The Other Press - February 23 by Other Press

Lettitor The 2015 audited financial statements are available in room 1020.

#Proud

his past weekend, the Other Press headed down to Los Angeles for the Associated Collegiate Press (ACP) National College Journalism Convention—a conference bringing together student newspapers from all over the United States as well as a few from Canada, including SFU and UBC. We entered two of our papers for Best of Show awards and came away with fourth and third for a weekly issue and a special edition, respectively. These conferences typically have a litany of seminars and panels which serve to aid in the development of the writers and editors of tomorrow. A takeaway

of mine from the conference is one that, ironically, I am ignoring here. I was singled out during a talk due to a vanilla Lettitor I wrote. The reason: it was boring— there was no real reason for you to care. Stick with me and I’ll rationalize this self-indulgent piece later. This is my fifth, and, barring some unforeseen incident, final year at the Other Press. In my time we’ve been shortlisted for all of one award—a humour piece at NASH, the Canadian equivalent of ACP’s bash. And we didn’t win that. It’s always been frustrating to me. There’s no shortage of

talent that strolls into our office each year. No doubt that some characters will go on to achieve something meaningful in the world. But our work has gone, awards-wise, unnoticed. At the end of the day, no matter what we tell ourselves about our best effort being an award in and of itself, we want validation. We want something tangible. We want more than just a mental pat on the back or a high-five from someone in the office who’d probably support you through thick and thin anyway. So here’s me saying that I’m damn proud of this newspaper. And I’m honoured that I get the

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

Chitwan Khosla Features Editor  features@theotherpress.ca

Lauren Kelly Assistant Editor  assistant@theotherpress.ca

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

Mercedes Deutscher News Editor  news@theotherpress.ca

Elliot Chan Opinions Editor  opinions@theotherpress.ca

Adam Tatelman Arts Editor  arts@theotherpress.ca

Chandler Walter Humour Editor  humour@theotherpress.ca

Angela Ho Business Manager

Ed Appleby Illustrator

Jacey Gibb Distribution Manager

Jony Roy Social Media Coordinator

Cara Seccafien Layout Manager

Aaron Guillen Staff Reporter

Joel McCarthy Graphics Manager

Staff Writers Rebecca Peterson Cazzy Lewchuk Jamal Al-Bayaa

Elizabeth Jacob Production Assistant

Senior Columnists Jerrison Oracion David Manky Columnist Ayanda Gatsha Contributors Jake Wray

opportunity to fill up this page with my admiration for this crew. Sure, they’re just doing their jobs, but they’re doing it remarkably well. From the writers to the editors to the production team, it’s hard for me not to get a warm feeling inside sometimes. Rationalization: you read this newspaper. Don’t you want to know that it’s viewed by something of importance as a quality publication? If you are reading a novel by a new author, don’t you care if there’s some book prize stamped on the cover? Even though you are perfectly capable of judging good literature for yourself, it helps to know that

Rm 1020 – 700 Royal Ave. Douglas College New Westminster, BC V3L 5B2  604.525.3542

there’s an official declaration from a reputable third party that the words you are digesting are worthwhile. We’ve got our book prize stamp now. You have your reassurance that you aren’t reading this simply because it’s there. And now? We’re just going to keep doing what we do best.

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

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

OO City of New Westminster leads on affordable housing OO Salmon go mainstream in Coquitlam OO New Westminster attempts to connect Quay to Queensborough And more!

Tax hike of 3.4 per cent on the horizon in Port Coquitlam

Image via thinkstock

News

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

 New improvements, expansions, and infrastructure come at a price Aaron Guillen Staff Reporter

tudents in Port Coquitlam, whether living at home or on their own, can expect a tightened grip on their expenditures thanks to the new proposed tax hike of 3.4 per cent. According to the City of Port Coquitlam’s 2016–20 Financial Plan, safety, recreation, and infrastructure projects were the top three priorities for investment this year. On average, the potentially raised property tax would turn out to be “$68.23

for single-family homes, $52.72 for town houses, and $31.52 for apartments.” For many residents, questions might arise as to what the additional expenses are needed for. First and foremost, the city plans to hire four new police officers into the force. Secondly, a new Cultural Development and Community Services Manager position will open up, due to public feedback in 2015 that showed demand for more community festivals, arts, and cultural leadership. Among new items, council highlighted expenses on planning

of the new community recreation complex in Downtown Port Coquitlam, the planned hosting of the PoCo Grand Prix, the building of the Nicola Avenue Road Extension, and developing Shop PoCo, an easily accessible online directory of local goods and services. Further improvements are planned to be made to the Coquitlam River Bridge. Taxes will also go towards updated access to the city’s website on mobile devices, and renovations to the Sun Valley Park Spray Park and Coast Meridian Community Police Station.

Additionally, the city budget made way for collaborative projects, such as planning the future Lincoln Avenue and Victoria Drive connections with Coquitlam, and a guarantee of sufficient local bus connections to the Evergreen Line with TransLink. Lastly, a reforestation plan is in the works for the northern part of Lions Park. With ongoing improvements on tree regulations, residents should be on the lookout for new and replanted trees in their neighbourhoods. Likewise, many

neighbouring municipalities are raising their tax prices, whether it be for government functions, police services, or utilities such as sewage and solid waste. Coquitlam recently raised its 2.64 per cent, with Port Moody in the midst of considering a 5.13 per cent increase. Residents of Port Coquitlam are encouraged to provide feedback up until March 7 through an online survey. Those who have concerns can make them known for potential change in the municipal budget.

New Engineering program coming to Douglas College Mercedes Deutscher News Editor

ouglas will be joining the ranks of other post-secondary institutions in the Lower Mainland as it gets set to host its own engineering program. The new program will manifest itself as a two-year diploma, and is expected to start taking students in once the recently started renovations on the New Westminster Campus

are completed. The renovations are accounting for the special spaces and labs required to run an engineering program. Douglas may be offering the program as early as Fall 2016, should the renovations be completed by their scheduled date of mid-August. There has been no word on whether or not the program will be offered at the David Lam campus. “Douglas College continues to grow and this renovation will enable us to keep pace with the

demand for our programs,” said Dr. Kathy Denton, President of Douglas College, on the Douglas College website. “Our new engineering diploma is just one example of how we’re responding to the needs of employers and students, with in-demand credentials that have both an applied and an academic focus.” The engineering program comes as part of the Douglas five-year strategic plan, which also includes providing more relevant content to its students.

Image via thinkstock

 New Westminster renovations will make space for new program

theotherpress.ca

news // no. 4

AGM meeting sparks student debates Jamal Al-Bayaa Staff Writer

n Wednesday, February 17, nearly 120 students were packed into the DSU lounge to attend the Annual General Meeting so they could vote on new resolutions proposed by the DSU Student Representative Committee Before voting began, students were informed about the previous years’ financial statements. Of note is that there is an annual allocation of $100,000 put towards funding student productions in the performing arts department. The money is meant to assist students in putting on productions and incentivize the students to run performances independently. However, no money was spent on performing arts projects. After the financial overview, students were allowed to voice

their concerns to the current Student Representatives. The special resolutions could be organized into two categories: “Housekeeping,” and “Issues.” “Housekeeping” included items that only needed to be voted on due to political procedure in the school. For example, the student body has to vote on whether or not to accept the auditors from last year as the auditors for this year as well. The vote passed unanimously. Before this year’s AGM, there were no anti-bullying policies that were legally binding to the DSU. Bullying has always been unacceptable in Douglas and at the DSU, but having one passed means that it has been made explicitly clear that bullying is never allowed. Douglas College has always had its own bullying policy, but since the DSU is not a part of campus, it did not legally extend to the DSU as well.

The following major policies were implemented, as of February 17: in order to seek election, Student Representatives must sign an acknowledgment of their roles and responsibilities, promising that they are familiar with them and are abiding by them; no student representative can serve more than three terms in office; and all Student Representatives must maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA or else they cannot continue in their position. An amendment to this motion was also made which states that they cannot continue in their position as a student representative “without a vote from the current representatives as to whether or not an exception should be made.” As well, four separate policies were passed, all making Student Representatives more accountable to the students, and more transparent about the work they do.

City of New Westminster leads on affordable housing  Mayor Cote hopes other municipalities follow suit Mercedes Deutscher News Editor

he City of New Westminster is recognizing the growing population in the Lower Mainland, and has created new incentives to build rental units. In Metro Vancouver, condos and apartments are often built with the intention of selling each of the individual units to prospective home owners. While this provides a cheaper option for those looking to own property, it makes for difficult residency searches for those only looking to rent. New Westminster has gradually been offering more incentives to build rental units in the city since 2013. Such incentives include allowing higher density buildings to be built, lowering the costs of permit fees, and easing requirements for parking lots. However, the city also made strides towards helping families who use rental housing by creating a by-law in June 2015 that required 10 per cent

of all rental housing built in the city to have 3 or more bedrooms. The by-law is slated to come into effect this year. “We’re finding the majority of growth in our city is multifamily units, and what we’ve seen recently is most of the new units are very small and are one bedroom and studio apartments,” Cote told CBC. Most of the increasing number of rental units are multi-unit properties, such as duplexes, four plexes, and apartments. This provides for better use of space in the city. Even Cote opted for living in a condo with his family, as opposed to a single-family home. That being said, there will still be plenty of options left for those seeking smaller residences, with a larger selection of one and two bedroom residences, ideal for students and those working without children, becoming available for rent. “New Westminster is probably one of the most affordable communities in all of Metro Vancouver, given the challenges that we’re facing,

which [are] the same challenges as most other cities,” said Cote to CBC’s Early Edition. New Westminster is being praised by Tony Roy, the CEO for the B.C. Non Profit Housing Association. “Where is the incentive to say, ‘I’m going to build something that’s permanently going to be rental, and it’s going to be suitable for family, and it’s going to be long term,” Roy said to CBC in response to Cote’s initiatives. “There’s really no incentive to do that, but it’s what the market needs.” Roy encouraged neighbouring municipalities, Vancouver in particular, to observe New Westminster’s model of rental housing. “All municipalities in Metro Vancouver need to start looking at what policies are working, because the status quo is not leading to the development of new rental housing, and if anything, we’re actually seeing some of our best sources of affordable housing in the region start to disappear,” Cote agreed, via CBC.

Image via www.coquitlam125.ca

 All policies in question passed, most concern Student Representatives

Salmon go mainstream in Coquitlam  Fish sculptures planned for celebration of city’s 125th anniversary Aaron Guillen Staff Reporter

his summer, stay on the lookout for a dozen salmon sculptures beautifying the landscapes around the Coquitlam area. For its 125th anniversary, Coquitlam offered award-winning Jody Broomfield, a Squamish Nation artist, the chance to lead an art project that will be remembered in Coquitlam’s legacy for many decades to come. In an effort to capture the theme of the city’s landmark year, Stories Told, Stories to be Created, Bloomfield wants residents to be reminded of Coquitlam’s continuing journey for more than a century whenever they see one of his sculptures. The goal is to reflect the remembrance of the past, the gratitude of the present, and the hope for the future. Currently, the fibreglass art pieces, standing at more than six feet tall, are plain and ready to have local artists paint them with their imagination. An emphasis will be placed on connections to First Nations artwork, as the city’s name is obtained from the Kwikwetlem First Nation meaning “red fish up the river.” “They’re a blank canvas,” Broomfield said to the Tri-City News about his 12 works. “People should think outside the box and test their boundaries, use

their imagination.” According to the City of Coquitlam’s website, the story is told that the oncesmall town used to be a place where you would find an abundance of sockeye salmon in the Coquitlam River. When a dam was built upstream in the early 1900s, all the fish disappeared, but thanks to the Kwikwetlem Nation and local stakeholder groups, the fish have once again returned. Broomfield said to the Tri-City News that he wanted to celebrate the success story by incorporating the letter “C” (for Coquitlam) in the shape of his fish. Also, he wanted the iconic symbol to smile about its homecoming. “I wanted a happy salmon,” he added. All artists and artistic teams in Coquitlam and any surrounding cities are encouraged to reach out and submit their proposals to the city’s website by March 15. The sculptures are planned to be unveiled at the Kaleidoscope arts festival at Town Centre Park on July 23 and 24. Once revealed to the public, the 12 pieces will be placed at Blue Mountain Park, City Hall, Como Lake Park, Cottonwood Park, Coquitlam Crunch, Coquitlam Public Library (Poirier Branch), Mackin Park (two sculptures), Mundy Park, Poirier Sport & Leisure Complex, Town Centre Park, and Victoria Park.

news // no. 5

issue 21 // volume 42

Dr. Elaine Golds receives the 2016 Honorary Fellows Award  Award latest distinction in a career of conservation Mercedes Deutscher News Editor or Dr. Elaine Golds, environmental conservation has always been a top priority. Since she moved to Port Moody in 1989, Golds has worked fulltime and unpaid, and become a respected and critical voice for conservation throughout the Tri-Cities and BC. For this and many other reasons, Dr. Golds was recently awarded Douglas College’s highest award of distinction, the Honorary Fellows Award on February 11. Golds has been a conservationist for most of her life. She received her Bachelor’s of Science from the University of Saskatchewan before completing her biochemistry doctorate at McGill University in 1978. She researched arthritis and multiple sclerosis and worked as an assistant professor at the university before moving to Port Moody in 1989. Dr. Kathy Denton, the President of Douglas College,

Dr. Elaine Golds via @Douglascollege on Twitter

said on the college website: “Dr. Golds’ commitment to the metro-Vancouver community and environment is something to be admired. This type of dedication and passion is what we aspire to instill in our students.” Dr. Golds accepted the award with graciousness, as reported through Douglas College’s news and media feed. “As a volunteer,

I am deeply honoured to be receiving this award. I hope it helps to shine a light on the significant contributions that many volunteers make to their communities.” Golds has campaigned for countless local environmental causes throughout the course of her life. Some of the reasons highlighted in her

reception of the Honorary Fellows Award include her work to stop the logging of forests near watersheds, as well as work to preserve local and provincial parks. To highlight a few more, she successfully advocated for equipment that reduced air pollution at BC Hydro generating stations during the

‘90s. She has also advocated for clean energy plants instead of coal-based plants, as well as for better locations for Kinder Morgan to construct pipelines, aside from Burke Mountain. Lastly, she donated her time and money to local causes time and time again. Of course, this is not the first time that Dr. Golds has been recognized for her work in the community. Golds was awarded the Pacific Salmon Foundation Hungerford Award for Conservation in 2014 due to her work as stream steward. She donated the $10,000 grant awarded with the prize to Mossom Creek Hatchery. Golds’ lifetime of environmental work also resulted in her being the recipient of the Port Moody Freedom of the City Award in 2007, the BC Community Achievement Award, both the Queen’s Golden and Diamond Jubilee Medals, and the University of Saskatchewan Alumni Association Achievement Award.

New Westminster attempts to connect Quay to Queensborough  Q2Q bridge comes with complaints, concerns, and deadlines Aaron Guillen Staff Reporter he New Westminster waterfront has always been a popular place for a stroll on a nice day with friends, and the area is about to get an addition. The Quay to Queensborough (Q2Q) Bridge, a pedestrian and cyclist bridge, has been in the works for many years. Last month, city officials decided that a drawbridge was necessary should it be placed along the Fraser River near the railway bridge. However, after consulting with tugboat operators and Port Metro Vancouver, the previous details have been changed, pertaining specifically to the location and height of the Q2Q crossing. Instead of being placed near the railway crossing, the project has been moved downstream. Due to safety concerns, it is necessary for the bridge to be 14.5 metres above water. Currently, plans are to include elevators on both sides, bringing pedestrians and cyclists up to the crossing, with a wide staircase encircling the lift. According to a Q2Q

Image via pbs.twimg.com

brochure found on the city’s website, “the planned Quayside to Queensborough Bridge … will connect residents, employees and tourists traveling between the Queensborough community, downtown New Westminster and points beyond.” “From a regional transportation perspective, the bridge will link greenways on the north and south side of the Fraser River and the New Westminster SkyTrain Station to Queensborough. It will also provide enhanced access

along the scenic Fraser River and complete a key missing link in the Experience the Fraser trail system running from Hope to the Salish Sea.” The overpass is confirmed to be built in the near future, as $6.3 million, received from casino funding, has been allocated to the project. Recently, the province has hinted that the deadline, previously planned back in 2015, then for 2017, will most likely be pushed back to 2020. Although the bridge is beginning to lock down blueprints, the foundation isn’t

being built without a struggle. Throughout the past few months, residents of the condos alongside the Quay have expressed concern about their view of the Fraser River, should the bridge be built. One of the residents, Brian Gibson, vented his frustration to the New Westminster Record, saying: “It’s just wrong.” “The view that will be impeded by about four of the units closest to this proposed bridge would be significant,” said Gibson. He added his concern about the devaluation of his,

and a handful of the Quay’s properties. “We are on the fourth floor. My neighbour on the ground floor, any westward view down the river, which is quite pleasant, will be totally obstructed. Thus the concern of the property value impact.” Gibson told the New Westminster Record that he isn’t against the bridge, but hopes that residents will be corresponded with more often and that a beneficial solution will be found soon.

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

OO Fire Emblem releases its newest instalment

A rts Chairman of the Board: No one

OO Comic Corner: All’s fair in love and cash revenue

OO Arts at One: French Melodies And more!

can hear you scream  ‘Legendary Encounters’ board game review

ome co-op games are easy. Some are difficult. And in some cases, a different version of an easy game can be brutal. Based on Ridley Scott’s Alien franchise, Legendary Encounters is a cooperative deck building game for 1–5 players designed by Ben Cichoski and Danny Mandel and published by Upperdeck Entertainment in 2014. Players use cards of various powers and prices to battle xenomorphs rampaging throughout their ship, all while attempting to complete several tasks that will put an end to the alien uprising. In September I reviewed an earlier version of Legendary based on the Marvel universe, and though I thought the game was fun I found it much too easy for a co-op style game. This has been more

than remedied in Legendary Encounters. This game takes no pity on you or your team. In the Marvel game, wounds are a mere inconvenience that take a small amount of resources to heal. In Encounters, death comes swiftly and unexpectedly, and player elimination becomes a serious factor. This combination of higher stakes and harder gameplay gives Encounters a very tense and claustrophobic feel, which, if you know the Alien franchise, captures the main theme beautifully. There is also a Predator version of the game that can be integrated with the Alien one to create your own crossover. Due to the intensity of the game I wouldn’t recommend it for younger children or gamers looking for light fare, but fans of the Alien franchise and groups looking for a punishingly difficult co-op game will not be disappointed.

Illustration by Ed Appleby

Ed Appleby Illustrator

Short but sweet

 Academy Award candidates for Best Short Film Jerrison Oracion Senior Columnist he Academy Awards do not only honour the best in feature films. They also honor the best in documentaries and short films. Short films tend to be much shorter in length than feature films, but they can also be very complex. Many nowfamous directors of feature films got started with short films. This year’s nominations for Best Animated Short Film are Sanjay’s Super Team, World of Tomorrow, Bear Story, We Can’t Live Without Cosmos, and Prologue. First shown with Pixar’s The Good Dinosaur, Sanjay’s Super Team involves a boy named Sanjay, who imagines fantasy versions of Hindu deities while praying with his father. It features the gods Vishnu, Durga, and Hanuman, three key figures of Hinduism, with a superhero twist. In World of Tomorrow, a girl named Emily meets a future version of herself and goes on a tour of her future. While it has a lot of great jokes, it is a bit dark.

Image via www.viff.org

Bear Story involves a bear trying to get back to his family after being kidnapped by a circus. We Can’t Live Without Cosmos shows two friends

training for a mission to space. Things start out optimistically, but the film becomes very dark in the second half. Prologue shows

a battle during the SpartanAthenian War, shot in a style that feels very similar to 300. This year’s nominations for Best Live Action Short

Film this year are Ave Maria, Friend, Everything Will Be Okay, Stutterer, and Day One. Ave Maria involves an Israeli family getting help from a group of Palestinian nuns after their car breaks down. Friend features a person named Petrit remembering a friend that he had during the Kosovo War named Oki. It is very dark, but many viewers will likely be able to guess the ending. Everything Will Be Okay tells the story of Michael, a recently divorced man who kidnaps his daughter Lea out of desperation. Stutterer is an odd romantic comedy that goes inside the mind of Greenwood, a man with a stutter. Day One chronicles a U.S. Army translator’s first day on the job. She finds herself in a high-risk situation where she is forced to rescue a child. As live action and animated short films are typically shown as limited releases, most people don’t get a chance to see them. This year’s nominated short films are currently being shown in the Vancity Theater, so if you’re interested in short films, there is still a chance to watch them.

arts // no. 7

Screenshots via JazReviews on YouTube

issue 21 // volume 42

An ode to the glitch

 The underrated art form of the gaming world Rebecca Peterson Staff Writer

watched them fall around me—my friends, all of them dead, and myself about to follow in a few short moments. In the last moment before the monster’s double-fisted strike crushed me to the hard, icy ground, I had only one thought on my mind: “Not again.” Repeating this one stupidly hard fight was incredibly annoying, and I was getting nothing for my trouble except for a dimmed screen and a declaration that I’d failed, the Inquisition had fallen without its leader, the world of Thedas was doomed, and so forth. I knew I was at the right level for this fight. I’d even killed giants before. It was just this one. Deciding to give it one last shot, I reloaded from my last save

point and rounded the corner of the snowy courtyard with my companions, determined not to go down without a decent fight. And that was the moment in which the giant I’d been battling with for nearly half an hour took off into the sky, never to be seen again. After a few seconds of rapid blinking, I pressed on into the fray, camera panned upward for any sign of the beast to suddenly come crashing down on my head. Nothing. The enemy had successfully won the Space Race, apparently, but I was about to win the war. Glitches are amazing. Yes, we complain about them, and with good reason. A game with a lot of glitches is often a sign of rushed and shoddy design, usually when the developers want to throw a game out in time for a holiday rush without caring about actually

finishing the damn thing (I’m looking at you, Sonic Boom). But even the best of games can fall prey to the dreaded glitch. Clipping, half-rendered environments, and broken if-then sequences resulting in disrupted game play are generally the last thing you want when you set down your wallet and shell out $80 on a new game. The sudden departure from realistic physics can really jolt you out of the story, and in the case of PC games translated to console, a lot of quality can be lost to these snags in the software. Still, I say the common glitch can and should be celebrated as an art-form in and of itself, independent of the developer’s intentions. The best example of this would probably be the “Geddan” meme of the late 2000s. Starting in 2007, a bunch of video game enthusiasts in Japan noticed a glitch in the Nintendo 64 game

GoldenEye. If the cartridge was not inserted correctly, the characters in the game would all begin to flail spastically. It’s not really a glitch if you’re tampering with the equipment to make it happen, in my opinion, but I digress. Videos of these glitches got paired up with the 1997 J-pop song “Promise,” and the meme spread worldwide. People started making videos of themselves imitating the glitches through dance. The “dance” required the subject of the video to take hundreds of photos of themselves and animate them in a stopmotion fashion, in order to replicate the glitch in the game. Nearly 10 years later, iterations of “Geddan” are still being made and uploaded to the Internet. Popular gaming sites and channels now make video compilations dedicated to glitches, because glitches have

entertainment value in and of themselves. Whether the NPCs are floating in mid-air or being slowly absorbed into the ground, whether a cutscene is interrupted by the sudden appearance of a dragon or disappearance of one of the speaking characters, glitches contribute to the fun of modern video games. I can guarantee glitches in Pong weren’t nearly as hilarious as the glitches we see today. So why not appreciate the glitches while we have them, before the technology advances to a point where they’ll all but disappear, if such a thing is even possible? All I know is that without my personal Hail Mary glitch, I’d probably still be stuck in that courtyard, getting smashed into elven pulp by a giant who clearly just wanted his chance to fly.

huge factor for audiences to be intrigued and attracted, but the storytelling has to be excellent.” Lysell found theatre to be more fulfilling than his film work: “Film is 99.9 per cent ‘what you see is what you get.’ It’s only the people on the A-List who are being challenged. The rest of the actors in any given production are human pieces of furniture. I was very lucky, having my own theatre company, so I could cast myself in roles that I felt like doing. But I always felt more intrigued by what other directors would see me as.” When Lysell’s family expanded to include two sons, he transitioned into teaching high school students for financial reasons, but found working with the younger students debilitating. “When

I managed to move into the college level, where the students wanted to be in the program— that was uber-satisfying.” “If you desire it, do it,” Lysell said, but had a warning for those who enter the profession with pretentions of fame and fortune. “The world will throw sufficient obstacles in your way to disabuse you of the notion that you’re going to be a star.” Due to the amount of work involved and the fact that there are many actors vying for the same opportunities, Lysell asserted that theatre and film are only for the extremely motivated. “It is essential that you become entrepreneurial… being a standalone actor waiting for the phone to ring is a lonely existence.”

The thrill of a life on stage  Allan Lysell talks theatre Adam Tatelman Arts Editor llan Lysell, the chair of Douglas’ theatre program, has spent his life on the stage, following a passion that began in high school after the Vancouver Playhouse visited his school to present a selection of Shakespeare scenes. “The energy and excitement of watching these live performers thrilled me,” Lysell said of the performers. “It was all about the thrill of live performance, and it still is for me. You don’t know what’s going to happen.” Inspired by the Vancouver Playhouse’s performance, Lysell tested the waters of acting at his high school, and found some success. This led him to UBC,

Image via ourconference.ca

where he learned the craft and became more focused. “I started to discover the things that I was really interested in were the studio productions, black box,

revolutionary stuff,” Lysell said of his time at the university. His experience gained from UBC resulted in an opportunity to work with the Vancouver Playhouse, which took him on a formative tour across the province. “I learned more about acting in those three months— not to mention things about myself and my colleagues— than I’d ever learned before.” After his time with the Playhouse, Lysell founded his own theatre company, making his first forays into the world of directing. “The very best early times in my career were always fraught with fundraising, always challenged,” he said when questioned on the difficulties of attracting an audience to alternative theatre venues. “I think that the spontaneity is a

theotherpress.ca

arts // no. 8

Fire Emblem releases its newest instalment I

’ll preface this by making it clear that this isn’t a review for Fire Emblem: Fates. I’m excited to play it, of course, but it’s midterm season and I’ve been dedicating most of my brainpower to ocean science and philosophy. This is, however, a great opportunity to talk about the series as a whole. The Fire Emblem franchise has been running for 26 years now, the first game being released in Japan for the NES in April 1990. Developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo, Fire Emblem was one of the first tactical role-playing fantasy games ever made. The first six instalments were exclusive to Japan, but after some of the characters from the franchise were introduced to the Smash Bros. lineup in 2001, the North American audience voiced their interest in the game, and the seventh title went international. Since then, the franchise has grown exponentially in popularity with audiences worldwide. Aside from being revolutionary in its initial

concept and design the Fire Emblem series has a knack for blending strategy with story and style. Strategy games often don’t offer the same freedom of movement and world exploration that other RPGs can grant you. To keep players invested in the story, the story has to be done well, and the battles that you fight really need to mean something to the player beyond just being an elaborate game of 3-D chess. Discovering each character’s specific romantic and friendshipbased subplots, and choosing which characters will end up together, is one of the main draws of the story. As someone who didn’t really have video games growing up, except for the PS2 Harry Potter games, I still find that amount of character control and manipulation amazing. I’m very easy to please in this way. What I love about Fire Emblem’s battles is that a lot of the wild unpredictability of other turn-based combat systems isn’t there. Not to say these fights aren’t challenging—they are—but you base your moves on reasonable assumptions of what the enemy will do. You’re provided with success

percentages that give you an accurate guess as to how a confrontation will occur. For best results, you can match your characters up against the enemies they’ll have the best chance of defeating. The newest instalment, Fire Emblem: Fates, came out this past week to rave reviews. Primarily, many players are excited about the advanced plot options the new game offers. Whereas personal decisions and dialogue choices in Awakening didn’t largely impact the overall outcome of the game, the new game gives far more weight to your decisions. Like many modern console games, the experience provided to each individual player is far more unique, and the plot changes based on each choice the player makes. If you’re looking for a series of games that are big on story and design, I would absolutely recommend the Fire Emblem series. Even if you’ve never played this kind of RPG before, the system is intuitive and the series is a great introduction to the genre. Above all, it’s fantastic fun, and I’m very excited to see what Fire Emblem: Fates has in store.

Comic Corner: All’s fair in love and cash revenue

 ‘Sex Criminals Vol. 1: One Weird Trick’ review Brittney MacDonald Life & Style Editor

Image via www.puolenkuunpelit.com

Rebecca Peterson Staff Writer

Art by Chip Zdarsky

 Why this turn-based RPG strategy game series is worth checking out

e’ve all heard Uncle Ben’s old adage, “With great power comes great responsibility,” but what if that wasn’t true? What if you chose not to be a hero, and instead be as selfish and selfserving as possible? It would be tough to deny that kind of temptation, and this dark comedy from the mind of Matt Fraction explores just that. Sex Criminals follows the life of Suzie. She’s a mostly normal woman, except for the fact she has the ability to stop time when she orgasms. Eventually she crosses paths with Jon, who can do the exact same thing. Now, I know what you’re thinking—this brings a whole new level to tantric love-making. But rather than cuddle, Suzie and Jon prefer to rob a few banks after coitus than reaffirm their co-dependence.

Fraction’s concept is pretty awesome, and the dialogue in the novel is funny and surprisingly upbeat for a story about a crime spree. The comic’s best feature is how Fraction developed his characters. Suzie and Jon are completely unlikeable. At no point in time was I ever rooting for them, but rather than be annoyed by this, it just seemed to add to the overall tone of the narrative. I wanted to keep reading, not for the characters, but for the overall story itself— and to see them get caught. One thing I was not a fan of was the art style. Illustrated by Chip Zdarsky, the panels look like something out of classic Archie—everything is cell shaded, there’s very little detail, and the anatomy is bubbly. The overall aesthetic looks incomplete and does not fit the sophistication of the writing or the narrative’s adult themes. If you’re okay with skimping a little on the art in favour of a good story, I would definitely recommend picking this up.

arts // no. 9

Image via www.shockya.com

issue 21 // volume 42

Render unto Caesar  The changing times of cinema Jerrison Oracion Senior Columnist

n the 1950s, the landscape of cinema was rapidly changing. Televisions were becoming a part of people’s lives, the major film studios were making big epics and musical productions, and everybody was worried about the atomic bomb. Joel and

Ethan Coen’s latest film, Hail Caesar!, explores those changes. When one of Capital Pictures’ biggest stars, Baird Whitlock (George Clooney), is kidnapped by an organization called The Future, studio head Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) tries to rescue him. Along the way, Eddie helps solve the problems of the studio’s other top stars, including Deanna Moran (Scarlett Johansson),

who is having a child, and western film star Hobie Doyle (Alden Ehrenreich), who is starring in his first period piece directed by Laurence Laurentz (Ralph Fiennes). The film explores the capitalistic star system of the 1950s film industry, as well as the film production clichés of the time. There are many jokes involving stunt doubles, elaborate musical

numbers, and Gene Kelly-styled dance numbers—including a humourous scene where Burt Gurney (Channing Tatum) does a dance number as a sailor. As is common with the Coen brothers’ films, most of the actors had worked with them previously. While the film’s plot primarily focused on Eddie, Baird, and Hobie, the rest of the actors could have had a little more screen time. For example, a government

agent named Joseph Silverman (Jonah Hill) only appears in one scene. There were a few other surprise cameos in the film, such as Frances McDormand as an editor at Capital Pictures, and Oscar Isaacs as one of the members of The Future. Hail Caesar! is an intriguing look back at the golden age of cinema, and well worth your time if you enjoy period pieces or the filmography of the Coen brothers.

Considering the size of the Muir theatre, the vocalists’ skills should be commended. Although I did not understand the French lyrics, their vocal clarity carried the meaning quite effortlessly despite the large space they had to fill. “Claire de Lune,” my personal favorite, was a purely instrumental piano piece, played to hypnotic effect. The performers also told a little of the history surrounding the songs and their composers, making Arts at One an educational experience as well. Some of the most interesting anecdotes involved Debussy’s “Three Songs of Bilitis,” which were based on characters in ancient Greek myth, as well as the tragedy of Henri Duparc, who destroyed most of his work in a fit of depression, leaving little to survive in posterity. Having somewhat expanded my knowledge of France’s musical

history, I can confidently say that I enjoyed my afternoon with Arts at One. The artists were all professional-level, and their performances clearly impressed the music students in attendance as much as they impressed me. Their eclectic selection and effective use of the space created a compelling presentation, and I would most certainly attend again in the future, if only to see what musical style the department will explore next. Although Arts at One is presented mainly for the benefit of Douglas College’s music program students, the performances are open to the public for free. If you are interested in musical performance of any kind, catch next week’s Arts at One: Inavolatura in the Laura C. Muir Theatre on Thursday, February 25 at 1:00p.m.

Arts at One: French Melodies  Local artists present classical French music Clinton Stoffberg via postmoderncamerata.com

Adam Tatelman Arts Editor

lthough France’s contributions to the evolution of modern film and music are many and varied, I must admit that I am fairly illiterate when it comes to French culture. I rarely have a chance to see music performed live, so this week’s Arts at One offering, Café Terrace at Night, was a new and affecting experience for me. The performance was organized by local soloist and music teacher Melanie Adams, piano instructor and church pianist Rita Attrot, piano teacher Alyssa Stoffberg, and tenor Clinton Bradley Stoffberg. Though he was not in attendance, local illustrator Isaiah Karesa provided additional visual artwork, recently presented in his debut exhibit

at the RAW artists showcase in downtown Vancouver. The musical selection was largely taken from the mid-tolate 1800’s, including works from iconic French composers like Maurice Ravel, Gabriel Faure, and Henri Duparc. Most of these were popular love songs and the upbeat party music of the

time, though many of Claude Debussy’s pieces were more solemn, such as his mythological dedication “The Tomb of the Naiads.” This created an effective thematic contrast with the more bombastic like “The Tresses,” and kept each next piece interesting. Most were solo vocals accompanied by piano.

Sports

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

OO Upset or upsetting? OO Douglas Preview OO A good bye And more!

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Photo by Davie Wong

INSTITUTION

By the numbers

 Tight scores as the women’s basketball team splits the weekend Davie Wong Sports Editor

s the regular season winds down, most teams try to ramp up their play to prepare for playoffs. For the Royals, they are not exactly ramping the right direction. For the majority of the regular season, the ladies were dominant on the basketball court, at one point amassing a 15-game win streak. But as the tail end of the season approaches, they seem to be struggling. That trend continued last week as the team took on the visiting Langara Falcons, who were fighting for their playoff lives. They came onto the court on Friday hoping to get an early lead and build some momentum but the Royals gave them a cold reception as they jumped out to an 8-0 lead before surrendering their first points. However, the Falcons were persistent. They moved quickly to catch up with the Royals and after a couple of unforced errors by the home team, were able to tie the game. But the Douglas squad would have none of that as they quickly found their form once more, finding a way to get out of the first with a 14-10 lead. The second quarter was much of the same for both teams as the game continued. The only difference was the undisciplined

aggression that Langara played with. Their mistakes defending cost them on the board, and at end of the first half the score reflected that, with the Royals up 26-21 going into the break. Coming out of the halftime break has been a struggle lately for the Royals, and this time was no different. The lacklustre home squad looked as if they were a whole level below the refreshed Langara group. The Falcons punished the Royals for bad mistakes and awkward positioning and finished the third with a 3-point lead. Nonetheless, in the fourth, the Royals showcased just why they’re one of the best teams. Rallying behind the inspirational play of Nanaya Miki, who sank shot after shot for a total of 20 points, the home team was able to replicate their earlier successes and forced the Falcons into bad positions. The final score was 5653 for Douglas. With that game in the books, the team turned its attention to Saturday, where they would be facing off against the Quest Kermodes. With nothing on the line but pride, the Royals naturally wanted to make their last home game of the season their best. Holding that in mind, the team opened the game with a bang, scoring 23 points in the first quarter, while limiting Quest

to just 12 points. However, the high-octane offence of the Royals found some difficulty shooting in the second, scoring only 12 to follow up their big opening. Heading into halftime, they had a decent 8-point lead, despite their difficulties in the quarter. Their difficulties shooting did not dissipate over halftime, much to the dismay of the team. The Royals shot from all over the floor in the second half, but few ever changed the scoreboard. Unlucky bounces and forced shots resulted in a 15 per cent shooting average in the second half. While their defence was solid, there was no offensive production to offset what did get through. As a result, the home team just slowly bled away their lead until they lost, much to the displeasure of the crowd, who groaned as shot after shot rolled off the rim and out. The final score: 55-49 After the game, coach Courtney Gerwing spoke briefly about her team’s loss: “We did the best that we could have defensively, and we were much better than we have been, but we literally shot 15 percent for the entire half.” Despite the loss, Gerwing remained positive about the situation and stayed focused. “Hopefully, we’re saving all of our luck for playoffs.”

CONF

PTS

VIU

18-2

DOUGLAS

17-3

CAPILANO

15-5

QUEST

10-10

LANGARA

8-12

CAMOSUN

7-13

CBC

5-15

KPU

0-20

MEN’S BASKETBALL INSTITUTION

CONF

PTS

VIU

20-0

QUEST

17-3

LANGARA

13-7

CAPILANO

10-10

DOUGLAS

10-10

CAMOSUN

8-12

CBC

2-18

KPU

0-20

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL INSTITUTION

CONF

PTS

VIU

20-4

CAPILANO

15-9

CAMOSUN

13-11

DOUGLAS

12-12

UFV

9-15

COTR

9-15

CBC

6-18

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL INSTITUTION

CONF

PTS

CAMOSUN

20-4

DOUGLAS

20-4

VIU

14-10

UFV

14-10

COTR

9-15

CAPILANO

5-19

CBC

2-22

sports // no. 11

issue 21 // volume 42

 Up and down week for men’s basketball Davie Wong Sports Editor

With that game out of the way, the team could now focus on the next challenger: the Quest Kermodes. Whether the preparation for the Kermodes was insufficient or the team underestimated them, the results of Saturday’s game was not pretty. To put it simply, the Royals got rolled. The Kermodes came out to play, and there was little the Royals could do to stop them. The away team stamped their game all over the home team’s court and the Royals were powerless to stop them. The first half saw the Royals struggle to put up points as turnover after turnover cost them dearly. The second half consisted of the Kermodes simply outscoring the Royals. There were no dirty tricks, no trick plays, or secret strategies, the Royals just got outplayed. The final score was 9055 Quest.

Photo by Davie Wong

t was always going to be a hard week for the men, no matter how it was looked at. Coming into the week fresh off a hard loss to VIU, the men looked to bounce back on Friday against the third best team, the Langara Falcons. With near mirror-like scoring, the first quarter was filled with action as no one side could seem to find an edge. But while the scoring was similar, the method wasn’t, as both teams played their own styles of offence. The Falcons preferred to drive, causing the Royals to either take a foul, or give them a clean shot, while the Royals preferred to shoot from the outside. With shooting stars Grant Campbell and Ethan McKean sinking shots left and right, the Royals soon found themselves with a slight lead going

into the second quarter. It would be a buffer that they would need as the Falcons came out strong in the second. Douglas had trouble dealing with the constant driving and gave away free throws the entire quarter. They would also give away their lead, falling behind by two points going into halftime. The second half was very similar to the first, as the Falcons could not for the life of them stop Campbell. Every time the Falcons scored, it was Campbell back down the court to get it right back. It was tooth and nail until the end, but at the finish it was the Royals who were ahead, 7268. Campbell ended the game with 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. Another player who had a noteworthy night was rookie Sheldon Derton, who finished with 14 points in 13 minutes of game time.

Attack from the middle

Photo by Davie Wong

Upset or upsetting?

 Women’s volleyball finishes middle-ofthe-pack Davie Wong Sports Editor

his weekend brought plenty of things to the world of Douglas sports. Unfortunately, not everything in life is positive, and for the members of the women’s team, it was bit of rough end to the season. The weekend started early for the team as they faced the Capilano Blues on Thursday as part of a back-to-back. The women needed to win both games to move ahead of the Blues in the standings. With that in mind, the Royals kicked off their series with an exciting start. Having the home court advantage can be influential for some teams, and it was no different for the Royals. The host Royals found themselves crushing their opponents in the opening set, going up early in the game. This allowed the Royals to really relax and just play their game. They had no trouble winning the first set, taking it convincingly 25-15. The second was a direct contrast. This time it was the Blues who got the early lead. The Royals managed to fight back to within eight points but the lead they gave was just too much and they ended up getting closed out before they could finish their comeback. That ended up being the

story of the night as the home team continually gave large leads to the Blues and could never catch up. They would end up falling to Capilano in three straight sets after the first win. The ladies hoped to reset things on Friday. Losing the night before meant that they had no chance moving up in standings, but it didn’t make the coming match any less important. It just made it a statement match. But for whom the statement was made in favour of is arguable. The first set of Friday’s game set the mood for the entire game. Both teams came in with something to prove and they finished the set hard. However, like the previous night, it was the Royals’ tendency to give their opponents a sizeable lead that led to their downfall. Their gift leads gave the first and second set to the Blues, despite the Royals being right behind them on the scoreboard. They did take a set in the third when down two, so that speaks to their mental strength, which is going to be so important in the team hopes to do well at Provincials. In the end, the team was blown out in the fourth set, and Capilano took the game, 3-1. It wasn’t the end to the regular season that they wanted, but all they can and should do now, is look towards the playoffs.

What distinction is made between a game and a sport?  The technique of a 1500 year old competition Cazzy Lewchuk Staff Writer

t was first played in India during the 6th century, spreading across the Middle East and eventually worldwide by the 1600s. By the 19th century, entire clubs, journals, teams, and even inter-city competitions were abundant in its practice. Today, the competition is still thoroughly analyzed, studied, and battled by millions of people around the world every day. Many educational institutions—from elementary to postsecondary— have teams that compete will even compete internationally. A couple thousand people are even

skilled enough to be full-time professionals. Its mechanics, strategy, and skill require combinations of prowess, agility, and intellectual analysis. The game of chess is a competition that takes perhaps 15 minutes to learn and a lifetime to fully master. Debate about whether it can be really considered a “sport” continues amongst the media and even its own professionals to this day. Is this mentally (and often physically) straining activity really sporting, or merely a game? Can Magnus Carlsen, Garry Kasparov, and Bobby Fischer— each repeat professionals and World Champions in chess—be

considered great athletes, or simply geniuses in a popular activity? The world’s largest organization of sports, SportAccord, which encompasses virtually all of the world representatives of popular sports, defines “sport” as “having an element of competition, not relying on luck, not be harmful to any living creature, and not reliant on equipment by a single supplier.” By this definition, chess is absolutely a sport. In fact, the World Chess Federation is a fully recognized as a member of SportAccord. Chess is also recognized as a sport

by other international athletics organizations such as the Asian Games and even the International Olympic Committee. While being physically fit and skilled is not a requirement to play the game well, it absolutely helps. Virtually all chess tournaments are timed, and many matches between skilled players can last several hours. Energy is quickly drained, tiring a player not only mentally but physically as well. As with any “sport” or strenuous activity, proper nutrition and good health can make a drastic difference in skill and gameplay. However, physical effort can be avoided altogether in chess. It is

a game that can be played entirely inside the mind. Its allows some players to play without the need for a board and pieces, provided they keep track of the positions. Computer/artificial intelligence chess occurs at every level of play, including instances of defeating a reigning World Champion. The mental taxation in chess in inevitable, but its physical limitations can be worked around. Ultimately, the consensus of whether chess is a sport will never be fully settled. It’s a competition between (mostly) human players that relies on skill, strategy, and continuous practice. Perhaps its ultimate definition is irrelevant.

david lam Meredith Graham I am currently studying in the third year of my Child and Youth Care Counselling degree. I am running for the position of the David Lam Coordinator with the Douglas Student Union because I believe that students in Coquitlam deserve the same events, services, supports, and opportunities for campus engagement as students in New Westminster. We have the opportunity, as a college community, to make our post-secondary experience the best it can be.

Electoral Committee calls annual Douglas election By Mercedes Deutscher, News Editor

college relations Hi, Douglas! I am running for College Relations Coordinator for your DSU. I was born and raised in Surrey, BC. Since the age of five, I have played ice hockey competitively and recreationally. Currently, I am exploring my education options in Business, specifically Management and Marketing. Known as an outgoing and outspoken person, I also consider myself to be an effective leader. Looking forward to meeting all of you!

Monique Paulino

coordinator

Branden Sanghara

Chad Conley

Hey, Douglas! I am running as the David Lam Coordinator for the DSU. I am just completing my Criminology Diploma, and am getting in the Psychiatric Nursing Program. Most people will tell you that I am one of the funniest most giving people they know. I am hoping to engage with students this year for a memorable college experience!

treasurer Pardeep Jaswal

I am running for the College Relations Coordinator. I have been at Douglas College for many years and have grown to love it. I want to create better relations between DSU and the College by getting more involved with, and supporting different departments, communities, and clubs in the school.

Hey, Douglas. I am running as the Treasurer for the DSU. I am an aspiring doctor in the Associates of Sciences program. Many would say I am a sporty person, and I agree! Physical activities and friend competition is what I love! A memorable postsecondary experience with many new friends is my vision! Hope you can see it with me. Cheers!

external relations Hey, Douglas! I am running for re-election as External Relations Coordinator. I have completed a diploma in Criminology. Currently I am pursuing my life goal of completing my Business Degree. My friends will tell you that I am friendly, outgoing, and possess the skills to represent the DSU and all its delegates. So vote my NeXgen in this upcoming election if you want to see positive change on campus!

Surya Viswanathan

coordinator

Chris “Bud” Budzynski

What’s up, Douglas! I want to be your External Relations Coordinator because I want to take “Action” and ensure your voice is heard at Douglas College. I am an Ambassador for the ONS, have given speeches to hundreds of students, and many campus tours. A few things I want to do for you are to advocate for teachers to allow free textbooks for introductory courses and to bring back Pub Nights to Douglas.

coordinator

Hi, Douglas! I am running to be reelected as Internal Relations Coordinator for the DSU. I am currently a third year, accounting student. I love to travel and have an interest in music. My goal here at Douglas is to get my studies done while having a memorable positive experience with friends! Can’t wait to share the experience with you, cheers!

I’m a third year Psychology student, and I’m running to be your new Treasurer. I currently work as a Student Assistant in the DSU and I’m confident all my experience will be able to translate into being the one of the best Treasurers the DSU has ever seen. My Action teammates and I are confident in our ability to create a culture in the DSU that fosters growth and excellence.

pride representative Tanysha Klassen

internal relations Derek Goundar

Aran Armutlu

I’m running for the Pride Representative position. I’m a second year psychology student getting my bachelor’s degree in applied psychology. I believe that every student should have the ability to feel involved and safe at their school and have the chance to have fun! By hosting more events for students and increasing the visibility of the LGBTQ spaces around the college, we can take action and improve the DSU!

Jacquoline Martin

I’m 24 year old activist running for Pride Representative with a passion for inducing positive change. I’m a charitable event coordinator and have retained that title for the past several years. I continue to direct my efforts towards raising awareness for neurological disorders (such as epilepsy) and various types of social isolation.

coordinator

Choose your next DSU Student Representative Committee

member-at-large Satinder Marahar

I am running for Member-At-Large. I’m an international student from India. I’ve studied Computer Sciences at Douglas College for the past two years. My goal in life is to become a software engineer. My hobbies are volunteering in different school and club activities, I love to help people with whatever they need. I like to meet new people and make new friends because of my outgoing personality.

Manuel Peña I am from El Salvador, Central America. I am a second year business student. On my daily life, I love practicing extreme sports such as downhill mountain biking, snowboarding, surfing, and longboarding. I am currently running for this election with a great team of experienced leaders called Action for the position of Member-At-Large. If we get elected, we will seek to make major changes and improvements on campus.

Taylor Hochban

Mustafa Haq I am a third year business student at Douglas College and I represent the Royals as a volleyball player. I would like to continue my involvement in our school community and that is why I am inspired to run as a representative for our Douglas Student Union Election as a Member-At-Large for the 2016 year. Several new members of our NeXgen team represent student athletes across many teams and international students. Vote NeXgen!

Pongsapat “Paul” Wittayaworapat

Hey, Douglas. I am currently in my second year at Douglas College and I am running as a Member At-Large for the DSU. Along with attending school full time, I’m also a member of the Douglas College Baseball team. I believe that a memorable post-secondary experience is created by taking all opportunities that promote meeting new people and creating new experiences and that’s what I want to bring to you.

Prabh Kaur Hunda

Hello! I am currently enrolled in Sport Science program. I am running for the Member-AtLarge. I want to continue to push forward for open textbooks and lower tuition fees. I want to create a better space for both international and domestic students, a smoothie bar, and more events for students. I care about making a difference for students and Douglas College. Come share your ideas, I care about your interests and your voice.

I’m running for the Member-At-Large position for the DSU. I’m from India and I currently work for the Life at DC team. I decided to run for a Member-at-large position because I want to help build community on campus and make the transition process to college and Canada easier for international students. Being a part of the DSU is the best way to serve students as a student.

women’s

Taylor Woody Hey, Douglas! I am an 18-year-old Douglas College student, who plays women’s softball! My friends would say I am actively engaged in everything that I participate in, and wish to continue this as your Women’s Representative. If you’re looking for excitement and change at Douglas vote for my slate, NeXgen!

aboriginal Hi, Douglas College. I am running for your Aboriginal Representative for the Douglas Students’ Union this election. I represent your Royals as a part of the baseball team. I want your voices to be heard this year, and believe I am the best candidate to do that. Vote NeXgen!

Sahara Tom

I am running for the Aboriginal Representative in the upcoming 2016 DSU Elections as a part of team Action. I am First Nations from Lake Babine Nation in Burns Lake, BC. I am currently a first year Sport Science student specializing in Kinesiology. I am running to be a positive Aboriginal student leader and to make a positive change for the Aboriginal student population as well as the general student population.

representative

Alex Gibbons

Jerzy Mazurek Hi there! I am running for re-election as Disabilities Representative. I have grown to love providing services for students. With the experience I have accumulated I am confident that I can continue to contribute to Douglas College’s students. Main thing I want to focus on are great events and pushing for free textbooks. I would also love to see more DSU presence at the Coquitlam campus whenever it would be providing services or amazing events.

Simran Bir I am seeking your vote for a position with our student union, as a Disabilities Representative. I am dedicated to represent and act as a voice to fellow students in social, organizational activities, representation, and academic support. I am now in my third-year studies at Douglas College. Also, I am a studentathlete competing on the women’s basketball team and presently a first-year Bachelor of Nursing student.

Sterling Victor Spencer Hillman I know the name is long, but you can call me Sterling. I’m 19 years old running for Disabilities Representative and I’m in my second semester at Douglas. I love to swim, cycle, and laugh. I am currently in the Environmental Studies program. Also, I am proud to be running in the Action slate. Personally, I believe that every life matters. All students at Douglas should be given every opportunity to pursue their dreams and DO what makes them happy.

You can vote for your 2016-17 Student Representatives from February 29 to March 4. There will be a candidates’ forum taking place in the New Westminster Concourse from 11 a.m to 12:30 p.m. Check theotherpress.ca for the candidates’ full platforms.

representative

I’m running for the position of your Women’s Representative as part of team Action in the 2016 DSU election. Volunteering with the DSU Crew has taught me how to critically listen to student’s wants and needs. From slutwalks to open textbooks to pep rallies, I want to represent what students at Douglas College are truly passionate about.

representative

Iman Abdulla

disabilities

theotherpress.ca

sports // no. 14

Douglas Preview

 Volleyball playoffs edition

t’s that time of year again. Seasons are wrapping up and the playoffs are around the corner. Well, to be exact, volleyball playoffs are this week. So here’s a look at the Royals’ matchups. Men’s Volleyball: The men’s excellent regular season record has earned then a bye into the semifinals. They will play the winners of the VIU Mariners vs. Capilano Blues matchup. In my opinion, I foresee the Mariners winning their quarterfinals and moving to play the Royals. Should this happen, the Royals are in for a tough challenge. They’ve played the Mariners four times this season, winning three of the four games but never cleanly sweeping them. If anyone is going to upset the Royals, it’ll be the Mariners. Should the Royals win, they’ll likely be up against the third best team in the country according to the CCAA rankings, the defending champion Camosun Chargers. If it comes to this, it will easily be the match of the year. The two teams have met four times this season as well, with them both taking two games, but the Chargers have the definite edge. No one has pushed the Chargers like the Royals have. Likewise, no one has soundly beat the Royals like the Chargers have this season. The last time these two met up, the games were closer than stitches in volleyball

shorts. Look forward to this game should it happen. The key for the Royals this weekend will be the coaching. Coach Brad Hudson has done an excellent job with shaping his roster this season, and there is no doubt that the Royals easily have the deepest pool of players out of all the teams in PACWEST and arguably the CCAA. That being said, it’s sometimes difficult for coaches to recognize when a player is having an off-night. If the matchups I predicted end up being true, there will be no room for slumping players. Coach Hudson needs to be brutal and decisive about who is on the court, and when to pull someone off. If the right players are on the court at the right times, I have no doubt that the Royals will be able to bring home the title this year. Women’s Volleyball: It has been a year of trials and tribulations for the women’s volleyball team, but they’ve made it. They are in the playoffs, no matter what their seed is. They have had a season that they can be proud of. Now comes the hard part. Meeting the Royals for their first challenge will the fifthseeded UFV Cascades. The two teams have played four times this year with the Royals sweeping the series. They have also swept two out of four games against UFV. Nonetheless, it’s best to never underestimate one’s opponent. The Cascades will be coming in hungry, and they’ve shown that they can push the Royals, as the

Image via pacwestbc.ca

Davie Wong Sports Editor

last time these two played, it went to five sets. The Royals need to end them quickly if they hope to move on. They cannot allow UFV to get any momentum. This means cracking down on misplays and not gifting leads to start a set. Should they make it through UFV, waiting to say hello to them on the other side is none other than the second best team in the country according to the CCAA rankings, the VIU Mariners. I’m not going to lie, this will be an extremely tough matchup if it comes to pass. The Royals have played the Mariners four times this season and lost every time. However, they’ve only been swept by the Mariners once. It will take some serious planning, a

tremendous amount of skill, and more than likely, a few buckets of luck, for the Royals to pull off an upset here, but it is possible. Should they win, they will face off against the Camosun Chargers or the Capilano Blues. But if the Royals can beat the Mariners, then they could likely beat anyone. The key to this weekend will be mental toughness and diversity. The team needs to be prepared for the situation that they drop two sets, and still try to pull off a win. In the past, this team has had a history of dropping two sets and getting blown out in the third. While they have shown that they can come back, the team will need to be a lot more prepared for this

scenario during the playoffs. The Royals will need to be ready for the emotional and physical strain that the playoffs bring as they are a very emotionally driven team. The team will need to utilize or create a deep bag of tricks and switches to keep other teams on their toes. At the moment, the team strategy is fairly straightforward, and most losses have come when teams find out how to shut that strategy down. For the playoffs to be a successful story for the Royals, they need to add diversity to their play; perhaps shift roles around for a play or two, or even a set. The team has a talented roster with players that can fill multiple roles. It’ll be about whether they can pull it off.

A good bye Davie Wong Sports Editor

hat a season it has been for the men’s volleyball program. This week they wrapped up their regular season with back-to-back contests against the Capilano Blues. The first of the two games was played at home on Thursday. The home closer did not disappoint in terms of excitement. Perhaps a little too much excitement for a team of this calibre, but the crowd loved it. The first set went exactly as planned by coach Brad Hudson. The Blues had trouble getting anything past the front line of the Royals. Everything they threw up was blocked or thrown right back at them. The home team convincingly took the set 25-16. The second set was a little messy. There was lots of

misplaying from both teams are they traded possession nearly every other point. They rallied back and forth until the 20s, when the Royals pulled the trigger and finished it. They took that set 2522. The third played very much like the second, except instead of both teams playing poorly, Capilano played extremely well, and forced the Royals into tough situations they didn’t expect to be in. But the home team never looked like they lost control. If anything, it seemed like they were having a bit of fun. The Royals finished the set 25-23 and swept the game 3-0. The second of the two games was played on Capilano’s court on Friday. The Douglas squad that showed to play on Friday, looked much different than the squad that showed up the day before.

Photo by Davie Wong

 Men’s volleyball finishes in the top two

Gone were the antics, misplays, and playing around. The first set of the night picked up right where they left off the night prior. Capilano once again showcased that they can

give good teams a run for their money. They went all the way to the final two points to decide a winner. In the end, it was the Royals who had the ability slam it home and take the set 25-23.

Unfortunately for the Blues, the good news ended there. The Royals began their methodical disassembling of the other team, as they have this entire season. Picking their spots, the Douglas players were practically spiking with laser-point accuracy. There was little the Blues could do as the Royals rolled over them in the second set, 25-18. After that, you’d think there’d be a little mercy, but no one seemed to know the definition of that word. The third set was a slaughter. The men made no mistakes as they tore apart the Blues on their court and sent a statement to whoever they may be playing in the playoffs. With the two wins, they move to 20-4 and secure a top two finish, which guarantees a semifinal berth.

Life & Style

OO The ECOnomist: Blow your load OO Indie Fashion Feature: Redbubble OO And now for something completely different… And more!

Screenshot from Starwars Episode 1

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

The aliens were racist the whole time  How privilege can keep us from seeing the obvious, and what we can do about it Rebecca Peterson Staff Writer

e were subjecting ourselves to the Star Wars prequels because The Force Awakens was about to come out, when I heard my friend groan next to me. The weird blue Trade Federation aliens had just showed up, and for a moment I thought just the overall fact that we were watching The Phantom Menace had finally sunk in, until she murmured, “The racist Asian aliens.” I blinked. The what now? And then the first alien opened his mouth, and the most offensive Japanese accent I’d ever heard in my life came pouring out. This was pretty cringe-

worthy to begin with, but what creeped me out was that I’d seen this movie a hundred times growing up and not once did I pick up on the racist aliens. I like to think I make a solid effort of straddling the line between “hairtrigger offence alert” and “morally bankrupt,” but man, this one came out of nowhere, and I felt like I’d somehow been willfully blind for years. It’s not the end of the world, of course. A widely-panned movie from 1999 and a bunch of white voice actors committing verbal yellow-face is pretty awful, but ultimately 17 years is a little late to be protesting. It was almost physically painful to sit through, though—and the whole time all I could think of was all the other things I might be missing

because I’m white. I remember working on set last summer and talking to one of my coworkers, a man, about sexism in the film industry, and to his credit he was incredibly receptive. He nodded, he listened, and he smiled and said, “That doesn’t happen on this set, though.” On that set, I’d been harassed for my phone number by older men, had my name replaced with “sweetheart,” and was told by a woman calling for help lifting something that she’d wanted “someone with testosterone” to help her. Never mind the fact that I’d spent my last job hauling furniture, and never mind that I could lift her equipment without help. When that unflattering spotlight is on you, it’s almost

impossible not to see it, but it can be blinding for others. And honestly, it’s good to be reminded of that sometimes, even if it is unsettling. Our best weapon against our own personal blind spots are our ears. Even if we can’t see something, even if we don’t agree, listening to those who do see something wrong never hurts. I’ve been very lucky in my friends, and lucky that a lot of people I’ve met over the years have been so willing to listen to me when I fall into rants about women’s issues, LGBTQ+ issues, and issues regarding mental health. In turn, I’ve got a responsibility to listen to others as well. It’s an essential part of basic courtesy, and it’s doubly important if someone has a perspective on things you might

not be able to share. You never know what you might be missing. Sometimes it’s obvious—sometimes the aliens are really, really racist. But sometimes it’s subtler and takes time to process, and it’s important to listen then, too. So I’d like to thank my friend for ruining my childhood and pointing out the horrifically racist aliens. Lord knows I needed another reason to groan my way through the prequels like a kick in the head, but it was a good reminder, and one that I’m grateful for. Just like I’m grateful for young Ewan MacGregor—the entirety of why I watched the prequels so many times growing up. What can I say? The guy is hot.

taking. Walk in on any old day, and you’ll most likely pay $20 for a meal—luckily, costs go down with some planning. Mondays and Tuesdays feature 25 per cent discounts on the Kung Pow

Chicken and Shanghai Beef Noodles respectively, and your Douglas Student ID or Douglas Staff Card get you 10 per cent off every day of the week!

Going against the grain Jamal Al-Bayaa Staff Writer

f you’ve ever taken a second to stop by Wild Rice, located in the River Market in New West, you may have seen a group of young chefs clearly invested in their craft chopping vegetables, prepping dumplings, or gutting and butchering chickens. Chef Andrew Wong, founder and owner of Wild Rice, says the reactions are mixed on that last part. “It’s not for everybody,” he said, “but generally, people are fascinated by it. “It’s important that people know where their food comes from,” he continued. “Up until recently, you couldn’t go out and get whatever part of the chicken you wanted. You got the whole animal,

you would use it all because that’s what was economical, and you knew how to gut it.” The less used parts of the animal, thigh meat for example, get tossed into the wontons and spring rolls. It would be a shame not using that meat to its fullest potential, because the only things it lacks is that purely aesthetic visual appeal. The chicken breast, on the other hand, gets used in the famous Kung Pow Chicken— which has some serious potential to be a new student favorite, considering complaints on Yelp include, “it was too big! I had to take three quarters of it home.” That “use it all” mentality has been a part of Wong’s food philosophy ever since he first learned how to cook a dumpling and plant a potato. “We’re striving for a no-waste environment here.

We use it, use it, use it, until there’s nothing left, and then we compost it. There’s no Styrofoam anywhere in the process.” Wong deals with small, local family farms, which is part of the goal of Wild Rice: getting everyone to recognize that their food comes from somewhere. It has a story and it has a history. You should ask, “Where did it come from? How was it grown? How far did it travel to get to your plate?” The dishes that come off the menu are creative, East-meetsWest style dishes, and to top it all off, the number of vegan and gluten-free options is impressive. The one thing that might hit a little hard is the cost. Students tend to act (and look!) a little more like Scrooge with every midterm they find themselves

Image via 30dayadventures.ca

 A review of Wild Rice

The ECOnomist: Blow your load

Image via techinsider.io

theotherpress.ca

life & style // no. 16

 How masturbating can help save the whales Brittney MacDonald Life and Style Editor

Listed: Phrases that should never come out of your mouth, ever!  Zipping the lip to avoid social disaster Brittney MacDonald Life and Style Editor

n this big bad world filled with overly sensitive crusaders, it’s important to know when you can ask that innocent question—and when to just keep your mouth shut! Pretty much anything you say can and will be used against you, so you might as well make it a little more difficult for people to misinterpret you by refusing to utter statements that are commonly associated with passive aggressive insults. So, here’s a list of 10 phrases it’s best to avoid. 1.

Wow, are you pregnant? Are you trying to call your friend fat? 2. That’s definitely… exotic. Too often people use the term “exotic” in place of “terrible.” 3. I’m not a racist, but… Nope, you’re a racist. 4. I thought you knew!

This is what people say after they’ve told you something they know they shouldn’t have. Have a nice day! Have you ever worked customer service? This is what people who have worked in retail or as front of house staff at a restaurant say when they just want you to leave. It’ll be good for you. If you are anywhere over the age of 13, having someone who is not your parent suggest they know what is best for you just sounds condescending. You should be more like me! No—at least not until that whole taboo on human cloning thing washes over. You look tired. Kind of like asking them if they’re pregnant, but instead of calling them fat, you’re just saying they look like

they’re diseased. 9. Are you sure you should be eating that? Unless I am a diabetic on the verge of a glucose induced coma with a piece of cake poised at my lips— never, ever should this ever come out of your mouth. No excuses! 10. You’re being a little passive aggressive right now. Pointing out that someone is being passive aggressive is passive aggressive. It’s a subtle way of accusing them of attempting to trick you into agreeing with them. The best course of action when dealing with someone being passive aggressive is to completely ignore their attempts and do whatever the hell you want anyway—just pretend you’re oblivious to whatever signals they’re giving off.

Image via thinkstock

he Internet is a wondrous invention capable of putting just about any form of entertainment at our fingertips. Of course, this includes porn. Now I know you probably giggled there for a second, but let’s be honest, even if you’re not super into movies of the more “adult” persuasion, you’re probably at least aware that there’s porn all over the Internet. Internet pornography made the paper trade of dirty magazines all but extinct. The only survivors were those that adapted to have an online presence as well, such as Playboy. Nowadays, anything from amateur to high production value pornography is available online for free, so if I were attempting to convince you of a low-cost, environmentallyfriendly porn option I would probably have very little luck. Thankfully, that is not what I am trying to do. I, my little muffins, am simply here to better guide you on your journey to self-fulfillment—and

maybe convince you to save a couple whales in the process. Recently, Pornhub announced their newest Pornhub Cares campaign, which seeks to benefit everyone’s favourite giant, aquatic mammals. The site has promised to donate 1 cent for every 2,000 videos viewed to the Moclips Cetological Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and conservation of whales. No, that’s not every 2,000 videos viewed per person or account, that’s over the entire site—pretty substantial when you consider that Pornhub gets about 6.6-billion views per month on average (according to their 2014 insight report). The best part? Pornhub is completely free to access. Think of it like YouTube, except with more sex and fewer beauty gurus. So you might be wondering what the catch is. There is a small one—Pornhub’s pledge to donate is for a limited time only. Since February 13 is World Whale Day, the campaign will run until the end of the month. So far, the site has accumulated over 3.4-billion views, which roughly translates into $17,000.

#DOUGLIFE

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

This week’s tweet is by DSU eSports

life & style // no. 17

issue 21 // volume 42

Indie fashion feature: Redbubble  Giving back to the little guy.

ave you ever bought something you absolutely adored, only to find that it went on sale so now everyone and their mom has the exact same garment you do? Though popular fashion is fun, it stops being so when you find you look like everyone else. Fashion is meant to be a very personal thing; it’s supposed to reflect your own sense of the world. That can be a tall order to place on the shoulders of something that is dictated so much by outside forces—availability, popular trends, price-point, etc. This is why independent fashion is so important. Often independent fashion isn’t under the same restrictions as brand-name fashion. The clothes themselves simply reflect the designer’s aesthetics, not necessarily what’s trending. But what do you get when you take the entire concept

of independent fashion, and make it even more under the thumb of the artists and creators of the world? Simple. You get Redbubble. Redbubble isn’t the brainchild of any one designer; instead, it’s an online marketplace that offers a variety of products that are print-ondemand. This means that artists will upload digital versions of their work, and the manufacturer will produce products with that image on it—anything from sweatshirts to fleece blankets. These various products can all be ordered from the website redbubble.com, and a portion of the profits will go to the artist whose image you chose. This allows for a huge variety of things to shop through. You can go by a particular artist you like, a fandom, a character, an art genre, a celebrity—the options are endless. And because it’s print-on-demand, it means that they will never be out of your size. I have purchased and seen

a lot of things from this website, and I can safely tell you that the quality never ceases to amaze me. Their t-shirts are amazingly soft, their tote-bags are both enormous and strong, and their mugs are totally dishwasher safe. I love this site, and have long since bookmarked it for when I need a quick gift idea for a friend. The only thing that kind of sucks is that because of the nature of how the products are made (basically it’s made to order), the shipping time does take a little longer. However, because of the quality standards I’m more than happy to wait— but you might want to keep this in mind if you’re ordering something for someone else. Pricewise everything varies depending on the artist, so you could be looking at a $20–50 shirt. The trick is to not allow yourself to get suckered into buying something at an inflated cost.

Image via redbubble.net

Brittney MacDonald Life and Style Editor

And now for something completely different… wards season is one of my favourite times of year. Not because I care about the awards themselves, but because I want to see the celebrities in their red carpet fashion, especially those who screwed up big time and came off looking like a train wreck. Unfortunately, the Grammy Awards, which aired on February 15, left me very little to complain about. As popular music expands its horizons, the aesthetic scene that surrounds the music industry grows exponentially. Gone are the days of the photogenic pop sensations, perfectly coifed and ready to thank God as they clutch their tiny gold trophy in perfectly manicured hands. Don’t get me wrong, they’re still around—it’s just now they have some company. Women and men of all different body shapes and style-inspirations have joined in on the fun, adding to this massive melting pot of fashion expression. All in all, it creates this really amazing, creative dynamic—showing people world-wide that you don’t have to be “perfect” to look it. Starting off, I want to point out Elle King, who was one of my favourite standouts of the

in the early ‘80s, which was probably its intent. After all, the man was an icon—Gaga can’t be the only one paying homage. Next up, we’re going to look at a very unlikely source for fashion advice—Swedish heavy metal band Ghost. The band won Best Metal Performance for their song “Cirice,” and they showed up to the event looking slick as heck. Now I’m a big fan of heavy metal, but I’ll be the first to admit that the artists that come out of this genre don’t often have the biggest appreciation for good tailoring. Proving that good style isn’t limited to Pharrell Williams, lead singer Papa Emeritus III and four of his masked bandmates appeared in matching black military jackets that were perfectly tailored for each one of them. I’m serious, not a puckered seam in sight! Emeritus was a little more flamboyant, sporting his jacket open in the front and made out of a black satin, as opposed to his bandmates, who appeared to be wearing a more traditional fabric as well as perfectly coordinated gunmetal masks. The overall look was cohesive and actually pretty elegant. Nothing looks better on a man than a perfectly cut jacket—even if the rest of his appearance is slightly terrifying.

Elle King via indianexpress.com

night. As a curvy woman, she dressed for her shape by choosing a silhouette that accentuated her hour-glass figure and cinched her in at the waist without making her look like a sausage. What I like most about her dress was the fact it was very close to being over the top. We’re talking feathers, beads, lace… it’s enough to make your head spin. The reason why it didn’t is because she maintained a cohesive colour story. Yes, there is a lot going on, but because the entire dress is black with only little hints of silver, the look doesn’t overwhelm her. She’s also a fairly tall woman, so she can carry a bigger look without being enveloped by it. Next, we’re going to go to the complete opposite of the spectrum and take a look at Zendaya. Unlike King, Zendaya is extremely petite, and I find that she often wears gowns or separates with prints or textures that overwhelm her tiny frame. This showing, however, I was quite impressed by. She replaced her usual too-frilly look with a slick, androgynous suit that made her look extremely tall. The simplicity of the suit was off set with a high-fashion mullet, which many have criticized her for. I, on the other hand, thought the entire look was fantastic. It reminded me of an updated version of David Bowie’s look

Zendaya via vogue.com

Brittney MacDonald Life and Style Editor

Ghost via Hollywoodreporter.com

 A look at unconventional fashion statements at the Grammy Awards.

Opinions

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

OO Dean’s the worst! OO In rage or outrage OO Don’t take your kids to see ‘Deadpool’ And more!

Another pandering awards show compares subjective works of film  Why the Academy Awards are awful and meaningless

ttracting millions of viewers, the Academy Awards consistently rank as one of the most anticipated and watched live-TV events every year. Everyone tunes in to find out if that powerful drama wins Best Picture, if the deceased actor gets the award for his unexpected last film, or if Leonardo DiCaprio’s acting skills are finally recognized. Emotional speeches are made, A-list movie stars wear fancy dresses, and we are united by our love of the movies. The Oscars have never been without controversy. Snubs for both nominations and winners continue to anger fans and creators year after year. Films with particularly dramatic elements released near the end of the year are criticized as “Oscar bait.” In recent years,

the nominations have been particularly under fire for their lack of people of colour. All of these complaints (particularly the last, highlighting the diversity problem in media) are perfectly good reasons to disapprove of and/or not watch the annual awards. But it’s not just that the Academy is biased, the Oscars are boring and pointless. Like with most media art forms, it’s very difficult to determine the “best” of a certain collection. One movie wins Best Picture every year, and fans of the other nominated films will be disappointed—along with fans of all the other movies that didn’t make the cut for some reason. Studio marketing loves to advertise an actor or film as “Academy Award Winning...” but the winners are forgotten almost as quickly as the losers. In order to be considered for a nomination, a movie must follow strict guidelines, ruling

many great works out from the beginning. Bias is a huge issue in the selection process, so it’s very rare for genre films to be nominated. Additionally, Academy membership (those responsible for actually picking the nominees) has been criticized for its lack of diversity amongst members. However, full lists of members remain a closely guarded secret. On Oscar night, we’ll look at people richer and more famous than us smile or cry over trophies some people thought they deserved (or didn’t). We’ll agree with some decisions, argue that we know better, and probably sit bored for all the category nominations involving films we’ve never heard of. In the end, it doesn’t really matter what film is considered the “best” of the year or which performance wowed the judges the most. Taste—and what film leaves a legacy—is up to the individual viewer.

Ghost via ibtimes.com

Cazzy Lewchuk Staff Writer

Employment options  Dying industries and the future

You’ve got a job, or will have one in the future. You’ll like it, or you may not. What you need to understand about being an employee or even an employer is that businesses at the moment can be synthesized into three types: buying low, selling high; building a product and selling it; and selling a service. But what we must remember is the human aspects. If you are an employer, your capital is made of either cash or credit. If you are an employee, your wages will be provided from the company’s capital. So far, technological advancements are making the need for building products at a mass level an unnecessary skill. In these times, it is more vital to learn how to maintain the equipment that builds cars and computers. Unless you have inside connections and crafts skills that take advantage of an opening

Image via thinkstock

Ayanda Gatsha Columnist

in a market, the manufacturing trade may not be the spot to optimize profits, whether you are a business owner or worker. Communities are bound to build machines that manage, maintain, fix, and operate other

machines; this brings to light the value of people skills. Civilians will be hired to teach, tutor, or serve as waiters, simply because some would rather have the warmth of human connection rather than an efficient but

mechanical interface. People are naturally inclined toward being social. Theoretical studies have made great strides in understanding ourselves and reducing stress levels. In this vein, Simon Fraser University

psychologists performed experiments on rats, whose brains are similar to humans. The experiment compared isolated rats to rats surrounded by other ones. The results showed lonelier rats as being more susceptible to drinking morphine-laced solution, turning to drugged water to fill the social void. This may explain the correlation between substance abuse and isolation, but it also verifies that, while technology makes people need to work less, people skills are still important. The best thing about improving interpersonal interactions is the effortless practice available to you through present friends and families. Additionally, strangers are your biggest asset and they’re available everywhere. The future will not be without technology, so employees will need more genuine customer service than has ever been available.

opinions // no. 19

issue 21 // volume 42

Dean’s the worst!

 Ranking Rory’s boyfriends in anticipation of the ‘Gilmore Girls’ revival Sharon Miki Contributor

ant to raise the blood pressure of any Gilmore Girls fan in zero-to-five seconds? Tell them how much you hate one of Rory’s boyfriends. Nothing causes more derision amongst fans of the comingof-age hit about a former teen mom raising a teen daughter than discussions of the “correctness” of certain relationships, and—with the show confirmed as returning with a limited run on Netflix after a 10-year hiatus—now there is finally an opportunity to definitively prove who our girl would be happiest with. Casting news showing the return of main Roryboyfriend actors Matt Czuchry (Logan), Jared Padalecki (Dean), and Milo Ventimiglia (Jess) has reignited a favourite debate: who was Rory’s best boyfriend? Let us briefly explore, from worst to best, the past loves of Rory Gilmore.

5. Dean—a.k.a. “The Absolute Worst” There is a common misconception that Rory’s first boyfriend, small-townhot-guy Dean, was the love of Rory’s life. If you look closely, however, Dean was indeed tall and hunky…but also slightly doltish with a penchant for nostril-flaring, verging-on-stalkerish jealous rages. For

was always just a pretty good choice for Rory. He had the cash to elevate Rory socially, and, to be fair, was pretty quick with the quips; but, in the end, he never really reached Rory’s level. Perhaps it was being raised as a golden boy, or the fact that he brainwashed himself on some peyote-led trip in the Life and Death Brigade (one can assume).

a sensitive, intelligent, striving-to-beworldly girl like Rory, Dean was always just going to hold her back and stare blankly at her while things went over his head. Oh, yeah—he also cheated on his wife (who, honestly, he was borderline abusive towards during his whole guilty-aboutcheating phase) with Rory. The worst.

friend’s house with his friends for like no reason) and he suffered a hurried exit when Chad Michael Murray was cast on One Tree Hill. Tristan had the bad boy sparks that Rory needed to counterbalance her own timid nature, but lacked the depth to be her number one.

4. Marty—pouty much the worst The quintessential angry “nice guy,” Marty was Rory’s oft-flirty friend-zoned male companion during her first few years at Yale. She was never in a place to be with this dude, but he continued to follow her around and then stomped off in a huff when she didn’t want to be his girlfriend. He further proved his terribleness by being sketchy and lying about knowing her when they met again a few years later. He also destroyed Rory’s friendship with Lucy. Rory doesn’t make friends easily (could be the over-attachment to her mommy), so this is unforgiveable. 3. Tristan—bad at being a bad boy, but okay Tristan was Rory’s will-they-or-won’tthey Logan-lite rich, blond classmate at Chilton. They kissed once at a party and he wouldn’t let her forget it. Tristan was exciting and challenged young Rory (and he bought her tickets to PJ Harvey, bless his heart), but his attempts at bad boy antics were lame (he got sent to military school for breaking into his

2. Logan—some chemistry, but not Jess Even if we forget the ill-fated final season of Gilmore Girls—which had a different team of showrunners and writers and thus totally destroyed a number of characters, including Logan—Logan

1. Jess—the best Jess had a hard time in his teens, but even when he was dealing with his own issues, he always brought Rory out of her bubble in the best way. In a world where everyone put little Rory on a pedestal, constantly telling her how pretty and smart an special she was, Jess instead asked her what she thought and showed her something new (though he clearly thought she was pretty and smart, natch). Jess and Rory had palatable, undeniable chemistry, but they also had a deep natural rapport—a connection that she only had with her mother, otherwise— that would take them into their elder years, smiling wryly. While Jess left the show in similar Tristan fashion (he was cast in a never-aired Jess spinoff), I can only hope that the new seasons of Gilmore Girls will bring Rory to her rightful lifelong partner—and he’s Jess.

In rage or outrage  How celebrities continue to bait the public on social media Elliot Chan Opinions Editor

hen you are a celebrity trying to promote yourself, no news is not good news. It’s better to receive hate from some than go completely unnoticed. That has been the philosophy of many celebrities who have taken to Twitter to make a big splash before sinking back into the depths of their wealth and sorrow. But the barrage of outrage has become too much for British comedian Stephen Fry, who ragequit Twitter after the criticism he received for a joke he made at the BAFTA Awards show. Or

was it just another publicity ploy? While hosting, Fry zinged costume design winner Jenny Beavan for dressing like “a bag lady.” The Internet rose to Beavan’s defence, calling out Fry’s “offensive” comment on Twitter. Comedians defending their jokes on Twitter is not anything new, what’s surprising is that they continue to respond to those faceless voices even though they know they cannot fight the trolls. I don’t believe Fry was harmed by the comments, I believe Fry was doing what celebrities do best, which is making the PR move that will garner them the most press. Quitting Twitter was the apt solution. It silenced the critics

and made his fans appreciate him more. It also got him trending, which is rare for the BAFTA host. Ricky Gervais, another fellow British comedian, is also no stranger to online outrage. As the host of the Golden Globes this year, Gervais made it his sole purpose to poke Hollywood celebrities and the Internet bear that defends them. Why? He openly admitted it. The more people bitching and moaning about how offensive he was on the show, the more publicity he gets. The more you get people talking about you, the higher you rise up on the Internet’s relevancy meter. Celebrities have a powerful

voice. When they speak, people listen, even when what they are saying is complete garbage. How has Donald Trump gone as far as he has on the presidential campaign? Shock factor. You cannot ignore it or pretend it wasn’t said because everyone will be talking about it days later. Simple yet ridiculous ideas that go against the grain are bound to evoke more attention than playing by the rules, nodding to what everyone else is saying, and conforming with the crowd. Lastly, there is Kanye West. Does he have a new album coming out? Of course he does. But he didn’t market his new work as the latest Kanye West album, he marketed himself as

a brand—a brand that’s so good it doesn’t give a fuck what you think. He sided with Bill Cosby, called out Taylor Swift, asked Mark Zuckerberg for money, and compared himself to Michael Jordan and Stephen Curry. Think about all the demographics he hit with those comments. Think of all the people he offended and honoured. He’s tapped into the Internet’s pathos and has manipulated it to do his album’s marketing for him. So the next time you hear about celebrities saying something outrageous on a public platform, ask yourself: Do they want me to retaliate, or repeat what they said like some sort of megaphone?

theotherpress.ca

opinions // no. 20

Don’t take your kids to see ‘Deadpool’

 The movie is rated R for a reason, folks Rebecca Peterson Staff Writer ere’s a fun new drinking game for you all. Go to your local theatre, make yourself comfortable, and take a shot for every parent-and-child pair you just know is about to buy a ticket for Deadpool. Two shots if the poor kid selling the ticket tries to warn them and the parents wave him off. Finish your drink if you see them storming out of the theatre half an hour later like they had no idea what they were walking into, like there was no way they could have known. There is, though. There totally is a way to know what you’re about to watch. Movies, very luckily, are rated on a system based on appropriate subject matter for age groups. A hint: “R” stands for “Restricted.” Parents, don’t take your kids to see Deadpool. I know, it’s a free country and you know what’s best for your child—but clearly you don’t if you’re taking them to Deadpool. Just because it’s a Marvel superhero movie doesn’t mean it’s Disney material. I do not care how big your 10-year-old’s eyes are or how much they beg and insist that the other kids in their class have seen it. The parents of those other kids are either desperately vying for the “Cool Parent Award” no matter the cost, or are now scarred

Illustration by Ed Appleby

for their lives because they just took their child to see Deadpool. Don’t make that mistake. Be mean. Say no. Most likely, your kid already knows how to torrent movies and can find a bad rip online, and you never have to know about it. Ignorance, in this case, is not only bliss; it will also save your sanity. I’m thinking of the children, obviously, but I’m also thinking

about me: the adult who just walked into an R-rated movie, ready to watch the naughty antihero of my dreams get pegged by his girlfriend during a goofy sex montage, only to see that there is a goddamn baby in the theatre. Really? Really, Suburban Parent #3? Now I have to sit there, in my seat, knowing that some of the first images that child is going to have on this good green Earth will

involve torture, dismemberment, and someone fracturing their leg on a metal crotch. I’m scared of sentient children in the audience, because oh boy do they ever have questions. And we, the rest of us, the ones who have lived long enough to be exposed to the diverse and fascinating mating habits of our species either through hearsay or our own misadventures, have to

listen to your child ask why the joke “now it’s down to fists” or “sounds like your last Saturday night” is funny. We don’t want to hear that. No one wants to hear that, especially, not in your child’s helium-esque voice. And if none of this is convincing you, think of this: We all get to watch you drag your kid out of the theatre when you can’t take it anymore; the exodus of poor decision making after we’ve hit F-bomb 36 out of 84 (according to IMDB, the Naughty Word count racks up to “about 84 F-words and its derivatives, 3 obscene hand gestures, 21 sexual references, 34 scatological terms, 19 anatomical terms, 8 mild obscenities, namecalling, exclamations, 2 religious profanities, and 9 religious exclamations.”) You, as a parent, have been given a gift: the chance to shape the future of our world by nurturing the next generation. Deadpool is a great movie that is entirely not for that generation. Not yet, at any rate. In the meantime, Captain America: Civil War is only a few short months away (and that one is a Disney movie!). For the love of God, I won’t even see Deadpool with my parents. I don’t want to have to explain the fisting joke to them either.

Pink Shirt Day uses buzzwords, propaganda, and corporate sponsorship to create false positivity Cazzy Lewchuk Staff Writer

n February 24, many people across BC will participate in Pink Shirt Day, which was initially organized after a male student was bullied for wearing pink. Other students wore pink t-shirts the next day to stand up for him. Today, thousands of people across BC wear pink clothes, pink T-shirts covered in corporate logos, and/or buttons to show that they too are on board with the “anti-bullying” cause. There’s no doubt that taking a stand against bullying is an important issue that should be encouraged at all levels in society. The severe harassment faced by far too many people daily can have severe psychological and physical effects that can last the rest of a victim’s life. It is an issue discussed more today than ever, and schools are finally starting to incorporate “anti-bullying” measures into their curriculum and policies. At the surface, Pink Shirt Day is a

national occurrence reminding us to have the conversation. But like many awareness campaigns, it has become a cesspool of propaganda, buzzwords, and a false sense of security and accomplishment. People wear the pink shirts and feel good about taking a stand, but they aren’t. Pink Shirt Day allows participants an easy way to feel like they’ve contributed, which potentially eliminates a need to take a further stand. We wear the shirts, we say something about how bullying is bad, and we go back to the status quo. Meanwhile, bullying continues to be a very harmful and often hidden presence in many victims’ lives. When the heads of our government smile for the media wearing pink ties and buttons while cutting support for mental health, education, and social services, Pink Shirt Day is a problem. When a school’s GayStraight Alliance or counselling service is cancelled due to budget cuts, a lack of interest,

Image via spulukwuks.sd38.bc.ca

 Why this awareness campaign does more harm than good

or complaints from outside influences, it shows that actual anti-bullying measures matter.

When a student no longer feels safe at school, is afraid to express themselves, and/or

suffers physically and mentally for the things they endure in a learning environment, real discussions are crucial. “Spreading awareness” is not enough. Taking a stand against bullying is something that should go without saying, and it’s time to take real actions against it instead of patting ourselves on the back for wearing a T-shirt. It’s time to stop failing our students and the rest of society by having real discussions and actions. We don’t need pink shirts. We need adequate funding, discussion, and the support of mental health services, designated safe spaces, LGBTQ+ alliances, stigma reduction, and a curriculum that teaches tolerance and non-violent communication. But hey—I’m sure the many victims of bullying who committed suicide or were murdered because they didn’t get the help they needed would be just thrilled to know that we’re wearing pink shirts on February 24.

Humour

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

OO Students wear Douglas College apparel, spread awareness of school costs OO A heroic act of valour praised by millions OO Artist starves to death as art piece And more!

Carrier pigeons are ruining faceto-face conversation  Letter writing is emotionless swill Chandler Walter Humour Editor

he other day I was shocked and disgusted to find my son, Phillip Thatcher, reading a letter in his room and giggling like a young lady at a ball. Ever since the futuristic technology of carrier pigeons was introduced into our small village, it seems that all the children tend to do is write short, 1,000 word messages to each other. Their eyes are always downcast, reading the latest gossip or poem that has been sent to them, and they are missing out on all the exciting real-life things taking place in front of their faces, likes taxes, and the black plague. I have tried to ban my children from taking part in such mind-melting nonsense, but every morning they seem to have a new batch of post in their hands. I have heard from the teachers at the schoolhouse that it has escalated to students passing notes during class.

Image via Thinkstock

If this dilemma is not addressed quickly, it is terrifying to think what will become of humanity as a whole. These fast—almost instant—messages are reducing this new generation’s ability to stay on task, and work the

usual 12 hours a day on the farms. I am afraid to think that if the rapid increase of technology continues to advance at such a rate—Old Pete down by the river has created some sort of magical “water-wheel,”

which many in the village feel is strange and dangerous—then there is no knowing just how bad things will eventually get. Furthermore, if these messages are not heavily regulated by the lords and king, then

there is no knowing what may get into the hands of my dearest children. Mary was explaining to me at the market that she found some rather disturbing things written on some parchment under her daughter’s cot, and it is pornographic prose like that that will turn our children into demonic heathens. There is already a sense of disconnect between the adults and the younger folk, a divide created by the devil spawned technology at their fingertips. I admit, I once tried my hand at sending a letter of my own to a friend of mine (nothing indecent, I swear) but for the life of me I couldn’t figure out how to get the pigeon to work. It is as if the workings of the systems are formed in such a way to be impossible for an older generation to understand, and that makes me extremely angry and confused. Therefore, I will spend my days writing angry letters such as this one, and then, well, oh darn it.

Liberals legalization policies foggy at best  Progress caught in a haze Jake Wray Contributor fter months of delays hampering the new Liberal government’s plan to legalize marijuana, the Prime Minister is now saying they will “get around to it.” The Liberals were elected partially because of their promise to legalize marijuana, but the legalization process is dragging out, leaving many Canadians unsatisfied and impatient. Speaking from his office, wearing grey sweatpants and an Odd Future hoodie, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told the Other Press—between mouthfuls of pretzels—that marijuana legalization is of the highest priority. “It’s totally a huge deal to a lot of Canadians, and we get that for sure. We’ll get around to it soon, I promise, but for right now just chill out, man. Check it out, I just got my staff

Illustration by Ed Appleby

to put a record player in here! You like The Beatles?” said Trudeau, as he got up to put on Magical Mystery Tour. Bill Blair, Liberal MP and parliamentary secretary to the

Minister of Justice, has been tasked with overseeing the transition to legalization. He said the logistics of legalizing pot are complicated and intricate. “I dunno, man, this is

tricky stuff. There are all these international treaties and stuff— sometimes I just don’t know what to think. Can you imagine if we legalized pot, and then the Americans were mad at us? They have railguns, man! Giant railguns on their ships. Have you seen the YouTube video of the railgun? It’s awesome, I’ll show you,” said Blair. Minister of Public Safety Ralph Goodale spoke to the Other Press from his living room with the curtains drawn. He said he’s been too anxious to work on the marijuana file. “I would love to work on legalizing pot, but I keep feeling like people are judging me for it,” said Goodale. “The other day I was in Starbucks trying to type out a report on crime statistics, but I kept feeling like everyone in there knew exactly what I was up to.” Rona Ambrose, interim leader of the Conservative party, was disappointed by the

government’s lack of progress. “How long exactly is this process going to take? Justin and the Liberals have once again shown how unmotivated and foggy they can be. I know I have long held the position that marijuana is a maddening toxin pushed by Satan himself, but I also have a responsibility to complain incessantly about every move the government makes,” said Ambrose. Patrick Howe, professor of public policy at the University of Victoria’s faculty of law, said that legalization won’t happen overnight. “This is a complex legal challenge facing strong opposition. There will have to be compromises. This will take years,” said Howe. “I don’t know what people are expecting. Trudeau can’t just snap his fingers and legalize pot overnight.” At press time, Trudeau was just going to run out to 7-Eleven real quick.

theotherpress.ca

humour // no. 22

Photo collage; Katherine Moening via pintrist

sleeveless

hawt

Students wear Douglas College apparel, spread awareness of school costs Cazzy Lewchuk Staff Writer

he event was first organized when second-year college student David N.W. Lam discovered he had spent the last $50 of his $6,000 student loan on a stiff sweatshirt bearing the name of his post-secondary institution. After comparing their own tuition rates and recent bookstore purchases, several other students wore Douglas College apparel the next day in solitude. “There’s a lot of understanding that needs to occur about high tuition rates, and it’s why I’ve ponied up even more money to the college to wear this sweater,” explained Simon Fraser, a third-year arts major. “I’ve already given them more money than I declared in

income on my last tax return, so why not display to the world the crippling anxiety that results?” The ensuing campaign— known as Anti-Gouging Day— has quickly struck a chord with post-secondary students. Today, it is celebrated in almost every post-secondary institution across North America. These students have found an upsetting trend of school fees rising, and a lack of wage increases, better education, or employers who take an Arts Degree seriously. Participation requires only $50, a willingness to sell out to a gouging institution, and the portion of your soul that was actually excited about attending university. The campaign is an offset of the similar slacktivist poster campaign known as “Squash the Squeeze.” This brief event had a cool-sounding name and was prominently featured in the

pages of agendas handed out for free by the student union. It was ultimately crushed by the realization that students have virtually no power against the government sanctioned capitalism of post-secondary fees. “It’s true that our customers—I mean, our students—may feel dissatisfied with the current education system. But don’t worry—the government has acknowledged these concerns thoroughly by also mentioning schools cost a lot of money once a year,” said the current college president, while lighting a cigar with a $100 bill, “and we’ve made some tremendous improvements lately that ensure our students get the best bang for their buck. Just last week we added five plush chairs to the main concourse rest area. We’ve also used funds to set up a do-it-yourself

Photo illustration

 Anti-Gouging Day declared a rousing success

coffee station, to prepare the majority of our students for their future of working in the beverage service industry!” The effectiveness of Anti-Gouging Day has yet to be felt. Preliminary reports

suggest that, as with all awareness days, students, and the college alike will pretend to care about awareness of a serious issue before going back to not giving a shit for the other 364 days of the year.

humour // no. 23

A heroic act of valour praised by millions

 Girl quits social media, is regarded as martyr by friends Chandler Walter Humour Editor

Last week history was made as Rachel McCarthy, a second year Douglas student, decided that she had had been spending too much time looking at her phone. McCarthy made the bold step of permanently deleting all of her social media pages to free up her time to pursue other interests. Her friends mourned the loss of her statuses and pictures, but knew it was for the greater good. “It just happened so suddenly,” said friend of McCarthy and Twitter follower Regina Dowes. “One day she was there, tweeting about what she was thinking about making for lunch, and the next day she was just… gone. I couldn’t believe it.” Though sad at the loss of her follower and the occasional “like” that came with McCarthy being on Twitter, Dowes agrees that it was for the best. “I mean, we all always talk about what life would be like without social media, but you never think someone is going to actually do it, you know?” Dowes said she had plans to go for lunch with McCarthy later that week, but had no idea if it would really happen, as McCarthy had no way to RSVP to the Facebook event page. Shortly before McCarthy said farewell to all of her @

mentions and cat videos, she posted a long, thought-out goodbye to the world of social media on her Facebook page. “I’ve decided to delete my account. I think Facebook is sucking the life out of me and everyone around me. Twitter and Instagram are just shadows of television and books, and I like to read a lot. I am very literate and smart, and I don’t need social media any more. #BetterThanAllOfYou #PeaceOut.” The post instantly went viral, and many in the Internet community found that McCarthy’s wisdom shook them to the very core. While not many have found the same courage McCarthy displayed, some have even followed in her footsteps, casting away the hypothetical chains of electronic validations. Each of these brave souls also posted long drawn out statuses, and all who read them were humbled by their complexity and superiority. When asked what she saw to be the driving force behind the movement that she had started, McCarthy was startled. “Wait what? I honestly didn’t even know, as I’m not on social media any more. I wonder what else I am missing out on…” Shortly after the interview, and three long days after her last Facebook status, McCarthy re-activated her account, as she had merely disabled it.

Image via thinkstock

Photo illustration

issue 21 // volume 42

Artist starves to death as art piece  His genius praised post-mortem Chandler Walter Humour Editor

athan Daniels has become a household name overnight, as the artist has made big waves in the community with his most recent—and final—work of art. Daniels began working as an artist at a young age, drawing grand depictions of dinosaurs and clouds using nothing more than crayons at the age of 15. He then went on to study fine arts at Douglas College, graduating middle of his class, and holding a steadfast determination to make it as an artist. It was then that Daniels began his most exceptional piece of art work: a performance art piece depicting a starving, failed artist. Daniels went so far with his endeavor that he would spend nights outside in the cold, beg

for money on street corners, and attempt to sell small works of art for $5 apiece. No one knew that he was performing the role of a starving artist, and many tokens of these years have been preserved in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. A few of Daniels’ select friends were privy to the performance that was underway, such as Craig Jones, a fellow artist who graduated in the same class as Daniels. “I thought it was really brave what he was doing,” Jones said of his late friend. “It was amazing to see such dedication to his craft. Even when I finally had the nerve to ask him about his work, he was determined to see it out to the end. He would tell me ‘I swear to god, Craig, this isn’t an art piece. I’m starving and need your help,’ and I appreciated that, in a way, I became part of the performance.”

“We all could see where he was ultimately going with his work,” Jones explained, “and it hurt us to allow him to see it through, but we serious artists know you must never tread on the genius of fellow artists. Hell, we even played into the performance, denying him a place to stay or a meal when he—sorry, his character—became truly desperate.” Along with a few belongings and his old clothes, a journal has been preserved in the Metropolitan that Daniels wrote. It outlines the seriousness of his predicament, and how he was in no way starving as performance art. “You really need to appreciate the brilliance behind it all,” said performance art expert Bradley Ports. “His performance art became so true, so vibrant, that it convinced even the artist that it was reality.”

by David Manky, Senior Columnist