Other Press Feb. 18

THE DOUGLAS COLLEGE NEWSPAPER SINCE 1978

OtherPress.

The

Room 1020 – 700 Royal Ave. Douglas College New Westminster, BC V3L 5B2

TELEPHONE: 604.525.3542 WEBSITE: theotherpress.ca EMAIL: editor@theotherpress.ca

STAFF LIST Jacey Gibb Editor-in-chief  editor@theotherpress.ca Natalie Serafini Assistant Editor  assistant@theotherpress.ca Angela Ho Business Manager  accounting@theotherpress.ca Chris Paik Distribution Manager  distribution@theotherpress.ca

Internet entrapment:

commenter beware, you’re in for a snare Jacey Gibb Editor-in-chief

Cody Klyne Layout Manager Joel McCarthy Graphics Manager Ed Appleby Ilustrator Jony Roy Social Media Coordinator Patrick Vaillancourt News Editor  news@theotherpress.ca Cheryl Minns Arts Editor  arts@theotherpress.ca Sophie Isbister Life & Style Editor  lifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca Elliot Chan Opinions Editor  opinions@theotherpress.ca Eric Wilkins Sports Editor  sports@theotherpress.ca Courtnie Martin Sports Reporter Sharon Miki Humour Editor  humour@theotherpress.ca Cazzy Lewchuk Aidan Mouellic Julia Siedlanowska Staff Writers Steven Cayer, Brittney MacDonald Senior Columnists Hope Aquino-Chien, Maria Asselin-Roy, Lindsey Florio, Anna Graham, Andrew Jerabek, Josh Martin, Kiera Obbard, Jerrison Oracion, Philippe Payeur, Whitney Sharp Contributors

editor @theotherpress.ca

I

’ve developed a dangerous new habit over the past couple years.

I suppose that, at least in comparison to other addictions, mine isn’t overly harmful. It lacks the cancerous agents found in cigarettes, the price tag that comes with being addicted to online shopping, or the liver damage caused by alcoholism.

When directly compared to any of the above, arguing with strangers on the Internet seems like an extracurricular more than anything. However, it’s become a real threat to my downtime and general sense of contentment.

I grew up with the Internet as a large part of my life. I was the family member that other family members yelled at for bogarting the house’s one phone line, chatting to acquaintances over MSN Messenger, and discussing just how great Evanescence was through Nexopia forums. My Internet usage was pretty tame compared to some, as I never became that into posting things online and stuck to the social media platforms I knew. I was



always more of an observer than a commenter—and it wasn’t until recently that I realized how valuable of a difference that was.

I think it all started during the rise of planking.

Or maybe we could trace it all the way back to Black “Friday.”

Whatever ground zero of my obsession with online arguing was, it doesn’t matter. More recently my opinions have revolved around things like NekNominations and the neverending controversy over Woody Allen’s Cecil B. DeMille Award.

I couldn’t help myself when someone posted the article by Lindsay Bottos about how “The act of women taking selfies is inherently feminist,” opting to rant about Bottos’ absurd comparison instead of being the person who just closes their laptop and walks away. People making comments that have already been made a thousand times over are what keep these trends in the spotlight.

I’m not saying people shouldn’t be voicing their opinions through Facebook.

You can do whatever you want with your profile and if that means scrapbooking a bunch of different articles from around the Internet to convey your own viewpoints, woohoo for you.

Just remember that no one is

cruising their newsfeed to have an epiphany. Ninety-nine per cent of the time a discussion comes up on Facebook, it’s going to dissolve into a back and forth between a handful of individuals who are already too engrained in their opinions to even consider another side; this is the best case scenario.

The worst case scenario is an instantaneous insult-war about how a person spelled a word wrong or used incorrect grammar. Humans have come a long way in some instances, and yet in other ways we haven’t.

Generally speaking, I support having a dialogue for people to exchange their opinions. Censorship bad, freedom of speech good, yada yada. But sometimes you have to sever the communication connection for people’s own good. The Other Press’ website is a great example of how I feel about online commenting.

We currently have 366,314 comments awaiting approval and I can all but guarantee that most of them are from spammers. We’ve discussed adding a commenting section to the website where it connects to a person’s Facebook, but I honestly don’t see how much good it would do. People can comment when the article is posted to our Facebook

page; section editor emails are included in the newspaper if someone wants to write a letter to the editor (which I encourage people to do!); and if you’re really feeling steamed about a certain topic, why not contribute an article yourself?

It doesn’t take much to take an opinion and turn it into a piece for the newspaper, and then you can continue the cycle of someone’s viewpoints coming into contrast with someone else’s.

Back to my own personal affliction with Internet commenting, I thankfully have been able to restrict my vocalizations to Facebook, so I’m at least not opening a Pandora’s box. Having your own opinions is great; having opinions that go against the grain are even better. Just please find a constructive way to channel your expressions instead of just bloating someone else’s Facebook status.

Start a blog, join Twitter, or even just save your thoughts for a conversation IRL. At least your friends will be more forgiving of your terrible grammar.

Get to know us!

 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.



theotherpress.ca

the summer. We receive our funding from a student levy collected through tutition fees every semester at registration, and from local and national advertising revenue. The Other Press is a member of the Canadian University Press (CUP), a syndicate of student newspapers that includes papers from all across Canada.



facebook.com/DouglasOtherPress



twitter.com/theotherpress

 The Other Press reserves the right to choose what we will publish, and we will not publish material



youtube.com/user/theotherpress

that is hateful, obscene, or condones or promotes illegal activities. Submissions may be edited for clarity and brevity if necessary. All images used are copyright to their respective owners.



instagram.com/theotherpress

 The Other Press is published weekly during the fall and winter semesters, and monthly during

This issue:

Have an idea for a story? Let us know!

 WestJet to be first Canadian airline to offer broad Wi-Fi access

Contact: Patrick Vaillancourt, News Editor

 Yaletown boutique in ongoing battle with anti-fur protesters

 news@theotherpress.ca

 Focus on youth, training in federal budget

www.theotherpress.ca

And more!

Canadian economists come out swinging against federal budget  Statement calls on the Harper government to stop austerity for ideological objectives Patrick Vaillancourt News Editor

A

news @theotherpress.ca

number of high-profile Canadian economists and academics have come out against the federal government’s new budget, which was announced on February 11 by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty.

The economists signed a joint statement titled “Economists Against Austerity” which calls upon the federal government to increase public spending to jumpstart the Canadian economy and achieve a better rate of employment among Canadians.

The group calls on the Conservatives to “stop implementing fiscal austerity measures just to achieve its political goal of budgetary balance by 2015.”

The budget announced last week is thin on new spending, while much of the spending contained within it is from previously announced initiatives in last year’s budget.

The Harper government projects that they will run a $2.9-billion deficit this fiscal year, and are aiming for a

surplus of over $6 billion by 2015, setting it around the time of the next scheduled federal election.

Some economists suggest that the Conservatives have already achieved a balanced budget, given that the projected deficit this year does not take into account a federal contingency fund of $3 billion. In theory, this gives the Government of Canada a razorthin surplus this year of $100 million.

The Harper government is opting to wait until the 2015 budget announcement to proclaim that the government has achieved a surplus.

The group of economists, made up of political science and economics professors from across the country, states that the achievement of a political objective should not be the motivating factor behind stingy government spending.

“We believe that such austerity policy is terribly misguided. Not only are cuts in government spending completely inappropriate in the current context, but also the primary macroeconomic concern of the federal government ought to be the achievement of high levels of

What is needed is a rise, not cuts, in public spending and the abandonment of the ideology of austerity. incomes and full employment for all Canadians, rather than the attainment of an elusive political target of budgetary balance that condemns the Canadian economy to remain stuck in a state of long-term stagnation,” says the statement.

The group cites that Canada has a sovereign currency which gives it the flexibility to spend for the betterment of the Canadian people, something that Eurozone countries only wish they retained and are just coming to grips with now.

“What is needed is a rise, not cuts, in public spending and the abandonment of the ideology of austerity.”

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and the C.D. Howe Institute are also in agreement that the budget is too tight to help the average Canadian family.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper enters the House of Commons to table Economic Action Plan 2014 By www.pm.gc.ca

Douglas Students’ Union holds annual general meeting  AGM discusses finances, motions, and agenda

Cazzy Lewchuk Staff Writer

T

he Douglas Students’ Union (DSU) held its annual general meeting (AGM) on February 6. The meeting was held on the upper floor of the student union building located at the New Westminster campus. A full agenda was announced and approved, along with a finance report, introduction of representatives, and a question and answer period.

The AGM was emceed

by Jesse Stamberg, internal relations coordinator for the DSU. In addition to his leadership, the chair for the meeting was represented

by Zachary Crispin, the BC representative on the national executive of the Canadian Federation of Students. An auditor was also called in to release the official financial report of the previous year.

The DSU reported an unqualified financial audit, meaning that they are in a good position financially due to secure investments made in the last year; one notable example of such investments was the changing of the student health

plan provider. It also means the union has spent and balanced the entire allotted budget, and did not record a deficit.

Unlike some previous meetings, there were no irregularities or bylaw changes presented. Consequently, there were no votes carried out. This is a major reason for the short length of the meeting, which lasted just over 30 minutes.

The only motion that was discussed was the appointment of the financial auditor, and the membership approved the appointment of Tompkins Wozny Miller and Co. for the fiscal school year of September 2013 – August 2014.

Student turnout at the

AGM was lower than expected, with only about 35 students attending, in addition to the DSU staff. An annual report was circulated to all attendees, which detailed many of the events organized by the DSU. A letter from the union was also included, outlining its successful year in providing better finances, events, campaigns, and facilities.

Despite the low attendance and quick finish, most DSU representatives felt the meeting was a success. Stamberg stated that “the general feel of the meeting was great. We felt very positive and proud of all the accomplishments we were reporting on from the past

year. It went very smoothly, as expected.”

The end of the meeting included a question-andanswer period from the students to the DSU staff.

Many questions about what the DSU has done and continues to do were answered. Several misconceptions were cleared up, such as on what the DSU has control over and how the union is distinct from Douglas College.

Tim Rattel, executive director of the DSU, stated “We were very happy that so many people were asking questions.”

news // 4

theotherpress.ca

Staying connected while in flight

 WestJet to be first Canadian airline to offer broad Wi-Fi access

Patrick Vaillancourt News Editor news @theotherpress.ca

F

light crews at one of Canada’s largest airlines are soon going to have to come up with a new blurb to replace the one about turning off wireless devices before take-off.

WestJet has announced that it will begin offering their passengers Wi-Fi connectivity while in flight by the end of 2014.

The Calgary-based airline is looking to improve its business traveller market, a demographic

generally dominated by Air Canada. Offering Wi-Fi as an option will allow its passengers to surf the web, check and respond to email, and even stream their favourite shows while in transit.

The system is a part of WestJet’s plan to revamp its in-flight entertainment system, and Internet connectivity will be offered via satellite uplink, a service offered by Panasonic Avionics Corporation, which provides much of the in-flight entertainment systems for the world’s airlines.

WestJet will be testing the system on one of its aircraft before gradually rolling out the

system to the rest of its fleet of jets.

The plan will also include a bit of an interior renovation of the aircraft, as WestJet plans to install USB outlets on slimmer seat backs, replacing their current stock of seats with embedded screens. The outlets will allow passengers to charge their wireless devices while in flight.

Some have taken to online forums and discussion boards to express concerns about the plan for slimmer seats, saying that the airline is looking to create room for more passengers on already cramped airplanes. WestJet

has not responded to these claims, but the Other Press has spoken with a flight engineer, Robert Rorison, who says that the seating capacity on an aircraft is often determined by the aircraft’s manufacturer and stipulated in Transport Canada regulations.

WestJet will also account for those passengers who are not flying with their own wireless devices, offering up tablets for passengers to use. There is no word on whether the airline plans to charge for device rentals or what those devices may be. WestJet’s internal data suggests that about 75 per cent of their passengers travel with

their own wireless devices.

While WestJet’s plan is groundbreaking for Canada, it was beaten in the Wi-Fi race by Air Canada’s discount carrier Rouge. However, although PC laptops functioned easily using a plug-in downloaded onboard, owners of Apple devices had to download an app prior to boarding the plane to use the Wi-Fi service. WestJet’s plan is to offer broader access to passengers with multiple devices.

The plan will still require regulatory approval from Transport Canada, a process which is expected to take place later this year.

Yaletown boutique in ongoing battle with anti-fur protesters  Protests outside Brooklyn Clothing Co. ongoing for nearly three months

Aidan Mouellic Staff Writer

T

here is perhaps no clothing material more prone to controversy than fur, and a Vancouver retailer is feeling the effects of protesters wanting the use of fur in fashion eliminated.

The Vancouver Animal Defence League (VADL) has made Brooklyn Clothing Co., an upscale boutique located in Vancouver’s Yaletown district, a focal point in their ongoing battle against the retailer’s stocking fur-trimmed clothing. The VADL is specifically targeting the sales of Canada Goose, which uses coyote fur on its coat hoods.

The protests at the small Yaletown shop began approximately three months ago after the VADL had encountered success at influencing other local retailers to stop selling products linked to animal aubse. Both Grouse Mountain

and Hills of Kerrisdale were targeted by the VADL and decided to pull the items from their shelves after mounting pressure from the group.

The Canada Goose jackets in question are manufactured in Canadian facilities in both Toronto and Winnipeg and have been dubbed as the warmest jackets in the world, due to the Canadian goose down insulation used.

The United States Antarctic Program uses the company’s parkas as part of equipment in the South Pole. The Torontobased company also sponsors Lance Mackey, the legendary Alaskan dog sled racer. Canada Goose has cultivated a reputation for shielding those in extremely cold climates.

The VADL has a different viewpoint of the Canadian outfitter. In an interview with the Other Press, VADL volunteer Megan Griffin said that “Canada Goose is 100 per cent bullshit. Ninety-nine per cent of people wearing Canada

Goose jackets are walking around the streets of Vancouver, Tokyo, or Europe where temperatures rarely go below zero. We’re not talking about arctic explorers here; we’re talking about fashionistas.”

Canada Goose defends their use of the material. The company says that they use coyote fur because “it works to disrupt airflow and create turbulent (warm air), which protects the face from frostbite.”

Canada Goose also claims that by using only certified Canadian fur trappers that are regulated by the government, they are sourcing their fur ethically.

Griffin disagrees and says that “Trapping is not ethical or humane, these snare and leg hold traps torture animals who sometimes have to chew their legs off to free themselves.”

The boutique’s owner, Jason Overbo, has said that he supports the VADL’s right to protest but believes that they are acting as bullies instead of peaceful

protesters. In a statement, he says that he has “talked to every business within two blocks of [Brooklyn Clothing Co.] and they’ve all been very sympathetic to our cause. They understand that this is just bullying, pure and simple…”

Overbo goes on to tell of the protesters harassing passersby.

He has pledged to donate five dollars to anti-bullying campaigns for every customer who decides to wear an anti-bullying button that he is giving away for free inside his shop.

Griffin disagrees with the bullying claims made by Overbo: “I think it’s laughable,” she says. “His whole promotion of us as being bullies… it’s offensive towards those who have experienced real bullying, like children who get bullied because of their sexuality; that’s legitimate bullying, but we’re protesting him because of his inappropriate and violent behaviour towards wildlife.”

The battle is not just between Canada Goose, the

anti-fur Protesters, and the shop anymore: local residents are growing tired of the loud and relentless protests. A petition titled “Urge Vancouver Police to Keep Yaletown Protests Legal” has been set up online, urging Vancouver Police to crack down on the protest which, due to noise concerns, could be illegal if police deem the protesters to be disrupting the peace. Local residents express as much in a letter sent to VancityBuzz. One resident says that “This behaviour is terrorism and has no place in civil society. We are being held hostage to angry, aggressive bullies on a daily basis and we need the city to protect our basic rights as owners and residents of this community.”

The parties involved in this saga appear to be in for a long and arduous war of attrition since all are holding firm in their beliefs and vow to attain their goals, whether that be eliminating fur from shelves or protesters from curbs.

issue 19 // volume 40

news // 5

Focus on youth, training in federal budget  CASA sees it as a step forward while CFS not impressed Jane Lytvynenko CUP Ottawa Bureau Chief

I

n a bid to foster job creation, the Conservative budget, presented on February 11, took a student and training focus.

Aiming to ease debt loads and address a “skills mismatch,” the Economic Action Plan 2014 introduced new programs and changes in funding to existing government initiatives like apprenticeships, internships, and research funding.

“Creating jobs and opportunities remains our government’s top priority,” said Finance Minister Jim Flaherty in his budget speech to the House of Commons. “We’re making sure that opportunities are there for everyone.”

In an initiative to train new workers for available jobs, the Economic Action Plan 2014 announced changes to the Canada Job Grant program, which was created with the last year’s budget. The new program will be launched this year and direct up to $15,000 per trainee in funding from the government and employer.

Since its introduction the program was met with

pushback by the provinces, who were originally asked to provide $5,000 of the $15,000 funding.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau said the Conservatives promised the grant a year ago and were not able to deliver.

Although the program is set to begin April 1, Leader of the Opposition Tom Mulcair is also skeptical.

“This cannot be done without the provinces,” he said to journalists on Parliament Hill.

While employers are still responsible for providing a third of the grant, the budget says if provinces refuse to negotiate an agreement, the remainder of the funding will be provided directly through Service Canada. Employers will also be able to provide their share of the grant through wages, reducing the burden of coming up with $5,000 upfront.

The new budget also created the Canada Apprentice Loan as a part of the Canada Student Loans Program. The loan will “provide apprentices registered in Red Seal trades with access to over $100-million in interest-free loans each year.”

An apprentice will be

eligible for up to $4,000 in loans per period of training. The budget says, “at least 26,000 apprentices are expected to apply.”

“Anytime interest-free loans are made available to students it’s a positive step,” said Jon Champagne, Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) national director.

CASA chair Amanda Neilsen agreed and said the budget—and loan program—are “a step in the right direction.”

Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) national chairperson Jessica McCormick was not as happy with the new loans program. She said rather than adding to the constantly growing student debt in the country, the government needs to allocate funds to grants and non-repayable assistance.

Another project, the Flexibility and Innovation in Apprenticeship and Technical Training (FIATT), is aimed at encouraging innovative training techniques for technical apprentice training.

While only a pilot project, the FIATT will have the ability to support 12 multiyear programs implementing

training techniques such as simulators, video conferencing, and online learning. FIATT will see $13 million in funding over four years, starting this year.

The Youth Employment Strategy overseen by the government annually receives $300 million for skills and experience acquisition. The government will review the program to “align it with the evolving realities of the job market.” According to the budget, the program will likely focus on science, technology, engineering, math, and skilled trade sectors.

Also as a part of the Youth Employment Strategy, the federal government announced a reallocation of $15-million per year for 1,000 internships in small and medium-sized businesses. McCormick said there are 400,000 young people seeking jobs in Canada and “the investment would only affect about one per cent.”

To help with the job search, the government will also make changes to the National Job Bank, modernizing it and making it easy to use.

The federal government acknowledged that the vehicle

assessment for the Canada Student Loans program has not been adjusted since 1995.

The Conservatives say they will eliminate the current $5,000 exemption for vehicles, meaning students who own them can increase their loan amount.

Nielsen said lobbying against the vehicle exemption is a long-time goal for CASA. She is happy the government decided to tackle the problem, saying “that’s going to give students $8 million in financial aid that didn’t exist and improve access.”

However McCormick said eliminating the vehicle exemption barely scratches the surface.

“The vehicle exemption will help some students who have cars but the vast majority of people that are accessing the Canada Student Loans program could benefit from nonrepayable assistance.”

Flaherty said the government is on track to balancing the budget next year as projected.

“We don’t want to pass on our debts to future generations,” he said.

BC government accepts recommendations from liquor policy review  Some changes to come as early as this summer Patrick Vaillancourt News Editor news @theotherpress.ca

C

hanges to British Columbia’s liquor laws could be coming as early as this summer, as the government has accepted all 73 recommendations from a liquor policy review process.

Provincial Justice Minister Suzanne Anton has accepted all of the recommendations made through the open consultation and review process, which included an online forum through which BC residents could submit their ideas.

There are a total of 73 recommendations made to the provincial cabinet, and the government has said that some of them require simple regulatory changes which could be made by the summer. Others, such as

the introduction of “happy hours”—which have been banned throughout the province—may require legislation that will take some more time.

Some of the changes expected to be made in time for the busy summer tourist season include expanding drink selections at public venues, doing away with gated beer gardens at festivals, and allowing children to enter the beer gardens with their parents.

“At family-friendly events, like most music festivals, for example, parents should be able to wander the grounds with their kids and watch the band rather than be caged off in the corner just so they can enjoy a pint,” said Minister Anton.

The most popular change reported by the government was the public’s desire to purchase alcohol in BC grocery stores, a policy already

in place in Quebec. Anton says that a model that makes this feasible includes liquor stores to be allowed to operate within major grocery chains like Safeway.

NDP liquor critic, Shane Simpson, is skeptical of the “store within a store” model.

“If you have a liquor store next door to a Safeway or a Save-on-Foods—a 3,000- or 4,000-square foot liquor store in the same mall—are you going to give that up to put a kiosk that might be 500-square feet inside that food retailer? It doesn’t make any sense,” he said.

Anton said that there were a lot of changes being brought forward and that it will not be a quick process.

Anton added that some of the recommendations being brought forward will require “more extended policy development.”

People responsible for organizing special events

and festivals throughout the province are also toasting the provincial government’s plan to streamline liquor licence applications for special events and festivals. The BC Liquor Branch receives upward of 25,000 applications for special occasion licences every year, a process which is often rife with bureaucratic delays.

“It’s a process that’s become riddled with red tape,” Anton said.

Initial plans are to move licence applications online and create single licences for multi-day events. Under the current system, a multiple-day liquor-serving event would require a licence application for each day of the event.

While the government says that changes to liquor policies in the province are meant to keep the public safe, some BC residents are critical of the more family-oriented changes to liquor laws, such as allowing children into bars

The most popular change reported by the government was the public’s desire to have the ability to purchase alcohol in BC grocery stores, a policy already in place in Quebec. under the supervision of their parent or guardian.

This is the first major overhaul of British Columbia’s liquor policy regime since the early 1990s and is expected to receive widespread support throughout the province given the government’s inclusive consultation process on the issue.

This issue:

Seen something worth sharing?

 ‘Art as Therapy’ at Amelia Douglas Gallery

Contact: Cheryl Minns, Arts Editor

 ‘Opposites attract in latest production of ‘The Odd Couple’

 arts@theotherpress.ca

 ‘Under the Feminist Microscope

www.theotherpress.ca

And more!

Everything is awesome in latest Lego creation  ‘The Lego Movie’ delivers unique animation, plot

Cazzy Lewchuk Staff Writer

J

ust as the catchy theme song of The Lego Movie goes, “Everything is awesome!” this is a fine description for the entire film. It’s all awesome, from the original animation to the captivating plot.

Set inside the many worlds of Lego—from the Wild West to Gotham City—The Lego Movie takes you on an adventure that’s surprisingly charming and original. It features an all-star voice cast, many laugh-out-loud gags, and a charming aura that will delight everybody.

The movie follows the adventures of Emmett (voiced

by Chris Pratt), an extremely ordinary Lego man, who goes after an artifact that may revolutionize the world of Lego forever. With a diverse cast behind him, Emmett sets out to save the entire Lego world.

By no means is The Lego Movie for children only—my

theatre was packed with people in their 20s, perhaps reliving childhood nostalgia. And that’s exactly what the movie does best: it truly sucks you into the Lego world and makes you imagine the childlike wonder of the world’s most popular toy set. Very few films are truly “fun for the whole family,” but this one may actually have succeeded. You’ll laugh, you’ll cheer, and you might even cry.

Your imagination will come alive and get truly drawn into the world of Lego.

At times the film will seem a bit farfetched or unbelievable even considering its fantastic plot, but the distraction is minor, and one doesn’t have to look closely at the plot to be captivated by this story.

The original and detailed unique animation alone is reason enough to see this movie. The voice work is great too, featuring Will Arnett as Batman, Channing Tatum as Superman, and Jonah Hill as the Green Lantern.

When the credits finish rolling and the lights come on, you may be surprised to realize you’re not actually 10 years old anymore.

By www.nowverybad.com

Steven’s Man-Cave: Embrace another Lego piece for your collection  ‘The Lego Movie Videogame’ review

Steven Cayer Senior Columnist

A

lmost every year, the game company TT Games comes out with a game that, in my opinion, is suitable for every age group. They are known for taking famous franchises such as Indiana Jones and reinventing them in Lego form. I have been a huge fan of every Lego game that they have released. From

Lego Star Wars to Lego Lord of the Rings, I’ve enjoyed every moment in between—and The Lego Movie Videogame is no exception.

It tells the story of a construction worker named Emmett, who always follows the instructions and rules. One day, he meets a woman named Wildstyle, who takes him on a journey through the different realms of the Lego world. As with every Lego game, you can find certain collectibles in and around each realm, such as gold bricks, golden instruction manuals, and pairs of pants that

give you different powers.

This game is the very first to have absolutely everything made out of Lego, including environments. Even though the last Lego game just came out in November and another is coming out in the spring, I still can’t get enough of TT Games.

I also love this game because it had a lot of smart humour and heart for all ages. I felt the love that TT put in and I reciprocated.

If you’ve been a diehard fan of Lego games like me, you need to add this game to your collection.

The Lego Movie Videogame // By www.gamefreaks.co.nz

issue 19 // volume 40

arts // 7

Under the Feminist Microscope:

Comic Corner: A fairy tale murder mystery

 ‘Blancanieves’ puts grim back in Grimm

 ‘Fables: Legends in Exile’ review

Snow White is back in black—and white

By Brittney MacDonald, Senior Columnist Julia Siedlanowska Staff Writer

F

W

e all know how most women are portrayed in classic fairy tales: said female is in distress, the Prince rides in on his white steed to save her, and they live happily ever after.

The End. From a feminist perspective this is tiresome, especially when these fairy tales are removed of any of their original grit and gore by the likes of Disney, then spat back out in Technicolor to be consumed by the next 10 generations. While progress is apparently being made with films like Brave and Frozen (which I cannot personally vouch for), the original fairy tales have been dulled down to fit into a less terrifying category.

As many of us know, the traditional folk tales collected by the Brothers Grimm were full of atrocities that would make even a veteran horror fan cringe.

Their visceral evil was meant to scare children and teach them lessons. While the main villain in a fairy tale is often an evil female (usually jealous of another young woman’s beauty), very seldom do we see a protagonist female portrayed as anything but the innocent and virginal victim entirely at the mercy of a wealthy, privileged, and, of course, white and handsome male.

However, Spain’s official submission for the Foreign Language Film category in the 85th Academy Awards reimagined the plot of a classic fairy tale to challenge the stereotypes of feeble female characters.

Based on the story of Snow White, Pablo Berger’s Blancanieves is a silent film set in Andalusia in the 1920s. The film successfully revises the tale with what some might call a feminist twist. In this version, Snow White, or Blancanieves in Spanish, is named Carmen (played by Macarena García) and is the daughter of a famous bullfighter. Carmen is born after her mother sees her husband maimed in a bullfighting accident and goes into a stress-induced labour. Her mother dies in childbirth. After

Director Pablo Berger’s silent film, Blancanieves // By IMDb Carmen’s father hears of his beloved wife’s death, he refuses to see the baby because the pain of losing his wife is too much for him.

As the film goes on, the young girl faces one tragedy after another, but it is never melodramatic. As fate would have it, she goes on to live with her father, an invalid who is only able to move his head, and her evil stepmother, a vain and cruel woman. When her father dies, her stepmother sends her henchman to kill Carmen in order to safely inherit her father’s wealth.

After being choked in a river, the girl is left for dead when she is discovered by a band of travelling bullfighters who happen to be little people. They take her in and she eventually discovers her talent for bullfighting, which is partially in her blood.

A man who is obviously some sort of showman and collector of oddballs has the illiterate Carmen sign a contract to have her perform for him for the rest of her life. After paying tribute to her father in the greatest bullfighting ring in Seville, her stepmother finds her and makes her eat a poison apple. She falls into a deep sleep and is kept on as a curiosity in a circus, indeed performing for the rest of her life. Men line up to kiss her in hopes they will be the ones to wake her from her eternal slumber. The last shot is a single tear falling from the girl’s eye.

The film passes under the feminist microscope in several ways. Most obviously in the fact that Carmen is a heroine— she dies a hero’s death after solidifying her place within the traditionally patriarchal sport of bullfighting. Another point is that she never relies on a male lover to save her. Although

she does rest much of her life’s desire in meeting her father, it is only a filial devotion because she knows that her father is as helpless as she is under the eye of her stepmother. They are only together to pass the time more happily.

There are also plenty of other subtler implications of feminism. In one very phallic image of a fountain pen rising, Carmen signs away her life on the ringmaster’s contract.

When she saves one of her male colleagues from being trampled by a bull and discovers her talent for the craft, the wouldbe victim is ungrateful and simply jealous of the attention she receives. This image resonates all too closely with the lack of camaraderie that can be felt when a man “loses” to a woman. The ego is bruised, and there is resentment where there would otherwise be pats on the back.

Although Carmen is doe-eyed and beautiful, she never uses her beauty to get what she wants. She is heroic and dignified the whole way through, and yet she is imprisoned in the end by the forces around her. The end is the most saddening image of them all. She remains pure throughout her life but is taken advantage of by the cruel world in which she lives. Her stepmother is a large part of her demise, but the ultimate indignity and insult in the end is by the man with the phallic pen.

Blancanieves is a beautiful film. Perhaps Carmen would be more of a hero if she took more action regarding her situation.

Or maybe the director’s point is exactly in the Joan of Arc-type story: the heroine is thrust into heroism and punished for it because she doesn’t fit into the patriarchal order.

ables is a graphic novel series that has inspired a cult following of fans as well as its very own video game. It employs an interesting concept of fairy tale characters such as Snow White and the Big Bad Wolf living in modern day New York, after their magical homelands have been taken over by a mysterious enemy. Despite the interest I have in the overall concept, I found this first volume in the series a bit mediocre.

Written by Bill Willingham, the plot follows Sheriff Bigby Wolf, a.k.a. the Big Bad Wolf, and Deputy Mayor Snow White as they investigate the disappearance of Snow White’s sister, Rose Red. Suspecting a violent crime has taken place due to the bloody scene left at Rose’s apartment, the pair encounter plenty of fairy tale suspects to interview, including notorious folk tale serial killer Bluebeard and giant-slayer Jack from Jack and the Beanstalk. Although it sounds exciting, I found the plot a little too predictable for my taste. However, the jabs at Snow White’s and Cinderella’s ex-husband Prince Charming were fun.

Artistically, the style used in Fables is very traditional, almost to the point where it makes the book appear older than it is. Lan Medina, Steve Leialoha, Craig Hamilton, and Sherilyn van Valkenburgh use a heavy hand with their ink and colour that readers who are used to the subtler touches of the modern North American style might not find appealing, but it will certainly draw in the old school, classical fans out there.

I’ll probably leave the next book for a rainy day of boredom, but I will return to it. Based on that, I recommend this book as a gateway into an interesting series.

Art is the window to peoples’ lives  ‘The Monuments Men’ review

By Steven Cayer, Senior Columnist

D

uring the Second World War, a small, unsuspecting group of architects is gathered together to form a team they called the Monuments Men. This story isn’t really known in today’s society, which is why George Clooney has decided to tell it to us in his new war movie called The Monuments Men, which is based on the book of the same name.

The group was formed solely for the purpose of trying to save art that Hitler stole to fill his own museum with. The Monuments Men needs to get close enough to the front lines to check that they don’t blow up certain buildings that could contain the art. Soon they become soldiers themselves, getting thrown into the war.

Clooney gathered an impressive cast to join him, including Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Jean Dujardin, Bob Balaban, Hugh Bonneville, and Cate Blanchett to top it off.

You’d think this movie would be epic just looking at the cast.

The story itself was good, the cast was great, but there was something missing. Maybe I expected the characters to be better described, or the script was just a bit too light for a war movie, or maybe it’s just Blanchett’s French accent.

Some scenes had really great emotional acting, as in Murray’s big scene, but I guess I just expected a lot more from this movie.

arts // 8

theotherpress.ca

Art exhibition explores artist’s tragedy and triumphs  ‘Art as Therapy’ at Amelia Douglas Gallery Cheryl Minns Arts Editor arts @theotherpress.ca

P

. Thomas Wood’s Art as Therapy exhibition opens February 21 at the Amelia Douglas Gallery. A collection of paintings, ceramics, and digital works will adorn the walls and hallways, showcasing Wood’s amazing journey from being an abstract artist to rediscovering art as a form of therapy after suffering a devastating car accident.

“The one thing that I loved in the beginning—which was making art and being an artist— ended up being something that saved me in the long run because I was able to use art to bring myself back from the mess that I was left in after the accident,” he said.

He attributes the show’s theme of artist therapy to the gallery committee at Douglas College, which encouraged him to show his work as a part of his recovery.

“This artist therapy was more an idea of Douglas College because when I went in and did my interview and they asked me about myself all this came out,” he said. “They were really intrigued in turning this negative circumstance into a positive one.”

But it wasn’t an easy journey for Wood to get back into creating art after the accident, especially since he struggled with memory loss due to a head injury he sustained.

“My biggest problem was when I first went down and started to paint abstract, and then when I would come back the next day, I couldn’t remember where I was last or

Cross Section // By P. Thomas Wood what I was doing because my short-term memory was shot,” he explained.

Wood eventually discovered that creating art with the use of a grid and colour theory instead of abstract ideas allowed him to track the development in his creation because the artwork followed certain rules.

“The grid worked out extremely well especially with some of my larger paintings, which have 150 to 300 different little squares on them. I would go down and paint two or three squares a day and then I could come back the next day and I could find out what I was doing by looking at the squares that I’d just done,” he said. “I worked a lot of colour theory in there and it was a way for me to mark where I was and what I was doing.”

While his artwork played a large part in his recovery from

the accident, he also attributes his improved state to his family and pets, especially his cat Jason.

“There were days when I just didn’t want to get out of bed, so my cat would come in and bug me and wake me up and I’d end up having to get up and deal with him and feed him,” Wood recalled. “Coming home to my cat was a really important factor to me getting well because it was somebody who unconditionally loved you regardless of what had happened to you or what the day was like.”

Jason helped Wood get his life back on track, which Wood thought was reciprocation for rescuing the stray cat that was out in the cold and looking for scraps.

“I helped him in the beginning—he was starving and he was dying, so we let him into the house and he ended up being such a beautiful animal,”

he said. “I had helped him and then he helped me. It’s kind of like he paid me back.”

Wood will present an artist talk on February 21 at the Douglas College New Westminster campus. As a former teacher, he is excited about entering a classroom again to speak with students.

“Going back into the classroom I think is going to be really interesting. I hope I’m as animated as I used to be,” he said. “This is going to be the first time in seven years I’m going to be able to go back into a classroom again.”

The Art as Therapy’s opening reception from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Amelia Douglas Gallery. The exhibit will be on display until April 11.

To learn more about Wood’s art, visit his website at patrickwoodartworx.wix.com/ artworx

Opposites attract in latest production of ‘The Odd Couple’  Play takes comedic look at problems Josh Martin Contributor

T

he Odd Couple begins by introducing the audience to Oscar (played by Andrew McNee) and his four friends, who seamlessly play poker, drink beer, and eat green and brown sandwiches courtesy of Oscar while firing lines back and forth at one another.

Oscar exemplifies an early 30s, divorced, alcoholic bachelor living in an eightbedroom, deluxe apartment with a carefree and messy lifestyle. He has his friends over on Friday nights for poker, beer, and banter, and on this particular night one of the guys, Felix (Robert Moloney), shows up in a drunken stupor with thoughts of suicide after the end of his 12-year marriage.

After the guys rally Felix, Oscar invites him to move into his home and live there for a while

to get his mind straight. Felix obliges and we are instantly thrust into the middle of the cat-and-mouse game between these two characters, with Felix obsessively cleaning Oscar’s garbage trail and sty of an apartment while Oscar continues his carefree lifestyle.

This goes on until both characters cannot stand one another.

We even get to meet two young English women, Cecily (Kate Dion-Richard) and Gwendolyn (Sasa Brown), from the flat upstairs who join in on the comedic gag between Oscar and Felix as they come down for a dinner made by Felix. After many awkward conversations, Felix blabbers about the end of his marriage and the two ladies fall for his sensitivity— to Oscar’s disgust. This is the last straw for Oscar and he orders Felix to move out of his apartment at once. Felix leaves

and soon after, Oscar finds himself in turmoil, begging for the return of his once-annoying friend.

With writer Neil Simon bringing a comedic approach to these seemingly dark and serious issues in The Odd Couple, you get a suspension of disbelief when entering the world of Oscar and Felix. It touches on suicide, alcoholism, and divorce, yet you leave the theatre smiling and laughing.

Writing like that takes a genius to master, and luckily the acting in this portrayal of The Odd Couple did it justice.

The most impressive work from these actors was their technique. The several poker games that take place at Oscar’s apartment have the characters sitting around the table playing poker while eating a sandwich, drinking a beer or scotch, and getting up to do various tasks.

These actors have to have all

of those aspects completely rehearsed and coincided with one another so that it looks seamless and natural to the audience. They have to deliver their lines in between their actions and make sure that the intention behind the line is clear and direct, all of which takes hours and hours of practice—as was evident in their performance.

One of the most humbling aspects of The Odd Couple is that it’s a very simple concept that is magnified on the value of friendship. Everyone can relate to these characters in some way, shape, or form, and this is an immediate draw to the play. There are flaws in these characters that go unresolved (Oscar’s alcoholism and Felix’s divorce), which is both realistic and a breath of fresh air. It is very deterring when all loose ends in a story get wrapped up nicely at the end of a show.

These characters still have flaws that they need to work on— something that everyone can recognize.

Overall, I would highly recommend making it out to the Stanley Theatre and experiencing John Murphy’s version of The Odd Couple.

He’s done a wonderful job as director, which is evident in the hard work and polish behind each character. The actors have brought these characters to life with all of their idiosyncrasies and technical work. This is one show you surely can’t miss.

This issue:

Have an idea for a story? Let us know!

 Your cup of Joe can be so much more

Contact: Sophie Isbister, Life & Style Editor

 Make the best impression at first glance

 lifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca

 Stat holidays we should probably have

www.theotherpress.ca

And more!

Live like an Olympian

 Tips for elite success in fitness and life Sophie Isbister Life & Style Editor lifeandstyle @theotherpress.ca

D

o you want to be more like your favourite member of Canada’s Olympic team in Sochi? Olympians are admirable in a lot of ways: they’re elite athletes, at the top of their game, and ambassadors for our fine and friendly country. They are dedicated to fitness in a way that many of us are not, and the secret to their success is hard work. But if you want to be more like an Olympian without all the focus, there are a few minor things you can do.

Despite the fact that the Olympics are sponsored by McDonalds and Coca-Cola, it’s safe to say that most Olympians don’t consume a lot of Fan Packs. Canadian figure skating silver-medalist Patrick Chan has told the Toronto Sun that he eats a primarily gluten-free and organic diet, and doesn’t spend too much time on the couch.

Figure skater Meagan Duhamel eats a plant-based diet, and she told the Globe and Mail that she eats a smoothie every day with “spinach, beets, bananas, peanut butter, chia seeds, coconut milk, and cinnamon”—sounds like a

winner! It seems like the fitness magazines aren’t joking around when they tout vegan and gluten-free whole foods. A diet rich in healthy goodness is part of what it took to get both Chan and Duhamel to Sochi.

And what about working out? Well, that all depends on the kind of sport, but figure skaters like Chan avoid weight training in favour of cardio, light resistance training, and core work like Pilates. Balance is a big deal for those who compete on the slopes and rinks alike. Lower body work is huge for speed skaters. And of course, many winter Olympians train by doing what they do best—their sport of choice. That’s why we’re in luck in beautiful British Columbia, the land of many snow-capped mountains.

The first several weeks of 2014 were unseasonably dry, but thanks to a few days of rain the coastal ski hills are loaded with snow and waiting for you to show up with your skis and snowboards. There are three options just a stone’s throw from the Lower Mainland, so if you’re looking for a way to be even more like a winter Olympian, then Cypress, Grouse, and Seymour are your buddies this month.

If extreme mountain sports are a tad out of your budget, a simple ice skating trek is a fun option. Enjoy a spin around the rink; because we hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics, Vancouver has high-quality skating infrastructure. Robson Square in downtown Vancouver has free ice skating every day—all you have to pay for is skate rentals.

It’s open until 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays (I recommend going late to avoid the kiddies), but it closes for the season on February 28, so get your skate on while you still can.

If none of that tickles your fancy then you’re in luck, because there’s one more thing that Olympians do to stay in shape and also blow off steam, and that’s bang each other like it’s going out of style. Reports from Sochi (and indeed reports from previous Games) say that casual sex definitely happens.

And in 2014, this is helped along by social media hookup app Tinder, which, according to several reports, is being used extensively in the Olympic Village. Casual sex among Olympians makes perfect sense: a bunch of fit, hot, and youthful people in close quarters for a limited time? Sparks are bound to fly! Hey, it kind of reminds me of college.

Patrick Chan // By www.ctvnews.ca

Canada gets the gold for Olympic style

 Sochi Olympic Games outfits for Team Canada win points for taste and class

Aidan Mouellic Staff Writer

T

he Olympic Games are primarily a sports competition, but I find myself getting just as excited by what the athletes are wearing as by what they are actually doing. This is most evident during the Opening Ceremonies. In the Parade of Nations, athletes walk around the stadium waving hello and making silly faces to the cameras. To some, this is a great time to get off the couch and grab some nachos, but I always get excited to see what sort of extravagant and ghastly outfits get shown off to the world.

During the Vancouver

Olympic Games, I was underwhelmed by Canada’s outfits, as I felt that they could have been a bit classier and less ski-chalet chic. Canada stepped it up for the Sochi games: the athletes wore new outfits designed by the Hudson’s Bay Company that are simply beautiful. The wool duffle coats and the down coats are classy and bold, yet understated at the same time—a feat that’s not always easy to pull off.

My favourite piece in the Canada collection is definitely the wool duffle coat. The classic red coat (retailing for $275 full-price, $199.99 on sale) is clean and simple with a dark red accenting band at the bottom—its understated class is a far cry from the 2008 Beijing outfits that team

Canada wore, which were so awful that the Bay likely had to burn their whole inventory since no one bought any of it.

Canada wasn’t the only nation putting on a fine fashion show at the Sochi Olympics— France, Japan, and Germany made a very strong impression with their chosen attire. Team France is sponsored by Lacoste and wore the company’s gear from head to toe, looking fashionable in grey down-filled blazers and khaki pants. That may sound dull, but the details are key, and the team’s look was sharp with their French tricolour scarves and matching toques. The hem on their pants even featured French tricolour selvedge which I thought was genius. Often countries

think that outfits need to be loud, bold, and flamboyant to really show their nation’s personality; the French have shown that it’s not necessary.

The German delegation wore extremely loud, bright, and extravagant outfits for the ceremonies, and despite my preference for simplicity, I loved it. The Sochi Olympics have been marred by controversy for a variety of reasons, one being Russia’s stance on gay rights. At first glance, the German outfits appeared to be made out of pride flags, a symbolic dig at Russia’s political viewpoints likely. The German team has denied that the uniforms are in support of LGBT rights—but I’m pretty sure they are, and I like that a lot.

The other nation that stood out for me was Japan. The Japanese Olympic team wore tame suit ensembles that almost made them look like flight attendants. Their coats were the stand-out piece of their uniform; grey and woollen, the coats were clean, simple, and adorned with a classy Team Japan Olympic patch and some gold buttons for a symbolic winning touch.

Although I am not Japanese, I would definitely wear one of these coats out on the town.

The Olympics are a time for nations to show their goods on the world stage, whether it is through sports or fashion—it’s important to prepare in advance to deliver solid performances, and many nations did just that.

life & style // 10

theotherpress.ca

Study snacks: Bacon, cheddar, and beer muffins  Sweet meets savoury in this tasty treat Sophie Isbister Life & Style Editor lifeandstyle @theotherpress.ca

N

othing says “I am going to totally crush these midterms” like a great-tasting study snack loaded with carbohydrates. These robust muffins are sweet like a muffin should be—but with a salty and chewy bacon twist! The dense and moist texture comes from the beer, which gives these muffins an almost sconelike feel and a delicious yeasty flavour.

I made these muffins for myself, but they were enjoyed by many: my roommate, my bestie, and a bunch of my guy friends who were doing a Golden Mile pub crawl. These muffins are a definite crowdpleaser. The beer is a weird touch, but it adds a unique taste.

You can use any kind of beer: the recipe I adapted suggested an organic lager, but I happened to have a

large bottle of Driftwood Brewery’s Farmhand Ale just sitting around. Farmhand is a saison, which is a slightly peppery Belgian farmhouse ale that I thought would pair well with the muffin’s savoury ingredients. Hindsight being 20/20, I think I would add some fresh rosemary. But there’s always next time!

To make these muffins, first prepare by frying up the bacon until it’s nice and crispy.

Remove it from the pan and chop it into bits. Save the bacon grease and set it aside. Prepare all your other ingredients, and grease a muffin pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and grated cheddar cheese. Then combine the wet ingredients in another bowl: the egg (slightly beaten), the melted butter, the beer, and the bacon grease. Pour the wet over the dry, mix until just combined, and then gently fold in the bacon bits.

Divide the dough (it will be quite sticky) into the muffins

pan, and place in the oven for 15 minutes. Then brush the tops of the muffins with the leftover bacon grease, and bake for a couple more minutes. Cool and enjoy!

Prep time: 25 minutes Bake time: 18 minutes •

8 strips of bacon

•

2 tbsp bacon grease

•

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

•

2 cups flour

•

1/4 cup sugar

•

1 tbsp baking powder

•

1 tsp salt

•

1 egg

•

2 tbsp melted butter (or oil)

•

1 cup beer

By Sophie Isbister

Week 1 of No-poo: it’s not what it sounds like  Can a move away from shampoo really improve my hair?

Sophie Isbister Life & Style Editor lifeandstyle @theotherpress.ca

T

he “no-poo” movement—a beauty trend where shampoo is bucked in favour of baking soda and vinegar— started to take hold when long locks were king. But now, in the era of the J-Law pixie cut and the oh-so-chic long bob (a cut to which at least three of my friends have fallen victim), does no-poo have a place? Read along, dear reader, as I attempt to wash my hair without the aid of shampoo for a whole month.

The rules are simple: no shampoo for four weeks. Dry shampoo is also out of the question. Same with hair-spray or any other similar product; I’m going full hippie, and I’m writing about it for you. Each week I will update you on my experience as my hair goes from normal to terrible and then hopefully back to normal. I’ll also attempt to shed some light on this strange, almost cult-like beauty trend: its history, its proponents, and an in-depth

look at why and how no-poo can be better for your hair.

When I reported on the no-poo trend back in April 2013, I described banishing the bottle as a way to promote hair growth: “If your aim is rapid and healthy hair growth, shampooing your hair too much isn’t advised because when the hair is wet it becomes elastic and prone to breakage.” But there are additional reasons to avoid commercially available hair cleansers.

Perhaps the most compelling reason to go nopoo is that it resets the grease balance of your scalp. Ladies (and gentlemen) on Reddit’s no-poo forum (reddit.com/r/ nopoo) have been sharing their stories of great hair set free from the grease cycle.

Supposedly when you use shampoo, it strips your hair of its natural oils, causing your scalp to become so confused that it immediately starts pumping out enough natural oil to solve the energy crisis. It’s almost like you get addicted to the shampoo.

No-poo breaks that cycle, but it’s not pretty. The Internet doesn’t have a definitive answer for when the greaseexplosion is supposed to end, but not-so-helpful estimates range anywhere from a week to several months. Which is another compelling reason to try it for myself.

How much will my hair freak out, and for how long?

And will I be able to handle washing my lengthy locks with a homemade paste of water and baking soda? Will I feel conditioned enough with a rinse of apple cider vinegar and water? No-pooers don’t completely avoid washing their hair; they still wet it regularly, and every few days they wash it with baking soda and vinegar. The theory is that my hair will become softer, more manageable, and less greasy overall.

Stay tuned, because this week I begin testing that theory! Next issue I will discuss how I’m adjusting to my new, greasy overlords.

By Joel McCarthy

life & style // 11

issue 19 // volume 40

F

amily Day this year fell on Monday, February 10, and if you’re anything like me, BC’s newest statutory holiday felt like it was over as soon as it started.

Whether you spent the day clocking time-and-a-half pay, or whiling away the time with your nearest and dearest, you probably feel like you could use another stat, well, stat! Here’s our list of stat holidays that the government should definitely work towards implementing.

1. Dog Day—including a puppy parade!

6. Orange is the New Black Day—everyone gets a day off to marathon season two

2. Good Hair Day Day

7. Nap Day

3. Day after Boxing Day (or Retail Recovery Day)

8. April 20—come on, just make this one happen

4. Christmas in July 5. Shrove Tuesday—falling on March 4 this year, this holiday immediately precedes Lent, and dictates that you make pancakes

9. Don’t Bring Yourself to Work Day 10. Twerk Day

Your cup of Joe can be so much more  It’s the difference that makes it Jacey Gibb Editor-in-chief editor @theotherpress.ca

D

oes a person still have good taste if they’re ignorant to what tastes good?

Like any person with a mouth and affinity for consuming liquids, I love drinking coffee and tea. It’s a prominent step in my morning routine, a preferred time-killer for when I’m between classes, and the perfect late-night companion for when I wasted the day marathoning House of Cards. Oddly enough, despite being someone who’s consumed liquid caffeine for nearly a decade, it wasn’t until recently that I began to actually take note of the differences in quality. I used to be as content as a clam to purchase coffee from the nearest Tim Horton’s, or even duck into a 7-Eleven if it was the most convenient option. The life choices of a slacker came at a cost when I realized I had terrible taste in coffee.

An accurate telling of a coffee comes when you drink it black. I know this isn’t the preferred way for most, but one of the ways people delude themselves into thinking some coffees aren’t that

dreadful is by loading them with coffee and sugar. Sure, this flavourful duo can complement any cup, but the reason why you chug a Tim Horton’s coffee down with ease is because these agents are at work. Plus, a large Double Double clocks in at just under 300 calories, while an extra-large black coffee boasts none. Give your regular brand a taste without the additives and if you would file it under the “undrinkable” column, maybe it’s time to switch

brands.

Now, say you’re not someone who caters to their taste buds. You don’t really care what your coffee tastes like because you’re drinking it for the caffeine kick. Many of the cheaper brands of coffee come with a lower price tag because their beans are of lower quality or the harvesters weren’t paid fairly. You may have heard of “fair trade” products before, but what does it actually mean? Fair trade coffee is when farmers

receive proper compensation for their products; sounds simple enough, but exploitation, especially in developing countries, is a common way to deliver goods at a lower price. It’s the kind of treatment that can leave a bad taste in your mouth.

What if coffee isn’t your cup of tea, but tea is? It’s often seen as a healthier alternative to coffee, but despite the overall feel-good vibes that typically come with curling up to a cup of tea, there’s more lurking in your mug than just Namaste. A lot of the more popular, low-quality tea brands have been found to be loaded with pesticides—to the point where some teas wouldn’t even be allowed in countries with stricter health regulations. Even some of the more expensive, supposedly better tea brands have high percentages of pesticides. And if that doesn’t make you second guess opting

for the cheaper teas, maybe this will: some teabags have been found to leech plastic into your drink. These are all health nightmares you can avoid by doing research into which brands have high concentrations of pesticides and by purchasing loose leaf tea instead of the bagged variety.

For a local source, I’d recommend checking out The Tea Guy, a company that supplies many independent cafés with great tea at about $10-30 per tin (good for about 25 cups).

There are enough scare tactics out there for people to fret over that coffee and tea may not seem like major issues. But almost everyone drinks at least one or both of these beverages, so it’s important to know what goes into your cup and how it got there. It’s not like being slightly more educated about something ever hurt anyone.

life & style // 14

theotherpress.ca

By Sam Diephuis/Getty Images

Make the best impression at first glance  Tips for job interviews Hope Aquino-Chien The Interrobang

A

s much as we would like to believe otherwise, appearances really can make or break your interview. Yes, what is on the “inside” does count, but your first impression begins as soon as you come into contact, when your potential employer only knows you by your resumé. Whether it is right or wrong, in many instances an interview is when you will be judged on how you present yourself and stand out from others.

While body language conveys a lot, your physical appearance also creates an initial perception of you that people will remember.

Therefore it is crucial to dress your best—and that means slightly overdressing.

In First Impressions: What You Don’t Know About How Others See You, authors Ann Demaris and Valerie White explain that the first information people get about something influences how they process any information received afterward. This means that you can generally expect people to believe what they first hear or see as an indicator of the truth.

Do not give anyone a chance to misjudge or misread you on something so easily manipulated. Act and dress to impress!

Eye Contact: Nothing can convey confidence like making strong eye contact. This doesn’t mean staring the interviewer down, but making eye contact can convey a lot of expression that people pick up on.

Facial Expressions: Make sure you are aware of your facial expressions, even while you are listening to someone else speak! Your “resting” face can tell an interviewer a lot about how attentive you can be when receiving information.

Energy Level: No matter whether you are an introvert or extrovert, you should still maintain a good energy level to show that you are eager and ready for challenges.

Posture: Good posture gives off a better impression than going through an interview with slumped shoulders. Body language is definitely observed by interviewers and noted in how you will represent their organization.

Attire: One of the most obvious factors in giving a first impression; there is a lot you can do to dress right. Keep in mind the weather and dress appropriately. Do research and know the standard of dressing for the organization. It is always safe to be a bit more dressed for business than casual.

To increase your chance of the best outcome possible, keep in mind that these are things you should think of while prepping for your interview.

A lot of times candidates will all appear similar based on qualifications, and so what interviewers look for are the qualities that make you an individual, how you will fit into their corporate culture, and how well you will represent their company. When you create a good impression right off the bat, the interviewer will look for more specific information to support their belief in you, and that’s when you get a chance to shine!

TRANSFER

TO QUEEN’S Learn more: queensu.ca/transfer

This issue:

Have your voice heard!

 Give a hand to dial-up Internet

Contact: Elliot Chan, Opinions Editor

 Shoppers beware the lure of loyalty and reward programs

 opinions@theotherpress.ca

 The Report Card: Sport spectators

www.theotherpress.ca

And more!

Be a sport

 Will motor/virtual sports ever be Olympic events?

Elliot Chan Opinions Editor opinions @theotherpress.ca

C

ompetitiveness, athleticism, and focus, I believe those are three necessary requirements of a sport. Other people will have a different definition for it, but generally we can agree what is a sport and what isn’t.

Running is a sport, Temple Run is a mobile game, and sleep running is a disorder; but jokes aside, I believe that like technology, sports are changing, and athletes can be nerds, gear heads, and jocks.

In the 1900 Olympics, auto racing was a demonstration sport showcasing its appeal to the world. But like floor hockey, American football, and korfball, the International Olympics Committee rejected it as an official event. It’s hard to say how the committee decides which sports to include and which to forgo. It’s definitely not about appeal, since motorsports have a large following in North America, Europe, and Asia.

A common argument against motorsport as an

Olympic event is that driving is not an athletic feat, and that the cars and the mechanics who built them are actually doing most of the work, not the drivers. For those who have never tried to maneuver around another vehicle going 200 miles per hour, they wouldn’t understand the control and concentration a driver must have. Ever avoid a collision in traffic and felt your heartbeat?

The experience is not so different from letting in a lastminute goal or running the last leg of a marathon.

Driving comes with a huge learning curve, and it takes years for one to master; the same is true for tennis, hockey, and javelin. Motorsports are not just an achievement in modern engineering. They’re also respectable sports, sports of maturity.

Virtual sports are harder to advocate for, because globally there is still this notion that any sport played on a computer chair or a couch is not a sport.

Honestly, I feel that physical exertion can come in many positions. The type of strain a virtual athlete goes through is not in the form of sprinting or rowing, but rather through rapid reflexes and precision.

Like archery, video games take an insane amount of focus in order to succeed at an elite level. Also, video games aren’t always brief; they can last for hours and require endurance, in addition to concentration.

Virtual sports’ popularity is undeniable, even if the athletic community shuns it. Spectators gather from all around the world to watch professionals play a game that anybody can play, but few achieve superiority. Like the World Cup, Olympics, and the Super Bowl, virtual sporting events attract a large and passionate demographic. As technology advances and new physical interactions are enabled, such as the Xbox Kinect, I foresee a stronger group of gamers petitioning for respect in the sporting world, which can often feel like the gym class in high school.

Don’t worry gamers and gear heads, I’ve got your back, you won’t be picked last forever—after all, nerds and white-collar professionals are the new popular kids. Don’t be surprised to see an Olympic gold medalist in StarCraft, Street Fighter, and drag racing in the not too distant future.

By Joel McCarthy

The Report Card: Sport spectators Elliot Chan Opinions Editor

W

opinions @theotherpress.ca

hen it comes to our favourite teams and athletes, no matter how poorly they do, we must stick by them, because that’s what a good fan does. But sporting events are polarizing experiences: whatever happens, 50 per cent of the spectators will inevitably be disappointed. So, what is the most enjoyable way to view a game, an event, and a championship tournament and still get your money’s worth?

Pass: The comfort of a home/bar

For the price of admission,

you can throw yourself and your fellow sports fanatics one hell of a house party. Not that you need an excuse, but game nights are the perfect reason to get a good group of friends together. Win or lose, at least you got to spend some quality time with people who share a common interest with you.

I believe that each sport is an art form, but unlike a concert, a theatre performance, or a slam poetry reading, you don’t have to be there in person to enjoy it. That is why there are channels dedicated to sport highlights, yet none dedicated to live Shakespearean productions. The same way music can be a backdrop to a party, so too can a sporting event. It might even give you a reason to cheer at the end.

If finances are a problem (they’re always a problem), then home viewing may just be the obvious choice, but it doesn’t make for any less of a spectacle. Bars are also accommodating alternatives.

Some even offer incentives on game night: for each goal scored, you’ll get a free drink or an opportunity to win a prize at the end of the night. If the odds are with you, your team might not be the only winners.

Fail: Live from the nosebleed section

Who wouldn’t want to be there live during a game seven or an Olympic gold medal game? The pandemonium of victory is an exhilarating feeling that cannot be recreated in any other form.

There’s nothing like 30,000 people cheering for the same reason. But is the frenzy worth it? Personally, I don’t think so.

Live games have become a supply-and-demand market, and the price for key games are often raised to an unreasonable price. Just for an example, the price for the Heritage Classic, a regular season game between the Canucks and the Senators played in an outdoor rink at BC Place, start at $104.20 and goes as high as $324.70. It’s an once-in-a-lifetime experience, it’s a moment you’ll remember forever, but mostly it’s a publicity stunt—an obvious gimmick—and it’s a successful one.

Fans take pride in being diehards, and in order to be considered a diehard, one must

buy season tickets and attend every game religiously, decked out in authentic apparel. A diehard must be succumbed by the capitalistic culture of the sport, right?

No! Sport is not scientology; if you have more money, that doesn’t make you holier or your team better.

Sure, the only way to keep the team afloat is to attend the games, thus paying the athletes and their luxurious lifestyle, but that’s not something the fans should worry about—the fans aren’t the marketing team.

The fans’ only job is to cheer wholeheartedly, and they can do that with the money in their pocket, at home, with a moderately priced beer in their hands.

opinions // 16

theotherpress.ca

Give a hand to dial-up Internet

 The coming of age story of online pornography Philippe Payeur Contributor

I

was born in 1985. I may be of the last generation to masturbate to magazines and the first to masturbate to dialup Internet porn. Porn mags were hard to come by and latenight-cable nudity was in its infancy. We sat through grainy experimental art films for the possibility of a love scene that featured breasts, which were by no means guaranteed. Porn on the computer was exciting and new in 1998, but kids today couldn’t imagine how cumbersome it was.

For starters, the computer was a desktop located in one room—the office. The room with paperclips, file cabinets, and envelopes. This was the business-like setting where we came of age sexually. Avoiding bodily fluid spills on important documents was part of the routine.

Porn only being available in one common room created another problem: you had to have the house to yourself.

School got out at three. The adults would start to trickle in at 5:30 p.m. That was your window in which you had to push your mammoth pubescent hormones through. After racing home and getting undressed, the next step was to disconnect the phone line and dial up the 56k modem.

I may have lost you on a term you may not recognize.

A phone line was a physical cord that was wired through the house connecting to a telephone. The phone didn’t leave the house or needed charging, and the only game on it was called crank phone calls. For more details, ask your parents.

When the Internet first came out, the only way to surf the web was with the phone line, a platform that was never designed for that purpose.

If you’ve never experienced dialing up on a phone line, imagine the laggiest computer you’ve had right before you gave up on it and reformatted— only combine it with about a minute of shrill squealing. It sounds unbearable, but as a horny 13-year-old it howled the promise of carnality. I was on the homepage after five minutes in. The adults would be home in less than 2 hours. Let’s do this.

Watching video clips was completely out of the question; even a 10-second clip could crash the computer. Pictures were my bread and butter.

Finding them was nothing like today. The modern Internet is a monument of meticulous cataloguing, with innumerable videos tagged according to their content. Want porn of a blond midget riding a donkey? Type “blond midget donkey” in any porn search engines and you’re done. The sites that facilitate this make their revenue from banner ads that sell to the

By www.sabotagetimes.com massive traffic.

Back then the landscape was different. A relatively small number of giant pay sites controlled the content tightly, and you needed a credit card to get in. Free content existed on smaller sites, but you had to go looking for it. Search engines were primitive. Once you found a dozen pictures depicting a woman taking her clothes

off—or if you were lucky, two women—you were off. Each picture took a minimum of 30 seconds to load, but once it was loaded the fantasy began. I explored my budding sexuality with an ear perked to the sound of the door lock. Now pornography is as adaptive as the technology that holds and shares them.

Painful points  Shoppers beware the lure of loyalty and reward programs Whitney Sharp Contributor

C

ustomer loyalty isn’t a new concept. Neither is the idea of getting a customer to collect something—points, stamps, stars, stickers—with each visit.

McDonald’s Monopoly pieces, anyone? Gone are the days of ratty, paper business cards encouraging customers to collect stamps with a “buy nine, get 10th free” incentive. Now everyone has a rewards card, and they’re not such a good deal.

Some stores, like the Body Shop and HMV, will charge you to join their rewards program.

MasterCard and Visa now offer credit cards that come with rewards. Their fees vary depending on the card of your choice, but may exceed more than $100 annually. People are spending money just to earn points to spend more money.

Take the enviro Classic Visa for example. You get 2,000 points for joining and then one point for every $2 you spend, with a handful of “double point” exceptions. Now, 50,100 points will get you a new 64GB iPod Touch; yet even if all your purchases were double in point value, that’s still a couple

thousand dollars to get you that iPod. Spending just over $400 would get you the same thing from the Apple Store. Tough choice.

Not all points cards and rewards programs have fees.

Starbucks, Sephora, Best Buy, and Chapters are all free to join, but are they worth it?

Beauty giant Sephora has an insider rewards programs where $1 gets you one point.

Reward levels happen at 100 points, or 500 points. So after you’ve earned 100 dollars of customer loyalty, what can you cash in for? A featured sample.

That’s it. Ranging from minisized nail polish to a half-ounce of perfume. Did I mention you can walk into a Sephora store and ask for a sample of their products for free without purchase? At 500 points, a collection of samples (usually four to six) can be yours. They forget to tell you that usually for less than $500 you can buy the full-sized version of those products. But who needs fullsize when you can have the mini version, right?

Best Buy Rewards are free to join, and members earn one point per dollar spent. Want to save 20 bucks? Simple, it just takes 1,600 points. So, when you

buy that new MacBook, Best Buy will knock $20 off the price.

How thoughtful.

Starbucks has mastered the art of customer loyalty through their rewards program. Want a free Starbucks coffee on your birthday? All it takes is a simple online registration. No big deal. Oh, and then you have to make 30 transactions using your registered card—paying through another method won’t count—to earn gold status.

For all that hard work, and for spending anywhere from $75150, you’ll receive your own personalized (yep, with your name on it) gold card with which you can start earning more stars. Now, every 12 stars (or $30-65) will earn you a free drink or snack. But not both.

Want to keep your gold card?

Just earn 30 more stars within a year to extend your status.

If you have an addictive personality like me, you’re screwed. Just when you think you’ve finally beaten the system and reached the top level, they add a new level requiring even more devotion (and money), and offering slightly more perks. Save yourself some cash; just say no.

By Wikipedia creative commons

Personal Credits Notice

If you received a Common Experience Payment, you could get $3,000 in Personal Credits for educational programs and services.

The Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement.

The healing continues.

Since 2007, almost 80,000 former students have received a Common Experience Payment (“CEP”) as part of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. CEP recipients are now eligible to receive non-cash Personal Credits of up to $3,000, for either themselves or certain family members, for educational programs and services.

What are Personal Credits? Personal Credits may be used for a wide range of educational programs and services, including those provided by universities, colleges, trade or training schools, Indigenous Institutions of Higher Learning, or which relate to literacy or trades, as well as programs and services related to Aboriginal identities, histories, cultures or languages.

Personal Credits of multiple CEP recipients can be combined to support a group learning activity.

How can I get Personal Credits? Each CEP recipient will be mailed an Acknowledgement Form. If you do not receive an Acknowledgement Form by the end of January 2014, please call 1-866-343-1858. Completed Acknowledgement Forms should be returned as soon as possible and must be postmarked no later than October 31, 2014.

How do I redeem my Personal Credits? Once approved, you will be sent a personalized Redemption Form for each individual using Personal Credits at each educational entity or group. Once the Form is received, provide it to the educational entity or How much are Personal Credits?

CEP recipients have the option of group listed. The educational entity or Adequate funds are available for each sharing their Personal Credits with group must then complete and mail back CEP recipient to receive up to $3,000 certain family members, such as: the Redemption Form postmarked no in Personal Credits, depending on your • Children • Spouses later than December 1, 2014. approved educational expenses.

• Grandchildren • Siblings What happens to unused Personal Which educational entities and groups Credits? The value of unused Personal are included? A list of approved educational entities and groups has been jointly developed by Canada, the Assembly Credits will be transferred to the National Indian Brotherhood of First Nations and Inuit representatives. If an educational Trust Fund and Inuvialuit Education Foundation for entity or group is not on the list, please consult the website for educational programs. more information.

For more information, including how Personal Credits can be Will I receive a cheque? No. Cheques will be issued directly redeemed by certain family members of CEP recipients that are deceased, visit www.residentialschoolsettlement.ca or call to the educational entity or group providing the service.

1-866-343-1858.

Who can use Personal Credits? CEP recipients can use the full amount themselves or give part or all of their Personal The IRS Crisis Line (1-866-925-4419) provides immediate Credits to certain family members such as a spouse, child, and culturally appropriate counselling support to former grandchild or sibling, as defined in the terms and conditions. students who are experiencing distress.

1-866-343-1858 • www.residentialschoolsettlement.ca

This issue:

Know the score?

 Men’s basketball loses a tough one to Camosun

Contact: Eric Wilkins, Sports Editor

 Recapping the opening days of the Olympics

 sports@theotherpress.ca

 The spirit of the Games

www.theotherpress.ca

And more!

High five  Men’s volleyball caps off regular season with a win in five sets Eric Wilkins Sports Editor sports @theotherpress.ca

T

he men’s volleyball team hosted the Capilano University Blues on February 15 and closed out their regular season in style. Coming off a loss the previous night in Capilano’s gym, the Royals came out determined to give fifth-year middle Andrew Robson a worthy final home game. A win in five sets seemed appropriate.

“He really symbolizes what this program’s been about.

When he got here, the program hadn’t been to provincials in eight years. We’ve all had to work exceptionally hard to try and grow this program into something that we could all be proud of.

Andy’s the type of guy that really embodies what we’re all about. He wasn’t the most highly recruited player. Not the biggest middle.

Not the fastest middle. But he’s persevered and he’s been tough and he’s grown. And clearly a good teammate—the team responded for him,” said coach Brad Hudson of Robson.

The first set established the tone for the game. Nothing was going to come easy to either squad. The largest lead in the opener was a mere four points with Douglas generally just on top. Highlights from the set included an ace from outside hitter Andrew McWilliam, and fellow outside hitter Drew Ruby winning a joust at the net. Middle Ahmad Mustafa Haq picked up a sprained ankle late in the set, but the team hopes he can suit up next week. First set score: 26-24 for Douglas.

The second set, despite another strong effort from the team, was to be a mirror of the first, with Capilano taking it 2624. The third wasn’t to be Douglas’ either—the Blues winning again: 25-19. The final sets were to be a different story, though. Thanks in part to some strong play at the net from setter Caleb Konrad, middle Nicholas Bridle, outside hitter George Thompson, and Robson, the Royals made like Matt and Kim with block after block. A 2520 win would be the reward for their efforts.

The final set was fought for tooth-and-nail by the teams, but Douglas would take the day.

Down 14-13, Capilano took a final timeout to strategize—before drilling the ball into the net.

Douglas took home the fifth 15-13 for a 3-2 victory.

Thompson said after the game that a provincial win is well within the team’s grasp. “If we step up and play the volleyball on our side of the net that we know we can play, then I think it’s definitely possible for us to take the title.”

Being a fellow Delta Secondary graduate, Thompson had something to say about Robson as well: “We went to the same high school, so he’s really been an inspiration to me, playing all the way since I started in Grade 10. Been a role model. A big leader. He’s part of the reason I came to Douglas. It’s been great to be able to play with him.”

Robson was happy with the win, saying, “It’s good to go out that way.” He remarked on his time at Douglas, “They [the five years] mean everything. It’s obviously something I’ll never forget—huge part of my life. So many friends.”

The team will now look to punch their ticket to nationals, heading to provincials as the third seed.

George Thompson // By Chris Raeside

Provincials tune-up  Women’s volleyball loses final home game Eric Wilkins Sports Editor sports @theotherpress.ca

T

he women’s volleyball team suffered a loss to the Capilano University Blues on February 15.

The game was the final home match for fifth-year middle Kalena Connors and she was recognized before the game for her time with the Royals with a speech from coach Kyra Iannone.

“She’s been a constant inspiration to all of our younger athletes here at Douglas.

She’s dedicated to not only athletics and our team, but to her academics. Her time management and juggling skills are really something that our younger players look up to. It’s great to have such an amazing role model for them.

On a personal level, Kalena has a special place in my heart because she was one of the first reasons I

decided to come to Douglas, and I don’t know Douglas without Kalena, so it’ll be very hard next year to be here without such a special individual. Kalena, from the team, from the school, from the coaching staff, I want to say that I hope this is always your home court and we are always a family. Thank you for five years.”

The opening set wasn’t quite how the Royals wanted it to go.

Despite some strong showings from libero Ilaina Hecimovic and left-side Madison Burt, the Blues were always in control, taking the opener 25-14. The second set was to be more to the hosts’ liking.

Setter Kelsi Taron supplied two aces and Connors made sure she got in on the action, chipping in a kill near the end of the set, before a long rally saw middle Avneet Shokar finish it off 25-23.

That was to be as good as it would get for Douglas that evening, though. The third and fourth sets went to Capilano by scores of 25-16 and 25-16

for a 3-1 victory. Left-side Toni Vandenbrink and middle Taylor Gammel had their moments in the final frames but it wasn’t enough to push the team through.

Vandenbrink said after the game that despite the loss, the team is up for provincials. “If we’re all there playing as a team and playing with passion, I feel like we can really surprise.”

Vandenbrink also remarked on what Connors has meant to the squad: “We’re going to miss her a lot. She’s definitely a key player on our team and an inspiration to us all. We always look up to her. It’s going to be sad when she’s gone.”

Connors agreed with Vandenbrink on the squad’s provincial chances. “We definitely can [win]. We have all the potential in the world. We just need all our players to show up and give 110 per cent and leave everything on the court.”

As for her time at Douglas,

Connors said, “These past five years have been amazing. These last two years especially since Kyra’s taken over the program, I’ve just learned so much. And all the girls I’ve played with, we’re such a family. We’re so close. I love them all.”

The team will try and book a national’s berth starting February 20 at provincials.

Kalena Connors

By Chris Raeside

sports // 19

issue 19 // volume 40

Sport/Schmort: Chess-boxing Natalie Serafini Assistant Editor assistant @theotherpress.ca

I

t’s been 20 years since Wu-Tang Clan sang about “Da Mystery of Chessboxin’,” and the activity remains a mystery. A mash-up, as the name suggests, the game takes the brawny strategies of boxing and mixes in the intellectual mind games of chess.

With the intriguing weave of classical game and classic can o’ whoop-ass, chess-boxing begs for an apt label.

In the game, one match is comprised of alternating six rounds of chess—each round four minutes in length—and five rounds of boxing—three minutes each. There’s also a brief amount of time between each mental/physical switch to suit up and change gear.

Already we’re encountering some stiff regulation that makes for a challenging sport—or schmort. The opponents only have 12 minutes to complete all their chess moves. To give you an idea of how limiting that can be, set it against the longest recorded chess competition: Belgrade 1989, Ivan Nicolic versus Goran Arsovic, which ended in a draw at 269 moves after more than 20 hours.

The mind-meld of switching strategies can’t help matters much, either.

Alternating between creating and attacking points of vulnerability in your opponent, to creating and attacking points of vulnerability in your opponent can be… okay, maybe they’re pretty similar in that regard. But while there is a strategy to boxing, the game can sometimes come down to strength, endurance, and who trained harder; chess requires always being a few moves ahead of your challenger.

The game is intense, compounding one physically arduous activity with a mentally arduous one. On top of that, there are several ways to end up in the loser’s circle.

A knockout in boxing, or a checkmate or an opponent’s running out of time in chess, or a forfeit in either category means the end of the game.

An interviewee in Bobby Fischer Against the World is quoted as saying that “Fischer is to chess what Ali is to boxing”—yet for all his chess prowess, Fischer might not have fared so well in the ring against current heavyweight chess-boxing champion, Nikolay “The Chairman” Sazhin. You also can’t depend on being fantastic at boxing to make up for being

mediocre in chess, as competitors who are in fighting shape must have at least a Class A strength in chess.

Obviously the game is challenging, but it doesn’t fit smoothly into the definition of a sport. Yes, sports require skill—both physical and strategic—but taking a well-respected sport and tacking on a game of strategy doesn’t necessarily make for a new hybrid sport. Taking a breather from the brute battery of boxing to sit and move pieces around a checkered board doesn’t strike me as the most strenuous activity.

That’s just what I see chess-boxing as, to be perfectly frank: an activity. It’s an interesting activity; I’d probably pause in flipping channels to watch it, and I applaud the introduction of something more intellectual to an otherwise brain-beatin’ sport. Nevertheless, I don’t see gym classes and chess clubs joining forces anytime soon.

If you’re good at chess, you’re good at chess. If you’re good at boxing, you’re good at boxing.

Let’s not go bastardizing two such separately respectable pursuits with a feeble hybrid.

Verdict: schmort.

By www.placeabetonline.co.uk/weird-sports-chess-boxing

Baron and Campbell not enough  Men’s basketball loses a tough one to Camosun Courtnie Martin Sports Reporter

T

he men’s basketball team walked into Camosun’s gym seated fifth and hungry for a victory. However, Camosun

had other plans for the visitors’ Valentine’s Day evening.

“We had a really bad first quarter, but we picked it up and came back in the fourth. The last quarter was by far our best, we crawled back into the game but just couldn’t grind out the win,” said Grant Campbell.

While Camosun dominated

the first quarter, Douglas cleaned up in the second thanks to some stellar performances from Andrew Baron and Campbell— who put up 20 points and nine rebounds, and 32 points respectively.

After a forgettable third quarter, the Royals were down double-digits heading into the

fourth, and that’s when they decided to fight back. They were finding the net and were coming together defensively, but there just wasn’t enough time left on the clock for a comeback. The Royals were defeated by Camosun by a final score of 91-83 Campbell commented on his feelings of being a scoring threat

in this league as a rookie after the game: “I feel good and excited.

My teammates and coaches have helped me so much and I can’t thank them enough—especially the vets. Andrew [Baron] has been a huge supporter and has helped me elevate my game.”

first 10 minutes up 23-10. In the second, the Royals tried to claw back. Adelia Paul sliced through the defence, making back-toback quality drives along the way, but at half, the score still had the Chargers up by 15.

Douglas fought hard in the third but still had a significant gap to cover. However, the final

quarter was very much a different team. Chloe Kennedy nailed huge threes, and Jettie McLaughlin went beast-mode in the paint, snatching every missed shot.

After being down 20 points, Douglas came back within six before their comeback sputtered, ultimately falling 56-46.

“We started slowly and

couldn’t find a rhythm offensively, but our defence after the first quarter kept us in it. We made a significant run to close the gap but they shot well to finish the game. I’m proud of our fight, but it would be nicer to avoid digging ourselves a hole we need to climb out of,” said coach Courtney Gerwing.

Charged with a loss  Women’s basketball falls to Camosun Courtnie Martin Sports Reporter

I

t’s coming down to crunch time for the women’s basketball team as they try to secure a berth for provincials, and they had a

huge game on February 14 against second-place Camosun College.

After the Royals had taken the previous game by just three points, Camosun was out for blood.

Camosun was on fire in the first quarter; every shot that left their hands met the bottom of the net, and they ended the

sports // 20

theotherpress.ca

 Recapping the opening days of the Olympics Jerrison Oracion Contributor

T

he 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games had a multitude of side stories leading up to them. So far, though, there have been no major events that have interrupted the games. Despite the rumblings of protests involving the propaganda laws in the host country, Russia, and various terrorist groups warning the public that they will plant bombs in Sochi during the games, everything has been mostly smooth sailing.

The games began two days before the opening ceremony with two of 12 new sports in the winter games: team figure skating and men’s snowboard slopestyle. The next day, the almost three-hour opening ceremony was shown to billions tuning in around the world. In the opening ceremony, viewers learned a bit about Russian culture and history, including important works such as Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace and the famous ballet Swan Lake. The first half of the ceremony was like a history lesson, while the second half took on a nostalgic look—especially during the part focussing on the Russian Revolution. Also of note during the ceremony for Canadians was when, during the Parade of Nations, hockey hero Hayley Wickenheiser was recognized

for her great contributions to the game when she held the flag and led the Canadian athletes into Fisht Stadium.

As of this writing, Canada’s performance in the first week of the games has been great.

Team Canada has picked up 13 medals—including four gold medals, five silver medals, and four bronze medals—in the first few days. Highlights have included: the Dufour-Lapointe sisters, Justine and Chloe, grabbing a gold and silver medal respectively in women’s skiing moguls; Alex Bilodeau nabbing another gold medal in men’s skiing moguls; Charles Hamlin with a gold medal in short track speed skating at the 1500-metre distance; and Dara Howell finding her way to a gold in women’s skiing slopestyle.

The games haven’t been without some drama, though.

There have been some injuries along the way. Russian figure skater, Evgeni Plushenko, withdrew and retired because of an injured back. Various athletes have also taken some tumbles during the new events, such as Vancouver’s Yuki Tsubota reportedly fracturing her jaw during the women’s skiing slopestyle.

It’s been a relatively good start to the Sochi 2014 games, and with hockey just getting going, things are only going to get more exciting.

Gold medalist Alex Bilodeau of Canada // By Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

The spirit of the Games  Sochi 2014 more than just a competition Courtnie Martin Sports Reporter

T

he Sochi 2014 Olympics are well underway and many are enthusiastically supporting and cheering on their country in their competitive pursuits.

Thus far, however, the real story of the games has centred around acts that aren’t of a competitive nature.

Canada, to no one’s surprise, has always been a force at the Winter Olympics, and the team is showing it again this time around. As of this writing, Canada sits comfortably inside the top 10 with 13 medals—four of which

are gold. Oftentimes it’s easy to get caught up in it all and forget why the Olympics exist, though. Thankfully, a moment in the opening week helped to remind us all.

Anton Gafarov, a Russian skier, lost control on the slopes during the men’s crosscountry sprint. His left ski was rendered broken and useless.

He tried to carry on, but only succeeded in falling three times. Having to face shame for not finishing the race become a very real possibility for Garafov—but that was when the true spirit of the Olympics shone through.

Canadian coach Justin Wadsworth immediately took

off down the hills to assist Gafarov, providing him with a spare ski and allowing him to leave with some pride.

“I was on the course with spare skis and poles for Alex [Harvey, a member of the Canadian team who didn’t qualify for the sprint final],” said Wadsworth. “I just went to watch. The Russian fell on the big downhill before the finish area and broke a ski. I was surprised no one else on the course gave him anything…

It was about giving Gafarov some dignity so he didn’t have to walk to the finish area.”

It was a classy move from a country whose program is overflowing with it. Canada

has already gone above and beyond in this category. A good recent example would be when the young Gilmore Junio gave up his spot for senior teammate Denny Morrison after a tragic tumble in December killed Morrison’s opportunity to compete for the Olympics. Morrison wouldn’t waste the opportunity given to him by Junio, either—as he went on to pick up a silver medal in speed skating.

Canada has continued to demonstrate their outstanding morals, values, and respect for the great competitive nature of the Olympics, and the stories recorded thus far deserve a solid salute.

I was surprised no one else on the course gave him anything… It was about giving Gafarov some dignity so he didn’t have to walk to the finish area.

– Justin Wadsworth

This issue:

Been told you’re too funny?

 ‘My life is cooler than your life’

Contact: Sharon Miki, Humour Editor

 Douglas does fashion: the Collegebrow

 humour@theotherpress.ca

 Brick & Derision

www.theotherpress.ca

And more!

By Ed Appleby

‘Don’t let it hit my beautiful face’  An interview with the world’s most shamed/famed goaltender Elliot Chan Opinions Editor opinions @theotherpress.ca

I

first met Charlie Winston on a rainy day at a coffee shop in Tsawwassen, British Columbia.

I approached the man and bought him a cup of decaf. We sat in the back corner—we had to, for fear he’d be recognized— and he told me about the most traumatic moment of his life.

It all began in third grade when Winston was just a fragile little prepubescent boy with an afro: “There are two things kids do when they are growing up in Canada,” he told me in a hushed voice as if he were gossiping about the homeless man at the adjacent table.

“One, we don’t talk about Fight Club, unless we mention how great Edward Norton is in it.

And two, we play hockey.”

Such a statement left me caressing my soul patch, a personal project that I don’t care to mention in anymore depth. As I began encouraging him to delve further into his deep dark memories, he shuddered, almost breaking down into tears, recovering enough only to excuse himself

to go to the bathroom.

Winston left me at the table for 45 minutes before he returned. What he was doing is still unknown.

“Every recess, while all the girls made up rumours about me,” said Winston, “I would be alone, making rumours about them.”

“Strange,” I thought, before vocalizing that same sentiment—“Strange.”

“Yes, very strange,” he agreed before continuing. “One day, the boys saw me sitting there on a tuffet, eating my curds and whey. They shyly walked over and asked if I wanted to play hockey with them or talk about Edward Norton. I told them that I thought Norton deserved an Academy Award for his performance and they agreed.”

According to Winston, the boys were satisfied by his opinions about the acclaimed actor and left him alone; he continued eating his food and gossiping to himself. Suddenly another boy appeared out of nowhere and asked if he would like to join them in a game of hockey. Never thought of as athletic, Winston declined.

“Pleeease!” said the boy.

“You’d make such a good

goalie.”

Never athletic, but always easily wooed, Winston agreed.

“Before I knew it I was standing there in front of the net feeling like Little Miss Muffet,” said Winston. “I was so vulnerable, more so when they started shooting rubber discs at me. I freaked! See, I didn’t really understand the rules of hockey at that time, so I thought they were trying to kill me with a thick novelty flying disc. I had to defend myself, you see! I could not die this way! They had to die!”

One save, two goals against, three fatalities, and 17 injuries were the result of Winston’s first game in net.

“I can still remember the screams,” he told me as his voice dropped to a secretive level. “I’m not sure if it was me screaming or the children—but I heard it: ‘Don’t let it hit my beautiful face!’ It still haunts me to this day.”

At the end of our interview, I stood up and shook the man’s hand. And then it dawned on me: I was shaking Charlie Winston’s hand.

Charlie Winston, the simple man, the murderer, and the new starting goalie for the Vancouver Canucks.

Cards Supporting Humanity Steven Cayer Senior Columnist

Sharon Miki Humour Editor humour @theotherpress.ca

What happens when your mom decides to “fix” your Cards Against Humanity…

humour // 22

theotherpress.ca

An earnest look at Douglas theatre  The cast of ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ reveals their true feelings

Julia Siedlanowska Staff Writer

T

his past week, I had the pleasure of interviewing the cast of the upcoming Douglas College production of The Importance of Being Earnest,

by Oscar Wilde. I asked some racy questions, and received some equally racy answers.

The honest responses were shocking, yet refreshing in a world where “being nice” is the societal norm.

When actor Sam Hahn, who plays the part of Algernon, was asked what some of the greatest joys were in working with the cast and director Thrasso Petras, he admitted, “I have enjoyed the entire process immensely; however, at times I can’t help but feel as though I’d rather be with my dear invalid friend Bunbury.”

Jake Brkopac (who it later turned out was in the cast of

a different show) responded, “Greatest joys? No idea. I hated Shakespeare, and I don’t think I could say anything about Thrasso [Petras] and be politically correct.”

Jordy Matheson, playing the character of Jack, could not understand the question: “Joy? Hmm… I swear I’ve heard the term. Is it much like indifference?”

Although the cast likes to have fun, some of the challenges they face are very serious. Matheson recounts a terrifying experience that profoundly affected his work: “One day I came to rehearsal and my valet William had not properly prepared my 10:02 tea.

He had put cream in it, of all things. My whole week was set right off.”

Others face challenges in creating their character.

“It is a great challenge for me to suppress my astoundingly gentle, kind, and humble nature in order to get into the mind of Algernon,” explained

Hahn.

Brkopac, who seemed entirely comfortable in the rehearsal room of a cast which he was not a part of, said that “One of the greatest challenges was encouraging the costume department to tailor my clothes to accentuate the rather large muscles on my frame.

Unfortunately they didn’t want the protruding muscles to distract from the performance, so they adorned me with modest clothing.”

While I still wonder what Brkopac was doing in the room, his presence seemed no less unwelcome in the room than that of the other actors.

When asked whether or not there were any conflicts within the cast, responses were mixed.

Matheson responded, “only when we speak to each other, but we avoid such unnecessary chit-chat as much as possible.”

Hahn added: “Conflicts within the cast? A cast is simply a tedious pack of people who haven’t the smallest idea how to

‘My life is cooler than your life’

speak to one honestly nor the slightest instinct about when to lie.”

“One big happy family!”

Aylin Vandeputte (playing Cecily) screamed.

While no one in the room looked anyone else directly in the eye, Hahn cast a sidelong glance at one of his acting partners and said “the fellow playing Jack is entirely too clever for my liking. I should remove him so that my brilliance may become more evident.”

Within Wilde’s script there is a plethora of budding romances, so naturally I wanted to know if there were any within the cast.

“That is certainly none of my business and if it were my business, I wouldn’t talk about it. It is very vulgar to talk about one’s business,” responded Hahn, shaking his head.

Vandeputte was far more candid: “I’ve always had a thing for my director, Thrasso. He’s my Ernest in real life, you know.

He’s smart, funny, charming, handsome, creative, and loving!”

Once again Brkopac provided insight, saying “Yeah, Sam Hahn and Jordy Matheson—don’t tell anyone though, it’s supposed to be on the DL.” Matheson said simply, “Whoever is playing Jack is a handsome devil.”

When asked how they viewed themselves as actors, both Han and Matheson responded “in a mirror”; Matheson added that “polished metal will do in a pinch.”

Brkopac burped and said “going to Hollywood, duh,” while Vandeputte strewed a sincere 30-minute answer which we will not include.

While half the cast was available for an interview during rehearsal, the others were unfortunately visiting their mysterious friend Bunbury in the country, and were not available to comment.

By www.cosashipster.blogspot.ca

 Self-described local hipster has vastly superior taste to the rest of us

Cazzy Lewchuk Staff Writer

D

escribing himself as an “alternative guy who doesn’t consume all this mainstream crap,” 21-year-old Douglas College student Tyler Gaines gave a brief interview to the Other Press about his elevated, superior interests and activities.

“Yeah, I didn’t watch the

Super Bowl, Grammies, or any of the Olympic coverage,” Gaines said, describing in excruciating detail his television consumption habits.

Gaines went on to call the millions of people who tuned into these major TV events “plebeians,” as he prefers shows with a little more culture, such as Doctor Who and Justified.

Gaines’ hobbies include geocaching and “Calvinball,” which he explained are much better alternative activities to the socializing

and sports enjoyed by other students. Gaines also regularly homebrews, which takes up several hours of his day; he assured us it was worth it to achieve a slightly darker and more expensive beer than what the aforementioned “plebeians” drink.

Gaines also has superior taste in music, rejecting mainstream artists like Kanye West and Katy Perry. He instead listens to underrated obscure bands like Arcade Fire, Outkast, and Imagine Dragons.

“Yeah, I pretty much just listen to 102.7 The Peak… They mostly play obscure indie stuff that conformists don’t like.”

This summer, he plans to make a trip to a little-known festival called the Squamish Valley Music Festival to see Arcade Fire live for the first time, having only discovered them last month.

Gaines is currently in his 13th semester at Douglas College, working towards his one-year certificate in Performing and Fine Arts.

By Mel Freylinger

humour // 23

issue 19 // volume 40

Lol Lola

By Maria Asselin-Roy & Sharon Miki

When faced with culinary decadence, even a disciplined girl like Lola finds herself faltering on her New Year’s resolutions…

irls in the know this season know that you don’t have to be in university to be in vogue, thanks to the latest trend in eyebrow chic—the collegebrow.

“SFU girls with their waxed brows are sooo last year,” said first-year Douglas College arts student Poppy LaFrank. “All the ‘it’ girls at Douglas are rockin’ the collegebrow.”

Indeed, fashionable women all over the college have been spotted with unique bleached-to-nothingness eyebrows reminiscent of Kendall Jenner’s recent Marc Jacobs catwalk look. After interviewing several collegebrowers, it became clear that the style’s origins can be traced to a combination of misunderstanding and strange post-secondary-based resentment towards the unibrow (an singular eyebrow style favoured by Frida Kahlo.

“I mean, why should you have to go to university to have a trademark brow look?” asked LaFrank, with charming sincerity.

The Lens

By Klara Woldenga

Marty’s plan to prove to everyone that he wasn’t, in fact, a cowardly chicken, took a turn for a worse when he misinterpreted his crush’s passing remark that she “wanted a good cock in her life.”