Over the Edge Volume 25 issue 4

Over The Edge

UNBC’s Independent Student Newspaper est. 1994

UNBC Cannabis Policy, pg 6 Interview with a Cultist, pg 12

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IWAU, pg 3, 4 & 5

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Free overtheedgenewspaper.ca

November 6, 2018 over.the.edge.unbc@gmail.com

TransCare BC recommends changing your gender marker before your name, then requesting and paying for an updated birth certificate, which is used to update all other British Columbia identification.

I did not know how to answer: M or F? Either gender marker felt like an uncomfortable limitation on my non-binary gender, like I would be taking on an identity not truly mine. Was it worthwhile to change it, only to still feel uncomfortable?

I had hoped to move through this aspect of my transition quickly, so that I may finally match my identification with the name I actually use and write with, and graduate from my Bachelor’s Degree with that name on the parchment. But before I could do this, I was faced with a question

This dilemma left me with a further decision of whether to proceed with my name change and identification update, knowing I may need to update my identification and pay the associated fees again in the future, should a non binary gender marker be made available.

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Next deadline: November 21, 2018

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Over The Edge is the University of Northern British Columbia’s independent student newspaper. Our office is located on the third floor of the NUSC building in room 6-350. We are an equal opportunity publication which represents students in the UNBC and Prince George community.

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On November 2, my wishes came true as BC announced another gender marker, “X,” would now be an option on all BC identification. I am ecstatic at this news, to say the least, as I will be able to change my name and gender marker at the same time, achieving my goals. I expect some to scoff upon seeing an “X” on my identification, but this is much less anxiety inducing than wondering what particular blend of transphobia I may experience from name and gender marker incongruencies.

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urns out, as any transgender person can attest to, changing your name and gender marker can be a frustrating process of forms and deadlines which all interact and must line up properly if you are ever to attain a cohesive, representative identification.

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Why IWAU? Melanie Bellwood News Director

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s midterm season comes to a close and hundreds of tired students walk the halls as mentally exhausted zombies, it is easy to miss what is happening right next to you. For people near the Northern Pride Center (NPC) on October 21, this was the vandalism of the “Blood Ban” resources outside of the NPC. This article is not casting blame on anyone nearby, because blame is not the reason that this act is important. No, the homophobic slurs and vandalism on NPC property is important because it reminds every student that we still live in a world where one person’s ability to be themselves can not only be threatened, but it will be threatened, and more than likely, it will happen in public.

Therefore, when something like this happens, it becomes the responsibility of every person on campus to, before anything else, recognize it. This is exactly what Northern Pride Centre President Jade Mah did, when they sent out a mass email to other clubs and organizations acknowledging the gravity of what had occurred, and the way that they were looking at dealing with it.

“We want to show the pride and support that UNBC has as a community, and to do that we need to come together. We have gotten overwhelming support from various clubs and centres in the past, and we’re hoping that we can get you all to stand with us again in the time of this offense.

The board of the Northern Pride Centre will be writing an open letter to both those who are vandalizing our resources and to the UNBC community, to make everyone aware of the fact that this campus should remain safe

for everyone, regardless of race, gender, sexuality, and anything or everything in between,” said Mah on October 23.

This event is only one example of what can happen when the line blurs between freedom of speech and ignorance of freedom.

Unfortunately, in a place as large and as politically charged as a university, it is difficult to find harmony among groups that all parties can rely on. Therefore, it is incredibly special when a community such as the University of Northern British Columbia is given the ability to host an important series of events, such as Inspiring Women Among Us (IWAU). Opening this year on November 14 at UNBC with a flag raising and opening ceremony, the IWAU celebrations look to bring together people from all walks of life to honour the contributions of women to society. It will kick off with a speech from Marissa Janae Johnson, called “Thinking Outside the Box: Revolution By Any Means Necessary,” and will be followed by an enthralling series of inspiring events and talks throughout the week, that will encourage us to think about women, leadership, and power from an educational perspective.

IWAU, a successful celebration in its fourth year at UNBC, will use the power of women, learning, networking, and creativity to bring forward issues that students face every day. IWAU not only recognizes the trials that women have gone through to this day, but the tribulations that many women are likely to face in the future, and are already facing now.

But, what does this have to do with the NPC being vandalized

two weeks ago? It has everything to do with the NPC being vandalized. The ability to appreciate one another in an educational and creative scope is not limited to women, men, or LGBTQ2S+ individuals. It is a fortunate side effect of learning how to respect another person’s thoughts and opinions, while still being able to develop your own; something that every university student has strived to accomplish at one point or another in their educational endeavours.

While the IWAU events look to celebrate women and how women have changed society in big and small positive ways, it also asks individuals to become comfortable with the idea that perhaps one day we can all look at each other as equals. Whether you practice this concept by attending “Feminist Children’s Storytime” at Books and Company this November, or by writing in to Over The Edge Newspaper in support of the Northern Pride Centre against homophobic vandalism on campus (or anywhere, for that matter), or even by choosing to learn about a person before passing judgement on them, you are making an important step in the direction of social responsibility. Thus, the next step after the recognition that something bad has happened becomes the active attempt to educate yourself about the situation, another reason why IWAU bears such importance in the university sphere. These events, while celebratory in nature, are a means of learning about a difficult history without having to feel sorry for the events of the past, and this feeling applies to more than just the

history of women. In the long list of social and ethnic minorities in Canada, women do not stand alone, just as they do not stand alone during the events of Inspiring Women Among Us. So, when a student asks another student, or professor, or cafeteria worker, or friend, “why should I care about Inspiring Women Among Us?” the answer should be more than just “for women.”

Events like these, especially in partnership with our city and our school, raise money and awareness for people. Regardless of what one person identifies as, they are a person above all else that deserves respect and support.

As we enter our fourth year of Inspiring Women Among Us at UNBC, let’s see what we can do to make the positivity and power reflected in these celebrations part of our everyday lives, and represent our school from a place of support for everything that has already been accomplished and what is to come.

If we can become people who support people, then the celebration will last much longer than just one week, and we will be able to move forward and past the actions of those who just haven’t yet figured out how to articulate their own opinion without disrespecting and hurting others.

Tierney Watkinson | OTE

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Feminism, IWAU & Equality are for Everyone Laura Pyke Contributor

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hen I set out to write this, I realised how little I knew about the background details of the Women’s Movement in Canada. To me, it’s about working towards equality, and gains for women will benefit my family and my peers, but also everyone.

I think we all benefit from the Women’s Movement, and I recognize that many of us have a lot left to learn about the history of feminism. So, I start with a very brief overview of the three waves of feminism in Canada, and end with how I see Inspiring Women Among Us (IWAU) as contributing to advancing gender equality.

Feminism has occurred in three main “waves.” The word wave is used because each wave has its own energy, and each intermingles with the previous. The first wave of feminism was defined by the suffragette movement, with the goal of attaining women’s right to vote, and it began just before the twentieth century.

As a result, some women won the Canadian federal right to vote in 1918. It was not until the mid 1960’s that women (and men) identified as Status Indians were afforded this right, however. The second wave of the feminist movement centred on equal rights in terms of education and careers. It also emphasized women’s reproductive rights, and improved legal access to birth control and abortion.

Pacifism, disarmament, and ending domestic violence were also key concerns.

According to the Canadian Encyclopedia section on

Women’s Movements, in 1967, the Royal Commission on the Status of Women produced a report with 167 recommendations to improve equality for women in Canada, responding to influences of the first and second waves.

Third wave feminism is a maturation of earlier struggles and associated momentum, and responses to the two prior waves.

It acknowledges the limitations of second wave’s “universal woman” (the idea that all women are united by shared experiences of oppression and patriarchy -womanhood as sisterhood) and begins to celebrate, but also call critical attention to, women’s

diversity, and the concomitant absence of diversity within feminism’s ranks. Third wave feminism represents a greater integration of intersectionality, or the emphasis on how various layers of oppression experienced are intertwined or inseparable from gender, class, race, and sexuality. Third wave feminism has emphasized a broader range of persistent inequalities as they intersect with race and class, such as differential access to wages and to child care.

And where do these three waves leave us now? I would argue that they are all with us in terms of

ground gained, and work left to be done. Are we in a postfeminist world? That seemed more possible a few years ago.

Are we in the fourth wave, and if so, what does it look like? Is there a greater emphasis on including fairer treatment of all genders for a better society? Scholars, writers, artists, and activists seem to be somewhat undecided on where we currently sit. What do you think?

Much of feminist work seeks to address structural inequalities associated with patriarchal oppression and systemic discrimination. Johan Galtung coined the term ‘“structural

Laura Pyke | OTE

News violence” in issue 3 of 1969’s Journal of Peace Research.

He defines violence as “that which increases the distance between the potential and the actual, and that which impedes the decrease of this distance.”

Galtung describes violence as anything that prevents people from realising their potential, and/or anything that prevents the reduction of barriers to accessing their potential, as violence. This aptly describes the flawed and problematic superstructures and practices within society that feminists have fought to change for centuries.

The notion of structural violence helps to explain key issues and struggles that feminism has fought to change.

Feminism seeks to disrupt elements of structural violence that disproportionately affect women (and other marginalized genders). Feminists attempt to address and interrupt ingrained social barriers to representation, access, employment, and career advancement opportunities, for example. Through action, resistance, and mobilization, feminism in Canada has achieved much, but there is a long way to go.

IWAU is a feminist organization in that it seeks to draw attention to uneven gender relations and their consequences. Through community discussions and events, IWAU participants identify and perhaps even strategize about how to undermine or overcome forms of gendered structural violence that persist in local, Canadian, and global spheres. IWAU acts as a set of activities, relationships, and spaces to encourage critical and transformative engagements.

IWAU opens and facilitates complex discussions, as well as supporting action and change. IWAU enables needed discussions by including diverse types of experts, ideas, and epistemologies, and by

providing a platform for less heard stories to be shared and amplified. IWAU also attempts to facilitate community and mentoring connections for participants, organisers, and power holders alike.

IWAU shares goals and strategies with other gender-related organisations, including the United Nations entity, “UN Women,” which aims to accelerate gender equality around the world. As discussed by Elize Zerrath in her article “Why Gender Equality is Everyone’s Issue” on the United Nations Youth Associations Network, one of the major underlying challenges to advancing gender equality is developing a successful ability to change mentalities and perceptions.

The UN is attempting to make such waves via delivering related programming, education, outreach, and community (not just women’s) involvement.

Gender-related perceptions and mentalities of everyone in society need to evolve and grow for meaningful change to occur. Like the UN, IWAU firmly believes that all genders must be involved in improving society for the betterment of all genders.

Join us for IWAU 2018, to learn, discuss, consider change, and to help keep the feminist momentum going, for the benefit of all!

Watch for a full schedule of events in early November. #IWAU2018 Find us on Twitter: @IWAU_ events, and on Facebook: Inspiring Women Among Us, and as part of the UNBC webpage: https:// www.unbc.ca/inspiring-women

Due to unexpected operational issues, the TEDxUNBC event set for November has been postponed. For those who already bought tickets, your purchase will be completely refunded.

Organizers appreciate your patience and understanding, and hope you will join them when the event is relaunched in the future.

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Still Canada’s Green University?

James Eckstein OTE Board Chair

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ith Canada’s legalization of recreational cannabis use on October 17, many local students were disappointed with how UNBC would be applying this law to their current Smoke and Vape Free Places Policy.

Cannabis will not be allowed to be smoked at all on campus, not even in designated smoking areas. This policy does not provide a specific reason as to why cannabis is not allowed to be smoked in these areas, except that it helps in “providing a safe and healthy, smoke and vape free environment, for students, faculty, staff and visitors.”

However, students will still be allowed to carry cannabis on them, up to 30 grams in dry form or 450 grams in edible form.

These edibles can be consumed on campus, but like the rest of Canada, the sale of edibles is still illegal. How does UNBC’s cannabis policy compare to other major universities across British Columbia? And what about the larger universities in Canada?

UNBC joins the ranks of the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Thompson Rivers University, and Simon Fraser Vancouver and Simon Fraser Surrey, in which the smoking of cannabis is outright banned everywhere on campus.

BCIT’s Cannabis Policy goes into the most depth as to why their decision was to outright ban smoking cannabis anywhere on campus, stating it “can have serious adverse effects” and could cause potential risk “due to the safety sensitive nature of many programs.” Unlike most other universities in BC, BCIT does not allow for the consumption of edibles, making it only legal to carry cannabis

on campus. The Université de Montreal has the same policy as BCIT, where both the smoking of cannabis and the consumption of edibles are banned.

Many universities in British Columbia have taken a middle of the road approach with their Cannabis policies, allowing for it to be smoked on campus but only in specific predetermined locations. These locations take a variety of forms. At the University of British Columbia Okanagan, the use of cannabis is

Red Deer Advocate permitted in designated smoking gazebos around campus. The University of Victoria has two specially marked benches with green stripes that designate it as a cannabis smoking area.

The University of British Columbia allows full usage of cannabis, but only if it is smoked at least eight meters away from doorways and entrances to the university. This policy is very similar to York University in Toronto, except in the latter, the minimum distance away from the

doorways and entrances must be nine meters. It is important to note that university cannabis policies have the potential to change at any given time.

This means that there could be a future in which smoking cannabis at UNBC is treated the same as tobacco, but until then the debate is now up as to whether UNBC is still Canada’s “green” university.

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Canada Post Strike could Interrupt Electoral Reform Ballots Trevor Ritchie Contributor

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orkers at Canada Post have been on strike since October 22. Because they are in the initial stages of strike action, work stoppages have rotated through different service areas to ensure that deliveries are still made on a delayed schedule. However, the timing of the rotating strike presents problems for the referendum taking place in British Columbia. If you are a registered voter in BC, you should be receiving a ballot in the mail for the electoral reform referendum.

I have written about the options on the ballot previously, and again strongly encourage everyone to vote. The process is simple and requires only that you fill in the ballot and place it in the return envelope provided.

when your community should be receiving the ballot, please check the official Elections BC web page on the issue at https:// elections.bc.ca/referendum/ about-the-referendum/votingpackage-provincial-delivery/

However, with the rotating strike, there are concerns that people may not be receiving their ballots in a timely fashion. According to Elections BC, Canada Post is distributing ballots to each community on a different day.

For more information about

Officials with Elections BC have indicated that they are observing the strike action carefully for its impact on British Columbians’ ability to vote in the referendum.

Andrew Watson of Elections BC has spoken to media and indicated that if the strike prevents people from voting, the Chief Electoral Officer would have the power to move the deadline for votes to be returned, in order to allow more voters to receive and cast their ballots.

There is past history of this.

The last mail in ballot in British Columbia was for the Harmonized Sales Tax referendum, and at the time, rotating strikes at Canada Post threatened to cause delays in the voting process. When the strike became a complete lockout situation, the Chief Electoral Officer was able to extend the voting time to take into account voters’ inability to vote because of the postal delays.

The current deadline to return your postal vote is November 30, 2018. Elections BC strongly recommends returning your ballot as soon as possible to prevent future strike action from delaying your ballot.

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Seaweed, Drones and Cows: An Optimistic View of Climate Change in BC Mackenzie Karr Contributor

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hat do seaweed, drones, and speckled parks all have in common?

They are all being used in important research studying agriculture and climate change!

On Oct 26, I attended a one day event titled “Northern Agriculture and Climate Change Research Forum� at UNBC to learn more about our food systems in BC. It brought industry professionals, local organizations, and curious students all together to learn about agriculture research in northern BC. Although I am studying forestry and environmental studies, agriculture is close to my heart because of my thirteen years with the 4-H program. It was great to meet new people and see familiar faces at this event. There were plenty of opportunities to ask the attendants about their businesses, organizations, and how agriculture is connected to climate change in more than one way.

The first of eight presentations was about the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions and their work, that included planning this great event. Next we heard from the project manager of BC Agriculture and Food Climate Action Initiative and their regional adaptation enhancement program. They have completed forty-one projects in the past five years related to agriculture and climate change adaptation.

The third presentation was about the Farm Adaptation Innovator Program that focuses on farm level research. Next was a presentation by Dr. Louise Nelson from the UBC Okanagan

campus discussing how with climate change advancement, the ideal location for cherries is moving to the north, and with that comes new opportunities for cherry producers.

Next up was a professor from Thompson Rivers University that has been doing a lot of research

from cows when this seaweed was mixed into their diet. These research trials are just starting, but hopefully they will have positive outcomes and lots of potential in the future. He also discussed the colour of cattle and the potential to invest in lighter coloured cattle such as speckled parks, because they are better

drone! There were so many great ideas to help agriculture adapt to climate change, such as increasing agroforestry and working on studying carbon sequestration through soils.

Some of the other presentations included work UNBC has been doing through the Agriculture Network Pilot Project on bioenergy and cash crop feasibility. Some of their research includes exploring new crops such as hemp, gourmet garlic, sugar beets, and more.

We also heard from the newly established Cariboo Agricultural Research Alliance (CARA), and how farm numbers in the Cariboo have dropped forty percent in the last five years! Programs like this one are created to help keep these farms going and feed the people of BC. Last but not least, we heard from the BC Agricultural Climate Adaptation Research Network (ACARN), which is a provincial organization, focused on policy and large agriculture programs in BC.

droneblog.com with seaweed and cattle. As many may know, the methane released from cows has a huge impact on climate change. He found that certain species of seaweed called Asparagopis taxiformis and Mazzella Japonica were found to decrease the methane emitted

adapted to high temperatures.

He has also been using thermal cameras attached to drones to track the temperature of cattle in his field and their respiration rate. In the associated image you can see me wearing the headgear that goes with the

Overall, I had a wonderful time, learned new things, and am hopeful that the agriculture community in BC is headed in the right direction. The most important thing we can do is support BC agriculture!

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Senate Deliberations for October 24 Trevor Ritchie Contributor

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n October 24, UNBC Senate held its second meeting of the academic year. This month’s meeting included significant changes to the psychology program, some changes to environmental programs, as well as graduate admissions.

Looking first at the psychology program changes, all three psychology programs offered by the department have been altered.

For the Bachelor of Science in Psychology, foundational courses will now be offered in second year which are meant to help prepare students for senior level coursework. These foundational courses cover the four major aspects of psychology: social psychology, lifespan development, learning, and psychobiology.

Upper level psychology students will have changes made to the two sets of course options, but will still have to pick at least two courses from each set. The main change for upper level students is the elimination of the laboratory course requirement, which will be replaced by an additional 400-level course of the student’s choice in order to obtain the fifteen credit hours of upper level Psychology courses needed to graduate.

The honours in Psychology program only had a minor change. The Senior Seminar class has been eliminated and replaced with an additional 400-level class of the student’s choice. The minor in Psychology has been increased to 27 credits overall, instead of 21 credits.

For students planning on entering the MSc Psychology program, applications will now be required to submit a curriculum vitae.

The department also notes that after this point, the department

will not have separated 600-level courses for Master’s students.

They will be combined into 400/600-level courses. There was some debate in Senate about the merits of this proposal, though it was noted that other departments have similar processes. For Master’s students taking these courses, they will be asked to complete the standard curriculum plus additional work to bring the course to the standard of a Master’s course. Two courses are exempted from this; PSYC 600 and PSYC 605 will remain stand-alone 600-level courses.

Within the department, the following Psychology courses are being deleted and will no longer be offered. PSYC 610-3, PSYC 7123, PSYC 720-3, PSYC 725-3, PSYC 726-3, PSYC 730-3, PSYC 740-3, PSYC 750-3-6, PSYC 760-3, PSYC 770-3-6, PSYC 200-3-6, PSYC 202-3, PSYC 220-3, PSYC 301-3, PSYC 317-3, PSYC 320-3, PSYC 345-3, PSYC 442-3, PSYC 445-3, PSYC 450-3, PSYC 455-3, PSYC 460-3, PSYC 470-3, PSYC 480-3, and PSYC 497-3. Many of these courses are no longer offered, or are being re-numbered as a new course number, so be sure to check the academic calendar during course selection to ensure your preferred courses are still available.

As noted, a number of new courses were created to offset the newly deleted courses. They are numbered as follows: PSYC 207-3, PSYC 211-3, PSYC 212-3, PSYC 221-3, PSYC 319-3, PSYC 322-3, PSYC 422-3, PSYC 608-3, PSYC 618-3, PSYC 622-3, PSYC 627-3, and PSYC 685-3. Again, as with the course deletions please ensure you check the academic calendar during course selection to ensure your preferred courses are still available.

A new Bachelor’s degree in Sustainability and Business Leadership is being developed.

This program would be housed within the Environmental Studies program, and is one of the only such programs offered in all of Canada. The program includes both two and four year options, dependent upon previous coursework completed by the student. In order to create this program, the following five new ENVS courses have been created, with the hope being that this program could be offered as early as September 2019: ENVS 180-3, ENVS 381-3, ENVS 482-3, ENVS 483-3, and ENVS 484-3.

These courses will primarily focus on sustainable business models and should help students looking to merge business and environmental concerns.

for clarity and do not impact the meaning of the text. In this case, it was to clarify the process of application where visiting graduate students must submit a letter of permission from their home university, and exchange students must submit a signed Western Deans’ Agreement form.

Amendments to section 4.1.6 of the graduate admissions process are more substantive, with the amended text allowing each individual graduate program to make the choice of accepting courses taken at other schools for UNBC course credit. The previous text had included the Vice President Research and Graduate programs in the decision. A second amendment also removed the provision that transfer credits could not be used for graduate program admission requirements.

Three Bachelor’s degrees have received new minors for students to specialize in. The BA Environmental and Sustainability Studies now has a minor in Social Dimensions of Natural Resource management. The BSc Environmental Sciences program now has a minor in Earth Sciences. Finally, the BSc Forest Ecology and Management program has two new minors: a minor in Forest Recreation and a minor in Natural Resources Operations and Planning. These four minors were originally part of the Natural Resources Management program, which is no longer offering these as minors.

The final substantive discussion of the day was also one that did not have a clear resolution.

Senate discussed and has not yet finalized plans to replace the two college system with five separate faculties. Students are currently placed within CASHS and CSAM depending on their program.

The proposed changes would create five faculties: Business and Economics; Natural Resources and Environmental Studies; Health and Human Sciences; Humanities, Social and Indigenous Studies; and Physical and Applied Sciences.

Senators will be continuing to discuss and receive feedback about the proposed changes, which should continue through to the next Senate meeting.

Amendments to graduate admissions at UNBC were debated and passed regarding visiting graduate students and graduate students on exchange.

The amendments to the text of the appropriate section of the graduate admissions guide are

Culture

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Independent Musician Redefining ‘Made in China’ with New Distribution Practice m

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or an aspiring musician, sitting down with a rapper who signed with a Def Jam label is an opportunity. The fact that he went on to start his own record label, and is focusing on passing on his knowledge to younger musicians is icing on the cake.

It is likely you have not heard of D.V. Alias Khryst – he’ll say so himself. He has, however, had significant success just out of the spotlight in the rap world.

“I’m a pretty humble dude, so I don’t assume anybody knows who I am,” said Khryst, “I’m kind of like a supreme clothing line, only the hipsters kinda really know.”

In the mid-90’s, Khryst came onto the scene with Trigga the Gambler and Smoothe da Hustler. The three Brooklyn natives were thrust into a much bigger scene together through their label No Doubt (Def Jam).

Khryst worked with Notorious B.I.G., Dr. Dre, and many others.

However, Khryst’s label did not move forward with his projects with any real urgency, and now that he’s calling the shots, he finds more value breaking new ground, even with an old medium.

“I have distributors who work with my digital, and I am also working with a company who normally only deal with DVDs – the music thing for them is new,” said Khryst.

He convinced a DVD supplier to distribute his latest CD, meaning a new distribution channel opened up. “I challenged them to

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distribute a CD, and the result now is I’m getting exposure being on sale at Best Buy, and Target, and Barnes and Noble next to Kendrick Lamar. I’m on my own, that kind of leverage is big for me.”

But Khryst is looking past physical albums – it’s not on the rise. While compact discs were once ninety-five percent of the massive music industry, it is now dwarfed by streaming income, which is about half of total music revenue. Again, when Khryst is trying to amplify his own work, he focuses on a nontraditional channel. In this case, the online Chinese rap scene.

“I’ve been traveling the world for some years now – China’s a place that I‘ve never been,” Khryst said, “watching them embrace the new music, even if it’s taboo, or forbidden, sometimes a risk for them to even enjoy.”

Khryst is on traditional streaming services in North America, but the massive Chinese market is a closed system: it has its own streaming and social media sites.

This needed a different entry method to access those 750 million online music consumers.

“I hear through a friend there’s a way to get in now – online, with videos. After I set it up I’m foldin’ my arms: is this a B.S. lane to put things through, or is this the real China experience?” Khryst was referring to his Chinese digital

Adam Faber Contributor

distributor, Musicinfo.io.

“I had four hundred views, next morning I have ten thousand. Next morning I have a hundred and ten thousand.”

Juri Kobayashi at Musicinfo says the demand is real – and a real opportunity for independent artists.

“China is kind of a closed culture, but the youth are very much a part of a huge movement to bring in new flavors, new sounds, and those are often in English,” Kobayashi said, “The good news is that nowadays, three out of five artists are independent artists in China. Not so much of a major label stranglehold there.”

Khryst picked a provider who allowed him to keep one hundred percent of his royalties, and one who would promote his music in China, not just upload it and forget about it. For all of his projects, he stresses that outreach to his fan base is critical, and that goes double for students, who may only

have a handful of loyal fans.

“Not everybody can make music that speaks to the world – you have to say ‘okay I got this amount of people who always like my stuff,’ I don’t care if it’s ten people!” Khryst said, “You gotta make those people feel special. Nicki Minaj did a great job of this, I watched her career go from where it wasn’t to where it is. She gave her fans their own name, she made them special.”

Khryst looks back at his path, one that puts him in both the department stores and streaming in a country that often supplies those department stores.

“I feel blessed to be puttin’ out hooks and singles. It’s a blessing, I feel blessed and humble. I am the quintessential hybrid artist, a mixture of the old and the new,” Khryst said. His style is making waves in the mainstream as well, getting noticed by mainstream Hip-Hop artists. “Tracey Lee hit me up in a message, tellin’ me ‘Congratulations on being in one of the dopest markets of the world.’ That’s pretty cool.”

Alias Kryst

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Culture

Interview with a Cultist Justin Madu Contributor

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he Heaven’s Gate suicide cult formed sometime in 1972, and lasted until March of 1997. During the mid-spring of ’97, thirty-nine members of the cult committed suicide with the belief that their souls would be picked up by an unidentified flying object trailing the Hale-Bopp comet, which was passing by earth during that time.

this planet and all the life on it.

All knowledge that the planet earth has accumulated over time, comes from the Next Level.”

Q. May I ask why you were chosen to stay behind? What was the purpose of leaving some members behind?

Q. How many members of Heaven’s Gate would you estimate are currently worldwide?

“To maintain the website, emails and provide information to the world.”

“Zero. It came to an end in 1997.

There is no Group or members.”

Q. Were you disappointed to be left behind?

However, Heaven’s Gate left behind two members to maintain their website, and answer questions from the outside world.

The Heaven’s Gate website still exists, unedited since shortly before the infamous mass-suicide.

Through their website, I was able to directly contact the two surviving members, who have kept their identities secret for over twenty years. The following interview was conducted via email over the course of several days.

Q. What about you? How do you fit within the organization?

“No.”

Q. If you had to describe Heaven’s Gate, how would you do so?

“It is a real, physical level above the human one here on this planet. The individuals there are in real, physical body, in real, physical crafts. The Next Level span the universe. They created

“We joined them at the beginning in 1975 and have been with them for 43 years. Still doesn’t mean there is a Group.”

Q. Why do you refer to yourself/ yourselves as “we”?

“There are two of [us] here in Arizona.”

Q. Would you still consider yourself loyal to the cause/ ideology that was established when there was a group?

“Yes.” Q. Do you interact much with the outside world outside of emails? Do you hold jobs?

“Yes, we work full time jobs to pay for things.”

Q. The media has often portrayed Heaven’s Gate as a “cult,” do you feel like this is an accurate characterization?

“The definition doesn’t seem to fit. That is not only our opinion but that of academia.”

Q. What are your thoughts about the loss of your group?

Are the two of you saddened by it, or happy that the others were able to fulfill their goal?

“We are happy they graduated into the Next Level.”

Q. Do you ever miss them? Would you consider them your friends?

“Yes to both.”

never any indication as to who was answering my questions.

The responses offered by the surviving members are unedited.

This means that while the responses retain authenticity, they also have minor grammatical quirks. Additionally, the wide use of improper capitalization is likely intention to convey meaning. It is my assumption that the capitalizing of words such as “Group” likely references terms used within the cult while it was still active. Whomever I spoke to seemed unwilling to answer a question I had asked about how the two survivors were specifically chosen to be left behind. The members’ insistence that they were not a cult was also interesting, because although they stated that “academia” would not consider them a cult, they did not provide any sources supporting this claim. In fact, a cursory search reveals that The Heaven’s Gate group does meet the criteria for being defined as a cult.

Interestingly, while there are two members left, there was

Heaven’s Gate

Culture

13

A Listener’s Guide to Danny Bell and His Disappointments: Good Timin’ Man Lon Kerr Contributor

I

am always blown away by the musical talent in Prince George. Some performers in town are hard rock, pub smashers that light up the night with classic hits, while others are more grounded and provide a more cultured or storytelling experience. Danny Bell and his Disappointments have just released their first album, Good Timin’ Man, which is an accordion heavy folk album heavily influenced by the band’s personal experiences and life in northern British Columbia. This album is a series of takes on environmental and land use challenges that are destructive or unhealthy. It is also an album about friends and neighbors that can help you get through the mental burdens that come with awareness.

times, and the friends that help you through the rough times. I personally find listening to the album refreshing simply because of the language that is used.

Ideas and lyrics such as “In a pulp mill town” from the track Paper, or “A politician who’s never been north of Dawson Creek” in Yadda Yadda Yah honestly feel

years ago at the Prince George Legion. Bell clearly has an ear for music, and his ability to balance our sounds easily made our performance ten times better than it would have been on our own. It is clear from track one that Bell brought the same level of professionalism and skill to his own work.

I think every track is worth listening to, but the one I recommend the most is the album opener. “End of Times” is a song about your crazy neighbor who builds a bomb shelter for the end of the world.

I won’t spoil anything more, but when I started the album I played that song three or four times, just because it was such a fun song. Danny Bell and His Disappointments’ album Good Timin’ Man is available on Danny Bell’s bandcamp page at dannybell.bandcamp.com/ releases for only ten bucks! The album is honestly twenty-five minutes of quality local art, and so I strongly suggest you grab a couple of friends and either make a pot of coffee, or grab a couple of beers, listen to the album, and keep an eye out for their next live performance.

If you are new to the region, let me quickly inform you that the province of British Columbia is not just forestry heavy, but also operates several mines, farms, and production facilities that take their toll on the environment (regulated or not). Songs in the album such as “Paper,” “Cigarettes,” and “Crumbled and Down” are your local guide book for industrial criticism and personal health concerns associated with local practices.

If you are looking for fixes and cures you will find none here, but you will find good times and personally relatable stories in “Basement Apartment” and “Good Timin’ Man” (the album’s title track). You will find these tracks remind you of the good

Though this album has an inherit political view, it is not aggressive or in your face making it ideal for a Degrees coffee background track, a day working the compost heap, or cleaning the house on a lazy weekend afternoon. You will be surprised at how quickly you start singing along, since most of the songs are catchy and

Danny Bell | Bandcamp rewarding to listen to. They make you feel like you are contributing to a local conversation rather than listening to the plights of the world, which provides the listener with both a sense of contribution to a conversation and a sense of community.

possess a subtle call to anthem.

If you are a music fan, I sincerely recommend you listen to the album simply to appreciate the production quality. I first met Danny Bell when he was the sound engineer for one of my band’s performances two

14

Culture

To A Woman Emmanuel Drame Contributor

Cheers from the heart, no crowd He is on his own stage One that is fenced with her He believes in the character of his plot Although the facts say otherwise If only she was there for the many times, He rustled and tumbled alone with his thoughts He wished words would not limit his expression He wished she knew she occupied him all day In his mind, they’re the end before there’s even a beginning If desperation didn’t mean he was desperate, She’ll know she is his every moment If a sceptre was his wand, he’d wave it at her To live a dream most times only realistic in his heart He never fancies himself as she might think Everything meaningful he does, is a guess in the hope of the best outcome If she was a game of Blackjack, She would realize, he’s at a game of cards without cards From a man to a woman, We are whatever or whomever you think we are In absentia, you are always present!

SplitShire

Sports

Sports Update Abduallah Al Nahhas Advertising Coordinator

Soccer

Hockey

La Liga: Spain, Round 10

The Canucks, Flames, and Oilers occupy the top 3 spots in the Pacific Division of the National Hockey League, while the Canadiens and Maple Leafs sit at third and fourth in the Atlantic Division, respectively.

Real Madrid sacks head coach, Julen Lopetegui, after 5-1 defeat to classico rival Barcelona. Luis Suarez scored a hattrick in the absence of Lionel Messi. Barcelona: 21 points, Alaves: 20 points, Sevilla: 19 points, Atletico Madrid: 19 points, and Real Madrid in ninth place with 14 points only.

Premier League: England, Round 10 Chelsea defeats Burnley FC 4-0, and Man United secure three valuable points after beating Everton 2-1. Manchester City: 26 points, Liverpool: 26 points, Chelsea: 24 points, Arsenal: 22 points.

Serie A: Italy, Round 10 Juventus maintain position at the top of Serie A after 2-1 victory over Empoli, and Inter Milan defeats Lazio by three goals to none. Juventus: 28 points, Inter Milan: 22 points, Napoli: 22 points, Lazio: 18 points.

France Ligue: France, Round 11 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. defeats Marseille 2-0, and Montpellier tops Toulouse 3-0 to secure third place in standing. Paris SaintGermain: 33 points, Lille OSC: 25 points, Montpellier: 22 points, Lyon: 20 points.

Bundesliga: Germany, Round 9 Dortmund maintains spot at the top of the standing after 2-2 draw with Hertha, while Bayern closes in on second place after 2-1 win over Mainz. Dortmund: 21 points, Bayern: 19 points, Monchengladbach: 19 points, Werder: 17 points.

Basketball Toronto Raptors are having a great start to the season, sitting at the top of the Eastern Conference standings with an 8-1 record after defeats the Suns 107-98.

The Golden State Warriors lead the Western Conference with a 9-1 record with their last win coming over the Timber Wolves 116-99.

Tennis Novak Djokovic secures return to top spot in the ATP rankings after Rafael Nadal’s withdrawal from the Paris Master Tournament.

General Sports News North and South Korea set to combine for Tokyo 2020 and co-host 2032 Olympics.

Germany’s most successful football club, Bayern Munich, is facing a barrage of criticism after they posted a photo on their Twitter account of a player’s Halloween party. In the photo, one player appears to be wearing traditional Arab attire and is holding a box that looks like a package bomb, with caution stickers and wires coming out of it.

In Qatar, Gymnast Simone Biles has won the all-around title at the world championships for the fourth time, the most ever in women’s artistic gymnastics.

15

The Last Word

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