The Other Press - March 15 by Other Press

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Lettitor

Erin go, brah I

have always been a fan of St. Patrick’s Day. My grandmother was Irish, so that lifeline has been clung to throughout my existence. Robbie Keane jerseys, Bailey’s whenever possible, a relatively fake taste for the ever-poorly travelling Guinness whenever the folks were looking the other way, and a miserable affected accent were staples of my childhood. You have to be proud of all your roots. It never bothered me that I wasn’t full-blooded and paleas-a-Protestant-in-a-Catholicchurch Irish. Despite looking undeniably more like my Asian half in those developing years, I’d proudly take to school, the pitch, and friends’ decked out in a green ensemble that would put even the keenest of St.

Patty’s Day partiers to shame. Similarly, though one could make the argument that I was simply looking for support of my thin Eire connection, it didn’t trouble me whatsoever when I saw classmates donning likecoloured garb. It didn’t matter if they were of Irish descent or not. It didn’t matter if they had no idea what Gaelic was. It didn’t matter if the only time they ever acknowledged the Emerald Isle’s existence was on March 17. I was happy to see others celebrating. Taking part. Making the occasion as joyful as possible. Children see the world best sometimes. It’s something I have carried with me to this day. I sigh whenever I hear people complaining of how everyone

taking part in St. Patrick’s Day is cultural appropriation. It’s a celebration. The last thought that should be going through anyone’s mind when thinking of a celebration is excluding someone—because that’s essentially what’s happening if the cultural-appropriation horn is blown loudly and soundly for all to hear. It’s saying that it’s not okay for certain parts of the population to participate. And not only shouldn’t they be involved, but it’s offensive if they do. I haven’t found a truly wellmeaning cause that honestly trumpets such a notion. Of course this does not apply solely to the Irish bash. Christmas, Diwali, Hanukkah, etc. Am I a Christian? Nope.

Davie Wong Sports Editor Eric Wilkins Editor-in-Chief  editor@theotherpress.ca

Chitwan Khosla Features Editor  features@theotherpress.ca

Lauren Kelly Assistant Editor  assistant@theotherpress.ca

Brittney MacDonald Life & Style Editor  lifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca

Mercedes Deutscher News Editor  news@theotherpress.ca

Elliot Chan Opinions Editor  opinions@theotherpress.ca

Adam Tatelman Arts Editor  arts@theotherpress.ca

Chandler Walter Humour Editor  humour@theotherpress.ca

Angela Ho Business Manager

Ed Appleby Illustrator

Jacey Gibb Distribution Manager

Jony Roy Social Media Coordinator

Cara Seccafien Layout Manager

Aaron Guillen Staff Reporter

Joel McCarthy Graphics Manager

Staff Writers Rebecca Peterson Cazzy Lewchuk Jamal Al-Bayaa

Elizabeth Jacob Production Assistant

Senior Columnists Jerrison Oracion David Manky Columnist Jake Wray Contributor Cheryl Minns

Do I say, “Merry Christmas,” to others I know not to be Christian? Absolutely. Do I gladly hop into any of these holidays given the chance? For sure. Look at these festivities like those themed days in school: crazy hair day, pajama day, etc. Do you have to partake in the fun? No, but the only person you’re shorting if you choose not to is yourself. The world is a strange place. Many problems are swept under the carpet and mindlessly played off as nothing issues; however, in an attempt to shine a light on matters of significance, oversensitivity has emerged. Make no doubt about it, cultural appropriation does exist, but we needn’t make a concerted

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effort to find it in all things. Mountains out of molehills. Use your own head when forming opinions. Do some research. See how you actually feel. The popular opinion isn’t always correct, and if we decide to throw our weight behind thoughts we haven’t legitimately devoted time to, the end result often does more harm than good.

 theotherpress.ca  editor@theotherpress.ca    /theotherpress /DouglasOtherPress

OO The Other Press has been Douglas College’s student newspaper since 1976. Since 1978 we have been an autonomous publication, independent of the student union. We are a registered society under the Society Act of British Columbia, governed by an eight-person board of directors appointed by our staff. Our head office is located in the New Westminster campus. OO The Other Press is published weekly during the fall and winter semesters, and monthly during the summer. We receive our funding from a student levy collected through tutition fees every semester at registration, and from local and national advertising revenue. The Other Press is a member of the Canadian University Press (CUP), a syndicate of student newspapers that includes papers from all across Canada. OO The Other Press reserves the right to choose what we will publish, and we will not publish material that is hateful, obscene, or condones or promotes illegal activities. Submissions may be edited for clarity and brevity if necessary. All images used are copyright to their respective owners.

News

Have an idea for a story?  news@theotherpress.ca

OO Tri-City’s enthusiastic approach to plastic OO BC government investigates a possible highway to the Sunshine Coast OO Opportunities for those from near and far And more!

Landslide victory for Action slate in DSU election  Annual election draws impressive voter turnout Mercedes Deutscher News Editor

he DSU Representative Committee election drew to a close on March 4 after a week of polling and another week of intensive campaigning the week prior. Ultimately, Action proved to be the successful slate, winning around two votes for every vote received by their opposition, NeXgen. Action brought a variety of newcomers to DSU politics, with Jerzy Mazurek being the only member of last year’s committee to be re-elected. Three other members from the previous committee were also running for re-election; however, one was disqualified from the election while the other two candidates were defeated in their positions. This was the second election for Aran Armutlu, the recently elected Treasurer from Action, and his first victory. “We had a couple experienced members on team Action, but mostly first timers,” said Armutlu. “We do our best to prepare and it showed during the election, but no matter how

much you prepare for elections they are still one of the most difficult things you can do. Between the long hours and balancing classes and campaigning, it can be pretty stressful.” The evening of March 4 was the culmination of weeks of hard work for Action. The slate provided good turnout for the all-candidate forums in the campaign week, and they could be found in the concourse of the New Westminster campus throughout both campaign and polling week. Now elected, Action looks forward to an optimistic year in the DSU. “The first thing will probably be planning,” explained Armutlu. “We feel as though it’s important to sit down and really map out the year, set goals, have some long term plans. We are not here to just think about

our year and move on. We are planning to settle in a foundation of planning that will hopefully continue on for years.” Action campaigned on promises of providing a variety of events for students of all ages, groups, and interests. These included social nights, more support for the athletics department, advocating for reduced costs to students, and promotion of Douglas clubs. They also campaigned on stronger support for the growing population of international students and advocated for increased transparency in the DSU. “The DSU is a place that can foster student growth and excellence, and we want to see it reach that potential for years to come,” said Armutlu. This was also an impressive election for voter turnout. Last year, only four per cent of students cast a

ballot; This year, that number rose to 19.5 per cent. Armutlu had this to say to voters: “Thank you! We appreciate you, more than you can imagine. Every vote matters because each vote was a student showing they believed in us and our vision of what the DSU can become. Over the past week we have been congratulated by many students and as much as we love hearing it, the congratulations is to you as well. You have actively engaged in a way to positively change things for yourself and other students and we are proud of you, humbled by all the support, and excited to take on the challenge!”

Full election results College Relations Coordinator Monique Paulino........1573 for, 303 against. David Lam Representative Meredeth Graham......1344 Chad Conley..................656 Treasurer Aran Armutlu..............1304 Pardeep Jaswal...............651 Internal Relations Coordinator Jerzy Mazurek.............1281 Derek Goundar..............698 External Relations Coordinator Surya Viswanathan.....1310 Members-At-Large: Manuel Pena...............1343 Prabhjot Kaur Hundal 1290 Paul Wittayaworapat.1234 Taylor Hochban.............702 Mustafa Haq..................634 Aboriginal Representative Sahara Tom......1268 Alex Gibbons.....642

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Pride Representative Tanysha Klassen......1314 Jacquoline Martin.........667 Disabilities Representative Sterling Hillman.1240 Simran Bir..............722 Women’s Representative Iman Abdulla..............1283 Taylor Woodward..........653

theotherpress.ca

news // no. 4

Tri-City’s enthusiastic approach to plastic  City cracks down on green waste laws Aaron Guillen Staff Reporter eing green isn’t a new concept. The process of separating garbage, from compost to paper, has been around for a while. While Metro Vancouver is working hard to become a greener city, some residents are still not getting the message—ironically, those that jumped on board in the first place. Back in 2004, Port Coquitlam began neighbourhood yard trimming collections, the first program of its kind in BC. Then in 2008, PoCo was the first to separate green food scraps into a Green Cart, rather than joining the garbage—they also added food-soiled papers to the list the following year. Finally, in 2011, PoCo expanded their accessibility by reaching out to multi-family complexes. Today, many would think that these residents are at the forefront of change, but it looks like some values have gone rotten. Recently, high volumes of plastic bags have been contaminating the Green Cart

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Program. Now, city officials across the Tri-Cities are done taking out the trash for residents. With green cart programs rolled out around all surrounding cities and a six-month adjustment period complete from last summer, most would argue that there’s no longer any room for excuses.

Notably, the City of Coquitlam has sent out over 1,000 letters to homes that haven’t complied with the plastic bag violations. Future violators should be warned that a $500 fine is now in place. Coquitlam Environmental Services manager Steffanie Warriner told the Tri-City News

that plastic bags, including ones labeled compostable or biodegradable, cannot be put into green cans. The city will be upping its education to help residents better understand this. Coquitlam hopes to change the regular habits of residents who haven’t been abiding to

guidelines through a modern day approach. The city has created the ReCollect App, which reminds residents every collection day. Additionally, it provides helpful information, such as where and how to recycle specific household waste simply by typing in the name of any waste item. According to Port Coquitlam’s Green Cart handbook, 47 per cent of residential garbage that ends up in landfills are food scraps. The green bin initiative has been trying to change that. Food scraps in green bins will be brought to a composing facility and will be turned into a useful composted soil project for local gardens and farms. It is easy to wrap food scraps in newspapers or paper bags, but plastic bags of any kind, even biodegradable or compostable, will hurt the final product of the compost. All foods scraps can go in your green bin. Not only fruits and vegetables, but fish, bones, plate scraps, and even pizza boxes. The result is significantly less garbage in the landfills, and significantly more composted soil.

BC government investigates a possible highway to the Sunshine Coast  USome say the study is detracting from current transportation problem Rebecca Peterson Staff Writer study funded by the BC government is now underway to decide whether or not it’s feasible to build a highway connecting the Lower Mainland to the Sunshine Coast. Though the Sunshine Coast is a popular tourist destination for BC, it is currently difficult to access. Despite being part of the mainland proper, the Sunshine Coast is divided from the Lower Mainland by several deep and wide inlets. As it stands now, the only access to the area, which has a population of 30,000 people, is by BC Ferry, with multiple transfers between Vancouver and a Sunshine Coast destination. In light of this, the government has awarded a $250,000 contract to engineering firm R.F. Binnie. The firm’s study will investigate whether or not it is cost-effective to connect Highway 99 to the Sunshine Coast by spanning the inlets with multiple bridges, using the islands in the wider inlets as touch-points. “There’s always been talk of [a fixed link], but I’ve never heard as much talk as I have in the past

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four or five years,” said the NDP MLA for Powell River, Nicholas Simons, to Business Vancouver. “Some people would suggest the government has made the ferry service so bad that it’s created a demand for alternatives.” Despite the region being popular with tourists, the

government has cut ferry service to the Sunshine Coast by a wide margin, resulting in longer wait times during ideal tourist periods such as long weekends. As much of the economy of the Sunshine Coast is reliant on tourist money, many citizens in the region consider themselves to be greatly

affected by these changes. An overland access route might not come quickly enough to make any real impact on the current situation. “It’s difficult for our businesses to be competitive given the cost and reliability,” said Gibsons Mayor Wayne Rowe to Business

Vancouver. Simons agreed with this sentiment, telling the Powell River Peak: “The fact a study is being undertaken does not absolve the government of their responsibilities to our communities in the meantime.” The hope in the long-term would be for tourism and commerce to pick up along the Sunshine Coast, given easier and faster access to the Lower Mainland. However, the infrastructure necessary for this endeavour would take a great many years to complete. R.F. Binnie’s final report on the study is not expected back until the end of fall, long past the conclusion of the summer tourist season. The concern as well is that the government might compare the cost of this proposed land route to the cost of the current, ineffective ferry systems, rather than the ferry systems that were in place prior to the cuts. “I’m hoping the study answers all our questions and gives us an idea of what could happen in the future,” Simons said, “but in the meantime, the residents of the Sunshine Coast has transportation issues that need to be dealt with now.”

news // no. 5

issue 24 // volume 42

Social hiring initiative develops work skills with DTES residents T

hose who have ever hunted for a job know how hard it is to find one all too well. That struggle is 10 times greater for low-income individuals living in the poorest neighbourhoods in East Vancouver, many of whom are physically unable to work in full-time positions and are often dismissed by employers. SFU MBA Candidate Anna Migicovsky is hoping to make that job search a little easier. She is the project coordinator of an employment platform called Knack, which aims to connect businesses with those who are looking for employment in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Migicovsky developed the program along with two others as part of her internship at LEDLAB, a social innovation lab that is a branch of RADIUS

SFU and EcoTrust Canada. Knack was created as a community program in partnership with the Potluck Café Society, which has been providing good food and employment opportunities for the community for over 15 years. Migicovsky and her team also work with other non-profit organizations within the Downtown Eastside, such as Union Gospel Mission, an organization that provides career advising as part of the services it offers. According to Migicovsky, around 7,000 people in the Downtown Eastside are currently collecting social assistance, and these individuals are not necessarily working. “The Downtown Eastside is currently very volunteer-focused, but these volunteers are actually doing a lot for the organizations [of which they are part],” explained Migicovsky. “We want to create more income-

Opportunities for those from near and far  International Day and Student Engagement Awards coming to Douglas Mercedes Deutscher News Editor International Day March 15 ouglas hosted its annual International Day on March 15 at the New Westminster campus. The day is meant as a celebration to recognize the accomplishments of its international student population. A similar event is hoped to take place at the David Lam campus in the fall. International students make up about 15 per cent of the student population. These students also pay an average of 10 per cent more to attend Douglas than domestic students. International Day was an opportunity for students from all over the world to share their ideas and culture with the student body.

Student Engagement Awards While International Day may have passed, both international and domestic students and faculty alike will have an opportunity to nominate and receive recognition for actions that have improved campus and community life. The awards available are two for Leader of the Year, one for Outstanding Contribution to Student Engagement by a Faculty/Staff Member, and one for Outstanding Contribution to Student Engagement by a College Department. Students and faculty may be nominated until March 23 at midnight. After the group of finalists are selected by the College Life Department, they will attend a gala on April 20, where the winners will be announced. Candidates may be nominated by anyone, be it staff, students, or those from outside of the college.

generating opportunities for these individuals. We’re trying to use the knowledge and wisdom that Potluck has in order to increase the number of employment opportunities.” Knack focuses on educating employers about inclusive employment, and that people are coming from unstable backgrounds and might be

unable to work 40-hour weeks. The program also offers several workshops to develop soft transferrable skills such as time management, teamwork, and conflict resolution, to name a few. Upon completing these workshops, participants earn digital badges that act as certifications of the skills they have developed. They are

similar to badges that one would earn by being part of a Scouts Canada troop, and veer away from qualifications one might include on a traditional résumé. Essentially, Knack wants to create a mutually beneficial relationship between employee and employer. “There is an untapped labour market right now that is about providing low-skill jobs at affordable rates. This program is not just about educating individuals, but also about understanding what the employer wants,” said Migicovsky. “It’ll increase quality of life for the individual and also create casual part-time work positions for the employer.” Most importantly, what Migicovsky wants individuals to take away from the Knack program is a better quality of life. “Employment isn’t only for people who are healthy and stable,” Migicovsky said. “It is also a pillar of health.”

Evergreen Line stations demand accessibility, and soon  Coquitlam’s City Centre Public Parking Management Strategy Aaron Guillen Staff Reporter

any transit commuters who drive to their nearby SkyTrain station know that parking spots can be rare and valuable. With the upcoming Evergreen Line slated for full operation by February 2017, all eyes are on Coquitlam in anticipation for what the parking situation will look like. Luckily, Coquitlam is on its toes, ready to face the challenge head-on with what they call the City Centre Public Parking Management Strategy. The plan will direct the city on what measures are needed to be taken to meet the needs of residents, commuters, and businesses, focusing on the Coquitlam Central, Lincoln, and Lafarge Lake-Douglas stations. Such an intricate plan, expected to meet the needs of everyone in the City Centre area, has been placed in the hands of city officials, who have proposed a handful of

solutions. Many aspects, such as the distance from stations to local land use, have to be considered when thinking about how to effectively integrate a parking strategy around such a dense area, especially during peak times. Research from Coquitlam city officials shows that commuters tend to prefer parking anywhere between 5–10 minutes from any given station. Thankfully, the Parking Strategy accounts for the expected demand and plans to expand upon the West Coast Express parking lot by approximately 300 spaces, and potentially remodel nearby parking lots currently being underused, providing up to 170 more spaces. For those who don’t drive but want to use another form of transportation, the strategy has got residents covered on all fronts. Improved cycling access and secure bike lockers are being implemented, car share spaces are being integrated, and pick-

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Bernice Puzon The Peak (Simon Fraser University)

Photo via Anna Migicovsky

 Participants earn soft skill badges instead of making resumes

up/drop-off locations are being sorted out in the coming months. Before Evergreen construction, the province was determined to build around 100 spaces for Port Moody, and 400 in the Coquitlam Station transit exchange expansion, bringing the total to 500. However, after consulting the public the city realized the need for more stalls at the end of the line at the Lafarge Lake-Douglas Station. “The opening of the Evergreen Line… will bring new demand for parking along this transit corridor,” stated the proposition to city council on the subject, which was unanimouslyapproved. “As the city is the primary landowner in the area of this station, the province has asked the city to consider accommodating park and ride on its lands.” A smooth success is all that the Parking Strategy is hoping to accomplish. Will the supply meet the demand along the Evergreen Line? Only time will tell.

OO Comic Corner: Déjà vu OO Chairman of the Board: Always bet on Brain OO Bury Your Gays And more!

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Arts

Have an idea for a story?  arts@theotherpress.ca

The Real House of Cards  ‘Race for the White House’ review Jerrison Oracion Senior Columnist

hile we may not know what happens behind the scenes during presidential campaigns, anything could affect a candidate’s chance of becoming the next president of the United States. There are plenty of exciting elections in American history, and the stories behind them are just as interesting. Just in time for the new season of House of Cards, the new CNN show Race for the White House

explores six elections that have a lot of historical significance. The show is narrated and produced by House of Cards’ Kevin Spacey, who describes the campaigns of the candidates and what they did to try to win votes. The structure of the show is similar to another CNN show, The Decades. Throughout the show, various historians talk about the events in the elections, and in some episodes, some of the people who were involved in the campaigns talk about their experiences, complete with reenactments of those events. In the first episode, the show talks

about the 1961 race between New York Senator John F. Kennedy and Vice President Richard Nixon. Many people thought that Nixon was going to be the next president, but Kennedy’s campaign was unique enough for the time to keep the media’s attention on him. This episode also highlighted their first televised debate, which was the most watched event in TV during that time and showed both Kennedy’s potential and Nixon’s many mistakes in the debate. Spacey’s narration feels very similar to Frank Underwood without the southern accent.

The theme song of the show is also similar to the theme song of House of Cards. When I watched the episode, I learned a lot of things about the 1961 election. It is interesting to note that Frank Sinatra was the first singer to endorse a candidate or sing a jingle for an election ad. This was one example of Kennedy’s exploitation of star power. Kennedy was ill during his campaign, but he hid this fact from the public in order to secure votes. On the other hand, Nixon could not hide his clumsiness. He broke his knee twice, making him look very foolish

in front of the voting public. The episode aired after the Democratic Presidential Debate. In the debate’s after-show, Erin Burnett and the panel discussed the themes of the episode. There will be more interesting stories in the next few weeks, like the 1864 race between Abraham Lincoln and George B. McClellan in this week’s episode, the 1984 race between Ronald Reagan and Walter Mondale, 1988 race between George H. W. Bush and Michael Dukakis, and Bill Clinton’s election in 1992. Race for the White House airs Sunday at 7:00 p.m. on CNN.

arts // no. 7

issue 24 // volume 42

Don’t fear the dark  ‘The Dark Mod’ and game design Adam Tatelman Arts Editor ineteen ninty-eight was an incredible year for stealth gaming, seeing the simultaneous release of the underrated Tenchu: Stealth Assassins, the dated Metal Gear Solid, and the almighty Thief: The Dark Project. These games were the first full 3-D stealth titles ever created, and they laid the groundwork for all future titles in the genre. It comes as no surprise, then, that some of the people who grew up with these titles were inspired to create some of their own. Enter Eric Pommel’s The Dark Mod (TDM), a total conversion modification of the Doom 3 game engine designed to emulate the great stealth games of the past. The mod has been in the works since 2004, and although it was released for free public download in 2009, the creators continue to make updates and program new assets even to this day. As an added bonus, TDM is now a standalone download, meaning that a copy of Doom 3 is no longer required to play the game. TDM’s greatest asset is also its most crippling weakness. Since it includes a level editor,

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anyone who enjoys the game can create their own mission packs. As such, there are close to 100 missions to choose from. Unfortunately, a large number of them are made by amateurs. These maps are less polished than those made by the more experienced programmers, but thanks to the active forum communities, it is easy to separate the cream from the crap. There’s a great deal of quality content to

choose from, considering TDM is free to download. Though TDM’s graphics may be a decade out of date, the detailed environments and steady development of new game assets keep it visually presentable—even if the framerate gutters a bit. This game may not be the tech demo that the original Doom 3 was in its heyday, but the developers are so gifted at creative presentation that anyone would be hard pressed to find anything

comparable on the market today. In what modern game can players spend up to an hour exploring a single level, climbing from the most decrepit mine shafts to the highest rooftops of Bridgeport City without sitting through one single loading screen along the way? Exploration and hidden secrets aside, the AI is impressively programmed. The number of ways in which guards can be alerted is uncanny.

Something as simple as eating an apple can get incautious players caught if a guard hears the crunch. And once they are alert, they strategize. Instead of all searching the room together, some will cut off exits and gather at choke points in an attempt to prevent wily players from escaping. This attention to detail pushes TDM beyond the limits of mere gaming and into the realm of an immersive stealth simulator. Compared to TDM, modern stealth titles feel positively neutered, favouring speed and rash ambush tactics over patience and careful evasive strategy. A truly skilled infiltrator should never have to kill, or even be seen. The real pleasure of stealth comes from working in the shadows to make your enemies look like fools in the cold light of day. It is shocking that a group of unemployed wannabe designers working on by-now ancient hardware understand that better than most professional developers these days. Here’s to you, Eric Pommel. Let’s all hope you break into the industry someday, and bring some of that presentational genius with you. Warren Spector and Eric Brosius would be proud.

Little critters, big laughs  ‘Zootopia’ film review Jerrison Oracion Senior Columnist

magine if animals were like humans and had dreams to make it in the big city. Zootopia shows the reality of human life in the animal world. In the film, Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin), a bunny from a small country town called Bunnyburrow, becomes an officer in the Zootopia Police Department. Forced to begin her first shift on parking duty, she meets a con artist fox named Nicolas Wilde (Jason Bateman) who teaches her how to get around Zootopia. Despite their differences, they are forced to work together to find a missing otter named Mr. Otterman. The film did a great job combining wildlife with city life to humorous effect, and there are a lot of interesting animals. Being the street-smart one, Nicolas knows a lot about Zootopia—his explanations are similar to Deadpool’s goofy

monologues, except that they are not punctuated with swear words and crude humour. Instead, a lot of his dialogue is made up of jokes about the natures of different animals. Biology students will likely understand these facts, and find an extra

layer of humor in the jokes. In true Disney fashion, there is a lot of fun visual humour in the film that contrasts the human-like lives of the animals with their wild nature. For example, we see a young Judy doing a play that talks about

the history of Zootopia and we see a cub playing organ music that is genius. There is a scene when Judy hears an argument from her neighbours. She sees elephants in an ice cream shop scooping ice cream with their trunks (that can’t be sanitary).

There is also a great scene where Judy and Nicolas go to the DMV to find a licence plate number, and discover that everyone who works there is a sloth. The sloths all talk and move as if they are trapped in slow motion. Older audiences will appreciate the self-referential casting gags. Several real-life celebrities play animal versions of themselves: Canadian anchor Peter Mansbridge plays Peter Moosebridge, a news anchor for the Zootopia News Network, and Shakira plays a famous pop-singer named Gazelle. Later in the film, Judy and Nicolas meet Mr. Big, who is a mouse version of Don Corleone from The Godfather, complete with a comedic Marlon Brando impersonation. Eagleeyed viewers will spy street crooks selling pirated DVD’s of animal versions of famous Disney films including WreckIt Ralph, Tangled and Frozen. Zootopia is a fun family film that anyone can enjoy, full of imaginative sight gags and rapidfire jokes, making for one of the best animated films of the year.

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arts // no. 8

Comic Corner: Déjà vu

 ‘Batman vs. Superman: The Greatest Battles’ review Brittney MacDonald Life and Style Editor

t’s not often I bother with compilations like this, which are often essentially just a collection of moments from various publications all centred on a loose theme or, in this case, a common scenario. But, in honour of the upcoming movie, I decided to put aside my usual reluctance and examine this anthology dedicated to the greatest battles between two superhero heavyweights. It is difficult to examine the narrative of this novel, because it changes repeatedly due to the fact it is a collection from various sources by various authors. The buildup differs between the stories, but the ultimate conclusion remains the same—Batman and Superman end up fighting. My problem with this graphic novel is that unless you have read the majority of the original publications that the various scenes are taken from, you will have no idea what’s going on. If you are familiar with some of the publications, like I am, reading this novel will just feel like a huge case of déjà vu. Despite the fact that it features work from some of my personal favourite authors, like Frank Miller and Jeph Loeb, it is hard to appreciate

Illustration by Jim Lee

any of it because the stories are limited to only the fight scenes. One thing in this anthology’s favour is that it features some of the best artists in the business. Amazing artists like Jim Lee,

Lynn Varley, and Phil Jimenez are just a few of the names you’ll find between these pages. The good thing is that you don’t have to be familiar with the narratives of the original publications to

appreciate the amazing art that this compilation bolsters. In the end, I can’t really recommend this book because I don’t know who it’s for—fans of DC have already read these

stories, and newcomers wouldn’t be familiar enough to enjoy them. So I’d say you might want to give this one a pass.

Chairman of the Board: Always bet on Brain Ed Appleby Illustrator

ames of chance are just that—chance. Wouldn’t it be great to play a betting game where knowledge is the deciding factor? Wits and Wagers is a party game for 3–7 players designed by Dominic Crapuchettes and published by North Star Games, LLC in 2005. In the game, players are given a trivia question with a numerical answer. Each player writes their answer on a card, and then the answers are placed on a mat from lowest to highest. Each space on the mat has odds ranging from 2–1 to 7–1. The player who scores closest to the actual number of the question without going over receives 3 points. Before the answer is revealed, players have an opportunity to wager their points based on what

they think the right answer is. Here, the odds displayed on the mat come into play, with outliers from the median guess having a greater payout, but a bigger risk. In the past I have spoken of my dislike for trivia games. Where rote knowledge is king, some players easily outclass others, making for a very unbalanced and boring game. Wits and Wagers eliminates this factor by allowing the players to score points not by knowing facts, but by deducing which of the guesses is close enough. One smart bet can unbalance the game. Like most party games, it is relatively short and rematches can be staged within 20 minutes. I would recommend this game for anyone who likes trivia, but might not have as broad a knowledge base as some of their friends. Wits and Wagers is fun, fast, and—as the winner of the 2006 Mensa select award—may just make you think.

Illustration by Ed Appleby

 ‘Wits and Wagers’ board game review

arts // no. 9

Photo by Cheryl Minns

issue 24 // volume 42

Women at war

 ‘Waiting for the Parade’ review Cheryl Minns Contributor

t’s a woman’s world in Douglas College’s production of John Murrell’s Waiting for the Parade. Following the lives of five Calgary women during the Second World War, the play explores the pain, loss, and changing social dynamics that women faced in that era through 24 scenes featuring drama, comedy, and music. Waiting for the Parade begins with Janet (Shannon Lindsey) ordering the three women in her group—housewife Catherine (Rachel Fournier), young teacher Eve (Pamela Carolina Martinez), and older mother Margaret (Lily Gillette)— to perfectly and promptly roll gauze for the first aid kits being

prepared. It is established that Janet is an unkind, bossy leader who has little compassion for the women who work for her. However, it eventually becomes clear that her not-so-perfect home life is what has driven her to her current state. Lindsey does an excellent job at making the audience despise Janet at some moments and then sympathize with her in others, especially in a later scene where she confronts her husband while playing the piano. Catherine misses her enlisted husband until she realizes that she can live her life without him. She gets a job at a factory to provide for herself and her daughter. She starts seeing another man, despite the fact that she is still married. Fournier gives a particularly passionate performance when

Catherine gets her long-awaited moment to tell off Janet and criticize the woman’s rude behaviour. The moment marks Catherine’s change from a passive housewife to an outspoken individual, which Fournier powerfully delivers. Catherine’s evolution captures how women of that era developed a level of independence without their husbands around and were no longer bound to their traditional roles. “The play is really about the change of the woman’s role in Canadian society,” said Rebecca Troock, who plays Marta. “This was an interesting exploration in noting the differences in going from traditional, conservative women into what we are today.” Marta, a German-born shopkeeper who immigrated to Canada as a child, struggles to

run her father’s clothing shop after he is charged with being a Nazi supporter and detained in a Canadian prison camp. Troock gives a heart-wrenching performance when she argues for her father’s release to the point of tears, as well as when she forcefully stands her ground after Janet tells her not to play German music in her own shop. The discrimination that Marta encounters is a harsh reminder of the prejudice that ethnic groups struggle with when a country is at war. Although Margaret and Eve’s ages and personalities are drastically different, they both worry about their children— Margaret’s two sons and Eve’s students—and how the war will affect them. Margaret is a pessimist and assumes she’s lost her sons forever when one goes

to war and the other doesn’t come home anymore. Eve is an optimist who wants to persuade her students out of joining the war, despite her husband’s disagreement that they belong on the front lines. Gillette’s behaviour and mannerisms make her a convincing older woman on stage, especially during scenes where Margaret tries to hide how ill she is becoming. Martinez’s bubbly personality brings a burst of energy to the play whenever Eve is onstage, adding a lightness to the darker scenes when characters discuss war and death. Waiting for the Parade will be performed at Douglas College’s Studio Theatre until March 18. Tickets are $10 for students and $20 for adults. Tickets can be purchased at WaitingForTheParade. BrownPaperTickets.com

Bury Your Gays  Gay characters the new Star Trek redshirts Rebecca Peterson Staff Writer he Bury Your Gays trope has come to the forefront of pop media discussion once more after the death of yet another LGBTQ+ character in a popular TV series (left unnamed here so as not to spoil the show). But what is this trope, and exactly how prevalent is it? The Bury Your Gays phenomenon, so named by the website TVTropes, goes back decades, and examines the trend of LGBTQ+ people dying in stories to serve the narrative of the main characters, or to prove a moral point. In the past, LGBTQ+ characters had a habit of dying as a direct result of their lifestyle, either by contracting AIDs or committing suicide due to societal pressures and expectations. This could be viewed one of two ways: that the LGBTQ+ people in question are being punished for their existence, or that the life of an LGBTQ+ person is inherently tragic. The latter narrative seems to have carried forward in

Image in Brokeback Mountain (2005)

pop culture today. Most of our prominent films featuring LGBTQ+ people—movies like Brokeback Mountain, or A Single Man—are tragedies with a body count at the end of them. The recent Oscar nominee Carol was lauded as being unusual as not only did both lesbian women survive to the end of the movie, but they got a happy ending together, thus subverting what’s starting to be seen as inevitable. One might argue, of course, that this trope is a result of

hypersensitivity. After all, heterosexual characters are killed off with wild abandon in show, movies, and books as well, and we wouldn’t see that as a disturbing trend. People do have a habit of dying, both in fiction and in real life. Being attracted to the same gender as your own does not automatically grant you immortality. The reason this is considered a trope is due to the fact that there aren’t enough LGBTQ+ people in media to be killing

them off with the frequency that we murder heterosexual people. A recent study found that only four per cent of primetime broadcast television characters fell under the LGBTQ+ umbrella. When so few people of a certain demographic are to be found in media, it’s then very noticeable when they disappear. However, what’s considered galling about this particular trope is not just that gay characters seem more at risk for catching

stray bullets than heterosexual characters, it’s the manner in which they die. Often these characters meet their end not by their own merits, granted the heroism and agency of a heterosexual character, but to serve the plot of other characters. In the most recent example of this trope, the character in question did not fall in battle, as was a more likely and fitting end for her character. Rather, she was killed by accident during an attempt on the main character’s life, strictly to further the plot of that character. Many felt this did not do the character justice, and made her death a forced tragedy rather than a respectful end to her arc on the show. Characters die, heterosexual and LGBTQ+ alike. However, until our representation more accurately reflects the realities of our own diverse society, perhaps it’s not too much to ask that writers lay off the few gay characters we have floating around. Let’s endeavour to send these beloved characters, who mean so much to a marginalized group of people, to retirement homes, not their early graves.

Sports

Have an idea for a story?  editor@theotherpress.ca

OO Looking back OO Player Profile: Carson Heppell OO Unique sports played around the world And more!

Royals show well at men’s volleyball national championship

 Douglas finishes top four in Canada Davie Wong Sports Editor hen the men’s volleyball team lost at the provincial championships, there was plenty of disappointment to go around. But there was still hope. They put up an astounding performance against the reigning national champions, and with the stress of provincials out of the way, could focus on the real prize. Waiting for them at home was the countdown to the National Championships, where Canada’s top seven teams come together to determine the best team in the country. The host of those Championships this year, was Douglas College, meaning they received a free pass into the tournament, and a chance to be the best. The action started on Thursday evening, as the sixth seeded host team, the Douglas Royals, took on the third seeded team from Quebec, the Titan de Limoilou. Fans came out in swarms, as the attendance hovered around the 950 mark, most of them supporting the home team. The energy in the building was palpable and the Royals gave the fans something to cheer about as they burst into the tournament with an explosive opening set, winning in dominant fashion, 25-16. However, the Titans had their own weapons, and they went to work in the second. Stealing away an early lead, they were able to force the Royals to play catch-up. The home team almost succeeded in coming back, but fell just short as Limoilou closed out the set. With the intensity of the game set, both teams traded sets with equal scores, 25-20. Going into the fifth, the Titans had the momentum, having just won the set before. The Royals jumped out to a 2-1 lead but that lead did not last, as the Royals made a number of errors following it. That gave Limoilou the energy they needed and they were able to come back and finish the game, 15-13, breaking the hearts of the crowd. After the loss, coach Brad Hudson commented, “They just played better than us. That’s what

Photo by Jessica Funk and Drew Harder

it really comes down to… It gave them a little bit of life, and again, it’s a good team right? They were the silver medalists last year so they played like it and we did not.” The loss meant that the Royals were officially knocked out of contention for the gold medal. However, they could still fight for the bronze. In their way was the seventh seeded wildcard team from Alberta, the Keyano Huskies. The game opened up with a very tight set in Douglas’ favour. The team was able to take the lead early in the set and trade points until they won. But Keyano pulled the reverse on them in the second set, doing the exact same thing, with a 25-23 score. The next two sets were traded between the teams, leading to the fifth and final set. This time, the Royals executed their game plan flawlessly. They went up early and rode out the game to a 15-11 set win. The third and final day of the National Championship brought excitement and tribulation for the Royals as they

fought for the chance to battle for bronze. Standing in their way was none other than their PACWEST rivals, the Camosun Chargers. The Royals fell in the opening set, 25-21. However, the toll of the last game was too much for the Chargers, and they could not seem to match the strength of the high flying Royals. For the first time this season, the Royals were able to cleanly beat the Chargers in fewer than five sets. They bounced back in the second set, taking that 25-20. The team then proceeded to roll over the Camosun squad, beating them in the third set, 25-17. Sensing their tournament lives were on the line, the Chargers stepped up their game and began looking like the team that had come into the tournament ranked fourth. They came at the Royals hard, challenging them in every area of the court. But it was too little, too late for the squad. A couple mistakes late into the set gave the Royals the win, 27-25. Hudson spoke following the win, “It was good. We always thought we were a good team. I mean obviously we lost to them

in the provincial finals but that wasn’t really part of the equation. We’ve just been searching a little bit, trying to play the way we’re capable of and I think we started to, finally.” With that win, the team had earned their place in the bronze medal game, which was later that night. Their opponents would be the number two seeded Fanshawe Falcons, the best team out of Ontario. They had also lost to the Titans de Limoilou, albeit in three straight sets instead of five. Fanshawe came out on top to kick things off, winning the opening set 25-22. The Ontario team then showed great pose as they went into the second set hungry for the win. The Royals looked stunned as the Falcons once again jumped out to a very early lead. This time, they were not even close to catching them, and they lost the set convincingly, 25-20. Backed against the wall, with a medal finish on the line, the Douglas squad was able to turn it on to start the third set. Jumping out to a decent early lead, the team looked set to threaten with a comeback. But Fanshawe did

not come into the tournament ranked number two in country for no reason. They pushed back hard against the home team, and were rewarded with the set win, and the bronze medal. It was a hard loss for the team that had come so far, and fought so hard. Hudson had some final words as the Royals exited the tournament: “They (Fanshawe) just played really well and did some things that made us uncomfortable. We just couldn’t really find our rhythm. Sometimes the other team is just better that day, and they were just better today… We obviously tried changing the lineup, getting some different guys in, getting some different match-ups, but they handled it really well. We just couldn’t really find a way. It is what it is. I think our kids did the best they could. I think the coaches that supported me and our young guys are all kinds of value to the group and I think the kids played real hard.” The loss brings an end to the Royals season. They finish fourth in the country, two spots above what they were initially ranked going into the tournament.

sports // no. 11

issue 24 // volume 42

Looking back

 Reviewing the women’s volleyball season Davie Wong Sports Editor

t was a rollercoaster of a season for the women’s volleyball team. While they didn’t get the finish they were looking for, there were certainly bright points to their season. Head coach Kyra Iannone took the time to answer a few questions regarding her team and the year they had. Iannone was pleased with her fourth-place squad: “I am really impressed with the team’s performance. We had so many firsts: Our first home opener win, our first sweep, our first time winning a set in provincials, our first time going into provincials ranked top four, and our first time being undefeated in league against an opponent. We really took the program to the next level this year.” Twice, the Royals were undefeated for two weeks in a row. While some may critique the quality of teams they faced in that span, one must remember the competiveness of the PACWEST with the “worst” team able to beat the “best” team on the right day. “I am very proud of all the small legacy accomplishments as mentioned earlier. I am also proud of the girls’ commitment to competition and culture this season. I am very proud of having Darby Dunn on the All-Rookie team and the second-team AllStar team, along with teammates Juliana Penner as a second-team All-Star and Autumn Davidson as All-Rookie team player.”

Image via Douglas College Student Services Flickr

However, there are always the low-points to every season. This season, it was probably the six-game losing streak the team experienced in the month of November. But nothing really gets harder to swallow than falling short in the playoffs. Iannone was asked about the team’s finish, to which she said: “Losing in provincials is never easy. I am proud of the season but our finish has something left to be desired.” Despite that, she firmly believes in the progress they’ve made this

season, stating that she would not do anything different. For every successful season, there are key players who make it possible. For the Royals, as mentioned by Iannone, the play of Penner, Dunn, and Davidson stood out, Iannone also took the time to highlight some of the key players on her roster who were not named to all-star squads. “You can see who were awarded All-Stars, but we had a lot of really improved and impactful players this season. Fourth-year

Courtney Wilson was always there when we needed her. Taylor Bain came back in semester two and was one of our best players in our last match, but overall, we had many great performers. To assist the team in transitioning into a younger and stronger squad, a number of talented rookie players pitched in as more than visible cogs. Dunn in particular was named the PACWEST Rookie of the Year for her efforts. Iannone acknowledged some of her younger players as well. “Dar-

by obviously was the top rookie in the league, but Autumn Davidson and Claudia Corneil were also very strong for us.” Looking back on the year, it’s been one of accomplishment. Although the end goal of making it to the national stage was put on the backburner for another year, the team can be proud of their many accomplishments. “This program is just building, settling into its progress and learning. I am proud of this team and the girls who are a part of it.”

Player Profile: Carson Heppell Davie Wong Sports Editor

oming into the 2015-16 campaign, many would say that there was a lot of pressure on the shoulders of second-year player Carson Heppell. After being named the PACWEST Rookie of the Year and being selected to the PACWEST AllRookie Team last year, Heppell came into the new season with a lot to prove. However, although many players recognize Heppell for his excellent play on the court, not many players truly know Heppell. Born on August 6, 1996, Heppell spent most of his youth playing a variety of different sports. It wasn’t until the beginning of his teenage years that he discovered volleyball.

There was an immediate connection to the sport that was different than the others. Heppell was drawn to the intensity of volleyball matches. He enjoyed the pace of the game most, finding it to be a perfect fit for him. His passion for the game would help him become one of the best in the province for his age group and lead him to several accomplishments during his high school career at Langley Fundamental. This would transfer with him as he moved on to postsecondary, and straight into the Royals. Heppell made an immediate impact for the team, all while remaining extremely humble about it. Heppell is also a team first type of person. He strives to be the best teammate he can be and to continually positively

contribute to his squad as much as he can. His unselfish attitude regarding playing time and sacrifice makes him an essential member on a team that is unusually deep in skill. And while there is always pressure to perform well, Heppell knows that if he’s having an off-day, he has a whole line of teammates ready to back him up. During his time at Douglas College, Heppell is furthering his education in the field of business. Although he is uncertain regarding his future, Heppell knows that he’s got a few more years left at Douglas and intends to make them count. Meanwhile, during the off-season, you will rarely find Heppell indoors. A lover of the Canadian wilderness, he spends much of his time away enjoying the best of nature.

Photo by Alvin Lescano

 Future star? Perhaps so

Be money smart

Saving and investing as a student by Chitwan Khosla, Features Editor

provide stability for a few years, but those sit on the wallets for almost a decade.

Many will argue and many more will agree that a student’s life is hard. Apart from the quizzes, assignments, and exams, living oﬀ meagre money can be stressful, too. Student loans

A common misunderstanding is that one should start worrying about their ﬁnances after they graduate as there is nothing much one can do until after college ends. It actually costs you more if you don’t take control of your ﬁnances at the right time. The Other Press talked with Gerald Finlay, a

personal ﬁnancial advisor, who explained: “Budgeting, saving, and investing, all three, are dependent on two factors― money and time. Often many don’t realize that time is of greater importance than money. Students have time at their side and they should make proper use of it.” Every student tries to be thrifty and thoughtful about their spending, but they don’t save as much. Textbooks are as expensive as rare jewels, and rent in the Lower Mainland is soaring high, which doesn’t leave much money to spare. “The situation worsens when

you fail to acknowledge that you need planning,” Finlay remarked. Students who have any debts, including student loans, need to get more vigilant and should hold the reins in their own hands sooner rather than later. This is because of the hidden opportunity costs and the other expenses related to student loans. Jason Walkden, a Certiﬁed Financial Planner, explained this in detail: “Even though you don’t start paying back your student loans until you start working, you are actually missing on the opportunity of getting free of the loan as well. This is because if you pay any money during the time you are a student, it goes towards the repayment of your principal amount. Whatever you pay after your completion of the studies, the major part of it

the money earned needs to be spent on necessities or saved. They suggest that irrespective of their situation, everyone must have some cheat money or enjoyment money, but the trick is to stick to your budget. “If you make $11 an hour, spend $7 on your rents and bills, save $2.50, and add $1.50 an hour to your cheat money,” said Finlay. goes towards the payment of the “You can use it on your hobbies, movies, recreation, and the like. interest.” This money is going to restrict you from overspending and also To help clarify further, Walkden provided an example of why this will not make you guilty of not enjoying yourself.” is a good idea: “Let’s say Alex has a student loan of $20,000 at 3 per cent ﬁxed rate, and Alex When asked about saving, plans to repay the amount in 11 Walkden had very relevant advice. He placed emphasis years with a monthly payment on saving before spending of $228.31. Alex will have to and said: “You can’t spend and pay $30,136.78 at the end of save, you can always save and term of his loan. He will pay spend. When you think you $10, 136.78 more However, if Alex saves $3,600 in 3 years and have $1,800 disposable income, and you will spend on the puts it towards the repayment necessities and save the rest―I of his student loan before the have never seen this happen in completion of his studies, then keeping all other conditions and my seven-year career. You must save $200–250, and then limit terms the same he will have to your expenditure to $1,600. This pay $24,712.16 at the end of way you will save a minimum of the loan term.” Walkden also $100 each month.” advised that a student must inquire about their repayment As students, your parents and terms and conditions. If you relatives must have told you at have a federal student loan, least once to have something then you must ask whether called an emergency fund, and you qualify for IBR or Incomemost of us agree that we must. Is Based Repayment, which makes there any way we can measure your monthly repayments very the amount that we should have aﬀordable―about 15 per cent in this? When asked, Walkden of your monthly income. replied: “No, there isn’t a formula It is quite obvious that students who have student loans must start working part-time or during their holidays. Finlay and Walkden both agree that not all

for it because everyone’s situation is diﬀerent. Everyone has diﬀerent sources of income and variable expenses. However, I make sure that my clients have

a minimum of their six months income in their emergency funds. This leaves them with stable security, and the money they have in their emergency fund, they can access it as and when required. The only thing that needs to be kept in mind is inflation. Salaries usually don’t go up in the same proportion as the inflation.” This emergency fund should be used wisely, and shouldn’t be used for buying the latest smartphone. Rather, one must learn to qualify what is an emergency, and then decide if there is actually any need for this money. Walkden also brought to attention the need to understand that saving is possible only with proper planning and budgeting. He suggests that everyone should create an excel sheet and create a personal balance sheet and an income sheet, against monthly and annual income and timeline. This way you can micro-manage your expenditure. Walkden stressed that once you have calculated your estimated monthly expenses, create a pie chart to see the percentage of your income various expenses take. “You’ll be surprised at what you will see,” Walkden said. “I have seen people find that they are spending as much as 40 per cent of their incomes on their cat food and pizzas alone.” Once you have your monthly income and expenses, start analyzing if there is any expense that you can cut out completely or make reductions to. Finlay says that it doesn’t have to be a huge cut-off, beginning with $5–10 is big in itself. “Just by saving a few bucks from your coffee expenditure and a monthly haircut, you can save up to $50 more each month,” he added.

Having talked about saving, Finlay talked about the need for investing: “Again, money grows when you have a diverse portfolio and have investments. Savings will help you stabilize and recover in need of emergency, but investments will help you get rid of your debts and actually make money. Not to forget that, as a student, you also have the time at hand.” Finlay suggests that we must make use of the TFSAs as early as possible. To be eligible for contribution, you must be 18 years or older and have a valid social insurance number. This is the money that will grow and also help you when you need it. “Put aside a minimum of $1,000 in your high-interest TFSA,” said Finlay. “With market effect rate of about 0.50 per cent, your money will grow to approximately $8,900 by the time you are ready to retire, leaving you with $7,900 extra money that is tax-free.” Another risk-free investment would be to put the money in TFSA Secured GICs or term deposits. Finlay explains: “If you have extra cash money you received from your parents and grandparents on Christmas, it would be a smart choice to put that money towards saving for buying a GIC. Be sure that you will not need the money for the term period. At present, banks like TD Trust offer 8.88 per cent interest on a 3-year secured GIC. The interest money is also tax-free. This is a conservative approach to diversify your portfolio.” Finlay and Walkden suggest that students should access their banking services and talk to a financial advisor soon to get a better understanding of their own situations. They can also then consider taking riskier but more rewarding options like investing in stocks. As it is often quoted, knowledge is empowerment, and empowerment liberates. Take charge of your finances now, so you will be better off once you graduate.

theotherpress.ca

sports // no. 14

Unique sports played around the world  Alternatives to football and hockey

Sepak Takraw

Underwater hockey

Zorbing

rolling and racing on a (usually, but not always, downhill) course inside a giant plastic orb. The orbs are about 10 feet in diameter and usually hold one rider, although some have room for two or three people. Some riders are strapped in while others are free to navigate the orb as they like. When sealed properly, zorbing can even be performed on water, adding to its novelty excitement. Invented in New Zealand in 1994, zorbing is not widely practiced professionally. However, facilities and equipment can be found in 16 countries, and zorbing has even found its way into the Guinness Book of World Records.

Image via www.gbuwh.co.uk

Kabaddi

Sepak Takraw is similar to volleyball, except it’s played with a rattan ball, and players are not allowed to use their hands or arms. The exact name of the game varies depending on where it’s played: in Malaysia (where it was invented in the 15th century) it’s known as “sepak raga,” “takraw,” or “kataw.” It’s known in Myanmar as “chin lone” and in the Philippines as “sipa.” The International Sepak Takraw Federation (ISTAF) contains 31 countries, and national championships are held in the Asian Games and the ISTAF Superseries on a regular basis. Zorbing is the practice of

Image via headrushconsulting.com

hile most sports are universal, there are lots of sports particularly popular or only found in certain cultures. This may be due to climate or simply the game originating in an area and never being exported elsewhere. Many of these sports may be considered “funny” or “weird” to an outsider, but it’s important to understand cultural differences. After all, is throwing a ball at a stick and then trying to tag someone running really any less odd? Kabaddi is played in

pro league, Asian Cup, UK Cup, World League, and both men and women’s World Cups. Underwater hockey is basically what it sounds like: a full hockey game played in a swimming pool. The main difficulty comes from the fact that scuba equipment is not used, so players have to practice usual sports agility and complicated strategies in the amount of time they can hold their breath for. The sport, also known as “octopush” in the UK, has had a bi-annual World Championship since 1980, with a record 68 teams from 19 countries in the 2013 competition.

Image via www.prokabaddileague2015.in

two teams of seven (under international rules), players known as “raiders” run into the opponent’s playing field and attempt to tag at least one member of the other team. They must then return to their home area, but they have to do all of this in one breath. To show they have not inhaled, players chant “Kabaddi, kabaddi!” while running the whole time. The lack of equipment and easy setup makes kabaddi a popular sport amongst children in India, but is also the national sport of Bangladesh. It is professionally competed in the Asian Games: there is also a

Image via www.sepaktakraw.org

Cazzy Lewchuk Staff Writer

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Life & Style Beauty on a Budget

 Rimmel Fix and Perfect Pro Primer 002

ver the years, I’ve had trouble finding primers that work for my skin—particularly due to the fact that I have problems with my T-zone in terms of oiliness and pores. Although I have some mid-range primers that I like, the price tags often range from $25–40 and for the amount of product, it’s hard for me to use those for all-over, everyday wear since I’d have to repurchase quite often. Because of this, I always keep Rimmel’s Fix and Perfect primer on hand. The product is a white cream, and almost feels more like a moisturizer than a primer when you put it on. It claims to be a five-in-one that smooths, resurfaces, brightens, mattifies, and protects. I have some problems with oiliness, and while it does help mattify, I still do experience some shininess later into the day. However, this is nearly unavoidable for me, and it’s not near as bad as it is without primer. Besides that

small caveat, I have had no issues with the product. It makes my skin very soft and smooth, and my foundation lasts longer and looks more even when I use it. Although higher-end primers have helped more with mattifying, none have made my skin feel as good as this one does. In this sense, I prefer it to heavily silicone-based primers, especially as an all-over choice. I also find that it does help make my pores less noticeable, which is a must for me with any primer. Although I’ve yet to try it, I will be looking to get Rimmel’s Fix and Perfect 001 Primer, as it claims to focus on oiliness and pores. However, I find my primers that only focus on that don’t feel as nice as this does, and since that’s an isolated problem I’ll continue using this for the majority of my face even if I do like the other as well. Still, the 001 also has great reviews, so if you suffer from these problems it’s worth looking into. The fact that this primer costs less than half as much as some of my others makes it a

OO Off-Campus Cuisine: Longtail Kitchen OO Indie Fashion Feature: LuLu’s And more!

#DOUGLIFE Share your photos with us on Instagram using the hashtag #DougLife, for a chance to be featured in the paper!

Image via www.hotandflashy50.com

Lauren Kelly Assistant Editor

OO Dissociative disorders

much more viable product to repurchase, especially with how well it works. It is available at London Drugs for $10.99, and Wal-Mart for $9.98.

This week’s photo is by kbains09

Leigh Anne Arthur and the evolution of privacy laws Brittney MacDonald Life and Style Editor

or those of you unfamiliar with the recent incident regarding Leigh Anne Arthur, a South Carolina high school teacher, I’ll summarize the events quickly. Arthur was teaching a class when she stepped out of the room for a moment. In her absence, one of her students went to her desk and began going through her cell phone. Apparently, the student found a compromising photo that Arthur had taken for her husband, and then he sent it to himself and posted it on social media. After Arthur returned, the student is quoted as saying “…your day of reckoning is coming.” Shortly after this, Arthur was forced to resign by the school superintendent. Normally, we would expect that this story would end here—I mean, let’s be honest, the education system doesn’t really have the best

track record when it comes to treating its teachers well. However, recent changes in privacy laws for both the United States and Canada have sought to end this type of victim blaming. With cell phones quickly becoming a staple in almost everyone’s everyday life, and the recent recognition for various online crimes such as cyberbullying and identity theft, the government thought it prudent to offer some sort of protection regarding the personal details available on your phone. By law, any information or content accessed on your phone without your permission now counts as an invasion of privacy and is, by definition, illegal. This is also a good thing to keep in mind for you. If you do not have express permission from the mobile device’s owner to access it, no matter if it is password protected or not, you can be brought up on felony charges, as well as putting yourself at risk of being sued by the device’s

Image via WSPA.com

 What you should be aware of

owner for invasion of privacy. In 2013, Justice Thomas Cromwell stated: “I do not distinguish, for the purposes of prior authorization, the computers from the cellular telephone in issue here. Although historically cellular phones were far more restricted than

computers in terms of the amount and kind of information that they could store, present day phones have capacities that are, for our purposes, equivalent to those of computers…” after the Canadian Supreme Court amended its privacy laws to cover both personal/home

computers and mobile phones. The result? Well, Arthur’s student is facing criminal charges ranging from computer crimes to aggravated voyeurism, which are separate from the charges he’ll be facing if Leigh Anne Arthur decides to pursue legal action.

theotherpress.ca

life & style // no. 16

Geek DIY: Companion Cube lamp

 Not as rare as you might think Rebecca Peterson Staff Writer

“W

ell,” the psychologist said, “You’re not psychotic.” I was back in the hospital two weeks after an episode of the Great Mystifying Brain Thing I’d been struggling with all my life sent me to the emergency room. My memories of that night are hazy at best, nonexistent at worst. Technically, the episode had started the day before, and had just worsened exponentially over the 24-hour period until I couldn’t tell up from down, real from not-real. It wasn’t an anxiety or panic attack, as I’d been told it was a few times before. I knew what those felt like. No, this was different. And most frustratingly, most terrifyingly, no one seemed to know what was wrong with me. The psychologist mentioned above diagnosed me with Borderline Personality Disorder, one in a string of diagnoses I’ve received over the years—clinical depression, OCD, PTSD, GAD, maybe ADHD, enough letters to make an alphabet soup of mental health problems. The GAD (generalized anxiety disorder) seemed to have been the only thing anyone could agree on as a definite diagnosis. However, it did not explain the “episodes,” nor some of the other uncomfortable aspects of my mysterious, unspecified disorder. Borderline almost made sense, but only because it was the first diagnosis I’d received that addressed the feeling I didn’t realize had a name: dissociation. Dissociative disorders affect the mind’s perception of concepts such as memory, awareness, identity, and reality.

Essentially, it makes these abstract concepts harder, if not impossible, to process. This can be extremely distressing to experience, and episodes can last anywhere from a few moments, to a few days, and can continue on and off for years. The most infamous dissociative disorder out there is dissociative identity disorder, more commonly known as multiple personality disorder. However, there are several disorders that fall under this umbrella as well: dissociative amnesia, dissociative fugue, and depersonalization disorder. These were once thought to be relatively rare conditions; recently, however, psychologists have found that the symptoms of dissociative disorders occur as frequently as anxiety and depression. The idea that dissociative disorders are rare has led to many people being misdiagnosed over the years as being bipolar, or having OCD, ADHD, schizophrenia, psychosis… the list goes on and on. Some of these misdiagnoses are actively dangerous. Antipsychotic medication, for example, can have some serious long-term side effects, and obviously shouldn’t be taken if it isn’t needed. You can experience dissociative symptoms and not have a dissociative disorder the same way you can experience anxiety and depression and not suffer from them clinically. The symptoms include a warped perception of reality, a sense of disconnect from one’s body, and memory loss in extreme cases. However, a proper diagnosis can go a long way to helping figure out a treatment plan. Knowing what’s wrong in the first place is half the battle. “Dissociation,” to me, is a far less terrifying term than “Mystifying Brain Thing.” If nothing else, it’s a place to start.

What you’ll need: • 5 6” x 6” images of the side of the companion cube. Use Google to find the image, and then go to Staples and get them to print them out. Be sure to have the images printed on poster board—it’ll be a bit more expensive, but the lamp will be more durable. • 5 6” x 6” squares of black poster board • Heat resistant glue • A scalpel or box cutter • A black Sharpie or black paint • A pendant lamp kit, which you can find at IKEA or Canadian Tire for fairly cheap

our first step is to glue the black squares to the blank side of the companion cube images. Make sure you leave ample time for the glue to dry, and that you use a glue that won’t melt or fall apart when exposed to the heat of the lamp. Once this is done, take the picture that you intend to be the top of your lamp, and carefully trace the base of the cord from your pendant lamp kit over the image of the heart. If you don’t know what the base of the cord is, it’s the round thing that fits into the top of the lamp. The kit will most likely have a diagram of it. I would advise not using scissors because of the round shape. Instead use a scalpel or a box cutter, which will be easier to manoeuvre around the edges. Next, you’ll want to construct the lamp shade. Glue all sides of the companion cube together, leaving the bottom open. Make sure the image with the hole in it is on top so that you’ll be able to fit the bulb in. Next, feed the cord through the hole in the top you made, screwing the light bulb into the inside. From there, all you have to do is hang it up and flip the switch!

Image via ournerdhome.com

Dissociative disorders

Image via skeptikai.com

Brittney MacDonald Life and Style Editor

life & style // no. 17

issue 24 // volume 42

Off-Campus Cuisine: Longtail Kitchen hen you walk into Longtail for your first time, you may wait awkwardly by the front door until you realize that there aren’t any servers in the small, 20-seat restaurant. There are just two chefs, a menu, and a cash register. Ordering food at Longtail is the same as ordering food at McDonald’s, but luckily the quality of the food and its plating is much better at the local restaurant. A pad thai dish and a yellow curry dish both came beautifully presented and brought directly to my table, since I was eating in. I could tell this is really a place that encourages takeout, since my plates were actually cardboard boxes for

all you have to do is walk up and ask, instead of waiting impatiently and wondering why no one has come to your table. That kind of honesty is refreshing. “Love me or leave me,” Longtail says. And the food is good enough that they don’t care which one you pick. This is food that you really should take home—or to school, or just to the food court in the Quay. Eating in is a cramped experience where you’re not quite sure what to do. I think it’s all worth it, though. What you lose in atmosphere you immediately gain in mobility and comfort. This stuff makes a great lunch. More importantly, you save on the cost. Dishes max out at $13 for a meaty curry, and you can expect to spend no more than $25 on a light dinner for two.

Image via lulus.com

the pad thai, and a disposable bowl for the yellow curry. The yellow curry was full of flavour with a hint of spice, and it was topped with firm baby corn and mussels that were delicious and tender when I bit into them. The pad thai was excellent, every bite representing the flavours of Thailand in a quick and easy to enjoy dish. Longtail has amazing food, but ultimately it suffers from the same thing that all my favorite Thai restaurants suffer from—poor service. White table cloths and server uniforms are replaced with simple food at a cheap price, designed to make you feel like you’re taking a break from the formalities of life, instead of getting swept up in them. The relaxed atmosphere lets you know that if you want anything,

Indie Fashion Feature: LuLu’s  Limiting your dreams of summer fun! Brittney MacDonald Life and Style Editor

ind yourself longing for that cheery spring weather, or maybe you’re just really looking to get a jump start on building your summer wardrobe? Well have I got the website for you! For fans of all those fluttery spring/summer dresses we all know and love—especially because they’re just so gosh darn comfortable—we have

Image via longtailkitchen.com

Jamal Al-Bayaa Staff Writer

LuLu’s! LuLu’s specializes in women’s clothing, combining the modern with the bohemian with soft silhouettes and simplistic patterns and colours. The majority of their clothing doesn’t fit tight to the body, making it perfect to either layer, or to wear on casual days when you want to be comfortable but also chic. Looking through their catalogue I can tell you now that LuLu’s is probably the epitome of beachwear. Most of it looks like something that wouldn’t be hard to spot at Coachella or at an outdoor music festival. I especially love their wide selection of sunglasses. An issue I have noticed

is the colour selection. There isn’t a huge variety on available fabrics or colours, making the overall aesthetic pretty bland and monotone. Most of the garments are available are available in pastel shades of pink and blue; a brighter, more vibrant royal blue, or charcoal grey. According to user comments the colour palette changes from collection to collection, which generally swaps every season or so, which adds to the over-all “get it now!” feel of the website itself, which literally just gives you coupons the moment you access it. Another issue I noticed was the price range—it’s a little all over the place. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the prices themselves, which range from $30-100. Items that are made from similar fabric, such as the Heavenly Hues Maxi Dress and Mood and Melody High-Low Dress, have price discrepancies of $2030, which leads me to believe that they base their prices on amount of fabric used instead of complexity of design. This is generally a sign that the label itself is reluctant to cater to plus size women, so their sizing might reflect that.

Opinions

Have an idea for a story?  opinions@theotherpress.ca

OO Is climate change a threat or a business model? OO Whole Foods to start selling ‘imperfect’ fruits and vegetables OO Women are people And more!

In one ear and out the other

 A significant percentage of adults have forgotten elementary school lessons, but does it matter? Elliot Chan Opinions Editor recent survey conducted by YouGov revealed something worrisome: grown-ups have forgotten basic lessons in math, English, and science. One in five adults in the study admitted to having trouble with calculating fractions and percentages. About a quarter of adults cannot recall how to use a semi-colon in a sentence or the names of all the planets within the solar system. Now, it might seem embarrassing for an adult to forget about lessons they spent so many hours studying in their youth. But that type of knowledge is now trivial. We live in a wonderful age where we are as smart as our phones. We calculate our bills with them, we end arguments with them, and we can easily relearn all that was taught to us in elementary school via watching YouTube on them. The ability to remember everything taught to us is not

Image via thinkstock

necessary a product of smarts, but rather the product of skilled memory. We remember what’s important for us. While we are able to train our memories like we are able to train our bodies, many of us have more important things to deal with. Remember when you were

young and you memorized all 150 (at the time) Pokémon? Try recalling them now. We remember what is important to us. If we enjoy sports, we’ll remember names of athletes. If we like video games, we’ll train our fingers to remember combinations. If we like history,

we’ll remember specific moments and characters from the past. We choose what to remember. Adults who have forgotten about math, English, and science lessons aren’t stupid. They’ve been putting their cognitive energy into other things in their lives that require it. They

don’t have time to sit down and review their elementary school lessons once a week. Nobody is going to randomly do long division if they don’t have to. But should they? Sure they should. Everybody should be confident with math, but there just aren’t enough hours in the day to be proficient in everything. Elementary education is the basic foundation for lessons in the rest of our lives, but now that we are older we can happily decide what we need to know. And luckily, we are living in an age where if we do want to learn something or review something, we can do it with a few clicks. Intelligence is not the ability to memorize everything. Intelligence is the ability to find the answer when it is needed. Adults today are different from the adults of the past. We can store our knowledge in the cloud and pull it down when it is needed. This gives us more room in our brain to think about other things.

Bastardization of cultural holidays for the masses  Celebrating things you wouldn’t Cazzy Lewchuk Staff Writer arch 17 is St. Patrick’s Day, a holiday associated with green everything, Ireland, and alcohol consumption. Bars have Guinness specials, friends pinch friends not dressed in a certain colour, and the whole thing is an excuse to get drunk. The holiday originated from a Christian celebration honouring the Saint Patrick, a missionary, bishop, and patron saint of Ireland who lived in the fifth century. Today, in Ireland, it is a huge five-day festival celebrating the country’s culture and heritage, showcasing all that the nation has to offer. Around the world, particularly in North America, businesses cash in on this cultural celebration in a secular and bastardized fashion. The majority of people downing pints in pubs downtown have no significant Irish heritage; many pretend to be so as an excuse to mock accents and ask for kisses. March 17 has become an

Image via thinkstock

odd socially acceptable period of cultural appropriation, when people can pretend to be of another ethnic descent. Historically, Irish people have often faced mass discrimination, both for their national heritage and religious affiliation. St. Patrick’s Day is the equivalent in Ireland to Canada Day or the Fourth of July—an incredibly important

time to celebrate the country’s culture and roots. Its mass celebration by non-Irish people, particularly the abundance of leprechaun and shamrocks, pushes stereotypes and infringes on a group of people that are in many ways marginalized. On the other hand, even St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland is a departure from the original Christian tradition. Religiously,

it is traditionally celebrated by commemoration, themed services, and feasts in many Irish churches (Old Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican). The restrictions on eating and drinking during Lent are lifted, which is why boozing is such a common part of the celebration. Most holidays are bastardizations and manipulated from their original form,

particularly religious-turnedsecular ones. Christmas and Easter have Christian origins that have nothing to do with Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, Easter eggs, mistletoe, baskets, or gift giving. Nevertheless, such things are incorporated into the festivities by Christians and nonChristians alike. As traditions get passed down throughout centuries and our culture becomes more diverse and inclusive, it’s no wonder that the roots of these holidays are lost. The beer drinkers with shamrock tattoos who have never been to Ireland on March 17 don’t mean any harm. They’re merely having fun by participating in a socially acceptable societal celebration. Still, there’s something insensitive and almost culturally prejudiced about becoming too immersed in a cultural tradition and pretending to be of that culture. There’s a difference between participating in the fun of another culture’s celebration, and completely overtaking it altogether.

opinions // no. 19

issue 24 // volume 42

Is climate change a threat or a business model? Jamal Al-Bayaa Staff Writer

LOBE 2016 was an opportunity for business leaders to gather, educate, and create awareness about the state of our planet in the hopes that serious strategies targeting climate change’s top issues would be made. If the intention of GLOBE 2016 was to treat climate change as a serious threat that required actions, discussions, and sacrifice, that was not what was presented by the speakers. Presentation buzzwords throughout the event included: energy, innovation, economy, and efficiency. Climate change was referred to as a “business opportunity” numerous times. The idea behind GLOBE 2016 was that with climate change comes a demand for new energy technology, and it’s the jobs of the people in those rooms to profit off of them. GLOBE 2016 was a way for business leaders to come together and showcase their new business plans, marketed with words like “responsible,” and “sustainable,” in a dual effort of increasing profits and improving brand image. Sure, environmental concern is a major issue, but it’s been a major issue for almost 40 years now. The only difference now is

that it’s a profitable issue as well. The turn of the century has placed the environmental movement into the hands of the corporations that the public is often blaming for the major environmental problems. Even oil corporations are looking for new markets to sell renewable energy to. Is this the best that GLOBE 2016 has to offer, though? Is the message to the people going to be that once perfectly clean energy is available for us, there’s going to be a major premium involved for anybody who wants to use it? All criticisms aside, the profit mentality has brought incredible innovations that can’t be ignored. XPrize is currently encouraging teams of scientists from around the world to collaborate and compete on a project that is capable of sucking carbon directly out of the atmosphere and turning that carbon into a resalable product, most likely as fuel to be burned and released back into the atmosphere. Whoever successfully completes the project will win a $20-million cash prize and have a long future full of research funding ahead of them. In 2004, the same company awarded a $10-million cash prize to the team of scientists who were able to successfully launch a spacecraft into space twice in

Justin Trudeau speaking at Globe 2016 via www.globeseries.com

 Thoughts on GLOBE 2016

two weeks. The invention shook the world, as private space travel is now a $2-billion industry. Enterra, a local company from Langley, BC, is doing work that’s less glamorous but equally important and rewarding. They’re

currently running a sustainable bug-farm, growing black soldier fly larvae and using them to create organic fertilizer and natural and nutritious farm feed for livestock, both of which are desperately in demand with our

increased need for agriculture. Many say that the real ideological innovation won’t come until we grow those bugs for human use, too. The United Nations says that the benefits of eating bugs are so great (to ourselves and to our planet) that the two billion people globally who do eat bugs need to convert the other five billion into doing it, immediately. Sustainable business is good. It allows us to slowly and steadily improve the way we treat our environment. Still, there are some things that should be considered when combining business and environmentalism. Technologies and ideas that promoted increased consumption in consumers were common themes at GLOBE 2016. Any discussion of reducing the amount of products we consume each day were clearly rejected at the proposal phase. The cycle of businesses promoting over-consumption got us into this mess of environmental debt, so why are we allowing the same strategy to be what gets us out of it? As of March 2016, the fate of the planet rests in the hands of businesses willing to do as much as possible to prevent climate change—so long as profits stay steady.

Americans want to move to Canada if Trump wins  It’s so American to abandon a problem they’ve caused Elliot Chan Opinions Editor hether it’s meant as fodder for comedy or as a legitimate survey, the American people sounded off. According to a poll conducted by Ipsos, 19 per cent of Americans said they would move to Canada if Donald Trump wins presidency, and 15 per cent would do the same if Hillary wins. As a Canadian, I first thought this was a compliment, since we do call one of the most livable countries in the world home. Sure, we have our own problems, but compared to America’s, our issues seem so fixable. Then, I thought a bit more about it, and realized it was not a compliment to Canada. If Americans idolized Canada, America would be like Canada. No, like an angsty teenager threatening to run away from home, Americans are doing the same when they are not getting what they want. Grow up, I say.

Image via thinkstock

The problem is not going to fix itself if you just run away from it. Time and time again, Americans are dealt a heavy lesson and seldom do they learn from it. Just watch the American news; it’s the same episode every day. It’s history repeating itself. I digress. At this moment, less than one per cent of Canada is made up of

American immigrants. That is an insignificant amount— and usually we see Canadians crossing the border south rather than the other way around. Yes, perhaps the Americans feel like victims, but give me a break. Resorting to flight instead of fight is no way to solve a country-sized problem. If a country is your home and

you feel passionately enough about the politics that govern it, you’d fight for what’s best. Instead of trying to piggy back off of us Canadians, why don’t you try to learn from us? In 2015, we went through a pivotal election that ousted the Right Honourable—and backwards thinking—Stephen Harper from his seat as prime

minister. During the campaign, the country was divided, but we banded together to do what’s best on Election Day. Some of us might have threatened to move to Switzerland or somewhere else if Harper won, but many took to the polls to vote, not necessarily for the candidate they believed in, but the candidate that would beat Harper’s Conservative party. It was strategic, and it worked. Democracy is your right; however, welcoming yourself to someone else’s home is not. Americans, known for their arrogance and self-righteousness, often thinks that the whole world belongs to them. They think that Canada is their little brother, who, if their get-richfast plan falls through, will let them just crash at their place until they get their footing back. It doesn’t surprise me that Americans would consider moving up north, but it would surprise me if they actually do. Like government, like citizens—if you talk the talk, then you better walk the walk.

theotherpress.ca

opinions // no. 20

Whole Foods to start selling ‘imperfect’ fruits and vegetables Elliot Chan Opinions Editor

irst it was organics, now Whole Foods is aiming to make the buying and eating of “imperfect” fruits and vegetable as mainstream as drinking kombucha. Approximately 20–40 per cent of all fruits and vegetables end up in the trash. According to Environmental Protection Agency, US consumers wasted 35 million pounds of food in 2012. There are a number of reasons why such a large quantity of food ends up in the garbage, and including the fact that supermarkets have a high standard for the produce they sell. So, like a model for a talent agent, the tomato in your supermarket must also go through an appearance assessment. Now whether this experiment is going to work for Whole Foods and a number of other forward-thinking grocers is still up in the air. Consumers, especially consumers in

developed countries, are quite fickle about what they buy. We work hard for our money, so why would we buy something of lower quality when we can have the better one for the same price? Still, there is something heartwarming about finding a good home for these rejected fruits and vegetables. Like an orphanage for food, it’s good to know that Whole Foods is doing its part to change the superficial ideal that is ultimately harming our society. Buying “ugly” food is not a novelty, though. It’s not a freak show, it’s not for a one-time entertainment, it’s something we need to make habitual. That is where the challenge will be. We must remember that in the end, it all just ends in the same place. Why does it matter how good an avocado looks before you mash it up into guacamole? Why does it matter how a carrot looks before you toss it in a stew? Sure, some fruit and vegetables—those you set on a platter for a house party, for example—need to look somewhat desirable, but in

Image via thinkstock

 Why we should stop being so shallow towards our food’s appearance

the end, why does it matter? We are so shallow about fruit and vegetables, but when it comes to animals we are fine with them being unattractive. Beef, pork, and seafood are not as cute as the little potato, but many of us eat them all the same. As long as you can tell the difference between fresh and spoiled, it rarely matters how the ingredients look. In fact, I believe we should start eliminating the idea of

disgusting food from our society altogether. Our diets consist of many environmentally damaging productions. Acres of forestland are dedicated to cattle. Animals that were once in abundance, like species of salmon, are now being carefully rationed for fear of causing a greater imbalance. Yet, there is one species in the animal kingdom the Western world still finds grotesque: insects. Like ugly fruits and vegetables, insects are often

scorned for their pesky nature. We see them as many things, but nutritious is not one of them. However, many people in developing countries depend on them for survival daily. Pushing for ugly foods to be sold is a small step, but there is a long way to go to create a sustainable world. If that is the goal, we need to change our opinions about imperfect fruits and vegetables—and soon our opinion about all things edible.

Women are people Rebecca Peterson Staff Writer

t should be obvious. Women are people. This is hardly a controversial school of thought; at least, it hasn’t been since 1929 in Canada, legally. The letter of the law, however, does nothing to combat social consciousness, and in that respect, women are still widely not thought of as people. This might seem like an extreme statement. However, the widespread treatment of women is telling. Let me provide some examples: Last week while at work, a man on the street took issue with the fact that I didn’t want to talk to him. He followed me for a block to my workplace, where I managed to slip inside a building to get away from him. Looking back over my shoulder, I saw that two of my coworkers had to physically bar the man from coming in after me, and still he pushed to get past them, reaching for me over their shoulders. Creepy. And one incident certainly doesn’t prove a societal phenomenon. The problem is, however, it

isn’t a case of “one incident.” In telling this story to other women in my life, the responses I’ve received have widely been along the lines of “yeah, something like that happened to me, once.” It’s not even a shocking story anymore—it’s practically expected that other women have similar experiences. It’s not the first time I’ve had my work disrupted because a man has felt entitled to my time and attention. Much of my work requires me to be standing in the public eye, either guarding things or keeping people from wandering into places where they shouldn’t go. Just as you wouldn’t go up to a security guard, block their view, and start asking them personal questions, you would think someone in my position would receive the same courtesy. I’m not. I’ve been trapped in my position, forced to find a polite way to tell someone that I don’t appreciate their attention or comments about my body, which sometimes inspires more wrath and ire than it’s worth. And again, when sharing these stories with other women, the response I seem to get most often is “yeah, that’s happened to me.” It’s been proven to me time

and time again that even while wearing a safety vest and work clothes, there are men who look at me and don’t see a person at work, but a target to be pursued. You don’t follow a person for two blocks when they’ve expressed disinterest—you might do that to a cat, but not a human being. It’s normalized for women to be harassed and have their space invaded at every given opportunity; it is not normalized for men to undergo the same treatment. It’s frustrating, disheartening, and infuriating, and even in writing this I know that there are some who won’t take my words seriously because I’m a woman. This, too, has been proven to me before. I was once at an event where a man was asking a group of young female feminists questions. The feminists tried to patiently explain their answers, only to get cut off before they could finish a sentence. Eventually, a young man wandered over and made the same points, which the first man listened to avidly. In an experiment at a university in the States, résumés were e-mailed out to faculty for consideration. The résumés

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 Until women are treated like people, it’s evident that women are not seen as people

were all the same, but some were titled with a woman’s name while others had a man’s name. The résumés labeled as belonging to a man were viewed far more favourably than those belonging to a woman. Our gender comes before all else: our words, our actions, our opinions. No one is exempt from the assumptions made

about women. I, too, find myself judging women differently from men, and it’s always disheartening to realize. Until we start seeing women as people, we will have to start using men as placeholders in our lines of thought. Think of it this way: if a man wrote this article, would you take the content more or less seriously?

Humour

Have an idea for a story?  humour@theotherpress.ca

OO Party in the USA OO Short privilege OO Update: Nice guy gets heartbroken And more!

The Bachelor picks both finalists  First time reality show ends in polygamy Chandler Walter Bachelor Fan n an unprecedented turn of events during this Monday’s finale of The Bachelor, Ben Higgins shocked the TV watching world by deciding to spend the rest of his life with both finalists of the reality show. Throughout the season, Higgins had been struggling to send a woman home each week, and down to the very end, it was clear he was in love with both Lauren B and JoJo. So much so that he even voiced his feelings to each woman in turn, a first ever in The Bachelor history. His love for both placed him in an awkward situation. Following that precedent of never-before-seen TV, Higgins then went on to smuggle a second rose to the final rose ceremony, proposing to both women at the same time, with two different rings. “I love both of them. They’re

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too good to walk away from,” Higgins explained in an interview after both women said yes. Higgin explained that it was the dynamics of the show that ultimately led him to this conclusion, and that saying

goodbye to one more girlfriend in the span of a few months was just too much to accomplish. “I did fall in love with two women during this,” he admitted. “Going into this I didn’t think I could. But I really

tried to concentrate and make each relationship its own and stay open to the process. As a result, this is where it’s left us.” Higgins did admit that it was Lauren B. that he planned on marrying, but decided that

he would give the polygamous lifestyle a try to keep JoJo around. “I want to keep her in my life,” he said of JoJo. “I don’t want to say goodbye because that’s how much I love her. Besides, if people are alright with getting guilty pleasure out of watching a man date and dump 20 women over the course of 3 months, they should be alright with some casual polygamy, right?” While this is a first for The Bachelor, the show’s producers felt it was best to continue on as planned, including the hour long episode of “Life After The Bachelor” which aired directly after the finale. “We were skeptical at first,” said the show’s host, Chris Harrison. “But honestly, who really cares at this point? Most of these couple don’t even stay together for that long anyways. And it made for damn good television. If only he would’ve picked Olivia and Lace for this, now THAT would have hiked the ratings!”

Avid gym goer admits he really just enjoys counting  His entire persona has been a sham Chandler Walter Humour Editor hile many go to the local gym to pump some sweet, sweet iron and get a wicked swole on, Jim Wrat found himself frequenting the mirrored sweat factory for completely different reasons. “I just… I just love counting,” Wrat admitted when the Other Press tried to interview him about his workout habits. “I don’t know what it is, I just get this sweet, sweet burn whenever I count up to 10.” Wrat found that counting to himself at home did not hold the same joy that going to the gym allowed him. “It’s just not the same at home, you don’t get the same intense feeling. Maybe I just need to be doing it in front of other people. I tried just staying at home and counting, but I quit after my first set. I started watching other people count on YouTube instead. Enjoyable, but just not the same sense of satisfaction.”

Image via thinkstock

Wrat admits that the gym offers other incentives for doing his counting at the fitness centre, rather than an at home count-out.

“Man, the other day I was counting some… what do you call it when you make the heavy thing not be on the ground anymore? Oh yea, counting

some lifts beside this really cute girl. It made my counting even more amazing. I counted right up to 15, to impress her.” While Wrat realizes that

there is something odd about his favourite hobby, many gym-goers who know him appreciate his presence. “Oh yeah? Jimmy? Great guy,” said self-proclaimed hashtag fitness freak Biff Legdaze. “A little too eager to spot for us, though. He’s always trying to get us to do just one more set. Always makes sure to count out loud for ya too, which is appreciated.” Wrat has noticed a significant improvement in his counting strength since he joined the gym in January, and though he has given up on his new year’s resolution to “pick up and put down the heavy stuff” as he puts it, he is more than eager to stay a member for all the number building he’s been doing. “Sometimes I do a whole bunch of math right before I go,” Wrat said. “It gets me nice and pumped up. Those days I can count way further than I usually would be able to without my pre-count out routine. And then after, its nice to cool off with a bit of backwards counting, to stretch out the mind muscles.”

theotherpress.ca

humour // no. 22

Party in the USA

 Prime Minister Trudeau tours the United States Jake Wray Columnist rime Minister Justin Trudeau has embarked on a high-profile tour of the United States after his highly successful state visit with President Barack Obama. Officials from the White House set Trudeau up with an American Express Centurion card, a year’s supply of Gogurt, and a free iPad for the trip that will see the Prime Minister and his entourage make a number of special stops including a visit to Disneyland, a tour of Area 51, and a chance to hang out with rapper Snoop Dogg. A source at the White House, who wished to remain anonymous because they were not authorized to speak to media, told the Other Press that Obama wanted to give Trudeau the full American experience. “We said to Justin, ‘Clear your schedule because you are going to have a blast.’ He and Barack are thick as thieves, and it just made sense to show him all the cool stuff our country has to offer,”

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said the source, as approximately 15 per cent of Americans languished in poverty. “We pulled out all the stops for this one.” The first stop on the tour is Los Angeles, where Trudeau will visit the set of Star Wars Episode VIII, sit court-side at a Lakers

By David Manky, Senior Columnist

game, and make an appearance on Ellen before spending a weekend at Disneyland. In a press conference at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles’ Beverly Hills, Trudeau’s chief of staff Katie Telford said the prime minister is really, really excited.

“This is an absolutely unbelievable opportunity, and one that he is so grateful to have been given,” said Telford. “Personally, I am looking forward to skipping the lines at Disneyland.” Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau,

the Prime Minister’s wife, said from Ottawa that she wasn’t sure why Trudeau didn’t invite his family on the trip. “I don’t really care about going on the tour myself, but he could have at least brought the kids. I mean, he’s going to Disneyland, for fuck’s sake,” said Grégoire-Trudeau. Rapper Snoop Dogg, who is hiding in a closet on Trudeau’s jet with an MTV camera crew, is planning to surprise the Prime Minister. “It’s gonna be reeeeal good. Justin is my boy right here, he’s gonna legalize the marryhwanna up there in Canada, so I’ma bust out of this closet when he’s least expectin’ and give him a good laugh,” said Dogg. After Los Angeles, the Trudeau contingent will head to Nevada where they will hang out in Vegas and hit the casinos for a couple days, before touring Area 51. White House officials promise that visiting the classified military site will “blow the Prime Minister’s mind.”

By Cara Seccafien, Layout Manager

humour // no. 23

issue 24 // volume 42

Short Privilege  The future of intersectional theory

n response to accusations that her policies were “not inclusive enough,” Douglas College diversity officer Babar Mufasa organized a seminar in the concourse, in which she proposed to alter the Progressive Stack even further to include physical privileges such as height. “It is clear that we live in a heightist society,” Mufasa began, gesturing to her height comparison chart. “Buildings and facilities are designed according to arbitrary height standards, which is inherently oppressive to tall minorities.” “Put yourself in the shoes of a tall person,” Mufasa continued, inviting short audience members to come onto the stage and wear platform shoes for a comparison.

“Wear these for a day. See how many doorframes you have to duck under, how many desks you whack your knees on, or how many car seats you have to adjust. It’s a good way to check your short privilege.” “Height is a social construct,” Mufasa replied when a short student asked if he could face heightism. “Arbitrary standards of shortness are upheld by the Diminuarchy, which privileges short people. Because you’re short, you don’t see your short privilege—little things like being able to ask tall people to reach high shelves for you, or not having to hear people complement you on your height. Any issue short people face is merely our short-dominated society backfiring on them, ’cause that’s how privilege works.” The short, clearly uninformed students suggested

Mufasa was being heightist by stereotyping them, but Mufasa was unfazed. “Of course you’d say that,” she replied. “Short people are always taken more seriously than tall people. That’s short normativity, and it’s the reason why tall people cannot be heightist.” “The entitlement short people feel to the utility of tall people can become dangerous. I was harassed on Twitter over 9,000 times for announcing this talk, so I am putting myself at risk merely by speaking here today. That is why we need to make a space for tall people only, so we can discuss heightism without unsolicited opinions from short people.” “But, you know, you’re kind of short yourself,” an audience member said during a brief pause in the lecture. Mufasa appeared not to notice.

Update: Nice guy gets heartbroken.  It was only the eye in the storm of loneliness Jamal Al-Bayaa Staff Writer

Image via thinkstock

Adam Tatelman Arts Editor

ocal Vancouverite Jim Brant was recently featured in the Other Press for an incredible accomplishment: Breaking out of the friend zone and going all the way with his long time crush Natalie Luth. Despite happy beginnings, the relationship didn’t last. He originally attributed his success to a combination of dogged persistence, passive aggressive comments, and— most of all—his social status as one of the “nice guys”, which, according to Jim, is the same as being one of the “great guys” that every girl tells their girlfriends to date. “I send flowers to her work, I bought a six foot tall teddy bear and brought it to her by bus, and I text her every day. Right from the get-go I told her what had been on my mind for so long: ‘I love you, I want to marry you, I’ll never leave you.’ I don’t know if she took it too well. Isn’t that what every girl wants, though?!” Although persistence, sass, and being a nice guy may have paid off in the short term, Jim wonders whether

it was really a good idea to keep it up in the long run. When asked about the cause of the breakup, Jim was at a loss. “At first I thought it would be because she got back with her ex, Ryan, but when I checked his Facebook it said that he just got into a new relationship a while ago. It seems he’s been pretty happy about it all week judging by his statuses, so it can’t be him.” Although Luth wouldn’t comment on the why of the breakup, she did have this to say: “I understand that he just wants to be considered a good guy, but all that sucking up and acting pathetic is why no one wanted to date him in the first place! I got so accustomed to it that I forgot how terrible it is to be on the receiving end of that. It’s just major insecurities coming through, and it’s hard to be around. I regret that I hurt us both, but I did that by saying yes to him, not by saying we had to break up.” The silver lining in all of this, Jim says, is that he has discovered his love for expressive poetry. Now he writes almost daily, using “rhymes instead of crimes” to let out his frustrations in a more productive way.

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