Over The Edge
UNBC’s Independent Student Newspaper est. 1994
Advances in Genetic Study see page 9
Strike info on pages 3-7 Volume 21, Issue 12
Free overtheedgenewspaper.ca
March 16, 2015 ote-newspaper@unbc.ca
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his has been a tumultuous couple of weeks for UNBC, unprecedented in its 25 year history. The strike has changed the way that UNBC students, faculty, staff, and admin communicate, and it is unlikely to ever be the same. The discourse about the strike on social media has also been inflammatory as people pick sides in the labour dispute.
of the OTE staff wants to show solidarity with their professors, who they know well and see often. Therefore, many are not willing to cross pickets. We do also recognize that the negotiation process has not been easy for the administration, and sympathize with their attempts to work within the restraints coming from above.
with admin and support staff, and gathering other opinions and perspectives about the strike (all without crossing picket lines). I cannot apologize for our bias, because this issue is so personal for so many people. Instead, all I can do is ask that those people who do not feel their voices are being heard by UNBC students come to Over the Edge.
Over the Edge is also in a unique position; historically, journalists cross picket lines in an attempt to get an even perspective from both sides. In this case, the majority
Due to the support that OTE staff want to show their professors, our coverage has been biased. We recognize this bias, and are attempting to balance it out by speaking
We want to know how this strike has affected you, in more than 140 characters. Please, send your opinions to ote-newspaper@unbc.ca.
Next deadline: March 25, 2015
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Over The Edge 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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Letter from the
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Strike GSS Student-Focused Rally Kelley Ware Multimedia Coordinator
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ather than sitting by passively while the strike occurs, the Northern British Columbia Graduate Student Society decided to host a rally on March 12. When the rally was first organized, talks were on hold between the UNBC Faculty Association and the Administration and the purpose was to encourage both sides to meet and end this strike. Talks resumed the morning of the rally, but the rally continued, taking a neutral and “pro-student” stance.
Rahul Poojary, president of NBCGSS, speaking at GSS Rally Kelley Ware | OTE
This neutral stance had sparked plenty of controversy on the rally’s Facebook event page. Students who strongly supported the faculty were actively voicing their displeasure. In spite of the controversy (or perhaps because of it), the GSS rally was incredibly well attended and saw an audience of approximately 150 students and community members. Looking at the amount of students that attended, GSS Vice President Rahul Poojary smiled, “We don’t just have the best small university in the west; we have the best small community.” Even though the rally was hosted by the GSS and focused on the graduate students, they took the time to select speakers who represented diverse groups at UNBC. In addition to GSS President Jessy Rajan acting as host and MC, the rally heard from Rebecca Collins representing UNBC graduate students, Molly Fredeen representing undergraduate students, Rahul Poojary representing international students, Eric Depenau representing CNC, and Dave Fuller, the owner of Ave Maria, representing the greater Prince George community. The major talking points focused on how students are being affected by the strike and how it is important that a resolution be made. However, much to the surprise of those who
spoke out against the neutral stance, most of the discussion about a resolution came in the form of a fair deal. The rally was far from the “government intervention to get us back into class at any cost” that the rally’s opponents believed it would be. There was talk of government, but more in the tune of having the provincial government pay attention to the northern half of the province (which is precisely why CNC was also represented). It was clear that the speakers at this rally valued UNBC greatly, many spoking on the positive impact the university and the research that comes out of it has had on individuals and communities both domestically and abroad. The professors were spoken about in high regard for much of the rally. However, some speakers urged students to remember that this strike is not a matter of good guys against bad guys: “Both [negotiating teams] have been villainized by the other…” Fredeen began, “[but we need to remember] administration provides scholarships, financial support, and the services we use.” Fredeen went on to say that most students have been told to choose a side during the negotiations: either the faculty or the administration. However, we have the
option to not take a side and recognize ourselves, as students, as stakeholders too. Without students UNBC would not exist.
the GSS had a particular type of prostudent neutrality they wanted to get across, and they did that in the rally.
The negative impact this strike brings to students was a major concern. The future of any student who has deadlines for applications or work this summer may be in jeopardy. Poojary spoke about how graduate students are unable to defend their theses in order to graduate; they cannot apply for jobs or PhD studies. For international students, if the semester gets extended they will have to renew visas and study permits, which is a costly endeavour to stay in the country.
Ian Newcombe, one student who requested to speak before the rally was finished, seemed to embody this stance of active neutrality perfectly.
“We [students] need to take control of our situation,” said Depenau before he urged students to speak to the provincial government. “Our MLAs work for you!” A letter written to Minister of Advanced Education Andrew Wilkinson also circulated during the rally. In it, protesters urged Wilkinson to pay more attention to the north and get involved in negotiations to find an acceptable conclusion. The rally may have suffered from a lack of clarity on the Facebook event page. Neutrality was not well defined, leaving some students to think the worst. Instead,
Newcombe announced his attention to begin walking the university hill in protest. His plan, starting Friday, March 13, was to begin walking with his sign every day he should be in class. Once at the top, he intends to cross the picket line so he can stand outside of President Weeks’ office until he is given a satisfactory answer to his concerns (such as what will happen to already paid tuition money) and we are back in class. Speaking to Over the Edge, Newcombe said that he sees this stance as actively neutral because he and others are actively fighting for their own future. When asked whether standing outside of President Weeks’ office would be seen as pro-faculty, he responded, “Currently administration is keeping [our safety net] hostage. But if the Faculty Association becomes unreasonable, we will change our tactics. We are a democratic group of students.”
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Strike
Opinion: Students for UNBCFA
Maryna Dakhno | OTE
James Mangan Team Member
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he UNBC Faculty Association’s job-action may be an inconvenience to university students, but that does not excuse said students from meeting certain expectations. The first expectation is that students will refrain from panicking. Precedence is on their side. Secondly, students should be expected to respect the picket line. Teachers already feel disrespected by the university’s administration, and they do not need the thoughtless actions of apathetic students as an additional challenge. There are rumours that students could potentially lose this current semester if the job-action lasts too long. This has not been the case in any province that has experienced a strike among university faculty. Also, such a loss would not be in the professor’s best interests. The point of a strike is to gain public support, not diminish it. Students are treated as a “bargaining chip” not as a result of their pursuit of degrees, but as a result of their willingness to spend money
at the university. It is in the professors’ best interest to see their students’ progress in their post-secondary education once this job-action has been concluded. In the most extreme scenario, students can begin to discuss financial reimbursement. However, it is not a good idea to dwell on such a scenario so early in the strike. Such considerations distract students from the discussions that need to be held immediately, such as how to properly handle the picket line. Regardless of whether the student sides with the administration or with the Faculty Association (or neither), there needs to be a level of respect for the picket line. Like any job action across all fields of employment, the picket line is a powerful sign of strength, unity, and public support for a striking organization. It is also an inconvenience for those who ordinarily use the facilities operated by a striking organization, as is the nature of job action. Unfortunately, this demonstration is necessary since a strike is meaningless,
even ridiculed, without leverage. Since Thursday, March 5, our professors and friends have been demonstrating outside UNBC’s various facilities throughout Prince George in order to gain public support. They have withstood cold weather and, unfortunately, inconsiderate drivers in order to hear the occasional “honk” of support from a passing vehicle. They do so because they believe that they are not being respected by their employer.This lack of respect is not invisible to students. One would have to be purposefully ignorant to not know that its UNBC’s 25th anniversary based on all the flags and merchandise being produced. The University was also able to afford a costly renovation to the Dining Hall, the popularity of which rivals that of bedbugs. However, a fair wage increase for professors is somehow out of the question. Recognizing this lack of respect should be enough to refrain from crossing the picket line, regardless of whether or not one supports the Faculty Association. Of course there are exceptions, such as students
who reside on campus or individuals who have medical appointments at the Northern Sports Centre. The UNBC Faculty Association recognizes these exceptions. If you need to cross the picket line, rest assured that the Faculty Association members will simply want to have a brief discussion before allowing you to cross. Finally, students have the obligation to stay actively informed with both sides of the dispute. The UNBC Faculty Association and the UNBC Administration are both updating regularly, and both have a history of negotiations available online. These are only the bare minimum expectations for students. Even satisfying the bare minimum of expectations during this strike proves to professors that students respect the positions of the professors. Professors already have to deal with disrespectful priorities from the university administration, as well as the provincial government. They do not need the same sentiment coming from their students.
Photos by Kelley Ware, Maryna Dakhno, and Colin Slark
Strike Dr. Jacqueline Holler, Faculty Association President, , speaks at rally, March 7 Kelley Ware | OTE
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March 7 UNBC FA rally
necessity of it, and how much they want to get back to work as soon as they can.
Kelley Ware Multimedia Coordinator
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ccording to Dr. Ken Wilkening’s calculations, over 300 people filled the plaza outside the Prince George Courthouse at noon on March 7, 2015. The crowd was there for a rally to support the UNBC Faculty Association during their job action. Pre-made Faculty Association signs and homemade signs from staff and students filled the plaza at noon when the rally was to start. The event began with the Faculty Association Vice President, Dr. Erik Jensen, rallying the crowd and introducing the speakers. He mentioned that students go to UNBC for the great education provided by its professors. Without quality professors, students would not be inclined to attend UNBC. Likewise, he called for the necessity of a wide array
of support for this strike: students, their families, other unions, and other Canadian universities. With 300 bodies in attendance, it seems like he has received his request. Some of the Faculty Association’s flying pickets were in attendance and spoke as well. Representatives from CNC, the University of Western Ontario, the University of Manitoba, St. Paul’s University, and Mount St. Vincent University, among others, showed solidarity. Many also gifted the Faculty Association with cheques to show their support. Likewise, other non-faculty unions outside of faculty showed their solidarity as well. Other unions such as CUPE, the BCTF, the BC Government Employees Union, UNIFOR, the North Central Labour Council, and the BC Federation of Labour were all in attendance. Cars honked passing by as the rally took place, greeted with waves and cheers as union leaders spoke about the strike, the
“Pickets have come from coast to coast,” said Dr. Thomas Booth from the University of Manitoba, in regards to the support received by the Faculty Association. “If you are still on the line next week, rest assured we are with you.” While talking about the value of UNBC’s professors, Aaron from the BC Federation of Labour said it most eloquently: “This institution on the hill is a world class institution, not because of management but because of the hard work you have put into it.” Finally, Dr. Jacqueline Holler, the Faculty Association President, was the last to speak. At times, she seemed near tears, overwhelmed by the amount of people who joined them in the plaza. She mentioned that one of her previous students even drove from Alberta to show support. In her speech, she stated that the university is quick to own its MacLean’s “Best in the West’ ranking
and celebrate teaching excellence, except when it comes to compensation. “We are excellent until it comes time to pay us,” said Dr. Holler, “[we want] excellence for UNBC that is sustainable into the future.” The rally ended with a rendition of the union song “Solidarity Forever” sung a cappella by the entire crowd. Before the crowd dispersed, Dr. Holler made one final shout-out to the students, recognizing that professors are here because of them and that they are thankful for the amount of support they have seen from the students. After the rally, Over the Edge was able to quickly meet with Dr. Holler before she went back to their strike headquarters. “I think it went phenomenally well,” said Dr. Holler. “We appreciate the student’s support. We know this is tough for students and we want to get this over as soon as we can, but we need the administration to give a fair deal.” For up-to-date information on strike news, visit our strike page, the Faculty Association’s page, and the university’s faculty relations page.
Strike
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Pro-faculty students rally downtown, March 12 Colin Slark Team Member
D
uring the Canada Winter Games, many Prince George residents expressed that it was nice to see downtown full of people sharing a sense of community together, and that they would like to see it continue to happen after the games had come and gone. Well, downtown Prince George has been busy, but perhaps not in the way people expected. Two buildings connected to UNBC in downtown have been surrounded by striking faculty members and support staff every weekday since March 5. Three rallies have been held in relation to the strike: a Faculty Association rally on March 7 helped faculty and their colleagues from near and far express why they are on strike, a neutral student rally held on March 12 called for government intervention in contract negotiations, and, most recently, on March 14 a different group of students held a pro-faculty rally in front of the Prince George Law Courts. Some accused the March 12 rally of not having a clear vision, or of being too vague to accomplish anything. Agree with the message or not, the pro-faculty rally did not suffer from this problem. It was hard to estimate turnout, but there was a healthy amount of people in attendance. There were a lot of students in attendance, but there were also a lot of faculty members, perhaps there, as some on Twitter suggested, to return the favour for the large student turnout at the UNBC FA’s own rally a week earlier. The faculty support for the rally was clear, as evidenced by the presence of UNBC FA leadership, including president Dr. Jacqueline Holler, and even some members of the FA’s bargaining team who walked down George Street during a lunch break in weekend negotiations to attend. Local musical duo Cici & Kazo warmed up the crowd as people trickled in off the street, and the rally began with Linda Horianopoulos singing a UNBC strike-flavoured version of
classic pop song “Hooked On A Feeling”, with the new lyrics eliciting much laughter from the crowd. Many students held up pro-FA signs with a couple highlights being: “Get my ass back in class!” and “This wouldn’t happen at Hogwarts.” After that, things got serious. A parade of UNBC students, both undergraduates and graduates, stood at the microphone to explain why they love UNBC and why the faculty is central to their experiences. At the beginning of the rally, it was said that the group of students that organized the rally is not tied to any organization and they were free to say whatever they want, and they did. It was easy to hear the speakers’ fears that the current pay structure at UNBC might lower the quality of their education or even the value of their degrees later down the road. Rally organizer Kelley Ware told the crowd that: “If I had to choose between taking classes on a beautiful campus with lower-calibre professors or taking classes with current professors in a bare warehouse, I’d choose the warehouse.” Graduate student Rina Stuparyk said that, in her opinion, UNBC’s faculty were the reason for the institution’s success, not the administration. Pearl Loerke stated that UNBC needs to focus on maintaining personnel, “We need to think about human infrastructure. Our university cannot be run like a machine.” Edward Quinlan said that he felt this strike was indicative of a larger problem, what he saw as the devaluation of education in British Columbia. Quinlan used examples like the two education-related strikes over the last year in BC (BCTF and UNBC FA) and the fact that BC has a high interest rate on student loans to argue that the provincial government does not see education as a high priority. Rally organizer Emerson Pereira had a similar viewpoint, telling Over The Edge: “Education in BC in general makes me quite sad. We have a right-wing government, the BC Liberals, that does not really support education. We have a provincial government in power that focuses on small and large private businesses and the thing that
bothers me the most is that rather than focusing on the universities, they believe that leaders will come from businesses.” After students had their say and voiced support for the faculty and CUPE support staff, a visibly emotional Dr. Holler came out to thank students for their support. It was then announced that the UNBC FA had donated $1000 in grocery store gift cards to a group calling themselves UNBC Students For FA, in order for them to help students currently unable to make an income from their on-campus jobs buy food. One of these students, UNBC student Liana Mancini, commented that: “In the midst of the strike, faculty has us in mind.” As the event winded down, things got slightly chaotic. Cries of “Free speech!” could be heard in the distance, getting closer and louder as time went on. Eventually, a herd of 30 or so protesters from a different event, protesting the controversial anti-terrorism bill, marched to the courthouse square, waving signs of their own. However, once they arrived, they did quiet down enough so that the student rally could conclude satisfactorily. The organizers of this rally freely admitted that, alone, this rally solves nothing. Rather, it is a basis from which to start providing concrete support for faculty. One student went around collecting signature for a petition on behalf of UNBC students and alumni in favour of faculty. You can find that petition online at www.change.org/p/university-ofnorthern-british-columbia-administrationstudent-and-alumni-statement-insupport-of-the-faculty-association.
outside of UNBC president Dr. Daniel Weeks’ office until they feel satisfied he is addressing their concerns. One of the rally organizers, James Mangan, posted in the rally’s Facebook group that he is trying to organize a visit by students to Prince George MLAs on Wednesday, March 18. Negotiations do not seem to have advanced much last Saturday, with UNBC administration commenting on the FA’s recent counter-proposal: “The University’s perspective is that it does not represent a substantial shift from the FA bargaining team’s original compensation position tabled on June 11, 2014.” Some faculty members expressed on Twitter that they were unhappy with the fact that UNBC president Dr. Daniel Weeks and other high-ranking administrators are not at the bargaining table. It would seem that the next week of classes are still very much in doubt. For continuing developments on the UNBC strike, there are several places to get up to date news. The hashtag #unbcstrike is very active on Twitter, unbcfa.ca features updates from faculty most days and the administration’s updates can be found at unbc.ca/faculty-relations. Also, overtheedgenewspaper.ca will feature online articles you won’t see in print about the strike.
A different group of students declared that every day starting Monday March 16 they will march up Cranbrook Hill and cross the picket line, waiting Colin Slark | OTE
News
Federal parties stake their claims Grant Bachand Team Member
W
ith the federal elections coming up, political parties are getting ready to position themselves. The Conservative, Liberal, and New Democratic Parties are all gearing up for campaign season. Strategically positioning themselves for the election seems to be one of the main goals of the leaders. Recently, the Conservative party of Canada spoke to a room full of supporters about “closing loopholes” in the Criminal Code. According to Stephen Harper, his government would be proposing legislation that would make it harder for people who have committed major crimes to get parole. Crimes which would be subject to these changes include the killing of a police officer, kidnapping and sexual assault that result in death, and terrorism. Currently, people serving life sentences go before the parole board, an independent body not elected or influenced by the Department of Justice, after 25 years. According to Stephen Harper, the Conservatives want to make it the duty of the federal cabinet to determine if the individual is eligible for parole. The Harper government is also proposing changes to the parole date, making it 35 years rather than 25. Once 35
years is up a person may then apply to the Minister of Justice and the Federal Cabinet to be released. Stephen Harper said in his address that this “would not be parole,” it would be something different (though exactly what is not clear). This change sparked much debate over the timing of these changes and the legality of the proposal. Some commentators have pointed out that this will not pass the Supreme Court, while others have said it is playing politics where impartiality is important. Harper spoke a lot about victims and protecting them from people who have committed crimes against them. Conservatives want to ensure that life sentences mean a life in prison. During an At Issue panel on the CBC, some of the commentators said that this is all a strategy so that the upcoming election will have a wedge issue to debate. Jennifer Ditchburn from the CP told the CBC: “[Conservatives] want to take the power away from a tribunal, that is specifically impartial, the minister can’t direct a parole board to do X, Y, and Z. They want to take it away from the tribunal and put it in the cabinet, and as we all know decisions get made in the cabinet room and they are not always based on the public service and altruistic ideals.” This new crime bill is not alone; Bill C-51 is a major political issue. Political parties are staking areas all over the map on
this issue, and many predict that Bill C-51 will turn out to be a major part of the election in 2015. In Parliament, the NDP and Liberals do not have enough seats to vote down this bill. However, that has not stopped them from making their positions known. The NDP, led by Thomas Mulcair, has directly opposed this bill, and said that the New Democratic Party does not support it and will actively fight against it. This stance is expected to trend into the election, and create a wedge issue that the government, and the opposition, will be able to go back and forth on. The Liberals are looking for the middle ground on this issue, instead of outright opposing the bill, like the NDP, the Liberals have said they would support the bill but ask that sufficient oversight be added to it so that no overstepping would happen. Justin Trudeau has taken some backlash from this stance from many people. Recently at UBC, Trudeau was challenged by a student who said, “…supporting a bill that you know is dangerous is tantamount to holding our rights hostage.” The election is still months away, but it is easy to see that all the leaders are getting ready for a major election battle. It is impossible to predict the future of this election, but a look at where it is going in polling data seems to show a possible minority government of either Liberals or Conservatives.
Science at UNBC
The
A new way to study genetic disease Mani Samani Team Member
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n the realms of science, DNA is a constant subject to mutations. Mutations are a direct effect of a genetic material which is accidentally going to be altered in its code. When we look at mutations, we are told that the options are things like Charles Xavier, who can read minds, or Wolverine’s ability to heal himself. Despite the fantasy of being a superhero X, mutations in a more realistic world won’t cause these dramatic effects. Furthermore, mutations can lead to missing or malformed proteins, and that can lead to disease. However, recent UNBC research on genes has demonstrated new ways to study the reasons of these genetic disorders. According to “RNA splicing: disease and therapy”, a paper published in Oxford Journals, many different human genetic diseases can be caused by errors in RNA splicing or its regulation. Gene splicing involves cutting out part of the DNA in a gene and adding new DNA in its place. The process is entirely chemical with restriction enzymes used. Depending on the type of restriction enzyme used, different parts of the genetic code can be targeted. A specific restriction enzyme will split apart a specific strand of DNA, leaving behind a gap in the genetic code. New DNA can then be added in this gap. UNBC Professor of Chemistry Dr. Stephen Rader and his team have been working on gene splicing for the last three years. Frequently in research about gene splicing, scientists haved used human cells or yeast which is a complex organism to study. Rader and his team at UNBC biochemistry lab believe that looking at algae could give researchers a better understanding of how the process works. Mona Amini, Dr. Rader’s graduate student in biochemistry, explains that “Unlike human cells that are complex and should stay in 37 degrees”, Algae is a simple organism that grows in hot, acidic conditions. This is an ideal organism for gene splicing research which can provides a better understanding of how the process works in humans [sic]”. Defective splicing is responsible for up to 60% of genetic diseases, including cancer and cystic fibrosis. Rader stated: “By finding a very simple version of the cellular machinery used to splice genes, we can determine which parts are essential to the process and which parts are accessories”. The research brings scientists another step closer to understanding the process. The project has just been published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. “It is important to understand how splicing works so we can find ways to treat these diseases.” Rader says. Predominantly, we hear about mutations that cause disease. Color-blindness is one of the most well-known inherited genetic disorders that caused by the mutation of a single gene. Most inherited genetic diseases are recessive, which means that a person must inherit two copies of the mutated gene to inherit a disorder. Hence, there is a high chance of genetic disorder for a child born from marriage between close relatives having the same copy of a defective gene. Cancer usually results from a series of mutations within a single cell. Often, a faulty, damaged, or missing p53 gene is to blame. The Tech Museum of Innovation said that the p53 gene makes a protein that
stops mutated cells from dividing. Without this protein, cells divide unchecked and become tumors. Thanks to natural selection, diseases caused by just one copy of a defective gene tend to get weeded out of populations over time, because afflicted carriers are more likely to die before reproducing. We all start out our lives with some kinds of mutation inherited from our parents. However, there are also other kinds of mutations that can be acquired during lifetime. For example, some mutations happen during cell division, when DNA gets duplicated. Moreover, environmental factors, including UV radiation, chemicals, and viruses can be the source of DNA damages. Nonetheless, many mutations have no effect at all. These are called silent mutations. Besides those rough mutations that threaten our lives, some of them can be also beneficial. Over time, genetic mutations create genetic diversity, which keeps populations healthy. Hopefully UNBC continues to lead in such research in the future.
Feature
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News
Left: Mayor Lyn Hall. Center: Chief Dominic Frederick. Right: Councillor Murry Kraus Kelley Ware | OTE
Prince George celebrates centennial Kelley Ware Multimedia Coordinator
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n March 6, Prince George officially celebrated its 100th birthday. Incorporated in 1915, the city has a lot to celebrate. Outside of City Hall, Mayor Lyn Hall, Chief Dominic Frederick, and Councillor Murry Krause welcomed guests with stories and cake. The event began the way most events begin: with a recognition of the traditional territory of the Lheidli T’enneh. After the recognition, Mayor Hall briefly discussed where Prince
George has been, where it is going, and why we should be proud to celebrate. However, it quickly moved to incorporating the Lheidli T’enneh as partners in Prince George’s present and future. “The relationship we have with the Lheidli T’enneh is one of friendship and economic development,” said Mayor Hall, “We look forward to moving the relationship into the future.” This was an important acknowledgement, especially considering the checkered past Prince George (and Canada as a whole) has with its First Nation population. Andrew Kurjata of CBC Daybreak recently
posted a Soundcloud story (soundcloud. com/akurjata/burn-your-village-to-theground-100-years-since-lheidli) about the early history of PG that involved forced relocation of Indigenous people. Set to the music of A Tribe Called Red, it points out the problems with our colonial past. It was an unexpected surprise that the 100th Anniversary of incorporation did not gloss over these events; the speakers acknowledged and accepted the fact that the history of Prince George goes far further than 100 years. The centennial celebration was not as much about looking
at the past, but about moving towards the future. “The Lheidli T’enneh were here long before Europeans,” Councillor Krause said, “2015 needs to belong to everyone.” Chief Frederick also spoke about the centennial and celebration. “Happy Birthday!” he exclaimed before discussing the idea of building relationships and celebrating what we have built. “We have an interesting past and I hope we have an incredible future,” finished Councillor Krause before the three leaders cut the centennial cake together.
Culture
Review: Taxi
Taxi (2015) Jafar Panahi Film Production
Nahid Taheri Team Member
J
afar Panahi's Taxi has won the significant Golden Bear at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival. Reading reviews made for both surprising and happy moments for me, as an Iranian. Knowing that during protests against the 2009 Iranian presidential election results he was arrested twice and then was sentenced to a 20-year ban on directing any movie or even leaving the country gives Iranians a feeling of pride
around the world when his movie, Taxi, filmed entirely in a moving car fitted with three webcams, has won the Golden Bear. Panahi himself plays a driver, and all passengers are played by nonprofessional actors. Using a contrast of light and shade – of the jovial and the grim – Panahi was able to create what can easily be seen as a plea for the vibrancy of his country. Here, people are motivated by the issues that are often debated in Western media, but also pass through life with a warmth, normality,
and inconsequence that many would deny. Various characters playfully make reference to the possibility of being actors working to a script, while a film student expresses the frustrations they suffer, given the state’s restriction on what can and cannot be said by filmmakers working within their borders. Taxi is perhaps not new in Iranian cinema, drawing direct comparison with Abbas Kiarostami’s car-bound Ten, but Panahi’s film doesn’t even hope for state approval –
especially with a finale in which he stages the theft of his video recorder’s memory card by government goons. Even the swiveling of his camera takes on a political resonance as he fights against an invisible combatant for control of the gaze. With Panahi’s injection of humor and his unique constellation of ideas, Taxi is a refreshing return to form and the busy streets of Tehran.
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Culture
6 Online Curiosities to Help Strike Off Boredom Colin Slark Team Member
S
trikes are no fun for any of the parties involved. Students can’t learn, instructors can’t teach, and administrators don’t have anyone to administrate. After you have finished all your homework, you are probably wondering what to do with your spare time. The sensible choice is, of course, to scour the Internet for interesting things, hoping to find an elixir that will cure you of your terminal boredom. Thankfully, there are tons of things online to interest people with a wide variety of tastes. Here are 6 online curiosities to help strike out boredom. Breaking Madden/NBA Y2K (sbnation. com):
Sportswriter Jon Bois messes with settings and player ratings in popular NFL and NBA video games to create strange scenarios. Sometimes Bois sets up a game to show off the skills of a real life player he admires, and other times he sees how Tom Brady would fare if all of his teammates were as small as possible and didn’t understand the concept of football. Bois is able to create
interesting narratives from games that usually do not have stories, and even non-sports fans will be able to appreciate the physical comedy. Chip and Ironicus Let’s Plays (chipandironicus.com): You may have heard of Let’s Play, in which people record themselves playing video games for your enjoyment. Many of these people tend to shriek constantly while cultivating annoying cults of personality. You may have seen one of these videos and thought that the entire Let’s Play movement is a waste of time. However, it is possible to be done right. Chip Cheezum and General Ironicus offer interesting commentary on games and are remarkably in-depth when it comes to showing all a game has to offer. For instance, I had played many of the Metal Gear Solid video games, but I had no idea about some of the secrets they showed off, making the experience feel fresh. If you like what they have to say, they even have a podcast! Reefer Madness (archive.org/details/ reefer_madness1938): I mentioned this horrid 1930s anti-drug film earlier in the school year in my bad movie article. The nice thing about this film is that it is in the public domain, so you can download it for free, without any guilt. The depiction of the effect of marijuana on the human body is completely overblown, creating an amusing spectacle every time someone pretends to smoke a joint. Keep an eye out for the actor that is both an omniscient narrator and character in the film, showing that the filmmakers did not understand how to write points-of-view or narrative structures.
Atomic Robo Brian Clevinger & Scott Wegener
Atomic Robo (atomic-robo.com): Atomic Robo is a webcomic by writer Brian Clevinger and artist Scott Wegener chronicling the adventures of an adventurous robot created by Nikola Tesla. Robo fights a sentient dinosaur, extra-dimensional horror, Nazis, and science experiments gone wrong. If you
like Hellboy, you will enjoy this series that is similar in concept, but is lighter hearted. This comic was originally a print comic, but is now being uploaded in its entirety online so there are frequent updates with a promise of much more content to be uploaded in the future. First Person Tetris (firstpersontetris.com): Do you like Tetris? Are you the Tetris master? Well, I’m betting that you’ve never played Tetris like this. In this version of the popular Russian video game, you play from the perspective of the game pieces. When you rotate a block, it also rotates the game screen. There’s even an “existential crisis” mode where you can only see the area directly around a block, making it hard to plot its trajectory. First Person Tetris doesn’t have much staying power, but it’s good for a laugh, especially when you expose it to an unwitting friend unprepared for the swirling vortex that awaits them. Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – 30th Anniversary Edition (bbc.co.uk): This is not the Hitchhiker’s Guide movie, nor is it the book, the TV show, or the original radio dramas. This is the 31-year old text adventure game co-designed by creator Douglas Adams made to work in modern web browsers. It has all the same wit you love from the other versions, but is brutally difficult. You will die frequently, you will die before you exit the first room of the game, and you will die because you did not feed a dog a sandwich an hour and a half ago. While this might seem unappealing, the descriptions of your untimely demises are hilarious and this game has sections of narrative not featured in any other iteration of the series. Hopefully we will all be sitting in a classroom sometime soon, but, until then, try one of these Internet curiosity to keep yourselves occupied. I guarantee that Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy will keep you amused for hours before you throw your mac out a window.
Culture 13
Mass Effect III BioWare
Body diversity in video games Colin Slark Team Member
S
omebody asked me a question recently that I had a hard time answering. She asked me if I could think of any female video game characters that are ugly, nonconventionally attractive, or really muscular-that are not antagonists. I thought that there must be. There are so many video games, on so many platforms that there should be some examples and there are some, but they are underwhelming. There’s a girl in the first Danganronpa game that is very buff and her body is
covered in jagged scars, but she’s a minor character. Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney features a background character that is an overweight baker. EDI, the artificial intelligence from the Mass Effect games, identifies as female and is only represented by a glowing blue sphere in the second game, but in the third game she acquires a sexy robot body to house her consciousness. Catherine features a transgender woman, but she is the object of a joke by her friends who think it is hilarious to encourage a man, who doesn’t know about her gender identity, to go pursue her romantically.
like the Saints Row games sometimes feature the option to make women with varying looks and body types, but that is a choice on the part of the player and not the developer.
Games with in-depth character creation tools
It could be argued that a similar thing is
It is exceedingly difficult to think of a female character that is portrayed positively, is not an antagonist, and is not made to look like the ideal of beauty. I do believe there is a problem having most female protagonists. It puts a certain kind of woman on a pedestal, fetishizing them at the cost of others. It creates an unreal expectation of how women should be in real life.
happening with male characters in video games, creating an ideal of a buff, handsome hero. If anything, what needs to change about men in video games is the ultra tough manly man stereotype. However, you get more variety in body types with male characters. Look, for example, at the most enduring video game of all time; Mario is chubby and is no model. Male characters get to be scarred, buff, and ugly while still being able to affect the plot positively. There should be a wide variety of female characters, especially protagonists, with a variety of body types to better reflect reality.
Sports
PG Cougars support ALS charity
Winner of the Cougars’ 50/50 draw PG Cougars
Brady Stark Team Member
I
n 2006, Tyler Mrkonjic lost his hockey mom to a terrible disease known as ALS. ALS (Amyotropic lateral sclerosis) is a disease that systematically shuts down neurological functions throughout the body until the person eventually stops breathing. Ever the fighter, Mrkonjic took the passion that he got from his mother to propel him to an elite level in the sport that his family loves. Currently in his second year with the Prince George Cougars, Mrkonjic has made himself a home with the team and has been a fan favorite since he stepped on the ice. On March 7, it was the Cougars’ turn to fight with Mrkonjic against a battle his family has been waging for nine years. The Mrkonjic family set up a charity to
help in the aid of ALS research in the name of his late mother: Shelly L Mrkonjic. On a night where the Cougars were fighting for their playoff lives, hockey took a backseat to the noteworthy cause. Cougars’ owner and President Greg Pocock came up with the idea of making the earnings from the 50/50 draw go straight into the charity instead of usually going to support minor hockey in P.G. In any given 50/50 draw throughout the year, the pot would grow to an average of $4,000. To make sure that the Mrkonjic family knew that they were going to be supported in their cause, Mr. Pocock donated $25,000 to get the ball rolling. Stirring an immediate frenzy since announcing the boost in 50/50 sales, people came in droves to see the Cougars take on the Victoria Royals and support a hometown cause. The Cougars organization braced for the onslaught of
people wanting to buy their tickets as over 5,000 fans filled the arena. Once in the CN Centre, people could hardly move as everyone was lined on to get their 50/50 tickets during the 1st and 2nd intermissions. During the game, the Cougars would put up the 50/50 amount on the jumbotron, and as fans watched the amount went sky high. By the end of the second period, the 50/50 officials had to stop sales because the machines were being over-worked. The final amount for the draw was $67,066, a franchise record. On a night where the Cougars stole a point from the Royals, Shelly. L. Mrkonjic stole the hearts of a great town, as her charity was the real winner in a fight that keeps her wonderful memory going.
Sports 15
NFL free agent frenzy: who won, who got worse? Brady Stark Team Member
L
ooking forward to the 2016 season, we took a look at who won and who lost in this year’s free agency. Winners Indianapolis Colts: The Colts have long been a team that relies on their passing game to get the win every week. Unfortunately, the Colts did not have a backup plan if their passing was stifled. General Manager Ryan Grigson sought to rectify the blatant holes in his team by signing former 49ers running back Frank Gore and former Houston Texan Andre Johnson. With Gore, the Colts get a reliable run game that was called into question multiple times last year due to their revolving door of candidates. The Colts thought they had their solution when they traded for Trent Richardson, but he never fulfilled his potential and was subsequently benched. Gore ran for over 1,100 yards on 255 carries with 4 touchdowns last year. Colts fans can expect Gore to get the hard short yards for the first down, as well as giving QB Andrew Luck more options to consider in the huddle. With Andre Johnson, the Colts get a Pro Bowl wide receiver that was under-utilized in Houston because of their “run first” mentality. GM Grigson knows that he can expect far more than the 936 yards that he tallied last year because of the caliber of quarterback that is now throwing to him. Miami Dolphins: The Miami Dolphins can definitely be considered winners after the first couple of days of free agency after addressing a need that was very apparent for most of the season: they were a sieve on defense. GM Denis Hickey wanted to give the fans of the Dolphins something to get excited about, so he went out and signed the
biggest name on the free agent market: Ndamukong Suh. Suh is a Pro Bowl tackle that took the league by storm when he played for the Detroit Lions. With 53 tackles and 8.5 sacks, Suh was the leader in almost every defensive category for his position. For a team that went 8-8 on the season and gave up more points than it earned, Suh is a welcomed addition to a franchise that has been the definition of mediocre in the past few years. Losers: Baltimore Ravens: It has been three years since the Ravens won the Superbowl and Ray Lewis ran off into the sunset. Now, in 2015, the Ravens are in serious danger of sliding down the standings in the upcoming season. The Ravens decided to get rid of one of their best defensive pieces in Haloti Ngata, trading him to the Detroit Lions for a 4th and 5th round pick in the draft. Once hailed as the toughest defense to play every Sunday, the Ravens will have to rely heavily on Terrell Suggs and whomever they bring in to replace Ngata and his 35 tackles a season. Not only did the Ravens get weaker on defense, they stayed stagnant on the offensive side of the ball. While other teams in their division, such as the Cleveland Browns, are actively seeking to improve their offensive woes by courting potential free agents Perrish Cox and Brandon Browner, the Raven feel content in just relying on what they have on their roster already. Unfortunately for the Ravens, they have an over-rated QB in Joe Flacco, as well as a depleted defensive core after losing the likes of Michael Ohr the previous off-season. If the Ravens have any chance of getting top seed in the AFC North division, they have to start dishing out the cash for some better players. Denver Broncos:
This is a weird team because of two reasons. First, they bring back the immortal Payton Manning, who seems to be on his last leg every snap, but still gets the job done. Second, they let one of their best wide receivers test the free agent market. Losing the talents of Julius Thomas is a blow to one of the best offenses last year. The reason the Manning was so dangerous was because he had so many receiving options. The Broncos tried to relieve some of the hurt left by Thomas by signing TE Owen Daniels to a three-year contract. Admittedly, Daniels is now slouch; his 537 yards on 48 receptions are similar to Thomas’. The only problem with the switch in personnel is the fact that Daniels is six years older than Thomas. Daniels has made a career to being the safe option for any quarterback to throw the ball to, but he is not going to make the extra jump to get the team more yards that Thomas might have done in the same situation. If the Broncos have any hope of maintaining the offense that they had last year, they need to either spread the ball out more evenly with the rest of the receivers, or they need to bring in more star power at the TE position. Washington Redskins: Ignoring their highly offensive team name, the Redskins have much bigger problems than off-field drama. Coming dead last in the NFC East division, Washington has been hampered with injuries to key players. Most notable in those injuries is highly touted QB: Robert Griffin III. Griffin has all the tools to become a great QB in the NFL, the problem is his body will not let
him. He has not played a complete season since coming into the NFL three years ago. The Redskins need to have a game plan in case Griffin continues his injury streak. ESPN reported that the Redskins offered the St. Louis Rams a first round pick for Sam Bradford, but even that was not enough to convince the Rams as they ended up shipping Bradford to the Eagles. The only other option for the Redskins at this point is to hope that Oregon Ducks star QB falls to fifth in the upcoming draft in order to give the offense a fighting chance in a very tough division. With the lack of movement in trades, and a lack of signing any significant players, look for the Redskins to have another dismal season in the U.S capital. This years’ trades should make for a good season. Keep an eye out for Superbowl 2016 to see who comes out on top.
Coffee Break Filbert Cartoons
Anthony Labonte
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UNBC grad students mull their options Colin Slark Team Member
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