Lettitor
Removing or destroying statues does not erase history, but it’s also not the solution Jessica Berget Editor-in-Chief
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here is a lot of debate on the issue of removing statues memorializing people who have done terrible things or have bad histories. As protests and riots persist in the US with the Black Lives Matter movement and the death of George Floyd, many statues have been petitioned to be removed because of their colonial or racist past, and the same rhetoric has carried over to Canada. In recent times, statues of both Canadian and Vancouverite historical figures have had petitions put forth to be removed, some have become targets for vandalism, and some are becoming destroyed by radicals in protest. Locally, the “Gassy Jack” statue of John Deighton in Gastown has been vandalized with paint and an online petition has gathered more that 1500 statues in less than a week. His
marriage of a twelve-year-old Squamish girl being the reason for this animosity. Statues that have ties to colonialism have been under the same scrutiny. George Vancouver—the guy from who we get our city’s namesake—was also was vandalized on earlier this month for similar reasons. While it is true that many of these statues of people have pasts which are now frowned upon and some have done things that we would now consider atrocities, does removing or destroying the statue really make anything better? Does it make all the past trauma and awful history of our country go away? Absolutely not. Although I don’t condone most of the things that these people did and am disgusted by many of the things they did, removing the statues isn’t necessarily a step in the right direction. I also don’t think removing these statues will necessarily “erase history” as some claim, but it is important to have these monuments since they are an opportunity to explain the
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significance and flaws of the people behind the statues. For example, some walking tours that go through the area mention Jack’s pedophilia. All human beings are flawed—especially in the past when horrible things were more normalized—so someone who may have done something historically good (like settling a city for generations of people to live freely in) may also have a sour history of violence and abuse. It is important to learn about these figures within the context of their times. We can still celebrate their contributions realistically without glorifying their character. There’s also the argument that these statues not only represent an oppressive and racist past but also represent institutional racism that continues to exist today. But, these statues represent a person who lived in a miserable, arduous, and often horrible part of history and were huge figures in the creation of our much safer cities, nations, and civilizations as
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Atiba Nelson Staff Reporter Craig Allan Tania Arora EG Manilag Staff Writers Billy Bui Staff Photographer Jerrison Oracion Brandon Yip Senior Columnists Timothy Easling CJ Sommerfeld Eric Wilkins Contributors
we know it. If that’s not who we should have statues of, I don’t know what other options we have. Furthermore, if it is white washing or colonial history we are concerned with promoting, why don’t we use the same energy and tax dollars to erect other statues that offer representation for more people? Some carry painful memories of terrible things that happened back then and that many people are feeling the trauma of today. It may be uncomfortable or even unpleasant to be reminded of these times, but there’s no denying or forgetting that they happened. Removing or destroying these monuments will not erase history, but it can skew it and make people forget. Haven’t we all heard the term “out of sight, out of mind”? Limes,
Jessica Berget Jessica Berget
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. 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 tuition 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. 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.
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News
news // no. 3 • A surge in demand for eligible workers • North Vancouver begins legalizing public drinking • Protests good; Trump rally bad ...and more
Douglas denounces racism via online statement ››Dench urges Douglas community to listen and learn Atiba Nelson Staff Reporter
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Tweet via @douglascollege on Twitter
s part of Black Out Tuesday, Douglas College’s Twitter feed featured a black square in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. Accompanying the
black square was a link to a blog post from Douglas College Associate Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs, Sarah Dench. Dench’s post outlined her reflections on the protests and unrest in the United States, which are occurring concurrently with the pandemic. The post also
acknowledged Canada’s history of racism. The statement encouraged educators to be “actively anti-racist—speaking and educating to oppose racism and systems of oppression.” She went on to urge the larger Douglas community to “think about how we take action— personally, and as organizations.” Included with the post, after Dench’s validation, was this statement: “As an institution, Douglas College opposes all acts of racism and stands with people of colour to actively combat systemic bias in our communities. Students who experience grief, trauma, or stress resulting from racism and violence are encouraged to seek support.” The statement also included a list of links sponsored by Douglas College where students can seek support if needed. The statement mirrors other sentiments expressed throughout the British Columbia higher education landscape. The same day Douglas College released its statement, Simon Fraser University (SFU) President and Vice-Chancellor Andrew Petter released a similar statement. The SFU statement also mentioned the institution’s appointment of Dr. Joy Johnson (the incoming President and Vice-Chancellor of SFU) to a committee advancing “equity, diversity, and inclusion.” In his online statement, Petter wrote this: “It’s all of our
responsibility to combat racism, but none more so than those of us who have benefited from white privilege.” Douglas and SFU joined UBC as post-secondary schools with anti-racist statements. Santa Ono, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of British Columbia posted a letter to the UBC Community on June 1, 2020. Ono’s statement, the longest of the three statements, outlined British Columbia’s oldest university’s institutional commitment. Most notably the UBC President committed to diversifying the faculty through the allocation of President’s Excellence Chairs—faculty positions created to attract outstanding educators and researchers to UBC—to black and Indigenous faculty members. Ono also asked the University community to reach out to him if they thought that there was more that UBC could do to combat racism. If students are interested in resources and materials on combatting these issues, Douglas College’s Student Engagement and the Office for Student Support and Conduct offers the “Let’s DO Respect” campaign which aims to end sexual violence, racism, homophobia, and transphobia at Douglas with information for learners on campus.
Trending careers and industries during COVID-19 Tania Arora Staff Writer
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he global economy came crashing down due to COVID-19, a pandemic that wasn’t really expected. Some could not escape the drastic effects of it, the majority of which have been related to job loss. Many businesses had to shut down or reduce operations and cut costs to cover up the losses even after being in operation for a long time. According to Statistics Canada, “In February, prior to the COVID-19 economic shutdown, the unemployment rate was 5.6 percent. It increased to 7.8 percent in March and 13.0 percent in April.” But there have also been many industries and companies that have been looking for candidates due to the increase in operations when the economy started to reopen. So, if you are a recent graduate or lost your job during the pandemic, consider being a part of these sectors; the demand
for candidates in here will not be dropping anytime soon.
looking for candidates to meet the increasing demands.
Essentials goods & services The industry of essential goods and services helped people survive during the pandemic and continues to do so. The demand in the industry almost doubled due to a hike in transactions and many employees leaving due to the fear of the virus. Essential service providers include plumbers, electricians, and others who repair or build the required parts of our houses or workplaces. Candidates looking to be skilled tradespeople have significant potential for growth ahead of them.
Financial sector After every downfall in the economy there comes a stabilizing point after which the graph moves upwards. The sector saw a plummet in the transactions during COVID-19 and which see a higher rise after reopening as every individual will start investing more and finding ways to cover up their losses. The candidates who are looking forward to entering the financial sector must get ready to bear the workload.
Insurance sector We do not understand the importance of being insured until someone close to us (or even ourselves) faces a risk to their lives. The pandemic helped us understand that everything is uncertain, and hence, it is essential for us to be insured. The insurance providers are
Telecommunications Many industries have shifted to the remote module of running the business. It is now easier and cost-friendly to set up a work from the home team without creating a room for it. The call and queries from people also increased during the COVID-19, and companies now need candidates to help solve the customer influx.
Photo by Billy Bui
››A surge in demand for eligible workers
Public Health & Government If you wish to be one of those in government or health, go ahead, as the industry will never die down. The government has also been looking for people or officers to join them as many departments have been created and will be added to further handle the public concerns.
news // no. 4
theotherpress.ca
North Vancouver begins legalizing public drinking ››New bylaw passed
in North Vancouver
Sonam Kaloti Arts Editor ancouverites can look forward to a big change; the City of North Vancouver passed a bylaw legalizing public drinking in some designated parks. The bylaw was passed on June 1 and has been in effect as of June 22. As Vancouverites’ social pressure with loneliness and isolation during COVID-19 continues, the news comes as a response to the pandemic as the council aims to make life a little easier in these trying times. “We all want to live in a connected, vibrant, and inclusive community,” said Mayor Linda Buchanan in a press release. The passing of this bylaw means that the City of North Vancouver is the first municipality in BC to legalize drinking in specified public outdoor areas. Vancouver has had a reputation for being a “No Fun City” for years. Vancouver Councilor Pete Fry had recently pushed a motion to legalize public drinking to no avail. The Council vote ended in a 5 to 5 tie; however, the motion required a majority vote to move forward. This, once again, opened wide discussion on the ethics and safety issues concerning liquor and public drinking, while also reinstating the “no fun” reputation of the city.
Photo by Billy Bui
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“I don’t see Vancouver being a no fun city. I believe that there is so much one can do in the city especially in the downtown Vancouver area, ” Douglas College student Jozae Martinez said. “I think it’s fine with the new law because I’ve seen cops waste so much time giving out tickets for people drinking in public when they can do better things.” On the issues concerning irresponsible drinking, Martinez said, “I wouldn’t trust college students or teenagers, but I feel like the older adults
can be trusted more. Usually when I see people get tickets for drinking in public it’s always the younger groups of adults. I am for the new law of public drinking only because my friends and I can finally have a few cold ones on the beach, but then at the same time I’m not because all I can think about is all the rowdy teens and young adults acting out in public.” The new bylaw is in effect from June 22 through October 15 as a pilot program. The bylaw allows public drinking from 11 am through 9 pm on all seven days of the
week at the following locations: • •Waterfront Park (north and south of the train tracks, excluding the playground) • •Victoria Park (west) • •Mahon Park (behind Fen Burdett bleachers) • •Civic Plaza • •Grand Boulevard (13th St. to 19th St.) • •Ray Perrault Park (north west corner) • •Kings Mill Walk Park (Harbourside Pl. to Fell Ave.) • •Shipbuilders Square at The Shipyards • •Cates Deck at The Shipyards
Canada loses in its bid for a United Nations Security Council seat ››Trudeau’s high-profile bid fails Craig Allan Staff Writer
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n 2010, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party of Canada failed to garner Canada a non-permanent residency in the UN Security Council for the next 10 years. The seat, which allows Canada
to be on the front lines for maintaining world security through the UN body, is given on a two-year term basis. It has been occupied by Canada six different times; one for every full decade that the UN had existed. It was viewed as an indoctrination of Canada’s failure on the international affairs under Prime Minister Harper by
Canada not only failed to get a seat, they also got fewer votes this time than back in 2010
the opposition Liberals. 10 years after that defeat, it is now the Liberals who are feeling the same sting of failure, as Canada will once again be shut out of a seat on the Security Council for the next 10 years. When the Liberals were elected in 2015 under Justin Trudeau, they vowed to fix the damage the Stephen Harper’s Conservative party had done to Canada on the international stage. However, the Liberals were starting behind in the race for a seat, as they started campaigning for a seat in 2016, six years behind Ireland and Norway’s bids were announced. This combined with the fact that last minute politicking in person was out the window due to COVID-19 and the Wet’suwent’en protests earlier in the year. Ireland and Norway both won seats on the council. Canada not only failed to get a seat, they also got fewer votes this time than back in 2010; they did n0t even get out of the first voting round. It was determined that this was going to be a tighter race than the one in 2010, but that will likely not quell critics of Trudeau’s government in regards to the Liberal’s international policies. The criticisms of Canada’s international policy have centered around foreign aid and peacekeeping. Canada’s foreign aid has been half of what Norway’s
is, which is notable because Canada’s population is nearly 38 million, to Norway’s 5 million. As for peacekeeping, Canada currently has fewer dedicated peacekeeping soldiers out in the world now than it has had in 60 years, and this statistic matters to the UN. For Trudeau this is especially damaging. This no doubt looks bad on him, and with Trudeau still trying to get over the backlash he had in regards to his disastrous India trip in 2018, this will likely add another failure to his international record. What may be the most damaging for Trudeau is the fact that in order to curry favour from nations Trudeau had to sacrifice Canada core beliefs to get the vote of some nations. Such as the African nation of Senegal. Trudeau was able to get Senegal’s vote, but many criticized Trudeau for not calling out Senegal’s ban on homosexuality. Canada will now have to plan when it will next campaign to win a seat at the table; regardless of when Canada wins a seat again, it will have remained absent from one of the biggest organizations on the world stage for more than two decades. Until then, Canada is on the outside looking in.
issue 30// vol 46
news // no. 5
College calls for nominations Atiba Nelson Staff Reporter
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he Education Council is looking for a new student member. Douglas College’s Education Council, which is mandated under the British Columbia College and Institute Act, posted a call for nominations notice on the college’s main page. The current call is the third call for nominations for the vacant student seat on the 20-person council. Typically, four of the voting council members are students; however, with only three students elected to the council, the college is seeking a fourth and final student member. The current student members are Rachelle Andrews, Ariel Ataiza, Sherlyn Tang, and Manvir Heer. The term of this group ends on August 31, 2020. Then on September 1, a new group consisting of Gurpaneer (Jinia) Kaur Mand, Peter Curson, and holdover Ariel Ataiza—who is also Director of Membership Development for the Douglas Students’ Union (DSU)—
start their term in office. The council’s terms of reference state that to apply to be a student member of the Educational Council, a student must be “recognized to be enrolled and in good standing in a course or program of studies at the institution.” Douglas deems that a student enrolled in a one credit course and in good standing with the institution is eligible. However, the student cannot be directly employed by the college. Students have until 4 pm on July 8, 2020 to submit nominations for the vacant student position. Interested students must submit 15 completed nomination forms (one from each nominator) to Admin Officer Mary Cope, and a brief election platform statement to the College Registrar, Rella Ng. A bolded rule states: “Do not send fifteen (15) separate emails.” Nominated students can then campaign, and Douglas students can electronically vote a new student member to the Educational Council. Douglas aims to start student voting for the vacant student position during the
Photo by Greg Salter via Wikimedia Commons
››One student position available on Education Council
campaign period from July 14 to July 21. The Educational Council meets monthly, with the last meeting occurring virtually via Microsoft Teams software on June 15, 2020. The approved May meeting minutes show that the council discussed several program revisions and received updates on the fall 2020 term from President Kathy Denton
and Associate Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs Sarah Dench. “…until we know exactly what the guidelines and directives are for postsecondary institutions, instruction will continue to be delivered on-line,” Dench said according to the May minutes.
THE NEWS ON FAKE NEWS ››Protests good; Trump rally bad Timothy Easling Contributor
“T
he people who come to the rally, they don’t care about them except as a photo op, because they’re going to kill some of them and some of their family and friends,” Art Caplan, a bioethicist at NYU Langone Health and CNN medical contributor, said during an appearance on CNN Newsroom in the leadup to Donald Trump’s Tulsa rally. Reports similarly critical of the health consequences of such a large gathering were run by many major media groups. CBS News medical contributor
Dr. David Agus was quoted in multiple Trump rally articles by the outlet: “CDC certainly does not have guidelines for large gatherings of over 10,000 people. I don’t know of any state guidelines that would enable that,” he said. Dr. Ashish Jha, director of Harvard’s Global Health Institute, called the then-upcoming Trump rally “an extraordinarily dangerous move for the people participating and the people who may know them and love them and see them afterward,” in an NBC piece. Meanwhile, massive public gatherings related to defunding the police and Black Lives Matter—some outnumbering Trump’s own rally— received a slightly different response from the major outlets. A CNN feature pushed a different line: “However, as public health advocates, we do not condemn these gatherings as risky for COVID-19 transmission. We support them as vital to the national public health and to the threatened health specifically of black people in the United States,” read a letter signed by over 1,000 “health professionals.” “Prepare for an increased number of infections in the days following a protest,” continued the same source.
"Provide increased access to testing and care for people in the affected communities, especially when they or their family members put themselves at risk by attending protests.” The report was a contrast from the Trump rally line of “they’re going to kill some of them.” The Washington Post also showed a lack of consistency between the events, running pieces such as this lengthy article entitled “After week of protest, Saturday expected to bring largest crowds yet to Washington” that contained zero mentions of any health considerations. Even coverage of smaller towns yielded no health mentions—as seen in pieces such as this one from CBS. While TikTok teens trolled the ticket numbers, almost no outlets even mentioned the protesters outside the Trump rally. No reliable data has been reported on how many were scared off by the angry mob—although, as even seen in the Washington Post, there was quite a crowd attempting to block those wishing to go to the rally. But for all the media talk of irresponsible Trump supporters (just over 6,000 by most counts), it seems a great number of them are as safe as the papers would like them to be; Fox’s stream alone reached over 7.6-million people. The campaign’s own digital platform reportedly yielded another four million. As obvious from these two sources, there are many more unaccounted for watchers missed and purposely unmentioned by the media.
Much reporting is also intentional misrepresentation. “So perhaps it made him feel better when the Tulsa crowd—his crowd—applauded after he theatrically drank a glass of water onstage with only one hand and didn’t dribble any of it on his tie,” read a piece from the Washington Post. Out of context, it appears as though Trump is getting applause simply for taking a drink. However, when you watch the entire clip in context, Trump was making a joke—a joke the audience found hilarious. The only way for a different perspective to be seen was to watch the applause and drinking by itself with no context (a very poor journalistic practice) or by viewing the entire clip and writing the piece to be intentionally misleading. The entire video can be found here. It’s quite similar to Trump’s CNN parody that Twitter removed in June. No one thought it was a real newscast (Jim Acosta of left-wing CNN even using that knowledge in a question during a White House briefing the next day: “When you share fake videos like that, doesn’t that make you fake news?”) and there were several intentional misspellings, but the media reported it as Trump trying to mislead the public; CNN tweeted at Trump: “We’ll continue working with facts rather than tweeting fake videos that exploit innocent children. We invite you to do the same. Be better.” Meanwhile right-wing outlets such as Fox called the video “satirical.”
Sports
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• Remembering the Chinese Students Soccer team • Honouring the NHL’s most feared enforcer ...and that's everything!
Remembering the Chinese Students Soccer team
Photo by CB Wand
››Notable 1933 soccer victory brought pride to a beleaguered Chinatown community
Brandon Yip Senior Columnist
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his year marks the 100th anniversary of the formation of the Chinese Students Soccer team. They were organized by the Chinese Students Athletic Association and began playing during the 1919 to 1920 season. The team brought pride to Vancouver’s Chinatown community during a time when Chinese Canadians were treated as second class citizens. Indignities included not being allowed to vote and racist immigration policies were enforced by the Canadian government— such as paying a head tax between 1885 and 1923 to enter Canada (starting at $50 and later increased to $500). In addition, the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act was implemented to ban Chinese immigration to Canada (repealed in 1947). The story of the Chinese Students appears to have been forgotten over the years and their accomplishments have been overlooked and rarely discussed until recently. The Chinese Students were the only non-white team in BC competing during the 1920s to the early 1940s. The team would garner admiration by winning several tournaments, including the Iroquois Cup in May 1926—as well as
winning the Louis Denison Taylor Trophy for sportsmanship. They would later capture the Wednesday League Cup in 1931. Notably, the students had one player who was their game breaker—star forward Quene Yip—considered the “Diego Maradona” of his time. Yip was highly skilled and dangerous offensively as he could score goals with either foot. Two years on in May 29, 1933, the team would reach its apex when they faced the heavily favoured UBC in the BC Mainland Cup final. A crowd of 1,000 at Con Jones Park in Vancouver witnessed the Chinese Students defeating UBC 4 to 3. Despite UBC being a much bigger team, the Chinese Students Soccer team adapted effectively by using their speed and quick passing to compensate for their lack of size. The victory incited celebrations in Chinatown, as a holiday was declared the next day with free dim sum and tea. The Chinese Students would later win another championship, the Spalding Trophy in 1936. By the early 1940s, the Chinese Students Soccer team was getting older and many players had moved on to pursue future careers. Many players would become prominent in the Chinese Canadian community. Dock Yip would become
the first Chinese Canadian lawyer to be called to the Canadian bar. William Lore, treasurer and team vice president became the first Chinese Canadian naval officer. Other prominent achievements include Ghim Yip, who became the first Canadiantrained Chinese doctor and Tong Louie, who later became CEO of London Drugs— both men played for the team later during the 1930s. Bowen Zhang, whose 2011 documentary Heroes of Chinatown on the Chinese Students soccer team, said in an email interview with the Other Press that it is important that people never forget what the team accomplished. “These boys proved. They are as good as others when society gives them an equal opportunity. They brought joy, confidence, and pride back to the community during the most difficult times—fighting with unfairness and discrimination.” Kathryn Gretsinger was also intrigued by the story of the Chinese Students. Her documentary, A Level Playing Field, aired on CBC Radio in 1998. She believes it is important for people to be aware of Vancouver’s history—especially stories that are not pleasant and flattering. “Sometimes memories are difficult. They are often hard and they sometimes remind us that
racism, struggle, poverty, marginalization are real—and then sometimes there are stories about hope and victory and recognition and those ones matter too,” Gretsinger said in an interview with the Other Press. “And the dignity and joy that people expressed when talking about that team at that time... It was powerful and moving and something I will treasure and be proud of forever.” Notably, the Chinese Students Soccer team would eventually be recognized for their achievements on the soccer pitch. Quene Yip would be inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame in April 1998; followed by the 1933 Chinese Students Soccer team in September 2011. Significantly, an anonymous poem written in 1926, dedicated to the Chinese Students, epitomizes the joy and pride the team achieved in raising the spirits of Vancouver’s beleaguered Chinatown community: This advice I give to you, Kick the ball both swift and low, And you’ll know the way to go. Here’s good luck to Students Boys, In their success we all rejoice, Yell, bravo, in ringing voice.
issue 13// vol 46
sports // no. 7
Tough Guy: Bob Probert
Photo of Bob Probert and Darren Langdon via Wikimedia Commons
››Honouring the NHL’s most feared enforcer
Brandon Yip Senior Columnist
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hen Bob Probert stepped on the ice, many of the opposition wanted to step off the ice. July 5 marks 10 years since his tragic death from a heart attack at the age of 45 while boating on Lake St. Clair. In his day, he was the most feared and intimating enforcer ever to play in the NHL. Probert was drafted 46th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft. His career spanned 17 years in the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks; amassing 3300 penalty minutes—fifth all-time. Probert had legendary bouts with adversaries that included Donald Brashear, Craig Coxe, Troy Crowder, Tie Domi, Stu Grimson, George Laraque, Scott Parker, and Tony Twist. But his off-ice issues often overshadowed his on-ice feats. Probert also battled substance abuse during his pro career. In February 1989, Probert was arrested at the Windsor-Detroit border for having 14 grams of cocaine in his pants. He would later serve 90 days in prison. Nonetheless, Probert was more than
just a pugilist—he could actually play hockey. During the 1987 to 88 season as a Red Wing, he had a career best 29 goals and 33 assists for 62 points. As well, he set a franchise record in penalty minutes with 398—and was voted to the 1988 NHL All-Star Game. Probert enjoyed his role as a tough guy, as he admitted in an interview for the 2011 documentary The Last Gladiators. He loved fighting because it was a way for him to vent; “Fighting on the ice, it was like an outlet. You just get rid of everything.” But Probert admitted that despite being one of the toughest enforcers in the NHL, his role as a fighter became more challenging as he got older. There were younger and bigger players entering the NHL and wanting to prove themselves by fighting Probert. “It takes its toll on you [emotionally], you don’t want to be embarrassed” Probert said in the previously mentioned documentary. “You didn’t want to lose, especially in front of your hometown crowd.” After his death, Probert’s brain was donated to Boston University for medical research since Probert requested his brain be donated to science before he died. Researchers discovered after examining
brain tissue samples that Probert had CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), a degenerative brain disease. This was the result of repeated concussions and blows to the head during his NHL career. Probert’s widow, Dani, stated in a March 2011 interview with the Windsor Star that she noticed changes in her husband’s behaviour: “Nothing major, but there were certain signs, the short-term memory loss, the short fuse, definitely.” But Probert has never been forgotten. In his hometown of Windsor, Ontario, an annual charity event called The Bob Probert Ride has been held in his memory since 2011, with proceeds supporting Cardiac Wellness programs at Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare. This year’s event was postponed due to COVID-19 and has been rescheduled for June 27, 2021. Terry Crisp, who coached Probert in junior during his one season with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the OHL (1984 to 85), remembers Probert as a gentleman. “He had a big grin and he was a very nice man, very happy go lucky and he was always in a good mood—a gentle giant,” Crisp said in a telephone interview with the Other Press. Crisp also remembers just having Probert’s presence on the ice was
enough to keep opponents from taking liberties. Crisp is saddened that Probert is gone, “He deserved better. He deserved a better ending.” Don Cherry, former host of Coach’s Corner on Hockey Night in Canada, remembers Bob Probert as tough on the ice, but very shy off the ice. “Like all tough guys, Bob was quiet and [kind of] shy,” Cherry said in an email interview with the Other Press. “There is no doubt that in his prime Bob was the heavyweight champ of the NHL. Like the top gunslinger in the old west, every up and coming tough guy wanted a piece of Bob,” he said. Bob Probert is survived by his widow, Dani, and four children (daughters Brogan, Tierney, Declyn and his twin brother Jack). Dani Probert, in an email interview with the Other Press, wants her late husband to be remembered as a big teddy bear, who was intelligent with an incredible sense of adventure—along with a contagious belly laugh: “Bob always lived life in the moment and to the fullest. He loved to eat, laugh, and spend time with friends and family. He loved to give and never expected anything in return. He was a wonderful husband, father, friend, and teammate,” she said.
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Arts
• Studio Ghibli films are now available on Netflix Canada • Lots of catching up: Canadian content edition! ...and more
Best virtual reunions of classic shows ››Zoom calls with celebrities Craig Allan Staff Writer
I
n the dreary world of COVID-19, many people are looking to the past to find comfort. This peace can be found in the world of entertainment, where shows from the past are finding new audiences. The need to connect with entertainment gone by is not lost on the stars of these programs. During the pandemic, they have been brought back together through the glory of virtual reunions. Here are some of the best virtual reunions to occur during the 2020 pandemic.
Community What made this reunion so special was that it also included Donald Glover. Glover, who left the show in its fifth season to pursue other career opportunities (including a successful rap career under the name of Childish Gambino) was considered unlikely to ever return for any reunion of the show due to his busy and successful music and acting careers post-Community. Not only was Glover excited to come back, but in the post table read questionnaire, he was also interested in forming a group text chat—only to be disappointed when he found out that the cast already had one that they didn’t invite him to because they thought he would be too busy. As for the table read, they used the script from the episode “Cooperative Polygraphy.” The highlight of the reunion
may have come from someone who was not part of the cast, as Pedro Pascal (famously known for The Mandalorian) was brought in to read for a role originally played by an absent Walton Goggins. Pascal found himself breaking consistently through a scene in which he had to give members of the study group freeze-dried cylinders of the recently passed Pierce Hawthorn’s sperm. Survivor: Millennials Vs. Gen X When it comes to reality shows, reunions can be a bit different. While regular TV shows have casts that work together over the years, reality shows tend to have casts that only play together once and then go their separate ways. Survivor is no different, with everyone in the cast going through what is essentially the world’s most extreme adult summer camp. However, the extreme nature of Survivor and the experience these cast members go through can often lead to long lasting bonds that last far past the show’s 39-day game span. Back in June, one of the show’s own cast members Sunday Burquest revealed that she had been diagnosed
with esophageal and ovarian cancer. In the reality TV show podcast, Rob Has a Podcast, 16 of Burquest’s fellow castaways joined the podcast for a surprise reunion. The episode features all of them expressing what their relationship with Burquest meant to them during and after the show’s run. This reunion may not be as epic as those made by long running TV shows and casts, but in terms of emotion, it is a tear-jerking reunion. It showcases the close bonds that can be made between people— even if their time together was just a couple of days in a game defined by deceit. Ghostbusters Even movie stars have gotten into the virtual reunion thing, seeing how the cast of the original Ghostbusters got back together for a reunion on Josh Gad’s series Reunited Apart. What makes this reunion good is the quality production. The show is not just people talking over grainy Zoom calls; it intercuts scenes and music that fit with the conversations—adding another level of enjoyment and immersion to the reunion.
Promotional image for 'Parks and Recreation' via NBC
Parks and Recreation: “A Parks and Recreation Special” Most of the reunions that have been done mostly consist of the casts just sitting around and talking. In contrast, Parks and Recreation decided to take it one step further by doing a whole new socially distant episode. The show was set around Amy Poehler’s character, Leslie Knope, trying to maintain a phone tree to keep everyone connected during the pandemic. While the
show could have simply been a low quality and obviously slapped together charity episode that logged a few criticisms simply because it was an episode for charity, instead the special was critically praised and the cast gave their all in the episode.
Donald Glover was considered unlikely to ever return for any reunion of the show due to his busy and successful music and acting careers post-Community.
issue 30// vol 46
arts // no. 9
Beauty and wonder await you ››Studio Ghibli films are now Sonam Kaloti Arts Editor
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et ready for Netflix mayhem, Canadians! Studio Ghibli and Netflix have partnered up to bring 21 Ghibli films to Netflix Canada (finally)! Netflix Canada tweeted, “We’re proud to bring beloved, influential stories like Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro to first-time viewers and high-flying fans alike.” The Other Press spoke with two Douglas College Music Technology program students Ashlee Oen and Jenny Lim about their thoughts on the recent news. Lim has watched almost all of the Ghibli films while Oen has not watched any yet but has watched some trailers and is “looking forward to binging them all!” Studio Ghibli films bring great joy to those who watch them, however, besides some showings at Cineplex theatres during the 2019 Studio Ghibli festival, they’ve all been disappointingly inaccessible. “Although I am able to find these films somewhere on the internet, the quality of the video is usually disappointing,” said Lim. “It’s important for these movies to reach a greater audience so that people can have a better knowledge of the Japanese culture the films are based upon,” said Oen. On the topic of why the films are so popular, she states: “I think the unique characters and stories featured in the films are what gives Studio Ghibli such a great rep in the animated film industry.” In discussing the film’s success, Lim adds this: “I believe it’s because of Ghibli’s certain ingenuity and magic that modern animations fail to surpass them. This brings interest to many people around the
world, despite the films being Japanese films.” Lim’s favourite movie is Howl’s Moving Castle; “The colour scheme is so beautiful in this movie just like any other Studio Ghibli film, and the soundtracks make me tear up.” “Growing up watching Studio Ghibli movies has taught me many things. My Neighbour Totoro taught me about family and friendships, Spirited Away taught me how to accept reality, and my favourite film Howl’s Moving Castle portrays human emotions and explores the theme of war.” The films portray a gorgeous romanization of the little things in life, whether it may be cleaning, studying, cooking, or simply gazing out of a window, Ghibli movies remind the viewer to take some time to appreciate the charm of the world. Hayao Miyazaki—cofounder of Studio Ghibli—is regarded by fans to have done this on purpose as a subtle means of promoting mental wellbeing. “Life is suffering. It is hard. The world is cursed. But still, you find reasons to keep living” is a quote from the film Princess Mononoke. Studio Ghibli films have been available for streaming on Netflix as on June 25. The Wind Rises will be available August 1.
Illustration by Athena Little
available on Netflix Canada
My Neighbour Totoro taught me about family and friendships and Spirited Away taught me how to accept reality.
Season two premiere of ‘NOS4A2’ is a haunting story about family and the past ››This horror series continues with a strong lead performance and compelling themes Jonathan Pabico Contributor
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oe Hill’s novel NOS4A2 was wondrously adapted into one of the most refreshing and original vampire tales to debut on a TV screen. The premiere of this show’s second season has an impressive lead backed by significant social motifs. The story takes place eight years after season one’s harrowing conflict between punk artist Vic McQueen (Ashleigh Cummings) and nefarious vampire Charlie Manx (Zachary Quinto). McQueen has since settled down with a family of her own and remains vigilant for the return of her immortal foe. The premiere humanizes McQueen incredibly by exploring the depths of her pain and trauma from season one. Through
McQueen’s struggles to be open about her suffering with boyfriend Lou (Jonathan Langdon), Cummings unravels how such damaging experiences can easily affect someone’s life. She perfectly reprises this troubled youth as a complicated person trying to let go of personal hurt. Cummings also beautifully portrays her role as a mother who feels uncertain about the world. This approach relays the fears that shape the bond between parents and children. Her performance further instills McQueen as someone with great compassion. This creates an emotional texture to foreground, showing how pivotal it is to trust and stay connected with your loved ones. An important theme in this episode is how difficult it is to confront the past. Idle close-ups edited with obstructed camera angles of Cummings’ lingering
facial expressions convey how trapped and tortured McQueen is by her painful memories. The dreadful colour palette in each scene is blended with a disquieting soundtrack. The watcher can understand McQueen’s inner turmoil with moving forward in her life. The sets and lighting are layered with smooth editing between scenes to achieve an ominous aesthetic. They gradually build suspense to foreshadow the dangers that McQueen will soon encounter in the show’s overarching narrative. The premiere’s most disappointing aspect is that Manx plays a small role so far in the story. He is mostly discussed during dialogue scenes since the script is focused more on setting up his arrival for future episodes. Secondary characters are treated as brief subplots to just provide viewers with
something new to watch until the plot returns to McQueen. They develop creepy tension, but these roles could have had more scenes in obtaining better character dynamics—or they should have instead been introduced in later episodes. Overall, the season two premiere of NOS4A2 elevates the eerie atmosphere of its predecessor. It is surprising that Charlie Manx has little presence, given that he is the show’s main villain. Still, the plot compensates for this shortcoming with resonating themes from Ashleigh Cummings’ lead performance as Vic McQueen. The story boldly prepares you for what will most likely be another series of supernatural horrors and riveting characters.
arts // no. 10
Illustration by Udeshi Seneviratne
theotherpress.ca
Lots of catching up: Canadian content edition! ››Problems in ‘Letterkenny’ and mysteries with ‘Frankie Drake’ Jerrison Oracion Senior Columnist
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ut of the all Canadian shows that I watch, the only show that I’ve fully seen so far is Kim’s Convenience—and the great news is that the show will be on for at least two more seasons. After watching the Canadian Screen Awards this year and finding out that Transplant will be back next season, it is inspiring me to possibly watch some of these Canadian shows (including Cardinal). There are other Canadian shows that I’d like to catch up on or begin watching—especially The Baroness von Sketch Show… which I’d really like to watch. So far, I’ve watched two of the shows on my list of Canadian content—one of them is a comedy I enjoy. Letterkenny follows the residents of a rural town in Southern Ontario and shows their problems with slow motion scenes. I watched the first episode of season seven where the gang hosts a public access show called Crack N Ag—on which they answer
questions from callers about agriculture and talk about topics that the callers bring up. In the next episode, a caller mentions soccer, and the gang uses the card system to get pitches from other residents. The most recent seasons of the show have had less repetitive jokes, making it much funnier. The public access show scenes are also enjoyable to watch. Also, they begin and end with cliffhangers and resolve major plotlines with the gang. Originally, I was going to catch up on Anne with an E, but since it officially ended (but could have been on longer), I decided to catch up on another show that is fun to watch: Frankie Drake Mysteries. This show will be back for another season. Produced by the same producers that brought you Murdoch Mysteries (another Canadian show that I have to catch up on), the show follows private detective Frankie Drake (Lauren Lee Smith) and her team at Drake Private Detectives as they solve cases in Toronto in the 1920s. The entire team comes from a variety of backgrounds and all the characters
are likeable. In the most recent season, it tackles feminist topics and it begins with Frankie abroad in London—now with short blonde hair. We might learn more about her past in the second half of the season. Also, there are a lot of gags in the sixth episode. I am thinking that there is a possible chance that the show will do a crossover with Murdoch Mysteries which airs before Frankie Drake Mysteries, regardless of that fact that the time periods are separated by a decade. While Kim’s Convenience and Letterkenny are some of the biggest comedies in the country right now, the show Schitt’s Creek got Best Comedy Series for the second straight year in a row this year at the Candy’s. This classic also ended this season and I’m probably going to marathon the entire series. Since baking is a trend during the pandemic, I am also going to watch the most recent season of The Great Canadian Baking Show, which is probably going to cause me to want to bake more.
issue 30// vol 46
arts // no. 11
A wild wilderness competition ››‘Win the Wilderness’ Netflix series review EG Manilag Staff Writer
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perseverance. Living almost all of your life in an uncharted area is not easy—in fact, it is exhausting and mostly dangerous. Everyday in the wilderness they face wild beasts. It’s important to recognize that the couple singlehandedly built their huge cabin… not to mention the other amenities they built—such as a barn house. Facing wild beasts while doing a mammoth task like building a home is definitely not for the faint of heart. Building the cabin is just a piece of the pie though. A couple living together alone in the wilderness takes some serious teamwork. It is amazing how Duane and Rena lasted for more than 30
years and are still going strong. Now, it is up to those six couples to prove their might. Can they survive? Can they handle the challenge? A significant piece of information is that the property cannot be travelled to by foot or land—you must arrive by plane. This makes life harder for those up to the challenge and for those who have never experienced a remote life. Overall, the story gives a good sense of survival expeditions, wildlife, and nature. This might be an encouraging show for those who are willing and interested in experiencing nature in a very authentic way.
Promotional image for 'Win the Wilderness' via Netflix
in the Wilderness, a Netflix series, has captured the hearts of thousands in its portrayal of survival in the vast and rugged wilderness of Alaska. The series was initially screened on BBC Two in January before making its way onto Netflix last April. The story centres on a competition for the inheritance of the prized Alaskan property—100 miles from civilization. In the competition, six couples fight against each other to win the beautiful haven.
The huge property, widely known as Ose mountain, was built more than three decades ago by a strong-willed couple named Duane and Rena Ose. This couple, according to Decider, “took advantage of the US Homestead Act and built a threestory home 7000 trees deep in the heart of the unforgiving Alaskan wilderness.” Now that they are getting older and have children and grandchildren that are unwilling to take care of their legacy, they are in search for an eccentric survivalist couple who can bravely do what they did. What is truly amazing about this show is Duane and Rena’s determination and
Beyond the prison break ››‘Antigone’ movie review
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he world is starkly contrasted to what it was a year ago, considering how racism is now getting more of a spotlight in the international discussion. The pandemic and the accusation that systemic racism exists in the RCMP not only increased conversations on racism in Canada but the injustice George Floyd faced for using counterfeit money additionally changed the way we think about the police and justice. Antigone was shown in the Vancouver International Film Festival last year and got five awards in the Canadian Screen Awards this year—including Best Motion Picture. The themes of immigration, policing, and the legal system are relevant to the focus right now. Written and directed by Sophie Deraspe and based on the Greek play of the same name by Sophocles, Antigone Hipponomes (Nahéma Ricci) does very well in secondary school and lives with her
family in Quebec as refugees from Kabylia. She is friends with Hémon (Antoine DesRochers) and Hemon’s father, Christian (Paul Doucet), is a local politician who gives them information. Antigone’s brother, Polynice (Rawad El-Zein), is involved in a gang called The Habibis. When he gets arrested, her other brother Étéocle (Hakim Brahimi) gets shot in the process. After getting advice from Christian that Polynice is likely to be deported if he is found guilty of his crimes, Antigone goes undercover in a prison break to rescue Polynice. The film shows that credible evidence is very important and matters in a legal case—it can have a great effect on the verdict. Social media is an important aspect of the film; at one point, various bystanders were filming Étéocle getting shot with their cellphones. The video showed that he was holding his cellphone instead of a gun, giving another side to the story. There were also montages where the public reacts to Antigone’s actions on social media posts and it shows that sensationalizing a story can make it go too far. It was interesting that women were
treated with better conditions in prisons than men considering the cleanliness of their cells and the quality of the food that females get. Depending on the facts in the case, if you get great legal advice from a lawyer that understands legal terms, you will have a successful case. There were times when it would cut to another scene midway through a
conversation. Also, the film ends with a styled shot reminiscent of François Truffaut. There are a lot of films that talk about racism and Antigone is one of them. It is also a film about a girl who challenges the system to find justice for her brothers. Watch this film now if you are interested in such political themes that are monumental today. Antigone is available now on Crave.
Promotional image for 'Antigone' via WaZabi Films
Jerrison Oracion Senior Columnist
Immigrants
Asking new citizens and traveller Jessica Berget Editor-in-Chief
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anada Day celebrations are coming fast, but the decision to celebrate the first of July is a contentious issue to many. Depending who you ask, it is a day steeped with shame and regret and should not be celebrated. Others rejoice on this day in celebrating Canada’s independence as a country and its many rights and freedoms. So, is it worth celebrating our True North as strong and free? To get a outside opinion, the Other Press asked new travellers and immigrated citizens of Canada for their perspectives. Other Press: Why did you (or your family) decide to come to Canada?
us to migrate in Canada. Five years later, she accomplished her lifelong dream, and the rest is history. Smith G: I was feeling a little lost in England, and a friend of mine had previously lived in Vancouver for a year and suggested that I give it a try. I was swayed by the promise of mountains, beaches, and beautiful views—and I wasn’t disappointed.
OP: What would you celebrate about Canada?
JV: High quality education, heartwarming people and their holiday spirits, diverse food options, accessible public transportation, hiking trails, fruits from local farms, the fireworks in July, Christmas lights, changing of the seasons, the views from the SkyTrain.
Danielle O: My partner and I decided to come to Canada because we wanted to move away from home to experience something new—a different culture also a little adventure.
Melly Z: To give my child a better life first of all. Canada offers a better salary for workers than that of my mother country. You can buy a house, a car, Jenny V: I and offer wanted to study improved education abroad, and my overprotective dad opportunities to your child. wouldn’t let me go Back in my country we were not anywhere without treated well—for example, I was a receptionist. My salary was so a relative. It was either Canada or little and the company was clearly the US. I took a vacation trip to both taking more off the top. There was countries to visit the schools, and a lot of corruption and life was full Canada was undoubtedly the better of unfairness. Life was miserable— choice for me. JC: A lot has emotionally and financially. It was Juan C: It all started with my mom’s very stressful so you wanted to to be celebrated in dream of giving her family a better escape so you could finally breathe! Canada. Canada valuing life with better opportunities. people’s rights is something Lloyd M: I came to Canada Because she has a sister already that should be noticed and because my country was residing in Canada, it was a “go” celebrated. Living in this country becoming a communist signal for her to work as is a gift that should not be taken a caretaker, dictatorship. I was in my 6th month of university but for granted. Being a criminology be a decided to run away from the student and learning about permanent dictatorship which offered no citizen, Canada’s law made me realize humans rights, no pay—we and then how important people’s rights are. were just left to survive someday Living in the Philippines before, like poor people and petition where people’s rights are not truly thieves. lived, I can say that Canada has done way more and has taken good
on Canada
rs about celebrating this country SG: Canada is firstly a beautiful place to live. The amount of care given to public parks and outdoor spaces is amazing—something I didn’t see as often whilst living in the UK. Although I understand Canada has had its issues with racism in its recent history, I believe Canada to be beautifully multicultural. Beyond that I feel that Canada is inclusive and celebrates its LGBTQ+
I’m excited to explore as much as I can in the time I have. LM: The beautiful greenery. My home country had much of its nature destroyed so our beaches, parks, and trails in Canada should be fully enjoyed and appreciated. Celebrations give meaning to our time, so always look to celebrate the good things in life. OP: What is a Canadian quirk you don’t have in your country?
community. As an immigrant to this country, I also found the ability to join the workforce super easy. Jobs for immigrants here seem plentiful. Add into that the fact there is no stigma around marijuana use here. England still sees weed smokers as pariahs and wasters, but here it’s the norm. You can partake or not, people don’t bat an eyelid and I think the country is better off for it. DO: How beautiful the country is. I’ve only seen a small part of it but
JV: Being able to take a bike ride along the seawall in during the fall. In short, the atmosphere. I have never been an outdoor person, but the nature, the air, and the seasons here make me regret spending my weekend at home with Netflix. Even a short walk to the bus stop or uphill on Mount Douglas can fulfil my heart. As summer arrives, I can't wait to put on my new shoes and enjoy this Canadian quirk again after such a depressing time.
JC: The quirk that Canadians are super polite, especially when it comes to customer service. Thinking that Canadians are only polite because they “often” say sorry is a mainstream stereotype. Canada is more than that; Canada is the home of great service. In my home country, especially in my hometown, feedback about service is not
really considered and appreciated. In Canada, however, feedback is mostly valued. This makes the country truly unique! SG: The biggest quirk I actually found was the word toque. England calls them beanie hats or bobble hats. No one would tell me what the word toque meant, I just kept getting told that I was wearing one. DO: I can’t think of a quirk, but we don’t have poutine in Ireland. You have the same number of pubs, but happy hour is a lot more popular here
than Ireland. Oh, and brunch—it’s not common to go to brunch with friends. I’ve never asked or heard anyone ask to go out for brunch, but that’s my experience. Canada is by no means a perfect country. Is there even such a nation though? Even with all of its historical flaws, migrants of this country—new and old—find reason to celebrate the day of its creation.
Illustrations by Janis McMath
care of people’s rights.
Have an idea for a story? lifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca
Life & Style
• Things to do while social distancing • iPhone catches up • Some of the COVID-19 rules and stipulations you’ll encounter ...and more
Canadian flag facts! Janis McMath Assistant Editor
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appy Canada Day! During this great holiday, many a maple leaf adorning our vivid white and red can be seen all over. Renown as one of the best by many flag experts worldwide for its bold colours and simple yet iconic Canadian leaf, we can understand why there is a lot of love for this national symbol. Our flag is seen everywhere, from clothing garments to backpacks—even when it isn’t National Flag Day or Canada Day. You’ve certainly seen the flag before, but have you ever wondered how the symbol of our country and its peoples came to be? Canada’s confederation was in 1867; The official Canadian flag was first flown on February 15 in 1965 (which also became Flag Day). That’s 98 years without our unique flag! Why? The idea was certainly always considered (as early as the confederation of the country) but was not introduced officially until the tenth Prime Minister, William Lyon Mackenzie King, brought the idea to the table. It didn’t come to fruition at that point though because the committee he appointed to the matter deemed the idea “too politically risky.” It may seem strange that simply giving an independent nation its own (overdue) distinct identifier was politically risky, but at the time many were attached to the British Union Jack and, later in WWI, the Canadian Red Ensign. Canadians had died under both flags during battle, so the attachment was understandably strong. Additionally, many wanted a representation of their colonial British and French roots. But, during growing pains, there became an obvious need for the change. The nation was changing, as were its people—these old flags could not represent the whole diverse nation. Lester. B Pearson is most notably the
next cause of change for Canada’s flag, but before he appointed a committee in the 1960s, the senate and house of commons actually put forth a design which was the British Red Ensign (the Union Jack in the top right corner of a red flag) and a gold maple leaf in the centre of the right half of the flag. It was rejected and rightfully forgotten from history for being so ugly; we should consider how lucky we are to rep the flag we have today. Pearson was committed to this “flag problem” as he called it and was determined to give the country a unifying symbol before the centennial celebrations for Canada. Then began “The Great Flag Debate,” the central problem being that some wanted a meaningful homage to Canada’s roots and others wanted a fresh new symbol for the future generations. Over 6000 designs—many submitted by the public—were considered. Many featured beavers, geese, and maple leaves. Red, white, and blue were common colours that were used; one flag even featured “a Mountie and an Indigenous person shaking hands” according to the CBC. One of the best put arguments put forth for a new flag for all Canadians was made by the original creator of our current flag: George Stanley. In a letter he sent to John Matheson, an MP who later gained credit for ending the Great Flag Debate, Stanley writes this: “If the flag is to be a unifying symbol, it must avoid the use of national or racial symbols that are of a divisive nature.” Simply put, the maple leaf is simple and avoids alienating segments of the population. The maple leaf already had growing significance for Canadians— Olympians and the Toronto Maple Leafs had both adopted the icon as a show of patriotism. Soldiers who fought in WWI and WWII had a single maple leaf carved on their headstones as a symbol of loyalty
Illustrations by Athena Little
››Drama and death threats colour the history of our national symbol
and pride in their country. Not a single other nation had (and has) ever used the maple leaf on their flag, so the flag’s icon was an obvious pick. (Another unique aspect of our flag was the fact that it is twice as long as it is wide—we are the only ones to have such dimensions for our flag.) All three finalists for the flag included maple leaves. Pearson’s Pennant (the PM’s design), George Stanley’s design, and a modification of George Stanley’s design with a French Fleur de Lis and a British Union Jack were all in the running. After the 163 to 78 vote, Stanley’s design won (Pearsons was the first out and the French/British collaboration finished second). Soon after it was modified slightly so that the 13-point maple leaf instead had 11 points; many speculate on the significance of this, but the goal was just to create a clearer icon.
As if the whole process was not dramatic enough, Stanley received multiple death threats from those who hated the new flag’s lack of colonial history. In an interview for the CBC, Stanley recounted a violent encounter, “I remember one man coming up and said, you know, ‘I am going to shoot you.’” Stanley gave an iconic response—just as iconic as the flag he created: “Well, you know, I was shot at for several years by the Germans. I don’t know if you’ll have any more luck than they had.” On top of that, Stanley received a death threat in the mail stating that he would be killed if he went to the first flag-raising ceremony—he left his kids at home and went anyway. So, this Canada Day, celebrate the country and the flag proudly knowing where it came from and the unity it brings to Canadians everywhere.
! s ip t e t t e u iq t e g a Some fl The National Flag of Canada, whether it be a cloth, paper or made of some other fabric or material, should never: • Have anything pinned to or sewn onto it • Be signed or marked in any way • Be used as wearing apparel • Be flown in a discoloured or tattered condition • Be burned in effigy • Touch the ground • Be stepped on • Be flown upside down (except as a signal of distress in instances of extreme danger to life) • Be dipped or lowered to the ground as a means of paying a salute or compliment to any person or thing.
issue 30// vol 46
life & style // no. 15
What you should expect from sit-down restaurants now ››Some of the COVID-19 rules and stipulations you’ll encounter Tania Arora Staff Writer
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and whether you like them or not, you’ll have to follow them. Every establishment you enter can question you about your travel history and health. If you are found sick, all have the right to deny you entry. Maintaining a distance throughout is mandatory. Before you enter a restaurant, you will be required to touch base with your best friend— hand sanitizer— and then will be handed the menu. Some restaurants now use small cards with QR codes or disposable paper menus to avoid sharing contact with others. So the next time you leave a restaurant, maybe take the menu with you and dispose of it yourself. If you are someone who is a “regular” at a particular establishment, or Illustration by Udeshi Seneviratne
one are the days of easily dining at a restaurant or flirting with single ladies and men at a bar. Now with or
without masks, staying at least two meters apart is the new and required “cool.” The government gave a thumbs up to reopening parts of the economy slowly—nothing is the same though. Restaurants and bars have been given a set of guidelines to follow
if you eat out at your favourite restaurant to talk to your main server—that should no longer be occurring. The service providers are now instructed to stand away from customers, wear masks, and avoid any physical contact. Some establishments even discourage talking. Although it hinders the process of providing an enjoyable experience for guests coming to the restaurant, it is a rule and considered very important by the government. A lot of times, it is also hard to figure out who is comfortable with the distance. While some people get paranoid even when someone is four meters away from them, others might be okay shaking hands or standing close together. Even the ways of packaging and taking home leftovers have now changed post-COVID. It is not considered safe to touch one’s food or take it back to the kitchen to repack, exchange, or add anything on. Expect to hear a big “no” and receive boxes in return if you ask the service providers to pack your food. Consider the lives of the people working to ensure a sincere guest experience irrespective of how risky it can be. We need to ensure everyone’s safety in order to have a good time outside of our homes. And when you are ready to leave, make sure to follow the arrows and directions leading you in and out of the restaurant, as the new dine-in rules also stipulate that restaurants have controlled entry and exit points.
Online classes have deprived me of my homelife EG Manilag Staff Writer
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know that to some degree many can relate to my situation. It has been a couple of months since we have been placed in virtual learning, and a lot has changed. These changes have not been entirely good. Canada and many other countries are facing hard times—and so are the students. Learning in the virtual world has been tough. Even if we are all facing different problems in life right now, there is one thing that I am certain we are all experiencing: anxiety. Anxiety has to some extent made our online education tiresome. To be honest, it has been hard learning while being worried about what might happen during the pandemic. Does having a mild cough or fever mean I contracted the virus? When will it ever end? These are just some of my thoughts. Online classes have done good things for me though; I have learned new things, I am still academically sharp, and—most importantly—my classes keep me mentally stable. Worrying too much is not healthy, and that is why focusing on something
important can certainly help you stay sane. On the other hand, online classes have dried me up. My room has literally become a classroom. Notebooks, notepads, my laptop, and other tools to survive are all piled up in my bed. I rarely go outside my room, except when hunger or nature calls. My eyes are locked on screens, which usually give me headaches. I sometimes slouch when sitting, and this gives me back pain. Sleeping is now my enemy; sleep always tempts me to relax even when I am in the middle of a collaborative session. It is also important to discuss that we all have a role to play in our homes. These roles can affect our class performance. Some of us have to work, take care of siblings, or take care of children. With quarantine happening, our workloads from our roles have been doubled, quadrupled—or, in short, become
Photo by EG Manilag
››My room has become a classroom
much worse. What I am trying to say is that online classes during quarantine suck. The college is really helpful as place to stay and study—especially the library. It honestly keeps me from sleeping. Just seeing all your fellow students studying in their own cubicle somehow motivates you even if you do not have the same courses
as them. Not being able to experience that during this period is one of the main reasons why I am kind of tired with this quarantined life. We all have some unique and memorable moments from our time in college libraries and classes that we want to enjoy again. I wish that all of this will be over soon.
life & style // no. 16
theotherpress.ca
Borderline criminal
››My struggles with Canadian Border officers during COVID
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he recent movement aiming to defund the police has resulted in an acknowledgment of the abuse of power which some officers in law enforcement have wrongfully exercised. Not all persons in power who have been abusing their capabilities have been highly publicized, however— and this includes the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers. CBSA officers are the policelooking guys that validate your entrance upon arrival to Canada. They are at every border crossing, regardless if you are entering by train, plane, or automobile. If you are a Canadian citizen, a simple flash of your passport is the extent of your exchange with them. Encounters with these guys are more memorable for those who do not hold a Canadian passport since they check an individual’s study or work permit and other visas which grant different international visitors access. CBSA officers are also the guys who determined who was able to enter when Trudeau first implemented border restrictions on March 16 to curb the spread of COVID-19. Like many other countries, when the virus began spreading globally, Canada closed its borders to all tourism and most foreign nationals. There were few exceptions for those who were not Canadian who could still enter the country. These guidelines were explicitly outlined on the Government of Canada’s website. Among exceptions, there was a section dedicated to family reunification. This section outlined unique criteria for immediate family members of citizens and residents, which exempted them from the travel ban. Trudeau stated that he had created these particular travel exemptions to reunite families during the pandemic period. Weirdly enough, between March and June, a fury of border rejection stories began popping up online. Despite the government listing travel ban exemptions on their website for family members, based on all the surfacing border-horror stories, it was evident that the CBSA officers had a criterion of their own as to who was allowed to enter. Among these stories was one of an American and Canadian couple who was expecting their first child together. The American fatherto-be attempted entering Canada at multiple border crossings to witness his son’s birth in Canada; however, not a
single CBSA officer would let him enter. Their justification for his entry refusal? They deemed the reason why he wanted to come to Canada as discretionary. This is just one of the many similar stories where some of these officers
would instead return to our apartment in Canada. My partner and I have lived together for over a year. He is a Mexican citizen, however, despite Trudeau having established border restrictions for foreign nationals,
have abused their jurisdiction during the recent COVID travel ban. The CBSA officers sometimes seem to be going against what type of travel is defined as discretionary, as stated in the Quarantine Act. In doing so, they have split up many families. One such story happened to myself and my commonlaw partner. During the winter 2020 semester, I took part in a university exchange in Spain. Not wanting to be apart for six months, my partner came with me. After quarantining for two months, the upcoming months in Europe looked bleak, so we decided that we
we were not worried as we had our lease for our Vancouver apartment as documentation of our common-law status, which would deem him as a family member and a Canadian citizen. We even called both Global Affairs Canada and Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to get their clearance. Both organizations confirmed that if we were to return to Canada, my partner would be granted entry, so we purchased flights for the beginning of May. Our first port of entry was at Toronto Pearson Airport, from there we were supposed to catch a connecting
flight to YVR. Upon arrival at Toronto Pearson, we were sent to secondary inspection, where a gang of CBSA officers confronted us. We were told that my partner did not need to be in Canada. They then told us that since my partner was not a citizen nor resident, they would be putting him on the next flight to Mexico. Could he do that?! I reminded him of what was stated on the Government of Canada’s website regarding the reunification of immediate family members and what Global Affairs Canada and IRCC had told us. The CBSA officer scoffed and enlightened me about the website’s semantics: “Immediate family members are allowed to travel to Canada. Travel to,” he emphasized, “Your boyfriend can travel here, but that doesn’t guarantee him entry.” As if Trudeau had written a riddle on the country’s website: a-doo-doo-you-can-travel-toCanada-to-Canada-but-you-cannotenter-Canada-enter-Canada-adoo-doo-doo! How could the CBSA officer have thought that we would believe this? What a joke. What was it to him? Entering Canada would not break any laws, nor anything stated in the Quarantine Act. Not to mention, we had been self-isolated for two months prior and would be doing so for another two weeks in our Vancouver apartment. He did not care that my partner’s home and life was in Canada and that by denying him entrance, my partner and I could be apart in different countries for an unknown amount of time. He was the only one who had the power to grant his entry, and he did not. The officer told us that he was putting my partner on the next flight to Mexico, regardless of how near or far the airport was from the city which his family lived in. The flight would leave in 20 hours. I informed the officer that since Mexico did not have any border restrictions, I would purchase the same ticket as the flight they were putting him on. I asked if I could sit in the waiting area which they were bringing my partner to. He told me “no.” On June 8, after such a flurry of wrongful-rejection stories surfaced, changes were made to broaden the criteria for people to enter Canadian borders. This allowed access to many family members who were previously denied entrance into the country. If there were a spectrum of law enforcement abusing their power, perhaps the CBSA officers would be on the lower end. That does not extinguish, however, that what these officers have been doing is wrong. Among those many good people in law enforcement who strive to protect and serve is a vile segment who have been taking advantage of the power which their job titles grant them.
Illustration by CJ Sommerfeld
CJ Sommerfeld Contributor
issue 30// vol 46
life & style // no. 17
iPhone catches up
››New version of iOS replicating the Google Phone Jerrison Oracion Senior Columnist
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You will probably recognize some of these new Apple features because they have been available on Android phones for a very long time now.
Photo by Billy Bui
une is usually the month where the E3 Expo takes place, with the gaming world and tech giants making big announcements— including Apple. Because the coronavirus pandemic is still happening, this year’s edition of the E3 Expo was cancelled and the presentations that were going to happen—including PlayStation announcing the PlayStation 5—were done on the internet. Major tech giants were still able to do their announcements since they are pretaped, but they were done with no audience instead. Rather than just doing the announcement on a stage, companies have been thinking of new ways to unveil their novel products. Apple did an announcement during their annual WWDC conference at the Steve Jobs Theatre in their headquarters on June 22. And, for the first time in the history of the conference, it happened online. The announcement began with Tim Cook giving his thoughts on the current protests, racism, George Floyd, and the pandemic—which has led to everyone using technology more than ever before. Because the announcement was pre-taped, it allowed the people running the show to transition from one segment to another by moving around the theatre. This made transitions look smooth and cinematic. Another thing to point out is that most of the people that were in the announcement were women—which is progress! In the first half, they announced the next version of iOS called iOS 14. Some of the new features in iOS 14 include App Library view where apps are organized in folders by category, new widget sizes and movability to different screens aside from the “Today” screen, and Picture in Picture support—meaning users can now watch videos and browse the iPhone simultaneously. You will probably recognize some of these new Apple features because they have been available on Android phones for a long time now. It is like the opposite of the trope that a PC is similar to a Mac—now an iPhone is similar to an Android. An advantage that iOS 14 has is that they put more green features
in their standard apps, including routes to use when driving an electric vehicle and cycling options—which can also be found on Google Maps. Also, there is a new feature called App Clips where you can get a small version of an app immediately when you need it. They also invented a new scan code called an App Clip Code which is a hybrid of a visual code and NFC. Another surprising reveal: you can soon use your iPhone to unlock a car just by tapping it on the handle!
They even put less full screen interfaces in Siri, search, phone calls, and especially the iPad’s full screen interface—which makes it look like a Mac. The design of the interface finally has more details compared to the design in the past decade—and this transitions to the announcement of the next version of macOS called macOS Big Sur. Also, Cook made the major announcement that they are changing the processor in the iMac from an Intel processor to a processor
designed by Apple, which is the same processor that they use in their mobile devices. The processor will allow the iMac to have equally high performance while not using a lot of power. With all these announcements, Apple might have to go through the same patent war with Google that they went through with Samsung.
life & style // no. 18
theotherpress.ca
Finding fun in an emergency state ››Things to do while social distancing
Newly popular, you can try the Randonautica app which has been gaining traction due to the occasionally fun or unsettling finds documented on TikTok, Reddit, and other social media websites. The app gives you the coordinates to a local location by using a quantum random number generator. The app gives you an option to visit an attractor, void, or anomaly. An attractor has the most quantum dots, while a void has the least, and an anomaly is typically the strongest of the options to find the most interesting locations. The app is known to bring people to some spooky areas, so Randonaut at your own risk!
Sonam Kaloti Arts Editor
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Go out No, not crowded beaches, bars, or clubs. Don’t live out the show 6teen at the mall with your friends. Do, however, get out of the house and get some fresh air. Whether it be a hike, a local park, or just a walk around the neighbourhood, keeping your body active is important for a myriad of both mental and physical health reasons. Try a lake trip in a secluded spot, a fancy picnic, and if you’re looking to get really active, the Coquitlam Crunch is a great place to work up a sweat.
Photo illustration by Anastasia Simonovich
his pandemic has kicked in our knees and thrown us to the ground when it comes to our social lives. There’s an abnormal pressure in friendships, relationships, and people everywhere who are suffering from social isolation and loneliness—not to mention extreme boredom. To reiterate the Canadian government’s safety restrictions: avoid crowded places and non-essential travel, maintain a two-metre distance from people outside of your household, avoid common greetings such as handshakes, avoid going out if you have symptoms of illness or are vulnerable, maintain proper hygiene, wear a mask and gloves if possible, try to only socialize with the same set of people, and keep groups small. Now, on to the fun stuff:
Explore Sure, most of the Earth is already mapped out. Discovering a new island may not be possible, but you can join tons of people on adventuring for the sake of finding unique locations. Try geocaching—an activity
using an app and a GPS navigator to treasure hunt. People leave little containers called “caches” at specific locations which you can take the contents of if you leave a replacement treasure of your own for the next explorer.
All that and more There are tons of ways to keep yourself and those close to you occupied. In a way, this pandemic allowed us the opportunity to broaden our horizons. Pick up a new hobby (gardening has risen tremendously in popularity, as has skateboarding and baking), go to a drive-in movie, climb a tree, camp in your backyard, put on a soap opera and mute the sound then proceed to create your own dialogue, fry some ants, just kidding please don’t. Do any of the other endless things you’ve never tried. Social distancing has given us the opportunity and time to better ourselves. You can finally try out that thing you’ve been meaning to for years. As restrictions get lifted, the hustle and bustle of our old lives may return, so don’t take this time for granted. The silver lining is clear, go chase it down.
How local businesses have adapted to COVID-19 Brandon Yip Senior Columnist
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ike drive-in theatres from the 1950s, old fashioned burger joints are a rarity today. However, one familiar burger spot still exists: Wally’s Burgers. The original Vancouver location at 2703 Kingsway first opened in 1962. It would become a staple for burger lovers for close to five decades. The establishment was also known for its famous albeit rusted tall neon sign that could be seen from passing motorists heading east or west along Kingsway. Wally’s Burgers closed its doors in March 2008. However, customers did not have to be sad for long as the restaurant would be resurrected when the new owner, Gord Bemister, took over the operations. In the summer of 2009, Wally’s Burgers made a return to the delight of burger lovers— opening a seasonal location at Cates Park in North Vancouver. Bemister later secured a new location in 2010 near Killarney at 2661 E 49th Avenue in Vancouver. Wally’s Burgers has had to adjust to the COVID-19 pandemic. “The pandemic has been difficult on all small businesses, especially those of us operating in the restaurant sector. Being shut down for two months was pretty challenging and
then having to create enough space to properly physically distance we had to remove our counter seating,” Bemister said in an email interview with the Other Press. “The challenges are ongoing as the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve. We anticipate operating on reduced hours for the foreseeable future.” Wally’s Burgers reopened on May 22, offering take out only—as their new hours are 12 to 6 pm, Tuesday to Saturday. As for the Cates Park located in North Vancouver, Bemister states he is currently in discussions with the District of North Vancouver to reopen at the end of this month. “Of course, things are constantly changing so we recommend following us on Instagram and Facebook as we update as things move ahead,” Bemister said. Despite the reduced hours, the main signature burgers have not been compromised and are still on the menu. “We are most famous for the Chuckwagon burger but really all of our burgers are pretty evenly enjoyed by customers,” Bemister said. He proudly mentions that his daughter, Jessica, has created a burger of her own called the Hotshot burger: “It has jalapeno, bacon, cheese, chipotle mayo and our famous Wally’s relish. It has become very popular!” Furthermore, another burger
Photo via Wally's Burgers Facebook page
››Wally’s Burgers & 50s Burgers
eatery is 50s Burgers located at 7741 Edmonds Street in Burnaby. Dine-in service continues as the restaurant has two stickers on both windows with lines on the ground to encourage social distancing. They also offer take-out and delivery. Brian Tahririha has been the owner since 2012, and says in an email interview with the Other Press, the appearance of COVID-19 in March did not harm his business: “Our business picked up quite a bit as a result of people who started looking for originality and quality.” Tahririha states that he did not have to make many adjustments in wake of the pandemic. Tahririha takes pride in giving his customers the best quality ingredients. After taking over the restaurant, he decided to stop serving processed food—instead
only serving fresh quality ingredients. The freshness all begins early in the morning as they bake their buns fresh in house, their fresh sirloin patties are hand pressed as well, and their freshly cut fries contain no preservatives, additives, or fillers. Tahririha says that “all items in my menu are delicious; however, I recommend staying away from the LA King burger, Mom’s Spicy Chicken, and Bulldog (hot dog). They are extremely addictive!” Despite the pandemic, burger lovers are still able to get their burger fix at these two eateries. Whether it is at Wally’s Burgers or 50s Burgers, customers will be ok sacrificing their clean and sanitized hands temporarily for some messy but deliciously tasty gourmet burgers.
Opinions
Have an idea for a story? opinions@theotherpress.ca
opinions // no. 19 • Please stop giving a fuck about expressing yourself • Patriotism is not a bad word • The series finale of civilization ...and more
Interviews with Douglas staff, RCMP, and an activist on the Canadian police ››Will defunding fix the issue of racism in the RCMP?
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his month has seen an explosion of emotion and pent-up frustration over racial injustice in the world. A problem many feel is in the past is seen by others as very much a contemporary issue. The death of George Floyd has led to protests that have not been confined to the United States’ borders; now, Canadian law enforcement are under the microscope, like with the death of Chantel Moore in New Brunswick when police were called to do a wellness check. Now “Defund the Police”—a movement which some have defined as calls for police budget reduction and money relocation to other services (e.g., community engagement and mental health resources)—is growing in Canada. With Prime Minister Justin Trudeau already declaring his opinion that there is systemic racism in the RCMP, what is the next step forward for Canada’s police force? To discuss this, I consulted John Cater, a recently retired RCwMP officer of 27 years and program coordinator of the Douglas College Criminology Department; Zachary Goldman, a UBC student who has
organized protests for various social justice issues and thinks that the police force should be abolished; and Staff Sergeant Janelle Shoihet, the Senior Media Relations Officer for the BC RCMP. With John Cater, I discussed the Douglas College Criminology Department, which is teaching students to enter a policing field that may be completely different than it was only a few months ago. He pointed out to me that the faculty has been tracking what has been going on with the issues regarding police interaction in Canada. “We want to offer students current, contemporary, critical, and challenging situations.” He also said he is quite confident that the faculty is “engaged… they’re reading, they’re researching. We’re talking about these things all the time.” He also stated that he has had conversations with people outside of his circle about these issues, and is using these conversations to help establish an overall education structure that will help students navigate what could be a very large change in Canadian law enforcement. When it comes to the claim of systemic racism in the RCMP, my correspondent Sgt. Shoihet directed
me to the official statement from the commissioner of the RCMP Brenda Lucki and added: “I have sought the views of a wide variety of people, including members of both our Indigenous and Diversity Advisory Committees, Indigenous leaders, as well as active and retired Indigenous members. I value all the feedback I’ve received, because it is a critically important part of our learning journey.” For Goldman, he believes that you would have to be a fool to argue that there is not systemic racism in Canada’s policing infrastructure. He also states that, “The police, and the RCMP in particular are rooted in a history of colonial expansion that sought to clear the land of its original inhabitants and replace them with settlers. Every function of the police that has followed stems from that original purpose and is designed to uphold it. Therefore, I would question why we even need the police at all. Every service that the police currently provide could be better facilitated by a different organization.” Despite this opinion, Goldman does admit that he does not have a personal opinion about how or what other services could better provide care in the multiple areas the police currently serve.
Photo by British Columbia Emergency Photography on Flickr
Craig Allan Staff Writer
When it comes to the type of calls that RCMP officers are asked to assist in, they have been criticized for not being suitable for the issue. In a question about the uniform requirements of RCMP officers, Goldman said “Regardless of the gun, the officers committed violence against unarmed persons. The problem is with the police itself, not with the tools they may or may not possess.” However, Sgt. Shoihet pointed out that violent interactions between police and citizens are extremely rare: “The RCMP responds to an average of 2.8-million calls for service each year. Applications of intervention account for one in every 1,064 RCMP calls for service, or 0.1 percent. That means that 99.9 per cent of RCMP occurrences are resolved naturally or with communication/de-escalation.” She also mentioned that interventions have been going down significantly over the last decade with 2019 marking the lowest point of intervention in that span with only 0.073 percent of cases ending in such a fashion. The death of George Floyd has led to an outpouring of anger from communities who do not believe that police officers serve in their best interests. Unlike Goldman, I do not believe the police force needs to be abolished, but I do believe that they need to change. Police officers should not be doing wellness checks or being liaison officers connected to the RCMP. We need to start looking at paring down the way we use the police to better everyone including the officers. I also believe the RCMP needs to be more open with the public on how they operate. In preparing for this article, I tried to get an interview with the media relations person for the Coquitlam RCMP. However, when they got back to me, they said that the media relations person only talks about case facts and not issues like systemic racism in the RCMP. This is where they directed me to Sgt. Shoihet and the RCMP E-Division. As much as I appreciated Sgt. Shoihet’s contribution, I did feel it was a bit too generalized. I want to know how the police can be better in my community, not just countrywide. As part of my discussions with Cater, he said that while the mental health of police officers is getting better, as they are now more willing to open up to therapists about their jobs, still he says “Policing is a very difficult and challenging career.” Policing is difficult, but if we don’t look at how we can adapt the police force to today’s new reality, and properly deal with the allegations of systemic racism, then things will only continue to get worse. For the government officials who can get things done, they need to do more than just kneel with protesters. They need to come up with a plan, and they cannot, we cannot, afford to wait any longer. Check the www.theotherpress.ca to read more from this story!
opinions // no. 20
theotherpress.ca
Patriotism is not a bad word ››Vocabulary conflations and nationalism Eric Wilkins Contributor
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Photo by Nhi 'Jenny' Vo
s a country, we’re judged by the performance of our government. Our government is held responsible for all previous administrations, regardless of how much time has gone by or the complete lack of any political cohesion with the previous reigning party. As a result, buzzword historical issues such as “racial inequality” and “sexism” fall to whatever faction “wins” the right to bear the burden. And somehow in this political game of hot-potato finger-pointing we started to equate our country, our flag, and our pride with the loathsome pool of politicians we’re
allowed to pick from. It’s almost become taboo to celebrate Canada Day in this country. “Are you homophobic? Transphobic? A racist? How are you okay with all of the horrible things this country has done?” I’m not. And no patriot is. Somewhere along the line the media started spinning the narrative that patriots imagined their country to be perfect. When has that ever been the case? A true patriot knows the country isn’t perfect. A true patriot knows there’s always work to be done; improvements can always be made. A country is never done growing. A series of dangerous conflations by the media have led us to this point. When did it become a bad thing to be a nationalist? Nationalism is defined by Merriam-Webster as “devotion or loyalty to a nation.” It doesn’t mention political leanings. It doesn’t mention blind devotion. It doesn’t even hint at military might. Nationalism isn’t jingoism. It’s curious that in a world where we’re so uppity on using the proper vernacular in every social issue so as not to offend,
no journalist hesitates for even a moment before tossing their thesaurus into the trash. Related words are not synonyms. Nationalism is often portrayed as globalism’s opponent, but the two are not mutually exclusive. It could be argued that nationalism is rooted in basic self-help theory. How can you help others until your own ship is righted? COVID-19 has shown the world’s dependence on China for medicine and medical supplies (among others) and many countries are looking to bring more production within their own borders as a result. Is this nationalist movement a blow to globalism? Of course not. Self-sufficiency is always a positive and results in a more competitive marketplace—which, in turn, results in a better product for consumers. The tricky bit with nationalism is that many have pushed it to mean that you think your country is better than other countries. In today’s contexts, this connotation assumes that because you think your country is better than others that you think the people of your country are better than another’s (i.e., you’re racist). It’s very subtle and quite a sneaky play, but that’s not what it means. As a Canadian, I do think my country is better than any other. Every person who lives somewhere they have the means to leave should feel that way about their country. If you know of a nation you would be happier to live in, move there. Why remain in a prosperous place if you’re not happy? Don’t enjoy our rights and freedoms if you’re just going to complain about it; there’s many who would do almost anything to reside within our borders. Such folks come off as petulant children still posted up with mom and dad,
mooching off their hard-earned dough— and many are. Canada welcomed over 300,000 immigrants in 2018. That same year, the country took in over 721,000 international students. While not all of the students will stay, that’s over a million people each year choosing Canada over the other 196 countries of the world. That’s over a million people doing whatever they can for a chance to live in a place where women are equal. Where the LBGTQ+ community has been increasingly open in the last few decades. Where a racist comment in a café or bar is going to result in outrage rather than small talk. Try telling one of these fresh faces that they’re wrong to celebrate Canada Day. Try telling someone who’s never been able to express their true sexuality that Canada is a horrible place. Nationalism is belonging. Unity. Knowing the majority of your fellow countrymen and women share the same values as you. Our flag isn’t a divisive symbol—it’s a binding one. Our flag’s designer, George Stanley, wrote in 1964: “If a flag is to be a unifying symbol it must avoid the use of national or racial symbols that are of a divisive nature.” Traditionalists were angry; some even threatening to kill Stanley at the official ceremony. He went anyway. Moments like Stanley’s are what make us Canadian. The fortitude to push for what’s right. The courage to stand in the face of oppression. The knowledge that save for our few racist lowlifes, we are united as a people. Our country isn’t perfect—no country is—but as long as we have strong citizens fighting to uphold Canadian values there’s no place I’d rather be.
Having an opinion in the time of social media CJ Sommerfeld Contributor
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ocial media is a powerful and dangerous space. Essentially, it is a place where anyone can disseminate anything, which then becomes available to everyone with access to the internet. There is neither a filter nor a screening process as to who is allowed to contribute or what is allowed to be shared; nowadays, someone does not need the mass media to share their opinion globally or rebut others’. While such ability has its benefits, it has also bred/evolved a new characteristic in some of us: easily offended and unknowingly misinformed prudes.With the increased use of social media, there is an ever-growing pool of information swimming around. This means that now, more than ever, we have access to so much info that may be rooted in nothing more than opinion and entertainment. It is easy for people to contribute to this pool of “knowledge” and gather information from it, regardless of whether it is correct or not; this seems to have caused a cyclical, causeand-effect problem. It seems like some people genuinely believe that they are experts from their readings, despite their acquired data being based almost solely on what they
have accumulated through social media. Such thinking can probably be attributed to confirmation bias—a way of thinking characterized by an individual who only reads and believes information which confirms their pre-existing beliefs. Regardless, some people get so wrapped in their ideas, that when others’ social media posts threaten their view, it openly offends them. Being the experts that they think they are, these individuals fight to the death via commenting—where they retrieve and spew all of their social-mediaacquired information to win their case. Do not get me wrong; I think having an opinion is great, especially when it skews from the norm. The Beats, for example, were majestic thinkers, as were the Impressionists. Neither movement would have been recognized and praised as they had if they were not such progressive thinkers. The Beats did not like the byproduct of war, capitalistic society, or the economic materialism that they witnessed in the United States in the late ‘40s and ‘50s. They vocalized this stance through literary mediums. The Impressionists rejected the rigid academic conventions of what their art was held standard to and would, therefore, grant them to be showcased in the Salon in Paris almost
a hundred years earlier. The difference between these guys’ perspectives and those of the social media warriors is that they were rooted in primary observation. They were not formed simply from reading an accumulation of secondary sources they read and shared on social media. I understand that retrieving primary sources might not always be feasible, nor is it productive to complete a PhD in our area of invested interest. Maybe, we should stop being so absolute in our views and recognize that perhaps there is always something more to learn— and that being so willing to fight for one’s opinion when you don’t have all the facts may make you look like the opposite of what you intended. I am sure that if
Illustration by Athena Little
››Never in history has it been easier for individuals to refute with such useless claims
the Beats or Impressionists had been established today, social media posts would be refuting what they stood for. It is great to have an opinion, as it is to refute others, but if we are not an expert in the subject area we are fighting against, maybe we should take a step back and acknowledge that perhaps we do not know all there is to know.
issue 30// vol 46
opinions // no. 21
The impact of tradition on second-gen immigrants trying to find themselves ››Please stop giving a fuck about expressing yourself Sonam Kaloti Arts Editor
importance of it on their own. Teach the importance of change and individuality to
your parents and they will understand the importance of it on their own. Knowledge
is power. We can absolutely be the change we want to see.
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Some immigrant parents’ fear of allowing their children to simultaneously integrate Western culture into their lives is a baseless one.
Illustration by Udeshi Seneviratne
he world will tell you to be bold and express yourself. That is, until you do. Being a second-generation immigrant, I have not faced nearly the same amount of hardship my family has experienced having immigrated from India to Canada to create a better life for our family. However, for second-gen immigrants, a plethora of new obstacles are created which neither their parents nor their native peers may ever have to encounter. Culture and tradition are heavy in India (and the rest of the Eastern world) and keeping them alive in a foreign country is extremely difficult. Due to this, I can understand where our elders are coming from when they force their traditions onto the younger generations. However, while tradition is important, that does not mean it shouldn’t be subject to change with time. The world is constantly evolving, and to live your life following restrictions initially created to suit society centuries ago makes no sense. Just because someone wants to express themselves with bright pink hair does not mean they won’t also uphold the tradition to cover their head in religious practices. Some immigrant parents’ fear of allowing their children to simultaneously integrate Western culture into their lives is a baseless one. Second-gen immigrants can do both. The constant push-and-pull of who you can be as a second-gen immigrant for some is taxing, and frankly, should be up to the individual. You’re living in the Western world but must correspond to the lifestyle held in a country you don’t live in (and may have never been to). Second-gen immigrants trying to figure themselves out are frustrated with the pressure from their families on one hand and the society they live in on the other. Individuality is all about freedom. The freedom to express yourself and be who you are is one of the greatest joys in life, and judgmental rules shouldn’t keep anyone from being happy. So dye your hair a fashion colour even if your family calls it ugly every time they see you; enjoy henna but also get that tattoo you’ve always wanted; pierce your ears and nose, but if you want to pierce your eyebrows and belly button do so too; and please, do yourself a favour and wear a tropical button-up shirt with sweatpants sometimes. Sure, your family may threaten to kick you out or completely disown you—trust me I’ve been there—so it may be necessary to wait until the time is right. There’s no pressure to dive out of your comfort zone immediately— start small. Remember: when you’re a hundred percent yourself it’s going to make people who aren’t quite there yet a little uncomfortable. They may even say you’re weird. But who cares! It’s your life and you only get one. To both parents and children: do your best to provide an education that both empowers and liberates each other. Teach the importance of culture and tradition to your kids and they will understand the
opinions // no. 22
theotherpress.ca
The series finale of civilization ››‘May you live in interesting times’ said the sages
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ecently, someone told me that 2020 feels like the series finale of civilization and we are all along for the ride. You can call me a fearmonger but strangely enough that feels true; what with India and China navigating conflict while blood dries on the land between them, the spread of protests across the globe even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and what appears to be a weakened America crumbling on a live stream, there seems to be the end of something floating in the air. On June 16 2020, word began to spread of a horrific confrontation in the Ladakh region between India and China. The two burgeoning superpowers have been tussling and vying for regional control for decades; now that the most recent confrontation is known to have claimed more than 20 lives, pride and wrath have stepped in and changed the proceedings. When the two most populous countries on earth creep towards war what atrocities can we rule out? China has been more than willing to apply ruthless control measures against its people, India has not yet moved all the way past its caste system, and both certainly leave much to be desired in their current state of religious freedoms. What will the future bring as they fight over one of the region’s most important fresh water resources (the Galwan river)? The killing of George Floyd galvanized some in a way that has highlighted just how intensely we outside of the United States watch those within America. Sympathetic protests appeared almost everywhere overnight, and police from Vancouver to Spain were under almost as much scrutiny as the officers a world away. Some people in the world have shown their extreme sensitivity to injustice everywhere and anywhere, and it’s been demonstrated through the increasing scrutiny and rage centred on every historic figure blessed to have a statue today. Long-dead slavers have found their iron lookalikes tossed into rivers, spray-painted, and desecrated by the hands of change. However, one should worry that in the headlong rush to annihilate a few visible representations of supremacy, the people will be all too quickly placated and forget the real change that would overturn that supremacy. Far too many people have been satisfied to share images or black squares, cheer a toppling general, and then go back to Netflix while the suffering they spoke about continues almost completely unaffected. There was a time when the pro-gun advocates who warned that the fall of civility could happen in minutes not weeks were harangued as doomsayers and the paranoid, but when protestors burned down a police precinct in retaliation for what was clearly law enforcement tyranny by some bad cops, those doomsayers quietly became prophetic. When some felt police brutality had escalated to the point where the only reasonable option was to defund them, the idea of state oppression was suddenly too real to be considered as figment. The slide from civility to civil unrest to countrywide riots was captured on cellphones and documented as it all came undone. I said earlier that this feels a little like the end of civilization; maybe that’s only
Far too many people have been satisfied to share images or black squares, cheer a toppling general, and then go back to Netflix while the suffering they spoke about continues almost completely unaffected.
Illustration by Morgan Hannah
Matthew Fraser Opinions Editor
for me as I sit here watching it all happen in high definition. Maybe I, and anyone else who has been following the news so religiously, have fallen into the trap of perceiving only the fires while we live in
relative peace. I guess when you view the world through screens, it all takes a tinge of unreality and every day is an episode where the plot is forgotten for the sake of theatrics. I’m happy to say that I’ve been
wrong about a great many things thus far, so it’s all too probable that we are not watching the series finale of civilization. Nonetheless, our times are an interesting thing to behold.
Humour
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humour // no. 23 • How to get a life • The Kidspiracies ...and more
How to get a life ››When in doubt, wear yourself out
Sonam Kaloti Arts Editor
H
ave you ever taken a moment on a Monday morning to smell the roses and suddenly realized it’s Friday two months later and all you have marked on your calendar is National Donut Day? Perhaps you meant to smell the roses but you tripped and the thorns in your side kept you in bed for months unable to get up, becoming so used to the thorns that you felt as though you were one, and you no longer needed the roses—in fact, you figured you’d never smell them again— until one day your mind said “Hey, get up,” and you saw the sun again. Well, that’s great and all until you see everyone you know frolicking in the garden with no band aids or scars and you’re reminded, “Damn… I’m behind.” Well then, it’s time to pick yourself back up, silly. You’ve got energy again (finally) and your manic mind is ready to take on the challenge of getting a life. Here’s how to fill your schedule up so much that your friends will need to make an appointment to see you, because that’s what we want, you
future busy bee, you. Step 1 Apply to med school… just for kicks. No, it’s not for your actual career (you’re already in a fall/winter program at school in an Art program). This is so you actually earn money someday. Register in another college for some online summer courses and realize you have to do three prerequisite courses and cry. Then spend $140 on a textbook. Then cry again. Chin up— happy tears. Step 2 Take Biology 12 at an adult learning centre. You’re telling me you took Earth Science for a reason and really really don’t want to go back to high school after finally escaping that treacherous place? Well, you’ve got the energy and drive now, so face your fears. It’s just pictures of bloody internal organs— and who doesn’t want to memorize what the mitochondria is? Besides, you already know, don’t you? Step 3 Your courses start in a couple weeks so you still feel too free and believe you can fly. All
good—just become a volunteer. Maybe you wanted to volunteer somewhere hands-on so you could be active. Looks like the only position available is in an office. You’re still helping people, though—right? (Does it make you a bad person to not take the opportunity? Don’t ask me.) Step 4 You need a job in the meantime. Spend hours trying to list the perfect interests on your resume to make yourself seem both fun but also reliable. Step 5 You should probably do something about those thorns in your side… they’re not looking too good. Oh, and something about those ghosts you keep talking to that tickle your head and tell you to fulfill a mission from God himself. Call a doctor. Step 6 Buy a bigger calendar. Step 7 Go to the ER three times after you get a terrible allergic reaction to the medication your doctor put you on. Flowers are the
worst. After another week of being bound to your bed surrounded by Tylenol, Advil, and Claritin for that rash, you burn down the garden and decide to take up skateboarding instead. Step 8 Get blackmailed by a family member to renovate their house. Suddenly you’re building a shed every evening. Step 9 What day is it? Step 10 No call backs yet but have hope! Someone’s got to hire you—just look at your work ethic! Step 11 You’ve achieved your goal! Congratulations, your voicemails are so full your friends can’t even leave messages to make appointments. You have so much of a life that you haven’t slept in days because you want to be living all the time. Maybe buy a cactus. You can’t smell it, so there’s no future danger, obviously. It’s time to grind, baby!
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rossword Creative Works Move On Morgan Hannah Life & Style Editor Dear Reed, I decided to take the plunge. I moved. Three days ago. Had to wait until the last box was unpacked, making it feel more real before I let you know. I can just imagine you sitting there, your mustard yellow checkered shirt blending into that old office chair as you push those awful wire-framed glasses up your nose. We’re no longer cul-de-sac buddies, nor bio-lab partners… And please believe me when I say I tried to make it difficult for them, I really did, but the offer was just too good. Every time Wendy called me it seemed as if the air was made out of bird songs out there! I popped over to the island for a weekend trip before the move and instantly melted; there was no way a life like this one would ever be possible for me on the mainland. And sure, I know there will be sacrifices—no more sushi, rock climbing, or sitting beside you on the bus—our knees knocking together with the stop and go of transit. But in the long run, I feel that this is the best move. After all, it’s not like you were ever going to not be with Valerie. So please don’t be too mad at me that I caved. Now that I’ve put hours of travel between the two of us, I finally feel like I have it in me to tell you how I really feel. The truth, Reed, is that I needed this move to finally get over you. Because waking up early enough to catch the same bus as you in the mornings just so I’d have that whole hour of you and hot chamomile tea all to myself got to be too much. The way you’d steam up your glasses and grin at me before using the edge of your jacket to clear them. Yeah, your glasses are awfully unsuited for you, Reed, but behind them are delightful, expressive butterscotch eyes. Good luck with the lab tomorrow, I’m sorry I won’t be there this time.
Illustration by Morgan Hannah
Love, Amy
Creative Works you ruined so many bands. i hate you so much because I can no longer queue The 1975. they were my favourite. at least I listen to bands you’ve never heard of. and can visit lands you’ve never stepped on. for just a goodbye you’ve taken much more. healing is a chore. your new girlfriend is a whore. fuck your snore and your voice and your mom. you were so dry. why would I bother to cry? I can scream instead. I hope it bursts your eardrums. Dream of a world where I could burn down your sky.
Illustration by Sonam Kaloti
This could be a love song if you just changed it to a major key
Sonam Kaloti Arts Editor
Crossword Weekly crossword: July 1! Caroline Ho Web Editor ACROSS 1. Bases, for short 4. Sleepwear 7. Not live 12. Sí over t he Pyrenees 13. Vientiane resident 14. Stomach-growling feeling 15. Wrongdoing 16. Writer Rand 17. Fourth-largest metro area in the country 18. Nut variety 20. Slow tempo 21. Vietnamese celebration 22. Vat 23. Location 27. Part of a 6-pack, perhaps 31. Biblical first man 32. Heart, en français 34. Tangle 36. Hosp. scan 37. Resident of the secondsmallest country in the world 39. Absolutely certain 41. Slangy agreement 42. US med. insurance plans 44. Sort of skirt 45. Read quickly 47. Power brick 49. Intentionally lost 51. “To me,” in text 52. Flightless bird 55. Colourful-beaked bird 57. A Bell for __ (1944) 59. Common solvent 62. Crow’s cry 64. Sun King’s number 65. “I’m on it!” 66. Hurry 67. Mineral suffix
68. What HOMES are 69. Geriatric 70. Debussy’s La __
DOWN 1. Med. ctr. 2. Hush 3. Seeing as 4. Scheme 5. Steller’s __ 6. Beethoven’s Moonlight, e.g. 7. Spring bulb 8. Southern African nation 9. Ryder Cup org. 8. In eternity, poetically11. Sere 14. Word after “bear” or “group” 17. Beachside structure19. Sailing 21. Mallard or merganser, e.g. 24. Many a copywriter25. Chili con __ 26. Give off 28. “That hurt!” 29. Theatre class 30. Give nonverbal approval to 32. Divan 33. Equal 35. Yarn 37. Classic videogame set on an island 38. “Can’t be done.” 40. Stuck 43. Japanese honorific 46. Stinging plant 48. Rain-repelling garment 50. Copse 53. General truth 54. Bring together 56. Tres – dos 57. Astounded 58. Radio transmission ender 59. Piercing tool 60. US spy org. 61. Antlered animal 63. Be under the weather
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THE STUDENTS' UNION OFFICES, LOUNGES & BUILDING ARE CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE During this time, the Douglas Students’ Union will remain accessible to students who depend on our services. You can contact us through the various ways below: E-mail: info@thedsu.ca Facebook: /TheDSU6 Instagram: @thedsu6 Twitter: @thedsu6