Over The Edge
UNBC’s Independent Student Newspaper est. 1994
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Volume 21, Issue 11
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Free overtheedgenewspaper.ca
March 2, 2015 ote-newspaper@unbc.ca
© Comedy Central
Next deadline: March 2, 2015
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Over the Edge offers free speech at UNBC, but it is very important, as for all publications, that we are not hurting anybody. If you, at any point, have any comments about what we are printing, please bring them to our attention.
This brings back the question of free speech and freedom of opinion, which has been highlighted in the media since
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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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Over The Edge
the January attacks at Charlie Hebdo. The question of where to draw the line in publication--of placing limits on opinion for the good of the reader--is one that every editorial staff must deal with.
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All of this is happening while Mein Kampf,
Adolf Hitler’s 1925 manifesto, is at the center of a heated debate. The book’s copyright will expire on December 31, putting it legally into the public domain. The German state of Bavaria currently holds the copyright, and is working with the German government to try and have it banned from publication after the expiry.
Kelley
ow, as ever, religious prejudice and moral conflicts dominate the media market. Madonna recently compared France to Nazi Germany, due to the anti-Semitic attitude that she has noticed throughout her time in the country. This accusation was not unjustified--a report published by the Pew Research Centre found that anti-Semitism was at its highest in 2014 when compared with the previous seven years.
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UNBC Life News from NUGSS Michael Watson Sustainability Representative | NUGSS
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he break has come to an end, and hopefully most people got some well deserved rest. The final stretch of this semester will be busy, with schoolwork, events, and celebrations. Behind all the infrastructure, policies, and politics, there are a lot of opportunities and cool projects happening at UNBC. My suggestion is to take advantage of these opportunities while they exist. NUGSS Elections are fast approaching! Feel like your voice is not being heard? Want to make a difference? This is one opportunity that will aid you to do so. There are many positions, but all of them require dedicated people to fill them.
Through my terms, I have gained many skills that cannot be taught in classrooms. NUGSS is also participating in an organic waste audit, set to happen through the month of March. The Thirsty Moose Pub and both Degrees coffee locations will have their waste measured. Volunteers have already signed up to help, but the more the merrier! Please contact nugss-sustainability@unbc. ca if you are interested in helping out! I wish you all the best of luck in the remaining few months and congratulations to those who are graduating. Hopefully the UNBC experience has found you well, and will remain with you for years to come. Cheers for now, Michael Watson NUGSS
Michael Watson
The administration strikes back Kelley Ware Multimedia Coordinator
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egotiations are ongoing, into the tenth month, for a collective agreement between the UNBC administration and the faculty. This lengthy timeline and the uncertainty the strike mandate has caused have created anxiety among the student body. Interim Provost and Vice-President Academic Dr. John Young hosted the February 12 information session that primarily focused on the current state of negotiations, UNBC as a public university in BC, and looking forward before answering student questions. The session began with a prepared statement from President Daniel Weeks, who unfortunately could not make it due to the passing of his father.
There was only so much that UNBC’s administration could share with the students pertaining to the specifics of negotiations and a potential strike. The remainder of the articles yet to be agreed upon are all on compensation. However, it was also pointed out that UNBC recognizes that a compensation gap exists, but not just for the faculty. “Neither faculty salary nor administrative stipends are as competitive as we would like,” said Dr. Mark Dale, Dean of Regional Programs. An important thing that Dr. Young wanted to get across to students was the governance structure of UNBC; the Board of Governors and the Senate are equally important. They are responsible for financial decisions and academic decisions respectively. This dual-governance is an unusual structure that is uncommon to institutions outside of universities. In
addition to this structure, UNBC is a public institution that is responsible to the Crown and the citizens of BC. This means that, among other things, they are governed by the Labour Relations Code of BC Law.
that the uncertainty of possible job action is very unsettling. No one on either side of the negotiating table wants job action. “What happens at UNBC will not be decided by the rumour mill,” said Dr. Young.
The Government of BC approves the negotiating mandate, and UNBC must follow that mandate. However, if the administration can find a way to increase compensation that aligns with this mandate, Victoria will cover the costs, rather than UNBC. With that information, it may be prudent for UNBC students to begin contacting the Ministry of Advanced Education in addition to the Senate and Board of Governors.
The senior administration is full of former faculty that we see every day on campus. These senior administrators are not trying to screw over the current faculty; they are people who are trying to work collectively to find a fair settlement with the resources available. They are also not giving up hope that a settlement can be made.
What was clear from the administration’s side of the story is that UNBC wants to do what they can to create a fair contract. They recognized, much like the Faculty Association recognized the week before,
“We are optimistic there are legitimate ways to settle this [before a strike],” Dr. Young told Over the Edge while attendees streamed out of the Canfor Theatre. We hope he is right.
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UNBC Life
Discovery at UNBC
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ith the nation at our door, UNBC found an interesting way to showcase the research going on at our university. The UNBC Discovery Centre was a series of booths and activities held from February 16 to February 27. The purpose of this event was to provide an opportunity for parents, youth, coaches, and visitors to learn about UNBC’s academic offerings during the Canada Winter Games. They did this by showcasing UNBC research through hands-on, interactive activities for all ages. Points of exploration were mainly centred
Robots, crystal snowflakes, magnets, and anatomy displays graced the main floor of the library. Special events had minds, both young and old, watching a Wood Physics Magic Show, smashing dry ice, and playing with MakerLab 3D printers. It
It was also an opportunity for the students of UNBC to shine. Coordinator Brooke Boswell told Over the Edge that everyone involved in the running of the UNBC Discovery Centre were volunteers. Their effort was also well rewarded. Even on the first day the Discovery
Only time will tell if the Discovery Centre will lead to future scholars coming to UNBC. What is obvious, though, is that everyone who attended enjoyed themselves, and they most definitely learned something.
Kelley Ware | OTE
Kelley Ware Multimedia Coordinator
on science-based academics at UNBC, but it also included booths on accessibility, mental health, and green activities. There were also First Nations presence through art and UNBC’s foundational history. Departments that had learning activities included Natural Resources and Environmental Science, Health Sciences, Life Sciences, Math and Physics, Chemistry, and Computer Science.
made science and research approachable to everyone who attended. Everyone was engaged with something. Children sat in awe as science tricks were done in front of them. At a tactile sensory booth, Over the Edge was able to correctly guess what we were feeling in a box that prevented us from seeing it. It was a foam Darth Vader, for those who were wondering.
Centre was running, Boswell expressed surprise in just how many people attended. It was not simply residents of Prince George either; the sign-in sheet at the information table revealed guests from all over the country. MakerLab Coordinator Kathleen Angelski also expressed delight in how many people attended, especially considering how many Canada Winter Games events the UNBC Discovery Centre had to compete with.
UNBC Life
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Smash Bros. For charity. Colin Slark Team Member
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o you enjoy cartoon violence in video game form? Do you take pleasure in helping out your community? Do you wish that there was some kind of marriage of these two concepts? Well, take heart: NUGSS has you covered with their Smarch the 14th event. And no, it’s not a Simpsons reference (“Lousy Smarch weather.”). On Saturday March 14, starting at 6 pm, NUGSS (in conjunction with Game Quest) is putting on a Super Smash Bros. for Wii U tournament in the NUSC event space. For an entry fee of five non-perishable food items, you can enter into either a competitive or casual tournament with several friendly matches also being played on the side. The winners of each of these brackets will win yet-to-be announced prizes. The organizing partners, as well as certain Smash enthusiasts from around town, will assemble enough equipment to have competitors duking it out on several
Nintendo Wii U consoles at the same time. If you have a Nintendo 3DS and a copy of Super Smash Bros., you are invited to bring it along as your 3DS can be used as a controller for the Wii U version, and with enough participants, battles can be held between owners of the handheld version. If you have a personal controller compatible with the Wii U you prefer to battle with, you are also invited to bring it along. Rules for the event will be based on those used at the Apex 2015 international Smash Bros. tournament. Smarch the 14th is the brainchild of NUGSS VP Social Shawn Caldera. Caldera is hoping that this event will not only serve to create a Prince George Smash Bros. community, but also show the good character of gamers. “I want to change the attitude people have towards gamers. I want to show people that gamers can make change,” Caldera told Over the Edge. To achieve this goal, NUGSS will be donating all the food collected during the event to Carrier Sekani Family Services. For those worried about an overly
competitive atmosphere at the event, Caldera says that his main objective is for those in attendance to enjoy themselves: “I want people to come out, have fun, and help the community in the process.”
For those interested, pre-registration will be available both at Game Quest downtown and at the NUGSS office. Also keep an eye out for Smarch the 14th information on Facebook.
G'day from Australia: exchange programs at UNBC Gregory Hues Contributor
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just wanted to say a quick hello from Australia. I am a double major in Commerce at UNBC, and decided to utilize the exchange program offered through our university. Now I’m at the University of New England in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia. The reason I decided to go on this adventure was because it is a fantastic opportunity to experience learning in a
different environment (while not having to pay the international tuition costs). The university is absolutely gorgeous; on campus we have kangaroos as well as Koalas (it is funny to see the Australian reaction when you refer to the Koala as a bear).
fact that it gets all four seasons. I have even been told that they get snow here once every five years. I will admit it is really funny to hear people on campus talk about how cold it gets here, as sometime it goes below zero (I hope I will survive).
Along with the cute animals, I do have to be mindful of the poisonous spiders and the vicious brown snake (which if I see I have been informed to walk quickly away from, but not to run or they will think I am prey). The city of Armidale is the highest geographical city in Australia, sold on the
The university itself has about 4000 people that attend lecture in school. However, the full count of students is around 22,000 people because of an excellent online program. There are about 1000 students enrolled from 80 different countries! I chose to live on campus; most of the residences
here are referred to as colleges, and most of the colleges are more the dormitory style similar to home. I chose to stay in Wight Village so my home is more like a 4-person cottage. One thing I like best about being an international student is that there are always adventures set up for us. Next week, there is going to be a ceremony and I am going to get made an honourary Armidale citizen and get my photo with the town's mayor! This week classes begin for us, so let the crazy studies begin!
News
CWG Opening Ceremonies
Kelley Ware | OTE
Kelley Ware Multimedia Coordinator
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n Friday February 13, Prince George was on the nation’s stage. Thousands of athletes, coaches, and officials had spent two days flying in from approximately 800 communities across Canada for the Canada Winter Games. The opening ceremonies were meant to launch the Games, kick off celebrations in the community, and show Canada just what Prince George has to offer. Now, on a student budget, I could not afford to attend the actual ceremonies at the CN Centre. Fortunately, not only were the ceremonies being televised nationally on TSN2, but the feed was being streamed for free to the Canada Games Plaza outside of the Civic Centre with fireworks after. I chose to attend the latter, because something like this will likely not come back to Prince George anytime soon and I thought it was better to be part of the
celebration than simply see it on TV. I arrived over an hour before the ceremonies were to begin in order to check out the Games Village and Canada Games Plaza. They certainly did an amazing job transforming the Civic Centre into something magical. There were lights everywhere with small temporary wood buildings to represent both Northern BC and the “village” motif. There were food trucks lining the parking lot of the Four Seasons Pool, which was exciting because I cannot recall ever seeing a food truck in downtown Prince George. Global BC News also had a temporary broadcast room so they could broadcast the news on location. That was such a sight to see as we all awaited the start of the opening ceremonies. The broadcast of the ceremonies began with a message from new mayor of Prince George, Lyn Hall, welcoming the nation to our community. It sung the praises of Prince George and had beautiful shots of the city
and surrounding area. Next, it went live to the athletes as they marched in team by team being led by a banner carrier, a flag bearer, and another athlete carrying a lantern that had been sent to each province when the torch was initially lit in Ottawa to symbolize the nation coming together. The entire crowd cheered as Team BC entered. It was impressive to see the prominence of the Lheidli T'enneh, not just in the opening ceremony but throughout the whole Games. It was a breath of fresh air to have an Official Host First Nation, the first in Canada Games history. It is even better to know that it happened in Prince George. The best part was that the inclusion did not feel forced. Chief Frederick sat on the platform with the rest of the government officials. Oh Canada was sung in three languages: first Carrier by a children’s choir, and then in English and French by another singer. It was the first time I ever heard Oh Canada in Carrier, and it was absolutely breathtaking.
Two of the three prominent bands to play at the opening ceremonies were local bands: Bright City Heights and Black Spruce Bog. Not only are the two of them amazing local talent, but each band have UNBC alum in their ranks. Both of them did Prince George, UNBC, and themselves proud. In between music and dancers, speeches from Premier Christy Clark, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Minister of Sport Bal Gosal, and Canada Games officials were given to welcome the athletes and celebrate them and Prince George. The commercials between the ceremonies were all Prince George or Canada Games related, which was a nice touch. I was constantly in a state of awe and how well things that were so familiar to me and that we take for granted were shown. Prince George likely will have a much more honoured place on the nation’s stage after this.
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Valentine’s Day Women’s Memorial March SuIn Margaret Lee Publisher
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he annual Women’s Memorial March is held to honor the memory of all women who have gone missing or died due to physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual violence. It occurs on Valentine’s Day to express compassion and love for all women. The march was first initiated by First Nations women in 1992 in response to the murder of a Coast Salish woman on Powell Street in Vancouver. The event has since spread to other cities, including Edmonton and Calgary. Now in its 23rd year, the march has become an annual event to bring awareness and commitment to end the violence towards women. There was grief and outrage on the streets of Prince George as supporters gathered to remember aboriginal women who have
died or gone missing. This year, the march was brought to the North for the first time by College of New Caledonia Student Union funded by Women and Aboriginal Committee. Posters and signs that read “Am I Next?” and “1800 missing and murdered and not on Harper’s radar” were handed out by Arnold Yellowman, the aboriginal representative from CNC Student Union.“We wanted to point to the concerns surrounding the Highways of Tears, the stretch of Highways 16 between Prince George and Prince Rupert marked by the murders and disappearances of women over a number of years,” said Arnold Yellowman. The march started from the Courthouse with the opening by Elder Darlene McIntosh from Lheidli Territory. Aboriginal women in traditional clothing beat drums and sang as the protest began. Outraged by the decrease in funding to the
SuIn Lee | OTE
RCMP E-PANA, which is the task force created to investigate a series of unsolved murders with links to Highway 16, demonstrators carried placards calling for immediate action. In front of the RCMP building, people stopped to place roses in the snow--red roses remembering murdered women and yellow roses remembering those who remain missing. It was followed by a moment of silence to remind the RCMP of their duties to the families of the missing women. The demonstrators continued the walk along the “Highway of Tears” back to the court
house to finish the route. Some residents and Canada Winter Games visitors honked and waved in support of the cause. UNBC student David Powe was glad that he was part of the walk. “It is frustrating that this issue of missing and murdered women is being dismissed by the government and that they refuse to invest resources into addressing it,” he said. “but I am happy that I came out today to be part of the memorable walk.”
Oil profits and Canada’s “Green” University Krystal Devauld Contributor
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here is the integrity of the Green University? We as students are required to research the most relevant and up-to-date information; globally, international science has irrefutably proven that oil and liquid natural gas are destructive to our earth in a myriad of ways. We are one of the four collaborative universities within British Columbia that provide research for the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions, which also implies that we are an associated institution in researching and implementing avenues to alleviate climate change impacts. How acceptable is it, then, that, as an institution responsible for training leaders
and stewards, we have our hands greased with oil profits? How can we stand for climate justice and sustainability--all that is green--if the funding is regurgitated from petroleum
an ethical and political issue. Divestment for UNBC would mean retracting any funds invested in petroleum, and reinvesting in stocks that align with our core values,
“If it is wrong to wreck the climate, then it is wrong to profit from the wreckage.” Bill McKibben | 350.org expansion? Obstructing investment to fund further oil development is an action we must take; we must divest from fossil fuels. Our schools’ involvement with oil is both
such as renewable energy projects. Regardless of the administration staff choosing the investment portfolio or allowing a financial institution to decide on
our behalf, if university funds contribute to oil development we have failed to be the Green University. Negligence does not forgive affiliation; if our hands are dirty, it is time to come clean. Since the divestment campaign commenced in 2012, many renowned schools throughout Europe and North America have joined the movement. Closer to home, Concordia University has begun incrementally divesting funds and the University of Toronto is investigating options. More recently, the University of British Columbia had a referendum from faculty resulting in 62% voting in favor of divestment. Now, it is our turn.
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News
Get rich or dry trying: the Water Sustainability Act Andrew Kenway Team Member
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ritish Columbia's lakes and rivers are one of its most valuable resources. With this in mind, it might be a surprise to find out that much of BC's water protections and regulations have been, until recently, relatively outdated; they were originally put into place in 1909. Thankfully, for the first time in over a century something has been done. It is called the new Water Sustainability Act (WSA). It is an effort to regulate British Columbia's vast lakes and rivers that goes into effect in 2016. However, according to the BC organization The WaterWealth Project, this may yet be grossly insufficient. WaterWealth is an organization concerned with protection of our water. Its declaration claims that as long as we take care of our water wealth, together we will prosper. One powerful example that begs the need for reform is Nestle, a company that has been taking millions of gallons of water from BC lakes for no more than the cost of operation. Until, that is, the new act goes into effect. There are outraged cries that Nestle is taking water for free--they are understandable, but not entirely correct. One Nestle representative gladly pointed out that they are paying taxes for operating in British Columbia, and employing 75 people at their plant. If you feel this is a small price to pay, and that this deal may not be as beneficial for the province as it is for Nestle, you're not alone. BC is not the only example of Nestle's foreign operators. WaterWealth's website points out is that the company is selling their product at a one thousand percent profit out of a plant in California--a state currently in the middle of a drought. To many, it might appear that Nestle's best interests do not line up with those whose resources they repurpose. Even when this act is in place, Nestle will still be paying a mere $2.25 dollars per million gallons of water. Whatever the company is paying to bottle water in this volume is grossly insufficient, and doing little to benefit the residents of BC to whom this water belongs. The chairman of Nestle, Peter Brabeck-Lemathe, proclaimed his opinion in a youtube video that water is a foodstuff that should be privatized, not a human right. Keeping in mind that water is one of the most essential things proven to be a requirement of life as we know it, this is a little unsettling. Perhaps he'll be coming out for privatization of air in coming decades. One thing that seems obvious is that as the world's population continues to grow, BC's fresh water becomes increasingly valuable. Protections like this new Water Sustainability Act are a mere baby-step in the right direction, and if the issue isn't pushed further soon, this seemingly limitless supply could be dried up in centuries. If action is taken soon enough, perhaps the water will remain treasured for its life-giving necessity rather than its scarcity.
The
Feature
Jon Stewart set to leave The Daily Show James Mangan Team Member
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n February 10, Jon Stewart announced that he will be leaving The Daily Show, a program he has hosted since 1999. The Daily Show is considered the “most trusted name in news” by many, a title that Stewart himself has scoffed. The Daily Show always prioritized comedy over informed reporting, a fitting goal considering the show aired on Comedy Central.
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart | Comedy Central
Despite this, American pundits have always challenged the legitimacy of Stewart’s “reporting.” Stewart’s title as the most “trusted man in news” for Americans is not necessarily a reflection of how the American viewer is becoming more cynical, but rather a reflection of just how much American news organizations have failed the American public. Partisanship plays a pivotal role in public discourse. Information in a liberal democracy can be treated as a commodity for consumers. This is especially prominent in opinion journalism and punditry. The market for information has led to 24-hour news organizations that can provide consumers with information at any time of the day. This doesn’t even come close to the amount of information that can be provided by media organizations through the internet. However, it’s disingenuous for media organizations to state their partisan information as objective truth. Any organization may have ulterior intentions with regards to the services they provide, and media organizations are in the position to have political intentions in mind. Viewers of Fox News, one of the most popular American news outlets, recognize that many of their opinion-oriented programs have a partisan slant in favour of the Republican Party, and do not take their motto, “Fair and Balanced,” as a serious self-description. This does not mean that the viewer is receiving misinformation, but that the process in which the information is presented may be done to satisfy an ulterior motive, specifically the promotion of the Republican Party in Fox News’ case. Information consumers trust Jon Stewart’s delivery of information more than actual news organizations, because Stewart is not disingenuous. He has made it perfectly clear that his show prioritizes entertainment and comedic value over the accuracy of the information delivered. The intention of The Daily Show is to make people laugh, not to keep them informed on a daily basis. This is lost on many of his critics, many of whom operate their own show and have become the subject of one of Stewart’s segments.
If information consumers can learn anything from Jon Stewart’s time as host of The Daily Show, it’s that the necessary divorce that needs to occur in news media is not between opinion journalism and information journalism, but rather between the reporting of information and the entertainment value of the information. News can, and should, be entertaining to some extent. However, when entertainment becomes the primary motive of a news organization, through popular opinions that support ulterior motives or through advanced technology, the quality of the information being presented may be sacrificed. It’s not a surprise that within hours of Stewart’s announcement, the video of his guest appearance on “Crossfire” made its rounds through the internet. “Crossfire” was a political fever dream on CNN in which politicians and other political voices were asked blatantly partisan questions in order to craft an uncomfortable scenario for the guests. Despite appearing on a 24-hour news channel, “Crossfire” appeared to prioritize entertainment value rather than informed debate, a statement proven correct by Stewart’s invitation to the show. Rather than promoting his book, Stewart lamented the show and its two hosts, Paul Begala and Tucker Carlson, for “hurting America” by distorting appropriate public discourse and reverting it to dribble. Three months after the interview, “Crossfire” was cancelled. Jon Stewart has not revealed any future plans for when he leaves The Daily Show, but has commented that it may be nice to see his family once in a while. Stewart has left his legacy through a trail of correspondents who have moved on to greater projects. Former Daily Show correspondent John Oliver received his own political program on HBO, and Stephen Colbert, host of Daily Show spinoff The Colbert Report, was accepted to take over for David Letterman on The Late Show. Jon Stewart will be long remembered for his willingness to point out the hypocritical in American journalism.
Culture Leonard Nimoy beams up Colin Slark Team Member
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t the age of 83, Leonard Nimoy has passed away from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). A photographer, singer, poet, director, and actor, Nimoy will best be remembered for things like his guest appearance in the Simpsons episode “Marge vs. The Monorail”, his Tolkien inspired song “The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins”, voice acting the encyclopedia in the video game Civilization IV, his advertisements for laserdisc players, and his role on sci-fi TV show Fringe as mysterious scientist William Bell. Oh, and that whole Star Trek thing too. Nimoy played the Enterprise’s first officer Mr. Spock starting in 1966 and appeared in 103 TV episodes (including Star Trek: The Animated Series) over three different series, voiced Spock in two video games, and portrayed the character in 8 Star Trek movies, even as recently as the 2013 film Star Trek Into Darkness. Nimoy even directed two Star Trek films, The Search For Spock and The Voyage Home. While William Shatner’s Captain Kirk was supposed to be the lead, it was Spock that captured people’s imaginations. Star Trek portrayed a utopic future in which humanity had shed most of their flaws to create a peaceful intergalactic society. As the one outsider character on the show, being half-alien, the audience could absorb Star Trek’s lessons through Spock. As Spock learned about what it meant to be human, so did we. As well, the fact that an alien was welcomed onto the Enterprise was a powerful message about co-existence and xenophobia during the Cold War. Despite frequent in-show references to his being cold and logical (especially Dr. McCoy calling Spock a “green blooded hobgoblin”), Spock was the wise heart of the show. All this was possible because of Nimoy’s performances.
It would almost seem inappropriate to remember a man that did so many things for only a single aspect of his life. Except, that one thing was so important for so many people. NASA tweeted that Nimoy inspired many of their employees. A fictional astronaut inspired real ones. President Barack Obama said that he “loved” Spock in a press statement. Spock was a scientist, an outsider, and yet was still cool. According to fellow Trek cast member Walter Koenig, Nimoy once found out that Nichelle Nichols was getting paid less than her male colleagues and fought to have her pay raised. Clearly, his wisdom was not just an act for the cameras. As a nerdy kid who grew up watching Star Trek, it feels like one of The Beatles just died. I watched the movies with the original cast countless times. When I stayed home sick from school, there was usually some channel playing some episode of Star Trek. One of the first video games I ever owned was a Star Trek adventure game with voice acting by the original cast. Spock was always around, and no matter how silly things got, or how awful the writing was, Nimoy always gave 100 percent. People were saddened when Robin Williams died because this figure that was omnipresent in the media they consumed and loved as a child was gone forever. That is how I feel about Leonard Nimoy. He was a man that leaves a long-lasting legacy, having entertained and inspired people for decades. I was going to end this article by writing how Nimoy lived long and prospered, but I think the last tweet he posted before he died is more fitting. “A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. Live long and prosper.”
Culture 11
Review: The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore
Larry Wilmore The Nightly Show| Comedy Central
Colin Slark Team Member
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he Nightly Show is late night comedy’s newest show, hosted by Larry Wilmore, the most recent graduate of The Daily Show to receive their own program. Wilmore follows in the footsteps of John Oliver and Stephen Colbert, who both kept up the “fake news” format in their own programs after leaving The Daily Show, but Wilmore has tried to change things up a little bit. Unfortunately, The Nightly Show suffers from this deviation from the usual format, making it consistently mediocre. Like the other Daily Show related programs, the first segment of The Nightly Show is dedicated to making fun of current events and the apparatus of American journalism. Every episode has a specific topic that guides the discussion from start to finish and, like he did on his appearances on The Daily Show, Wilmore has a special interest in racial issues. It is nice to see a non-white late night host tackle some of these issues, but he’s
not particularly funny. He is not as witty as Jon Stewart, does not go as in-depth as John Oliver, and his commentary is not as biting as Stephen Colbert. You get the sense that unlike some of his colleagues, we are seeing the real Larry Wilmore on screen and not a characterized version of himself, but the real Larry Wilmore is not that interesting when interpreting the news. The second segment on The Nightly Show is unique for late night television. Four people, a mix of celebrities, media personalities, activists, and Nightly Show staff members join Wilmore every episode for a panel discussion on the episode’s topic. Wilmore’s guests constantly surprise me, as they have interesting and intelligent discussions on serious topics like the anti-vaccination movement and the thaw in US-Cuba relations. Even better is that for some panels, The Nightly Show invites people with dissenting or unpopular opinion to have a say. For instance, the discussion about vaccination featured an anti-vaccination activist. The problem here is that Wilmore is
not a very good moderator. Wilmore is capable of asking thoughtful questions of his guests, but he has a bad habit of cutting them off as soon as they start to answer in order to crack a joke, leading to occasional bouts of uncomfortable silence. Wilmore needs to decide if he wants the panel to be five people at a table joking around or five people around a table having intelligent conversation and stick to it. The option in-between is frustrating to watch. It is not impossible to make something that is not traditionally comedic funny, but Wilmore is not succeeding. Wilmore should instead be looking towards the example set by Last Week Tonight. John Oliver took the normally serious format of investigative journalism and made it fun to watch. The third segment of The Nightly Show is the hardest to watch. Wilmore asks his guests to “Keep it 100” as in, “Keep it 100% honest” and then asks them weird or awkward questions. If Wilmore and the audience judge the panelist to have been honest, Wilmore awards them a sticker that proudly announces that
the person has “Kept it 100”. If Wilmore and the audience judge the panelist to have been dishonest or to have avoided the question, Wilmore throws a tea bag at them and declares them to have spouted “weak tea”. It seems as this segment has been designed carefully to be the show’s signature moment, to be what really sets it apart from the other late night talk shows. Instead of being unique, though, it smacks of being artificial. Some of the guests are clearly uncomfortable being asked silly Sophie’s Choice type questions, while the panelists who are actors or comedians try too hard to give answers that straddle the line between outlandishly goofy and offensive. The Nightly Show is simply not as good as the show that spawned it, or as good as any of the other shows by Daily Show alumni. It is not worth trying out in its current state. If The Nightly Show manages to decide what kind of show it wants to be and stick with a direction, it may be worth checking out sometime in the future.
12
Culture
4 Knockoff Comics to Help Stave Off Boredom I
t could be argued that there are no new ideas in superhero comic books. Both of the big comic companies publish books with similar characters that have similar superpowers. However, some writers are able to take an existing concept and alter it slightly to create a new story that is worth reading. Here are 4 knockoff comics to help stave off boredom. Astro City by Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson (Vertigo) | Inspired by Marvel and DC superhero comics: In Astro City, Kurt Busiek imagines a world populated by characters that are very familiar, but distinctly different to the world’s most popular superheroes. Samaritan is clearly supposed to be Superman. The First Family is the Fantastic Four in all but name. However, what makes Astro City special is that Busiek manages to tell stories that are consistently better than the ones written by people who are writing the “real” characters. The current incarnation of the Justice League is too often written as a bunch of squabbling
children who somehow manage to stop crimes in between bouts of infighting. Astro City’s Honor Guard is consistently heroic, and when characters’ flaws are revealed, they are more interesting than whininess. Planetary by Warren Ellis and John Cassaday (DC Comics) | Inspired by popular fiction: Planetary deals with very familiar things in a unique way. The book focuses on three superhumans who act as sort of superhero archeologists, travelling the globe to investigate the secret history of the world. One issue will feature the Planetary team investigating an event right out of a Japanese monster movie, and the next will have the team help a ghost get revenge in a story that resembles a Hong Kong police film. Planetary goes beyond homage and manages to provide interesting commentary on the works it examines. Ellis and Cassaday’s explorations of comic book characters are great too. The book does have analogues of real characters, such as an evil
version of the Fantastic Four, but Planetary was occasionally allowed to play with the real toys, which led to a great Justice League crossover and a simply incredible Batman crossover. John Cassaday’s art is beautiful and gives it a cinematic quality which really sells what the writing is trying to evoke. Squadron Supreme by Mark Gruenwald and Others (Marvel) | Inspired by The Justice League of America: At one point, Marvel Comics wanted to have the Avengers fight characters that resembled DC’s Justice League and so they created villains with similar powers and costumes called the Squadron Sinister. Eventually, a writer wrote another version of these characters as heroes called the Squadron Supreme. Writer Mark Gruenwald took these knockoffs and wrote a limited series in the 1980s in which, after a cataclysm nearly destroys the United States, the Squadron Supreme decides to rule the country themselves and turn it into a perfect society. The Squadron has good
intentions, but end up committing horrible acts in their quest to create a Utopian America. Squadron Supreme posed a moral question far deeper than either the Avengers or Justice League books of the same era. Supreme by Alan Moore and Various Artists (Various Publishers) | Inspired by Superman: Supreme first appeared in the 1990s as a thinly veiled Superman knockoff and was created by Rob Liefeld, a man with absolutely no concept of how to draw the human anatomy. Supreme languished in mediocrity until comics legend Alan Moore took over writing duties. Moore essentially ignored the work that came before his and turned Supreme into a love letter to Silver Age Superman stories. Admittedly, Silver Age Superman stories are extremely goofy, but Moore managed to write fun stories that also showed why Superman is such a great character when written correctly. Check out some of these less mainstream comics if you’re getting sick of the Marvel vs DC battles!
The Squadron Supreme | Marvel Comics
Colin Slark Team Member
Culture 13
The Imitation Game | Black Bear Pictures
Review: The Imitation Game Nahid Taheri Team Member
I
f you are a computer science nerd, you should probably know Allan Turing. While there is no Nobel Prize in this major, the Turing Award is almost the same thing and it is all because of Allan Turing, the great computer scientist and mathematician. Even if you are not studying computer science or mathematics, you need to watch The Imitation Game, which is about his incredible job breaking Germany’s code over the course of the Second World War. Director Morten Tyldum's film follows Turing's journey to break the Enigma Code, the form in which the Germans communicated during Second World
War in conducting surprise attacks. Turing attempts it by building the first computer, a passion project of his that was frequently criticized for devoting so much government time and money. He deals with social clumsiness, while also accepting his own homosexuality, leading to persecution and depression that eventually caused Turing to take his own life. The film focuses on his life achievements rather than his demise, though it does explore that part of his life, if not illustrate it as much as it could have done. Instead of a linear structure, the film chooses flashbacks to flesh out the full story of Allan Turing. It does seem a little extraneous to go back to school with him,
but fortunately the focus of their objectives and the performances of the young actors make them worthwhile, as well as showing the origin of something that changed the world as we know it. The story is further expanded with newsreel footage and scenes of the world at war. Although the special effects are relatively primitive compared to what can be achieved these days, they doesn't hold the film back. Although Keira Knightley (Joan Clarke) did not get award attention for her fine supporting role as Turing’s counterpart, and her role may not be as meaty, lacking the highs and lows Cumberbatch (Allan Turing) has, she makes the most of her relative sparing use, becoming the heart of the film. Thanks to her, their
relationship is completely believable, given that Turing is a man who struggles with connecting to people, and the way she manages the choices her character is set upon is dealt with deft conviction. It's very easy to get suckered into films that convince you that you're watching one man change the world, and The Imitation Game achieves that effortlessly. However, while dense in character and plot, The Imitation Game flashes more on the surface than it has to offer beneath. The film is poignant, but not powerful. Entertaining, but not enlightening. Overall, The Imitation Game is worth watching, but perhaps wait until it is released on Netflix.
Sports Sports trivia night with Cabbie Richards Brady Stark Team Member
O
n February 24, the Cariboo House Club hosted a sports trivia night for fans across Prince George. The club flew Cabbie Richards from TSN into town to MC the competition along with The Goat’s Kevin Cotter. Cabbie was a true gentlemen; he posed for pictures with anyone who asked. Cabbie kicked the event off by making sure the crowd was into the proceedings and the 25 teams were ready to begin. Once the groups were prepared, Cabbie started throwing questions at the competitors as points racked up on the scoreboard.
The crowd was amped up as teams seemed to guess questions that only hardcore fans with really obscure knowledge would know. The second group of teams came to the floor and struggled hard to answer as many of Cabbie’s questions as possible. One-by-one, teams dropped like flies. Any ties that occurred were settled with a good old game of first-score-wins beer pong (the cups were filled with water). In the round of 8, the teams had to do a game of charades by acting out sports phrases without saying a word. Some of the competitors could have won Oscars with their portrayal of sports action, while others had mental lapses and couldn’t get their team to guess the right answer.
As a spectator, it was hard not to try and shout out any answers that came to mind. As the competition drew closer to its conclusion, the air in the club was palpable with intensity and excitement.
myself, were shouting the order in which they thought was the right sequence. After all the teams had done their particular task, one team had to order Canada Games Athletes from most recent participation in the games.
The final of four rounds saw the competitors putting teams and athletes in order based upon the events that they were a part of. They needed to organize the teams from most recent Stanley Cup champion to Cup Champion five years ago (Kings, Hawks, Kings, Hawks, Bruins, Hawks).
Once only two teams were left, the final competition commenced. The competitors battled in an epic round of sports jeopardy as Cabbie and Cotter played the role of famed Canadian Alex Trebeck by asking the competitors to pick sports categories and wager points. In the end, Team Waldi won 1st place and everyone in the Cariboo House had a night to remember hosted by Cabbie Richards. Thank you, Cabbie, for coming to Prince George to host a great night of sports fun.
Some teams took a long time to decide the order while other teams got the answers within 40 seconds. By then the whole place was pandemonium as spectators, including
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Sports 15
MLB preview: three teams to watch this season Brady Stark Team Member
W
ith the MLB spring training camps starting to ramp up, it’s time to start predicting. New York Yankees: We start with the most notorious team in all of sports. Hailing from the Bronx, the Yankees are easily the team with the most change and question marks coming into this season. The return of Alex Rodriguez from the year and a half suspension for using and distributing performance enhancing drugs will be at the center of the controversy. Will A-Rod be able to fit into the new team? How will the predictably poor reception that he will receive from every stadium the Yankees visit play into his on field performance? Even though Rodriguez is no stranger to pressure, the length of a full 182 game schedule might take a mental toll as he tries to rebuild his legacy. The next question about the Pinstripes is: how will they manage without arguably one of the best shortstops of all time? Last year Derek Jeter played his swan song as he retired for the game of baseball after 21 seasons with the Yankees. The Yankees did do some major damage control in response to losing their iconic shortstop by making a deal in December to acquire 25-year-old Didi Gregorious from the Arizona Diamondbacks. Gregorious is a far cry from the talent that Jeter was, but scouts have said that the young man has great potential. According to George King from the New York Post, Gregorious has the best defensive skill of any young shortstop in the MLB. The one glaring weakness that will be the biggest hole left by Jeter is his consistent hitting. Throughout his career, Jeter had a career batting average of .310. Having such a hole in the batting lineup will give opposition pitchers the ability to select the batters they want to face and which they want to walk.
Prediction: If the Yankees can increased production from their pitching rotation, they will definitely be able to capture a wildcard spot in the American League conference. Toronto Blue Jays: The Toronto Blue Jays epitomize underachiever. They spent over $100 million dollars on free agents to start the 2014 campaign. Unfortunately, the Jays played to a mediocre season going four games above .500 and missing the playoffs for the 20th season in a row. General Manager Alex Anthropoulos had a busy off-season trying to change the fortunes of this struggling Franchise. The Jays made the biggest splash in the off-season by shipping out Brett Lawrie, Sean Nolin, Kevin Graveman, and Franklin Baretto to the Oakland Athletics for all-star third baseman Josh Donaldson. Donaldson appeared in 158 games last year driving in 98 runs and hitting the ball out of the park a total of 29 times. The Jays wanted to go out and get a reliable third baseman instead of relying on Lawrie, because Lawrie had been hampered by injuries the last couple of seasons. With some stability on the defensive side of the ball and some added power with the bat, the Jays can now concentrate on stringing some winning streaks together. The other trade of note came a few days later when the Jays sent underachieving pitcher J.A. Happ to the Seattle Mariners for outfielder Mitchell Saunders. Saunders had played all of his first five seasons with the Mariners. With the change of scenery, the Jays are hoping that being in the middle of the batting rotation and change of outfield position (from center to left) will spark the potential that saw him be drafted in the 11th round. The Jays did a little tinkering in the offseason when the free agent market opened up, snatching up on big name in the catching position. Russell Martin is a name that Canadian baseball fans have come to know in the past few season as he has made significant impacts on teams such as the
Dodgers, the Yankees, and the Pirates. Martin signed a five year, $82 million contract with the Jays in the hopes that he can continue to be one of the best catchers in the league. The Jays are hoping that Martin can provide some offense in the latter half of the batting order, as well as having the ability to catch star pitcher R.A Dickey’s Knuckleball. The biggest head scratcher of the last few seasons is: why are the Jays sticking with John Gibbons as the manager of the team? Gibbons has a record of 462-472 in 6 seasons as the manager. The Jays brought Gibbons in to replace John Farrell in the 2013 season because he had a modicum of regular season success from 2004-2008 with the team. The Jays found out that Farrell was not the problem, as he managed the Boston Red Sox to a World Series Championship the very same season. The Jays are not likely to dramatically improve if they continue to give Gibbons chance-after-chance to turn the team around. Gibbons is on thin ice to start the season as Anthropoulos will be looking at the first sign of trouble to change to the managerial staff. Prediction: Unfortunately for the Blue Jays, they are in one of the toughest divisions in baseball with the likes of the Yankees, Rays, Red Sox, and Orioles. Don’t expect the Jays to make the promised land of the post-season. You should likely expect the firing of manager Gibbons partway through the season with Athropoulos being canned at season’s end. Seattle Mariners: The Seattle Mariners are a struggling franchise. The Mariners finally put together a winning season after going the previous five season with below .500 records. There are two keys to seeing whether the Mariners are playoff pretenders or contenders. The Mariners are in the enviable position of having a star on either side of the baseball. On defense, Seattle has one of the best pitchers in baseball. With a record of 15-6,
Felix Hernandez has quickly become of the best stories in the majors. Hernandez gives the Mariners a weapon to go to when they need the other team’s bats to be silenced for the night. King Felix, as the fans at Safeco Field have dubbed him, set records multiple times this past season with the most notable being a record that was set in 1971. In 1971, New York Mets pitcher, Tom Sever, set a record with 13 straight games with going more than 7 innings of work and only allowing 2 or less runs; Felix Hernandez went 16 games. The other workhorse that the Seattle Mariners have is on the offensive side of the ball. Robinson Cano is the team’s second baseman with a canon for a bat. His career batting average is an astounding .310 with 1,832 hits in 9 seasons. The Mariners signed Cano in last year’s off-season for a mind-blowing 10 year, $240 million dollar deal. Cano did not disappoint the fans and organization as he lead the Mariners offense in every notable category. Like every team in the MLB, the Mariners used the off-season to fix their lineup, trying to plug any holes in their game that was exposed in the previous season. Gone are the likes of Justin Smoak and Michael Saunders to the Toronto Blue Jays. In their place is Baltimore Orioles slugger Nelson Cruz and pitcher J.A. Happ from the Jays. Cruz is known for the long ball, which can be very advantageous in a short ballpark, like Safeco. Cruz is a fantastic short term solution for the loss of Michael Saunders. Prediction: The Mariner’s will likely be fighting for a wildcard spot again this year. However, look for the pitching rotation and the plethora of strong bats to lead the way into the post-season. Oakland has gotten a little weaker with the exits of Donaldson and Cespedes, while the Astros are never a threat and the Royals will not have a repeat performance. Now is the time for Mariner nation to cheer for a long run into the playoffs. All in all the season is looking like an exciting one. I can’t wait to watch!
Coffee Break Filbert Cartoons Anthony Labonte
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