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In focus I
often like to believe that karma is actually a thing. What goes around comes around. He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword. Pick your cliché. Some of my favourite instances come by way of publicity and how stories are perceived. In this age of the Internet, news spreads almost instantaneously. Due to this, everyone who missed the first scoop essentially rehashes the initial release and blasts it across cyberspace with their own branding. As a result of the hurried nature of it all, key points can be lost in the jumble. Stories can be corrected, but sometimes whether it’s due to the parties involved or the news outlet responsible, they aren’t. To illustrate the point are two closely related stories; stay with me. Recently, the Catholic Church once again found itself under fire. The latest scandal to break from the Vatican? Stripping a priest of his duties following his announcement that he is gay and has a male partner. Krzysztof Charamsa, an official in the doctrine office of the Vatican, came out publicly to several papers, including the Italian publication Corriere della Sera: “I want the Church and my community to know who I am: a gay priest who is happy, and proud of his identity. I’m prepared to pay the consequences, but it’s time the Church opened its eyes, and realized that offering gay believers total abstinence from a life of love is inhuman.” To no one’s surprise,
sensational headlines such as “Vatican fires priest after he announces he’s gay,” and “Vatican priest comes out, says he has boyfriend, is promptly fired,” were quick to catch people’s attention. Strong criticism of the action was quick to follow. What the headlines don’t say, however, and what most stories—if they include the fact at all—hide in a line or two is that this was no knee-jerk reaction. This wasn’t the Vatican making a sudden ruling on a brand new situation. This was something Charamsa knew would happen. It was also something that had absolutely nothing to do with him being gay. Catholic priests are celibate. They are forbidden from having a romantic partner. This is information that every priest is well aware of, and it’s something most have known their whole life. Though the fact that Charamsa is gay undoubtedly raised the profile of the situation, he still would be out of a job even if he were straight. But don’t feel too badly for the Catholic Church and how that important nugget of info has so easily been overlooked. It is a two-way street after all. What perhaps mitigates Charamsa’s story ever so slightly, even to those who are unaware of a priest’s vows, is that Pope Francis’ popularity has been riding fairly high ever since he assumed the position, which leads us into story number two. He’s often seen as a progressive pope.
When it comes to talking about why exactly he’s so superior to his predecessor, Benedict, most say that it’s because Francis has a better stance in regard to homosexuality. His “progressive” moment came just over two years ago when he was quoted as saying: “When I meet a gay person, I have to distinguish between their being gay and being part of a lobby. If they accept the Lord and have goodwill, who am I to judge them? They shouldn’t be marginalized. The tendency [to homosexuality] is not the problem…they’re our brothers.” That was it. He didn’t say he supports gay marriage. He didn’t say homosexual intercourse is acceptable. If you really break it down, he merely acknowledged the fact that homosexuals are people. One could take his words, “If they accept the Lord and have goodwill,” as him referring specifically to those who are Christian and already understand that they’re to be celibate for life. But that’s even more semantics. The point of it all is that at no time has Pope Francis spoken up to clarify his statements. Yes, he routinely talks about how marriage should be a heterosexual union, but it’s never explicitly noted that a homosexual one is sinful and wrong according to the Catholic Church. It’s a convenient lie of omission that seems to have the Vatican out of the surge of unpopularity Benedict lead them on. It’s social suicide to be against
an issue so blatantly clear as the acceptance of homosexuality, and Francis and his PR team have managed to finagle themselves into a position of safety without having to actually say anything. In fact, according to a survey by the Public Religion Research Institute, 38 per cent of US Catholics believe the Francis supports gay and lesbian marriage. How better to hoodwink the world when your own flock is fooled? And all of this somehow comes back to my initial point. Neither of these stories have any information that is new or shocking. Catholicism has always said that priests must be celibate; Charamsa knew what the consequences of his actions would be. As for Francis, how is it groundbreaking that he said he’d treat a homosexual like a human being? For anyone, let alone a Christian, isn’t that simply a given? Stories can be made fantastic and eye-catching by leaving out a few key points or putting the focus on something else. In everything we do, we must be vigilant to step back and see the whole picture, lest we become just another of the angry mob yelling about an issue we know nothing about.
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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.
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News
Contact: Mercedes Deutscher, News Editor news@theotherpress.ca
This issue: Marcel Aubut finishes in Olympic-sized trouble Briny liquid water discovered flowing on Mars Toronto-based gold mining company leaks cyanide solution into Argentina river And more!
Debates cause heavy changes in polls, spell trouble for NDP
A recap of week nine of the 2015 Canadian Federal Election
convicted of terrorism. “Why would we not revoke the citizenship of people convicted of terrorist offences against this country?” Harper asked. Later in the evening, he referred to C-51 and said: “The threat we face today is not CSIS, it is ISIS.” In addition to controversial bills, the Munk debate touched upon the Syrian refugee crisis. “One area where Canada is completely failing … is in dealing
with the refugee crisis,” Mulcair stated. “My own family, the Irish side at least, came over during the potato famines of the 1840s and, you know what? In Quebec City, people went down to the docks and … took in the most miserable in the world. That’s Canada.” Trudeau took a similar stance. Harper countered the arguments of Mulcair and Trudeau by saying once again that Canada cannot allow refugees to flood into Canada and
claiming that many countries in Europe are regretting their decisions to take as many refugees as they did. Between the Munk debate on Monday and the second French language debate on Friday, policy announcements remained rather quiet from the leading three parties. The Conservative Party announced a goal of 700,000 new homeowners in Toronto in the next five years. The NDP pledged a $32 million budget to aid Nunavut residents with access to healthier foods, in addition to announcing a $100 million plan to convert smaller communities to cleaner energy sources. The Liberal Party vowed to invest up to $300 million to Winnipeg research facilities. As well, the Liberals further discussed support for health aids, including a discussion on how they would legalize marijuana. The second French language debates took place on October 2, and once again brought up the niqab issue. Both Trudeau and Mulcair grew tired of the issue and called it distracting, while Harper and Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe continued to discuss the issue as an attack on the rights of women. Mulcair used a pacifist approach as an attempt to win over Quebec for the NDP with tactics such as once again bringing the October Crisis into the debate.
Hodgson stated that the current federal government was voted in with only 39.6 per cent of the federal vote, though those votes managed to elect a majority government into power. Section Three of The Charter of Rights and Freedoms states: “Every citizen of Canada has the right to vote in an election of members of the House of Commons or of a legislative assembly and to be qualified for membership therein.” Hodgson explained that this is not merely the right to cast a ballot, but is, as the courts
have interpreted it, the right to effective representation. The issue is that with only one representative for any given riding, a person and their neighbour could have differing views, with only one of them ultimately being represented. Proportional representation systems aim to work around that. One way is by combining ridings together, and having an assortment of elected members of parliament (or team) for each. Another is by voting for a specific party, from which the number of MPs is proportional
to the percentage of votes cast in favour for that party. According to Fair Vote Canada, the NDP has backed the mixed-member proportional style of voting. This is a two-tier system in which you can vote first for the candidate of your choice, and then use a second vote towards another party. The Liberals have not stated which system of voting they would be favouring, though promise to evaluate the different systems and begin enacting electoral reform within 18 months of forming government.
Mercedes Deutscher News Editor news@theotherpress.ca
poor performance by NDP leader Thomas Mulcair in last week’s French debate was the start of what resulted in a week-long decline in the polls for the NDP, while the Conservative Party and Liberal Party both fought to claim the top spot. Week nine of the election was kicked off with a debate regarding foreign policy, hosted by Munk, on September 28. The debate, which included the three leading Prime Minister candidates, touched on many of the topics that have been hot throughout the entire elections. One of those issues was Bill C-51, the controversial bill turned to law that increased the security capabilities of CSIS. Mulcair compared Liberal Party’s Justin Trudeau’s support of C-51 to the October Crisis in 1970, where Justin’s father, Pierre Trudeau, evoked the War Measures Act to temporarily give police power to arrest without the possession of a warrant. “Throughout this campaign in direct references and indirect references, both of these gentlemen have at various points attacked my father. Let me say very clearly: I am incredibly proud to be Pierre
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Elliot Trudeau’s son and am incredibly lucky to have been raised with those values,” said Trudeau. Prime Minister Stephen Harper continued to uphold his position regarding how to handle terrorist in Canada, particularly in regard to C-51 and C-24. C-24 being the bill passed into law during the spring that allows for the government to revoke citizenship from those
How votes matter A question of representation Chandler Walter Humour Editor humour@theotherpress.ca
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his may be the federal election that Canadians of the future look back on as the last to use the “old” system of voting. Electoral reform has been a hot-button issue for two of the three leading political parties in Canada, with the Conservatives holding back on advocating for any sort of change in the way we decide who runs the country.
The party voted into power this October would be done so by the Single Plurality system, also known to many as firstpast-the-post. To change that system once in power would seem controversial to the elected party’s best interests, though Antony Hodgson, the President of Fair Voting BC, explained the demerits of Single Plurality Voting. “You can have the majority of the population opposed to the current government and they still have complete control over what happens,” said Hodgson.
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news // no. 4
Marcel Aubut finishes in Olympic-sized trouble Mercedes Deutscher News Editor news@theotherpress.ca
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arcel Aubut, president of the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), has resigned from his position following several allegations of sexual harassment made toward him. The Globe and Mail reported on September 30 that a female staff member had made a complaint of alleged sexual harassment by Aubut to the COC. Since the complaint has been made public, two other staff members have also come forward. One of the victims, Amelia Salehabadi-Fouques, is a member of Soccer Canada’s Board of Directors. SalehabadiFouques is also married and has three children. She told CTV that Aubut has harassed her on several occasions. One of these occasions was four years ago, when Aubut invited her to a dinner under the pretense that there would be a business meeting. However, the conversation turned to her
personal life, and took a sour turn after the dinner. “I was so shocked, because he kissed me,” SalehabadiFouques told CTV. “It was outside the restaurant, we were walking out and I was so surprised that I couldn’t react. I never in a hundred years thought a man would do that, so I was really under shock. He wanted me to go with him somewhere but I just took a cab and went home.” Over the next few years, Aubut allegedly continued to harass Salehabadi-Fouques, including proposing sexual relations to her while her and her teenage son were attending a soccer game, as well as inviting her to a gala and trying to coerce her into sharing a hotel with him. Aubut stepped aside immediately when the allegations were brought to light, and formally resigned on October 3. “Although I assume full responsibility for my effusive and demonstrative personality, I would like to reiterate that
I never intended to offend or upset anyone with my remarks or my behaviour,” he said in a statement made to Newswire. “I realize that my attitude could at times be perceived as questionable by some women and could have caused them to feel uncomfortable.” The COC has launched two third-party investigations. One, regarding the first complaint, will be conducted by François Rolland, former chief justice of the Quebec Superior Court. The second investigation will concern the two most recent allegations, along with any other allegations that may be made in the near future. It has not yet been determined who will head this investigation. “We would like to thank the complainant for their incredible courage in coming forward,” the COC said in a statement, as reported in the Globe and Mail. “The independent third party process investigating any other complaints will continue uninterrupted. We hope that anyone who has concerns will contact us.”
Marcel Aubut
Marcel Aubut, President, Canadian Olympic Committee (CNW Group/Canadian Olympic Committee)
President of COC resigns after harassment allegations
Unexpected events at Port Coquitlam debate
Local debate brings exciting ideas and feuds Jerrison Oracion Senior Columnist
his year’s federal election is a three-way race between the Conservative Party, the New Democratic Party, and the Liberal Party, and anyone could win on election day. Many questions that may help undecided voters are answered in debates, as was seen in the riding of Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam. Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam is one of the new names of Port Moody-Westwood-Port Coquitlam. That riding has been replaced with CoquitlamPort Coquitlam and CoquitlamPort Moody. It has been held by James Moore, the Minister of Commerce, in recent years. Earlier this year, James Moore announced that he will not be running in the election this year in order to take care of his family. This means that Port Coquitlam will be electing a new MP. This year’s candidates for Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam are Douglas Horne for the Conservative Party, Sara Norman for the NDP, Ron McKinnon for the Liberal Party, Brad Nickason for the Green
Image by Thinkstock
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Party and Lewis Clarke Dahlby for the Libertarian Party. The All Candidates Debate took place in the Terry Fox Theater on September 29 and was moderated by Kevin Lim, a co-host of the 102.7 The Peak morning show and a Port Coquitlam native. Candidates debated on various topics including the environment, parks and recreation, local government,
post-secondary institutions, and seniors. In the opening remarks, Horne acknowledged all the great things that James Moore did in the riding despite the criticism he received from the public. There were various mishaps throughout the debate. When Dahlby was about to run out of time talking about infrastructure, some audience members reacted
to his response. Additionally, a comment he made about the environment led to an argument between all of the candidates, which eventually involved the audience. Lim said, “I feel like I’m watching Jerry Springer.” Norman and Horne made several arguments throughout the debate. An example of this was when Horne said that the people that need affordable
housing need support, and Norman connected this comment with a reference to the treatment of veterans in the country. The debate ended with the Mayor of Port Coquitlam, Greg Moore, asking the candidates if they will accept a pledge to act on various election issues. All except for Dahlby accepted the pledge.
news // no. 5
issue 05 // volume 42
Briny liquid water discovered flowing on Mars Cazzy Lewchuk Staff Writer
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n September 28, NASA made an announcement confirming speculation and igniting future questions of the scientific global community. A study published in the scientific journal Nature Geoscience detected Recurring Slope Lineae (RSL), which are dark stains that appear on slopes on the Martian landscape. These stains are most likely caused by hydrated salts, or salt water, that flow down the slopes during warm weather on the planet. The lead study author of the expedition, Lujendra Ojha, explained in a press statement published on space. com the possible scientific implications. “Liquid water is a key requirement for life on Earth. The presence of liquid water on Mars’ present-day surface therefore points to environments that are more habitable than previously thought.” Indeed, the presence of water in a liquid and flowing format has implications for the livability of Mars’ environment in the past and future. It points to a landscape more capable of supporting life than previously thought, in the
form of naturally occurring organisms on the planet, or future human colonization. However, the discovery should not be taken as a definitive sign of extraterrestrial life. The water detected is extremely diluted with perchlorate brines, mineral salts not easily accessible for living conditions for most known life forms. The evidence also suggests that the water only appears in the summer months of Mars. The exact chemical composition or origin of the flowing water remains unknown, leading only to speculation and debate about its possible biological utilization. The RSL was first discovered in 2010 by Ojha using HiRISE, a camera on board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter first launched in 2005. Confirmation of the water origins of the streaks was finally detected through study of the perchlorate salts, which detected imbedded water molecules. The water’s origins may be from an aquifer or melting ice, or perhaps created in the Martian atmosphere. Existence of water, including flowing water, on Mars has been previously known to exist from billions of years ago, when Mars had a
Illustration by Ed Appleby
Space discovery may lead to future advances
warmer climate. But until now, present-day water flowage was not known to exist. This new discovery raises questions for livability and contamination of microbes—not only native to Mars, but invasively spread from Earth origins via humans or
machines. Exploration of the red planet and study of this water will continue. Scientific milestones and discoveries in the future may include confirmation of habitability by organisms, the first human to walk on
Mars, or even detection of extraterrestrial life forms native to the landscape. Whatever may be found, this latest detection only leads to more curiosity about the ultimate nature of the universe—its design, accessibility, and very nature.
Respect your elders; they now outnumber you Davie Wong Sports Reporter
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ll around the world, signs of humankind aging litter the land. From eroding monuments to healing battlegrounds, proof of humanity’s long past exists almost everywhere. But for Canadians, evidence of that aging lies no further than in our population. For the first time in Canadian history, the seniors in the country outnumber the youth. According to Statistics Canada, the number of people over the age of 65 is currently higher than the number of people under the age of 14. And that gap is only supposed to get wider. David Foot, a demographer, estimated in an interview with the Canadian Press that, by 2035, there will be approximately 50,000 more seniors than there are youth. The massive influx of seniors comes from an era nicknamed the “baby boom.” These “baby boomers,” as they have been nicknamed, consist
of people born in between 1946– 65. After World War II came to an end, many of the soldiers returning home wished to settle down and start a family. The “baby bonus” monthly payments from 1945 onwards provided further incentive for having children. Children were born by in massive numbers each day. Without knowing it, these “baby boomer” families had permanently impacted the future of the unborn, just by having children. At the moment, Canada is in the midst of struggling to come back from an economic recession. With an unemployment rate of seven per cent, job creation has been a hot topic of the upcoming election. There aren’t enough jobs in Canada right now, and this is doubly true for BC, which has approximately 148,500 people unemployed, according to Statistics Canada. Many of the unemployed blame the senior population for crowding an already over-populated jobs market.
These seniors make up to an approximated 37 per cent of the Canadian workforce. Data released by Statistics Canada in 2013 also proved that in many companies seniors held high positions that could have been given to younger employees. However, many seniors claim that they are doing the jobs that the younger demographic doesn’t want or are too inexperienced for. Sometimes, seniors are necessary members of professions, such as in skilled trades. Trades professions include electrical work, carpentry, plumbing, and welding. In these lines of work, new trainees are required to work with a master of the trade to assist them in learning it. Due to the lack of interest in the skilled trades as of late, many of these masters are seniors. Whether or not the aging population of Canada is a worrying trend has yet to be seen. All that is known is that the boom of seniors has begun, and there is nothing that can be done to stop it.
Image by Thinkstock
Number of aging baby boomers surpasses number of youth
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news // no. 6
Planned upgrade to Pattullo Bridge scrapped New Westminster mayor hopes for new bridge instead Mercedes Deutscher News Editor news@theotherpress.ca
lans for the Pattullo Bridge are being reconsidered after TransLink scraped their plans for a $100 million project that would upgrade the Pattullo Bridge to better handle seismic activity. The plan was scheduled to begin in April 2016. “There was a pretty significant rehabilitation that was scheduled for next year that was going to be 18 months long, involve complete closures, have one lane in each direction for great periods of time. That plan has been revisited,” Mayor Jonathan Cote said to the New Westminster Record. “I think that is a real positive for New Westminster.” The 78-year-old bridge is currently not equipped to withstand a moderate earthquake or a ship collision. River erosion may also pose problems to the structure of the bridge. Instead of the upgrade, TransLink has now opted to
Photo via focusnewwest.wordpress.com
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perform only the minimal amount of repairs by spending $25 million to maintain the bridge over five months, hoping to put the other $75 million of the original budget towards building a new bridge. The provincial government is in disagreement with
TransLink’s decision regarding scrapping the bridge repairs, with Premier Christy Clark telling CBC, “The long-term plan is to get it fixed. I know it’s complicated and it’s expensive, but it needs to be done.” Plans for a new bridge, which would have been
completed within the decade, were released during the transit plebiscite campaigns earlier this year. The replacement bridge would remain at a wider four lanes, with the possibility of being expanded to six lanes. It would also have better accessibility for pedestrians and
cyclists. However, the failure of the Mayors’ Council’s plan as a result of the “No” result of the plebiscite resulted in delays to the replacement bridge plan. Presumably, the plan for the new bridge will remain similar. There is no current timeline for when the bridge, which is expected to reach costs of $1 billion, will be completed. Onethird of the costs of replacing the bridge will be covered by the province. “TransLink indicated that within two years’ time that they will have a final decision and a final plan, but New Westminster is actually going to try and advocate for speeding that up. Given that we already have the funding sources identified, we already have an agreement in terms of the size of the bridge from the Mayors’ Council, we actually think that within one year, if we put our minds to it, TransLink, Surrey, New Westminster, and the provincial government should be able to resolve this one and get this project moving forward,” Cote further explained to the New Westminster Record.
Toronto-based gold mining company leaks cyanide solution into Argentina river Lauren Kelly Assistant Editor assistant@theotherpress.ca
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ver one million litres of cyanide solution leaked into the Potrerillos River in Argentina on September 13 from the Veladero mine. The mine is owned by Toronto-based company Barrick Gold, the largest gold mining company in the world. Located in the San Juan province, the mine is approximately 150 kilometres from the next community along the Potrerillos River. Originally reported by the company to be a much smaller spill, recent statements put the total amount at 1.072 million litres. However, the majority of cyanide solution is fresh water, with cyanide only making up a small amount. After a sliding gate and valve malfunctioned on September 12, the cyanide was able to move through the safety measure and enter the river. Luckily, the company had leak emergency protocol in place and alerted environmental authorities. Multiple water testing groups, including one
sent by the UN, declared the water in the river safe for consumption. Barrick Gold is the largest gold mining company in the world. It was founded in Toronto in 1983, and has a mine in Hemlo, Ontario. Cyanide has been used in the mining industry for over 120 years, as it helps to separate gold and silver from ore. In more recent years, the Industrial Cyanide Management Code has been enforced to ensure safety for those living near gold mines. This code came after the Baia Mare cyanide spill in 2000. Called the worst environmental disaster in Europe since Chernobyl, cyanide was spilled into the Someș River, near the city of Baia Mare. The river carried high levels of cyanide into Hungary and Yugoslavia, killing over 650 tons of marine life and heavily damaging the environment. However, this spill had nearly 100 times the amount of solution leak. As of September 28, a judge has ruled that the mine can resume operations after it completes upgrades to the facilities to enhance
Photo via momentumpr.com
Water ruled safe for consumption
safety and prevent future leaks. Additionally, a special committee will be checking water contamination levels along the river for 30 days. Although the mine has now begun operating again, local environmental groups are not
happy with the court’s response to the problem. “We need to see the results,” local Greenpeace activist Gonzalo Strano told CTV in regard to environmental tests. Greenpeace Argentina believes the province of San Juan is
conspiring with Barrick Gold to hide the severity of the leak. Additionally, Parlamento Por el Agua is unhappy with the fact that the government did not alert local communities for 48 hours following the spill.
This issue:
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Arts
Crowded Bookshelf: The colours of Mars
Contact: Cheryl Minns, Art Editor arts@theotherpress.ca
Horror-ific movies to watch this October Running the show And more!
How to survive on Mars
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made it really look like Mars. Filming took 70 days, three weeks of which were spent filming the NASA scenes. NASA needs to give filmmakers permission to portray them in a film. They require that the filmmakers are representing the truth. Regarding The Martian, 50 pages of the script is NASA material. They were also consulted to make sure things in the movie were scientifically accurate. Therefore, watching The Martian feels like it could be real, and scientifically, it is certainly plausible. I certainly learned a few things while watching this movie. I was a bit surprised that there wasn’t really a lot of exploration concerning Watney’s mental state over being alone for so long. He was very lucid throughout the movie, coming up with funny remarks during terrible situations.
Image via FOX
ASA has created quite the hype with an announcement concerning their finding of liquid water flowing on Mars. This announcement came only four days before the release of The Martian in theatres. Mars is on everybody’s minds. Is this some sort of cosmic coincidence? The Martian is based on a novel of the same name by Andy Weir. During a terrible storm, the crew on Mars needs to abort. Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is hit by some flying debris and disappears. He is presumed dead and the crew leave. Amazingly, Watney actually survives, but now he is stranded on Mars. Even if he somehow manages to contact
NASA and let them know that he is alive, the mission was only supposed to last 31 sols (Martian days), so provisions are limited. Unfortunately, it will take several Earth years for any kind of rescue to reach him. To last that long, Watney has to work some science magic to survive. The movie was great. The acting was phenomenal. Whenever something went right for Watney, I felt like cheering with him. Whenever a disaster happened, I too wanted to cry out in frustration. Moments were intense. Somehow, Watney maintained his sense of humour throughout all of the terrible situations. It probably kept me from weeping at certain moments. The film was shot in Wadi Rum, Jordan, which has a redcoloured desert. The combination of location and some CGI effects
New show centred on family falls short
Maybe talking to the cameras all the time helped him stay sane, or maybe he was just extremely strong-willed (which you’d have to be to survive there anyways). I just expected at least one breakdown. I know if I were in that situation, there would probably be a few. I would definitely recommend seeing this movie. It is amazing. Now, excuse me while I go find a copy of the novel to read.
‘Grandfathered’ not so great ‘Grandfathered’ TV pilot review Lauren Paulsen Senior Columnist
‘The Grinder’ TV pilot review Lauren Paulsen Senior Columnist
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he Grinder is about Dean Sanderson (Rob Lowe), who has just finished his career as a lawyer on a television show called The Grinder. He feels lost now that the show is over, and envies the life that his brother, Stewart (Fred Savage), has as an actual lawyer with a family. After sitting through one of Stewart’s cases, Dean decides that he wants to be an actual lawyer,
but seems to think that all of his time acting as a lawyer gives him the qualification to jump right in. This show wasn’t as bad as John Stamos’ Grandfathered— another new family-centred show—but I still found it really lacking. It seemed to me that pretty much the only person on this show with common sense was Stewart. Everyone else was so into “The Grinder,” a.k.a. Dean, taking on a real case that they seemed to forget that he wasn’t a real lawyer. I also found the acting to be over-exaggerated and not really believable. It tried to be heartwarming at times but fell
Did you know? A “sol,” a Martian day, lasts the Earth equivalent of 24 hours, 39 minutes, and 35 seconds. Mars also has a considerably longer year at 687 days. The red planet is also a lot colder than Earth, being a freezing -50°C (Earth’s average is 15°C), and the gravity on Mars is 62 per cent lower than here on Earth.
Image via FOX
Lauren Paulsen Senior Columnist
Image via Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
‘The Martian’ movie review
short because it didn’t really give me any reason to invest my feelings into the characters. It didn’t make me care enough about them. Dean is arrogant and too full of himself to realise that acting as a lawyer doesn’t mean it qualifies him to be a lawyer (that’s why there’s law school). Stewart has more common sense, but he whines all the time. Their father always sides with Dean, no matter what stupid idea he comes up with. Really, the negative aspects of their characters overshadow anything good.
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ohn Stamos plays Jimmy, a 50-year-old bachelor who has pretty much everything he wants, except for a family—or is that just some line he throws out to pick up chicks? One day a stranger (Josh Peck) walks into his restaurant and declares that he is Jimmy’s son. Not only that, but that Jimmy even has a granddaughter. This bachelor’s world has just turned upside down. The pilot’s plotline, in which Jimmy is implied to be a terrible guardian for his granddaughter
because she had a fever while he was babysitting, seemed forced and unearned. He did stick her in his restaurant’s kitchen so he could schmooze with someone important, but how is the fever his fault? He didn’t do anything that could cause her harm. He even ran from the restaurant to the hospital on foot to get her checked out, something he had just made fun of in a movie he watched with his son and son’s mother. The trailer for Grandfathered promised a heart-warming and comedic show. It lied. I didn’t get any of that. The acting was really terrible, things seemed forced, and the comedy fell flat. Really, I don’t think Grandfathered is worth watching. Save your time and find something better.
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arts // no. 8
Before they were Avengers Music video appearances by ‘Avengers’ actors Cheryl Minns Arts Editor arts@theotherpress.ca
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o celebrate the recent release of Avengers: Age of Ultron on Blu-ray and DVD, we’re taking a look at what the actors did before they became Avengers. From the Wild West to the city, movie tie-ins to short films, members of the Avengers cast have appeared in a variety of music videos often portraying very different characters from their superhero counterparts.
“I Want Love” by Elton John (2001) Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man) slowly walks through an empty mansion lip-syncing to Elton John’s “I Want Love” in this one-shot video. The emotional song and video related to the issues RDJ was struggling with at the time, remnants of which have appeared in his performance of Tony Stark. While RDJ is clean-shaven in the video instead of sporting his famous Stark facial hair, the video still plays out like out an inner monologue of Stark’s need for love, even though it often means the people around him get hurt. youtube.com/watch?v=ufbexgPyeJQ
“Trouble” by Pink (2003) In this Western-themed video, Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye) plays a nasty town sheriff who allows the local horses to be mistreated. When Pink comes to town, she gets the townspeople to fight back against the sheriff and teaches him a harsh lesson on animal cruelty. Unlike other Avengers’ actors who have appeared in music videos because of their name recognition, Renner’s appearance was just another role since he wasn’t that well-known at the time. youtube.com/watch?v=mFu3YzRnyDU “Snakes on a Plane (Bring It)” by Cobra Starship (2006) This music video opens with Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury) delivering his famous line from the film Snakes on a Plane as the song’s performers exit their car and head into the airport. While the line doesn’t
Art by Michael Zulli via Amazon
quite live up to its humorous censored version—“I have had it with these monkey-fighting snakes on this Monday–Friday plane”—it does nicely connect the video to the film. Jackson appears in person about two minutes and 15 seconds into the video for a brief cameo. He watches the singers pass by in the airport, as, unbeknownst to him, they’re carrying suitcases full of snakes. youtube.com/watch?v=A1wMyKQ6jUg
Comic Corner: Neil Gaiman’s spooky modern fable “What Goes Around… Comes Back Around” by Justin Timberlake (2007) A bright blonde Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow) plays Justin Timberlake’s unfaithful girlfriend in this nine-minute short film. The video tells the story of a young couple from the first meeting to the tragic ending, interspersing dramatized segments with Timberlake performance scenes. While the video doesn’t include any action sequences for Johansson, it does feature her in a death race against Timberlake that is somewhat exciting. youtube.com/watch?v=TOrnUquxtwA
“ÜBerlin” by R.E.M. (2011) Aaron Johnson (Quicksilver) dances to his own beat as he strolls down a city street in this music video directed by Sam Taylor-Wood, his then-fiancée and current wife. As he swings around street posts and performs a chaotic series of dance moves, viewers have to wonder if the routine was choreographed or just Johnson doing his thing. While the opening seems like a great set-up for a one-shot video, the scene quickly cuts to another take of the scene and continues to splice together takes instead. youtube.com/watch?v=ZITh-XIikgI
‘The Last Temptation’ review Brittney MacDonald Life & Style Editor lifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca
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his October, I’m starting things off with a bang, choosing the spooky, musically centred The Last Temptation by Neil Gaiman. Combining shock rock and brilliant artwork into this morality tale proves to be the perfect evolution of a modern day fable. Steven is a boy who is afraid of everything, but most of all, he’s scared of becoming a “grown-up.” Dared to attend a show at the mysterious Theatre of the Real, Steven meets the Showman, a charismatic performer who offers Steven a trade: eternal youth and fun as a member of the Theatre in exchange for Steven’s potential—everything he ever was or could amount to be. Though not the finest of Neil Gaiman’s works to date, The Last Temptation is still a standout in the horror genre. It was originally developed
with and inspired by Alice Cooper, hence the shared likeness between the reallife shock rocker and the Showman. This graphic novel isn’t horror in the sense of it being frightening or filled with gore, though there are some pretty grotesque moments. Instead, the scary elements are focused around a feeling of entrapment: should he refuse, how will Steven escape? Therefore it’s more of a psychological scare, as well as being visceral on occasion. Artistically, this novel sees Gaiman reuniting with his Sandman partner, Michael Zulli. The art is highly detailed with heavy inks and strong use of black. There are two versions of this collected edition, one in black and white, and the other in full colour. I would advise sticking to the black and white, because it accentuates Zulli’s brilliant use of toning. As far as I’m concerned, this is a perfect pick up for anyone looking for a short horror read. But don’t use it as an introduction to the genre.
arts // no. 9
issue 05 // volume 42
Reflect on the past with ‘Thunder in Our Voices’ New gallery exhibit commemorates 1970s inquiry Arts Editor arts@theotherpress.ca
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hunder in our Voices, the latest exhibit in the Amelia Douglas Gallery, showcases how powerful a group of people can be when they fight for what they believe in using only their voices. Curated by Drew Ann Wake, the exhibit features a collection of Linda MacCannell’s contemporary portraits of the participants who spoke during the Berger Inquiry. The inquiry, led by Justice Thomas R. Berger in the 1970s, was to determine whether or not to run a proposed natural gas pipeline from Alaska, through BC down the Mackenzie Valley, and to Chicago. After local Aboriginal youths and elders testified how they felt the pipeline would affect the land, the proposal for the largest pipeline project in North America was declined. Wake and MacCannell covered the event as media, Wake as a journalist with CBC North, and MacCannell as a photographer. “Each Saturday I edited a radio documentary with the most
powerful speeches of the week— just voices, no commentary,” Wake wrote in her curator statement for the exhibit. “It was the most joyful job of my life.” “In 2009, I was invited to take portraits of some of the participants who spoke at those historic hearings,” MacCannell wrote in her artist’s statement for the exhibit. “It was a privilege for me to be part of this continuing story.” To launch the exhibit, the gallery held an opening reception on October 2, followed by a panel discussion titled The Legacy of the Berger Inquiry. The talk took place in the Laura C. Muir Performance Theatre with guest speakers Wake, Michael Asch, Glen Coulthard, and Peter Stephenson. For more information on Thunder in Our Voices, check out the Douglas College library guide to the exhibit at Guides.DouglasCollege.ca/ ThunderInOurVoices. Thunder In Our Voices will be on display until October 23 at the Amelia Douglas Gallery on the fourth floor of the Douglas College New Westminster campus.
Photo by Cheryl Minns
Cheryl Minns
Crowded Bookshelf: The colours of Mars Duncan Fingarson Contributor
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ith the recent evidence of water being discovered on Mars, it seemed like a good time to turn my attention to the red planet. I picked up Kim Stanley Robinson’s Mars trilogy at a used-book sale because it looked interesting, and because of my minor fascination with space travel. I was not disappointed. The Mars books are hard sci-fi, meaning a great deal of research and effort went into making them sound plausible. A lot of the science is speculative, but there’s nothing wholly unbelievable as far as I can tell. The story was similarly wellthought-out, following humanity’s efforts to colonize, study, and ultimately tame the planet. Book one, Red Mars, focuses on the First Hundred, a select team of 100 people chosen to lead the first expedition to Mars, the majority of whom are Americans or Russians. A good deal of time is spent on the ship developing the relationships between the characters and introducing the themes that will carry throughout the series. As is often the case, human nature gets in
the way of noble goals, and the First Hundred find themselves fracturing into ideological groups with very different ideas about how best to proceed with life on Mars. There are the Reds, who believe the planet should be preserved in its original state as much as possible, and the Greens, who believe that the best course of action ends with the Martian surface supporting human life on its own. There are groups that want to split from Earth to form a self-sufficient and completely Martian society, and groups concerned with how to exploit the resources of Mars for the benefits of Earth. The machinations of the various groups drive the story, and set things up moving into book two. Green Mars picks up a little after the end of Red Mars, and spends the first few chapters introducing a handful of new characters, including some of the first children to be born, and grow up, on Mars itself. The book develops the motivations of a number of characters who got very little screen time in the first book, and deals with the fallout of previous events. Mars has become industrialized to some extent, with corporations controlling much of the cities. The disconnect between sides
Image via jesserogerson.com
‘Mars’ trilogy review
has grown, and the terraforming moves forward, seeding the surface with increasing amounts of plant life, and thickening the atmosphere. Themes of life and death are explored as a particular medical treatment developed on Mars to slow the process of aging has resulted in Earth’s population exploding, and an expanding gap between the class divisions of society. The book ends with a natural disaster of a grand scale on Earth, coupled with political revolution on Mars. The fallout of the terraforming efforts, the
revolution, and the natural disaster are the subject of the third book, Blue Mars. The trials of forming a new society are explored at length, and over a much broader range of time than was featured in either of the previous two books. Blue Mars is about consequences, for better or worse, as human civilization spreads further out into the solar system, and steps are made to take it beyond. The final few chapters are unfortunately a little difficult to follow, but overall the series wraps up on a hopeful tone, and all the characters get proper
closure to their personal stories. For fans of hard sci-fi, the Mars trilogy delivers. These are very intelligent books, and the characters and ideas presented within are well-developed. I have no trouble at all believing that things could play out as they do in the story, once humanity does start to colonize space. This is a subject that needs to be treated with respect and carefully considered, potentially by some of the current generation. If you have any interest in space, read these books. I’m glad I did.
theotherpress.ca
arts // no. 10
Horror-ific movies to watch this October
The best of the Halloween genre
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he Halloween season is upon us! As we begin planning our costumes and decorating for parties, we inevitably find the spooky movies available on Netflix, cable, and (scariest of all) physical DVD. There are hundreds of movies available to get you into the spirit of Halloween, and here’s a look at some of the genre essentials. Slasher The concept of a serial killer stalking young adults is one of the most iconic and imitated horror plotlines. Halloween (1978) was one of the original and scariest pieces, in which escaped psychiatric patient and psychopath Michael Myers slashes college kids on Halloween night. The movie featured much more suspense and tension over gore to build fright, leading to its iconic status. Other iconic and suspenseful entries in the genre
include Psycho (1960) and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974). Paranormal/Ghost The supernatural has always been frightening, and haunted forces conflicting with human protagonists make for one scary time indeed. One of the greatest modern entries is Sinister (2012), in which a true-crime writer discovers disturbing videotapes in his attic—and the frightening entity beyond them. Indeed, writers tormented by literal (and inner) demons have always proven popular—like in The Shining (1980), in which Jack Torrance retreats to a secluded hotel for the winter with his family. The evil within quickly drives him close to the edge in what’s considered one of the scariest movies of all time. Other great horror movies featuring hauntings include Insidious (2010), Poltergeist (1982), and The Ring (2002). Demonic/Religious When demons from another realm or evil place conflict
Image via thinkstock.co,
Cazzy Lewchuk Staff Writer
with the goodness that religion provides, it frightens audiences for their perpetual real-life basis, particularly the movies based on true stories. The Exorcist (1973)—another contender for scariest movie of all time— features a little girl possessed by something truly evil. It was one of the original demon possession movies, along with Rosemary’s Baby (1968), in which a woman becomes pregnant by something demonic. For other terrifying
demon-infested children and adults alike, check out The Last Exorcism (2010), The Omen (1976), and The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005). Comedy/Parody The opposite of fright and horror is humour and comedy, and many filmmakers have blended the two together. Selfawareness, playing gore and ghosts for laughs, and parodying conventional horror standards
can make for iconic genrebusting films. The Cabin in the Woods (2012) featured college kids going up to the woods for typical fun/sexy times, but their fate embodies and parodies almost every horror movie ever made. Other excellent horror-comedies include Young Frankenstein (1974), What We Do in the Shadows (2014), Hocus Pocus (1993), Beetlejuice (1988), and The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993).
Running the show Adam Tatelman Staff Writer
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he paradox of theatre performance in Vancouver is one of quantity. There are lots of opportunities, but also a surplus of actors. Combine that with super-expensive venues and advertising, and you have a perfect roadblock to discourage new faces from chasing their dreams on stage. What’s a young director to do? Matthew Willis, head of Quimera Theatre Collective, met with the Other Press at the Vancouver Public Library this week to discuss his methods of producing and directing theatre. “The first concern for me is space,” said Willis. “Something that’s been emerging in Vancouver is site-specific theatre. It can be done in a library, a parking lot.” Insurance and zoning permits for site-specific performances can be acquired for close to $200, according to Willis. This is a mere fraction of what a formal venue would cost. For example, a space like the Queen Elizabeth Theatre rents to non-profit organizations for over $3,000, according to their website. A great challenge, of course, is always the budget. Aspiring directors must always be willing
to invest some of their own money into their projects, fully cognizant of the risk involved. The director’s goal should be to pay back all investors on a first-come-firstserved basis. Willis also finds it difficult to advertise on a low budget. Streetlevel productions cannot usually afford the large-scale billboard advertising that bigger theatre companies use. Instead, he relies on word of mouth. “Social media is extremely helpful. Facebook, Twitter updates, Vlogs, Blogs,” said Willis. “I do a lot of cold-calling to artistic directors and theatre companies saying, ‘Look, I have this show going on, come see it.’” He also sends over 500 e-mails per production. In the course of any production, Willis finds that advertising auditions is less onerous since most Vancouver actors use the same sources to find parts. “In my audition process, it’s not about finding who looks the part—it’s about finding who can do the part the way you want it,” he said. “The Vancouver Public Library has an audition page that actors visit quite frequently.” He also recommends the use of Facebook groups to get the word out. “Get as many people in the room as you can, because you’re
literally shot-gunning it,” he said. Willis also advises directors to take full advantage of postsecondary funding opportunities to improve their skills. “You have to find an opportunity to make mistakes. The best place to do that is at school. I wouldn’t be the producer I am today if it wasn’t for the UBC Players Club,” he said. “This is your laboratory. This is your time to explore and to make mistakes and learn your own voice as an artist.” Though Quimera Collective is an unofficial organization, Willis recommends creating a nonprofit company. There is a lot of paperwork involved, but also a lot of benefits. “You can write tax-refundable receipts for donations. You can get free space at CBC studios,” he said. “There are grants you can apply for that are only available to organizations.” Willis described the rapid turnover among theatre artists as “a war of attrition,” though he maintained that a love of his work makes the struggles of production worthwhile. “One of the things I love about being a producer is being able to make work happen for other people,” he said. “I get a satisfaction from just doing that, and I’ll keep doing it.”
Image via thinkstock.co,
Local producer/director Matthew Willis talks Vancouver theatre
This issue:
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Women’s soccer giving Capilano the Blues
Contact: Eric Wilkins, Editor-in-Chief editor@theotherpress.ca
Sports
their World Championships And more!
Photo via www.thescore.com
A team of cards
League of Legends begins
Davie Wong Sports Reporter
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t was well into the afternoon on a beautiful October Sunday when the men’s soccer team hit the pitch. The Royals were looking to walk away with a win after a hard-fought tie against VIU the day before (October 3). They faced the Capilano Blues, a team at the bottom of the table. With the Royals on top of the table, the hope was that this would be an easy win for the Royals. Both teams came out swinging. The Royals attacked often but were thwarted by the solid defence of the Blues. Capilano counter-attacked but could similarly not find a way to beat the Royals’ goalkeeper, Marc Mincieli, early in the game. As the back and forth raged on, tempers began flaring. The first card of the game was shown when Blues midfielder, Kamyar Amini,
INSTRUCTION
CONF
PTS
7-2
32
QUEST
5-3-1
16
VIU
5-3-1
16
4-5
12
KPU
2-4-3
9
CAPILANO
1-7-1
4
CONF
PTS
KPU
5-2-2
17
DOUGLAS
5-2-2
17
VIE
3-2-4
13
LANGARA
2-3-3
9
QUEST
2-5-2
8
CAPILANO
2-5-1
7
DOUGLAS
Royals’ lack of discipline leads to loss took a yellow on a reckless challenge. This was followed later by a Royals defender, Devin Phelan, also picking up a yellow card for a hard challenge. The disciplinary situation only proceeded to get worse as Mincieli was also handed a yellow. A couple plays later, a long Blues pass sent Salah Hawsawi off on a breakaway. The striker took the opportunity to smash the ball into the top right corner of the goal, leaving Mincieli with no chance of making a save. Not too long after, Phelan picked up a second yellow, sending him off the field and putting the Royals in a bad spot with 10 men left. The following play resulted in another goal for the Blues’ who found themselves in a good position going into half time. The Royals’ coach, Robby Toor, was not happy with his team’s effort in the first half, making a number of
WOMEN’S SOCCER
substitutions in an attempt to revitalize his team. During halftime, he stated the lack of control and lacklustre defence were the reason the team was behind. The team came out in the second half, determined to win. However, the Blues proved that it took a lot more than just determination. During the second half, the Royals were primarily confined to their own half of the field. The card situation did not get any better either. In the last 45 minutes, the referee issued two more yellow cards to Douglas. The Blues went on to score two more before the end of the game. The final score was 4-0. After this hard upset loss and the tie with VIU the day before, the Royals’ men’s team find themselves tied at the top of the table with KPU. Both teams have a record of 5-2-2 with 17 points each.
LANGARA
MEN’S SOCCER INSTRUCTION
Top questions of the 2015–16 NHL season Concerning most promising players, notable changes, and anticipated games Elliot Chan Opinions Editor opinions@theotherpress.ca
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ere’s to another year of hockey, and, like the start of every school year, we have to wonder who will excel, what surprises will occur, and how all the changes will affect the grand scheme of things. Overtime storylines will play out on the ice, and we’ll learn the answers. Until then, these are the top question entering the 2015–16 NHL season: Will Connor McDavid lead the Oilers to a playoff berth (and beyond)? McDavid is marketed as the next Sidney Crosby, but will Edmonton—with its poor development system and
defensive support—drain the talents of another first overall draft pick? Will McDavid be able to do what Nail Yakupov, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Taylor Hall couldn’t? It took Crosby three full seasons before captaining the Penguins to a championship. How long will it take McDavid? No rush. The bar is low. For now, synergistically, Edmonton as a whole can aim for the next level and make it into the playoffs. Easy. How will three-on-three overtime affect the overall standings? The shootout has not been eliminated, but with threeon-three overtime, it might as well have been. I love this new tie-breaking format, however, I’m disappointed to see the end
of four-on-four—if only there was some way to integrate that. Needless to say, with opening the ice for key players and reducing the flip-of-the-coin factor of shootouts we can see more skilled teams earning points. For example last season the Los Angeles Kings won 2 of 10 overtime shootouts. Those lost points could have ultimately gotten the former Stanley Cup champions into the playoffs, where they would have surely dominated. Can coaching changes turn the tides for underachieving teams? Mike Babcock to Toronto, Peter DeBoer to San Jose, Dan Bylsma to Buffalo, and Todd McLellan to Edmonton—these are a few of the high profile
coaches standing behind new benches this season. The only reason coaches are moved is because their old teams are failing to achieve certain goals and their new teams have limited options. I don’t believe any coach can singlehandedly turn a franchise around, and as great as their track records are—especially for Babcock and Bylsma—I believe it’ll be a few years before they can make their mark. The thing is, will their new teams be so patient? Will the Western Conference dominate the East again in the finals? For five of the past six years, the winner of the Stanley Cup playoffs has been from the Western Conference. On top of that, those five victories
were from two teams, the Los Angeles Kings and the Chicago Blackhawks. These two “dynasty” teams will be hard-pressed to continue this pattern as many of the Eastern contenders have seen improvements. This might be the year the New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, or Tampa Bay Lightning learn from their tribulations and win four series in a row. There are also a few dark horse contenders with generational players—Alexander Ovechkin and Jonathan Tavares both have optimistic teams ready to face-off—ready to take their legacy to supremacy. This year, I believe the two teams matched in the finals will be turning the page on the Kings’ and Blackhawks’ dominance.
Ecological Budget Do you have it planned? By Himanshu
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Verma, Contributor
f our expenditure is more than our earnings, we are overspending and we are well aware of the consequences of doing that. Similarly, nature has its annual budget too. Our planet can produce or regenerate a limited amount of natural resources in a specific period of time. Dave McLaughlin, the senior vice-president of the World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) Sustainable Food programme, aptly said in his article on LiveScience.com: “Planet Earth is in the red. For the rest of the year people will be writing cheques our planet can’t cash.” When our demands consume more than what the planet can renew, we are overspending. The consequences of going over the limit in a financial budget are wellknown, but do we realize the consequences of crossing the limit of our ecological budget, which could jeopardize man’s existence on this planet? Our planet, according to McLaughlin, is “like a gecko that’s lost its tail. Our planet can heal itself. It can regrow plants, rebuild fish stocks, re-absorb carbon from the air, and return clean water to lakes, rivers and aquifers. But these processes take time.” When humankind’s use of natural resources exceeds the planet’s ability to produce and replenish them, overshoot occurs. What is Earth’s overshoot? According to OverShootDay.org, “Global overshoot occurs when humanity’s annual demand
for goods and services that our lands and seas can provide— fruit and vegetables, meat, fish, wood, cotton for clothing, and carbon dioxide consumption— exceeds what Earth’s ecosystems can renew in a year. Overshoot means we are drawing down the planet’s principal rather than living off its annual interest.” Global Footprint Network (GFN) created Overshoot Day to send a timely warning of the irreversible damage man’s consumption of natural resources is causing. GFN also coordinates research and develops methods to help allow the human economy to operate within the Earth’s resources. GFN’s calculations to determine the date of Earth’s Overshoot Day is based on a simple formula: the planet’s biocapacity (the amount of resources an area can produce) divided by humanity’s ecological footprint (our demand for food, carbon emissions, livestock, plants, timber, and available space) multiplied by 365. If WWF’s Living Planet Report is to be believed, we must start worrying, because according to McLaughlin: “We eventually crossed the invisible boundary. Starting around 1970, we began to take more from the planet each year than it could restore. Since then, the gap between our rate of consumption and planet’s rate of regeneration has widened from crevice to chasm.” The first overshoot day was calculated as December 23, 1970. In 2000, it fell on October
4; then on August 17, 2014. This year—further widening the gap—it was on August 13. The plausible reason could be that our population explosion, and the need for more food, infrastructure, and development, increased our demands, which is now pressing hard on our ecological resources. Greenhouse gas emissions and food production are considered to be largely responsible for the overshoot by causing climate change and driving extreme weather, which in turn contributes to food insecurity ending in high food prices that could ultimately lead to global unrest. McLaughlin suggested two basic strategies to deal with the situation: mitigation and adaptation. To ensure food security, WWF has taken initiative by way of mitigation. Starting with the “world’s largest food producers, down to traders, consumer brands, and retailers,” WWF is coordinating the production of food within the set ecological parameters, through efficient production
using fewer and fewer natural resources, and by reducing greenhouse gas emissions to a minimum. This could be a welcome step towards reducing the environmental impact of food, and it could help roll back Earth’s Overshoot Day. Adaptation, on the other hand, is a more challenging task that involves embarking on new solutions. WWF has decided to co-host Food Chain Reaction—a mock stimulation or role-playing exercise—this November in partnership with organizations such as the Center for American Progress, CNA, Cargill Inc., and Mars Inc. It will bring dozens of people from around the world with professions such as policy makers, scientists, and food company executives to Washington D.C., where they will deal with a “hypothetical food shortage and its side effects.” McLaughlin informs that the given situation will be set as per the predicted and calculated conditions in 2020 in terms of population, urbanization, weather conditions etc. The players will
learn to deal with the situation by collaborating, negotiating, making decisions, confronting trade-offs, and exploring new possibilities. The situation given may be hypothetical, but the players dealing with the situation have been picked very carefully, with the organizers inviting those who are likely to have to deal with a real food shortage situation in the near future. “We might not know what the next food shortages will look like, but scientific and historical evidence tell us that they will come—and that they will be increasingly severe and prolonged,” said McLaughlin. It is clear from the previous record that Earth’s Overshoot Day is advancing every year. However, both the public and the private sector are ushering the world into an “era of responsibility” in order to roll the overshoot day back, and prepare ourselves for the inevitable food crises when they strike our planet. The ecological footprint of each city, state, and nation can be compared to its biocapacity. If the value is higher, that particular region is running an ecological deficit; thus, the region is likely to fulfill its demands by liquidating its future ecological assets and emitting more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. According to a report published in The Guardian, China needs 2.7 times more biocapacity to support its present population. So is the case with other countries:
France needs 1.4; USA, 1.9; India, 2; the U.K., 3; Egypt, 3.2; Switzerland, 3.5; Italy, 3.8; and Japan, 5.5. The total world average is 1.6. This means that it would take 1.6 Earths to meet our demands. The Australian Earth Laws Alliance (AELA), an official partner of GFN, reported in August that “if everyone on Earth had the same life style as an average Australian, we would need 4.8 planets.” The task of calculating a city or state’s footprint may be the responsibility of the respective governments, but we too can plan our ecological budget at individual level. To begin with, calculate your personal ecological footprint using GFN’s online footprint calculator, which will depend on how much land area it takes to support your lifestyle, what kind of transport you use, and other variables of your daily life. Unfortunately, there is no calculator that applies to BC, so select Calgary or US on the displayed map for approximate results. This will help you know your areas of resource consumption, and reduce your ecological deficit. Awareness is an important step towards action. Some first steps are using more public transport, reducing your plastic and other non-biodegradable waste, saving water, recycling as much as possible, and, most importantly, planting trees. Do your part to prolong man’s stay on Earth, because Earth is not just a planet; it is also our home.
theotherpress.ca
sports // no. 14
Women’s soccer giving Capilano the Blues Royals win 2-0
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t was a beautiful day for soccer on Sunday (October 4) when the women’s soccer team took to the pitch. They looked to bounce back against the Capilano Blues after a tough loss to VIU the day before. That loss was just the second this season in a start which has DC at the top of the table. Capilano, on the other hand, has had a rough go of it. Coming into the game, the Blues held a record of 1-6-1, occupying the bottom of the table. However, for a bottom of the table team, Capilano played some very good soccer. The first half was filled with tight competition as neither team found the back of the net. The Royals had several opportunities but none were finished. The Blues also had several strong breakout opportunities but the Royals’ goalkeeper, Rebecca Mainardi, was more than up to the challenge and made a couple of saves that kept her team in the game early. The battle was mainly fought in the air, where the taller midfielders of the Royals failed to take advantage and gave up several chances to the hard driving Blues. The Royals’ head coach Chris Laxton was
quick to make his displeasure with the team’s lack of effort heard. Midway through the first half he made a surprise substitution, taking Jordan Teves out and putting Mikayla Hamilton in. When asked about his decision, Coach Laxton said he made the substitution to “bring more pace and energy to the team.” During halftime, the coaching staff of the Royals emphasized aggression and having a stronger presence in the air. They looked to bring some life into an otherwise dreary looking team. The Royals responded well to their coaches and came out in the second half looking strong. They dominated the Blues in terms of possession and reigned in control of the air game. The stellar defensive play of the Royals kept them in the Blues half of the field for the majority of the rest of the game. Their aggression was eventually rewarded when Marni McMillan forced a turnover and threaded a beautiful pass in between two Blues defenders to send Danae Harding on a short break. Harding made no mistake against the Blues’ goalkeeper and slotted a shot into the lower corner for the finish. Later in the game, a routine
cross by Nicolle Fraser and a misplay by the Blues’ goalkeeper resulted in the insurance goal, bringing the Royals to 2-0. The Blues, although contained in their own half for most of the second, had a few opportunities. A couple stellar saves by the Royals’ keeper allowed them to cruise to a solid victory. Royals’ coach Chris Laxton took a couple questions after the game. When asked about what he thought about his team’s effort in the second half he responded: “I think we bounced back from a first half where we were letting them dominate the centre midfield and didn’t really give them much after that ... We kept pushing at them.” He was also asked about what he thought about his team’s strong start to the season. To this he responded, “It’s how we finish at the end of October [that matters]. It’s been a good start … I think we put ourselves in a pretty good position for playoffs and to really be able to look ahead … We’re just making sure we get better every game.” With the win the women’s team split the weekend 1-1, and now find themselves on top of the table for another week with a record of 7-2 with 21 points, 5 more than the team below them.
Photos by Davie Wong
Davie Wong Sports Reporter
League of Legends begins their World Championships A look at the group stage Brittney MacDonald Life & Style Editor lifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca
A
rguably the most successful of the electronic sports (esports) leagues, League of Legends has six competitive leagues worldwide, which all converge in October to compete for the World Cup and a $1,000,000 prize purse. However, not every team in each region makes it. The rules vary depending on how many teams are involved in each regional league, but generally, you see the top three teams of each region move on to compete on the world stage. After the competitors are decided, they are placed in groups of four according to a random draw. These groups determine the initial knockouts, as only the top two teams from each group will advance to the next round. Starting with group A: we
have the North American team, Counter Logic Gaming (CLG), the Flash Wolves from the League Masters Series (LMS) (the competitive league that includes Taiwan, Macao and Hong Kong),the KOO Tigers from South Korea, and PaiN Gaming from Brazil. There’s not much to say about this group other than it’s probably the easiest out of the four. Favoured are the South Korean KOO Tigers, who are expected to take first place out of the group round, followed by the North American team, CLG. These two teams will also be the match to watch from this group, as it will be the best bottom lane partners from North America—Yiliang “Doublelift” Peng and Zaqueri “Aphromoo” Black—facing off against one of Korea’s best bottom lane duos—Kim “PraY” Jong-in and Kang “GorillA” Beom-hyeon. As for expected upsets, seeing as this is the weakest group in this stage, there is a definite
possibility for the Flash Wolves to claim one of top spots if they play their cards right. Group B will consist of: Fnatic from the European league, Invictus Gaming (IG) from China, ahq e-Sports Club from the LMS, and Cloud 9 from North America. Fnatic is expected to take first out of the group stage, followed by IG. Though Cloud 9 have been solid competitors in previous World Championships, recent changes to the player roster left them struggling during their regional season. If you watch any matches out of this group, make sure it’s a Fnatic one. This season saw the return of Fnatic’s star Attack Damage (AD) player, Martin “Rekkles” Larsson, and he’s been on an impressive streak that carried Fnatic through the European season. Group C proves to be the most one-sided group, playing host to SK Telecom T1 (SKT) from South Korea, H2k-Gaming
from the European league, China’s Edward Gaming, and the Bangkok Titans from the LMS. SKT is the favourite team to land the number one spot coming out of this group; second place is expected to go to Edward Gaming. Unfortunately for H2k-Gaming and the Bangkok Titans, they have little to no chance of an upset based on their current skill level. The match to watch out of this group will probably be SKT versus Edward Gaming, as it will most likely be a preview of the World Championship finals to happen later this month. Group D includes: China’s LGD Gaming, kt Rolster from South Korea, Origen from the European league, and North American fan favorite, Team Solomid (TSM). This is probably the most difficult out of the four groups, and unfortunately contains many top teams that were expected to move on to the quarter-finals before the
draft. That being said, it is unlikely that TSM will make it out of the group stage, as first- and second-place will most likely go to LGD Gaming and Origen. Though it has been argued that kt Rolster might pull off an upset and take second place, I think it’s highly unlikely and I expect them to actually finish last in the group standings. For marquis matchups I would definitely say TSM versus Origen. TSM’s midlaner Soren “Bjergsen” Bjerg is touted as being one of the best mid-lane players in the world and is known to carry games purely on his own mechanical skill. Seeing him play against a top-tier European team known to mostly ignore their midlane is certainly bound to be interesting. The competition is set to begin October 1 and will proceed through the month. Check out lolesports.com for a schedule and live stream information.
Have an idea for a story? Let us know! Contact: Brittney MacDonald, Life & Style Editor lifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca
L ife & Style Leaving the nest
This issue: She can catch crooks, just like flies! The ECO-nomist and water conservation Obsessive observations on Starbucks And more!
Alex Stanton Staff Writer
I
t’s been roughly 23 and a half years since the village of Ioco, British Columbia, was blessed with my arrival into this harsh, unforgiving world in the April of 1992. Since that moment, without exception, I’ve had a home with my longdivorced mother and father, both of whom have supported my mediocre ass all through my childhood and early adulthood. I never forgot that I was extremely lucky to have a place to live for free, nor did I forget that I was absolutely not entitled to free boarding simply because my last-of-kin are able to provide it. All of these self-reminders and mental preparation have finally paid off, because last week, I finally took a nice giant leap into adulthood; as I’m putting this piece together, I’m sitting at my desk in my new room in Central Coquitlam. It’s exciting, but definitely a little intimidating. People much younger than myself (and probably you) have done just fine living on their own or with roommates, and it’s not like they didn’t work hard. Here’s how a growing cub such as you can thrive without mama bear. 1. Budget yourself: Now that you’re living on your own, some
ideas might take a little getting used to—namely, the fact that you’re entirely independent and supporting yourself. A huge part of growing up is learning how to use your money. It seems a much better idea to go out and binge drink on the weekends when you know for a fact that tomorrow you’ll have a dinner prepared by Chef Mommy. You’ll now have to take into account things you took for granted, such as groceries, clothes, and frickin’ laundry detergent (a.k.a. liquid gold; seriously, this stuff is expensive). If you have a car, insurance and gas is going to have your wallet for brunch. Speaking of which… 2. Your car is a luxury, not a necessity: Ever since I moved into my new place, I’ve put down my keys and have taken a break from driving. Okay, I’ll admit it, it’s not by choice—my licence is currently suspended—but it’s been an unexpected boon. After cancelling my insurance and nixing gas costs, I’ve found a Compass Card is getting me around just fine. For some fulltime college students, a vehicle is just not realistic; you have no time to work, and owning a vehicle is a massive money pit. 3. Have an income: It doesn’t get more obvious than this in terms of advice. Whether it’s
through work, your parents, or social assistance, having SOME form of income is nonnegotiable. How can you pay your way in life without a few leaves of green (or in Canada’s case, green, red, purple, blue, and brown) to your name? Before you move in somewhere, it’d be a smart idea to save up beforehand. Enter the adult world with multiple months’ worth of rent in case something goes completely wrong. 4. Be nice to your landlords: In fact, go ahead and suck up to them a bit. The relationship between you and the person gracious enough to rent you space in their home is one of the first important associations you will have as an adult. Your parents owe you unconditional love, and your teachers owe you an education—this guy, though? He owes you nothing. He doesn’t even owe you a place to live. The only one writing I.O.U.s is you. Most landlords have rules, many of them completely reasonable; the kind of person who brings seven people over to his studio apartment for a loud party or who spends all day smoking weed inside the house doesn’t deserve the privilege of renting a space. There are too many kids out
Image via Thinkstock
The first-timers’ guide to renting your very own pad
there barely scraping by, always one paycheque or serious injury away from being homeless. This is especially a problem in an expensive city like Vancouver. If you’re living here, it means
you’re going to be paying most of your income towards sheltering yourself. But if you’re smart about it, even a kid such as yourself can make it on your own.
Listed: The top 10 worst Halloween candy Candy to avoid when choosing what to give your trick-or-treaters Life & Style Editor lifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca
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alloween is fast approaching, and that means trickor-treaters will be at your doorstep before you know it! So then, what can you do to make sure your house isn’t the only one on the block with a festive new toilet paper canopy? Well you can start by getting the right kind of candy! Nothing ruins a kid’s goodie bag worse than a visit to the one house that’s giving out the crappy treats, or worse—toothbrushes! So here’s a list of the top 10 worst Halloween candy, so you can avoid them and all the repercussions that come with them.
1. Tootsie Rolls. Nobody likes them and they look like poop.
2. Thrills. They taste like soap. If kids wanted that, they’d swear a lot more.
3. Rockets. Just pastel-coloured cocaine.
4. Chocolate pumpkins. They’re round, covered in foil, and made from the worst chocolate ever.
5. Caramel apple pops. They resemble radioactive ooze and taste neither like caramel nor apple.
6. Black licorice. This is not candy. This is what you give old people as a laxative.
7. Candy corn. Candy? Delicious! Corn? Delicious! Candy corn? A plague on humanity.
8. Tic Tacs. Kids don’t want to smell minty fresh; they want to eat sugar until they fall into a coma.
9. Candy shaped like body parts. It’s confusing, and encourages cannibalism.
10. Jelly beans. There’s a time and place for jelly beans—it’s called Easter.
Image via Thinkstock
Brittney MacDonald
theotherpress.ca
life & style // no. 16
#DOUGLIFE
She can catch crooks, just like flies!
Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP
Share your photos with us on Instagram using the hashtag #DougLife, for a chance to be featured in the paper!
SpiderMable takes to the streets of Edmonton Brittney MacDonald Life & Style Editor lifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca
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ou love Superman, you love Thor—well, get ready for SpiderMable! Much in the same vein as BatKid from November, 2013, six-year-old Mable Tooke got to play superhero for the day on September 28 in Edmonton, Alberta. While undergoing treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, Tooke developed an affinity for a certain web-slinger every comic fan knows and loves, but her love of Spiderman didn’t stem from the fancy movies or the new cartoons, but rather the old Stan Lee comics of the 1960s. Talk about being a true fan! Moved by Tooke’s story and her situation, the Children’s Wish Foundation decided to make her a superhero for a day, and even flew Spidey in from New York so she could fight crime alongside her favorite Avenger. But they needed more than clever costumes and a
sense of childish wonder to pull it off—they needed the help of an entire city to make this wish come true. Well, they got it, and they got it in spades! Edmonton more than rose to the occasion, as volunteers poured in to help and fans lined the streets to cheer SpiderMable on. The day began with the local news announcing the disappearance of Edmonton Oilers captain Andrew Ference. Sergeant Steve Sharpe of the Edmonton Police Department pled to the camera for SpiderMable to help him and get to city hall right away for a meeting with Mayor Don Iveson. There, SpiderMable met with Spiderman, who greeted her excitedly with a high five and told her he was there to help. After SpiderMable briefed her hero on the situation, they met with the Mayor, who formally requested the help of the city’s newest caped crusader (yes, she did have a cape). From there, the dynamic duo went to the police department where the culprit was identified
as the evil Mysterio, one of Spiderman’s arch nemeses. In her quest to save Andrew Ference, SpiderMable got to zip line in West Edmonton Mall, save Spiderman’s friend Black Cat, and defeat Mysterio in the Edmonton Zoo—with the help of a lot of silly string! After freeing Ference, Tooke celebrated with a superhero party in the zoo’s otter room. As a reward for her service to the city, as well as for saving a fan-favourite hockey player— this is Canada after all— SpiderMable got to drop the puck at the Edmonton versus Arizona game the following night. When asked why he wanted to help, Ference told Global News: “Having kids of my own, to see a smile on a kid’s face, you can’t put a price on it; especially somebody who’s gone through a pretty tough time like her.” Though Tooke has been in treatment for her leukemia since September 2013, things are looking up. Hopefully, it will enter remission soon.
This week’s photo is from Douglas College BSN
life & style // no. 17
issue 05 // volume 42
The ECO-nomist and water conservation Brittney MacDonald Life & Style Editor lifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca
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e all know water conservation is important, but did you know it could save you money? Though the drought may be over, water conservation should still be on everyone’s mind. After all, it is one of Canada’s greatest natural resources. There are many easy and simple ways to make sure your hydro bill doesn’t go through the roof, and best of all, you’ll be helping the planet too—so you can build up all that good karma for later! I’ve gathered what I think are the most accessible tips for saving water, whether you live alone, with a roommate, or you’re still at home. Don’t flush away money! Using your toilet to dispose of anything besides bodily waste is basically the same thing as flushing money down it. I will admit I was guilty of this, especially when I had leftover soup or when I had a cold and my house was littered with tissues. Constantly flushing and refilling the bowl in your toilet costs money, and it’s wasteful. That water now has to go through the sewage system, and eventually a treatment facility all because you were too lazy to throw a cotton ball in the trash. Doesn’t make sense when you think about it like that, does it? Put plastic bottles in your toilet tank. Now I know this
sounds really odd, but if you fill two plastic bottles halfway with sand and/or rocks, and then fill them the rest of the way with water before putting the caps back on, and place them in your toilet tank away from the mechanical parts—it will save a lot of water! Basically how this works is it reduces the amount of water it takes to fill your toilet tank so that the flushing mechanism will work. This will save about 37 litres of water a day, especially if your toilet is older. This in turn will save you money—just make sure that at least 11 litres of water are still available in the tank. Any less, and this trick might affect functionality. Reduce your shower time by at least a minute. For women this is a tricky one; I mean, we have so much to do in the shower! But if you can cut down on your time by even the smallest amount on a consistent basis, you will see a noticeable difference in your hydro bill. A good way to achieve this is to pick and choose what you’ll do in the shower. You shouldn’t wash your hair every day, and it’s fall, so you can go without shaving your legs for a day. For men, rinse your razor in the sink rather than running it under a tap. This will reduce the amount of water you’re using, and it’s just as effective. Chill your water preemptively. Now, I don’t drink tap water, mostly because I live in Mission so it all tastes like chemicals. But for people
Image via Thinkstock
Tips to save on water and your hydro bill
in Vancouver or Coquitlam who are budget conscious and don’t want to use bottled water or a filtration device, storing drinking water in the fridge will actually save water. Basically, when you go to get a glass of
water, you have to run the tap a bit so that it cools. This wastes water, and a very simple way of preventing this is to store drinking water in your fridge. That way, it’s always the perfect temperature.
Like with anything, it’s the small stuff that will garner you the most satisfying results. So whether you want to save the world, or maybe just your wallet, doing little things around your house can help a lot.
For many, a relationship with Starbucks is a love-hate one at best. But the next time you walk into any coffeehouse, make sure you aren’t blowing all your money away. With at least an
estimated $4.25 per visit, every weekday, for a year, you’ll be spending almost $1200—that’s a lot to spend just on coffee, and you gotta save some extra cash for all those Timbits too.
Obsessive observations on Starbucks Aaron Guillen Staff Reporter
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ome might say that coffee makes the world go round. As I grew up, I saw my dad regularly enjoy a cup of joe, usually made at home or for free from the bank. Unlike him, more people today are spending their money (and lots of it) at coffeehouses like Starbucks. As one of the most beloved and widespread chains in North America, this powerhouse of a company has millions of people visiting their stores daily. In the morning, you arrive in line to be greeted by a friendly barista and make your way to work with a croissant and latte in hand. In the afternoon, you stop by to grab a bagel complemented by a frappuccino. And, in the evening, you order a couple hot chocolates as you make your way home. This isn’t just an out-of-the-ordinary
day, it’s your routine. For some, this might make you look like a crazed spender with cash to flaunt, but for many, it’s a lifestyle—one that they are devoted to. Recently, I conversed with a friend who works behind the counter at Starbucks. As a barista, she gave me the inside scoop that keeps customers coming back and turns them into regulars. “I strive to maintain a positive, warm, and welcoming atmosphere. I’m a natural [with people]. The fact that customers can customize their drink to meet their needs makes it accessible to anyone.” Most businesses do their best to make the customer feel like they are at home, and Starbucks has accomplished that personal connection with names. By simply writing your name on the cup, your experience at any location is deemed worthwhile.
The act of personalized service is beyond value to any customer. But does it really make it personal, or is it all just a convention? Something meant to trick you into forgetting that they’re a huge multi-billion dollar company, and not just a little mom and pop shop? Another aspect of the name writing is the way baristas spell them. Almost as a joke, many would argue that baristas are purposely writing your name incorrectly. Though my friend hasn’t heard of any misspellings in her store, I’ve had mine spelled in any variation other than my actual name, from Aran to Erin. This problem has turned out to be a tactic to fuel talk on social media, as complaints from Snapchat to Twitter unintentionally provide free advertisements for this coffee corporation, garnering worldwide attention.
Illustration by Ed Appleby
A look into why people are addicted to the franchise giant
Have an idea for a story? Let us know! Contact: Elliot Chan, Opinions Editor opinions@theotherpress.ca
Opinions
This issue: Like a pro Martin Shkreli: Scumbag or unsung hero Isn’t it ironic And more!
The values of voting ‘yes’ to keep the U-Pass Why student transit is essential
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ike thousands of students across the Lower Mainland, I rely on public transportation to commute to school. This service is made much more affordable by the U-Pass, the mandated $38-per-month fee we pay that allows every student unlimited access to transit services. Douglas just hosted a referendum on whether to renew the U-Pass program or discard it entirely. Keeping the U-Pass would involve upping the cost by $1.50 a month throughout 2016 and 2017. Undoubtedly, the referendum will go through and we will keep the U-Pass just like we have in the past. This is especially obvious for a school such as Douglas, which is very accessible by transit and has students from all across the Lower Mainland. However, many students resent the cost of the U-Pass, particularly the ones who rarely or never use it. Some find
it unfair that they have to pay for something they don’t use, and these students will resist the fee increase (a cost less than that of a cup of coffee.) These students—the ones most likely to vote “no” in the referendum—do not understand the full value of the U-Pass. Having unlimited transit opens up a lot of opportunities for many students. It significantly reduces costs, which is especially essential for lowerincome students. Many users have no alternate sources of transportation—they may not have a car or even a driver’s license. The U-Pass isn’t just to commute to school: it allows people to get to work, appointments, travel, and access areas in an efficient manner. Even car 0wners can benefit from the U-Pass. It can be faster, cheaper, and easier to travel to Rogers Arena for a game or concert via SkyTrain than by driving.
Funding transit also encourages fewer cars on the road, ultimately being much better for the environment. It also benefits the economy in reduced fuel, road, and environmental costs. The U-Pass is not just financially beneficial to students, but to the greater city area as well. Most likely, many students will not vote in or even be aware of the referendum. There is not enough current opposition to the program for a serious risk of losing the pass, and there probably never will be. The U-Pass is one of the cheapest and most used transit passes in the province, and it is essential for the lives of tens of thousands of students. The slight fee increase is a very small price to pay for accessibility and subsidized transit opportunities. The benefits to the environment and student morale far outweigh the extra $1.50 or any anti-transit views.
Image via Wikimedia
Cazzy Lewchuk Staff Writer
The art of tipping Davie Wong Sports Reporter
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oing out to eat has always been a favourite pastime in the hearts of many Canadians. Whether it’s grabbing a quick lunch, or going out for a fancy and elaborate dinner date, restaurant dining has always been a part of life. However, it is pretty much universally understood that when you dine at an actual restaurant, the service will be much better compared to fast food. In fact, it seems that the higher the cost of the goods served at these restaurants, the better the service is. Is it a direct causation? Well, not exactly. You see, the inflated costs at fancier restaurants means you are paying for a lot more than just the cost of the materials used to make the meal. The cost of the dish is dependent on a large number of variables, ranging from the quality of the ingredients used, to the amount of time it took to prepare the
dish. Only a very small portion of the cost goes to the people serving you and the people cooking the food. In fact, as a former worker of the serving business, I can confirm that cooks and servers in Canada almost always make near minimum wage. Servers of alcohol make even less than the standard minimum wage. The real money comes from the tip, or gratuity, and even though it is supposed to be a purely generosity-driven concept, it has evolved more into a standard fee than reward. The word gratuity stems from the word gracious, which means to be kind and compassionate. Tips were originally given to service providers as a means of thanking them for the service. The size of the tip usually indicated how satisfied the customer was with the service provided. However, tips were always considered generous in nature, no matter the size. Now, that’s all changed.
Instead of being seen as a gift, tips are seen as a mandatory custom. It is considered rude and disrespectful in many restaurants to not leave a tip. Even when one does leave a tip, they are judged by the amount that they have left. Patrons that leave low amounts for tips are met with less-than-pleased staff and are almost always ridiculed among the staff after they leave. Patrons that leave high tip amounts are seen as valuable and customarily receive better service from staff if they ever return. It has gotten so standardized that governments, whether local or federal, have begun taxing this source of income. In Canada, the standard rate of tipping is between 10 and 15 per cent. Since when has showing appreciation had a standard rate? The sad reality is that we have taken the idea of showing kindness and gratitude and warped it to the point where it no longer shows these. Tipping
is now a sign of prosperity and wealth, and people are now judged by the amount of money they left behind, rather than the reason they left it. It has gotten to the point where restaurants have begun establishing “service fees” instead of taking tips to avoid treading into murky tax-legality issues. A service fee is literally defined as an extra charge assessed for a service provided. This is primarily used when there are a large number of people in a dining party or at more posh restaurants where the waiters earn more than those in casual-dining restaurants. This fee is added on to essentially force the party to pay gratuity, no matter how they’ve viewed their dining experience. It is amazing how the human psyche can take something like generosity and turn it into an expectation. Tipping has always been, and always should be, based on the satisfaction and generosity of the customer.
Image via Imgur.com
How generosity and satisfaction became standardized
opinions // no. 19
issue 05 // volume 42
Like a pro Why there is only one real measurement for professionalism Opinions Editor opinions@theotherpress.ca
W
hat makes someone professional? That is a question all up-and-coming employees want to know. They spend hours fine-tuning their resume, they buy a new wardrobe, they practice their handshake over and over, and they even show up 15 minutes early for meetings and interviews, but, in the end, none of that matters except consistency. Being professional is not a switch you turn on and off when you are working. Being professional is an attitude towards all things, regardless if there is a paycheque at the end or not. The ability to treat every task—whether it’s finishing a report, communicating a business plan, or meeting a friend for lunch—with equal importance is what makes someone valued, and therefore professional. There is nothing more prized in the workplace than an employee who is consistently accountable. If you say you’ll do something, it’s your job to
make sure it is done. If you can’t accomplish the task on your own or in time, don’t feel bad. Being professional does not mean that you have perfect foresight. And being accountable does not mean doing everything yourself. A professional needs to meet hurdles with competency, not expertise. When employers are hiring, they are rarely looking for specialists; rather, they are looking for those with the capability of asking for help when they need it. If you think being a professional is being a perfectionist, working overtime, and straining over every little detail—like what to wear and what to say—then you will never operate at your fullest potential. The pros know that, given time, opportunities, and experience, skills will undoubtedly form and gaps will fill in. There is raw talent, sure, but in a workplace, repetition and routines rule, and learning a task and accomplishing it with consistency is often what makes you a pro. Yes, you hate your job and you are finding it harder and harder to apply the same
amount of enthusiasm you had the first few weeks after you were hired. I have one suggestion for you: quit. If you can’t apply consistency to your craft—and you should live in a world where every job is a craft, where improvement is as important as completion—you are harming yourself. If work ethic were a tangible object, you’d be smashing it into a thousand pieces. You hear it every day: the job market is a scary, volatile place. Only the best get hired. That is not true, or in a way, only semi-true. When we think of the best athletes, we think of those who are consistently showing up to every game or tournament. They might be scoring goals, stopping shots, or just making par every time, regardless, you can always bet on them. When people look at you will they bet on you to succeed? Where’s your track record to show it? Being professional does not start after you graduate or get your job or receive your first paycheque. Being professional starts the moment you wake up every day.
Image via Thinkstock
Elliot Chan
HBO’s unexpected year at the Emmy Awards Netflix unable to usurp HBO as television king Jerrison Oracion Senior Columnist
his was supposed to be the year of Netflix for the Emmy Awards because of their shows and the trendy way they were released. However, when the winners were announced at the Emmy Awards—which Andy Samberg did a great job hosting—HBO swept up most of the awards. The channel got the top honours for Best Drama and Best Comedy for their highest rated show, Game of Thrones, and one of my favourite shows, Veep, respectively. Also, the mini-series Olive Kitteridge took home all but one award in the miniseries category. Netflix received only one award, for Uzo Aduba’s performance in Orange is the New Black. HBO set the standard for premium cable TV, which is the reason why HBO got the most Emmy Award nominations in the past few decades. HBO makes shows that are high quality, exciting, and relevant to today’s news. Currently, HBO’s competitors are Showtime, Netflix, and Amazon Instant Video.
Image via HBO
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Game of Thrones is the show that a lot of people are talking about right now, because of its interesting story, its cinematic look, and the various locations that it is filmed in to create Westeros. After four seasons— despite the fact that this season was very controversial—the show received the most Emmy Awards this year with 12, the most a series has ever won in a
single year. Veep is about fictional Vice President Selina Meyer and her team’s experience in politics. The show received a lot of praise and the US Vice President’s office approved it, because it shows what happens in their office. This can be compared to House of Cards, another political show that hasn’t received the same nods from congress.
I thought that either Modern Family or Transparent would get Best Comedy, but, surprisingly, the award went to Veep. Amazon Instant Video’s only great show Transparent still received three Emmy Awards, including Best Actor in a Comedy for Jeffrey Tambor. Hopefully the show will be available on DVD, so that I can see how great it is. Today, many of the great
shows are shown on cable channels, and there are fewer quality shows on the four major US networks. However, the major networks are still great for crime shows, sitcoms, and reality shows. Now that the winners of the Emmy Awards this year are announced, you can watch the big winners by getting HBO with Movie Central through your cable provider.
theotherpress.ca
opinions // no. 20
Martin Shkreli: Scumbag or unsung hero The potential end of the unregulated drug prices Davie Wong Sports Reporter
artin Shkreli is a name that many have never heard of before September 21. Now the name is on the top of nearly every medical discussion in North America. Why are people talking about this relatively unknown person? Well, Shkreli is actually the CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company focused on helping patients who have limited or no effective treatment options. Last week, his company bought the US marketing rights to the 62-yearold drug Daraprim, a drug that helps fight parasitic diseases such as AIDS. Buying the marketing rights to a drug is perfectly normal. Many pharmaceutical companies do it all the time. It’s what Shkreli did after he purchased the right that upset so many people. Immediately after the rights were purchased, Shkreli bumped the price up. Well, bumped isn’t really the most appropriate word to be using considering the fact that the price jumped from $13.50 all the way to $750. That’s a 5,445 per cent increase in price. Shkreli claims that the drug is an “orphan drug,” meaning that it was developed
Photo by Paul Taggart / Bloomberg via NBC news
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specifically to treat rare medical conditions. He also claims that the lack of competition in that area of medicine meant that there was nothing stopping them from raising the price of Daraprim. The money made will supposedly go towards researching an improved version of the drug. The price hike did not go unnoticed, however, as users of the drug quickly turned to social media to protest the
raise. The protest quickly caught the eye of the masses, and, within a day, Shkreli and his company were under heavy fire. Even political candidates took to social media to protest the spike in the drug price, with the American Democrats’ Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders pledging to rework the pharmaceutical system so this never happens again. However, the spike revealed something other than the
injustice of the pharmaceutical system. It revealed that Shkreli’s company is not the first to do this. In fact, Shkreli’s company was merely following the long trend of the pharmaceutical industry. At least three different pharmaceutical companies have hiked the prices for their drugs with the most being a 2,000 per cent increase. Most of these spikes went unnoticed. It wasn’t until now and the Shkreli debacle that the
floodgates opened. Reports of companies who have done this in the past are now coming in almost daily. The prices are not steadily increased, like a normal company would do to deal with inflation. Instead, they are spiked out of seemingly nowhere. Now the government is finally taking notice. Shortly after the Daraprim news hit its social media high, two other articles were released detailing the price spiking of two other drugs. Democrats in the House of Representatives have asked for a subpoena on the company that owns the drugs. If the subpoena passes, the companies must hand over information about how they have determined the prices on their drugs. This could spell disaster for pharmaceutical and biotech companies who regularly raise the prices on their goods without having to explain why. While this is bad news for companies in that area of business, this is good news for the buyers of their products. The era of unregulated pharmaceutical drug price spikes is coming to an end, and the person to thank for that is the person that took it one step too far: Martin Shkreli, unsung hero of the end to pharmaceutical tyranny.
Isn’t it ironic Elliot Chan Opinions Editor opinions@theotherpress.ca
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here is nothing better than someone who doesn’t understand sarcasm. Nothing. If you can’t tell, which so many can’t, I was being sarcastic. I wouldn’t say my sense of humour is of the highest level. But I would say a lot of it relies on irony. In many situations, sarcasm is classified as inappropriate behaviour, as if I’m acting out of line or to offend. I’m not. It’s just my unique way of dealing with an awkward or uneventful scenario. I love using sarcasm to lighten the mood, especially in a social gathering or workplace. Work can get awfully serious if you allow it to, but I won’t. So, when someone tells me to do something, I say: “Never, I won’t! You do it.” Of course, I’m not refusing to do my task; I’m merely making light of the task and their authority. I’m pretty much saying that neither you
nor I should take our duties too seriously. I’ll get to the work as soon as possible. People who don’t understand sarcasm are often those who take everything seriously. Yes, doctors, lawyers, and police officers shouldn’t be making jokes during their job, and that’s what makes them such wonderful satirical characters on television. But, in reality, not all of us have serious jobs—even school is not that serious when you actually think about it. Will anybody die if you don’t finish your project? Maybe your parents, who invested so much into your life, but nobody else. Nobody cares. So have some fun. Sarcasm is a great way to break the tension. It’s like a little splash of cold water for those who are serious. Once they realize that my little jokes will not harm them or the task at hand, they tend to lighten up a bit. If they don’t, you probably don’t want to develop any further relationship with them
anyway. Their life is probably a straightjacket. You want none of that. Like strong spice or perfume, sarcasm should be used sparingly when the situation calls for it. Over time, you’ll be able to detect when you are in a situation where you can use it. It’ll show that you are carefree yet daring. Nobody likes a sarcastic douche that can’t take anything seriously, just like how nobody likes an uptight jerk that can’t take or tell a joke. If you are meeting new people and you want to identify who is conversational in the dialect of sarcasm, present some irony in a group environment first. “Wow! I sure love vegetables at parties.” It really is like another language, and if even one or two catches your drift, they’ll continue the trend and you’ll have suddenly developed a new channel of conversation that isn’t as boring as reading a textbook. Communication should have
Image via Thinkstock
How to deal with people who don’t understand sarcasm
flavour and sarcasm is a unique spice—and an acquired taste. For those who don’t get it, luckily for them, they’ll learn. That’s the wonderful thing about languages: they grow on people overtime. As long as it’s presented in a harmless way that is also engaging, people will
continue to speak it. According to Smithsonian magazine, those who are sarcastic are highly intelligent, even more than those who are always sincere. If you are able to back it up with hard work, class, and respect, you don’t have to worry—be sarcastic. Yeah, right…
Have an idea for a story? Let us know! Contact: Chandler Walter, Humour Editor humour@theotherpress.ca
Humour
This issue: People I can do without: Douglas Edition HORRORSCOPES Simple tips to avoid the freshman 15
Illustration by Ed Appleby
And more!
He simply won’t get out of bed How one student inspired millions Chandler Walter Humour Editor humour@theotherpress.ca
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he world was changed early Monday morning, as Jerry Edmunds decided he was going to miss his first few classes and sleep in. What Edmunds didn’t know at the time was that this simple action would spark a change in the way students everywhere saw their priorities, education, and entire lifestyle. Edmunds began tweeting about his day off from the comfort of his own bed, and
almost instantaneously began trending worldwide. “It was incredible,” Edmunds said as we interviewed him in his room. “The tweets really took off. I feel I really struck a chord in the hearts of students everywhere. I told them that there is hope. There is a choice.” Edmunds, having read Dr. Seuss’s I’m Not Getting Out of Bed Today as a child, decided today was the day he would forgo all social conventions regarding alarm clocks or recommended sleep hours. “It was as if the Seuss himself had come to me in a dream and
told me, ‘Jerry, you must do this,’” Edmunds said. Shortly after tweeting some powerful words from the book— “My bed is warm, my pillow deep, today’s the day I’m going to sleep”—thousands of students took up the call and decided that they would join the revolution. “My followers come in all shapes, sizes, and colors,” Edmunds said. “Whether it be on Twitter or Instagram, they would follow me into a coma if I asked it of them. I am truly blessed.” The Day of the Long Nap has officially been recorded in the history books, taking the
record as the day with the most absents in high schools and postsecondary institutions across the country. When asked if he worried about his missed education, Edmunds only shrugged. “This is bigger than that now,” he said. “I have created a thing of beauty that is being shared by all the snoozers, slackers, and stressedout students across the nation, the world, even. I could never abandon them now. Besides, we were just going to watch some documentary in class today.” By that time, groups of protesters had formed outside
Edmunds’ bedroom window. “Just as it was foretold in the great book. Seuss must have had powers beyond anything we could have imagined,” Edmunds said. We had to end our interview as the mob was growing too loud to speak over. Unfortunately, we have it from an inside source that Edmunds had to leave the confines of his bed, thereby ending the movement he started all those hours ago. Seemingly, the call of nature is stronger than the willpower of a sleepy student.
theotherpress.ca
humour // no. 22
People I can do without: Douglas Edition A list of people whose very presence is hazardous to your GPA
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n this, the third edition of my column dedicated entirely to the listing of living, breathing pet peeves, we’re going to wind down a little and place this list on more of a local level. We’ve established that Vancouverites of just about every type are boring, poorlydressed snobs. We’ve shown the stereotypical millennial— militantly anti-theist, permastoned, and addicted to documenting every event on their phones—the error of their ways. We’ve even made sure to remind ourselves of why—and just how much—we hate the infamously unfunny The Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon. But let’s be realistic for a moment here. When are any of us going to encounter Fallon at Columbia SkyTrain station, or witness him strolling around Lafarge Lake? Hopefully never. But, I digress; here’s a list of those whose existence makes life at our very own Dougie Daycare funnier, more difficult, or downright
annoying. 1. People who pay for everything in change: If there’s one type of person I really don’t like to see in front of me in the 12 items or less checkout line at the grocery store, it would be old ladies. For whatever reason, they don’t like to carry around large bills, and heaven forbid they attempt to decipher this frightening, new, plastic technology. That being said, say what you want about the old ladies—at least they have an excuse. Sally the Student, picking through her change in the cafeteria line because she doesn’t want to have to break a $10 bill has no excuse whatsoever. If you take more than 15 seconds paying for your doubledouble and long john, this might be you. 2. People who smell offensive: Really, I can do without these people in just about any situation, but I can’t help but be genuinely curious as to how someone fresh out of high school comes to class smelling like they bathed in sour milk. It’s just so easy to smell awesome, and washing yourself
feels excellent after a hard day. This doesn’t just apply to those who don’t bathe, though. I’m including those of you who bathe in Axe Body Spray. If, despite the fact that you’re a decent person, nobody wants to be your friend, this might be you. 3. High School kids who smoke: This is the anomaly of the list, because you won’t find this category of people in classes alongside you... But I can assure those of you who attend classes at the David Lam campus will encounter them more often than you’d like. They can be commonly spotted buying food from our vastly superior, White-Spotbranded cafeteria. But if you want the main reason you see children walking around a learning institution for adults, I’ve got two words: smoke pit. They’d be tolerable if most of them weren’t there to bum smokes. If you’ve acquired this issue of the Other Press by trespassing onto the property of a learning institution that is not your own, this might be you.
Image via thinkstock
Alex Stanton Staff Writer
HORRORSCOPES Humour Editor humour@theotherpress.ca
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am the mystic. I am the teller of great truths. I harness the giant rocks in the sky. They whisper to me your future’s secrets. I will share them with you if you’re willing to pay the price of foreknowledge. Yes? You were warned. LIBRA SEPTEMBER 23–OCTOBER 20 A burnt-out lighthouse guides your way. Invisible barricades are at every turn. Allow yourself to wallow. Mars aligns with Neptune, and your reckoning is at hand. SCORPIO OCTOBER 23–NOVEMBER 21 One day soon, you will wake up and the left of your peripheral vision will be blurry. You will think nothing of it. The blur becomes a shape, a faceless figure clad in translucence. You will never fully see the figure; it will dance in the left corner of your vision no matter where you look. But you will always know what or who it is, deep down in the darkest void of your heart. SAGITTARIUS NOVEMBER 22–DECEMBER 21
Be wary of friends, especially those closest to you. Your family is not who you believe them to be. This is not a good time to take chances. Lay low. Avoid the sunlight or outdoors, where you might be seen. Their plot thickens. Saturn knows. Saturn always knows. CAPRICORN DECEMBER 22–JANUARY 19 A trip in your future goes massively awry. You lose something… or someone. Plan for the worst, though know your actions cannot sway the constellations from the course they have set for you. AQUARIUS JANUARY 20–FEBRUARY 18 The blood moon, swollen and red, foretold your fate. Hold your loved ones close. You haven’t much time. PISCES FEBRUARY 19–MARCH 20 Some day soon a leg joint will start clicking with every step. You live with this for the rest of your life. ARIES MARCH 21–APRIL 19 A cult is waiting for you, whether to join or lead it is uncertain. To lead means corruption, to follow means certain death. A red sun
rises over Jupiter, and your fate has been sealed. TAURUS APRIL 20–MAY 20 That ex of yours, the one who visits your dreams every so often to remind you of the part of yourself that they stole, is getting married soon. They will be happy. GEMINI MAY 21–JUNE 20 There is nothing foretold of you by the all-knowing space rocks. You have been cast aside by their power, let loose from the binding path of fate. What happens next is up to you. Step carefully. CANCER JUNE 21–JULY 22 The fourth last person you spoke to holds more of your fate in their hands than you do. They will abuse this power. You will let them. Your life will never truly be your own from this moment on. Pluto will gain its vengeance. LEO JULY 23–AUGUST 22 A fog lays over your future, as a mist over a cemetery in the cold hours of morning. Venus points you towards the ocean. What you might find there is unknown to all but an older you.
Photoillustration
Chandler Walter
VIRGO AUGUST 23–SEPTEMBER 22 You will have loved, and lost, and then have loved again; the potential for another loss is determined by your relationship with the stars. Gaze upwards, Dreamer, and remember. IF YOUR BIRTHDAY IS TODAY Dedication reaps little reward. All hard work and
determinations turn to ash. Toil, fight, and climb the uphill battle of a disintegrating body, mind, and soul. You are one year closer to returning to this universe as spontaneously as you came into existence. Make the most of it. P.S. Happy Birthday!
humour // no. 23
issue 05 // volume 42
Image via thinkstock
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
Simple tips to avoid the freshman 15
All achievable, all to create a better you! Humour Editor humour@theotherpress.ca
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ne month of university finished, seven more to go. At this point, you freshmen are just figuring out how to warm up your breakfast pizza, how to shotgun beers without spraying yourself in the face, and exactly how long you can sleep in until it’s too late to catch the bus. I feel for you, so I offer a simple guide to keep your physique in tip-top shape as you propel yourself through the terrifying catacombs of your first semester. Rest. Let yourself sleep those few extra minutes. Sleep is essential for a healthy body, and the three cups of coffee you had after 6 p.m. yesterday aren’t helping. Additionally, being late
for the bus is great for an active student, as you are forced to chase after it, or walk the few kilometres to class. Either way, it’s a win-win! Diet. Dieting during your semesters is important, for more than just your health. Just think how much money you can save by barely eating anything! Those few packages of oatmeal in the top shelf of your cupboard should be able to sustain you till after finals. If you’re smart, you can make a large pizza last you a full week. You’ll be shedding pounds at an alarming rate! Sweat. As Lululemon tells us, sweating once a day is important. Whether it be from running to catch the bus you missed, or the anxiety sweats you can achieve every night by thinking about all the responsibilities, work, and commitments you now have, sweating is a great way to expel
all the toxins that the expired oatmeal put into your body. Work out. Many university campuses offer great workout areas and intramural sports. Simply fit it into your schedule of five classes, a part-time job, and binge-drinking your sorrows away, and you’ll be feeling healthy in no time! Also, sweat works as a natural aphrodisiac, so you’ll be raking in the hotties when you go to class right after the gym. Date. Dating is a great way to relieve stress during your first year of university. Sure, you will probably have to pay for the date, and no one will be assertive enough to decide where to go, but it’s all worth it by the end of the night when you end up half-drunk in a dimly lit dorm room. They may even share some leftover pizza with you in the morning.
Illustration by Cara Seccafien
Chandler Walter
by David Manky, Contributor
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