Volume 21 Issue 9 by Over The Edge Newspaper

Over The Edge

UNBCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Independent Student Newspaper est. 1994

unbc labour debates see page 8 & 9

Volume 21, Issue 9

Free overtheedgenewspaper.ca

January 26, 2015 ote-newspaper@unbc.ca

ecently, in a moment of clarity, it came to me that the monarchy is bullshit. They are probably lovely people, and I certainly don’t wish them any harm. However, these people are rich because of the insane idolization of their bloodline for years.

nots, and for no real reason. The recent predictions that by 2016 the 1% will own more than 50% of the other 99% are a result of the escalating glorification of the rich and powerful, while far more pervasive and insidious issues are completely ignored.

They have so much more than the have

By what luck was the young Prince George

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born into the land of diamonds and corgi’s, rather than born as a plumber or a bank advisor? Why were they able to convince us that we should worship them as gods? Finally, why are we still doing it? The monarchy, and the whole concept of celebrity, makes no sense, and yet we mindlessly continue.

Support is always needed and no experience is required; help make Over The Edge better. We want to hear from you! Call us at 250960-5633, tweet us @overtheedgeunbc, email us at ote-newspaper@unbc.ca and be sure to like us on facebook. For more information, please visit our redesigned website at www.overtheedgenewspaper.ca.

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Every year, we provide employment as editors, designers, and managers to students with a passion for journalism and are always looking for motivated individuals to work and volunteer in our collaborative environment. Over The Edge offers competitive advertising rates for space in our print publication as well as online.

Over The Edge is the University of Northern British Columbia’s independent student newspaper. Our office is located on the 2nd 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. Our publication supports student writing by welcoming news, arts, sports, culture and opinion articles, as well as photography, comics, and creative writing submissions.

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UNBC Life Club Spotlight: TWS UNBC Fish and Wildlife and wildlife based trivia game that allows students to test their knowledge and learn new things in a fun, stress-free environment). We bring in guest speakers to talk about their research at our meet and greets, general meetings, and brown bag lunch talks, which include topics such as grad school, summer jobs, and scientific research.

Cale Babey President | TWS UNBC Student Chapter

he UNBC Fish and Wildlife Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society is a group focused on increasing knowledge and interest in both fish and wildlife by providing talks, trips, and events centered on fish and wildlife science, research, and management. We offer trips including bird banding near Mackenzie, caribou viewing at Kennedy Siding, volunteering at the Northern Lights Wildlife Shelter near Smithers, and a reading break trip to the John Prince Research Forest.

The student chapter is a great way to meet other students with similar interests in fish and wildlife, and is also a great way to make connections with executive members, professors, and potential employers. For more information on the TWS UNBC Fish and Wildlife Student Chapter, please visit our website at www.tws. unbc.ca or e-mail tws@unbc.ca.

On top of that, we also offer events such as a wildlife photo contest, wild foods potluck, an ice fishing derby, and Quizbowl (a fish

Stand Up Comedy at the Thirsty Moose! Brian Majore Contributor

o you think you’re funny? Are you the class clown? Have you ever considered trying stand-up comedy? Here’s your chance! Prince George has a small but growing stand-up comedy community and we are looking for anyone interested in trying it out for the first time. UNBC’s Thirsty Moose Pub will be hosting a series of stand-up comedy shows featuring local stand-up comics in the coming months. There will also be room during the shows for anyone brave and willing enough to try out a few original jokes in front of an audience.

If you are interested in telling jokes on a stage, with a microphone in your hand, the spotlight on your body, and your friends in the audience, please contact Brian Majore at brianmajore@ gmail.com, or leave your name with Morgan Bayliss at the Thirsty Moose. The Thirsty Moose pub will be holding stand-up comedy nights on the first Tuesday of February, March, and April, so you will have a few opportunities to try out your jokes. The first show will be on Tuesday, February 3 at 8pm. Tickets are $5 and are available at the door. Good luck to all performers!

UNBC Life

News from NUGSS Luke Lapp AD Communications | NUGSS

onjour à tous. Je me présente comme votre directeur associât de communications pour NUGSS. Nous sommes le deuxième semestre de l'année 2014/2015 et je suis certain que nous aurons bien profité à la fin. Il n’y a que quelque temps depuis j’ai commencé travailler avec le groupe sur NUGSS et déjà nous avons tellement avancé avec des idées fraiches et à vos intérêts. Bientôt on luttera avec les devoirs et les nouveaux cours, mais n’oubliez jamais ce que nous vous offrons chez NUGSS : l’avis, l’aide, et l’amitié. À très bientôt! Welcome. I am introducing myself as your

new Associate Director of Communications for NUGSS. Now that we are in the 2nd semester of the 2014/2015 year at UNBC, I am certain that together we will have made good headway by the end of it. It has only been a couple of months since I started working with the group at NUGSS, but we have already delved deep into new and exciting ideas which will benefit students. As we struggle with homework and get the hang of our courses, do not forget that NUGSS is here and ready to help, always willing to offer: advice, help, and friendship. See you soon!

Over The Edge at NASH 77 Kelley Ware Multimedia Coordinator

rom January 14 to 18, student journalists all over the country flocked to Ottawa for the 77th annual Canadian University Press conference (NASH for short). It was full of informative sessions and amazing keynotes. It was also full of a lot of complaining. For a group of people that idolizes foreign correspondents who can often live out of a bag for substantial amounts of time, student journalists seem to like their luxuries. It did not take long for the complaining to start. On the first night, during the keynote by Peter Mansbridge, conference attendees discovered that breakfast was not included. This launched the hashtag #breakfastgate, with people tweeting their displeasure. It became quite a scandal.

Ignoring the habit of people to add the suffix “gate” to things, this type of reaction surprised me. I recalled reading about the lack of breakfast on the conference website when I went to check what meals were being covered. The fact that a group of journalists failed to research what type of meals were being served was a particularly delicious bit of irony. The other major scandal of the conference came at the end. Everyone was very excited to attend the gala which took place at the Canadian Museum of Nature and was titled “Dancing with Dinos”. When we arrived, however, we learned that the event was three floors above the locked dinosaur wing. Soon, and quite expectedly, #dinosaurgate started spreading. The conference was an amazing experience, and it is a pretty big first world problem to be mad about a lack of breakfast and dinosaurs.

News

Canadian University Press National Conference, Ottawa Photos by Kelley Ware and Colin Slark

UNBC Life UNBC

UNBC Volunteer and Employment Fair Get engaged on campus with volunteer and employment opportunities Kelley Ware Multimedia Coordinator

tudent Life and the Student Career Centre teamed up this year in an effort to engage commuter students on campus. There is a belief that students living off-campus are not getting involved with the university the way that students living in residence are. They launched the “Popportunities” line of events to correct this perceived problem. These events were geared to show students – especially students off campus – the many types of opportunities UNBC offers to its students. Although it has gradually become

clear that commuter students are often engaging more than students on residence, the program is far from over. The next event this initiative has planned will be the biggest one of the year: The On-Campus Volunteer and Employment Fair. This event will be similar to the Career Fairs in October and March, but with a slightly different focus. Tables will be set up throughout the Student Services Street showcasing different opportunities on Tuesday, February 3, from 11am to 2pm.

focuses on possible employment opportunities and careers for graduating students, the Volunteer and Employment Fair will be all about experiences on-campus that students can do while they are still studying at UNBC. Departments, faculties, and student organizations will be showcased for students to see what they may be interested in and what options they may have. Departments such as the Library, Student Life, Over the Edge, and other services are known to hire students, which is a great opportunity to earn some extra money while studying.

Unlike the Career Fair, which primarily

Since these jobs are typically geared

towards students, they can be very flexible to work with schedules. Similarly, faculties often look for research assistants and interns. Finally, student organizations such as NUGSS and Over the Edge are always looking for students to be involved, especially now when terms are beginning to end and succession planning is vital. Get the most out of your time at UNBC. Find out all the opportunities that are waiting for you at the On-Campus Volunteer and Employment Fair. For more details, email Student Life at studentlife@unbc.ca.

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UNBC Life

Commitfit

Kayla Kilba Team Member

ave you been going to the gym for a while now, but feel like you are getting nowhere? Whether your goals are weight loss, muscle definition, or muscle bulk, everybody hits fitness walls. Results take time, dedication, commitment, and persistence. So let’s talk about a couple common misconceptions in regards to fitness. Cardio king or queen: I must do hours of cardio to lose weight. False. It is true cardio aids in weight loss, part of that being fat loss, but your body will adapt to the amount of cardio you do. What do I mean by this? Let’s say you start off doing 30 minutes of cardio a day, and a couple weeks go by and you notice a difference. You think great, I am just going to increase my time to keep increasing my weight loss. This may be effective for awhile,

but eventually you will plateau- hit a wall. So what should you do instead? Based on my personal experience (as well as Bodybuilding. com, Builtlean.com, Simplyshredded. com, and many others) I suggest high intensity interval training cardio, which includes short sprint intervals followed by intervals of low to moderate intensity. An example of this would be walking on a treadmill for 4 minutes at a moderate pace, and then sprinting as hard as you can for 1 minute, and repeat four times for 20 minutes total. According to bodybuilding.com, HIIT cardio burns fat up to 50% more effectively than lowintensity exercise (jogging on a treadmill). Other studies have also shown that HIIT training can speed up your metabolism, and the faster your metabolism is the more calories you will burn throughout the day! Long stints of cardio will also cause the body to lose muscle mass. So let’s skip the hours of cardio and work smarter not

harder, and give HIIT intervals a try! Beast in the gym, slacker on the diet: I give it my all in the gym, but have no results. First off, it is vital to remember that results take time. You will not see results overnight, maybe not even in a week. When I first started my fitness journey, I took photos and weighed myself every month, not every day, or week because you set yourself up for disappointment and, consequently, failure. Some say achieving your fitness goals is 70% diet and 30% exercise, while others say 80% and 20%. Nevertheless, you can go as hard in the gym as you want and for as long as you want, but without a proper balanced diet, there is almost no point. Eat healthy and eat smart. Get your vegetables, fruits, proteins, carbohydrates, etc. Carbs are your friend; they just have to be in moderation. Complex carbs like brown rice, quinoa, and yams, are healthier than simple or refined carbs like white rice, white bread or potatoes. Eat five to six smaller portioned meals

throughout the day versus three big ones. This will speed up your metabolism and keep your body and muscles fed. Drink plenty of water. Have your treats every once in awhile, but not every day. It takes consistency and discipline to see results, so give your diet a revamp and you will be pleased with what you start seeing; every day that you exercise and eat healthy is one day closer to your goals than before; every day that you push through is one more day closer to results. It can be hard getting started with exercise and diet, but if you push through, it will soon become second nature to you and will be worth the initial struggle. It took time to gain weight; it will take time to lose weight too. Still not sure where to start? Buy a fitness magazine, a healthy cookbook, or visit health and fitness websites such as bodybuilding.com or even YouTube! There are lots of resources out there for diet tips and exercise routines. Remember that everyone starts somewhere!

The

Feature

UNBC Faculty Association voted to allow strike make UNBC a more desirable university at which to teach and learn. Jasmine Kirk Editor in Chief

NBC faculty is in negotiations with the University to create their first collective agreement, which could result in a strike at any time. Dr. Ted Binnema, the Chief Negotiator for the UNBC Faculty Association, stated: “Our concern is that the contract being proposed by the Employer would put us as the least desirable university at which to work in the country”. UNBC’s 398 faculty members voted in favour of unionizing last spring, and on April 29, 2014, the UNBC Faculty Association was certified as a union under the Labour Relations Board of BC. UNBC has a prior existing union (CUPE, which consists of all support staff), but the faculty has not been unionized in the University’s 25-year history. Since the vote in April, the Faculty Association has been negotiating the terms with UNBC’s Board of Governors. While the University is very pleased with the progress that has been made so far, the negotiators have been at the bargaining table for over 200 hours, by far surpassing the Faculty Association’s goal of ratifying a collective by June 30. On January 15, the FA voted 84% in favour of a strike mandate, giving them the power to call a strike if necessary. This is the first university faculty strike mandate to occur in BC history. The Faculty Association has a negotiating team of five members: an executive director, Donna Plourde, and four tenured UNBC professors; Dr. Ted Binnema (History), Dr. Paul Bowles (Economics), Dr. Darwyn Coxson (Ecosystem Science and Management), and Dr. Shannon Wagner (Health Sciences). UNBC’s team consists of Dr. Daniel Ryan (Dean of the College of Science and Management, Chief Negotiator), Dr. Bill McGill (Ecosystem Science and Management), Dr. William Owen (Psychology), Sheila Page (Director of Human Resources), and Shari Hoff. The main issues that the Faculty Association and the Employer are currently having difficulty compromising on include concerns over UNBC’s ability to make programs redundant, retirement options and benefits, and bringing faculty salary up to market standards. Program redundancies are a big point of contention because the University does not want to promiss that employees be given jobs in different departments, despite the interdisciplinary nature of most UNBC professors. The Faculty Association would like to remove the option of layoffs in the case of program disbandment, also helping to ensure that students will have continued access to somebody in that field if they wish to pursue studies in a redundant department. Retirement benefits have been a focus of the FA in their desire for members to be comfortable after completing their tenure at UNBC. Currently, there are almost 90 faculty members over the age of 55. For the most part, retired faculty members are also more likely to come back and volunteer for the University, suggesting that it is in UNBC’s best interests to keep their pensioners happy. Finally, the negotiators are still working through the issue of salary. Presently, senior faculty members at UNBC are paid approximately 25% less than professors at comparable Canadian universities. The FA is hoping to change this, and thus

Dr. Binnema, chief negotiator for the Faculty Association, addressed concern about the impact of a salary increase on tuition. “The university has the ability to pay us the salaries that we would get if we were elsewhere, and they wouldn’t have to increase tuitions to that effect.” In fact, Dr. Binnema is firm that “one thing that we’ve made clear is that the University can pay these salaries--the market salaries--without increasing tuition. Students wouldn’t have to pay for faculty to be getting paid more. Every year in the last ten or more years, the university has had a surplus at the end of the year far larger than what they would be required to pay us at market salary.” When discussing terms of the 2010-2012 negotiation, the decision went to arbitration. Long-time mediator Vince Ready, the arbitrator who oversaw relations during the BCTF strike, was brought in to supervise the decision. Dr. Binnema said that Ready was particularly compelled by the comparison between UNBC’s salaries and salaries of other universities with similar Maclean’s rankings.

“… it would be with very heavy hearts that faculty would disrupt the operations of the university.” Dr. Holler | UNBC FA President Of course, a strike is undesirable for both parties. Dr. Jacqueline Holler, President of the Faculty Association, understands the effect that a strike would have on students. “Certainly we understand that students would be alarmed by the prospect of any kind of job action. Inevitably, it’s destructive… it would be with very heavy hearts that faculty would disrupt the operations of the university.” She is also clear, however, that a strike “...is something we’re prepared to do if necessary.” Overall, both parties hope that the effects on students would be minimized wherever possible, but the primary concern is for graduating students. If a strike must occur, the Faculty Association has determined that they will not picket the Canada Winter Games. The Faculty Association has also been offered “flying pickets”, colleagues from various universities who will bring national attention to the issue. If a strike is to occur, CUPE has also promised not to cross picket lines (CUPEUNBC is negotiating their collective this year as well). The University has the right to lock out the faculty at any time. Rob van Adrichem, UNBC’s Vice President of External Relations, hopes that after the agreement is ratified “students notice that the University is still an excellent institution, focused on its teaching, research, and service.” The best way to keep involved is to keep informed with UNBC’s and the Faculty Association’s websites, both of which offer frequent updates. If you would like to endorse either your university or your faculty, please write a short letter of support. To contact the UNBC’s negotiating team, email faculty-relations@unbc. ca. Contact to the faculty negotiation is routed through fac-assoc@unbc.ca.

Culture 4 normal-ish comedy fwilms to

Help Stave Off Boredom

Colin Slark Team Member

re you tired of lists of science fiction, fantasy, and comic book stuff? The following movies are devoid of any elements of robots, superpowers, or magic. They may still be a little weird though. Here are 4 normal-ish comedy films to help stave off boredom. Harold and Maude (1971): Harold is a bored young man into funerals, hearses, and faking his own death. His mother constantly tries to cheer him up by setting him up on blind dates, but Harold always scares them away by acting out elaborate fake suicides. Harold’s life brightens up one day when he meets an old woman named Maude who shares his love of attending the funerals of strangers. They fall in love and Maude shows Harold there is more to life than death. This black comedy features one of the strangest movie vehicles of all time, a classic Jaguar

that Harold has converted into a sports hearse. A must see for the morbid among us. Start the Revolution Without Me (1970): One day in mid-17th century France, a noble family and a peasant family both arrive at the same doctor’s house to have him deliver their babies. Things get confusing as both mothers are discovered to be giving birth to twins and each couple is accidentally given one child from each pair in the aftermath. Decades later, these two sets of “twins” (played in both instances by Gene Wilder and Donald Sutherland) are caught up in the French Revolution, one set working with the peasants and the other working with the nobles. The brothers encounter a bumbling Louis XVI and a scheming Marie Antoinette, and are saddled with a series of increasingly absurd plot twists. This film makes no attempt at historical accuracy, but Wilder and Sutherland’s funny performances will make you disregard the details.

Raising Arizona (1987): Imagine a time when Nicolas Cage was able to play a character other than the manic weirdoes he tends to play these days. Imagine a Nicolas Cage that is able to portray a state of mind other than unflinching intensity. You may think that this version of Nicholas Cage does not exist, but he did at least once. Petty criminal Hi McDunnough (Cage) is bad at staying out of prison, leaving and returning so fast you would there was a revolving door on his jail cell. However, his constant processing by the police leads to a romance and marriage to one of the local policewomen, Ed. Their married life is happy until they find out that Ed is unable to have children. Soon after receiving the sad news, they find out that a local couple has recently given birth to quintuplets. Hi and Ed figure that this family probably has more kids than they need and a plan is hatched to “adopt” one of the quintuplets. Once they have the baby, Hi and Ed realize that being parents is a bit more difficult than they had imagined.

Featuring a laidback yet sweet performance by Nicolas Cage, this lesser-known Coen Brothers film is zany but heartwarming. The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash (1978): I am cheating a little bit with this one as it was a TV movie. Before This is Spinal Tap was conceived of, former Monty Python member Eric Idle and Python musical contributor Neil Innes collaborated to produce this mockumentary about a fictional Beatleslike band called The Rutles. From the early boy band-esque days of The Beatles to their weirder material like the “Yellow Submarine” cartoon, nothing is safe from being parodied. The best feat this film pulls off is managing to have their knockoff Beatles songs sound like they could be real. If you were wondering if any members of The Beatles approved of this venture, George Harrison does have a cameo in one scene. Please expect more weird, esoteric, and bizarre recommendations from me in upcoming issues!

The war on Feminism: continued Andrew Kenway Team Member

ne of the most popular arguments against feminism is that it's a massive, money-making machine designed to deliver unto women unbridled superiority. Some believe that while feminism began as a movement entirely about equality, it has since become a dangerous overreach that aims to crush all men in its mighty iron claws. One argument remains strangely prevalent: "If feminism is really about equality, why does it start with fem? You know, as in female?"

classifications. As Feminspire blogger Sherrie Silman says on the subject, "Feminism isn’t called Humanism or Egalitarianism because Egalitarianism and Humanism pre-existed the idea that ‘women could or even should be recognized as persons.’" This leads to the second common argument: "Men are more oppressed than women now." This is one of those arguments that's difficult to argue against, because

this agenda as complete fiction. Finally, the king of all terrible arguments is that of tone: when a feminist becomes loud or angry, and someone says "Hey now, no one's going to listen to you when you sound so mean about it." They don't mind the equality thing as long as it doesn't affect how they feel as a human being. People in power generally

This point of view not only seeks to erase and undermine the hard-won victories of one of the most progressive movements of the last century, but also shows a fundamental inability to understand how words work. The prefix of a word does not create the word's entire meaning. Under this logic, homo milk should be undrinkable by straight people. It's not, if you were wondering, because that's not how words work. Still, many men aim to free themselves from the oppressive word that's held them back for far too long now. Yes, there is a massive and long-standing call that feminism should have to change its name if it is to have any chance of standing for real equality. Many options have been thrown out there, most of them ridiculous and ill-conceived. Some enjoy the term “equalists”, though to watchers of the hit cartoon Avatar: the Legend of Korra, it might just sound like they're stealing the name from cartoon bad guys. “Humanist” is another popular revision, many suggest, but they always seem to forget to specify what kind. Since even a five-second Wikipedia search reveals that there are secular humanists, religious humanists, or--if they were really aiming for hipster points--Renaissance Humanist, the fact that the term is rarely expounded upon shows how little thought goes into these

it just seems so obviously incorrect. Even with false statistics that make the wage gap appear dissolved, it's hard to believe that people believe this so vehemently. Feminism is seen as an Emperor-Palpatine or Jafar-like power-grab, in which the dangerous women plotting behind closed doors seek to destabilize society as a whole. The people who make this argument generally disregard wage gap, rape culture, and literally anything else that disproves

aren't too fond of giving it up. There are not many historical instances of someone politely requesting social rights or independence. Some people are fine with feminism as long as they don't have to hear about it, which sort of defeats the purpose. Social Justice doesn't generally progress when ignored by society, and a recent influx of feminist ideals being injected into the North American conciousness via the internet leaves some people quite chafed. When somebody is unfairly discriminated again, becoming angry is a relatively normal reaction. In recent years there's been greater

Opinions considerable backlash than ever against the feminist movement, but the movement has always had backlash. Just because people don't like social justice or equality affecting their lives, doesn't mean that rights aren't going to be fought for. As for all of the Men's Rights Activists, gender equalists, and humanists out there, well, the second anyone under those banners does half as much to lift oppression as feminism has in its modern incarnation we'd all be glad to hear it. Until then, these equality movements that have never actually done anything for equality, but try to de-construct feminism, can just keep wasting everyone's time with these three defunct arguments.

News

James Mangan Team Member

ast November, the Conservative Party of Canada proposed Bill C-42, the Common Sense Firearms Licensing Act, to parliament. A week later, Thomas Mulcair angered many local Canadians when he claimed that a New Democratic Party government would re-instate some form of registration for non-restricted firearms. Many believed that the Conservative’s Bill C-19, which brought an end to the need to register non-restricted firearms, put an end to the issue for good. However, Mr. Mulcair’s statements and the national conversation that surrounded them demonstrate that firearm regulation is still a major conversation in Canada, and compromises must be made in order to create effective legislation surrounding the issue of gun control. Firearms have a role to play in Canada, but the gun control debate is often characterized by arguments made outside of the country. The United States views gun ownership as a right of citizenship, often referencing their second amendment, which states, “… the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” Canada does not recognize this right. Rather, Canada recognizes the privilege to own a firearm

Firearm Registry Canada

by prioritizing the need for background checks, effective waiting periods, and, with the exception of non-restricted firearms, registrations. This privilege can be removed if a citizen is proven to be irresponsible. When Conservative party delegates met in Calgary in 2013 to discuss future policies and direction for the Conservative government, a motion to make gun-ownership a “right of citizenship” was only narrowly defeated 500 – 477, telling Canadians that even the most “pro-gun” government recognizes gunownership as a privilege, rather than right.

Many firearm lobbies and organizations view gun control as a process of deterring firearm ownership through overbearing regulation. This is a reaction to calls from anti-firearm organizations to limit access to guns after gun-related crimes made national headlines, such as the École Polytechnique massacre in 1989. As a result, the term “gun control” has become synonymous with the limitation of the privilege to own a firearm.

Although most citizens of Prince George only really need a gun for hunting game, rural communities, especially many First Nations communities, rely on firearms for subsistence. In a December 2014 article the CBC speculated that former Liberal MP Larry Bagnell lost his seat in the 2011 federal election, a seat he had held since the 2000 federal election, to Conservative Ryan Leef over the Liberal party’s introduction of the long-gun registry.

Those who view gun control in this manner feel that firearm regulations are drafted with the assumption that firearmowners are more likely to commit crimes. Considering regulations should strive to protect the public while minimizing infringements on the privilege to own a firearm, this perception is detrimental to drafting effective firearm regulations. Therefore, future legislation concerning firearms should strive to enforce effective gun control while simultaneously ensuring owners’ privileges will not be infringed upon. This is where the non-restricted firearm registry could play a pivotal role.

Guns are tools, although dangerous ones. For this reason, they are regulated for public protection, not unlike vehicles. However, like any politically charged issue, there exist extreme interpretations of these regulations.

The gun registry exists so that legally purchased guns that are used in illegal activity can be traced to their owners. In order to prove to firearm owners that this legislation is done only to promote the

public’s wellbeing and not to place financial burdens to deter firearm ownership, this registration should be free for both restricted and non-restricted firearms. Owners already have to pay for a yearly licence on top of their firearms, not to mention the extra cost of attaining a restricted license. Fees on registrations perpetuate the perception of limiting the access to guns. Access to this free registration must also be made available to the most rural communities in Canada, who have the most need for firearms. This compromise can ensure that the national registry is intended to protect the public without infringing upon the privilege to own a firearm. Of course, a national registry will not end all gun-related crime, since most are committed using stolen or illegally purchased firearms. Therefore, effective gun-control legislation cannot end at a registration. This is only one compromise available to lawmakers. Promoting responsible firearm-ownership in a framework of effective firearm regulation requires many more compromises. However, they are necessary if Canada is to find an answer to this national discussion.

News 13

Social media stalkers: how metadata reveals more than you think Kelley Ware Multimedia Coordinator

etadata is the type of data that is created every time something is posted online. This includes where and when the post is made. It can even cover information on phone calls, such as duration and to whom the call was made. Metadata has been in the news more and more in the past few years, especially after it was revealed that the National Security Agency (NSA) in the United States was monitoring phone calls in the name of national security.

Governments do not consider it an invasion of privacy because the content of the post or call is not what they are monitoring. They are not monitoring the data, only the metadata. This could lure people into a false sense of security, feeling that their information is safe. Often, whoever is monitoring the metadata does not actually need the context to be able to figure out what is going on. The concept of metadata is not a new one. Government agencies have programs that monitor Google and

other websites for certain keywords, or “pings.” These pings are certain searches that, in combination with other pings, could be possible security threats. Even seemingly innocent things in combination could appear troubling to government security. As an example, let’s say there was an avid backpacker and their search history reflected this. One day, they were researching pressure cookers as a gift to a friend. Several days later, the police were at their door and questioned them about what they know about backpack pressure cooker bombs.

While stopping security threats before they happen is something that is hard to argue with, there is an impression that only governments can access metadata. Metadata is not protected information; anybody can use it. Journalists can use metadata to help people discover the validity of an account, mine for sources, and fact check. All of these are noble pursuits to break news that is accurate; however, it does not help ease worries about metadata since anyone with a basic understanding of code can access the metadata on social media sites.

Some social media platforms protect your information better than others. Metadata on Twitter can reveal how many lists an account is on and when it was created. It can help make sure the account is trustworthy. Looking up metadata is not very helpful on Facebook, which only allows you to access metadata of friends or profiles that are completely public. This may be the only time where Facebook is actually ahead of other platforms in protecting the information of its users. What would likely seem like the most innocent program concerning metadata is actually the scariest. Instagram is a social media stalker, and the amount of information

anyone can get from a photo you post is quite terrifying. Using a random photo of a Starbucks cup looking out a window, with snow on the ground outside and a small tree in the sidewalk, it is possible to determine the intersection at which the poster was sitting two hours before. So yes, the government is using our information –-but to some extent, we certainly let it happen.

fanexperiences.com

Sports

Sports 15

Super Bowl Preview 2015: Seahawks vs. Patriots Brady Stark Team Member

he biggest spectacle in football (sorry CFL) is about to invade our TVs and capture our attention on February 1. The NFL Super Bowl will be held in Arizona, with the rest of the world watching. Here are three smoking stories you must know going into February 1st. Wilson VS Brady It has been 10 years since Tom Brady was able to lead the Patriots in back-to-back Super Bowl Championships, as arguably one of the best playoff quarterbacks of all time. Now, Russell Wilson has the opportunity to share his spotlight and win his own back-to-back championship in his third season as the quarterback of the Seahawks. In 2014, Wilson defeated Peyton Manning, one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, and now he has the chance to do it again, against the man whose record he wants to take over. Tom Brady’s career playoff record is part of his legend, and in the 2015 post-season, he has proven no different. Despite some early criticisms, Brady has managed to take on some of the best quarterbacks in the game and defeat them on the way to his sixth Super Bowl appearance in his 13th year in the NFL. His game is found to be a barrage of short passes meant to overwhelm the defense and has proven effective thus far. If Tom Brady is able to stifle the Seahawks strong defense with his strategy, he is a strong contender to win his fourth Championship. The Legion of Boom: Dubbed “The Legion of Boom” by its mass of followers along the west coast, the Seahawks secondary has been terrorizing the opposition since the 2012-2013 campaign. Led by cornerback Richard Sherman, the secondary has been the center for allowing the least amount of points and yards by any team over the last couple years. Despite being as brash and cocky as any we have seen in the NFL for quite some time, Sherman is a menacing warrior that can back up his talk. In last year’s Super Bowl game, Sherman and company all but shut down Peyton Manning and the Broncos in a lopsided victory to capture their first championship. In the NFC Championship game against the Green Bay Packers, Sherman & Co held Aaron Rogers and the high-flying Packers offense to just 22 points. Unfortunately for the Seahawks, Sherman has injured his left elbow and may not be 100% going into Arizona. Can the Legion of Boom band together to shut down one of the best QBs of All-time, or will Brady capitalize on the injuries to the Seahawks secondary? Deflate-gate: Unfortunately for Super Bowl XLIX, the biggest story surrounding this event has nothing to do with the players. Instead, the story taking over the media is a scandal that has encompassed the New England Patriots. Dubbed “Deflate-gate”, an investigation is being performed by NFL officials into the size of the footballs that were used during the AFL Championship game between the Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts. The Patriots ended up winning the game 45-7, but after the game it was discovered that 11 of the 12 balls that the Patriots supplied for the game ended up having 2lbs of air taken out of them after they were inspected by the field officials a couple of hours before the game. Both teams have to supply 12 regulation balls and

the home team has to supply an extra 12 balls for a total of 36 that are to be used throughout the game. Having such a significant amount of balls being deflated gives one team an enormous advantage in the passing game. This is not the first time that the Patriots have been caught cheating in a game. They were discovered to have videotaped the New York Jets practice in 2008 before playing them in a regular season game. The result of that scandal was a large team fine and the forfeiture of their first round pick in the next draft. Sources from ESPN have analyzed the situation and have determined that despite the significance of this scandal, the NFL and its commissioner will only smack the Patriots with a fine and call it a day. This year’s Super Bowl will be one for the ages as you have two of the best quarterbacks in the game going toe-to-toe. My prediction for Super Bowl XLIX is the Seattle Seahawks winning again, with a score of 28-10.

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