rachelle Munchinsky

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GATHERING PLACE 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

I

n March 2013 the CNC Atrium was renamed the Gathering Place, to support the Indigenization of the College’s space and community. Indigenization is a term used to bring Aboriginal culture into focus in and amongst North American culture.

This process is a mandate of the College of New Caledonia in supporting Aboriginal cultures in Northern British Columbia.

So, this March 2014, the Aboriginal Resource Centre organized a three day festival of workshops to celebrate the 1 year anniversary of the Gathering Place. This event was twofold.

Aside from being designed as a means to promote indigenous culture, it also provided a study break for students before their exams and final papers were due. The overarching idea was for students to come to the Gathering Place and engage with Elders in learning Aboriginal traditions.

Joan Brett, the manager of the Aboriginal Resource Centre, commented, “This event has given the opportunity for CNC students and community to further understand the diversity of Aboriginal people. The booths have given CNC students the opportunity to sit and talk to the Elders and relieve some stress from school work.

I have been pleased with the media coverage of the event and the turnout of CNC students and community to experience the event.”

Overall, the experience was defined by the passing of knowledge in a respectful and fun manner. The workshops ranged from beading, weaving, carving, painting, learning about Aboriginal traditional medicine, and eating bannock! Each workshop had a place for students to sit and learn from the Elders and make a craft of their own. All went as planned and students learned traditional aboriginal skills and culture, and took a break from their end of term workload in the process.

CNCLibrary

– Deadline Earth Day,Tuesday April 22

EarthContest Day Inspiring Words about David Suzuki

with David Suzuki

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/thebottomline/

There are 15 inspiring words in this word search, describing David Suzuki. Did you know? Suzuki recently left the David Suzuki Foundation’s Board of Directors so he could speak more freely without endangering the Foundation’s work. He has stepped into an “elder” role but is still an active volunteer and donor. See his letter at http://www.davidsuzuki.org

Find words and circle Academic Advocate Broadcaster Conservationist Ecohero Elder Environmentalist Geneticist Honoree Leader Naturalist Your full name _________________________________________

Scientist

Your phone ______________ or Email _____________________

Spokesman

Win Prizes! See library display case.

Drop in Library Contest Box or scan/email to contest@cnc.bc.ca Deadline Earth Day, April 22, 2014

Tireless Writer

Win Prizes!

POLITICAL UPDATE

VOTE: BILL C-23

08 THECONFLUENCE

by : Michael Brigade

I get it, I really do. It’s hard running a democratic country.

Every four years you need to convince the plebs that they need to rally against their best interest and vote you and your cronies into office. The advertising costs alone are insane, let alone the exhausting need to keep up an appearance of decorum and propriety in the public eye. . Plus, no matter how hard you campaign, no matter what lies you tell or promises you make,

current vouching system, where if someone doesn’t have an ID with their current address, a voter with a valid current address can vouch for the person without. It doesn’t sound like much until you realize who the people without updated ID cards and only one piece of ID actually are: students, youth and low-income people. Pretty much anyone who moves every couple of years, or doesn’t have a second piece of governmentissued ID and can’t find anyone to vouch that they live at their current address would be denied the vote.

Elections Canada currently runs campaigns to encourage voter turnout. Guess what? Under the new legislation they would not be able to run any kind of promotion or encouragement to vote. Considering that Canada has one of the worst youth voter turnouts in the developed world, anything that limits turnout or denies youth voters the ability to vote is an absolute affront to our values as a democratic nation.

To reiterate my point, it’s hard as hell to run a democratic nation. The current government seems to find democracy too difficult, and has taken steps to limit democracy in our nation. The current MPs that represent Prince George are Richard Harris and Bob Zimmer, both Conservative. If you’re moving around a lot and don’t know anyone to vouch for you, I strongly urge all students at CNC to let them know that they will be unable to vote for them in the next election if this bill passes.

09 THECONFLUENCE

there will still be people that will not vote for you.

Hence, bill C-23, named the “fair elections act” is a truly excellent example of doublespeak that seems primarily designed to limit the franchise of the key demographics that didn’t vote for the current government.

While electoral reform is probably necessary in the near future in Canada, (our current “first past the post” system tends to not accurately reflect the actual percentages of votes cast) the bill as it stands has provisions that would limit who could vote. The bill would also drastically change the administration of Elections Canada, heavily limiting their ability to promote elections and investigate allegations of impropriety. For instance, the current ‘robocalls’ investigation would disappear as Elections Canada lost the ability to effectively investigate and prosecute in the case.

The actual limitations on voting stem from a reworking of existing identification systems.

Currently, to vote, a person needs to bring their Voter ID Card, which is mailed in advance of elections, as well as a piece of ID with their current address on it, such as a driver’s license.

Under the new legislation, Voter ID Cards would not be allowed as a form of ID. Rather, the polling stations would require two pieces of ID with your current address to vote, leaving people with only one piece of ID with their address on it unable to vote. The legislation would also remove the

10 THECONFLUENCE

P

ostnorth Girls, helf on the 27th of March at The Twisted Cork, was yet another fun literary event organized

by Graham Pearce and Matt Partyka and hosted by Paulina Nielson. Unlike previous Postnorth events, the reading list was comprised entirely of female writers. Additionally, this event was not exclusively poetry; many writes chose to read exerts form their short stories.

Graham said on the Facebook event page, “The word ‘girls’ is used because it reflects the youth of the line-up and alludes to the ‘Riot Grrrls’ and the girl power.”

The lineup of talented writers certainly delivered some empowering work that ran the gamut from profoundly thought provoking to outrageously hilarious.

The night opened with Sarah Davy on the xylophone and Breanne West on the ukulele. The talented duo performed a mash-up rendition of the Beastie Boys song “Girls” and The Isley Brothers “Shout.” This was followed by an introductory speech by Paulina Nielson, who said, these works “should be treated as a conversation […] if you want a sermon, go to church.” As a result, she removed any sense of pedagogy that the audience might have felt. The first reader of the night was Cjay Thun, who read a deeply personal poem about growing up in BC Children’s Hospital. She followed this up with a darkly humorous set of poems, entitled “Before” and “After”; these poems addressed the ideal projected into a romantic partner versus the reality of who that person really is. The next reader was Jenny Simpson; she delivered some very powerful lines such as “you are the syringe in my brother’s suicide.” The first person to read fiction was Jocelyn Coupland; her short story included a funny, awaked erotic encounter between a superhero and a villain.

By Shane Darroch

The second set opened with Meagan Wall who read a partially musical poem, entitled “Cat Poem” about a house cat’s adaption to the “urban jungle.”

The next reader was Joelle Gagne; her poem “Naked Hot Tub Foursome” was, in my opinion, the most risqué reading of the night. As a result, showing that Postnorth is a venue in which the readers make themselves vulnerable. Nikki Moorhead’s poem “Testosterone” also delivered some funny lines while addressing the issue of bumbling male sexual advances: “I leave them turned on and turned down”, and “girls like me are the reasons my marriages don’t last.”

The third and final set of readings opened with another musical act by Sarah Davy; this time she played a slow but powerful cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m on fire.” The first reader of the final round was Mercedes Minck. Based on the level of audience laughter, her short story about the troublesome nature of drug presentation was the funniest piece read that night. The story featured a Future Shop employee and aspiring cocaine dealer who took over the top measure to please his clients. The Night concluded with a reading from the event’s host, Paulina. Her poem “Smoke Rings” concluded with a powerful line, “If I drank enough/ I swear I

could justify the world.” During her closing remarks, Paulina said that this event was “free of moral authority and blind ideas.”

I agree; it was an excellent night filled with talented female authors who freely wrote about any issue they desired.

I would also like to congratulate the other writers who presented at this event who I did not get a chance to mention in this article. If you are interested in other literary events in Prince George, the John Harris Fiction Awards are on the 10th of April and the Berry MacKinnon Chapbook Awards are happening on the 12th of April.

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A REVIEW OF POSTNORTH GIRLS

CNC’s 3rd Annual

Sustainability SHOWCASE

exhibits by D o g w o o d i n i t i at i v e Dd o b u g s n e e d d r u g s ? av e m a r i a R rEA PS City of prince george

10 am to 2 pm

C o m f o rt Zz o n e bB l o o d dD r i v e D av i d D o u g l as B o ta n i ca l G a r d e n S o c i e t y

and more...

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Prepare yourself for Earth Day at CNC’s Annual Sustainability Showcase presented by the CNC Students’ Union